What Came Into the Kitchen
No major grocery shopping today — still working through what we already had.
We did use:
- Hot dogs (from the freezer)
- Hot dog buns (from Walmart)
- Sirloin steak (my mom brought over)
What I Cooked Today
Earlier in the Day (Prep)
I spent about 20 minutes prepping for dinner:
- Cut 5–6 sirloin fillets into small steak bites (about 1″ square pieces)
- Prepped a large bag of vegetables (peppers, onions, and mushrooms)
Having that done ahead made dinner outside really easy. I don’t want to be inside prepping food while my family is outside having fun.
Dinner (Blackstone + Bonfire Night)
Everything was cooked outside on the griddle:
- Trader Joe’s frozen shredded potatoes (2 bags)
- Oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder
- Let them cook and crisp, then pushed to the side
- Vegetables
- Oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder
- Cooked quickly, removed, then added back at the end to reheat
- Steak bites
- Cooked hot with oil + salt
- Still working on perfecting these — they’re good, but tricky not to overcook on the griddle
Once everything was hot and ready, we ate right away outside.
What We Ate
Lunch
- Finished the last of the chicken shawarma
- Kids finished leftover pizza
- Side salads
Dinner (Bonfire Night)
- Hot dogs + buns
- Steak bites
- Crispy potatoes
- Vegetables
We ate outside around the fire — one of those really fun, relaxed dinners.
A little tip: I use small Nordic Ware sheet pans (smaller than a quarter sheet) for everyone to hold on their lap around the fire. They’re perfect for outdoor meals. I think I got them in a 4 pack from Costco last year.
Dessert
S’mores by the fire
My version (gluten/dairy/egg free):
- Gluten-free Oreo
- Peanut butter
- Slightly charred marshmallow
So good and just enough to feel like a treat.
Current Kitchen Inventory
Cooked Proteins
- Grilled chicken (a little bit left)
- Steak (leftovers)
Prepped / In Progress
- —
Cooked Staples
- —
Produce & Fresh Ingredients
- Remaining veggies
Easy Meal Builders
- Grilled chicken
- Leftover steak
- Pantry staples
Kitchen Flow (How Things Are Getting Used)
- Shawarma chicken → finished today
- Pizza → finished today
- Grilled chicken → almost gone
- Freezer items → pulled and used for a fun dinner
- Fresh ingredients → prepped and used same day
What’s Next
Tomorrow I’ll likely reset a bit and start thinking about the next round of groceries and prep for the week ahead. We’ll do a big Costco trip to restock my fridge and get ready for the week.
Today was a good reminder that not every meal has to be planned out — sometimes it’s just about using what you have and enjoying it.