giving up the fight. kind of.

I really like cooking. I also like trying to provide really healthy, well-rounded meals and snacks for my family. News flash: my house is filled with testosterone and they are over the quinoa. I have noticed I get far more compliments on the nights I cover things in cheese and gravy. And I mean, who am I kidding? I love pizza. I also love all things fried. And chocolate. Oh, and butter - isn't butter so so so so good? But I've got this little problem with self control. Like if I know that my really cute cookie jar from Anthropologie (I love it, okay?) is filled with something delicious, then I am going to think about whatever it is all day long until it's gone. It a sickness, folks. So I protect myself (and my muffin top) by limiting how many baked goods and delicious buttery casseroles enter the house.


But what's fair is fair. I live with a lot of dudes, and they like meat and potatoes and bread and noodles and butter and grease. So, it's compromise time. I figure if I serve vegetable laden, lean meat dishes most nights of the week, then a night or two of down home old school cookin' isn't going to hurt us too terribly. 


So a few weeks back I kicked it off with a full blown country meal. I have never seen plates cleaned so quickly. And then refilled. And then cleaned again. I also happened to invite my dad and grandpa over because the ladies were out of town and they actually went home, called their wives, and told them about the meal. Why do I not get this response with stir fry?

 photo courtesy of The Pioneer Woman

On the menu? PW's chicken fried steak, biscuits, gravy (gave me an excuse to use my really cute gravy boat - I have issues with kitchenware) and a squash casserole, followed by homemade cherry pie. Do you feel a little chubbier just reading that? I do. But it was so dang good, and those really are the most fun meals to plan. And it's a great motivator to get myself moving and burn off the butter, you know? It kind of makes me mad that my skinny husband and constantly moving children don't have to consider these things, but whaddya gonna do?


So what's your favorite old school supper? I am compiling a list for our Sunday dinners. And if you're around, come on over!