Let Food Be Thy Medicine

Was that Hippocrates?

Lately I've been looking at my ongoing food rut.  Because I'm so busy, I'm not nearly as creative, food-wise, as I was a few years ago.  Granted, I was plenty busy then, but I was a full-time SAHM, so I was, well, HOME.  I could cook.  I also had a working oven and dishwasher, which made things a whole lot easier.  Right now I have a broken oven and dishwasher (broken as in there's a hole in the bottom of it, so we REALLY can't use it. Unless we want to recreate the story Of Noah's Ark.  Then it's perfect.), and a very nice toaster oven.
But I'm also working outside the home which, while good for my sanity, leaves me much less time to cook.
So I've been going with a lot of staples, things I know everyone will eat, that are quick and easy.  Whole-wheat or quinoa pasta with extra-lean ground turkey or veggie protein and red sauce.  Pizza with wheat or cornmeal crust. Turkey or veggie burgers.  Sandwiches. 
BO-RING!!!!!!
Only because I make them over and over AND OVER AGAIN.
I refuse to make 3 different meals every night.  My kids are notoriously picky.  I don't want to be stuck washing a ton of dishes.  But I REALLY NEED to expand my repertoire!
I like the idea of cooking something new, offering it, and if the kids refuse it, letting them have lots of salad. I have a billion cookbooks lying around, and I never use them.  I used to use them all the time, now they are languishing pathetically on the shelf. 
I also think I need to switch things around so that I can have more energy.  I am SOOOOOO TIRED!!!!! WAAAAAAHHHH!!!!

*Update:  It is now 3 days later.  Last night I made a seafood pasta, a recipe I hadn't used in about 5 years.  Hubby & the kids ate it up (the kids ate around the seafood).  Tomorrow I'll try zucchini lasagna.  Tonight?  Not sure.  Maybe tortilla or pasta soup.  I ended up buying a copy of "The Sunset Cookbook"  (Sunset as in the magazine, not a pretty setting of the sun, double-rainbow kind o' thing) after reading a wonderful (and very timely) review in the "Chronicle."  1,000 recipes, all tested by chefs and again by home cooks.  Quite inspirational, actually.  But I'm always open to suggestions!

In other news, it was quite a weekend.  Saturday was spent teaching and then cleaning the house, picking up the birthday cake, etc., getting ready for WG's 7th birthday!   It was a small but fun party.  Her teacher even showed up!!!!!!  It's just hard to believe that 7 years have gone by since the night she was born.  The night of the Full Beaver Moon, which is, apparently, what the November moon is called.  The fact that my OB-GYN informed me of this as she walked into the room where I was lying naked from the waist down and in stirrups didn't help the pushing-the-baby-out process.  It only made me laugh really hard.
Sunday was raining and blah.  It kinda matched my mood.  I won't go into details, but Hubby and I had a wee disagreement, which led to me getting out of the house while he watched the kids (and the Raiders) until I could cool off.  And I stayed cold.  Sometimes it's better not to say anything until you have calmed down completely, and that took me until this morning.  So, yes, I went to bed mad.  And hurt.  And confused.  But I'm better now, and we will talk (calmly) tonight.

I also took the pooch to the dog park today, which also cheers me right up!  And met a woman who was only too willing to swap funny/cute dog stories.  So I'm feeling MUCH better.  Plus, it's been a beautiful sunny day here, reminding me of a perfect New England Fall day, only without the horrible allergies and the knowledge of the coming snow, sleet, and months of gray.

I love Northern California!!!!!!