Make Your Own Dinner!

"I don't WANT dat kind of pizza!" yelled 5-year-old Nolan, my picky eater. It was becoming a nightly refrain, with "pizza" being whatever I happened to be serving for dinner.

Here's something nobody tells you before you start a family: the more kids you have, the more palates you must please.

I can't lay all the blame at Nolan's place setting — there's my equally picky husband, Dan, whose complex system of food-related rules is indecipherable to me even after 10 years of marriage.

Then there's Jackson, who has his select favorites and argues vigorously for them at every turn. Finally, the 3-year-old "baby" Aaron — already built like a basketball player — is happy just to be fed, so long as it doesn't involve meat.

Conjuring ways to please everyone seemed increasingly futile, until one night I found myself wanting to yell, "Make your own dinner!"

The phrase reminded me how much fun I'd had when my parents served tacos and I'd gotten to choose my own toppings. And thus my own family's Make Your Own Dinner tradition was born.

Here are some variations we've devised for MYOD nights:

Make Your Own Taco Night — Fill crunchy taco shells or soft tortillas with any of the following: fat-free refried beans, black olives, sour cream, salsa, fresh tomato, lettuce, and chopped onion. If the kids conjure an idea, like canned corn, I include it in the rotation. During farmer's market season, I'll throw out some homemade salsa or pico de gallo.

Make Your Own Sub Night — A pack of sandwich rolls, an assortment of lunch meats and cheeses, tomatoes and bell peppers, plus dill and sweet pickles on the side, since we can't even manage to agree on pickles. Sandwich builders can also choose to add crushed celery seed, oregano, mustard, and ranch dressing instead of mayo.

Make Your Own Sundae Night — Conveniently, "MYOD" also stands for "Make Your Own Dessert." We do this occasionally on weekends before watching a movie at home. Nut-haters needn't complain because they can skip them altogether. Neapolitan ice cream is a great pick for satisfying a variety of palates, and toppings can vary from crushed graham crackers and hot fudge to maraschino cherries and bananas. Don't forget the whipped cream!

While during the rest of the week the battle for dinner choice supremacy rages on, MYOD nights are relatively peaceful. I just try not to let my eyelid twitch show as Nolan prepares tacos filled only with sour cream and onions.