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Easy bake pizza
It seems everyone complains about stress nowadays. It's usually the job, the boss, the professor at school, the wife and kids. If you are an empty nester, or just a single person, you don't always feel like a huge meal. Not to mention going out and spending money on carryout. Don't throw away that left over chicken, or that one italian sausage link in the freezer, or that corner of ground beef you didn't use in the chili. Any of it can be used to create a pretty tasty mini pizza. If you don't already have some, pick up a package of flour tortillas (large or small). You can buy them at some discount stores for about $.99 a package. Grab a cookie sheet. Lay the tortilla out, if you have olive oil on hand, spread about a teaspoon on top. Sprinkle some shredded cheese on top of that and some Italian herbs. Place your meat on top of the oil, the chicken will only need to be shredded on top (if you are using sausage or any other ground meat place in a skillet and cook first it speeds up the baking). Sprinkle more cheese and herbs and if you have it some paprika. Bake at about 375 until your pie is brown and a little crisp.
A side with color
If you haven't visited the prepared food section at Zagara's Marketplace in Cleveland Heights, do yourself a favor and check it out. There are many eye-catching ready-to-eat selections including the asparagus salad ($7.99 per pound). Kids may consider it punishment if forced to eat salad, especially one that contains asparagus, feta cheese and red peppers. But there's crispy fish fillets, chicken tenders, and an order of gigantic potato wedges are just 99 cents a container. Since it's a weekend night you can make it special by grabbing a package of some homemade cookies. Try the raisin and cranberry oatmeal. It won't take long, the prepared food section and the bakery are neighbors. Eat up!
Heat and serve entrees
Years ago, the closest thing you could get to ready-to eat food from the grocery store was frozen TV dinners. Most contained bland, undercooked peas, runny mashed potatoes and Salisbury steak that tasted like it had come off an assembly line - auto assembly line, that is. Today, most of the larger chains are dazzling their customers with everything from homemade chicken noodle soup to sushi. If you're not in the mood to fire up the oven this weekend, cruise over to your area Heinen's for a prepared dinner. You feel like a kid in a candy store as you browse through the variety of selections. Bypass the Turkey Meatloaf. The day I had it I found it kind of flat. The Ginger Salmon, although a little pricey at $14.99 per pound, is worth the splurge. A firm piece of fish with enough ginger and red pepper flakes to make it interesting. A side of Saffron Rice with a unique blend of saffron and cilantro rounds out the meal. They also carry really good fried chicken, a variety of sandwiches including paninis and a salad bar that's a vegetarian's dream.