Friday: Leftovers, Library Books, and an Easy Family Dinner Out
My 16-year-old is still away in Europe, and my 13-year-old went with my parents this morning for Mass and breakfast, so it was just my three youngest kiddos at home with me.
Breakfast
The kids finished off the last of the bacon I’d cooked earlier this week.
My 11-year-old has been completely hooked on the same breakfast lately… I love it because she’s putting together a balanced meal on her own.
She warms up:
- Leftover cooked pasta
- Two slices of bacon
- Some of the cooked pork breakfast sausage I keep in the fridge
It’s definitely not a traditional breakfast, but it’s protein, carbs, and fat, and she loves it.
Daphne and I, of course, made our morning smoothie together. She still takes her Vitamix “helper” job very seriously.
Homeschool…with Construction Entertainment
We spent the morning doing schoolwork.
Well…attempting to do schoolwork.
Our road is being completely repaved today, and since we do a lot of our homeschooling in the dining room, every few math problems someone would stop to watch the giant paving equipment outside.
I had 2 brown bananas that needed to be used up, so I made a batch of my banana oat breakfast cookies. These aren’t a traditional cookie full of sugar, but they’re tasty and a great post-breakfast treat! Banana Oat Cookies
Lunch
Lunch was a true clean-out-the-fridge meal.
Last night, while my kids were at my parents’ house during my long drive home, my mom had sent us home with some homemade beef stew.
So lunch looked different for everyone:
- Two kiddos had leftover beef stew.
- I made myself another big salad using some of the roasted chicken that’s still in the fridge.
- One kiddo claimed the very last hot dog.
Simple, but it used up leftovers instead of making something new.
Library Stop (with a Costco Pizza Delivery!)
This afternoon we headed to the library.
While we were there, my mom texted to say she happened to be at Costco and asked if we’d like one of their giant pizzas.
Since the library is only a few minutes away, I told her we’d meet her in the parking lot.
So she literally delivered a Costco pizza to us in the library parking lot, and that became our afternoon snack.
This is why I always recommend stocking paper towels, baby wipes, and large red Solo cups in the van!
Dinner Out
Tonight we decided to eat out at Silver Spring House with my extended family.
It’s one of our favorite family restaurants because it works so well with both kids and food allergies.
Their menu is huge, so everyone can usually find something they like, and they’re always very accommodating with special requests.
They’re especially known for their roasted chicken, which is delicious and naturally gluten- and dairy-free, along with simple sides like baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and all the kid favorites like fries.
Normally I order the roasted chicken, but after eating a lot of chicken this week, I was craving something different.
So tonight I ordered:
- Two burger patties (no bun, no cheese)
- A sweet potato
- A few bites of my husband’s broccoli
- Extra pickles
It absolutely hit the spot.
One thing I really appreciate is that when I explain my food allergies or modifications, they never make it awkward. Tonight our server simply wrote everything down, repeated it back, and said, “No problem.”
Those little interactions make eating out so much less stressful.
And, of course, the kids were thrilled with the complimentary popcorn while we waited for dinner.
A simple summer day, good leftovers, library books, and an easy family dinner together.