What’s in the Cart This Week
If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you know Sunday afternoons around here mean one thing — a full cart at BJ’s or Costco and a trunk that barely closes on the drive home. This week was no different. Six people, four growing boys ranging from six to fifteen, and a summer that has them burning calories from sunrise to well past dark. I came home with a haul that should carry us through the week without a single “Dad, there’s nothing to eat” complaint — and trust me, those hit different when you’ve just spent two hours in a grocery store.
Let me walk you through what I grabbed, why I grabbed it, and how I’m planning to turn it into real meals that my boys will actually sit down and eat together as a family.
The Proteins — Because Growing Boys Need Fuel
Protein is always the backbone of my weekly shop, and this week I loaded up. I came home with a bag of Perdue Air Fryer Ready chicken, a package of bone-in chicken quarters, boneless chicken breasts, two large packages of 80% lean ground beef, a couple of ribeye and T-bone steaks, Hillshire Farm frankfurters, Beddar Cheddar sausages, a pound of Wellsley Farms fully cooked bacon, and Jimmy Dean sausage. I know that sounds like a lot, but with four boys who play sports, run around the yard all day, and eat like they’re preparing for something, I’ve learned that under-buying protein is the one mistake I cannot afford to make mid-week.
The steaks are reserved for a Friday night dinner — something I’ve started doing as a small family tradition. We call it Steak Night, we put our phones away, and we sit together and talk about our week. It’s a simple thing, but it matters. Proverbs 15:17 comes to mind — “Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred.” We’ve got the love and the ribeyes, so I’d say we’re in good shape.
Backyard BBQ Night — The No-Stress Summer Dinner
One of my favorite things about summer cooking is that dinner can happen outside. This week I’m planning a classic backyard BBQ night built around the frankfurters and Beddar Cheddar sausages on the grill. While the boys are out there tossing a ball around, I’ll get the grill going, put the corn on the cob directly on the grates with a little butter and sea salt, and set out a raw veggie spread with Hidden Valley Ranch for dipping. The cucumbers I grabbed this week are perfect for that. I’ll also cut up the watermelon and cantaloupe into a big bowl for a fruit salad the kids can snack on while everything else cooks.
The Polly-O string cheese makes for easy appetizers while we wait — I just set the box on the outdoor table and the boys help themselves. Dinner like this doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple food, fresh air, and kids who come to the table hungry and happy. That’s the goal on a Tuesday night in July.
Produce and Dairy — More Than an Afterthought
I made a real effort in the produce section this week. Blueberries, strawberries, apples, bananas, cantaloupe, watermelon, mango chunks — the fruit variety alone should keep the boys reaching for something good instead of something processed when they come in from outside. The green beans, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and corn round out the vegetable side nicely. My six-year-old has recently decided he loves Brussels sprouts roasted in the oven, which is a parenting win I did not see coming and I am absolutely not taking for granted.
On the dairy side, I picked up two gallons of whole milk, two cartons of heavy whipping cream, Daisy sour cream, Mexican cheese blend, and nearly four dozen free-range eggs. Eggs in this house are a cornerstone — scrambled in the morning, hard-boiled for snacks, and worked into dinners more often than people might expect.
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken with Roasted Vegetables — A Weeknight Winner
Midweek, when everyone’s tired and schedules are pulling in different directions, the Perdue Air Fryer Ready chicken is going to save dinner. I’ll get that running in the air fryer while the Brussels sprouts and asparagus roast in the oven tossed in olive oil with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. For a simple side, I’ll throw together a fresh green bean salad with the Olive Garden Italian dressing — just blanch the green beans, let them cool, and toss. It comes together in under thirty minutes and hits every box: protein, vegetables, and something the kids don’t complain about.
For dessert on that night, I’ll whip up some of that heavy cream and serve it over a bowl of blueberries and strawberries. My boys think it’s a treat. I know it’s just real food. That’s one of those small parenting victories that makes the weekly grocery haul feel worth every bit of the effort.
Snacks, Extras, and Keeping It Balanced
I also grabbed Planters peanuts, the 10 Bar protein bars, peanut butter, and a big bag of Simply Cheetos White Cheddar Puffs because I believe in balance and I believe in not fighting every battle. The protein bars are great after practices. The peanut butter gets spread on apple slices. And yes, the Cheetos are for movie night — and I’m at peace with that.
The guacamole spread, Mr. Olive pickles, and bread round out the week for quick lunches, and the 7UP Zero Sugar Tropical is my personal afternoon reward after a long day of work-from-home meetings and kid wrangling.
Let’s Cook This Week
Every week I try to remember that feeding my family well is one of the most consistent ways I can show them love and care for the bodies God gave us. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It has to be intentional. This cart is full of that intention — and I can’t wait to get into the kitchen this week. Stay with us, because I’ll be sharing full recipes and photos as we cook through it all.
