Meal plan for June 30th – July 6th
I am so freaking over strawberry season right now.
Don’t get me wrong, I love strawberries. I’m happy to eat them, cook with them, and make ice cream out of them, but for the love of Pete, I’m done processing them.
Horrible confession: a few weeks ago we ran out of homemade bread, and I just couldn’t find an afternoon to bake some more. We ran out of homemade strawberry jam in early spring. So, the other week, I had to walk out of Costco with purchased bread and a jar of organic strawberry jam. It was like the walk of sham out of a frat house. A very low day for me.
When I made jam last week in “jamcademy”, I didn’t get nearly enough to keep us in jam for until next June. I was off for most of this week, so I went back to the u-pick strawberry farm to pick 30+ more pounds of strawbs.
and before you can say “Jack do you want to watch Toy Story”, I produced this:
What, you guys don’t keep egg cartons and the bible on your computer desk??
I feel comfortable in saying that if I can just keep Troy and Jack down to one jar a week, we’ll be safe until next spring.
Friday, I made eight loaves of sandwich bread, and then Jack and Troy promptly consumed half of a loaf and a jar of jam. So, go ahead and ignore what I said in my previous sentence. We’re screwed six ways to Sunday in terms of having enough jam. :sigh:
I sent this photo to a few of my friends earlier this week with the caption “don’t adjust your phones, my legs are really this white”. Awesome. They actually glow a bit, don’t they?
Thursday was Jack’s last of preschool, and I’m going to miss the shit out his teachers. They were amazing with him, and I’ve never seen him sit so still for so long as when he was in the classroom. Those women were magicians and could actually keep my boy, who resembles a hummingbird that has been shot up with black tar heroin, calm and focused. They ditched his preschool curriculum long ago, and were letting him do all the work the kindergarteners were doing. They pushed him, they challenged him, and they kept him from significantly injuring anyone during his time there. Since I can’t afford solid gold bars and unicorns, I wrote each teacher a really heartfelt card and gave them a potted plant that took me three fucking days to complete.
My friend Michelle made the same flower pots for her son’s teachers and inspired me to try my hand at it. Hers look way better.
Meal plan time! Reminder, I only plan dinners. My breakfast of choice is 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:: Chicken paninis with garlic scape pesto, chopped salad, and fruit.
Tuesday:: Tomato soup canned from last year’s garden (gotta use that stuff up!), quesadillas, and leftover chopped salad.
Wednesday:: I again let Jack pick what he wanted for dinner, and again, he chose “a bowl full of candy”. Again, we compromised, so again I’m making homemade pizza and stir-fry pea pods.
Thursday:: Dinner at my in-laws. No idea what it will be, but it is always freaking a-mazing!
Friday:: Fourth of July BBQ at my in-laws. It’s like Christmas for your mouth.
Saturday:: Popcorn night!
Sunday:: Dinner at my parent’s!
This week I spent $3.50 on raw milk at the local farm, $9.48 at our local produce stand, $42 at the grocery store, and a whopping $105 at our local butcher! I ordered a box/flat of chicken breasts from them a few weeks ago, and they were finally ready. Because I purchased an entire box, they took $.20 off per pound, so $3.09 a pound for local, free-range delicious chicken breasts. My freezer is full and happy!
I have found recently a tool that has made chopping strawberries bearable! Cut the tops off and then use this fancy device
Wow! That’s a great price for quality chicken. How nice to have an opportunity like that. Sounds like you’re going to have a great weekend. Happy 4th!
Ah yes, the infamous “Seattle white” color, or really, “Upper Pacific coast white”. Never seen so many pale people until I moved out here! Snrrk! I have pale skin, but the people out here just really get scary pale at times. The funny thing is, I used to tan when I was a kid (just enough Indian to do that), but now, if I even think about going outside uncovered I have a royal burn. And any kind of exercise will always turn me bright red, but I’ve always had that problem. My legs are glowingly pale too! It’s a wonder Jack doesn’t have red hair from all the strawberry jam.
I have been told by teachers that they PREFER a heartfelt “thank you” to a bazillion trinkets and mugs. So, I think you gave the perfect gift.
I nearly spit my pop all over my laptop when I read (and I should have expected it) “Jack and Troy promptly consumed half of a loaf and a jar of jam.” Be complimented. They like your food!
Those teacher gifts are pretty cool. Next year you should give them potted strawberries :0)
We have no u-pick fruit places close to our house. I think the closest is maybe 2 hours away. And they are not organic. So tempted to take the train out your way so I can pick a bunch then haul it all home. Maybe next year because I will be DONE with school.
Anyway, still sucking at the meal planning thing, but we seem to be transitioning into a phase where meat is less appealing to us than the veggies. I made pork chops the other night and just sauteed up some random veggies. The veggies were devoured in one sitting, but we will be having left over pork chops tonight.
Tossing together a veggie based meal is way easier than trying to remember to thaw and then cook meat.
Good thing we signed up for a full CSA share again this year.
I totally feel your shame with purchasing things you know you can make. I made all kinds of bug spray and stuff last year, but this year I just can’t seem to find the time. So, bring on the massively expensive organic bug spray. Woohoo.
Your posts make me laugh! Thanks for that!
I second this. I had to read this part aloud to my boyfriend and was giggling the whole time: “Those women were magicians and could actually keep my boy, who resembles a hummingbird that has been shot up with black tar heroin, calm and focused. “