Dinnertime Chaos

Dinnertime in our household can get slightly chaotic. I'm a vegetarian. Lisa is not. Our kids are not. I do not expect Lisa or the kids to conform to my vegetarian lifestyle. Our kid's meals are made fresh twice a day. Baked skinless chicken breasts or, on occasion, beef or turkey. Raw or steamed vegetables. Fruit. Whole grains. Twice a week, a dollop of Greek yogurt. Well balanced.

I try and do most of the prep work during the afternoon. I always have company while I'm chopping, slicing and dicing. The kids are ready and willing to assist if anything falls to the floor. They're addicted to raw carrots. I incorporate that into my food prep for them to snack on during the day.

Although Lisa has somewhat acquired a taste for vegetarian fare, once or twice a week, she prefers meat added to the dishes. I try and make a meal that's compatible with or without meat. Pizza. Lasagna. Casseroles. Salads. Wraps. Tacos. She eats more vegetables. I applaud her efforts.

I often resort to sneaking vegetables into her food.  Shhh...don't tell.

Lisa has yet to become a fan of green vegetables. Even if it's homemade pizza with my Alfredo Sauce instead of the red stuff. I always top this with fresh spinach. She calls it "grass infested moldy pizza."

She eats it knowing there are homemade cookies for dessert. I bribe her. Whatever works.

One of my favorite quickie meals are vegetarian Chik'n Patties. I love the crunch. It's a nice break from vegetable burgers. Throw on a lil' lettuce, tomato, mayo and onion...good to go. Lisa's version is cheese, mayo and a copious amount of bacon.

Compromise. 

About a half hour before dinner is ready I turn into a drill sergeant. Lisa is used to this.

"Dinner will be plated in 30 minutes. That means be ready, table cleared, cards shuffled, and whatever we want to drink is poured. Thirty. Minutes. Got it?"

She gets it.

Fifteen minutes, while I'm scampering around in the kitchen, Lisa fixes the kid's dinner. They eat before us. Once they're done, it's a quick trip outside for post-dinner pooping. Then, the pet pillow is put on the kitchen floor and we finally sit down to eat and play our tradition 3 hands of Skip-Bo.

Nom. Nom. Nom.