Meal Plan Monday: The Back-to-Work Edition

Good morning, meal planners!  I hope the meal-planning bug has bitten you as the summer (as in vacation) comes to a close and students gather up bags and supplies (or fees, in our case) to head to school.

This is our meal plan for the week.  I hope I can follow it.

Saturday:  chicken and dumplings

Sunday:  Root Beer Pulled Pork (from Recipe Girl) on a hamburger bun, chips, carrot sticks and dip

Monday:  leftover chicken and dumplings (Muffin’s Meet the Teacher night)

Tuesday:  Taco Tuesday!  Muffin specially requested this

Wednesday:  leftover pulled pork sandwiches, carrots, cucumbers, or grapes

Thursday:  leftovers or hot dogs, chips

Friday:  mini pizzas

Saturday:  grilled cheese sandwiches and soup

Sunday:  chicken nuggets, fries, veggie sticks

What’s on your meal plan this week?

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The Hardest Post to Write

I know that I have not written lately.

There are times when upbeat posts cannot happen.

I have considered ending the blog.

Many of my readers, those that are personal family and friends, would understand why.  In the early morning hours of July 17, Muffin and I lost our anchor.  Josh, my husband of nearly ten years (and Muffin’s proud father) passed away after a heart attack.

In many ways, it hasn’t hit yet.

On Facebook, I know my responses to the well-wishes seemed stilted and unemotional; my feelings were hardly the case.  I know, too, this post seems like a recitation of an event.

For one of the first times in my life, I do not have the words to express my feelings.

But I feel that I owe it to Josh, and to Muffin, to press on with the blog.

For my followers who are also Facebook friends, I am not posting this post on Facebook for others to mull over.  This post is too private, too personal, to do so.

I will post an abbreviated MPM post tomorrow, just as a catch up of things to come.

 

 

Meal Plan Monday: Please Do Not Heat Up That Kitchen!

Good Monday morning, Pinteresting Blogosphere!  If there is one thing I learned in all of the advance meal prep coming to fruition for my in-laws’ visit, it is this:  when premaking dishes in advance for recooking in the summer, make them ones that can 1) go in the slow cooker, 2) be grilled, or 3) go in the microwave.  As wonderful as knowing that the main dish for dinner was ready each night (other than baking/warming), the kitchen really got overheated each evening.

It.  Is.  Hot.  Here.

So I returned to the idea of the Please Don’t Heat Up the Kitchen New Recipe Challenge for inspiration.  If it can’t go in the slow cooker, in the microwave, or on the grill?  I didn’t want it.

With that in mind, this is what I decided:

Saturday:  chicken salad sandwiches (chicken poached in the slow cooker), Rainier cherries (yay!  Aldi sale for $2.49/lb.)

Sunday:  big salad and crackers

Monday:  grilled ribs, slaw, beans

Tuesday:  Crockpot Fajitas from Cooking Classy, Jumbo Pico Salad

Wednesday:  leftovers or hot dogs (because Josh is off Thursday)

Thursday:  grilled chicken thighs (thinking a variation of this recipe), rice, beans

Friday:  pizza from Johnny’s pizza

Saturday:  grilled hamburger and chips

Sunday:  grilled pork chops (from pork loin), microwave rice, broccoli

What is on your meal plan for this week?

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