Last week I was meandering through the grocery store, mentally scrolling through my recipe box trying to decide that evening’s menu. This is not the most stress free or economical way to shop, but it does occasionally produce a surprisingly delicious meal.

Over the years, hubby has become somewhat, um, well, he says “discerning,” but I call it plain ol’ picky. Due to his “discerning” taste, I have had to mark a few old standbys from the dinner idea list. For example, I used to make a delightful baked Spam. I learned from my grandmother how to slice the Spam partially so that the loaf fanned out. Then you tuck a little onion right between each slice and top it with a brown sugar and ketchup mixture. The first time I brought this dish to the table, the visual appeal left hubby speechless.

We also used to eat a lot of beanie-weenies, but he has succinctly forbidden me to serve them again. Determined to still use hot dogs as an entrée, I fell back on the old Spam recipe and came up with something new. I made several slices in the bottom two-thirds of each hot dog and then boiled them until the edges curled. The result was a hot dog that strongly resembled an octopus. I served them with a secret dipping sauce made of, what else? Ketchup and brown sugar — ta-da!

I’m no longer allowed to serve Octodogs.

There was a time when I could whip up some tuna patties, mac ‘n’ cheese, and a pot of baked beans for a speedy and delicious supper. Unfortunately, hubby has also marked tuna off the list.

I still buy Hamburger Helper, but I keep it on the back shelf of the pantry until hubby is away on a business trip. This is also when I prepare things like corn dog casserole, breakfast foods for dinner and fried bologna sandwiches.

He doesn’t like carrots and potatoes cooked alongside chuck roast. I don’t put small, white potatoes in the green beans either. His one concession is mashed potatoes. He actually likes them from a box. I, however, can’t stomach potato flakes so I always take extra time to mash the real thing.

I fought hard to keep meatloaf on the list of menu options, scouring recipes and trying different ingredients. My grandma used to sniff her meatloaf mixture to determine if it was properly seasoned. I have not yet achieved that level of kitchen greatness, but hubby begrudgingly admits that I do make a dern good loaf of meat.

So, on that aimless shopping trip last week, this is what I finally decided upon for dinner. I remembered coming across a recipe for a stuffed meatloaf that looked remarkably good, but I couldn’t remember the ingredients. I figured I’d just wing it, and cover the whole thing with ketchup and brown sugar.

While strolling through the produce section, the bananas caught my eye. The marketing ploy of displaying them alongside a pyramid of Vanilla Wafer boxes proved successful in this case. I realized it had been years since I had a good banana pudding. I rarely serve dessert unless we have company, but I decided that I’d treat my family. What could be better than a spinach and Swiss stuffed meatloaf followed by a big ol’ dish of “’nana puddin’?”

I dug out the trifle bowl that I just had to have, and then used twice in the last six years. I layered the wafers, bananas, and pudding, and topped the whole thing off with pretty dollops of whipped cream. I’m pleased to say dinner and dessert were met with strong approval from the family.

The next day the leftover banana pudding had reached a state of perfection. The flavors had melded, and the Vanilla Wafers had become soft and chewy. I don’t know why I don’t use that trifle bowl more often, because this simple dessert is absolutely divine.

That afternoon I was sitting in the living room floor, playing with the kids, when my 3-year-old casually pulled a banana from her pocket. “I didn’t know you had a banana in your pocket!” I laughed. She bugged her eyes at me and emphatically replied, “I’m saving it for an emergency.”

I’m not sure what kind of emergency would call for being prepared with a banana. Unless maybe she’s developed her daddy’s discerning taste. I suppose a banana might come in handy if mom ever serves those Octodogs for dinner.

E-mail Truitt at ginger@gingertruitt.com or visit http://www.gingertruitt.com