It an't paridise every night.

Around here Erin does a great job of stretching our budget. She is always finding little things to do in order to save us money. From coupons to just using things in ways you wouldn't think. Like zucchini in brownies. Healthy and yummy. One of her greatest ways she saves us money is she plans. She is always trying to figure out what things she can make with the sales that are going on. It's an art. Like writing a great piano concerto in dinners.

In her list of dinner is always a few nights for left overs. These nights are my least favorite. You might be wondering how I could not love those nights. We have amazing food all the time. Who wouldn't want to eat it a second night right? I must be crazy. Well I am a little crazy and all geek. You have to understand that I also eat the food each day for lunch. So on a days like the last few which had a left over nigh, if you don't include breakfast I ate the same meal for three days. No matter how good that food can be three days can get old. I like variety. It has taken me a long time to get to where I will even eat the left overs the next day. (Remember geeky and crazy...) Now don't go thinking that Erin makes me eat the same thing everyday. That is just me. I could easily have grabbed the food from two nights before the three nights before. It is a choice. I'm no complaining. My wife is beyond amazing and does things with food and money that very few people anywhere can do. So thanks love. You are a great wife and mom.

Then nights like tonight happen. The nights that as parents you wonder where you went wrong raising your kids. That you think it can only get better right?

"In my house it is good to try new things."
"Three bits chewed and swallowed."
"It will be there when you are hungry later."
"You can't have more juice until you have five more bits."

Those are things we say in my house. You might say things like that also. But it is an attempt to keep our kids eating new things. It is to cut down on the amount of work the person making dinner has to do. If you can just make one meal for everyone you are going to save time. But tonight we added a new saying in our house:

"That's fine, if you don't eat it tonight we will have it for breakfast!"

Now I am not saying it was the right thing to do, or say. I don't know if I would have followed through with it. But in the end the threat was enough to get them to eat more of there food. Our dinner wasn't that bad.

At one time I did catch myself saying, "Your right it is gross, but you can eat it." The laughter that came from Erin really made my night. In the heat of the moment we as parents say some of the dumbest things.

So how do we over come our weakness? I don't have all the answers. But laughter and joy can set the tone for every meal. Keep an open mind and mouth. If you do those things then the same thing can be great every day and when you get a meal that isn't all that stellar you will look on the brighter side. Good luck trying new things. Those are the true pearls that come from cooking.