Current Fridge Protein & Leftover Inventory (Birthday Weekend Edition)
Fresh taco meat
Fresh loaf pan chicken portions
Beef summer sausage (cooked today)
Leftover focaccia pizza
Fresh produce and salad ingredients
Breakfast sausage
Bacon
Morning — Birthday Breakfast
Today was Chris’s birthday, so naturally he got a birthday breakfast.
His request:
vegetable, sausage, and egg scramble.
Easy.
I sautéed vegetables, added sausage, then eggs, and breakfast was done.
Meanwhile, I made more bacon for the kids.
The kids also finished off the last of the Costco bagels.
So tomorrow’s breakfast will probably be:
- toast
- biscuits
- or whatever sounds good when we wake up
At this point we’re officially out of bagels.
Morning Prep — Summer Sausage Day
After breakfast I got my homemade beef summer sausage into the oven.
Yesterday I mixed and shaped it.
Today it cooked for about two hours.
This batch was especially important because I had completely run through my freezer stash during:
- vacation
- pool season startup
- summer snack season
So it felt good to get that supply rebuilt.
Having homemade beef summer sausage available is one of my favorite forms of snack insurance because:
- it travels well
- kids love it
- it’s easy to slice for lunches
- it’s perfect for park days and road trips
Lunch — Dinner Insurance for Lunch
For lunch I wanted something fun because it was Chris’s birthday.
So I actually used some of my own dinner insurance.
From the freezer I pulled:
- loaf pan chicken breast
- cooked rice
I microwave frozen food just long enough that it releases from the container or freezer bag.
Not enough to cook it.
Just enough that it stops being one giant frozen brick.
Then:
Spanish Rice Shortcut
I added the rice to a pan on low heat with:
- about 1 cup fresh salsa
- cumin
- smoked paprika
- garlic powder
- salt
- pepper
And suddenly it turned into a quick Spanish-style rice.
Meanwhile the loaf pan chicken was already cooked and seasoned fairly neutrally, so I simply:
- reheated it
- added a little extra salt
Then everyone built taco bowls with:
- lettuce
- avocado salsa
- cheese
- tomato
- avocado
- red onion
- lime juice
- chips
It was one of those lunches that feels like way more work than it actually is because so much of it had already been prepared.
And Chris really enjoyed it.
Afternoon — Church and Cake Baking
This afternoon we went to church.
And before heading out, I baked Chris’s birthday cake.
I use the Iowa Girl Eats chocolate cupcake recipe, but instead of cupcakes I bake it in a half-sheet pan.
Tomorrow I’ll frost it with dairy-free frosting before the family celebration.
One of the things I like about making the cake a day ahead is that:
- the kitchen stays cleaner
- I’m not rushing
- the cake actually cuts better after resting overnight
So tomorrow’s job is simply frosting and serving.
Fiona also made all the components for both regular and gluten free pasta salad. She had a special ‘helper’ who insisted on eating TONS of veggies while she worked. Fiona will finish the pasta salads tomorrow before we head over to Chris’ birthday dinner at my parents’ house.
Evening — Birthday Dinner Out
Tonight we celebrated with dinner at Alara.
And if you deal with food allergies, this place is a great local option.
They are incredibly accommodating.
Dinner highlights:
For me:
- Chilean sea bass
For Chris:
- ribeye
And of course we shared because that’s what we do.
My brother, who also avoids gluten, ordered:
- pork chops
My sister-in-law ordered:
- pasta with beef
Then we added:
- appetizers
- sides
- plenty of conversation
It was a really fun evening.
And true to form, I apparently forgot to take photos of almost all the actual food.
The only picture I ended up with was my brother’s elaborate drink because of course he ordered the most interesting thing on the menu.
Post-Dinner / Looking Ahead
What’s stocked and ready now:
Homemade beef summer sausage
Taco meat
Loaf pan chicken (small portion remaining)
Rice
Fresh produce
Focaccia pizza leftovers
Birthday cake layers ready for frosting
The kitchen is in a really good place heading into next week.
I’ve rebuilt:
- dinner insurance
- snack proteins
- freezer backups
And tomorrow we’ll finish celebrating with:
- birthday cake
- family dinner
- plenty of leftovers