Happy Mothers' Day!

In celebration of a day of relaxation and utter spoilage, I hereby dedicate this post to all the moms and moms-to-be, grandmoms, great grandmoms, step moms, mom wannabes, and even to the dads and kids that make us moms who we are.

Motherhood is the hardest job anyone could ever love. It's exhausting, frustrating, worrisome, and challenging. It's also rewarding, fulfilling, enriching, educational, hilarious and ego-boosting. My kids think I am the best and worst thing that ever happened to them, depending on the moment.

My mom is a great mom: strong, independent, wise, funny, and beautiful, encouraging and supportive, and everything I try to be every day. And though she didn't (doesn't) like to cook, she put tasty, healthy meals on the table most every night. (And, admittedly, I wasn't the best of eaters at that time! Uh, sorry Mom.)

To that end, here's a week of meals designed to make the cook's (whomever it may be) week easier. The planning is done. The rest is easy. Eat up and save your strength; you're likely to need it, for all the aforementioned reasons.

Monday: One of our favorites: Blender Pancakes, Fresh Fruit Salad, Scrambled Eggs

My all time favorite fruit salad:

2 cups fresh cut pineapple chunks
3 kiwis, peeled and cut into chunks
2 lbs strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 pint blueberries, washed
2-3 cups green or red seedless grapes, washed
1 T. raw sugar
1 T. lemon juice

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve. Feel free to add watermelon if you can afford it! (It's not watermelon season here yet!)


Here it is again: breakfast for dinner on a sports night. It's so easy and tasty, and it goes over so well with the kids, that it feels like cheating. Well, hey. So be it! And, pass the syrup.

Tuesday: Fajitas

Someday I will make my own tortillas from my own home-milled flour. My friend does this, and swears they are better than, well, better than something very very good. But for now, I buy the cardboard-tasting ones at the grocery store.

Wednesday: Meal Swap Meal. It's another busy sports night, and I have a wonderful freezer full of homemade meals, thanks to my swappers. If you're not swapping, try: Slow-Cooker Macaroni and Beef. The time invested in the morning will pay off in the evening. No time in the morning? Assemble it Tuesday night, store it in a tupperware container, and dump it in the slow cooker Wed. morning. Use precooked beef or even Morning Star Meal Starters for an even quicker prep.

Thursday: Stuffed Peppers

Confession time: I totally cheat on Stuffed Peppers. I use Morning Star Meal Starters, commercially bottled spaghetti sauce, and whole wheat orzo. Cheat cheat cheat! I won't tell if you won't.

(pay no attention to the picture on the link. It appears Betty had a senior moment. She is getting up there ya know.)

Friday: Asparagus and Chicken Carbonara, Grilled Garlic Bread, Spinach Salad

Saturday: Pizza