This was dinner on Sunday.
Carnitas. Doesn't that just SOUND yummy?! So delicioso!
Dish 'em up! I made that pico de gallo too. It was
to.die.for. (if I do say so myself)It was
so good in fact that Chris took some to work for lunch the next day....and he very rarely does that!
It makes me so happy when my family
LOVES what I made for dinner! I put so much thought and effort into it and it just kills me when the result is ho-hum. So I take my victories to heart.
The last couple of weeks I've been trying to be more conscious of what we already have in the house that needs to be used and writing down menu ideas that I'm only missing a couple ingredients for. I'm so pleased by the way it's working out. I don't have the 5:00 stress of,
"Oh no! What am I going to do for dinner!?" like I used to do sometimes. Especially when Chris started coming home every night for dinner...that was a bit of an adjustment.
I finally made a
"Regulars List". I've been meaning to do it F-O-R-E-V-E-R. It's basically a list of things you cook on a regular basis broken down by the main ingredient type. Can you believe that off the top of my head I had 45 items? I couldn't either! I think I may turn into a menu planner yet!
(or maybe I already have)One of the many benefits of doing so would be planning my menu based on what's on sale that week. For instance, if Pork Roasts are on sale, DING, Carnitas! OR Cranberry Pork Roast!....if Ground Turkey is on sale, DING, Turkey Chili! OR Shepard's Pie!....you get the idea. I always allow for a down night too, like Tuna Melts or Omelets...something easy and off the cuff...and of course a leftover night as needed.
Here is what my list of ideas looked like the last 2 weeks:
- Soyaki Chicken & Veggies
- Chicken Tikka Masala
- Carnitas
- Panera knock off Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Homemade Pizza
- White Roughy & Parmesan vermicelli
- Lasagna Marinara
- Andouille Chicken Sausage and veggie stirfry
- ABC Turkey Meatball Soup
- Salmon w/ Mango Salsa
- Spaghetti with ground turkey marinara
- Shepherd's Pie
I ended up making all but 2 of the things on my list, and now they are on my list for this coming week (or so)
- ABC Turkey Meatball Soup
- Salmon w/ Mango Salsa
- Chicken Sausage Kabobs
- Corned Beef & Cabbage
- Chicken Parmigiana
I'm also trying to make fish at least 1x per week. Keeping track of what I'm cooking will help me do that better! It also helps to know that your frozen roast or whole chicken needs to be moved from the freezer to the fridge 2-3 days before you plan to cook it. That's hard to do when you don't plan. I hate to admit that I ended up wasting a lot of meat that way in our last house.
I'm hoping to waste less (not at all), not do things on the fly, and provide balanced meals for my family. These listings are just the main entree...of course I add salads, fruit, steamed veggies, etc. Just thought I'd share, since I know all of you other Moms (Chief Chicks In Charge) are battling the same issues as I am everyday.
At least I like to think so.What's been working for you?
...celebrated another trip around the sun yesterday! We had a super-busy day, but the weather was beautiful and we celebrated in true Hovik fashion.
The kids were so involved in picking out his gifts this year. March 1st rolled around and they were already discussing what their Dad would like. It has always been really important to Chris to have a relationship with each of the kids individually, and they KNOW what he likes because of how well they know him. 
Sydney chose a pancake pan that has round indentations with animal faces in them. She loves when her Daddy makes pancakes on Saturday mornings!
The Birthday Boy spent most of the day getting his hands dirty. I went with him to select 8 shrubs so he could get started on the landscaping on this beautiful first day of Spring! We chose 2 of each, English Laurel, Forsythia, Loropetalum and Viburnum. We're also on the hunt for some good looking Tea Olives. Just the start of many, many shrubs and trees that will beautify our yard for years to come.
