Meal plan for April 28th – May 4th
I was downloading the photos from Easter last week, and I was super disturbed by one of the photos of Jack. I zoomed in, and confirmed my worst thoughts. I am clearly raising a serial killer. Holy shit, look at that face.
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| “I eat your face mommy”. |
Dudes, I am so wiped. We had Jack’s birthday party yesterday. There was a time on Friday night that I was tempted to cancel the party because my house was so clean.
I was off on Friday and woke up super early and didn’t stop until 9:30 pm at night. I had some aggressive weeding and lawn care to do. The weather was gorgeous and perfect. For an hour. Then, the skies opened up and I looked like I was trying to enter a wet t-shirt contest. Soaked in about 45 seconds I was. Speaking like Yoda I am. I got everything done, but was a soggy disgusting mess by the end of it.
The menu featured salad, homemade pizza (make 3 a night for a few nights, and freeze them), hummus, veg, chips and salsa, fruit, punch, and chocolate cake with chocolate frosting in-between the layers, and cream cheese frosting on top. It was kind of a big deal. I’m known as the world’s worst gift-wrapper (hence the cloth gift bags) and a piss poor excuse for a cake decorator. I can’t even pipe frosting on to a cupcake. It’s truly tragic. I have many strengths as a person; cake decorating is not one of them.
But, I tried my best.
I was making fun of it and Jack overheard me and said “stop that mommy, it’s PERFECT”, so at least he liked it.
Also, I told grounds-keeping to seed the back field, but they didn’t get it done in time. AKA, I ran out of frosting.
I am so sick of going to birthday parties and having to take home a plastic bag full of plastic crap. The “goodies” inevitably break within twelve seconds, and then you have to chuck it when you get home. To make sure we’re not contributing to that waste stream, I made some cloth ziplocs and filled them with Seahawks temporary tattoos, and chocolates using this mold.
Here is a little tip from me to you. When you’re having a party, and people will be in and out of your fridge getting stuff to refill apps, label your containers to make it easy on everyone involved. Little dry erase marker, and you’re all set!
Meal plan time! Reminder, I only plan dinners. My breakfast of choice has changed, and I’m now obsessed with homemade Greek yogurt with tons of cut up fresh fruit (or fruit I froze in the summer), and a homemade granola bar crumbled on top. It’s delicious and keeps me completely full and satisfied until lunch. Lunches are always leftovers. We rarely eat dessert during the week, and our dinner drink of choice is water kefir soda.
Monday:: Troy is grilled up some of his famous grilled chicken, a veggie side (we’re hitting up Costco later today, so I’ll get whatever strikes my fancy), and fruit.
Tuesday:: Hawaiian pizza wraps, some veg (see Monday’s note), and fruit.
Wednesday:: Weeknight chicken parm, asparagus, and fruit.
Thursday:: Praise Jesus, my in-laws are feeding us!
Friday:: Popcorn dinner!
Saturday:: We’re throwing my cousin a baby shower at 2, so I probably won’t be eating any dinner that night. Leftovers!
Sunday:: Family dinner at my parent’s. We’ll contribute a side, dessert, or appetizer.
I have no idea what I spent on groceries this week, because most of it was for the birthday party.
Loving them cloth ziplocs. Tres clever — and useful for all sorts of things — pencils, makeup bag…. Your piping was fine. If you tried to use store-bought frosting for it, there’s your problem, they’re much runnier than they were about five years ago. I think the cake is wonderful. I make a lot of bd. cakes and my kids and nieces/nephews still talk about “Well, for my ‘x’ [number] bd. you made me a [x] cake, and for my—” so don’t knock the love that goes into them, he will forget the gifts but your cake will be remembered!!
oops duh. I see you do have one 🙂
Do you have a tutorial for the cloth ziploks? they look great! nice job!
We just bday partied here this weekend, too. My mom has these number cookie cutters that have made sugar cookies a tradition since I was a wee tot. I had planned to have them as an activity at the party – decorate your own – but then I had the light bulb idea to use them as the favors. I made some royal icing, put them in portion cups along with some m&ms in another one, the cookie & a popsicle stick for spreading. Voila. My new favorite party favor. (The theme was polka dots, so the idea was to make your own polka dot cookie…)
Smart son : Yes it was perfect 🙂
I agree with you completely about the loot bags. I tend to fill ours (usually homemade cloth ones too) with things that will get used up or eaten. Mostly eaten. (by used, I mean pencils and notebooks, lip glosses ~I have girls~ hair ties…) The only year that my oldest invited boys, it was a Fear Factor theme and the “loot” was a CD full of photos from the party. She handed those out the next school day because they weren’t ready at the end of the party. Parties are such fun. I’m a little sad my kids are too old now. they just want to have their friends over to watch movies or something now.
My youngest was at a “sweet sixteen” party yesterday and apparently loot bags aren’t done at that age.
Tina typed out my cake thought before I could! You made what Jack wanted. You are perfect!
I was thinking the same thing as Jack, that cake will always be remember by him as perfect because it is what he wanted and made with love.
The kiddo and I are driving to AZ on Tuesday and we are hauling along a cooler full of food. I plan to make some Kalua Pig on my first full day in AZ and maybe some burgers. If I can find some suitable chicken while I am there, we’ll grill some chicken (I LOVE grilled chicken). There will be lots of salad, grilled veggies and probably some Brussels sprouts with bacon.
I love those cloth bags. Great job on them!
Hi, Sarah – thanks for the Sunday morning giggles! Have you ever posted Troy’s famous chicken recipe, or is it a top-secret kind of thing? I’d love to give it a try if you (he’s) willing to share it. Thank you!
I feel like I have, but I can’t find it right now. It’s not a secret, or even really a recipe. We marinate the chicken in olive oil and Montreal Steak Seasoning, and then he grills it. While he is grilling it, every few minutes he squirts a stream of water (from Jack’s water balloon filler) at the flames which causes the BBQ to flame up a bit. It sears the chicken perfectly and keeps it super moist (hate that word).
I’m not allowed to grill because I mess with things too much while I’m cooking.
I hate that word too! My family teases me mercilessly……