Wednesday: Pool Popcorn, Summer Pasta Bowls, and Homemade Bone Broth
This morning I made another fresh batch of bacon for everyone.
My teen finished off the last of the peach oatmeal she made a couple of days ago. (It’s the stovetop oatmeal with peaches, milk, brown sugar maple syrup, then topped with a splash of heavy cream, pecans, and sliced almonds.)
The rest of the kids had a pretty standard breakfast:
- Bacon
- Toast
- Cereal
And then my 11-year-old continues to surprise me with one of the most random breakfasts she’s ever come up with…she’s my kiddo who enjoys being super creative with food.
Lately she’s been asking for:
- Leftover pasta
- Bacon
- Crumbled cooked breakfast sausage
Sometimes she even dips it in avocado salsa.
Is it random?
Absolutely.
Does it have carbs, protein, and fat?
Also yes.
So who am I to argue? Maybe she needs her own Ingredient Household After Dark series.
School Morning
We worked through our school day, and one of my daughters had violin lessons this morning.
During the summer, her lesson moves to the morning instead of the afternoon.
My sweet mom picked up Chick-fil-A on the way home for some of the kids, so lunch was very easy for them. I also made my one pan ground beef Spanish rice for my teen as a ‘side dish’!!
I made myself another big salad using the roasted chicken from yesterday.
Pool Snack: Popcorn
This afternoon we headed to the pool.
Instead of our usual snacks, I decided to switch things up.
I popped a big batch of popcorn and packed it in a container along with some Styrofoam cups so everyone could portion out their own serving.
It’s nothing groundbreaking, but sometimes simply changing the snack makes it feel fun.
The kids loved it. I also brought along some very basic sandwiches (salami, cheese, lettuce)….it’s easy to hand to a kid…even if they only eat the filling like my 3 year old…the bread is just the vessel to hold the good stuff.
Dinner: One of My Favorite Summer Meals
Tonight’s dinner is one we probably make every week and a half during the summer because I almost always have these ingredients on hand.
Base
I cooked a large batch of pasta.
Roasted Vegetables
On a sheet pan I roasted:
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Peppers
- Onions
Seasoned simply with:
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Italian seasoning
Then roasted on convection at 425°F until the edges were browned and caramelized.
Right at the end I stirred in cooked corn kernels that my mom had sent home with us. Since they were already cooked, they only needed to warm through.
Reheating the Chicken
I used the roasted chicken from yesterday.
Since some of it was white meat, I didn’t want it drying out.
Instead of reheating it dry, I added:
- A small scoop of my homemade bone broth
Then I gently warmed the chopped chicken over low heat.
It stayed incredibly moist.
Fresh Garden Basil
One of my favorite parts of summer is walking out into the backyard and grabbing fresh basil.
Now, I don’t exactly have a thriving homestead.
Honestly, the only things I consistently grow are:
- Basil
- Raspberries
The rabbits usually get to everything else.
But for at least part of the summer, I can pretend I’m a gardener.
Vinaigrette
The dressing is one I come back to constantly:
- Dijon mustard
- Honey
- Balsamic vinegar
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Italian seasoning
Whisk it together until smooth.
Then everyone builds their plate however they like.
My favorite version is layered like this:
- Pasta
- Roasted vegetables
- Chicken
- Parmesan
- Fresh tomatoes
- Fresh basil
- Vinaigrette drizzled over everything
Fresh mozzarella would also be wonderful here if you have it.
Some of the kids prefer everything separate, which is perfectly fine.
Bone Broth Day
The very first thing I did this morning was start the bone broth.
Yesterday’s roasted chickens had left me with:
- Bones
- Skin
- Pan juices
I put everything into my large stock pot, covered it with filtered water, and let it gently simmer all day.
That’s really it.
Homemade bone broth doesn’t have to be complicated.
When we got home from the pool, I strained everything.
I used a little bit of the broth immediately for dinner to reheat the chicken.
The rest is cooling overnight in the refrigerator.
I actually prefer letting it chill before freezing because once it cools, it becomes beautifully gelatinous, which makes it much easier to portion into vacuum-sealed freezer bags with my FoodSaver.
Dessert
After dinner, the kids officially finished the last of the homemade Oreo ice cream.
That batch definitely didn’t last long.
I have a feeling the ice cream maker will be coming back out again before too long.
Looking Ahead
Tomorrow will be kind of a random day for the family. I have to drive my 16 year old up to MI to meet up with a group trip to EUROPE! We need to leave in the morning, it’s a 4 hour drive up and then a 4 hour drive home. The 4 younger kiddos will be with my parents while Chris is at work. I plan to pack lunch and dinner, so we’ll see how the day goes!