Every day, the same question.  Here's how the conversation goes:

kid: Mom, what's for dinner?

mom: food

kid: what kind of food?

mom: the kind you eat

kid: but what KIND of food, that you eat?

mom: well, I thought I'd be different tonight and make the kind you put on a plate

kid: rolls eyes and leaves the room

It's a thing we do here - happens everynight.  It started really as a matter of frustration with the older girls, complaining about what we were having for dinner, when I'd tell them.  One day I just decided to NOT tell them, make it a mystery, and thereby not receive any complaints, ahead of time. 

Ingenius, eh?  

(it doesn't work, now they complain "mom, you ALWAYS say that, why can't you just tell us what we're having!?" which is usually followed by a clever reply such as "well, I'll give you a hint: you'll use a fork and it will be hot")

Anyway - what's for dinner tonight is nothing exciting - it's spaghetti.  No, I do not make my own sauce, I buy it in a can.  I do add seasoned ground beef, and sliced black olives, and a chopped, browned onion, however.

So here's the menu:

Spaghetti

Lettuce & tomato salad with either French or Caesar

bread & butter

No dessert, I'm a meanie, lol. 

Tomorrow is pizza/movie night in the game room - followed by snacks such as cookies or popcorn, or maybe some dehydrated banana chips.

Yesterday, I made out my grocery list for the next two weeks.  I start with a pre-made list I print out, that has all the "essentials" on it, then fill in dinner ideas for 14 days.  Once the dinners are on the list, I pencil in the ingredients needed for those meals.

Here's the menu for the next 14 days:

BBQ Honey Garlic Sausage with pasta & salad

Fried Chicken with mashed potatos & gravy & corn

Hot Dogs, Mac & Cheese & salad

Coldcut sandwiches, corn chips & cold veggies (2 nights)

Pot Roast with potatos, carrots & gravy

Soft Tacos

BBQ Burgers & Baked Beans

Sloppy Joes & Onion Rings

Baked Sausage with Rice & veggie

BBQ Pork Chops with Fruit Salad

Chicken fingers (bet you didn't know they had fingers, eh?) and fried potatos & salad

Spaghetti & salad (it's a staple around here)

Pizza

Not very exciting - but if anyone wants my recipes or tips, just let me know.

Here's a freebie tip:

When shopping for food for 14 days, help the bag boy find room in your cart to put all the bags - he might get flustered and wonder "how did she fit ALL this in one cart???"