Current Fridge Protein & Leftover Inventory (Start of Day)
Brat bites (small amount)
Fresh produce and salad ingredients
Very little ready-to-eat protein remaining in the refrigerator
Morning — Bacon and a Big Milestone
This morning I made another batch of bacon.
At this point, bacon production around here runs on about a two- to three-day cycle.
A couple of my kiddos went with my parents to Mass and breakfast, so I was only feeding two kids at home.
Breakfast was simple:
- bacon
- cereal
- toast
Then we loaded up and headed to our homeschool co-op building for a very big day.
Today was our final day in the building.
The packing phase is officially finished.
We hired two movers to help load the POD, and that ended up being one of the best decisions of the entire move.
They absolutely Tetris-packed that POD.
Every inch was utilized efficiently, and they accomplished in a few hours what would have taken the rest of us much longer.
I turned in the keys today, which felt a little surreal.
The POD will be picked up tomorrow and stored over the summer until we can move everything into the new location.
One major chapter of this move is officially complete.
Lunch — Freezer Protein to the Rescue
When everyone got home, they were hungry.
A month or so ago Costco had the Sous Vide steak on sale, so I bought a couple packages and tossed them into the freezer.
Knowing protein was running low this week, I pulled one package out on Wednesday and let it thaw in the refrigerator.
Today was the perfect day to use it.
Each package contains two pouches, but since it was just the kids and me for lunch, I only cooked one.
The steak is incredibly fast:
- heat a skillet
- add the steak
- warm through
That’s basically it.
Lunch included:
- steak
- leftover pasta from yesterday
- vegetables
- fruit
My three-year-old declared it too spicy and requested a hot dog instead.
Which is pretty typical three-year-old behavior.
Everyone else happily ate the steak.
Afternoon — Costco Pizza Delivery
My mom dropped off a Costco pizza.
This happens every week or two and the kids are always excited.
It’s one of those things that works as:
- lunch
- snack
- emergency meal
And now I have a large stash of leftover Costco pizza ready for the weekend.
Future me appreciates that.
Dinner — Poolside Thermos Taco Bowls
Tonight was another pool dinner.
And honestly, these thermoses continue to earn their keep.
For dinner I made my walking tacos turned thermos taco bowls.
Thermos Setup
First:
- fill thermoses with hot water
- let them preheat
Then:
- dump water
- add very hot food
- fill completely to the top
Today I packed:
- 3 thermoses of taco meat
- 2 thermoses of rice
The key is filling them completely.
Empty air space is what cools food down faster.
Toppings Bar
I packed:
- chopped lettuce
- red onion
- avocado salsa
- regular salsa
- shredded cheese
- chips
Then poolside I assembled bowls for everyone based on what they wanted.
We also brought sliced watermelon.
It was simple, filling, and everyone got a hot dinner without leaving the pool.
Post-Dinner / Looking Ahead
What’s in the fridge now:
Kevin’s steak (1 pouch remaining)
Leftover taco meat
Leftover rice
Brat bites
Costco pizza leftovers
Fresh produce
What needs attention:
Protein inventory is definitely getting low.
Tomorrow will likely involve:
- using the second Kevin’s steak pouch
- working through pizza leftovers
- pulling additional proteins from the freezer
A Costco trip is definitely on the horizon as well.