This week was a recovery week, given the holiday travels. Generally, we eat out too much on a recovery week, because DH and I feel an acute lack of tex-mex immediately on leaving Texas, and it takes us 2-3 doses to recover. My sub goal, after a perfect 10 for family dinner, was to just not eat out this week. Even with all my plans, we often eat out not as a whole family but as a subset. The Call of the Queso is a lure, among us.

Here’s the goal for this week, written after Monday’s supper, looking at a vacation-empty fridge and with an eye toward the pantry and freezer:

• Mon: tri tip, salad, broccoli/cauliflower, applesauce, cucumber and carrots
• Tue:  Taco Tuesday!  tacos al pastor, refried beans, queso,tortillas and fixings
• Wed: Prince Spaghetti day!  alfredo noodles, roasted chicken legs, carrots, salad
• Thur: egg drop soup, fried rice
• Fri: pizza/calzone night!

And the actual:

• Mon:   It’s possible for my self-esteem I should always make the plan after the fact. 4 people. Score: 1.5 points.
• Tue:  Taco Tuesday! completely as advertised.  7:30 pm. 5 people. Score: 2 points.
• Wed: Prince Spaghetti day! also as advertised. 7:15 pm. 4 people. Score: 1.5 points.
• Thur: Refrigerator Buffet.Varied times. 5 people, different times. Score: 0.5 points.
• Fri: Pizza Night. No calzones, which should mean zero points, but I’m a wuss. 8:30pm. 4 people. Score: 1.5 points.

This is a marked improvement from the Land of 4s!   In the land of 7.0!  This is a lofty area, indeed.

I think what helped me this week was standing in front of the empty fridge, and being able to plan from the freezer/pantry. I posted in front of a zero shopping idea, and it worked. I bought fruit and vegetables, but other than that it was a pantry freezer/week.  I should work on doing that more.

Week 6

• Score: 7.0/10
• Plan followed?: 4/5 (point off for Refrigerator buffet)
• Effort?: middle

This is a definite boost, after the last two weeks.  Tomorrow’s Goal Post will be centered around what was successful this week–using what’s on hand, and supplementing.