The temperature is bounding up to the predicted high of 91F, and I’m making ham-and-bean soup. Why, you ask?
Because my children are impossible to please.
Mind you, I don’t actually think it’s my job to please them; but I find cooking for six people is much more enjoyable when the victims recipients of my kindness appreciate what I’m cooking.
Yesterday’s meals included waffles for breakfast, quesadillas and apples for lunch, and stromboli (with provolone and salami) or roasted vegetable and sausage pizza, with fresh vegetables on the side.
But at breakfast, only 3 children would eat waffles. At lunch, only two children ate the quesadillas, and at dinner, only the adults ate the pizza. (Which was fine by me– it was really good.)
Today’s lunch was macaroni and cheese, and only two people ate it.*
My response to lunch after a busy morning of school is, “Wait– why didn’t your mother pack you all lunches?” And then I remember. I am the mother.
My solution: soup. I can serve soup (that I’ve made in advance) with very little prep-time; all the children eat it with bread; and it fills me up without filling me out.
And not only do I already have the beans on hand, but my friend gave me three (count them: three!) ham bones.
So here and here are two of my favorite soup recipes– in case you wanted some soup-inspiration. But maybe next week I’ll pack their lunches at night a let them bring them to the kitchen table… just so they can see how lucky they are to eat soup.
* I just have to recommend this blog post for you to read from Auntie Leila, because even though my children don’t like my cooking, they rarely say anything about it because I followed Auntie Leila’s advice.
Learning As We Go 