ok then method behind the madness . . .
Dinners:
are based on meat every other night with meals featuring no or little meat in between. this is just what I feel is a healthy balance.
I don't always have yellow veggis on Wednesday and red vegis on Tuesday but use this as a guideline to remember 1. to serve vegis 2. to serve a healthy variety of vegis and 3. it gives me a great opportunity to try new recipes.
I serve beans on Monday because that is my busiest day of the week. Sunday night is always my slowest, so it's easy to assemble the ingredients then and throw them in the pot on Monday AM.
As I have said before, I make sure we have seafood for dinner once a week because I think it is healthy, I serve a vairety of pink, and white fleshed fish along with shell fish. I think fishing is a healthy outdoor activity that lends it self to young families while teaching a level of self sufficiency. Also I love deep sea fishing in Cabo (no kids
)and can't wait until I can fit in an annual trip to Alaska for our Salmon, Halibut and Crab needs.
Also as I said before, I think it is very important to schedule in one night a week for leftovers. If we don't have any or enough one week that is when I cook pork or rabbit. this is simply because I am not a huge fan of pork and I think we get enough of it in our house at breakfast. I love rabbit but is is scarce here (to buy) next year or the year after I will add them to my little farm. The prior weeks leftovers that are reheated and not finished on Wed night go to the chickens the next day - this keeps the fridge clean
IMHO red meat once a week is enough. My husband thought he would die from this restiction to his usual diet, he didn't, and now loves the variety. We like to go out once a week when we can swing it, and that's usually on a Friday so it's fun to "go out for a Steak", I also entertain at my house A LOT and Friday night tends to be around the grill with friends in the summer - and that just calls for burgers, steaks and tri tips.
Sat. is salad in the spring and summer because that's the day I go to the farmers market and it's so nice to bring home fresh picked vegis for a huge dinner salad. Very refreshing. Fall and winter are home made soup and bread - I have time during the day to make the bread and the kids LOVE coming in out of the cold to those smells, also if they have friends over that's a meal that is easily extended for more.
Sunday is of course chicken dinner and everyone must be at the table no exceptions. It's a good family tradition and a good way to get them back into the house on the first school night of the week. I had hoped that as they got older they would return on Sundays to mom's house for the traditional dinner with their kids . . . so far this isn't working so well with the ones that are grown, but I am hoping as they get older and their lives more settled they will pick it back up.
