School starts Monday. And by “school”, I mean the 10 days of professional development that the state of Massachusetts has provided time for to start this year of remote/hybrid/socially distanced learning. Brian and I will both be teaching remotely, at least to start. Still, I know that I need to think seriously about routines, time management and being productive again.
I’m thinking, as I do every fall, a lot about how to make my menu planning even more smooth and efficient. I spent some time last week looking through my menu planning documents from the past 7 (!) years to see what reliable recipes I may have forgotten about. I put all those recipes in a single document for myself. Brian has also agreed to cook our weekly tacos on Thursdays and I’m reinstating pizza Friday, which means we’ve already decided on two meals a week and I don’t have to think about getting one of them made. Another way I’m trying to reduce the after school workload of cooking is by using my slow cooker more frequently, ideally weekly. I have several tried-and-true slow cooker recipes I’ll be scheduling and I’ve already checked out a library book for more ideas. If you’ve got a favorite slow cooker recipe, please pass it along!
The Pick Ups

The Plan
Spaghetti with No-Cook Puttanesa (Bon Appetit)
Lentil Sloppy Joes and rice with caprese salad
Vegetable Pot Pie Skillet with Cheddar Biscuit Topping (Budget Bytes) with sliced tomatoes
grilled, marinated chicken with corn on the cob and cucumber salad
Brian makes tacos with corn, onion and tomato topping
Salmon with Summer Tomatoes and Rosemary en Papillote (Serious Eats) with Quick Cooking Collards
homemade pizza