Wednesday: Trading the Pool for Air Conditioning
After yesterday’s double pool day, I think we all needed a break.
It was another extremely hot day, but instead of heading back to the pool, we decided to spend the day somewhere with really good air conditioning.
Breakfast
Breakfast was quick and simple.
The kids had bacon, a little chicken sausage, bagels, toast, cereal—just a mix of easy breakfast staples to get everyone fed and out the door.
Packing for the Museum
I packed lunches in our PlanetBoxes for my four kids (my oldest is still traveling in Europe).
Lunch was basically homemade Lunchables:
- Homemade beef summer sausage
- Cheese
- Fresh fruit and vegetables
- A few little extras…I love how I can use up random stuff in the PlanetBox lunchboxes because of all the little compartments
Then the kids packed our car snacks.
One of my favorite travel systems is using those little character cups from Dollar Tree. Each kid fills one with pantry snacks before we leave, and whatever trash they create goes right back into the cup.
I also packed cucumbers separately because apparently a cucumber touching Goldfish crackers is an absolute tragedy in childhood.
Crunchy foods cannot touch produce.
Those are apparently the rules.
Museum Day
We drove about 30 minutes to the Cincinnati Museum Center.
They don’t open until 10:00 a.m.
When your kids have been awake since seven, that’s a long wait. I’d happily vote for museums opening around 8:30 or 9:00 during the summer!
I brought our cooler inside and stored it in one of the lockers, which worked perfectly. When lunchtime rolled around, we simply grabbed our lunches and ate there before heading back to explore.
The Ride Home
I also packed extra snacks for the drive home because I know exactly what happens after several hours of walking through a museum.
Everyone is suddenly starving.
I packed:
- Spoon yogurts
- Drinkable yogurts
- Fresh fruit
- Vegetables
Sure, they probably would’ve loved chips.
But when the options sitting next to them are cold fruit, crunchy vegetables, and yogurt, that’s what they happily eat because after a hot day it actually feels refreshing.
After the Museum
The minute we got home, I threw a Costco frozen pizza into my large air fryer.
It has a frozen pizza setting, and about ten minutes later dinner number one was served.
My four kids completely demolished the entire pizza.
Dinner
I was incredibly thankful for one decision I made yesterday.
Grilling the chicken at 8:00 p.m.
This morning, when I got dressed, I remember thinking, I really hope I don’t have to shower again tonight before my friends come over.
I was hosting several friends at my house at 7:30, and the last thing I wanted to do was stand outside grilling in 95-degree weather before everyone arrived.
Dinner was one of our favorite summer meals.
I made pasta and sautéed vegetables instead of roasting them so I wouldn’t have to turn on the oven.
The vegetables were peppers, onions, and a few other odds and ends cooked in a skillet with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
For the kids who don’t love sautéed vegetables, I simply steamed broccoli in the microwave.
To reheat yesterday’s grilled chicken thighs, I sliced them up and warmed them in a skillet with a little bacon grease.
Chicken thighs have enough fat that they stay incredibly juicy this way and even get little browned edges.
Then everyone built their own plates.
Some kept everything separate.
My favorite version is layered:
- Pasta
- Chicken
- Vegetables
- Fresh tomatoes
- Basil
- Homemade vinaigrette
It’s one of those dinners that never gets old.
My husband had been out of town, so it was especially nice to have one of his favorite meals waiting when he got home.
Girls’ Night
After dinner I had several friends over.
I served the blueberry-lemon bars I’d baked yesterday, and thankfully they turned out really well.
Alongside those I put out:
- Fresh vegetables
- Avocado salsa
- Salsa
- Chips
- Sparkling water mixed with frozen lemonade for a really refreshing summer drink
I also dressed up a container of store-bought hummus.
While I was already chopping peppers and onions for dinner, I diced a little extra very finely and sautéed it with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
After it cooled, I spooned it over the hummus, drizzled everything with my homemade vinaigrette, and finished it with a sprinkle of flaky salt.
Then I set the serving plate over a bowl filled with ice so the hummus stayed nice and cold all evening.
It’s such a simple trick, but it makes packaged hummus feel much more special with almost no extra effort.