Mystery Supper

Sometimes that means whatever is left over in the fridge, but not tonight.

Side note:

A Fender Supper in the Smith household is where we each sit down to eat something different we managed to scrape together following a particularly unusual day and the chaos of after school jobs, sports practices, and homework. You have to fend for yourself.

But I digress. Ok fellow moms, please do not misunderstand me. These are unprecedented times. We are under immense pressure to balance home, work, and life at the best of times. But right now, our routines have all gone out the window and we are faced with uncertainty and likely intense anxiety. So, don’t think I’m suggesting you should add more pressure to yourselves. If you have finally found a spare moment to read a good book you got for Christmas six years ago, do that. If you managed to sneak into a hot bath and found that the kids had not just used up all the hot water, enjoy it. If you scratched even one thing off your To Do list, pat yourself on the back.

My kids are older, they do their own laundry, can feed themselves, and keep themselves entertained. So, for me, unexpected time at home means I can really focus on that nagging list I’ve been carrying around in the back of my mind. So far today I have cleaned out the cupboards in the kitchen, sorted my Tupperware, baked banana bread, food prepped, finished painting the ceiling in the hallway, hopped on the treadmill for the 21 Min Solution and done a couple loads of laundry. It feels good to have accomplished all that and I’ve made a mental note already what to tackle tomorrow. But as I was doing these tasks, I was thinking about how I could make this situation a little better for my family. Day after day at home without our usual social outings; eating out, going to a movie, card games with friends, or sports – the evenings are becoming monotonous.

I thought about what I could do within the confines of my home to make this evening a little different? Maybe a candlelight dinner? Not bad. Maybe a scavenger hunt; they always like those. Then I remembered being about 14 years old and attending a Mystery Supper with my church youth group. It’s still a fond memory to this day. So here we go, this is what we’re doing for supper. And if you’ve managed to read quietly for a spell, have that warm bath, or clear your conscience of a task, maybe you want to try it too?  But if it adds more pressure to your day, don’t give it a second thought.

 

3 Course Meal - each can only be picked once. So each course:

Pick 1 of these (middle course – pick 2):

Spear, Tree Square, Best Friend in Jam, or Dipper

Pick 1 of these:

Blood, Liquid Gold, Nature’s Tears, or La Leche

Pick 1 of these (middle course – pick 2): 

Roman Mix-Up, Arrows, Dirt, or Kitchen Combo

Here’s the LEGEND:

                Spear – Fork

                Tree Square – Napkin

                Best Friend in Jam – Knife

                Dipper – Spoon

 

                Blood – Grape Juice or Wine

                Liquid Gold – Orange Juice or Beer

                Nature’s Tears – Water

                La Leche – Milk

 

                Roman Mix-Up – Ceasar Salad

                Arrows – Garlic Roasted Asparagus

                Dirt – Chocolate Pudding and Oreo Crumbs

                Kitchen Combo – Shephard’s Pie or Casserole

 

So ultimately, they could have chocolate pudding with a glass of orange juice and a napkin for the 1st course! I sure hope they choose wisely.

I’ll let you know how it goes! And if you get the chance to do it too, please tag me #dainesmysterysupper on IG so I can join in on your fun too.