Oops! What's for Dinner?!!

I have been thinking for a long time about compiling a list of fast, easy meals that I can just throw together really quickly on those nights where I have no time and haven't thawed anything. I just get that feeling of dread about 5ish when Sam is starting to get Where's-Dad-Eyetis? and I've realized that I am out of ideas. This triggers a very bad attitude quicker then anything else, where I'm quite frankly sick and tired of having to come up with new meals every single day. At this point I start praying that I have some restaurant gift card that I've somehow forgotten all about.

I can't imagine that I'm the only one. I also can't imagine this getting any better when our next baby comes in February, hence this list.

I think I will do a post an idea every so often and if you have a great idea too then leave a comment and we'll slap that on too. Maybe after a while we'll have decent list going of last minute dinner ideas, enough to rotate indefinitely? Wouldn't that be nice!

This first one isn't creative at all, but is what we had a few nights ago so is a great start to my list.

Baked Potato

1. wash a potato per person, poke a few holes in each to let the steam out during cooking, put on a plate and throw it in the microwave. Check out my cooking skills: use the "potato" button.

2. assemble whatever toppings you have: butter, salt, grated cheese, sour cream, chili, onions, chopped bacon (I have some chopped and cooked in the freezer for just such times), french's fried onions, etc.

3. Zippo! Pronto! Dinner.

I know that baked potatoes are more delicious (and WAY less healthy) rolled in melted butter or oil, sprinkled with salt, wrapped in foil and then put in the oven at 350 for an hour like this recipe from Good Eats, but that takes much too much time on these types of nights.