That infamous question that when asked plagues my mind with a million possibilities while other times leaving me staring into the abyss like a deer with headlights. I have found that there are weeks when I can come up with dinner ideas on the fly and chef it up like a pro. However, there are those days when somehow my mind just draws a blank and I just can’t come up with anything to make, I can’t think of one dish to cook, kind of like the famous “I don’t have anything to wear” line with a closet busting out the doors with clothes. Am I alone on this one or has it happened to you as well?
I often find myself asking my daughter what she thinks I should make and her answer is always “lemon chicken”, because it’s her favorite or she has often replied with a simple “food”. That latter reply draws dirty looks, eye rolling finished with a frustrated groan on my part. I don’t really have an explanation as to why this happens, perhaps the weeks when I draw a blank I have too much on my plate and my brain has reached its maximum capacity for the week aka brain overload.
Then when I finally figure out what I want to make, I find out I don’t have all the ingredients so I have to do a supermarket run after work, waste time, get home tired and frustrated. The adventures of a supermom but I would not change it for the world.
The solution for me came to me by chance one day as I was having one of the deer in headlight dinner moments. I began to ask myself why I was having such a hard time if I cook 6 days a week, why can’t I think of what to make. This series of questions led me to a very simple answer, are you ready? (drum roll please), MAKE A LIST! Wow, what a brilliantly simple solution to such a nerve wrecking problem. Yes a list! Why didn’t I think of this before?
I decided to make a list of dishes that I normally prepare, I did a main dish list along with a side dish so when I’m having a brain fart I go to this list and it really has helped me a tremendously. I often find myself looking at the list and remembering recipes that I have not made in a while.
I really hope I’m not alone in this so please let me know if you suffer from Lack of Dinner Idea-tis (Get it? No?) like I do, it would most certainly make me feel a bit more rational in my seemingly very chaotic world.
