Monday: Back to School, Dentist Lunch & End-of-Summer Salad

The last of the frozen bacon officially went down this morning.

We had a good run.

I apparently made exactly enough bacon before our trip to get us through vacation AND the first morning of our real school week. But now Future Me has officially caught up with Past Me, which means I’m cooking bacon tomorrow. I served the bacon with some of the frozen Costco bagels and I made a big pan of my one-pan peach/oat/nut snack.

Back to School…Kind Of

This was our first official back-to-school morning, even though we’ve been doing school all summer.

But we did officially start our co-op work today, so we’re easing back into our regular school-year rhythm. We also had our last morning piano lessons before those switch to afternoons next week, so the schedule was a little wonky.

The Beauty of Having Older Kids

I also had a dentist appointment right at lunchtime today.

Ten years ago, this would have required either finding a babysitter or bringing small children with me.

And I did that. Many times.

I once breastfed a baby while getting my teeth cleaned. You do what you gotta do.

But now I have older kids, which means I could purposely schedule my appointment during lunch, get everything set up before I left, tell my teen how to reheat yesterday’s burgers, and walk out the door.

Everyone ate lunch. I got my teeth cleaned. Delightful.

And fun fact: I LOVE going to the dentist.

I have very sensitive teeth, but my hygienist is fantastic, and there’s something wonderful about sitting in a chair while someone does something that makes you healthier and you don’t have to do anything or talk to anyone.

I would go more often if my insurance would pay for it.

The Very Last of the Flank Steak

When I got home, I made my own lunch and officially finished the flank steak from Friday.

I sliced the last little bit really thin, got a pan hot with some bacon grease and quickly seared the steak.

Then I made one of my usual mom salads: lots of chopped vegetables, a big scoop of cowboy caviar my mom had made, and the warm steak on top. I finished it with a splash of rice wine vinegar and a little honey.

And that flank steak is officially gone.

One dinner and several completely different leftover meals out of it.

An Ice Cream Reward

This afternoon, my mom finally made good on a promised reward for some of the kids.

She keeps a little sticker chart for their violin and piano practice, and they had actually filled it before our lake trip. Their reward was a trip to Graeter’s, so today they finally got to go.

They came home with ice cream, sorbet and Chip Wheelies, so I’d say the sticker chart system is working quite well.

When the Grill Plan Gets Rained Out

For dinner, I had pork tenderloin defrosted and ready to go.

My plan was to grill it, and I’m certainly not opposed to grilling in a little rain.

But this wasn’t a little rain. It started POURING.

So, oven it was.

I roasted the pork tenderloin at 425°F. Mine took a solid 20 minutes or so. I like to start checking it early and pull it once it’s safely around 145°F internally, then let it rest before slicing.

I missed my mark tonight and mine ended up closer to 160°F. Life goes on. It was still good.

I made fresh bow-tie pasta, reheated the roasted potatoes my mom sent home with us last night, and steamed some broccoli in the microwave.

And then I made what I’m calling my end-of-summer salad.

My End-of-Summer Salad Formula

I actually filmed this one for a reel tonight because this is exactly the kind of thing I’m always hesitant to share.

It feels too basic.

But I’ve learned that sometimes the most basic things are exactly what we all need when we’re just trying to get dinner on the table on a weeknight.

And you really don’t need a recipe for this. You need a formula.

Start by making your vinaigrette right in the bottom of the bowl. Mine usually includes:

• Olive oil
• Vinegar — I like to use rice wine vinegar
• Honey
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder
• Italian seasoning

Whisk that together first.

Then add about 5 cups total of whatever vegetables you have. Think tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, red onion, corn, broccoli — whatever needs to be eaten and sounds good together.

Toss everything directly in that same bowl.

That’s it.

No separate dressing container. No precise salad recipe. Just vinaigrette + roughly five cups of vegetables = a really good side dish.

Tonight we ate it with the pork tenderloin, bow-tie pasta, potatoes and broccoli, but tomorrow those leftovers can become something completely different. Add some grilled chicken, leftover pork or another protein and suddenly it’s lunch.

Because you don’t always need another recipe.

Sometimes you just need a formula that works.