Thursday, June 12, 2014

Home Cooking

I once knew a girl who begged her mom to please make macaroni and cheese for dinner. She wasn't asking for homemade mac and cheese, just the kind out of the box. Her mom refused. They were eating out, as they did most every night. Her mom and dad both worked full time so meals from scratch, or even from a box, were a rarity.
My kids would have loved it if I forced them to eat out for all of their meals. I didn't.
I was a stay-at-home mom, for the most part. I wrote a column for the newspaper and I taught classes at the local college, but I was home with my kids nearly all the time.
I baked bread from scratch and mixed up cookie dough. I would make mac and cheese from the box, but sometimes I'd make homemade with fancy cheeses. All of this home cooking made my kids crazy for store-bought cookies and restaurant food.
Since the two oldest have been away at college, they have an appreciation for home-cooked meals, but Tucker still prefers restaurant food.
I was home on Wednesday and Tucker was home and I asked what he would like for dinner.
"I'll fix anything you want," I told him.
"I want penne rosa," he said. "From Noodles & Company."
Noodles & Company is a chain restaurant here that makes some fairly healthy pasta dishes.
Not a great picture. Should have waited for the
 salad along the side to add some green. 
I turned to the computer and found a recipe for Penne Rosa with chicken.
Then I went to the store, bought the ingredients and whipped it up.
Delicious!
I didn't add the mushrooms because my kids don't like them.
I forgot to get the spinach, so ours didn't have spinach. If I do it again, I will definitely add some spinach, but I think it can be overdone.
Tucker and Grace ate early before heading off to evening activities.
Earl and I ate around 8 when he got home from work.
The remainder went into a container in the refrigerator.
When I got up this morning, it was empty and in the dishwasher. Spencer finished off the penne rosa when he got home from work around midnight.
A successful meal even though it was homemade.
Here's the recipe from Noodles and Company at Home Blog.
Tucker agreed that the recipe tasted similar to Noodles, so he grudgingly ate it. But I've promised him Jimmy Johns sandwiches for lunch today as I move from teaching at one college to my evening class at another college. You'd think I could recreate a sub sandwich at home.
Even now though, my kids prefer Oreos or Chips Ahoy to my homemade chocolate chip cookies. And when Spencer was  younger and I asked him what kind of brownies he wanted, he said, "The kind Cathy makes."
I asked Cathy. She said she uses "the red box." Again a mix was preferred to my homemade brownies.
Someday, they'll all yearn for my homemade cooking.



11 comments:

Sally Tharpe Rowles said...

This is a funny post. When my daughter was in school I used to bake bread & make her delicious sandwiches for her lunch. It was not until years later that I learned that the boys in her class would try to out bid each other for her sandwiches . She sold them & bought ice cream & sodas to eat for her lunch. She never ate any of my sandwiches . The boys however now grown men still remember them so at least someone enjoyed them.

Jackie McGuinness said...

I've never eaten mac and cheese!
I like both homemade and restaurant meals. I'm going to try this penne recipe.

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

I love going out to eat, but every once in a while, I crave my home cooked, chicken or pasta dishes as well. Salmon is another one I like to cook at home.

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

I think Tucker could recreate a sub sandwich at home. Even maybe learn how to make Penne Rosa himself. :-)

I cooked nearly everyday , yes I was working but not long hours. we also had home baked desserts. My sons are the same now , of course they have take aways , but always homecooked at weekends. They do have shop bought bicuits .

Anne in Oxfordshire said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Just Me said...

That's so funny, kids relationship to their mother's cooking or lack there of. Ha! Thanks for the giggles.

Penne Rosa from Noodles and Company just happens to be one of the dishes I miss most since moving. I certainly plan on trying this. Did you use wine and cream or Alfredo sauce?

Dianne said...

Hi Paulita ... unfortunately we don't have "Noodles and Company" in my home-town but it certainly sounds tasty. My girls are all married with families of their own but they are all good home-cooks. I love going out for coffee and viennoiseries but as for meals I love to prepare my own.

Paulita said...

Just Me,
I used the Alfredo sauce. I figure the goal isn't to cook it the same, but for it to taste the same. I know you'll add spinach to yours.

Just Me said...

That's easy. Will do!

Linda said...

I'll have to try your recipe. I love pasta dishes. I loved that boxed stuff too but I'm trying not to eat processed food. I read that 80% of processed food has sugar in it.

Paulita said...

Linda, I believe it. You probably get used to not having sugar as much in France.

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