but I do want to eat well tonight. How to solve the problem of being arse-tired, relatively uninterested in cooking and certainly uninterested in cleaning, but not wanting to eat a disappointing, unmemorable dinner or order take-out? There are, in fact, a number of good and simple ideas for meals that will treat your body and mind well. My suggestions are based on the premise that you keep your fridge and pantry relatively well stocked with some quality staple items. Do you recall the ones I suggested keeping on hand? They included good quality beans, tuna, anchovies, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pastas, couscous, canned tomatoes (for the original post, click here)... With those you can make a wonderful tuna and white bean salad, pasta with fabulous tomato sauce, a Mediterranean platter and so forth.

If you add in goodies from your fridge, you can really feast in no time flat. For example, HUMMUS. Filled with protein and fiber but low in calories and fat, hummus + good crackers, bread and/or veggies is a great meal foundation, especially in tandem with good quality canned stuffed grape leaves (mentioned in the original post!). Do you keep good CHEESES in your fridge? You should. You can then pair those with fresh fruit or fruit spreads, throw some nuts on the side (another good pantry staple) and voila. Do you keep terrific BREAD in your freezer? You should (wrap it tightly). Pop some in the oven or toaster and you can have a gourmet sandwich, grilled cheese or a base for dipping oil in just minutes.

So before you reach for the phone, look at what you've already collected, and I will bet you that in 10 minutes you can have a delightful dinner that is less costly and better for you than take-out! Then, too, you can feel absolutely zero guilt in opening a nice bottle of wine to go alongside things.

On a different note, look how pretty these quince/persimmon/ginger goodies are. I have lost the will to experiment with a new jam tonight but I will soon! This fresh ginger smells divine.