Meal Plan Monday and What To Do With Cheap Summer Produce

Whaaaaa-Laaaah!  It is back in effect, Meal Plan Monday!

Since the kids are back in school and back in activities, I need to get back in my game of planning and organizing, so welcome to the re-appearance of my weekly meal plans.  Feel free to share yours below, I love seeing what people are eating.

This week was a tough one, coming off vacation I was feeling a little un-inspired on what to make, this is where "The List" comes in handy.  I keep notes on my iPad of different recipe or meal ideas I have to try, plus a list of meals I have made in the past.  If I am in a "what should I make" rut, I consult the list and just pick items from there.  Done and done.

This weeks menu includes:

 - Pan-Seared Chicken with Pears and Bleu Cheese, Bleu Cheese Creamed Spinach

 - Hawaiian Chicken Meatballs, Sugar Snap Peas, Brown Rice

 - Mediterranean Pizzas

 - Tropical Black Bean-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

 - Grilled Thai Peanut Chicken, Roasted Curry Cauliflower, Asian Cucumber Salad

 - Homemade Rosemary Black Pepper Biscuits, Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Fried Eggs

This is also such a great time for produce, everything is being harvested and is super cheap.  Take advantage of these sales and put up your own produce for the winter.  You can jar or freeze most of it, but I prefer to freeze it, just because it is easier and quicker.  Last week I froze 40 ears of corn, 40 limes, and 20 peaches.  These were the best sales I could find....have you seen anything else out there?

The limes are easy and will save you a fortune in the future.  Mine were on sale for $0.10 each, which is a steal compared to the usual $1.00 each or more.  I simply juiced them all, then poured the juice into ice cube trays (left over from baby food makin' days).  Froze them overnight, them popped them into freezer bags.  Each cube is approximately 2 TB of juice, and I got about 6 cups of juice total from the 40 limes.  Do this.  Especially because fall is coming, and you will need lots of fresh juice for your Autumn Spiced Rum Punch.  Ahhhhhhhh yeah!

Corn and peach take a little bit more work.  For the corn, you shuck it and then blanch it (about 3-4 minutes in boiling water, then ~4 minutes submerged in ice water), then cut the kernels off.  I use a Bundt pan to hold the ear in place and catch the kernels.  Then pop the kernels into freezer bags and you are done.

For peaches, cut a small "X" into the bottom, then blanch them for ~2 minutes in boiling water and 3-4 minutes in ice water.  The skin will peel right off, then you can cut them in half, remove the pits, and slice them.  Peaches do need to be treated with a preservative to keep the color (unless you want to freeze them in water or syrup...ummm, no), so I mix the juice from 1 lemon with 4 cups of water, then just toss the peach slices into the water, swish them around a little bit, and remove.  You can freeze them in bags like this, or what I like to do is spread them out on cookie sheets and freeze the slices overnight and them pop the frozen slices into bags.  I think this makes them easier to use for yogurt or smoothies, or frozen bellinis (yum!).

And I'm Back.....

Sorry for the long absence.  I was on vacation with the family.  It's a weird thing, stepping away from the technology world for a bit.  Not to say I didn't check my email or read me some Facebook (because you need something to do in the bathroom, right??).  But while on vacation, I try to avoid that kind of stuff as much as possible.  

I know so many people who will constantly be checking their phone or computers, trying to stay caught up on work or even their internet social life...becoming absorbed in an alternate world than the one they are actually living in.  It baffles me.  After all, isn't that the point of a vacation?  To step away from it all and recharge?  To experience something new, spend time with your loved ones, and enjoy life?  

I am grateful that neither B or I have the need to be constantly "connected." I am especially glad that he is able to cut off all the needs and stresses of work and actually vacation.  It seems to be a disappearing art.....

What do you think?  Is there an alternate point to it I just don't understand?  A reason to always be reachable, involved, and connected?

And not to be too heavy...here are some random outfit shots from over the last month.  Each of these i am wear something that is at least 5 years old.  Classics that I love.  What are your go-to classic wardeobe staples?

Here is my favorite summertime uniform...a dress and sandals.  It just doesn't get any easier.  This was for Back to School Night.  I got this dress like 6 years ago and I still wear it all the time.  A sheath dress in a casual neutral fabric....perfect for all sorts of occasions and a classic.

I wore this to my monthly wine tasting.  These pants are old too....in fact, I wore them on my honeymoon!  But so so comfy and classic.  I love my white pants!

And this was for a date night for B and I...just dinner and drinks.  The skirt is another 5+ year old piece.    But it is still doable...I actually forgot I had it.  It was part of my former working wardrobe and it always seems strange to me to wear something I wore for work in real life, but I am slowly getting better at blending the two wardrobes.

And you may notice the accessories in the last 2 photos are the same...I have been obsessed with these lately.  I actually won the clutch in a giveaway (it is JCrew) from another blog I read...

http://www.gigisgoneshopping.com/ 

Since I avoid the malls and stores as much as possible, her kind of blog is right up my alley.  It helps being able to see what the clothes look like on actual people.  If you are an avid Internet shopper like me, you should check it out.

The watch is a Target knock-off of a Marc Jacobs watch, and the bracelet is another Target purchase. I was liking the spikes.  Makes me feel bad-ass.

And finally....speaking of back to school.  These little guys have started Pre-K4.  They are gone all day and I miss them like crazy.