So, we’re back.
We’re back, and life is here, and all of that routine, normal, expected part of living day to day is just so darn easy for the most part. Seriously– I appreciate the details so, so much more today than I did before eeking it out in Nepal was part of my reality. (Crockpot, anyone?!?)
Now, I am well aware that I never got the chance to make a fair shake of real, full life in Nepal. I wasn’t there long enough to find my rhythm fully, or to even figure out a whole week’s worth of meals with zero repeats. So please know that I am not complaining about the difficulty of life in developing countries. I’m simply sharing that since I never got over the hump of banging my head against the kitchen cabinet as I realized that I couldn’t make that, either, finding myself back in the land of fully-stocked grocery stores and year-round produce options is a little heady.
So menu making is fun again. It’s not just fun, it’s delightful. My Pinterest boards are inspiring. My appliances (for which I thank many generous friends!) are being put to good use. And my people? They are happy.
Thursday 1st
NEW YEAR’S DAY
Dinner: chili
Dessert: Reese’s bars***
Friday 2nd
Breakfast: Mamaw’s breakfast casserole
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Crockpot Butter Chicken
Saturday 3rd
Breakfast: biscuits and gravy
Lunch: beef stew
Dinner: homemade pizza
Sunday 4th
Breakfast: peaches and oatmeal
Lunch: Ramen
Dinner: black bean tortilla stack-ups
BIBLE STUDY DESSERT: pomegranate cake (I’d link, but it’s Christopher’s recipe and I have no idea where it is)
Monday 5th
Breakfast: Easy Cheesy Breakfast Casserole
Lunch: taco salad
Dinner: Chicken and stuffing casserole
Tuesday 6th
Breakfast: oatmeal pancakes
Lunch: gladiator
Dinner: fried rice
BIBLE STUDY DESSERT: pomegranate cake
Wednesday 7th
Breakfast: bacon and eggs
Lunch: Ramen
Dinner: Swedish meatballs
Thursday 8th
Breakfast: sausage muffins
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: crockpot taco soup***
BIBLE STUDY DESSERT: homemade twix bars***
Friday 9th
Breakfast: blueberry muffins
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowl
Saturday 10th
Breakfast: french toast sticks
Lunch: spaghetti
Dinner: sloppy joes
Sunday 11th
Breakfast: omlettes
Lunch: chili dogs
Dinner: Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken***
BIBLE STUDY DESSERT: Chocolate chip cookies
*** indicates a family favorite recipe
I’m glad you’ve got the joy back in all the meal stuff … and I’m wondering what gladiator is on 1/6?
LOL! “Gladiator” is our family name for elbow macaroni mixed with butter, frozen corn, and parmesan cheese. Years ago, my kids named it that during a study on ancient Rome. They thought that this would be a feast for gladiators before they hit the ring. It stuck, and here I am 10 years later making “gladiator” for lunch!
Ha! I love it.
That burrito bowl recipe looks like something we need to try here, and I have most of the ingredients–just need to buy instant brown rice.
Heather, the burrito bowl–what did you do to keep the chicken warm while the rice cooks? I put mine in the toaster oven at a low temp, but wondered what others would do.
Also, dud you find 4 hours on Low was enough for the chicken? I set it on High for part of the time, but again wondered if the Low setting worked for you. My chicken pieces were still pretty frozen, although I cut them into chunks before cooking.
Chicken went into a bowl covered with foil in the stove for a bit. And my chicken was thawed– fresh chicken is astoundingly cheaper here, so I am learning how to adjust. LOL