Margarita pizza on a whole wheat crust.

I plan my meals, we get paid, then I go shopping once or maybe twice, if I forget something, which happens sometimes. Some fortnights I don't plan as well and after a little more than a week I am faced with a dilemma: to shop again or not to shop. I usually have plenty of money left in my wallet to shop. Such is the case, I've discovered, when you stay away from restaurants and eat every meal at home. But, I hate shopping with two kids. It was bad enough with just Norah. But, now that I have Avril, too, shopping is doubly painful and with two kids the distractions grow exponentially. And, I feel like shopping again would be a failure, of sorts. So, I usually dig in and take inventory of what happens to be left in my cabinet, fridge and freezer and get creative. The other day I had only whole wheat flour, mozzarella and one tomato... a little research on the Internet and Viola! Margarita pizza! Though this exercise is usually pretty painful because I have to do without what are essentials to us like sweet tea or milk until I shop again, staying away from the grocery store is good, since it forces me to take risks in the kitchen that I wouldn't otherwise take, like adding sour cream to meat loaf in place of milk or using Lima beans and chickpeas in baked beans instead of just pintos. And, I often end up rediscovering things like oatmeal or muffins for breakfast in place of Norah's bowl of cereal-as-usual. And, now I've unlocked the mystery of gourmet pizza! For a house wife, this one's a personal triumph. The fancy pizza joint no longer has power of my family!