Culinary Efforts: food from a box

Lately my culinary efforts have been underwhelming.  This is partly due to the heat wave, but also due to my overload of work trying vainly to estimate drought-inflicted crops.  But hey, that is also due to the heat wave.  We are also in the throes of planning a bat mitzvah, but I prefer to blame my kitchen failures on the weather, even when I am cooking inside.

Instead of “food that is made from food” (as a local restaurant advertises) I’ve served pancakes, mac ‘n’ cheese from a box, and hot dogs.  Well, pancakes aren't too bad, but the rest - blech.

Here is the kind of dinner conversation engendered by these type of meals:

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On the night we had pancakes:  

Youngest Daughter took a huge bite, and part of her pancake flopped out of her mouth and back onto her plate. 

I said, ‘Please, take dainty bites.” 

She said, “Why should I?” 

I didn’t have a quick response for this, but my son said, in the form of a question, “For the love of God?” 

I said, “Yes!  For the love of God, would you please take dainty bites!”

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On the night we had hot dogs:

Me: There are these various cheeses you could put on your hotdog.

Son:  They are all cheddar.  What’s the difference between these?

Me:  That one is Hoffman cheese.

Son:  Is that like a brand of cheese?  I thought it was cheddar cheese.

Me:  Yes, Hoffman is a brand of cheese.

Son:  Like, the Swiss brand?  The Swiss brand is for cheese, and army knives, and secret bank accounts.

Me:  Um, no.....

Husband:  ALL this cheese was actually made in China.

Me:  No, Hoffman cheese is made in Wisconsin.

Husband:  You mean the corporate office is in Wisconsin.  But it’s actually made in China, out of toxic chemicals.

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As you can see, eating pancakes and hotdogs for dinner has gotten us no closer to being ready to dine with the queen.