Weeknight dinners come with their own challenges and joys. As wonderful and fun as cooking can be, it can also be hard to find the energy to bring to making a meal after a long day. Mileage definitely varies.
That’s been true this week.
~Monday~
Let me take you back to Monday. It was a busy day, but my lunchtime work meeting was canceled. So, I decided to seize the moment. I took a quick break, found a crockpot recipe online, dredged boneless chicken in flour and herbs, sautéed it, put it in the crockpot with onions, carrots, and chicken broth, turned the knob up to high, and let our dinner cook all afternoon.
I even loaded the dishwasher before starting back to work for the rest of the day. I’m not sure what it says about me that I consider loading the dishwasher to be a gift of self-care, but here we are.
In the evening, my husband arrived home from work to find the house smelling delectable. We ate a warm, satisfying meal, and we each took turns referring to “herbs de Provence,” which I had used in the recipe.
It felt a little French and more than a little fancy.
~Tuesday~
Tuesday started in its own whirlwind, and I never emptied the dishwasher that had run overnight. By the time my husband came home from work, the sink was overrun with dishes from throughout the day.
I suggested we order carryout, and he didn’t disagree. I fumbled my way through an online ordering system—and somehow ordered his meal incorrectly. We were able to salvage it, and we made it through.
But I was struck by the difference between the two days. One day the dishwasher hummed, and the crockpot steamed. On the other, the dishes piled up in the sink, and I fumbled an online food delivery order.
That’s not just a weeknight dinner, but a weaknight dinner.
~Wednesday~
I can’t take any credit for Wednesday’s dinner. My friend Katie delivered our Christmas gifts along with an exquisite, delicious chicken pot pie.
I can’t think of any greater gift than an unexpected dinner. The pot pie was glorious, too.
~Thursday~
Now, I know just what we’re having for dinner on Thursday: leftovers. Leftovers are a gift beyond all telling, the gift of beginning the day without a worry about ingredients or time or anything dinner-related.
On leftovers nights, as you open the fridge and discover fully-prepared dishes you didn’t even recall you had on hand, you can practically hear the angels sing.
~Friday~
What will we have on Friday? I can’t say. We will eat on Friday, but let’s take this a day at a time.
~
Weeknight dinners. They’re not always creative or tasty. It’s rarely something everyone wants to eat. It might come together in different ways, but we always have enough. God always provides what we need. And then He gives us the extraordinary gift of getting to start all over again the next day.
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