After Chris comes home from work tonight, he only has 15 more work days until break. Can't wait! I love spending every day together. It is such a blessing in our life to be able to hang out every summer. It makes the notoriously low teacher salary a LOT more palatable. And I can't tell you how much that extra time helps Chris to get to know our kids even better. My final longing for summer is that, frankly, after the ride we've had so far in 2010 a good break is in order. I'm sure you will agree. :)
Aaaah . . . summer! Gardens and grilling! Picnics and playgrounds! Vacations! What's not to love?
My only qualm about summer is my work ethic tends to get really sloppy. During the rest of the year, I keep the house running pretty smoothly Monday through Friday. But come the weekend, all I normally want to do is hang out and play! Considering that having Chris home for the summer is like one super- long weekend-- I really struggle to keep things clean and orderly. And I can't complain or blame . . . Chris is the cleanest spouse I know and he does so much around here. It's me! I just want to hang out with the family and have picnics everyday. It's a wonder I still make dinner every night.
Which leads to my next struggle every summer . . . lunch. Nine months out of the year I am satisfied with leftovers or "kid food" for lunch. But during summer, with "vacation mode" switched on, I always crave something a little more exciting than PB&J. And it's so easy to rationalize sharing two five-dollar foot longs or one Little Caesar's Pizza amongst our little family. It's a fact that neither are super-glamorous meals, but they are cheap, easy, and out of the house! But, however inexpensive five-dollar meals are. They add up . . . fast!
Though it seems daunting to me, I know a fresh summer house and fast and yummy summer lunches can be accomplished. It will just take what any other worthy goal takes . . . planning!
To help me on my way, I started a list of summer meals that are easy, fast, and the antithesis of anti-climactic.
Here are some ideas:
- greek pitas
- club pitas
- asian lettuce wraps
- black bean salsa and tortilla chips
- ranch BLT wraps
- chicken santa fe wraps
- chinese chicken salad
- pepperoni, cheese, and crackers
- chicken salad sandwiches
- easy philly cheese steaks
- french dip sandwiches
- strawberry feta springs salad
- spinach salad
- egg salad sandwiches
- hamburgers
- hot dogs
- chicken
- steak
- shish kabobs
- fajitas
- grilled pizza
- grilled fish tacos
- grilled veggies
What are your favorites. No seriously, help a girl out . . . WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITES? I'm determined to break this bad habit! Leave a comment or send an email: cmhinkson@yahoo.com. Thanks. :)
P.S. I promise to share my best summer recipes if you share yours!
5 comments:
Pea salad with fruit on the side, Hummus (try edamame hummus) with raw veggies, Hummus pizza with cucumber, tomato, feta, and sprinkling of red wine vinegar, chicken and grape kabobs, steak and peach kabobs, zucchini cakes, black bean croquettes with fresh salsa, wraps, turkey meatballs with minted yogurt dipping sauce, tuna salad, quesadillas,tabbouleh, and southwestern salad might be some worth trying.
I tend to snack a lot through-out the day. I do have some lunch-type yummy recipes, though. Here's a fantastic one for a "tea party" or for when in the mood for The Importance of Being Ernest.
Cucumber Sandwiches
Prep Time:
20 Min
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian salad dressing mix
• 2 loaves French bread, cut into 1 inch slices
• 2 medium cucumbers, sliced
• 1 pinch dried dill weed
1. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise and Italian dressing mix. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.
2. Spread the cream cheese blend onto slices of French bread. Top with a cucumber slice, and sprinkle with dill. You can make as many or few as you like. the cream cheese mixture keeps for about a week in the refrigerator so you can make them over and over again!
You know, my fam loves chicken salad sammies! And we just mix up the grain part and how we eat them. One week it's in pitas, another week we'll just make them on bread but cut out sandwiches with cookie cutters (big ones) to make them more fun. We've even rolled them up in spinach tortillas. And my kids will always eat baby carrots if there is dip. :)
Oh, have you had Monte Cristo sandwiches like they make at Blue Bayou at Disneyland? Make a sandwich with swiss cheese, turkey, and ham, and with both sides of the bread buttered. Then dip it in a French Toast-like batter (eggs, milk, and a little salt). Cook it like you would French Toast. Try dipping it in syrup, mustard, or jam. We make it every General Conference Sunday.
Your food ideas sound sooo good! I'm hitting that same problem with Phil being home- rather than just eating crackers and cheese! I do a chicken bacon ranch pizza- you use the ranch instead of the spagetthi sauce. Way good! Hope you are enjoying having Chris home- how fun!
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