31 days... of dinner chez les Wrightlings... in which I start conniving to figure out something relatively healthy and affordable for us to eat while we travel unexpectedly {day 3}

Late Tuesday night we got word that my grandmother had fallen and broken her hip. We'd also been looking for another opportunity to travel down and see my grandparents. Her accident coincided with a Thursday/Friday off school for the kids... we decided this was the opportunity and Wednesday early evening found us in the van and on our way to SE Missouri to hopefully see them and hug on them and just let them know how precious they are to us.

At first, I'd planned on leaving mid morning and traveling, just the kids and I. 

Then Tim learned he could go if we waited until after 5. And plans changed.

At first, I figured I'd be throwing fast food at the kids on the road.

Then, when I realized I had most of the day to get ready and still fit in a nap, I cleaned the pantry, froze some food so it wouldn't spoil and packed a cooler with sandwiches and other freshness I'd just bought the night before at the store.

Mary Michelle: "Mama, I don't want to eat the Indians! Do I HAVE to?"

Richelle: "You aren't eating Indians. 

You can pull the onions out of your {leftover squirrel} soup."

Mary Michelle: "I don't have to eat the yucky Indians?"

Richelle: "Un- yuns..."

Mary Michelle: "Un-dee-uns?"

Richelle: "There's no "duh" sound in there. Say un-yuns."

Mary Michelle: (with a grin) "Un-DEE-uns?"

Richelle: I think you need to run around the table 3 times saying 

yuns-yuns-yuns the whole time.

(Pause while little feet pound. The only other sound heard are the quiet snickers of older siblings. Then brother Jonathan pops out of his seat to chase her. He promptly receives a reprimand.)

Richelle: "Now say un-yuns."

Mary Michelle: "Un-dee-yuns?... ummm I mean onions!"

I'm sure Indians will be thankful to know that she was actually referring to onions...

...not Indians - and that she might have been probably was pulling my leg the whole time. Of course I had better not tell her that. She'd crawl under the table to grab ahold of my foot and start tugging.

And, for what it is worth, leftover squirrel soup, nacho chips dipped into chimichanga filling, cottage cheese, honey sweetened Greek yogurt, an almost too old to eat cucumber with lots of ranch dip - it makes for an interesting lunch.

The modified-much-cheaper-plan-for-dinner-on-the-road is ham sandwiches (in hot dog buns), carrots and celery with ranch dip, and apple pie cake. We've never tried the cake recipe before. Nadia made it with apples that were sending out invitations to all the fruit flies in Midland. She really is my go-to gal when it comes to baking.

CONCLUSION re THE NEW RECIPE?

None yet...

But it sure looks good. The guardians of the cooler (I wasn't, because I tried to nap a little in the back so I would be able to help drive later when Tim needed to nap) decided the Kit Kats were more convenient. So now the apple pie cake is sitting, waiting in our hotel room and will be consumed sometime today as a snack... and we'll let you know then.

Posts in this Series:

Squirrel Soup {day 1}

Chimichangas {day 2}