MPM--And Just Like That...

...it's really summer. We're at the pool almost daily, unless we're at the beach (woohoo!) and it was way too hot to cook last week. Things have gotten a little better so hopefully there will be more actual food happening. But there were a bunch of nights of throwing cold or room-temperature fruit at the kids and calling it dinner.

And just like that...we've been married 17 years. Our marriage outlasted the traditional/modern gift list, and while we're not really an extravagant-present couple, my husband really outdid himself this year with a small-but-packed bouquet of flowers from a florist I love, to writing a haiku (17 syllables, get it?), to updating his facebook page with all photos from our wedding that he scanned in for the occasion. I lucked out 17 years ago and don't have to try to remember that every day.

Alas, my meals don't always reflect that. But now that the kids are starting camp again, I'm going to make more of an effort.

Monday: Dinner A'Fare chicken, CSA cleanout

Tuesday: Taco Tuesday for boys, pizza with my moms' group for me. Ahhhh....

Wednesday: This recipe, that I saw in the Inquirer, for Pork Strips with Carrot and Leeks in Chevre Sauce. I happen to have all but the pork in the fridge and it sounds yummy.

Thursday: Town Picnic! Wooooo! Last year, I brought my favorite corn-zucchini-tomato pie, but I'm not feeling it this year (we'll see what's in the CSA box, that might change my mind)...I'll figure something out.

Friday: We'll see how the week goes. We haven't had a soccer night in a while (too hot, too thunderstormy) so I might try something like the chili again.

Have a great week! Check out I'm An Organizing Junkie! for more meal plans.

MPM--Slow Slide to Summer

And so here we are, school is over, summer starting. Right now, as I write on Sunday, it still feels like a weekend, but by the time I post this--it'll definitely be vacation time. And since my husband has lunch plans for tomorrow, I know it will feel like vacation when I wake up and don't need to pack a single lunch. Bliss!

We have a high school aged friend staying with us for a wrestling camp, and had a family birthday/Father's Day party yesterday, so we are kicking things off in high spirits. But one of the first things we did was figure out how many days of summer vacation there are (hint: 104, a la Phineas and Ferb, is a gross exaggeration), and it just doesn't sound like all that many. So we're starting our summer poster (the huge list of all we hope to do), getting pediatrician and other appointments out of the way this week, and oh, yeah, I'm heading to work one afternoon. But otherwise--we'll see how it goes as the kickoff to summer is here.

Monday: Dinner A'Fare pork chops, sweet potato fries (from TJ's) with chili dipping sauce (also from TJ's), and crudites

Tuesday: the Hot Dog Meet was rescheduled, so hot dogs at the pool, woohoo!

Wednesday: this is one of my random summer work days, so something easy and ahead of time sounds good. I might do Pacific Rim Pork (from sidebar) now that my son will eat things in lettuce leaves, plus something from the CSA box. Or if it's too hot for that (likely), I'm very eager to try the Dinner: A Love Story salmon salad, and I might really cop out and use Trader Joe's pre-cooked potatoes (what a little gift for summer!) and frozen corn.

Thursday: Taco Thursday, of course

Friday: unclear. We did not do the soccer last week; instead, about 6 families just ordered in at the pool and chomped in the shade, dripping popsicle juice on our swimsuits. It was bliss. I'm hoping (hard) for a repeat.

I've been having lots of detox soup and the kids have had a lot of cold apples with peanut butter. And nectarines are coming in...this is a great season for sure. I'm dreaming of cold carrot soup and cascadilla and other joys of summer. And I really, really want an ice cream maker. I know--so dumb, when I'm trying to get rid of stuff, to add that in. But I'm taking a course in homemade ice cream at our Co-op and I wil decide from there whether it's worth it.

Anyway. Wishing you whatever it takes to provide you a happy summer! And go read more ideas at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

MPM--More Crazy than Lazy Edition

First, thanks for the prayers for my husband. In the end, he did not have the surgery in lieu of more testing. He has a condition that was well documented by our former doctors but our current doctors apparently didn't know about. I see those as answered prayers, and thank those of you who held him in your thoughts.

I'm glad he was still functional because wow, what a weekend. Friday was two end-of-year functions at school for the boys, followed by a graduation party for a nephew. Saturday was the last day of track and the last day of t-ball, and a graduation party. Today (Sunday) started as a blank day on the calendar. But I'm not sure I can even count how many friends we saw by the end of it. We welcomed new friends to the neighborhood with pancakes after church, swung by the pool, and ended at the third graduation party of the weekend. It was amazing catching up with so many people in one weekend.

But now after three days of running around, we're home for the week for the last week of school and the last week of work for me. The crazy continues but I am looking forward to it all! And my gratitude for freezer meals knows no bounds.

Monday: citrus chicken from Dinner A'Fare, rice, asparagus and other CSA veggies

Tuesday: Hot Dog Dive Meet (really, the training the parents practice meet).

Wednesday: Taco Wednesday

Thursday: Stuffed shells from meal exchange, salad, CSA veggies

Friday: Finally a co-ed soccer day...I will probably make chili to share. Yum!

Wishing you a great week full of people you love. Go see I'm an Organizing Junkie! for more meal plans!

MPM--Transit of Venus Edition

Welcome to June! Birds are singing, tiger lilies are blooming (not too early, so we seem to be mostly back on time, unlike some of the other flora), planets are passing in front of the sun, and we're careening to the end of the school year. We have photography posters to do, kindergarten talent show magic to practice, and dive club to teach us to fly through the air. The last of us is almost up on his two wheeler (training wheels came off two weeks ago when he was ready, and it's just a matter of getting out of his own head now), so really, the last thing left to do is for it to really be summer. Oh, and my husband's surgery.

Yeah. Wait what? Hernias. Probably not a big deal. He's youngish, and healthy. And if it weren't for the abnormal EKG, this would be a cakewalk, but as it is--it's been on again, off again and we think it's on for Wednesday. So it's a bit of a goofy week.

Monday: bourbon-mustard pork, quinoa salad of some kind, and whatever veggies I can move out of the drawer.

Tuesday: Lego build. And transit of Venus. And dive practice. And we'll eat somewhere. Boy, I wish my kids ate sandwiches.

Wednesday: Surgery day. Maybe. Probably. We'll see. For now, the plan is that my in-laws will bring us dinner while they cover the home front for the various drop-offs of boys.

Thursday: Up in the air too. Leftovers and freezer meals, probably.

Friday: Graduation party, I hope, for boys and me at least. I said I'd bring a veggie tray. I can throw that together pretty easily, at least.

So I have to put in a plug here: lots of our meals lately have come from the freezer meal swap from my moms' group. One member has the book 30 Day Gourmet's Big Book of Freezer Cooking and she shared some recipes with us. We all chipped in to make and trade; so far we've had the orange chicken, the flank steak, and the mustard-bourbon pork and liked them all. Winning. Top it off with a fundraiser visit to one of the make-and-freeze meal places, and we're in good shape. Now if only the chef and housekeeper would come to make them and clean up after, life would be really good.

Wishing you a great week. Hope the astrogeeks among you get to see the transit of Venus in a safe and supercool way, and we'll take any prayers you have to spare for my husband over here. For better meal  inspirations, try I'm an Organizing Junkie!