What's For Supper?

Don't those words drive you crazy sometimes? Specially when you haven't prepared or you've been running like crazy all day. I've been trying to fix up a menu for two weeks at a time. I'm at the end of my two week menu and I don't seem to have anything in the cupboard to make the meals listed on the menu. I think my shopping list this past trip was lacking a few items.

What to make tonight for supper after being in town for the afternoon? I have this block of some sort that keeps us from eating anytime before 6 p.m. It's usually 7 - 8 oclockish. Guess that has more to do with planning or my lack, thereof. Plus, I spent a lot of time with my sister, almost living with her and her hubby on their farm and they never ate before 8. She's rubbed off on me in more ways than one. All of them good, by the way.

I suppose if we had to ship kids off on the big, yellow school bus early in the morning, things would be different. But we don't have to so we don't. Great sentence, eh?

So, I have hamburger and elbow macaroni. Some tomatoes in the cupboard and a green pepper and onion. My mom used to make a dish called Goulash. I haven't made it in eons.

Here's a simple recipe I made tonight.

Goulash

1 pound elbow macaroni

1 1/2 pounds ground round

1/2 large onion diced

1/2 small green pepper diced

2-3 tablespoons minced garlic (more or less to taste)

salt and pepper to taste

2 large cans of diced or stewed tomatoes in tomato juice

1 c v8 juice

Brown ground meat with the onion, pepper and garlic.

Add canned tomatoes and v8 juice

Let simmer for 1/2 hour or so.

Cook Macaroni according to directions.

Add macaroni to meat mixture.

Salt and pepper to taste.

When I served this I melted mozzarella cheese over the top. The only thing missing was a salad and a homemade loaf of bread. What do you expect at 8 o'clock at night?

Dan said it was great and made him feel like a little boy, again. Did everyone's mom fix some sort of goulash?

My three youngest turned their nose up at the goulash and refused to eat it. They have become extremely picky eaters lately. For awhile, we were letting them make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich if they tried the meal. We tossed that idea to the wind. They would have had a pb&j every night. So, either they eat the food I fix or they get nothing. Come to think of it, they're starting to get a little skinny. ;) Guess they will come out of this phase sooner or later. For now, they just irritate the heck out of me when I put supper on the table.

The little rascals were sent upstairs to get ready for bed. They were making such a racket. I called them out to the railing to snap their picture. Oh, even when they are being little pains, they are so darn cute! Can't forget... they won't look like this forever.