"Whats for dinner?" Those are some of my most least favorite words to hear. Theyre right up there with, It wasnt my fault, None of my friends are doing it, and You just dont understand.

The problem with these words is they normally mean Ive got to figure out what to feed my family. You would think it would be easy. It seems like an innocent question, until youve made dinner over and over and over again; one day blending into the next, a mlange of meatloafs, baked chickens, hamburgers and spaghetti. If only dinner didnt happen every night! Its so repetitious.

And its not just making the food thats difficult. Planning meals gives me a headache. I worry if Im giving my family the right amount of food from the food pyramid. (Does anyone else remember when we had only four main food groups? The new food groups mix me up. Is popcorn a vegetable? Do the raisins in Cinnamon Raisin Bread count as a serving of fruit? And what about Pop-Tarts? Does that count as a bread, fruit or a separate category of things that you should never eat?

As someone that thinks pizza is the perfect food, Im not terribly qualified to determine if my family is getting the right amount of nutrition. Actually, left by myself, Ill be happy just to eat a bag of corn chips (does that count as a vegetable?) for dinner, however, Im fairly sure thats not a good idea.

My family complained that we ate the same old things for dinner so I decided to try a new recipe. And as long as I was going to experiment, I thought I should make something high-fiber, low-fat, high protein and all those things I think Im supposed to be serving.

The tofu, bean and walnut loaf recipe looked like a healthy replacement for the meatloaf that everyone complained that they were tired of eating. My family was as supportive as I expected when I announced what I was making for dinner. Gross! wailed my daughter. My husband said nothing. Hes too smart for that. However, later, he did mention that he had to work overtime that night. Suddenly my daughter remembered that her best friend had invited her over for dinner.

Ill show them, I thought that night as I made the tofu, bean and walnut loaf for myself. My first bite was chewy. My second bite reminded me of one of my daughters art projects a mixture of cardboard and clay. Perhaps I had left something out of the recipe; like taste. My third bite actually I gave up and shoved the rest in the back of the refrigerator. It was as bad as my daughter and husband had imagined. Actually, it was probably worse. I had to console myself with a frozen mini pizza that I found hidden in the freezer.

The loaf wasnt a total loss though. I never told my family how terrible it tasted. And whenever they start complaining about eating the same food, I just suggest the tofu, bean and walnut loaf. Its wonderful to see how quickly they praise my boring hamburgers and chicken.

So if you want a solution to boring dinners, just look for a tofu, bean and walnut loaf recipe. You dont actually need to make it. Just leave it around where your family can see it. Youll be amazed how the threat of something healthy can suddenly make your old recipes seem like gourmet meals.