One of the perils of using the pantry method of cooking (where you buy whatever is rock bottom priced and make your meals around that) is that you sometimes are just not quite sure what to make with your seemingly random stash.. This is why I love the All Recipes Ingredients Search. You have a pile of rice, some chicken, and tons and tons of cheese? Voila, tonight we're having Salsa Chicken Rice! The ingredients search can also help you get out of the rut of eating the same five meals over and over and over, which can be nice. And when you have the cold from Hades and can't think worth beans, it does the thinking for you.
I have been sick this week. I'm thankful I hit the motherlode sale on tissues a few weeks ago (Free after coupons and rebates at Walgreens) because I'm going through them like crazy. Yesterday I used three boxes. Three! This is also a good time to pull out all of your time saving tricks. Crockpots can really save you at a time like this. Yesterday I threw pork chops and assorted seasonings in the crockpot first thing in the morning, and proceeded to sleep the rest of the day. My husband made rice and microwaved some vegetables when he got home. Dinner was ready, even though I was pretty much out of commission. Today I feel much better, but as a precaution, I'm getting the casserole assembled and ready to go. If I'm dying on the couch by dinner time, the guys can just pop it in the oven. I'm sick and they're tired, but we can still eat inexpensive meals at home. Works for me!
