Current Fridge Protein Inventory
Fresh proteins:
- Grilled chicken thighs
- Leftover steak from Sunday dinner
- Taco meat
- Teton Polish sausage
Sunday: Church, Burgers & Restocking the Freezer
Today started a little differently than most Sundays.
We don’t typically attend Sunday morning Mass, but since we were at my nephew’s birthday party yesterday, we shifted our schedule and headed to church this morning.
That meant breakfast needed to be quick.
The kids convinced me to buy those square ciabatta rolls from Costco yesterday, so breakfast became:
- toasted ciabatta rolls with butter and jam
- the last of the bacon
- fruit
- chicken sausage
And of course I made eggs for Chris.
Simple, fast, and enough to get everyone out the door.
Church Snacks for a Three-Year-Old
Daphne got her usual church snack setup.
I use a small PackIt-style cooler with the built-in ice packs, and it gets filled with a few reliable favorites:
- cucumbers
- pretzels
- a drinkable yogurt
Midday Protein Prep Session
When we got home, I immediately turned my attention to protein prep.
I took the six-pound package of ground beef from Costco and split it into two jobs.
Job #1: Burgers
I formed and grilled 20 burger patties. When I make burger patties, I try to go as thin as possible, then put a small dimple in the center of the patty right before grilling. This prevents the burger from turning into a hockey puck as it cooks. I add a little Kosher salt to both sides of the patty as I place it on the grill and it’s delicious!
Those became lunch today and will also give us easy leftovers for the next couple of days.
Job #2: Cooked Ground Beef
The remaining ground beef—probably around two pounds—went onto the stove.
Once cooked, it was cooled and frozen.
Cooked ground beef is one of my favorite forms of dinner insurance because it can become:
- taco bowls
- pasta sauce
- nachos
- burger bowls
- soup
- quick lunches
with almost no effort.
While I already had the pans dirty, I also cooked three pounds of breakfast sausage.
If I’m already standing at the stove working with ground meat, I might as well maximize the effort and knock out another protein while I’m there.
Now the freezer is restocked and breakfast is set up for future mornings.
Lunch
With all those burgers fresh off the grill, lunch was easy.
We had:
- burgers
- Trader Joe’s french fries
- fresh fruit and vegetables
Nothing complicated.
Just good food and a chance to use some of what I had just cooked.
Afternoon Outside
The weather cooperated, so the afternoon was spent outside.
We worked on outdoor projects around the house while the kids rotated through:
- ‘helping’
- popsicles
- sprinkler pad play
- general summer chaos
Exactly the kind of afternoon that makes me happy we keep easy freezer food and simple snacks around.
Late Afternoon Snack
After everyone came inside and got cleaned up, I warmed up some of the Costco pizza for a snack.
This was the same pizza my mom dropped off on Friday, and it continues to earn its keep.
Sunday Dinner at My Parents’ House
We wrapped up the day at my parents’ house for our traditional Sunday dinner.
Steaks were on the menu, which meant:
- great dinner
- great company
- and, naturally, leftovers coming home
Daphne also managed to eat her THIRD popsicle of the day!
A successful Sunday all around. We also did a little family party for my nephew and used ALL the dinosaur decor.
Anniversary Celebration
Today was also our 18th wedding anniversary.
Last night I made the chocolate cake with the peanut butter swirl, and Chris and I finished off the last of it tonight.
A pretty great way to celebrate.
Looking Ahead
Protein available right now:
- Leftover steak
- Grilled chicken thighs
- Taco meat
- Teton Polish sausage
- Burger leftovers
Plan for tomorrow:
- Cook the flank steaks
- Continue working through the fresh proteins first
- Use the Polish sausage for a kid lunch later this week