Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Something Out of Nothing - What I Learned This Week


The other day I was having a conversation with a good friend of mine and she was saying how she would love one of those cute beach cottage types of home. You know the ones that just fell into the owner's lap from a great aunt or something. And where they make a kitchen table out of an old front door they found on the side of the road. The ones where they just happened to have antique knotty pine floors under that old shag carpet and it was just waiting for a good buff to make it's charm come alive.

Yeah, you know the ones.

I told her I didn't think I could ever have a house like that because I'm not one that can make something out of nothing.

Again, you know someone who can make what looks like nothing to one person a work of art to another. The ones that have 4 beads and a piece of yarn one minute and finials for their lamps the next. The ones that have an old table from Gramma laying around in the attic and the next thing you know it is the showpiece side table in their living room. " Just a little elbow grease and some white paint..."

Yeah, you know them. Or you are one of them.

To be perfectly honest, I am so completely jealous of this attribute. I wish beyond measure I could take a little something and make it ooze with charm. Sometimes, if I am lucky, I can copy something someone has done and it works out.

Flash forward to dinner last night. Mondays often come when I realize that I have not been to the grocery store over the weekend or since the Tuesday before. Pickin's are slim, to say the least. This was definitely the case last night when I realized it was about 5:45 and not enough time to go to the store. Now while I could have easily eaten a bowl of cereal, I have this little family here that requires a little more than my old college stand-by meal.

So, I had 8 frozen chicken tenders, a fresh green pepper, pasta sauce and pesto sauce frozen in the freezer, a half of box of penne pasta and a bit of mozzarella cheese. (I always forget about the things I have tucked away in the freezer).

Wallah!
I made up this Cheesy Chicken Pasta Dish that my kids said was one the best dinners EVAH!

Making something out of nothing. Well, I guess I know someone like that, too.

So, that's what I learned this week - not to sell myself so short. For more lessons learned this week head on over to Musings of a Housewife and visit some of those ladies. You won't be disappointed!

post signature

6 comments:

annies home said...

As a mother of 6 I have been in this same situation and had to quickly come up with a meal I believe you did quite well

jen@odbt said...

They always make it look so easy. I guess I just have to give one of those craft projects a try. Gotta love when a meal comes together out of nothing -- and an awesome meal too. Hope you wrote it down so you can make it again for the family.

melaniet42 said...

I'm not one of THOSE people either, but I know them. My aunt is one of them. I too envy the ability to make something from nothing. Great way to pull together a dinner at the last minute!!

EE said...

I've always wanted to be like that, too. I have to copy everything:o

The Fritz Facts said...

I have a friend like that...I started having her do the projects for me. lol

Unknown said...

Well done for definitely making something out of not so much!

We have the beach cottage, but certainly not inherited, and no tables made out of doors either - I wish!

Blog Widget by LinkWithin