So my plan tonight was to pop in a frozen lasagna as we hadn’t done groceries yet and there was no real food in the house. It was a great plan but then I hosted a sleepover for a friend’s five year old.
The conversation went something like this:
“How does lasagna for dinner sound?”
“Yuck!”
“Yuck? Since when do you not like lasagna?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t want lasagna.”
Then I asked a stupid question, ” What would you eat for dinner?”
“Pizza! I love pizza!”
Well so do I but it’s not in the budget and I’m not about to explain my budget business to a 5year old. Instead I tried reasoning.
“We don’t have pizza at my home, how do you feel about spaghetti?”
“I love spaghetti!”
Thank goodness! I knew he was thinking of spaghetti and meatballs except I had no sauce or meatballs. I went into the pantry and found 2 tins of tuna. Tuna pasta salad it was, well for the grown ups. After an extended conversation we compromised: he would have the spaghetti he requested and we would have the spaghetti tuna salad.
Knowing his eating habits at home I consider dinner a success! I really was a bit afraid that I would end damaging my carefully planned weekly budget.
The salad was simply:
1tbsp mayo
1 tbsp sandwich spread
1 tbsp mustard
6tbsp olive oil
2 tins of tuna
1 red pepper
1/4 C chopped olives
Combine and mix in a medium bowl. Then mix with cooked pasta.
I found it a bit bland but a sprinkling of Parmesan made it much better!