I used an iron to feed my kids

Not a waffle iron — a clothes iron. True life confession. While I do think I was ingenious to solve my problem, I’m no sure about you. What will you think of a Mother who uses an iron to serve her kids dinner? But, the kids were hungry, and that was that.

We traveled thousands and thousands of miles with a cooler packed with water, cheese, peanut butter, tortilla shells, and a Harry Potter book in the CD player.

Our first stop was a truly luxurious Holiday Inn (I kid you not! The kids had desks, and bunk beds, and we had our own private bedroom!) with a kitchenette, and a microwave. Vital ingredients when traveling with four kids with picky, and sometimes big, appetites.

We stayed there for two luxurious nights, and then moved to an EVEN fancier HOTEL, the Marriott – the biggest in the WORLD, where the elevators are nicer than your living room at home. And everything is priced, a la carte. Everything.

• “Can you please send up some 4 spoons and bowls?”
• “We’ll be right up Susiej.” I swear, they even knew my name.

Total cost: $12, including the $1 insurance for carrying the items to our room.

The Marriott did give us a fridge, but no microwave. We arrived late; the kids were cranky and tired, and unfit for any restaurant. The take-out pizza place was closed, and because we were in the biggest Marriott in the entire world, getting the car required the Valet to fetch the car off some island, from who knows where. I did not have time for all of this fuss.

With no microwave, I pulled out all the cheese and tortilla shells for quesadillas, heated up the iron, and cooked. In five seconds flat (once the iron had reached its highest temperature setting) the sandwiches were done.  No waiting around for the slow entire minute for the microwave.  The quesadillas were delicious: the iron made them crispy on the outside, and creamy and delicious on the inside – kind of like a Panini machine. Next time I think I’ll pick up some Italian sandwich bread and make real Panini’s.

In case you ever need to try this, here are some tips:

• Wash iron with soap and water, before you turn it on.
• Put the hot iron directly on the tortilla.
• Do not use wax paper to buffer the heat – you want that nice crisp brown.
• I didn’t do this, but you might want to check to see if your husband has ironed his shirt for his business meeting, before you make his kids dinner.  Because, you really don’t want him to smell like a quesadilla.

Dinner is served, and I’ll tell you, it hit the spot.