It was bound to happen sooner or later - a time when Americans would overshoot their goals of modernization and have to rely on creative methods to get sustenance. It's a good thing necessity is the mother of invention at Simply Dinners, a new meal preparation business meeting the needs of those who've become too busy with work, school and life to plan wholesome dinners. "All we ask is that you bring a laundry basket or a cooler in order to take the copious amounts of food home," said co-owner Eddie Yueh. Simply Dinners opened its doors on Feb. 18 and the owners, Eddie and wife Maureen, have been trying to introduce the concept of a meal preparation business to Tucson's East Side ever since, even inviting walk-ins to get curious eaters familiarized with the process. The business rotates the menu every month and works with a former five-star restaurant executive chef, David Lalli, to develop recipes. This is how it works: Patrons reserve a session time via the Web site, fax, mail or phone, and after confirmation, arrive at the appointed date and time. After patrons don an apron and get a first-time crash course on where the freezer is, how long to wash beneath your fingernails, the outlines of the health safety zones and how to follow the recipes at the food stations, they're ready to begin. Patrons wash up and then approach the food station that has the ingredients for the meal they want. They follow outlined steps on a laminated card, which begin with getting specific numbers of Ziploc baggies and little plastic cups and accompanying lids at the ends of the stations. Then patrons put sauces, juices and spices in little plastic cups or baggies and put the final product into a big Ziploc. The exact measuring utensils for individual meals are placed next to each of the ingredients. The ingredient containers are all labeled and there is a sticker with cooking instructions to slap onto the Ziplocs. There is no need to clean up. The staff will do that. Total time to prep a complete dinner (minus drinks) for first-timers? About 15 minutes. Maureen said she's seen people make 12 meals in about 50 minutes. Carmen Quintero said she is not one to cook and has trouble with measurements, but Simply Dinners has made her life easier because she doesn't have to plan meals or shop for ingredients. "It gives me more time with my son and my family," Quintero said. Both Quintero and her husband work full time and she attends Pima Community College part time. "A lot of things they have I would never think of cooking," Quintero said. "Instead of making tacos or burritos every night of the week, it gives us a chance to try new food like cranberry chicken and ham steaks with pineapple salsa." Mary Ann Sorenson goes to Simply Dinners twice a month and was there on opening day. She's saved on her grocery bill and likes how she can have Simply Dinners prepare the meals for pickup when she is physically unable to prepare meals herself. Pickup meals cost $2.50 extra per meal. "It's kind of hard to explain until you watch someone do it," said LaDonna Aronoff. "You go in, you pick what you want to make and then you make it. It's a great concept and once you do it, it makes sense." > Wholesome fare that customers prepare is simply dinners' theme<