Category Archives: menu plan Monday

This week’s table features potlucks and pizza subs

05/20/2013 Nichole 2 Comments

Poppy had her final soccer game of the season on Friday night (They won! Whee!), and we went straight from the soccer field to the Japanese steakhouse to celebrate our 5-year-old friend’s birthday. I loved the “clear soup” served at the beginning of the meal, Pete ate nearly all of his Hibachi shrimp and Poppy ate least tried her Yakitori. I call that a win.

The kids loved the show the chef put on at the table, despite their initial concern about the flames. Poppy even tried to catch a bit of fried egg in her mouth — “tried” being the operative word; it ended up on the birthday girl.

On Saturday we took advantage of the parents’ night out at Pete’s tae kwon do place so Rockford and I could go see “Star Trek Into Darkness,” where I ate popcorn for dinner and spent a few hours trying to decide whether Benedict Cumberbatch makes a better good guy or bad guy. (My final conclusion: Bad Guy. He makes bad look pretty darn good.) The kids were exhausted when we picked them up, and they went to sleep with zero fuss when we got home. It was a win-win-win-win Saturday night.

Monday: Pot luck dinner: It’s our homeschool co-op’s Demo Night, when the kids show off what they’ve been doing this session. Pete is very excited about his role as the Big Bad Wolf in his puppetry class’s performance of “The Three Little Pigs.” I’ll be bringing Black Bean and Corn Salad and at least one peanut butter sandwich.
Tuesday: McAlister’s Deli: One of my goals this week is to actually do Weight Watchers. (I’ve been paying for their services for quite awhile, but as it turns out that alone isn’t at all effective.) So yesterday I looked up the McAlister’s menu to figure out what I’d be ordering. I’ll either get the “choose two” with a chicken salad sandwich and a chef’s salad — for a total of 17 Points — or just the regular-size, 12-Point chef’s salad.
Wednesday: Pizza subs: The kids made lists this weekend full of options for their kids’ choice nights. And yet, we’re having pizza subs again. Maybe Poppy will pick something else next time.
Thursday: Crunchwraps: With all the talk about food and kids’ choice night, Rockford asked if he could have a Rockford’s Choice night. Which means we’ll be having crunchwraps every Thursday.
Friday: Baseball game: The game we were going to go to a few weeks ago was rained out — they still played, I guess, but we didn’t go — so we’re going to try it again this week.

What’s for dinner at your house this evening?

menu plan Monday

Not every weekend finds me hoping for more Weeping Angels

05/13/2013 Nichole 1 Comment

I had avocado tacos at my favorite Mexican restaurant yesterday, and Rockford and the kids gave me a Doctor Who t-shirt and Doctor Who Yahtzee for Mother’s Day. It was a nice day. Last night the following phrases (among others) were uttered:

“Well at least I got a Dalek.”

“Ooo, you got three Silence!”

“You need a Cyberman to get the small straight.”

“Four Weeping Angels! That’s very good.”

“I only got two points for the Silence. That’s pretty bad.”

“Sontaran Yahtzee!”

This week we’ll be eating out more than usual, which is fine by me. Sometimes I love cooking but lately I’ve been not-so-enthused about it. Which may explain and may be explained by the reoccurrence of the same 5 meals every week lately. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy on the wheel of repetition. Or something.

Monday: Black bean soup: Bacon bacon bacon. And beans. But mostly bacon.
Tuesday: Out: We’re going to try to switch things up a little and try out some new restaurants rather than ordering pizza every week. This week we’re going out for Mongolian beef. (Or something else for other people, maybe, but I’ll be having Mongolian beef.)
Wednesday: Family dinner: Rockford’s sister and her fiancé will be in town. We will be dining with them.
Thursday: Orange chicken: I think this is week three for this one. Maybe I’ll remember to thaw the chicken this week!
Friday: Out again!: We wouldn’t normally be going out twice in one week, but we’ve been invited to a friends’ birthday dinner at a sushi restaurant. She’s turning 5.

menu plan Monday

How Rockford and Robert Downey Jr. turned my frown upside-down

05/06/2013 Nichole 3 Comments

Rockford was busy busy busy all last week. I do logically understand that it’s hard to be present-in-a-meaningful-way when you leave for work at 6:45am and don’t get home until 10pm. But I was feeling unappreciated and lonesome and insert-some-more-first-world-problems-here by Thursday night and so on Friday when the cat ate my pizza and the kids wouldn’t go to sleep and Rockford was out at a concert, the stress boiled over and turned into bitterness and I woke up in a major funk on Saturday morning.

I was still a sad and crabby crab until we left Target on Saturday afternoon and Rockford turned right instead of left and dropped me off in front of the movie theater.

“You need a break,” he said. “Go watch ‘Iron Man.’ Have some popcorn. We’ll pick you up when it’s over.”

So that’s what I did. It turns out that Robert Downey Jr. was just what I needed. (Well, that and an understanding husband. That helped, too.)

Monday: Quesadillas: Yesterday we had Shredded Beef Tacos because it was Cinco de Mayo and I am predictable. Today some of us will be using the leftover beef to make quesadillas, while others will just be using cheese.
Tuesday: Butternut squash ravioli: Last week I gave the kids a little alfredo sauce on the side as a dip, and they devoured it. So we’re having it again this week!
Wednesday: Fish sticks & mac ‘n’ cheese: It’s Poppy’s week to pick the kids’ choice meal. I was pleased that she asked for something to go along with the mac & cheese.
Thursday: Orange chicken: I saw this on Pinterest a few days ago and thought it sounded intriguing.
Friday: Birthday fiesta: Friday is my father-in-law’s birthday! I’m not sure what my mother-in-law will be making, but I’m positive it’ll be good.