Five things to make when you don't want to make anything

It's not that I don't like cooking, it's that cooking while working and taking care of kids is an entirely different experience. I understand why so many moms meal prep and I have every intention of doing that one day. Maybe. Probably not. 

We keep it pretty simple around here for dinner. I cook three times a day most days because I mistakenly never taught my kids to eat cereal for breakfast. I don't know why. Now they're used to eggs and toast. Oatmeal and such. I don't mind. I'm a morning person. But after making breakfast, and then making lunch, by 6pm I'm running on fumes. 

My kids like Tex-Mex, California casual type meals that are heavy on salsa verde, salad, cheese, and ground beef. They also like potatoes, chicken and beef, pasta, and all the things kids like fries, chicken tenders, etc. 

I don't make seafood because I don't like seafood. I know Jesus multiplied fish and seemed to enjoy it, by all biblical accounts, but it is my least favorite thing to look at and eat. Water meat. It's gross. I can't wrap my mind around eating octopus. Or tilapia. There was a time I pretended to like  seafood to appear mature, but those days are behind me and I'm grateful. 

Today we went to the optometrist, ran errands, and went to the MALL. This was after a morning of working. Writing, emails, juggling various things that I've found myself in. I'm also in the final edits of a series of middle grade books I'm writing and it's hectic. This all happened on a Monday which is uncalled for. 

By the time I got home I felt like I needed 14 hours of Gilmore Girls to reset my system. Not gonna happen, but a girl can dream. 

Instead, I sip on a decaf coffee to reestablish a sense of inner coziness. 

I wanted to share five dinners I make when I really can't deal with cooking but understand that I'm legally obligated to feed my kids. The meal I used in this blog post, basically nachos in a casserole dish, is one of them. But most of them will be way easier than that. 

1. Nachos in a casserole dish. You know how to make nachos. Add a protein to feel good about yourself. Layer it in a dish and present it to your kids like a casserole, but it's nachos. If they say, "Are these nachos?" deny it. Say it's a casserole from (insert a country they don't know much about). Serve with uncut fruit. 

2. Breakfast. This is really flexible. You can make pancakes if you're up for that, but if you're reading this, I doubt that you are. If it's dance or soccer or youth group night and you just need to make something quick, do oatmeal, fry up some sliced turkey, and serve it with fruit. When I say "fry up" I mean "air fry up." Hard boiled eggs. 

3. Spaghetti with cheese. I used to homeschool both of my kids, now one goes to a little school we found and I homeschool one. I always have someone to feed for lunch. A favorite around here that can be easily made for dinner is spaghetti with cheese. It's literally buttered noodles with cheese melted on top. It takes 15 minutes. I serve it with a whole apple. 

4. Quesadillas. So easy. So fast. Go lay down. 

   English Muffin Pizzas: self-explanatory. Toast english muffins, tomato, sauce, cheese. Put it in the air fryer or oven.

Those are the five dinners I make when I simply cannot. You can also order pizza if you'd like. 

I hope this list helped. Have some night coffee. It really is nice. I'm looking forward to all of the fall creamers. But kind of not. The Internet says creamer isn't good for you. Seed oils, they say. Didn't know seeds were bad, but I trust you guys. I might try to make some. Stay tuned. 

xo Bunmi