Super Bowl Sunday is apparently the best time to go to Costco. It wasn’t empty, but there were an awful lot of empty spaces in the parking lot and the check out lines were short. We made a family outing of it, and the kids ate samples while we crossed items off our list. We rewarded the kids with a big box of Pirate’s Booty for school day snacks, and congratulated ourselves for only buying what was on the list–exciting things like pasta, rice and canned tomatoes. It felt good to go home, unpack the car, fill the pantry and know that once again, we’ve got the building blocks for some good meals without having to dash out to the store.

Monday: Pasta pesto (this one with a mix of herbs, basil and arugula)

Tuesday: Pot roast with pickles, noodles, steamed carrots

Wednesday: Soup & Salad Bar: Baked potato soup, salad, focaccia, hummus and veggies

Thursday: Sesame noodles, potstickers, edamame

Friday: Hamburgers