Hello everyone! I am buried in boxes and just now realized it’s Sunday and I need to get a menu planned! I can guarantee that I will not be doing any cooking tonight, but our girls did open a restaurant for us. Cate made some snacks and Anna threw together a salad. We are lucky parents (Sadly, this is actually all I’ve eaten today. In case you’re wondering, it’s LIFE cereal, Cheerios and freeze-dried blueberries arranged very lovingly and carefully.)

Okay, I have no idea how this week is going to go, but I’ll put some semblance of a plan together anyway.

MONDAY:
– Takeout (even though we’re totally sick of it!)

TUESDAY:
– Belgian waffles (I found our Belgian waffle maker in the move, so I can finally try a recipe I’ve been hanging on to)

WEDNESDAY:
– Turkey Boursin Baguettes

THURSDAY:
– Happy Fourth of July! We will do a BBQ on our new back patio!

FRIDAY:
– Leftover BBQ food

SATURDAY:
– Takeout

SUNDAY:
– I think I’ll do a nice traditional Sunday night dinner, roast chicken or pot roast or something.

I know, super unclear menu plan, but it’s about all my brain can handle right now! At least it’s done, right? Just like last week, PLEASE post your menus to inspire one another! I obviously need help!

Hey everybody! Okay, so my menu this week is gonna kinda be lame. The house is a disaster, with boxes and piles everywhere you turn. And we are doing the actually moving on Saturday, so we’ll definitely be eating out for a few days!

We spent a little time at the new house this weekend and took out some overhead cabinets in the kitchen that divided the dining and kitchen areas. I can’t believe the difference taking those cabinets out made! The room feels bigger, the countertop feels bigger, there’s more light…it’s just BETTER. We lost some shelving but it was worth it. Along the wall to the right of the window above the sink, we’ll either put a cabinet on the wall, hang pots and pans from the ceiling or do a spice rack of some kind. Suggestions welcome!

Here’s my semi lame-o menu.

MONDAY:
– Grammy’s Orange Chicken

TUESDAY:
– Waffles

WEDNESDAY:
– Turkey Boursin Baguettes

THURSDAY – SUNDAY:
– Eat out, sandwiches, cereal, whatever!

I am not providing a lot of inspiration this week, so please post your menus to inspire one another! Can’t wait to see your plans!

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads and great guys in everyone’s lives out there! We started Nate’s day out today with some amazing pastries from Champagne Bakery and a nice fruit salad. We’ll be finishing the day off with perfectly-cooked steak, roasted fingerling potatoes and chocolate mousse. I think the whole family is benefitting from Father’s Day, not just Nate!

I have some news that I can’t quite share yet because I don’t want to jinx anything, but the “something” might be happening later this week, which may throw off our meal schedule. So, we’ll just see how the week goes! (And, no, it has nothing to do with having babies. Let’s just get those rumors out of the way now.)

MONDAY:
– Aaron and Lindsay’s Chicken Tortilla Soup Extravaganza!

TUESDAY:
– Grammy’s Orange Chicken
– Rice and veggie

WEDNESDAY:
– Fancy Dancy Nachos
– Guacamole

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– Chicken Teriyaki
– Rice and veggies

SATURDAY:
– Take out

SUNDAY:
– Breakfast for dinner (tbd)

Menu sharing time! Show us what you got! And for the very few men who post their menus on here each week, hope you have a great day today and maybe even a break from cooking! 🙂

Quick update on our new Earth Boxes. It’s been just two and a half weeks since I posted the photo with Anna below and look at how the tomato plants have grown! We just might have a tomato harvest his year and I am so happy! The other Earth Box I bought has carrots and lettuce planted and they are growing beautifully, too.

It’s our last week of school and I am so excited for summer! Granted, we have a crazy busy summer ahead of us, but at least we can let the kids sleep in in the morning and I don’t have to pack lunches!

MONDAY:
– Chicken Stir Fry
– Dumplings (from Costco)

TUESDAY:
– Easy Peasy Bean Tacos
– Guacamole and chips

WEDNESDAY:
– Moosewood Pasta Primavera

THURSDAY:
– Pizza night to celebrate the last day of school!

FRIDAY:
– Leftovers

SATURDAY:
– Take out

SUNDAY:
– Quiche (flavor TBD)
– Fresh fruit

You know the drill! Please share your weekly menu so we can inspire one another!

Last night Nate had a surprise date planned. Months ago he told me to get a babysitter for June 1 and that it would be a late night. I didn’t find out what we were doing until we were driving in the car last night! He did a great job keeping the surprise.

So…where did we go? To see Imagine Dragons! I have to tell you about it because it was so much fun. The lead singer Dan is our friend’s brother, so it’s been really fun to watch their meteoric rise since the first studio album came out last August. It’s quite stunning, actually. Last night’s show was amazing and they are better live than on the album (not all bands can boast that these days…these guys are legit musicians, which became apparent watching them play). We randomly ended up sitting next to another band member’s mom and his two aunts. Ryan’s mom told us how she loves telling people that she got him guitar lessons in 5th grade and that he’s been devoted ever since. You could tell the family was so excited and delighted for the band, a bunch of nice guys that they love. And when Ryan spotted her in the crowd near the end of the show, it was so cute. At one point when the crowd was singing the lyrics, you could tell Dan was in disbelief. It was really sweet. Dan’s wife’s band Nico Vega opened for them. She was crazy in a really great way and a total rocker, plus her voice was amazing. The best part, though, was when she brought their headphone-wearing 10-month-old daughter on stage for a kiss. The entire crowd chorused with “Awwwwwww.” It was such a fun night, filled with positive energy and great music. Thanks, Nate!

Alright, back to business!

MONDAY:
– Chicken Stir Fry
– Dumplings

TUESDAY:
– Cilantro Sour Cream Enchiladas

WEDNESDAY:
– Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– Rachel sandwiches

SATURDAY:
– Eat out

SUNDAY:
– Breakfast for dinner (tbd)

You know the drill…please share your menus! And have a great week!

If you have a Trader Joe’s nearby, you may want to skip this paragraph. Because I may introduce a new addiction to your life. Have you tried the milk chocolate and dark chocolate crisps? I discovered these treats at Cost Plus. They were Belgian and we decided to try them out, then the very same afternoon discovered a knock-off version being sampled at Trader Joe’s. We bought those, too. They’re like Pringles but made out of chocolate and, therefore, infinitely better. They have tiny little crispies throughout and are soooo yummy. The girls call them “chocolate chips,” which confuses me every time!

I can’t believe it’s Sunday already! I’m stealing a lot from last week’s menu. We had a bunch of events last week that I didn’t have written on my calendar, so I forgot about them when I planned our meals.

MONDAY:
– Hot dogs, hamburgers and other BBQ eats
– Strawberry Shortcake

TUESDAY:
– Chicken Pot Pie

WEDNESDAY:
– Stuffed Peppers

THURSDAY:
– Chicken Caesar Wraps
– Fresh Fruit

FRIDAY:
– Leftovers

SATURDAY:
– Pizza for the kids, going out with Nate (he’s surprising me with something!)

SUNDAY:
– Joining some of our friends from ONE at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Family Event – can’t wait!

It’s Memorial Day weekend, so I understand if you take a break this week. But if you do happen to plan a menu, please share as usual! Happy Memorial Day, everyone!

I recently made a quick coleslaw to go with some pulled pork sandwiches we had for dinner one night. When I pulled out the poppy seeds for the slaw, I was struck by just how pretty they were. I had to take a photo, for no other reason than to share the simple beauty of these poppy seeds.

I have a couple repeat items from last week’s menu. I didn’t end up doing much cooking due to my travel and the kids’ activities. I am hoping to actually go to the store this week and get some cooking done!

MONDAY:
– Tuscan Tomato Soup

TUESDAY:
– Vegetarian Chickpea burgers
– BBQ-type food

WEDNESDAY:
– Chicken Caesar Wraps

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– Chicken Pot Pie (Anna is not going to be happy about this!)

SATURDAY:
– Take out

SUNDAY:
– Stuffed Peppers

As always, thank you for posting your menus. I read through them every week when planning my own and it’s always such a big help! On that note, please share your menu for this week!

THIS is what my house smells like right now.

Now accepting bets on how fast our family of five can eat both loaves. Odds aren’t great as it’s pretty much guaranteed to be less than 24 hours. You probably could have made more money on the Kentucky Derby.

Another week, another menu!

MONDAY:
– Omelettes with tomato, cheese, avocado and salsa
– Fruit

TUESDAY:
– Waffles (Anna is freaking out this morning because I won’t make waffles, so I promised we’d have them for dinner this week)
– Scrambled eggs and/or fruit

WEDNESDAY:
– Leftover pulled pork sandwiches from last week (it’s Mom’s night at Anna’s school at 6:30, so I need simple dinner prep!)

THURSDAY:
– Loaded baked potatoes (idea from Jess’s menu last week, good idea!)

FRIDAY:
– Homemade pizza (mushroom for the kids, honey goat cheese carmelized onion for us)

SATURDAY:
– Take out!

SUNDAY:
– Mother’s Day…gonna let Nate figure it out!

Before I beg for your menus, let me just take a moment to thank you for your beautiful comments on Friday’s post, Be Enough. Such beautiful sentiments, kind words and deep thoughts, and not in a Jack Handey kind of way. I’m feeling all kinds of love floating around this here blog this weekend!

Back to business. PLEASE share your menu for the week! Whether it’s fancy or not or if you’ve shared before or not, we want to see what you have planned!

Happy Sunday, everyone! I just got back from The Big Traveling Potluck. It was wonderful for so many reasons and I am beyond happy that I went! Maggy and Pam from Three Many Cooks and Erika from Ivory Hut really know how to make everyone feel loved. I am so grateful they are my friends!

The weekend was filled with wonderful speakers, a walk through the avocado groves, an Ethiopian coffee ceremony, an amazing locale with breathtaking views, great food and, most importantly, time spent with good, good people. Now that I am inspired and energized, back to the blog!

MONDAY:
– Hamburgers
– Fruit and avocados from my trip this weekend!

TUESDAY:
– Chicken Caesar Wraps (nice idea, Jen!)

WEDNESDAY:
– The girls and I are going to Disneyland! Boys have to fend or themselves 🙂

THURSDAY:
– Anna has requested noodles, which we are interpreting as spaghetti. I’m sick of spaghetti, I think I’ll try to find some other pasta or noodle dish. Suggestions welcome!

FRIDAY:
– Pulled Pork Sandwiches

SATURDAY:
– Eat out

SUNDAY:
– Leftovers and/or breakfast for dinner

As usual, reading through your menus from last week was such a help and inspiration. I am so grateful for all of you posting each week and being a part of this community! You know the drill…post your menu for the week, no matter how plain or fancy!

One of the great things about moving back to San Diego is reuniting with my beloved book club. Originally there were 6 of us. Three of us moved away. And now 1 has moved back (me!). While we very much missed the 2 who were not there yesterday, reuniting with these women did my heart good. Despite planning our get-together with less than 24 hours notice, we were able to find a time to all meet AND put together an amazing spread of food. My body and soul were nourished yesterday. (And in case you are wondering, Unbroken was the book of choice this month. We all recommend it!)

Surprisingly, I pretty much followed my menu last week. Which means I actually have to think of new things to cook this week. Bummer!

MONDAY:
– Quiche (it’s been ages!)

TUESDAY:
– Chicken Burritos with Aunt Kathy’s Sweet Black Beans

WEDNESDAY:
– Hamburgers
– Carrot sticks and ranch dip, fresh fruit

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– I am heading to Big Traveling Potluck. I can’t wait!
– Lasagna for the family!

SATURDAY:
– I’ll be at BTP
– Nate will do leftover lasagna or takeout with the kids

SUNDAY:
– Waffles and fruit

As usual, your menus from last week were wonderful inspiration. It’s so easy to get into a meal planning rut, but seeing your menus snaps me out of it every time! I am so grateful to all who post your menus! Can’t wait to see your plans for this week!