Current Fridge Protein & Leftover Inventory (Start of Day)
- Leftover chicken thighs (5 from last night)
- Last of the homemade beef summer sausage
- Bacon (still from the big batch earlier this week)
Morning
Saturday morning rhythms — breakfast first, then chores:
- Kids had bacon (still going from the big batch — such a blessing mid-week to still have this)
- Bagels
- Made Chris an egg scramble with bacon, peppers, and onions
Then everyone did their Saturday jobs: bathrooms, vacuuming stairs, collecting trash, picking up floors for a full house vacuum. Everyone has their thing and we just get it done.
Lunch — Chicken Thighs and nuggets
Used up the leftover chicken thighs from last night and made it work for everyone:
Nugget moment — some kids had chicken nuggets and I have zero regrets about this. There is absolutely a time and a place.
Barbecue chicken — I sautéed some of the leftover thigh meat in barbecue sauce and had a barbecue chicken salad for myself.
Open faced chicken sandwich — for Chris and my teen:
- Bread on a sheet pan, chicken on top, into the oven to toast
- Added cheese to my teen’s
- Pulled out and topped with shredded lettuce, shaved red onion, tomato, homemade Italian vinaigrette, a little mayo, pickle on the side
- Really, really good. Flavorful and fresh and comes together fast.
Snack: Pulled out the very last of the homemade beef summer sausage. Pantry snacks alongside. That summer sausage had an incredible run….I’ll make more this week!
Dinner — My Parents’ House
My brother and his family came too — a full house, the best kind of Saturday night.
My mom made:
- Homemade beef stew
- Roasted chickens
- Cupcakes (already baked and waiting)
I made frosting — two kinds:
The cupcakes are the Iowa Girl Eats gluten, dairy, egg, and nut free recipe and I cannot say enough good things about them. You would never know. They just hit every single time.
- Dairy free chocolate frosting — for those of us who can’t have dairy
- 1/2 stick softened dairy free butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, splash of vanilla, and 2-3 tablespoons coconut milk…whip it and then pipe it on the cupcakes
- ‘Regular’ chocolate frosting — for everyone else
- 1/2 stick softened butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, splash of vanilla, and 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream…whip it and then pipe it on the cupcakes
Looking at them side by side you genuinely cannot tell the difference. They taste incredible. If you have any of these allergies or are cooking for someone who does, this recipe is the one.
She sent us home with leftovers, naturally.
A Very Important Announcement
Goodfoods avocado salsa is back at Costco for the summer.
My parents went today and bought two tubs. We demolished one at dinner tonight — a full Costco sized tub, gone. It’s good on eggs, steak, taco salad, sandwiches, wraps, as a dipper for grilled shrimp or salmon. No egg, no nuts, no common allergens — works for everyone at our table. I am going to Costco tomorrow and I am buying at least two tubs for my family and I am not sorry about it.
If your Costco has this it will be in the section by the hummus and salsa. Buy a tub and thank me later!
Post-Dinner / Looking Ahead
What’s in the fridge now:
- 2 leftover chicken thighs
- Leftover chicken from my mom’s roasted chickens
- Leftover beef stew
- Plenty for lunch tomorrow
Tomorrow:
- Big Costco restock — proteins, produce, and most importantly, at least two tubs of Goodfoods avocado salsa
- Fresh week starts tomorrow