I was going to post this yesterday–I had the menu all ready on Saturday–but abandoned the computer in favor of laboring a little in the yard in the morning and relaxing a little with friends in the afternoon. Today we are off and running, in a week filled with overlapping meetings, lessons, parties and back-to-school events.

With Little Five in kindergarten all day (he’s doing fine), I’ve yet to establish some kind of routine to my day, but it’s nothing short of miraculous how many errands I can accomplish all by myself in a single hour. I have soup in the slow cooker and am now ready to tackle some more of today’s list. I feel slightly guilty having so many hours in the day (six and a half!) to call my own. Fortunately (?), I have several bushels of apples and pears to preserve, a long list of house projects, and some freelance writing goals, too. Time to get off the couch!

This week

Monday: Pizza on the grill, salad, apple crumble and ice cream

Tuesday: Salsa chicken and black bean soup, tortilla chips

Wednesday: Mote pillo and salad

Thursday: Homemade macaroni and cheese, tomato salad

Friday: Thai-style ground pork, rice, edamame

Last week

Green Chicken Enchiladas. Comfort food! We liked it just as much the second time. Not too much work if you use a rotisserie chicken.

Baked Falafel, tzatziki, tomato salad, pita. Tasty! I made nearly a triple batch, so we have some in the freezer for a quick lunch or dinner. Drier patties than recipes I’ve tried with canned chickpeas, but a great vehicle for a big bowl of tzatziki, and so much easier than frying.

Spaghetti with Zucchini and Garlic. Two kids out of three ate it (one even said, “It’s not so bad.”) Pasta, garlic, zucchini. I liked it!