This is going to be the most random post, but I don’t care because the kids are having “quiet time” and I like blogging because it makes me feel like I’m connecting with SOMEONE.
Last week, before school was cancelled, I made these biscuit pizzas. I had Pillsbury dough that I got for nothing from grocery outlet, so I added some mozzarella cheese and pepperoni to them before baking them up.
They are the perfect portable school lunch item because they are just a little bit different from pizza, and still finger friendly for little ones.
This was a very random dinner. Kyle was out of town so I didn’t bother going grocery shopping and instead sautéed broccoli and ground beef together to serve over brown rice. I added Bragg’s liquid aminos on top too.
Lots and lots of grain bowls. They are 100% my fave lunch.
There was also a smoked salmon + cracker + Kite Hill cream cheese spread.
With roasted Brussels sprouts + carrots on the side.
I came up with these GF fish sticks on a freezer deep dive and made them for the kids’ lunches, but saved myself a few to add on top a southwestern bagged salad. The salad mix was from my last WF/amazon grocery order and the spicy ranch dressing was actually much spicier than I was prepared for! Definitely glad I had the fish sticks to mellow it out.
Here’s another Kyle-out-of-town meal (the baked mac n cheese was from the night we took P to the Kings’ game for his birthday and V stayed home with a sitter). I paired the leftovers with leftover poppyseed kale and broccoli slaw salad. The kids like that salad as much as I do!
I had extra for lunch the next day (plus avo and mac nuts).
Kyle always wants salads when he gets back from out of town, so I made this Caesar for his first night home. I tossed cubes of Udi’s GF bread in olive oil and toasted it to make croutons – which are obviously the kids’ favorite part of the meal.
I don’t usually do avo AND cheese in the same salad but this was pretty great!
It had kale massaged in balsamic vinaigrette, roasted butternut squash, candied pecans, avo and goat cheese.
In looking back on my eats I definitely go through plant based phases and then meat phases. I swear it’s all super cyclical and revolved around my hormones, because I will only crave salmon for a few days each month, but during those days it is INTENSE. The same goes for meatless meals, as well as meat-filled meals. And then there are a few days each month where I really want Mediterranean fare – specifically tahini. Isn’t that interesting? I have been noticing it for the past year, but haven’t made any effort to keep track, but I should! It would make meal planning so much easier when I’m like “blah nothing sounds good” but then I realize it’s because I’m in a phase where I want something that I had forgotten all about for the past month. Does that happen to anyone else? Am I way too in touch with my body or is this normal?
Anyway, I made my favorite lentil salad but increased with dressing and tossed in some spinach to make it more salad like. Also I roasted sweet potatoes (while the hazelnuts were toasting).
Simple but stellar.
Beverages!
It’s about to get VERY boozy up in this b*tch with the kids home. Kyle got some of these Wild Basin alcoholic sparkling waters for a work thing a while back and now we have a few left over. They are pretty good! Especially when it’s 4 pm and you aren’t driving anywhere and have been managing children without any other adult interaction for hours and hours on end.
I also used up the last of our friend’s lemons making lemonade, which I might end up spiking with the way things are devolving…
We celebrated St. Patrick’s Day early because why not!? Corned beef made in the instant pot with cabbage just like my peeps (I’m not even sure how Irish I actually am, but whatever).
I know, I know, a quesadilla is neither my usual lunch fare nor inspiring but hear me out.
We had just gone to a baby shower (this was weeks ago) and they had a taco truck. it was fine, but nothing special…but then I saw that the last person to order got a quesadilla. And it was not just any quesadilla, but a LOADED quesadilla. With cheese, chicken, avo, and sour cream. And that was enough to plant the seed in my head that I needed to make one asap.
So the next day I did. And it was epic.
I had it with the rest of the spicy southwestern salad on the side.
I know this looks like a noodle dish, but it was actually slaw. I combined almond butter, tamari, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and orange juice and then tossed green and red cabbage and shredded carrots in it the morning so that it could wilt down by dinner time.
I also baked chicken in teriyaki sauce and then once that was done I added in edamame to thaw while soaking up all the juices.
Served on top with BOTH almonds and honey roasted peanuts, as well as cilantro and a few pieces of extra sautéed tofu I had on hand.
This is the ultimate “using what you’ve got” meal. Because the sum of the parts was FAR greater than the randomness that they were on their own. It almost looks like a meal that was planned. 😛
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