Weeknights can suck

Last night I had to run errands by the time I got home, it was almost a half an hour after dinnertime. A couple of snacks for the girls (ok, so they were also snacking during the Target trip but, who is keeping track). What is one of my quick easy dinners?
Personal pizzas.
whole wheat pitas bread (check the package to make sure whole wheat is actually whole grain)
pasta sauce (I like Bertolli)
shredded mozzarella
for the grown ups I add fresh basil leaves and fresh shredded parmesan

broil in the oven on 415 for 10-15 minutes. I like to make mine on a multigrain tortilla so it is really flatbread. I throw the tortilla under the broiler for 2 minutes to crisp then add the sauce, basil, mozz and parm. and I serve with a salad with a light vinaigrette.

Sarah had another kitchen adventure. (well, adventure makes it sound fun. That may not have been the case).


The other night I again attempted dinner for my family. This time I tackled something a little more complicated - a Rachel Ray recipe. This recipe involved two pans, chopping, whisking, and mixing all at the same time. The recipe was perfect for the family, cheesy, spinach artichoke pasta. Lots of cheese, creamy sauce, and some veggies. Unfortunately my first attempt resulted in burnt garlic and onions so I had to start over. By the time I finished Rachel's "30-minute" recipe, my kitchen was a disaster, but I had successfully made another dinner. Woo-hoo. Again, happy plates made by my husband and daughter.

I spent Sunday afternoon cooking two dishes that I froze. I got one recipe from my 4-ingredient cookbook. This was an easy one - ground organic beef, mushroom soup, shredded cheese, and tater tots. Hopefully it will freeze well and taste good when I do cook it. The next recipe was a weight watchers, and a lot more complicated. I'm a little nervous about this one. It involved pasta, baked chicken, whisking, and chopping again. It seems like a strange mixture to me - pasta, parmigiana cheese, onions, chili peppers, and chicken, covered with bread crumbs. We'll see. Wish me luck when I feed it to them on Monday night. At least I have three meals taken care of this week - Chicken-chili casserole, cheeseburger-tater tot casserole, and dinner at Di's house. Yea! The chili casserole did not turn out great. I found it lacking in flavor while my husband thought it was a little spicy.

Just a tip to help Sarah, garlic burns quickly. When you look at your recipe, think about the fact that the garlic should only be in the skillet for 30 seconds before you add liquid or other ingredients. If the garlic is brown, it is over cooked. Burned garlic will make the whole dish taste bitter. Sarah was smart to start over.