Current Fridge Protein & Leftover Inventory (Start of Day)
Last of the prepped bacon
Leftover pizza
Small amount leftover ham
Brats thawing for tomorrow
Very last bit of homemade summer sausage
Morning
This morning we finished off the very last of the prepped bacon, which means tomorrow is probably another double-bacon morning.
Breakfast was a bigger Saturday breakfast situation:
- bacon
- toast
- eggs
- sausage
- smoothies
We are definitely in a smoothie phase right now.
For breakfast today, I did two almond flour wraps with some frozen chicken sausage from Costco, avocado, and salsa. There were also a few leftover apples, so I had them with a little peanut butter.
My husband and teen headed off to a craft fair with packed lunches and snacks for the day. My teen has a small business where she sells handmade ink architectural drawings, so they were off doing that while I stayed home with the younger kids.
Mid-Morning — Heavy Snack Strategy
By the time we got moving today, it was already around 10:30, which is that awkward time where lunch is technically close… but not close enough when you have hungry kids.
So instead of fully committing to lunch before heading out, I did what I call a “heavy car snack.”
I warmed up:
- the last of yesterday’s pizza
- a few chicken nuggets
And packed those up while we headed to Costco and the library.
This is one of those little parenting/kitchen tricks that saves the day:
sometimes feeding everybody “half lunch” buys you enough flexibility to avoid total chaos later.
Costco Restock Day
Today was the BIG Costco run.
Hopefully the final one before our trip to Charleston next week.
Protein haul included:
- two packages ground beef
- two whole roasting chickens
- chicken thighs
- one rotisserie chicken
I bought both the raw chickens and the rotisserie chicken because I had an idea for a reel:
comparing homemade roasted chickens versus Costco rotisserie chicken.
I decided I want to compare them cold instead of hot so it feels more fair, since the homemade chickens obviously need time to cook and cool anyway.
Other Costco finds:
- Dot’s snack mix
- dried sweet mango
- Avocado salsa (mandatory purchase at this point)
- bagels
- produce restock
I continue to be personally victimized by Costco never consistently stocking the Kirkland unsweetened dried mango when I actually want it.
Lunch — Two Lunches, Again
Once we got home, the kids basically requested “second lunch.”
So lunch round two became:
- bagels
- leftover ham
- random snack additions
Afternoon Prep
Once we got home from Costco, I immediately got both raw chickens into the oven because I want those fully cooked and ready for the upcoming week.
The rotisserie chicken went straight into the fridge for tomorrow’s comparison project.
This afternoon also included shaved ice because the weather was warm enough that the kids absolutely decided it was shaved ice season.
So naturally we added that alongside pantry snacks while everyone decompressed from the Costco trip.
Dinner — Burger Night + Pasta Salad Save
Tonight I decided to go big and just make a TON of burgers.
I used one full package of ground beef and made:
24 burger patties.
Then I cooked the remaining ground beef from that package separately so I can freeze it and continue rebuilding my cooked protein stash before vacation.
Dinner included:
- burgers
- pasta salad
- veggies
- and the best watermelon we’ve had so far this season
And tonight’s dinner was such a good reminder:
do not underestimate pasta salad.
I had:
- a little leftover pasta
- a little homemade summer sausage
- random vegetables
Not enough of any one thing to really matter on its own.
But once you:
- chop everything up
- add vinaigrette
- combine it all
…it suddenly becomes an excellent side dish instead of “random leftovers”
For myself, since I didn’t have gluten-free pasta cooked, I basically made an antipasto-style bowl with all the same toppings and mix-ins, just without the pasta.
Same flavor profile.
Different base.
Very easy adjustment.
Post-Dinner / Looking Ahead
What’s in the fridge/freezer now:
Two roasted chickens
Rotisserie chicken for comparison project
One remaining package ground beef
Cooked burger patties
Fresh cooked ground beef for freezer prep
Chicken thighs
Brats thawing for tomorrow
Fresh produce and vegetables
Tomorrow’s kitchen plan is already shaping up:
- homemade beef summer sausage
- make meatloaf
- cook brat bites for lunch
I still have one package of frozen meatloaf left, so I’d really like to restock that category before we leave for vacation.
The chicken thighs can wait until Monday or Tuesday since the date on the package is good.