Ever have one of those weeks where you can’t remember sitting? Definately there.

We did the lemmonaid stand for Anthem yesterday. I am not sure if this happens outside of Richmond, but kids sell lemmonade to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network. The girls had a grand time. I am pooped.

Earlier this week we did Peach and ginger preserves. We now have 5 1/1 pints. Amazing how 17 peaches can turn into so many jars. Today I am doing blueberries. Next week, tomatoes. Our are no where near ready, but my husband frequents the 17th street market downtown and has an in for a bushel of tomatoes. He could talk most anyone into selling something cheap…a scrounge that man.

So this morning I decided to sit at the movies. This morning the girls and I took the grandparents to see Kit Kittredge. A lot of fun, especially the clothes. Little sis had a hard time with the plot, but the clothes kept her interested. Just look at the button on the purple dress!! Here she’s wearing an amazing hat with a rose on it…hard to see, but it would be a lot of fun to try to do.

And does anyone else think the Kit doll looks a lot like my friend Becky from the 70’s? I wish the price was about the same…there really isn’t an affordable doll that looks like a little girls. Babies, yes. Prostitutes, yes. But nothing in between for those of us on a budget. Althought the bratz dolls would be ceap to sew for, not much in the way of fabric needed.

Sweet Potatoes

These need to be started about an hour before dinner. They are baked, not fried so they are a bit healthier.

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Wash the potatoes.
• Cut the potatoes into french fry shaped pieces about a quarter of an inch across.
• Toss with 2 - 3 Tablespoons of Olive oil, 2 tablespoons salt and a sprinkle or two of chili powder.
• Spread evenly on a baking pan lined with tin foil.
• Cook for about 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes or so.

Pork Chops

Marinade Ingredients:

• 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Fresh Ginger mashed (I just put it through my garlic press)
• 3 Cloves of Garlic mashed

Once fries are in put pork chops in the marinade and turn so both sides are coated. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. These can be grilled or cooked in a pan over medium heat.

Corn

I boil a few extra ears of corn. After dinner I cut off the kernals and save them for later in the week when we have succotash as a side dish.

This is totally for my own record keeping….it is the first meal plan I’ve worked out for summer. Feel Free to ignore.

The order is set to help with meal prep. So I cook an extra couple of ears of corn on Sunday and cut off the kernels. That gets used later with the succotash. I also try to put the quick salads on days I know I have a lot going on.

Sunday: Grilled Pork, Sweet Potato Fries and Corn on the cob

Monday: Black Eyed Pea Salad

Tuesday: Pasta with meat sauce

Wednesday: Pinto Beans and Rice

Thursday: Stuffed Green Peppers and Succotash

Friday: Broccoli and Pasta Salad

Broccoli and Pasta

Shopping List:

(Assumes you have Olive Oil, salt, etc.)

• Corn on the Cob (5 or 6 ears)
• 2 large Sweet Potatoes
• Carrot
• Medium Onion
• Bunch Green Onions
• 3 Green Bell Peppers
• Head of Broccoli
• Pint Grape Tomatoes
• Fresh Basil
• Fresh Garlic
• Fresh Ginger-small piece
• 2 Cans Pinto Beans (or dried)
• 2 Cans Black Eyed Peas (or dried)
• Small Can of Black Olives
• Baby Lima Beans
• 2 boxes pasta-penne, bow tie, elbow…
• Pork Chops
• 1 LB Ground Turkey
• Turkey Breakfast Sausage (optional - See Friday)
• Brown Rice
• Barley
• Blue Cheese (optional- see Monday)

When big-sis was a baby I got rather overwhelmed in the dinner department. The husband was working as an obituary reporter - every bit as glamorous as you imagine. Problem is that the reporting of the daily dead happens at night, so it meant I was left to fend for myself. At the end of a long day teaching I was too spent to manage much beyond a bowl of frosted mini wheats. Not exactly a well balanced meal.

Then I remembered meal rotation. This isn’t a new idea…I am sure that I am not the only one that grew up in a household where Monday night = baked chicken and carrots, Tuesday night = pasta and salad, etc. My mother hardly ever strayed from this…as a kid I hated it, but now that I have people waiting for me to produce food I totally get it.

So rotating I went, with one adjustment. I really can’t see eating the same thing every Monday. So I try to have around 2 to 3 weeks planned out. Generally my family never notices that every third Tuesday is Broccoli and Pasta. I try to set it up so we can cook ahead…like cooking extra rice one night so you can have stuffed bell peppers later in the week, or chopping two onions one night. Along with this I came up with a shopping list for each week so I could quickly check if we had the necessary ingredients. As we all know shopping with small people is almost as fun as writing obituaries.

When I stayed home with the girls I gave it up, and I am trying to reconstruct the system. I am trying to stick with seasonal vegetables, which means there will need to be summer/fall/winter variations. We’ll see if I get that far…