Friday
Short version: Sirloin steaks, oven fries, green salad with ranch dressing, leftover pumpkin pudding
Long version: This is what I would have made the day before for A.'s birthday if I had been home. Since I wasn't, it had to wait until the day after his birthday. Appreciated all the same.
Saturday
Short version: Leftover steak, spaghetti with pesto, frozen peas, pureed squash
Long version: I have never managed to have enough basil in the garden that I can make enough pesto to not feel momentary regret for having used some in the winter. It sure is good, though.
Break for a Jasper action shot.
Sunday
Short version: Birthday spaghetti and meatballs, green salad with ranch dressing, chocolate pudding with whipped cream
Long version: Jack's birthday request. Well, actually, it was his second choice. His first was pizza, but since I didn't have any usable flour, I had to give him a raincheck on the pizza. He chose spaghetti and meatballs as the runner-up meal.
He hasn't had a cake on his birthday in some time. He always chooses something like pudding instead. As a matter of fact, almost all of my children prefer dairy-based desserts to flour-based ones. Good thing, given my lack of flour.
Monday
Short version: Leftovers
Long version: The younger children and I went to the church right after school to help decorate it for Christmas, so we didn't get home until almost 6 p.m. Good thing all I needed to do was heat up the leftover spaghetti and meatballs for the children.
A. had leftover steak and rice. Cubby had gone to lie down during dinner, saying he wasn't hungry. He appeared just after every last scrap of food had been eaten to announce he was feeling better and wanted to eat meat.
And because I am magic, I made some appear. He got about a cup of bull enchilada meat that had been in the freezer for awhile. I microwaved it with some cheese on top and he shoveled it down.
Tuesday
Short version: Meatloaf and baked potatoes; and then ham, scalloped potatoes, rolls, green beans, and lemonade cheesecake at school
Long version: I made the meatloaf and baked potatoes mostly to have leftovers for after work the next day, but they also ended up feeding Jack and A., who stayed home while the rest of us went to the school Christmas program.
I also gave Jack the leftover birthday pudding. Poor guy. He was bummed to miss out on performing "The Gingerbread Dude" Reader's Theater his class was doing.
Poppy sang a seasons song and "Jingle Bells" with her preschool class. Calvin recited part of a sort of cowboy "Night Before Christmas" his teacher wrote, as well as performing the chicken dance and "Jingle Bell Rock." Cubby's job, as part of the FFA that was hosting it, was to set everything up, serve dinner, assist with the auction, and clean up.
Wednesday
Short version: Leftovers, cake
Long version: Oh man. I was so deliriously tired when I got home after work. Poppy and I had gone to the church to decorate the Christmas tree there, so we didn't get home until after 5 p.m. I heated up leftover meatloaf and potatoes, plus rolls from the school cafeteria and some of the posole that had been lunch at school. We also had baby carrots, because I came home with much of the fresh vegetables from the school salad bar. Then the kids had some of the chocolate cake that Cubby had bid on and won at the auction the night before.
Thursday
Short version: Spaghetti with meat sauce, posole, carrots and bell peppers, molasses cookies
Long version: I found a bag of meat sauce in the freezer when I was cleaning them out that I think was some from the school cafeteria I froze awhile ago. I had two big, hard, tasteless tomatoes from the salad bar that I had brought home, so I diced those and microwaved them to get them soft, mashed them with a fork, and added them to the meat sauce along with garlic powder, more salt, and dried basil. That was for the children.
A. had more posole.
I had a salad with mostly things from the salad bar--spinach, pickled beets, carrots, cheese--plus the last small bit of meatloaf and some pecans. And I made the dressing with olive oil and the way too vinegary juice from my own pickled beets. I tried a new recipe for them this year that uses less sugar, but it made them almost inedibly vinegary. The brine is good for salad dressing as a vinegar substitute, though.
I don't know about at your house, but Christmas excitement is running high around here.
Okay, your turn! What'd you eat this week?
9 comments:
Does it seem to you that using leftovers makes more work and dishes than planning a regular meal? My counters are always a mess afterleftovers.
A week featuring cheese on carbs or eggs- Underachieving here!
Fri :pasta , sausage, garlic bread, broccoli
Sat- homemade pizza
Sun- stew, carrots, potatoes, noodles, broccoli
Mon- mystery soup for husband, bagels, bacon, eggs for kids.
Tues- tacos with leftover meat from freezer, tortillas and cheese.
Wed- mystery soup for husband, grilled cheese and bacon for kids
Thurs- oldest son made red lentil soup/curry thing that he and husband ate. Scrambled eggs, bacon, applesauce, and quick oatmeal bread for the rest. The oatmeal bread reminded me of Irish soda bread. I might use brown sugar next time instead of honey.
Mystery soup- our daughter moved and gave us a bunch of homemade soups from her freezer so she didn't have to take them. Not labeled, though, so a food adventure for my husband!
I just want to curl up and hibernate. This has been a rough semester and now so cold and windy this morning. But kids must eat,and I need to plan something for Christmas.
Enjoy your holidays!
mbmom11: The biggest drawback to clearing out the leftovers is the number of containers that need to be washed. Although this was much more of a drawback when we had no dishwasher. :-) I feel you on the hibernating. I took an hour-long nap yesterday. I hope you have a lovely, relaxing Christmas.
I helped my mother in law make pudding last night, and all of my pudding knowledge has come from you, so thank you :)
My husband noticed we had three separate types of potatoes on our shopping list last week, so this week is potato themed haha
Sunday: Baked potato bar. We had family over with lots of different dietary restrictions, but letting everyone put on their own toppings solves that issue.
Monday: Sheet pan potatoes, cabbage, and sausages. Not as good as last week’s sheet pan potatoes and chicken (although it was from the same cookbook).
Tuesday: Fondue! For dipping we had baby potatoes, carrots, broccoli tots, mushrooms, and homemade sourdough from a neighbor.
Wednesday: Leftovers before we left town.
Thursday: We drove to my husband’s family, we’re staying with them until Monday. Tonight was a cousin’s 11th birthday, so we had a nacho bar with brownies for dessert.
Friday: We’re going to an Indian restaurant with some of my husband’s high school friends.
Saturday: My husband’s family always goes to a certain Chinese restaurant for Christmas Eve dinner, so that’s what we’ll be doing. I’m excited!
Happy holidays everyone!
takeout
chicken, potatoes, brussels sprouts, garlic knots
tuna divan, roasted potatoes, garlic knots
leftovers
mac n' cheese, brussels sprouts
leftover mac n' cheese, brussels sprouts, chicken patties
and for tonight veggie pizza
Merry Christmas to all!
Linda
Natalie J.: I wasn't aware I had dispensed a lot of pudding wisdom here, but I'm happy whatever was here was helpful. Homemade pudding is just so good. As is Indian food. Jealous.
Friday-taco casserole, Christmas cookies
Saturday-chicken and noodles, broccoli. The 7 year old only ate the noodles.
Sunday-rice, cheese, and tomatoes
Monday-stirfried chicken, noodles, coleslaw
Tuesday-enchiladas from the freezer, peas
Wednesday-baked beans, fresh bread
Thursday-hamburger stew in the crockpot, coleslaw
Maybe not a ton, but it was more than the nothing I had before haha.
--Fajitas
—Chicken with cheese, green beans and broccoli
—Fish, rice. Carrots, kale salad
—Husband’s birthday dinner: chicken parmigiana and dump cake
—Breakfast casserole
—Chili Mac for adults and leftovers for kids (my dad flew in from Tucson, AZ to be here to help while I recover from my surgical procedure and my husband flies his trips and to spend Christmas with us since we have to stay home)
—Tonight was pizza. My dad was in charge since I am resting from an out patient surgical procedure and my husband was exhausted from working a late flight and taking me early this morning to the hospital.
Andra: Any kind of surgical procedure, out-patient or otherwise, is a serious bummer so close to Christmas. I hope you make a full and speedy recovery, and that you have a good Christmas regardless.
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