By Sunday evening, the mere idea of dinner seems dull. What to do when you just don't want to cook? You could eat out, but why strain the budget for a mundane meal? Besides, going to a restaurant tired, under must-do conditions, tends to be more stressful than cooking.

When Alicia and I were discussing this dilemma, we started reminiscing about what our mothers used to fix on Sunday nights. In the South in those days, our families gathered after church for a huge lunch, which we called Sunday dinner. Sunday's evening meal was ''supper'' -- the simpler the better for our tuckered-out moms. (Going out wasn't even an option for my family since the only restaurant in our one-stoplight town was closed.)

Sometimes my mom would whip up pizza out of a box. (She switched to frozen when it became available years later.) I can also remember Sunday suppers of oyster stew, grilled-cheese sandwiches or creamed chipped beef on toast. (Stouffer's still makes frozen creamed chipped beef, and we're posting our fixed-up version from the Desperation Dinners! cookbook on our website, www.desperationdinners.com.)

Alicia's favorite Sunday-night solution is to serve ''breakfast for dinner.'' Today's Fancy Egg Scramble makes use of a kitchen staple and is a great way to use up bits and pieces of leftover vegetables. You could even add cooked shrimp or diced ham. Either way, it's a quick and stress-free Sunday-night supper.

Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross' latest book is Cheap. Fast. Good! Their website is desperationdinners.com.

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