When you just dont know what to make

There are days when we just don't know what to make so here are some ideas you can tape inside your cupboard so when your not sure you can get some ideas.

For Breakfast

We alternate a basic menu that's served with whole wheat toast, milk and fruit: Farina, Oatmeal, Cold Cereal 1 day per week, Muffins and fruit 1 day per week. And we generally fix a "big" breakfast one day per week. Sometimes we serve hot chocolate and sometimes we make smoothies instead of the hot food.

For Lunch

We have a wide variety of foods for lunches... if not "left-over's," then we choose an item from the lunches list I made up. This list will help when you stand in the kitchen and wonder: what in the world should I fix today?

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

For variety, instead of Jelly you can use

Honey, bananas, butter, marshmallow crème,

Nutella, pickles & onions, other fruit spreads

Also try almond butter, or other nut butters

Instead of the bread you usually use...

Try making sandwiches or fillings for tortillas, raisin bread, biscuits, muffins, rolls, pancakes

Pita bread, English muffins, hamburger or hot dog buns, Hoagie rolls

Experiment with new sandwiches:

and use the old stand-by's:

Cheese, tuna salad, egg salad, chicken salad, salmon salad,

Turkey, ham, chicken, salami, bologna, ham spread,

Meatloaf, fish, meat sauce, fried egg, tofu, sprouts & tomatoes,

Cream cheese 'n cucumbers, cream cheese and chopped olives

Cream cheese and diced dried apricots,

Wraps... cold cuts wrapped in a tortilla and sliced into 2" slices

French bread ham 'n cheese hoagies cut into 4" lengths

Hot dogs, Hamburgers, corndogs, burritos, Sloppy Joe's,

Fish sticks - fries, Chicken nuggets - fries

Tacos, burritos, fajitas, tostados, taco salad

Quesadilla - cheese, meat, beans, chilies, olives

Nachos with cheese or with meat, beans, chilies

Pizza - with sauce, pesto sauce, cheese or additional toppings

Make your own yeast dough, bisquick (master mix) crust or

Use Boboli, english muffins, or french bread.

Cheese 'n crackers - yogurt fruit salad

Milkshakes, Smoothies - protein and/or fruit...

Chili dogs, hotdogs and beans, hotdogs chopped in chili.

Biscuits or crescent rolls wrapped around hotdogs or ham, then baked.

Quiche, plain cheese or with veggies, bacon, etc.

Soups, stews make in large quantities & freeze in doubled freezer bags.
Or freeze portions in butter tubs or freezer containers for single servings that can be heated in the microwave.

Scrambled eggs 'n toast, biscuits, pancakes or waffles

Crepes with cream cheese and fruit or meat and sauce

Crackers, cold cuts, veggie sticks & dip

! ! ! LEFTOVERS ! ! ! ! ! ! Cold cereal ! ! !

For Dinner

Leftovers: don't forget to use what you have in the fridge!

o Breakfast for dinner: bacon, eggs, pancakes, waffles, toast, French toast, crépes, muffins, hash browns, hushpuppies, Dutch-babies, Eggs Benedict

o Egg: Strata... with ham, with beef, with bacon, with broccoli, soufflé, Omelets with cheese, or: chili, stir fry vegetables, onions, peppers, salsa; Quiche... spinach; tomato & sausage; broccoli & tomato, plain.

o Cheese: Toasted cheese Sandwiches-with soup, salad; Quesadillas, chili’s, meat and cheese

o Hors d’ Oeuvres: “snacks” dinner: meats and cheeses, crackers, snack-breads, Smokies, vegetables and dips, fondue, etc.

o Beef: Pot Roast with vegetables or baked potatoes, Stew, Soup, Shish Kabobs, Ribs - barbecued or roasted, grilled steaks, French dips, rolled roast, stuffed flank steak,

o Lamb: Chops broiled, roasted leg of lamb, curried over rice, kabobs, stew

o Fish: salmon, salmon loaf, fish-sticks & fires, halibut, tuna melts,

o Hamburgers/cheese burgers – with trimmings, or bacon & swiss, chili, veggie patties, avocado,

o Hot Dogs: in buns; with chili, cheese, onions; or chopped with beans

o Dinners made with ground beef: Tacos, Nachos, Tostados, spaghetti, beef gravy over rice or mashed potatoes; Meatloaf, Sloppy Joes, Tamales, Enchiladas, potato bars; Stroganoff, tater-tot casserole, beans and rice in tortillas, Spaghetti, Lasagna, Cannelloni, Ravioli ---all with green salad, garlic rolls

o Mexican Food: Enchiladas, Rellenos, Tacos, Tostados, burritos, Mexican rice, Fajitas, black beans, tortillas

o Chinese/Japanese food stir fry, rice, chow mien, soups; chicken or beef sweet and sour; soups, steamed rice, wontons, pork fried rice, egg rolls

o Chicken: Baked, fired, stewed, oven roasted, in a casserole over rice, pot pies, stir fry over rice and vegetables, on salad, with curry over rice, enchiladas, grilled on the barbecue, teriyaki or sweet & sour, Chicken 'n stuffing, crepes, Noodle soup and biscuits

o Sandwiches: (with salad or soup---or both!) Rueben, Dips, turkey, tuna, ham, B.L.T.'s, Chicken, meatloaf ---all with soup in winter, salad in summer, with deviled eggs, pickles, fruits. "Submarine sandwiches" or "foot-long" French bread and cut into portions. "Wraps!" these are fun... you can experiment with meats, cheeses, lettuce, spreads. Pita pockets with sprouts, cream cheese, avocado, tomato

o Pizza: on your own dough, English muffins, French bread, or focaccia, or refrigerator biscuit or bread dough

o Soups: Split pea with ham, ham & bean, vegetable beef, tomato, chicken noodle, chicken rice, beef barley, taco, chicken chili, wonton, black bean, Minestrone, lentil, meatball, clam chowder, cream of mushroom, cream of potato, cabbage patch, etc.

o Salads: Taco, Spinach with bacon and hard boiled egg, Cob salad, Shrimp or Crab Louie, Grilled chicken, Tuna in tomato on lettuce, Caesar, Grilled Chicken Caesar, Pasta

Most all meals go well with tossed salad, jell-O, mixed vegetables. A dessert is nice to prepare once in a while and a change in dinner beverage is nice, too. Setting the table uniquely is sweet for the family or for yourself! Choose a theme. Celebrate ½ birthdays! Eat outside or in the living-room. Use different cloths, china, dishes, paper. Set out candles, flowers, a cluster of small photographs in frames and a small plant...

Having a customary or established day to have a particular meal is also fun for the family... like pizza each Friday night or soup on Thursdays or chicken every Sunday... whatever makes your family know and feel like you are setting things up for them! Keeping things special will speak love to them. Families like traditions and things they can count on! Let them count on you… let them look back on their days with you and let their memories be sweet. Be a sweet heart… your husband, your children, your family need you.

"Every wise woman buildeth her house:

but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands."

Proverbs 14.1

Ok I feel I should add on a few snack items.

A Dozen Simple Snack Solutions

Simple snack ideas that are easy and quick to make!

1. Ants on a Log: Cut celery sticks into 3 or 4-inch lengths.
Spread peanut butter down the center, and then add raisins on top of the peanut butter.

2. Boiled or Deviled Eggs: Boil a dozen at a time.

Perfect Deviled Eggs

12 large eggs
1/2 C mayonnaise
2 T finely chopped onion
1 tsp snipped fresh chives
1 tsp snipped fresh parsley
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp each salt, pepper and garlic powder

For perfect eggs with no green center (caused by overcooking), place 12 eggs in a large pan and cover with 3" water (any amount of eggs, same directions). Do not use hot water. Place on burner over medium-high heat and immediately start timing for exactly 20 minutes. When water comes to a rolling boil, turn heat to low. Cracking eggs while still hot makes the shells easily slip off. Slice in half and scrape out yolks into a mixing bowl. Blend remaining ingredients well and fill egg halves. Sprinkle with additional paprika, chill well.

3. Crackers and Cheese: Cut cheese into small squares. Serve cheese with a handful of saltines or other crackers. Kids love to make little sandwiches out of them. Add cut up squares or triangles of lunchmeat if you like.

4. Crackers and Peanut Butter or Cream Cheese: If your family has no peanut butter allergies, saltines with peanut butter are delicious! Top with raisins, banana slices, or substitute cream cheese for the peanut butter. Jam or jelly is also a great standby with peanut butter or cream cheese.

5. Fruit!: Fresh fruit such as apples, bananas, oranges, and any other in season fruit make super snacks. Dried fruits are also good: apricots, banana chips or raisins. Canned fruit, especially peach or pear halves, and pineapple slices all have great kid appeal.

Fast Fruit Dip

1 part marshmallow cream
1 part cream cheese; at room temperature

Blend the two and refrigerate until serving time. Fruit Dip may be thinned with fruit juice or milk, if desired. Mix all ingredients in mixer until fluffy. Cover and chill. Serve with fresh fruit for dipping.

Kool-Aid Yogurt Dip

2 T Kool-Aid sugar-sweetened soft drink mix, any flavor
1 C vanilla yogurt or sour cream

Stir soft drink mix into yogurt in medium bowl. Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve. Stir.

6. Kabobs: These are fun! You need toothpicks, cheese cubes, pineapple or banana chunks, and cooked meat chunks (cubed spam, ham chunks, or hot dog slices). Use your imagination!

7. Popcorn: Popcorn, popped on the stove, or in popcorn popper-such a great invention! For a special treat, add some melted butter.

8. Quickie Quesadillas: Using a toaster oven, put one or two saucer-size soft flour tortilla on the toasting rack. Add shredded cheese of your choice. Toast until cheese melts. Fold over. Serve with salsa. This is one our favorites!

9. Sandwiches: Cut them into small triangles or squares for a great addition to the snack tray. Even PB&J gets added significance when served on a special tray.

10. Snow on the Chimney: Similar to Ants on a Log--except you use cream cheese instead of peanut butter. Cut clean celery sticks into 3 or 4-inch lengths. Spread cream cheese down the center, and then add raisins on top of the peanut butter. Grown-ups like this too!

11. Tortilla Chips and Cheese: Add a large pile of tortilla chips to a plate. Sprinkle the chips generously with your favorite shredded cheese. Microwave or toast until the cheese melts. This can be made in the oven using a pizza pan. Serve with salsa, bean dip or guacamole dip. To make an easy bean dip, combine several tablespoons of salsa with refried beans.

12. Vegetable Sticks: Carrot and celery sticks are the usual--but broccoli, radishes, turnip slices, green pepper and summer squash show up regularly. Serve with your favorite dip.