This week was about as normal as they get these days. I worked my typical schedule and my kids had a number of after school activities on the calendar (we try to keep it to two per child, but with 4 kids this adds up quickly). We try to eat as a family 4-5 nights per week–this is much easier with my husband working from home.
To clarify when I say “I” fed my family, what I mean is I did the meal planning and prepared some of the meals. My au pair also does some meal preparation on the days I work later.
We, like many families, are trying to be mindful of our meat consumption and one of my goals this year is to reduce our food waste. This is easier with my husband working from home–he is a great leftover eater.
Without further ado, this is what we ate for dinner this week:
Sunday: Improvised sheet pan dinner of pork chops and broccoli roasted in olive, salt and pepper. We had steamed wild rice and as always started with a green salad with homemade vinaigrette dressing (one part vinegar–red wine, white wine, balsamic– one part best quality olive oil, a generous dollop of Dijon mustard and salt and pepper to taste).
Monday: Pasta Night! Green Salad to start. Whole wheat pasta (we like this one), Rao’s Vodka Sauce with a link or two of sweet Italian sausage browned and crumbled.
Tuesday: Steak Salads. A riff on an old Mark Bittman “recipe” from the New York Times Cooking section. Basically, I throw a steak (usually flank or skirt) under the broiler and serve a few slices over greens with tomatoes and blue cheese tossed with vinegarette. Served with a crusty baguette. The kids eat it deconstructed. However, I find that served as a salad, I need to make less steak to feed all seven of us.
Wednesday: Spring Asparagus Galette from Smitten Kitchen served along side…you guessed it, green salad. Only one kid liked this, but here the salad is helpful because I can be sure there is vegetables on the table everyone will eat.
Thursday: My kids had kid food, turkey meatballs and carrots or broccoli. My husband I ate after they went to bed (I work late Thursdays) and we had a green salad and some yummy cheese with these delicious crackers and a glass of wine.
Friday: Pizza Night. We still start with a big green salad. Then we move on to a slice or two of New York Style pizza from our local farm to table pizza place.
Saturday: Date Night! We will celebrate my husband being fully vaccinated with a meal at our favorite local Italian spot where the patio transports you to Italy.
What did you eat for dinner this week? Any favorite sources for healthy, family-friendly meals?
The Endocrinologist Is In 