by Jackie Houchin

Today, on #Bloganuary, WordPress.com asks, “What chore do you find the most challenging to do?”

Chore? Hmmm.

I think after 59 years of marriage, the most challenging thing I have to do is to…come up with a meal for dinner. Every. Single. Night.

What can I fix tonight?” I say to myself as I gaze into my fridge and freezer, cabinets and cupboards.

Sure, there is stuff in all those places, but my mind refuses to think just how I can put it all together for an at least halfway appealing meal.

“What do you want for dinner?” I ask my news-watching hubby.

“What are my choices?” he asks.

Choices?  CHOICES? That is MY dilemma in a single word. How many have I had to make at dinner time in 59 years!  I open the calculator on my phone. Let’s see…59 x 365 = YIKES! That is 20,535 choices!!!!!  Ok, take off for vacations, a few eating out times, and I’m still left with at least 18,000 choices!  Wow, think of a restaurant menu with 18K choices on it. Think of the warehouse and kitchen needed to prepare them!!

I open the freezer again. Everything is rock solid frozen. Ok, there are a couple microwavable boxes of Mac n Cheese from Trader Joes, but how nutritious is that? I’m trying to think “healthy” for the new year. Okay, if we need to eat quick and go to a meeting, mac n cheese is fine, but….

I look in the fridge. “Well,” I call. “There is leftover veggie soup.”

“We had that last night,” he answers. “How about chicken or something?’

I glance at the clock. 6:00pm.  There are some chicken legs in the freezer, but how long to thaw, and then an hour in the oven with baked potatoes?”

“Nope.”

“How about crackers and cheese?”

“For dinner?” I ask.

“Whatever.”

In the cupboard I see a can of chili, one of sauerkraut, another of pineapple rings, a box of turkey gravy, a box of boil-in-the-bag rice, some pasta, a jar of marinara sauce. Hmm. There are some pre-cooked meatballs in the freezer.

“You want to have spaghetti?”

“I guess.”

I begin to pull out pots and ingredients.  Choice #18,001: Spaghetti & meatballs. Maybe a skimpy lettuce salad?  Do I have any parmesan?

Sigh.

 

 

Photo by Mae Mu on Unsplash

 

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