I feel like I am way too young to even start complaining about this, but coming up with something to eat every night is HARD. Especially on week nights. Why is that? I love food, like big time. As a kid, I grew up traveling to other states just to try new restaurants, and my family planning our vacations around what we're going to eat, and all the best places. Even the bad meals we had, or the places that turned out to be duds, created great memories. I love everything about the whole food experience - reading cookbooks, watching the cooking channel, actually cooking, thinking about it, talking about it, going out to eat, getting take out, the people you share meals with, I even enjoy grocery shopping (said very few people ever.) But why is it, when it comes down to weeknight eating, it seems like more of a necessity and less of an experience?? I'm a firm believer that eating, the whole process, should be an experience, that's meant to be enjoyed. Life is too short to have a bad meal! Plus, I don't want to waste the calories on something I'm not thoroughly enjoying, right?!
Last night, Todd and I found ourselves home later than we both had planned, it had been raining NON-STOP - and when I say non stop, I really mean non-stop - it didn't let up for a second. There was at least a light drizzle for about 3 days straight, and I think everyone was more than done with it. It was dark, wet, and cold for too long, and mentally, it was wearing us all down. I had zero motivation to do or think about what to have for dinner, and was in a weird enough mood to not care (which is super rare for me, I always care about food!) We ended up having a "salad wrap", which in theory doesn't sound bad, but it defiantly wasn't good. It used up a lot of the odds and ends in the fridge, and the last of the chicken before it went bad, and I didn't go to bed hungry which I am very grateful for, but it was very anticlimactic to say the least.
I am realizing, as with most things as you get older, I did not give my mom enough credit for thinking of what to have for dinner EVERY NIGHT. When we were younger, she worked full time, shuttled us around, and put a meal with a protein, starch, and vegetable (her requirements - which is also why I am super spoiled, and can't have a simple dinner now...it has to check all the boxes), on the table every night by 6, and I will admit I didn't realize what a big feat that was until now. It's not even the cooking or shopping, but the coming up with what to eat that gets me. So a big shout out to my mom, and all the moms, dads, husbands, wives, and any person ever, that has figured out dinner on the week nights for any amount of time. It's an under appreciated art, and shouldn't go unrecognized!!
Tuesday nights we go to my in-laws house for family dinner and then cards. LV always calls me a saint for sticking that out every week, and at first I wouldn't have accepted the compliment, but over the years, I think I've earned the title. It's a LOT of in-law time, but mostly mother-in law-time. We sometimes don't get home until 10:30 or 11, depending on how long the card game takes. It's important to spend time with family, and Todd puts up with a lot from me, so I if this is what he asks of me, I can do this. It's a lot...I can't lie. But, it's one less night I have to think about what to make for dinner after working, running to appointments, and "doing" all day. Dinner is just done, and even though my MIL will not win any ribbons for cooking at any point, I don't have to think about it, and that alone makes it that much better.
So here's to looking forward to Friday - our "night out", where we can eat out, not feel bad about it, or cook something more "gourmet", and enjoy a GOOD long meal, after eating weird MIL soups and questionable "salad wraps", I'm hungry for the full experience, and proper over indulgence.
