By Heidi Bell Gease
There’s nothing better than coming home on a cold day to the smell of a hot meal in the crockpot.
Unfortunately there are plenty of days at our house when 6 p.m. rolls around with nothing cooking and nothing planned.
When I don’t feel like going to the store I fall back on a few standbys that I almost always have the ingredients for.
Omelettes. If you’ve got eggs, shredded cheese, some lunch meat and a red pepper, you’re set. (And if, like me, you didn’t grow up on omelettes, here’s a tip from my omelette expert husband: mix the eggs with water, not milk, before pouring them in the pan.)
Spaghetti. We have a freezer full of buffalo, which I sometimes use with jarred sauce. Other times I prefer this meat-free version: Saute a few cloves of minced garlic in olive oil for a minute or two, then add canned tomato sauce and canned tomatoes (either diced or whole cut into large chunks, partially drained). Add some halved black olives, dried basil and a little Italian seasoning and let it simmer until it’s as thick as you’d like.
Pancakes. Sometimes they taste best for dinner - especially if the chef makes them into animal shapes, like my mom always did
Anybody else have any quick-fix ideas that don’t require a trip to the store? Please share!