Suggestions needed :
I have an overly difficult family of five to cook for. We eat out way too much, but at the same time eating at home can prove difficult.
I'm not a short order cook, I'm not into making 3 different meals for 5 people, but I do need some flexibility in being able to omit or alter ingredients, such as pasta, I'll just pull out some plain noodles before saucing the rest.
I'm from the school of : this is what I made for dinner, eat it.
DH : love all things from a crock-pot, he likes heavy "man-food". If I made a roast 5 nights a week he would be happy. NOBODY else in our family likes food like this. He really liked thick, hot, hearty food, somewhat I call "winter food" If DH wants meatloaf he better order it while we're out to eat.
Me: Allergic to shell-fish and our entire family doesn't eat any type of fish in general. Also Lactose-intolerant to varying degrees. I can do most cheeses, but things like straight milk or ice cream are no-go's. I grew up on "man-food" as that was what my father dictated we ate. I hate most of it; roasts, stews, pork chops, gravy covered steaks, pot pies, tuna-noodle casserole, heavy crock-pot food. Strongly dislike tomatoes, and tomato sauce, don't even care for pizza sauce. Mushrooms and brussell sprouts are off the table.
DD15- loves all things salad. well, almost all things salad. Generally will eat just about anything I make for dinner in an effort to help prove to her 2 little brothers that they won't die if they eat their (insert food)
DS9 - the most difficult of them all . Both boys
used to be lactose intolerant as babies and tots. For the most part their tummy has gotten better, but DS9 has a strong adversion to anything with cheese. He has convinced himself that he would probably die if he ever ate a mouse-size nibble of cheese in his life. He is the king of all things plain. Pasta - plain, sandwiches - plain, chicken - plain, biscuits - plain. He also has himself convinces that I intentionally make specific things for dinner that he doesn't like........( I shop by sales, budget, coupons, etc.....I don't sit around and plot dinner meals against him
DS 7 1/2 - Loves all things C H E E S E. Just about anything and everything that could have cheese added to it makes him happy. Has decided in the last year or so that he likes simple grilled chicken breast. Sometimes I can convince him to eat a small steak. Likes very simple type meals. Would live off of grapes and goldfish if I let him
Other problems we face : left-overs. I'll make something, we'll have left-overs, nobody will eat them, they'll sit in the fridge until garbage day and out they go. DH will say he'll take it to work for lunch and very rarely does. I generally make things to appease my family, not because I really wanted that meal in the first place, so if I didn't really want it the first time, I'm not going to care to eat the leftovers of it.
