This is a week of transitions.  JJ is transitioning into a “blended reading group” at school (meaning he’s beyond sounds, but not quite reading.  Although he certainly can spot the words “Lego” and “Indiana Jones” from miles away).  Abe doesn’t know it, but he’s going to be transitioning to a non-pacified sleeping situation.  This could be a painful thing, yes, but he’s already waking up multiple times a night, so if I’m going to be up, I might as well get my goals taken care of.    Hubby and I are transitioning to A Frankly UnAmerican Lifestyle, i.e. life with one car.  Each day presents a new set of obstacles to weave our way through, but so far we’re doing okay (you know, 36 hours into it).

And of course during this week of transitions, the events presented for these seven days are abnormal.  Hubby has appointments for his achy shoulder.  I have, not one, but two (yes, TWO) conferences I get to go to an exercise the non-mama parts of my brain.  But what happens when appointments, conferences, and school times collide?  [Enter the "shunk" noise always present at the end of Lost, or maybe the "beep beep beep" of 24].

This week I decided to pull out the big guns for meal planning, the biggest cookbook I own, the staple of every kitchen for decades (or so says the cover):  The Better Homes & Gardens cookbook.  The amount of recipes to work with was so much grander than those of the kids’ cookbooks that part of me wanted to put my head under the couch and say, “Um, I dunno:  what do you want to eat for . . . ?”  But then I realized that tons of sections were unapplicable:  canning, meats (red meat pathooey), vegetables (my kids?  green food?  I laugh in your general direction).  So I went for some pretty basic recipes, but figure the goal of the week is mostly to get through the week.  And that ain’t bad.

Monday:  French Toast, cottage cheese, grapes; Chicken quesadilla, bananas; Dijon Chicken Strata, cheese bread, corn – but I copped out of this and made chicken spaghetti with ingredients that Hubby got as a Christmas gift from some vendors.  Cause vendors give gifts.

Tuesday:  Oat Bran Muffins (again:  copped out.  Everyone, I mean *everyone*, was up at 6:15.  Cranky.  Hungry.  So we did Surprise Banana Splits from JJ’s cookbook, and I made the muffins later this morning for snacks); Nachos, applesauce, veggies; Huevos Rancheros, lemon bread

Wednesday:  Granola, yogurt; Grilled cheese, bananas; Leftovers

Thursday:  Leftovers; Peanut butter and jam, string cheese, apples; Quiche, salad

Friday:  Banana berry smoothies, blueberry cornmeal pancakes; Homemade hot pockets, apples; Jerk Turkey burgers, baked fries

Saturday:  Double apple coffee cake, cheese, grapes; Leftovers; Leftovers (or maybe Chan’s:  mmmm, Chinese food)

Sunday:  Leftovers; Chef salad, soup, veggies; Overnight waffles, scrambled eggs

Ps.  So we have no cable but receive tv signals over the air.  My favorite new channel at the moment is Ion because there’s a channel of all-kids shows, all-the-time.  Except the run infomercials all-the-time.  And I’ve been informed that I NEEEEEEED to buy some pull-up machine, some contraption that makes food stack up, and some squiggly art thing.  I NEEEEEEED to.  And I have flashbacks of my friend Hannah clinging to the “Wanna see how fast he’ll run?  Tell him you’re pregnant!” poster from our Health II class, saying she NEEEEEEEEDED it.  Ah, our needs.

Foodie Facts