Friday: Re-Entry Day, Costco Restock & Flank Steak Dinner

Friday was officially re-entry day.

We had all the post-trip things happening: laundry, unpacking, putting everything away, getting the house back in order, responding to emails. I had every intention of doing some schoolwork with the kids, but at some point I realized our time would be much better spent just getting our lives back together before the weekend.

Breakfast While We Unpacked

The kids had breakfast sandwiches this morning, and I made myself my cauliflower oats, or “calli oats,” which I know sounds a little strange, but I really like them.

My Calli Oats

I add some ground pecans and gluten-free oats to a bowl with cinnamon and salt. Then I top that with a big handful of frozen cauliflower rice and add just enough water to cover the oats.

I microwave everything until it’s cooked and has this almost chewy, slightly crisp texture. Then I add a big handful of frozen blueberries and stir them through while everything is still hot. The blueberries start to melt into the oats, and it’s so good.

I had that with a couple of the frozen chicken sausage links from Costco, and it was a really filling breakfast before getting back to work on the house.

Meatloaf Bites + Leftover Pasta

For lunch, I had the last of the meatloaf I’d made for our lake trip, and this is one of my favorite ways to use leftover meatloaf.

I cut the cooked meatloaf into small bite-sized pieces, get a pan blazing hot, add a little fat — today I used butter — and toss in the meatloaf.

You’re not really cooking anything. You’re just getting those edges nice and crispy.

So good.

Then I used the leftover angel hair pasta from Thursday night to make a quick one-pan Alfredo.

Quick Leftover-Pasta Alfredo

I add a big pat of butter to a pan with a splash of heavy cream, garlic powder and pepper. Let everything melt together, add Parmesan cheese, and then toss in the cold cooked pasta.

That’s it.

The kids had the Alfredo, crispy meatloaf bites, side salads and fruit. And just like that, more of our leftovers were gone.

The Big Costco Restock

Then it was time to restock.

I didn’t take pictures because I was too busy actually shopping, but I did a big Costco run to get us ready for the weekend and the week ahead.

For proteins, I came home with:

• Flank steak
• Chicken breast
• Ground beef
• Ham

And, of course, I restocked all the fruits, vegetables and other basics we’d eaten through before our trip.

We’re getting ready to start our full school schedule next week, so I really wanted to go into the weekend with a stocked refrigerator and pantry instead of trying to play catch-up once the week starts.

Flank Steak for Dinner

And I immediately used that flank steak for dinner.

For the marinade, I used:

• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder
• Smoked paprika
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Oregano

I rubbed that all over the flank steak, covered it with plastic wrap and let it sit for about an hour before grilling. That also gave the meat a little time to take the chill off before it hit the grill.

Then I grilled the steaks until they were where we like them, around 135–140°F internally, and let them rest before slicing.

I served the steak with rice, corn on the cob, fresh fruit and, in a very sad development, our last container of avocado salsa.

That’s it. She’s gone.

Costco isn’t stocking it anymore, so I suppose we’re going to have to move on with our lives. Or pay considerably more money for the tiny containers at the grocery store.

I also made a fresh salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and a quick dressing (rice wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, honey, and Italian seasoning.

Either way, it was a really solid dinner to end our first full day back home.

And now the fridge is stocked, the house is mostly put back together, the vacation leftovers are basically gone, and we’re ready to head into the weekend — and our full school schedule next week.