What's for dinner?

That is a question that gets asked at my house almost every day. Last night it went a little something like this...

Makena: "What's for dinner, I'm starving."
Me: "Something new." (grinning because I know how the rest of this is going to go...)
Makena: "Oh really??" (not in a happy) "It's my last night before school starts and you're going to make me eat 'something new'? What is it?"
Me: "An Italian wedding soup."
Makena: "Aren't Italian's crazy?"
Me: "I need to cook things that we can all eat, so I don't have to make separate meals." (I'm back to measuring everything I eat and writing down calories.) "And we're going to be eating back at the table again too."
Makena: "Jamie" (she yells as he's upstairs) "Mom's gonna make us eat something new AND eat at the table."

Meanwhile, I about chop my finger off with my kitchen knife. (Kitchen Aid makes damn sharp knives by the way!) I ask Makena to get me a band-aid.

Makena: "Try not to get blood in the soup would ya?"
Me: "Thanks."

I get everything ready and set the table. Jamie fills our bowls with soup and it begins again...

Makena: "What's in it?" (she's poking it with her spoon like it's alive or something)
Me: "It's soup."
Jamie: "With meatballs."
Makena: "What's the white stuff? It looks crunchy - is it crunchy?" (still poking at it)

Then she tries a bite and makes a funny face. Jamie tries a bite and doesn't say anything.

Makena: "It's not that good Mom. It tastes like water. Sorry."
Jamie: "Maybe it needs crackers to thicken it up." (did I mention that it's soup?)

I get the crackers out - Jamie uses about half the box and Makena puts a few in hers.

Makena: "It didn't make it better. My stomach hurts anyways. Do you want mine Mom?"
Me: "I haven't even tried mine yet."
Jamie: "It does need a little more flavor, but it's not too bad."

Makena makes herself a Soup at Hand (cuz that's much better than my soup) and Jamie and I finish dinner. That's pretty much how dinner is at my house. Unless, of course, I make the same-old-thing all the time...which I get tired of doing. They are both very picky, usually about the same things. Makena doesn't really want any meat and Jamie doesn't really want many veggies. Jamie could eat Hamburger Helper and boxed potatoes every night and be happy, and Makena would just snack on stuff all day. Makes it difficult most of the time, but I'm still trying.

Guess what's for dinner tonight, "something new". : )