Monday: Cakey Sprinkles, Europe Trip Prep, and Stocking the Freezer
This morning started with a mix of odds and ends for breakfast.
My teen had some leftover oatmeal she made the other day.
- Rolled oats
- Peaches
- Milk
- Salt
- Brown sugar maple syrup
She cooked it down on the stovetop until it was soft and creamy, then topped it with:
- A splash of heavy cream
- Pecans
- Sliced almonds
The rest of the kiddos had:
- Bacon
- The last of the bread toasted up
- Cereal
And, of course, Daphne had her daily smoothie.
Today’s smoothie had a very important upgrade: sprinkles.
She requested sprinkles on top and honestly, why not? It’s a cold smoothie. The sprinkles make her happy.
She calls them “Cakey Sprinkles,” which is apparently a reference from Gabby’s Dollhouse. If you know, you know.
School + Piano Day
Mondays in the summer still tend to be busy around here.
We did a full school morning and also had piano lessons, so by lunchtime everyone was ready to eat.
Lunch: More Fridge Clean-Out
Lunch was another “everyone grabs what works” kind of meal.
A couple of kiddos finished leftovers from my parents’ Father’s Day dinner:
- Swiss steak with gravy
- Leftover pasta
A few others had burgers from Saturday’s burger prep session.
I made myself a salad and finished off the very last of the grilled chicken thighs.
So now:
Grilled chicken thighs are gone.
Europe Trip Packing
A good chunk of this afternoon was spent packing my teen for her upcoming two-week Europe trip.
I had her pack in our compression packing cubes and she did her jewelry and some meds in a little pill container
It’s exciting, but definitely one of those projects that takes longer than you think.
Dinner: Pork Tenderloin Night
For dinner, I cooked the pork tenderloins I marinated yesterday.
I grilled them and served them with:
Rice
I made a huge batch intentionally.
One of my favorite kitchen habits is cooking extra rice and freezing it.
Today I portioned some into freezer bags and vacuum sealed it with my FoodSaver.
Future Me loves frozen cooked rice because:
- It reheats quickly
- It turns into an easy side dish
- It makes weeknight dinners much faster
And unlike a lot of people, I still don’t own a rice cooker.
People are always surprised by that.
I have a pot and a stove, and I don’t need another appliance taking up space.
Vegetables
I made vegetables two ways because that’s how life works with a family.
For most of us:
- Broccoli
- Onions
roasted in the air fryer.
For the kiddos who prefer vegetables plain:
- Microwave-steamed broccoli
Everyone got vegetables they would actually eat.
Dessert
The homemade Oreo ice cream from the weekend is still hanging around.
A lot of the kids had another bowl after dinner.
It was absolutely worth pulling out the ice cream maker.
Looking Ahead: Cava-Inspired Chicken
I also spent time today prepping chicken breasts.
Tomorrow’s plan is a Cava-inspired dinner.
I already have the chicken marinating and I’m splitting the batch:
Half
Loaf pan chicken, Cava-style
Half
Grilled chicken
The grilled portion is intentionally for freezer restocking because my supply of cooked chicken “dinner insurance” has gotten a little low lately.