Friday: Chick-fil-A Grandparents, Costco with a Sleeping Toddler, and a Unicorn Dinner
This morning started with a pretty standard breakfast around here:
- Bacon
- Toast
- Cereal
On Fridays, my parents often take one or two of the kids with them to Mass and then breakfast afterward, so my two younger girls got a special outing. They went to church with Grandma and Grandpa and then headed to Chick-fil-A for breakfast.
Of course, they came home with leftover Chick-fil-A breakfast sandwiches and biscuits, which immediately became the most exciting mid-morning snack in the house while we finished up some school work.
I don’t always eat breakfast, but if I’m hungry I’ll stop school for a moment and make something. Today I had a little cauliflower/oat/blueberry bake. It was good and fast!
I did cinnamon, salt, a small handful of crushed pecans, small glug of maple syrup, 1/4 cup old fashioned oats, and 1/2 cup frozen cauliflower rice. Added splash of water and microwaved that for about 3 minutes….then stirred in 1/2 cup frozen blueberries.
Lunch: Simple and Fresh
Lunch was a little bit of a clean-out-the-fridge situation.
A couple of kiddos finished off the hot dogs I’d opened earlier in the week.
My teen made herself a salad with grilled chicken, and I did the same.
I placed a Walmart delivery order this morning because there were a few things I needed for the weekend, and one item I always add is their coleslaw mix.
I know technically it’s just:
- Green cabbage
- Purple cabbage
- Carrots
And yes, I could absolutely chop it myself.
But for whatever reason, whenever I try to make my own version, the cabbage always seems stronger and spicier. The bagged version has the exact crunch and texture I like, so this is one of the few convenience produce items I consistently buy.
Today’s salad was:
- Coleslaw mix
- Grilled chicken
- Various veggies
- Simple dressing
Easy and filling.
Teen Babysitting + Leftover Pizza
While I headed to Costco, my teen stayed home with the other kids.
The remaining Costco pizza from earlier in the week became afternoon snack duty.
Everyone reheated slices in the air fryer.
Costco with a Three-Year-Old
I took Daphne with me to Costco.
The funny part is that she actually fell asleep in the car on the way there.
She doesn’t really nap anymore—she’s almost four—but every once in a while an afternoon car ride still gets her.
We got the shopping done quickly and now we’re stocked up heading into the weekend, which always feels good.
Unicorn Dinner Night
My husband has been traveling quite a bit lately, and he finally made it home tonight.
So I decided this was the perfect opportunity for a unicorn dinner.
For me, a unicorn dinner is a meal where basically everyone likes all the major components.
Not necessarily prepared exactly the same way, but everyone is happy with what’s on their plate.
Flank Steak
I only had about an hour to marinate the steak, but honestly that’s enough for flank steak.
I used:
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Smoked paprika
- Italian seasoning
- Cumin
Then I grilled it until it reached about 130–135°F internally.
After grilling, I always let flank steak rest under foil for at least 10–15 minutes before slicing against the grain.
That resting time makes a huge difference.
Crispy Air Fryer Potatoes
While the steak marinated, I diced up five large Yukon Gold potatoes and soaked them in water for about an hour.
Before cooking, I drained them well and seasoned with:
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
Then they went into the air fryer at about 425°F for roughly 30 minutes until they were deeply golden and crispy.
One of the best parts was not having to turn on the oven.
Sautéed Vegetables
For vegetables, I made one of my favorites:
- Peppers
- Onions
- Mushrooms
Cooked in olive oil with:
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Italian seasoning
I let them cook long enough to become soft, jammy, and slightly caramelized around the edges.
I know not every kid appreciates jammy vegetables, though.
So while I was slicing peppers, I simply set a few aside before cooking them.
That way everyone got vegetables they actually wanted without making an entirely separate side dish.
Watermelon
And because it’s summer:
- Big bowl of watermelon
Simple, refreshing, and everybody ate it.
Looking Ahead
The biggest win tonight was having Chris home safely and sitting down together for a meal everyone enjoyed.
Going into the weekend, we’re in great shape:
Refrigerator
- Leftover flank steak
- Fresh produce
- Watermelon
- Some grilled chicken
- Lots of uncooked protein from my Costco trip..I’ll start cooking that tomorrow!