Current Fridge Protein & Leftover Inventory (Three-Day Rotation Mode)
Breakfast sausage
Steak leftovers from Sunday
Leftover flank steak
Fresh produce and salad ingredients
Leftover rice
Green beans
Leftover grilled chicken
Leftover cooked burgers
Morning — Back to Normal Life Breakfast
This morning I made fresh bacon again and we kept breakfast pretty simple:
- bacon
- bagels
- cereal
- smoothies
My toddler’s current smoothie obsession:
- Greek yogurt
- peeled cutie orange
- frozen berries
- half banana
And the important detail here is:
DO NOT peel the orange yourself.
Because apparently helping peel it is half the experience.
Then she drinks the smoothie in the most time-consuming and complicated way imaginable with the straw situation she’s invented lately…it keeps her busy and happy for a long time, so I fully support it.
Morning — Full School Day
Today was our first full homeschool day back since:
- vacation
- Memorial Day
- tire chaos
- general recovery mode
So we did a full school morning and wrapped around lunchtime. We’ve transitioned into our ‘summer schedule’, so we aren’t doing any co-op work…just focusing on math, grammar, writing, and reading.
People often ask me how I entertain my very high energy 3 year old while we do school work. Today, I set her up at the counter and she made banana bread. I would add 1 ingredient at a time, then tell her to mash them up…this took a solid 25 minutes! and then I baked the bread and kids had a snack!
Lunch — Viral Cheese Wrap Experiment
Lunch today was really fun.
My teen made one of those viral cheese wraps that are all over social media right now, and after watching her make it, I absolutely think this is something:
- teens
- middle schoolers
- hungry summer kids
could make for themselves really easily.
How She Made It
On a parchment-lined sheet pan:
- about 3/4 cup mozzarella
- little Parmesan sprinkled in
- spread into a large tortilla-sized circle
Then:
- layered pepperoni on top
- baked at 400 degrees
The trick is pulling it out:
RIGHT as the edges begin browning.
Then:
- blot lightly with paper towel
- transfer immediately
- fold while still flexible
Because once it cools, it firms up quickly.
Inside she added:
- Caesar salad
- grilled chicken
And apparently it was incredible.
I can’t personally eat it because of the dairy and Caesar dressing, but it looked and smelled amazing.
And what I really loved:
it felt like one of those “summer survival meals” teenagers could absolutely make themselves after the pool or while mom’s busy.
You could honestly do endless versions:
- pizza fillings
- taco fillings
- salad wraps
- deli meats
Very clever idea.
Everyone Else’s Lunch
Meanwhile, the rest of us officially finished:
the last of the burgers from Saturday.
So:
- burgers are gone
- older proteins are rotating out successfully
Which is exactly what I want.
I also made myself another salad with some burger on top because:
you will continue seeing me eat giant salads for lunch all summer long.
Afternoon — Dayton Brick Shop + Target Adventure
This afternoon some of my kiddos went to Dayton Brick Shop.
And if you’re local to the Cincinnati/Dayton area and have LEGO-loving kids:
this place is basically LEGO heaven. It was a birthday gift from my parents to Eleanor.
Then I took my teen and my three-year-old to Target.
Which feels slightly dangerous with a three-year-old.
But she did surprisingly well.
We needed:
- goggles
- pool float
- summer basics
And since she behaved so well, yes, she did leave with a small toy because I am weak and she is adorable.
Meanwhile my teen is preparing for a two-week international trip this summer, so we spent a lot of time gathering:
- travel-size toiletries
- mini deodorants
- shaving cream
- tiny toothbrushes
- lotions
- all the little travel logistics
It made me realize how long it’s been since I’ve actually physically walked through a Target instead of doing pickup orders.
Dinner — “Use the Chicken Before It Gets Old”
Dinner tonight was entirely driven by my rolling three-day rule.
I looked at that grilled chicken from Saturday and thought:
it’s time.
So I used the rest of it tonight.
Rice Pilaf-ish Side
In a sauté pan:
- onions
- carrots
- celery
Cooked down with:
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- Italian seasoning
Then I added:
- leftover rice
- splash of water
and basically turned it into a quick rice pilaf situation.
Meanwhile I reheated the grilled chicken the way I almost always do:
- little broth
- little oil
- sliced chicken
- low heat
- lid on
This method keeps grilled chicken from drying out and honestly makes it taste freshly cooked again.
Then:
- warmed the last of the naan/pita bread
- steamed green beans and made side salads
And dinner was done.
Nothing fancy.
Nothing viral.
Just solid food that used up exactly what needed to be used.
And importantly:
the grilled chicken is now fully gone BEFORE it crossed into that “this has sat too long” category.
Post-Dinner / Looking Ahead
What’s stocked and ready now:
Steak leftovers
Leftover flank steak
Fresh produce
Rice Pilaf leftovers
Green beans
Breakfast items
Tomorrow’s goal:
- use remaining steak leftovers
- likely steak fajitas
- make pizza dough for Friday night
The fridge is actually in a really good rhythm right now:
older proteins rotating out,
freezer stocked,
fresh prep available,
and nothing really sitting too long. I ‘might’ even try to get Costco done before the weekend…just so we don’t have to make the trip when the weather is nice and I’d rather be at the pool with my family.