What a Week This Is Going to Be
Sunday afternoons in our house have a rhythm to them. Church in the morning, a big lunch, and then somewhere around 3 o’clock, I’m standing in the kitchen looking at everything I hauled in from the grocery store and thinking through how we’re going to eat well this week without losing our minds. With four boys ranging from 6 to 15, “eating well” covers a lot of ground. It means enough food to actually fill them up, ingredients that won’t sit forgotten in the back of the fridge, and meals that don’t take me two hours to pull off on a Tuesday night.
This week’s haul was a good one. Let me walk you through what I grabbed and why, and then I’ll share the three meals I’m already excited to make.
The Haul Breakdown
First, the proteins, because everything in this house starts with protein. I picked up a red bag of Tyson chicken, a box of Steak-Umm, crispy wings, bacon, and eggs. That’s our foundation for the week. I also grabbed a box of Hot Pockets pepperoni for the days when the boys need something fast after school and I’m still wrapping up work. I’m not above a Hot Pocket. They know where the box is.
For dairy, I went with a couple of packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, a large 2-pound bag of Mexican shredded cheese, Polly-O string cheese, and the usual gallon of milk. We also do almond milk in this house — our youngest has been having some issues with too much dairy, so we’ve been blending the two. The string cheese disappears faster than almost anything else in the refrigerator. I think the boys eat it before it even gets fully put away.
On the produce side, I’m really happy with this week’s selection. I grabbed a whole watermelon and a whole cantaloupe, which are going to live on the counter and get cut up throughout the week. Fresh fruit at eye level means the boys actually eat it. I also picked up a bag of mini sweet peppers in orange and yellow, a big head of fresh broccoli, a bag of romaine, and a container of mixed berries and grapes. That’s more produce than we sometimes land in a single haul, and I’m grateful for it.
Pantry additions this week included avocado oil, fine Himalayan pink salt, and black pepper. I also grabbed Kashi GO Peanut Butter Crunch cereal, which has become our go-to school morning cereal because it actually has some protein and fiber in it, and the boys genuinely like the taste. That matters. A cereal that sits uneaten helps nobody.
For a little something sweet, I picked up two boxes of fudge bars — one box of 20 at 60 calories and one box of 18 at 90 calories. When it’s warm out and the boys have been running around all day, a cold fudge bar after dinner feels like a gift from God. Simple pleasures.
Recipe 1: Cheesy Bacon Broccoli Egg Scramble
This one is going on the table Wednesday night, and I’m calling it breakfast for dinner, which is always met with enthusiasm in our house. I’ll start by crisping up the bacon in our cast iron skillet with just a little avocado oil, then pull it out to drain and crumble it. In the same pan, I’ll toss in the broccoli florets — cut small so they soften quickly — and let them get a little color. Then in go the eggs, scrambled right in with everything, and once they’re almost set, I pile on the shredded Mexican cheese and let it melt over the top. Salt and pepper throughout. Bacon crumbles go on last.
The whole thing takes maybe 20 minutes. It’s high protein, it has real vegetables in it, and every single one of my boys eats it without complaint. That last part might be the most impressive feature of any meal in a house with four different opinions about food.
Recipe 2: Steak-Umm Cheesesteak Wraps with Pepper Slaw
Thursday night is shaping up to be a busy one with practice schedules, so this is my fast dinner answer. I’ll sauté the Steak-Umm strips in avocado oil over high heat — these cook in literally minutes — and then layer them with melted Polly-O string cheese right in the pan. While that’s going, I’ll slice the mini sweet peppers thin and toss them with some shredded romaine, a little salt and pepper, and a drizzle of avocado oil for a quick slaw situation. Everything goes into wraps.
My older boys love anything that resembles a cheesesteak, and honestly this version hits close enough to earn real approval. The pepper slaw adds crunch and color, and it sneaks in the kind of vegetables that might get rejected if I served them on the side of a plate. Wrap everything together and suddenly it’s just part of the meal. That’s the strategy.
Recipe 3: Crispy Chicken and Broccoli Mac Bowl
Friday nights are for the crowd-pleasers, and this one delivers. I’ll bake the crispy wings until they’re golden, steam the broccoli florets until just tender, and make the Kraft PowerMac according to the box. Then we bowl it up — mac on the bottom, broccoli next, wings on top, finished with a handful of that shredded Mexican cheese that melts right over the hot food. Simple, filling, and my 15-year-old has already requested it twice this month.
After a week of school, sports, and everything in between, Friday dinner in our house is meant to feel like a reward. This bowl does that job well.
Grateful for Another Week
Every Sunday when I put this food away, I say a quiet thank you. We have a full refrigerator, healthy boys, and another week ahead of us to eat well together. That’s not something I take lightly. I hope something from this haul gives you an idea or two for your own week. See you back here next Sunday.
