summer salad time

Menu for the week. . .

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad & Watermelon & Mangoes

Thai Beef Wraps

Pizza Margherita English Muffin Pizzas (it's good to be flexible)

Jacob cooks

Spinach, Rice & Feta Salad & Grapes

Grilled Corn Salad

Cambria cooks



So I have to explain the JD and Cambria's cooking slots.

Jacob's Menu

This is another brilliant idea that is not original with me. The other night I was listening to my friend Pam explain how she lets her girls plan, shop and prepare an entire meal; they take turns on a weekly basis throughout the summer. 

I loved this idea.  Although I'm not a big fan of little boys doing tons of household chores, learning how to put together a meal is a life skill.  And besides, I pointed out to Jacob, Daniel cooks for his shift frequently.  A nice perk of being the engine driver.  :)

So today they planned their meals.  It was too cute. I was surprised how well their selections meshed and I actually am excited to eat their food!   Cambria couldn't make out her own list, but Jacob did and they went shopping and pushed their own cart. 

I think Cambria is just a little young for the idea, (she needed more coaching) but Jacob owned the whole idea and can't wait to cook his meal. 

At the very least, I think it may give them some appreciation for me!  wink wink

Speaking of appreciation. . .

I am coming off of over a week of vacation and eating out every.single.night and oh. . . it's so fun.

I always come home inspired, though and since I love to cook it's okay that vacation is over.

Plus I had this fun surprise today:

I love peas.  I bought some  sugar snaps at the grocery store today and gritted my teeth when I saw  how expensive they were; but my garden is just not going to win awards any time soon, so into my cart they went.  I was standing at the counter munching on them when my friend Becky knocked on the door bringing me a whole bag  from her mom's farm.

Oh wow, I was so excited.

In early June my mom would always make creamed peas over new potatoes.  We would pick peas out of our garden, shell them into bowls and dig new potatoes up out of the soil  I loved finding those tiny potatoes.  Like buried treasure.  So she would make a cream sauce for the peas and steam the new potatoes and ohhhh it was so yummy.

I ran out to the grocery store again and (the irony of buying this is not lost on me) picked up new potatoes so I could have this tonight:

Thank you thank you Becky!  :)

So what is on your summer menu?