Favorite Easy Dinners + a birthday giveaway

I was talking to a friend last week and she mentioned that her friend doesn't cook.  The friend is married with small children and just doesn't cook.  I asked what she did.  My friend was like They just eat out.  How is that possible?  Why is that possible?  It made me so sad.  I seriously can't stop thinking about it.  How can you just not cook?

Side note: As I'm writing this, I see that Masterchef is on t.v. and there are children cooking.  Pasta from scratch with homemade sauce.  If a 10 year old can do that, I would think that a 30 year old can cook dinner.

Maybe I'm being judgmental here…we all like eating out, right?  I just can't wrap my head around "I don't cook".  Aside from the obvious health-problem potential, think of the money.  I couldn't spend $40+ a day on food.  That is absolutely pointless in so many ways.  Alright, I'm being judgmental. I'll stop now. (You can tell me if I'm being judgmental.)

I absolutely had to teach myself to cook. You don't just become good at the process of it in an instant.  If you don't put effort into shopping, planning, and organizing you won't be good at it.  It's not even having some kind of magic touch or cooking gene; it's being willing to try.  Persevere, you know?  We've been in 4 different houses, in 3 different states, dealt with a complete kitchen overhaul while both working full-time, and I STILL found ways to cook.

The day we had no stove or no oven.

It's obviously very difficult to stockpile nonperishable food, have a supply of frozen soups/meats/stews/chilis for busy nights, and stick to a meal plan when you're unsettled.  At the 7 month mark of living in this house, I'm just now starting to get the hang of it again.  I never settled into that routine in Missouri, but I had it mastered in Alaska (if I could be so bold to use such a word).

I was looking through my Recipe Index and these are the recipes I would make if I needed an easy dinner.  They're not overly complicated, but they're all homemade.

Veggie Burritos/Enchiladas.  I just made these on Monday.  I didn't add sauce to the top, so they were more like burritos, but they are still incredibly tasty, healthy, and the leftovers are perfect for lunches.

Chicken Pot Pie.  This was the first dish I taught myself to make back in 2010.  I tried it at a friend's house and immediately started hunting down a recipe.  I can't even count how many times I've made chicken pot pie.  It was once a week for awhile there because I didn't know how to make other things.

Beef Lo Mein or Mongolian Beef.  This Mongolian beef is one of the best things I've ever eaten.  I've taken it to pot lucks.  It's definitely not my recipe, but I keep it bookmarked in case I need a meal to impress with.

Beef Stroganoff.  This is also one of those first things I learned how to cook.  It doesn't take too long and would even impress guests.

Pineapple Chicken (and a confession about how I do secretly love those one-bag-meals in the freezer section).  We ate this one a lot in Alaska.

Spaghetti Squash Stir-fry.  Scott loves this.  I've always been so-so about spaghetti squash but if I'm going to make it, this is the route I go.  Paleo-friendly!

Stove-top Mac and Cheese.  I like the boxed stuff too (Annie's, not Kraft), but this homemade version won't take more than 30 minutes.

These are just a few of the dinners I'd recommend if I could get in the kitchen of this person who doesn't cook…seriously, I'd love that.

Oh, and the giveaway.  Since tomorrow is my birthday, as is tradition here, I'll be giving away some Starbucks.  I have big plans for an ice cream cake, but I can't exactly invite you over for that. Lattes are the next best thing.  Good luck!