Canned Chili & Rice - Isn't That Nice!

Is your house like my house? 

We have finally finished up the school year at Edmonds Heights and I must confess, those last 3 weeks- I was limping along.  William had projects to finish, a martial arts belt ceremony to perform in, Fall registration was coming up & he couldn't register until I magically turned in his out of district variance form, I could NOT find that missing library book & I forgot to pre-order his yearbook so now he was screaming at me that he wouldn't get a yearbook.  How oh how would he ever remember the second grade without one?? 

And on top of all William's school stuff- I interviewed for & got a brand new job.  As in a REAL job.  Mommy has a "jobby job" now.  WooHoo!  And of course we've also been battling the dreaded "Man Cold".  Moms- you know the one....

So it should come as no surprise that dinner is low on the priority list.  Seriously....this last couple months I'm struggling to get dinner on the table.  I just don't have the desire to feed people AGAIN.

Which is really not the norm for me.  I love cooking and baking so I just don't understand what is wrong with me!  Well, last night was no exception.  Listen up Busy Mommas! Have I got a gourmet delight sure to please your entire family!  One can of chili & a pot of rice.
We like Amy's brand chili- yum! And if I'm getting fancy, I may even chop up some green onions, grate a little cheddar cheese and open the container of sour cream.  Ha! How have I come up with this culinary concoction?!?  Desperation.  Pure and total desperation.  But at least it was organic....hmm....nice try....

So my canned chili and rice had me thinking...what else do I "cook" on a regular basis that's more like fake cooking.  Let's count the cheese enchiladas that I made tonight for dinner.  Have you ever made cheese enchiladas?  One bag pre-shredded cheese, one 15 oz can enchilada sauce and corn tortillas.  Yep, you counted that right, that's 3 ingredients and none of which actually require any real cooking.  Oh and I serve it with a big can of vegetarian refried beans.  My boys love it!!

I try not to feel guilty for serving a few quick & easy meals.  But rather choose to take comfort in the fact that I've chosen a good quality organic cheese for my enchiladas & vegetarian, organic beans.  Oh who am I kidding??  I don't feel guilty at all!  A can of organic chili w/organic jasmine rice is a WHOLE lot better then hitting up the fast food joint and getting a bad case of TBS.  You know...Taco Bell Syndrome.

So tonight, as I sit here with a belly full of cheesy enchiladas and delicious canned refried beans, I think to myself....I got this.  That dinner was awesome!  It was mostly healthy and well balanced.  It was 80% organic and mostly GMO free.  And most importantly, it was budget friendly.  If I were a math goddess, I would tally up the total cost, subtract by number of servings, divide by 12 and multiply by the total content of whatever and tell you exactly how much that meal cost.  But I don't have time for that nonsense and will instead just point out that the last 2 dinners I've made have been cheap & easy.  Not unlike some folks I went to high school with....

So yes, canned chili and rice- isn't that nice!