Weekly Meal Planning for June 26 - July 2

How is it that summer break is already four weeks in?! It seems to be going by very quickly yet I feel very unproductive at the same time. I had all these grand ideas of projects to complete this summer. Ha! We seem to be living in eternal clutter and mess these days, despite my efforts to do light tidying up daily (and even getting my kids to help). 

We are starting our last week of swim team - and this week's a doozy with two meets and a banquet. So the meal planning will be less than stellar. ;) Plus is it H-O-T so we will be utilizing the grill instead of indoor cooking. I'm going to make another attempt at grilled pizza this week, something we used to have more often but haven't lately. This time, I will try an arugula, prosciutto, and fig (or peach, if I can't find figs) topping. Doesn't that just scream summer? I *may* enjoy a glass of prosecco with it on the deck so I can pretend I'm in Italy for a moment. And it looks like I am getting all the ingredients in the farm box to make this wonderful grilled salad (see link below) featured on Pink Parsley. I haven't made it yet this year but I remember loving it from years past!

Sunday: leftover burgers, corn, spinach salad
Monday: deli sandwiches at a swim meet, sides will include cut veggies, mango, and popcorn
Tuesday: above mentioned pizza similar to this recipe but grilled
Wednesday: out with swim team after meet
Thursday: swim team banquet 
Friday: grilled summer vegetable salad 
Saturday: out for my sister's birthday

What are you going to be enjoying this week?

Weekly Meal Planning for June 12-25

ETA: Somehow the post of this past week's meals never got published! So here are two weeks' planned meals.

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Thankfully, we had a family birthday dinner for my niece Sunday night because I was not ready to plan any meals for the week until Monday. My kids and I went to the farmers market and grabbed a bunch of things that we could throw together for meals. 

Sunday: beef stroganoff and green beans

Monday: raw veggies, prosciutto, Parmesan, Brie, apples and figs

Tuesday: breaded chicken, cherries, yellow pepper strips, chips and guacamole

Wednesday: hummus layer dip with pita chips, cucumbers, fruit by the pool 

Thursday: dinner at a friend's pool
Friday: grilled pork chop tacos with grilled red pepper strips, peach salsa, and avocados
Saturday: leftover pork tacos with the fixings
* Four of those dinners were enjoyed poolside....happy summer days!*

Sunday: fig and prosciutto pasta tossed with baby spinach
Monday: zoodles with kale pesto
Tuesday: leftovers
Wednesday: burgers, corn, avocado, tomato salad over arugula
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: date night
Saturday: at a pool party

Summer Cocktails

As the days grow longer and the temperatures consistently stay in the 90s, what better to have on hand than a pitcher of a refreshing summery cocktail? You'll be the favorite neighbor when you show up at the pool with cocktails to share! I have a few favorites, and plan to experiment with even more this summer. 

First and foremost is a Pimm's Cup. This is a traditionally English sangria style drink that is ridiculously good and refreshing. Lucky for us on this side of the pond, we can find Pimm's No.1 liqueur at most liquor stores. Add some cucumber slices, orange slices, strawberries, lemonade, mint leaves, and a lot of ice, and voila! A Pimm's Cup is born. 

Next is a watermelon cocktail that just emerged one day when I had way too much watermelon on hand. I puréed some, and froze it in 1/2 cup trays. Then when you are ready to drink, pour 1pz run, a couple of mint leaves, one frozen 1/2 cup watermelon "block", and top with sparkling water or Sprite for some more sweetness. Refreshing and colorful!

Lastly is one I have yet to make. Rose wine is making a big splash everywhere right now, and what better way to drink rose in the summer than in slushie form? There is a restaurant near us that serves those slushies, and one of my favorite bloggers has recreated it. I'll just link to her recipe instead of reinventing the wheel! http://www.annies-eats.com/2016/05/13/rose-slushies/

When in a bind, a bottle of Vinho Verde or Prosecco also works well poolside. We discovered Vinho Verde a few summers ago and it is my go-to summer wine of choice. Another great thing? It's not expensive. 

Cheers!

Weekly Meal Planning for June 5-11

This weekend flew by. I can't believe tomorrow is Monday! Luckily, we had dinner at my mom's house tonight. And that means leftovers for dayyyyyys. 

Sunday: dinner at mom's

Monday: leftover biryani and stewed tomatoes/peas

Tuesday: spinach/black bean quesadillas, watermelon (at a swim meet)

Wednesday: leftover eggplant casserole, arugula salad with tomatoes, avocados, and shaved Parmesan 

Thursday: brats, peppers and onions, Mac and cheese

Friday: leftover sausages, rice, sautéed green beans 

Saturday: at a wedding