Reply to How do you figure out what to eat for dinner every night?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I keep a well-stocked pantry. I always have sandwich bread, pasta, rice, beans, canned tomatoes, frozen peas, and tortillas, as well as some other grains like couscous and quinoa. So a lot of times I'll end up making something like chicken and veggies in an olive oil sauce over pasta, rice, or grains, or grilled sandwiches with roasted veggies, quesadillas, etc. When I grocery shop on the weekends, I buy fresh meat and produce for the week depending on what's fresh. I rarely worry about what to cook with it, knowing that I have the staples at home to make something even if it's kind of basic.

I also read a lot of food blogs so I get inspiration from them when I'm in a rut and just don't feel like cooking any of the usuals. [/quote]

Really, what is it with all this "planning ahead" and apps and weekly dinner menus? Is it really that difficult to cook a meal? This is in no way meant as a criticism, I am really just trying to understand if I'm the only one who cooks based on what we feel like eating? Sure, you DO need to keep your pantry/fridge/freezer stocked up, but that's the hard part. Then, the easy part, when you know you have all the basics covered, is to just think "what are we in the mood for tonight??" and make it. So much of it depends on the weather for me (yes, truly), or what we've been having for the past few days or so (mostly meat? mostly starch?) and/or leftovers..... I'd go crazy if I couldn't eat based on what I feel like having. It would take the pleasure of cooking/eating away.[/quote]

And I would go crazy if I didn't plan.  I don't like cooking, but I do it for my son.  I was miserable for months attempting to cook, because I was always missing one item I needed, or if only I had thought ahead to marinate or chop.  Once I started planning, It was like a HUGE relief was off my shoulders every day.  I can even fathom not planning a meal.  I actually get stressed out if the grocery store doesn't have something I need for my plan.  But I also can't imagine having the time or energy to care if I am making food that "I feel like having"  Sure I did that when I didn't have kids, but now I can't imagine caring.  In fact, I used to be a fairly picky eater, but now I will eat ANYTHING, as so long as I don't have to cook it.  So clearly we are just two different types of people.  You think of dinners as enjoyment, I think if them as a burden I need to get through.

So I plan on Saturday nights, grocery shop on Sundays, and when I'm feeling particularly organized, I set up a schedule of meals and what I need to do the night before.  A good week, I'll even plan out meals so that I have sufficient leftovers for lunch.  I make sure to have a good mix of dinners, some I know my son will like, some that will be more challenging to get him to eat.  I always make sure to throw in a few "easy" dinners.  And plan a crockpot meal or a really easy meal for baseball practice night.  [/quote]

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