After years of preparing six course meals for our guests, with exceedingly high expectations, we are now left to feed no one except ourselves and our children. Robert and I look at each other, as if we have no limbs, much less any experience in preparing a meal, and ask with almost desperation,”what are we going to eat?” Why should this be so difficult?
To feed ourselves during our restaurant days, we ate the following items about 90% of the time:
instant oatmeal with yogurt and fruit
cold cereal (honey nut cheerios is my favorite)
eggs – scrambled with cheese and whatever is around and about to go bad.
These items kept us going and relatively healthy during some highly productive years. However, our kids are less enthusiastic about breakfast for dinner (AGAIN?) and the thought of cooking items from our former menu makes me want to run screaming to the hills. Why is it so hard to cook something to eat????
Thankfully, as partners in The Burger Stand at Dempsey’s we have unlimited access to the best burger and fries in the area. I try to show some restraint and not always order the truffle fries. But alas, our kids are getting tired of burgers too, and the “Don’t you know there are starving kids in China?” isn’t helping much. Surely, Robert and I will feel some culinary inspiration soon…
Molly Krause Creates 
I think I can understand the burn out. But burn out usually means that one is not taking good care of one self and needs nourishing of the soul. For the family meals now, might I suggest that the focus be not on the food, but the family. I usually find pasta meals can be quickly prepared without a lot of fuss, if I am willing to not make the pasta myself! I have found that most kids will eat most pasta dishes. The varieties are endless. But the energy required to throw them together is small. But the best part of a family meal, is the sitting down together and having a conversation. Sharing the events of the day, getting to know one another.
I would also give yourselves permission to not be inspired! It is okay to be mundane!
I never got the chance to visit your last restaurant and so sad it passed me by. I grew up as a daughter in the restaurant business and it was some of the best times of my life. I am definitely planning to come up for the new restaurant. It sounds fabulous. Lawrence is incredibly lucky to have you a part of its community.