April 2023 Recap

April was such a whirlwind. We had the upstairs floors refinished then we got reset and back to normal and the main floor is happening this very minute. It is like moving! School vacation was fun and we are so glad for more outside time. Baseball started back up and Easter was a very nice day.

In the kitchen, I did a month of Chicken, Bacon, Ranch!

I loaded some fries with chicken, bacon, and ranch with cheddar and queso. They were so good!

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Loaded Fries
Chicken, bacon & ranch loaded fries

I made a grilled chicken sandwich with bacon and ranch. I loved it and would definitely repeat or it doesn’t have to be a sandwich.

The Three Bite Rule - Grilled Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Sandwich
Grilled chicken bacon ranch sandwiches

It started with a pickle & ranch salad. I had it loaded with pickle flavor inspired by a salad kit, but the kids were happy for salad and ranch, minus pickles.

The Three Bite Rule - Pickle Salad
Dill Pickle Ranch Salad

May will bring a dance recital, reunion weekend at work, and some fun stuff – maybe ask me again when the floor-refinishing is done. I’m envisioning some quick or packable meals for the baseball sidelines.

The big kid:
So many birthday parties – almost all at the trampoline place. He loved the school vacation break with some fun days and other days to just be home. Baseball started back up and they’re more coordinated than last year. He’s been less bothered by a meal that isn’t something he’d vote for which has been my goal all along but if it were up to him, it’d be pasta every night. I think he’s just usually hungry at the moment so maybe that makes him more flexible than in the winter.

The little one:
She had some fear-of-missing-out when it came time on Sunday mornings to get ready for dance class. We re-strategized and it went much more smoothly. I’m seeing her take on some spice – she knew that one of the cheese-of-the-month was spicy (it was sriracha gouda) and she kept eating it on multiple occasions. She’s too funny. She loved gnocchi and was more into hot-dogs than I remember from last year.

Goals:
Year of workwear! I tried some dresses but think they’re both going back.  
Salads or side-dishes: Pickle salad!
prep ahead bfasts or lunches for weekdays: being out of our space and normal routines has meant some regular occurrences and some spontaneity
Monthly dates: With all the sleepovers during floor refinishing and us each having a doozy of a cold, we didn’t add it anything else.
Declutter/cleaning: As we move all the stuff off the floors, we’ve cleaned, gotten rid of a good amount.
Workouts as a routine: Ehh. I did a few quick runs but got derailed with a cold that went through most of us.
What I’m reading: I read a lot! I muscled through this memoir – (it might be better as audio) Unfollow: A Journey from Hatred to Hope. Then I read The House in the Cerulean Sea, which was from a blind-book-swap with bookclub. I never read fantasy and ended up being really into it. I always love Taylor Jenkins Reid and I breezed through Carrie Soto is Back. Rock, Paper, Scissors was a quick suspense one I liked but absolutely don’t endorse being a movie/mini-series.

Pickle Ranch Salad

The Three Bite Rule - Pickle Salad

Salad kits are so fun, though rarely enough for a family meal so I made our own. I love love love pickles so seeing the pickle inspired ones are close to my heart. Pickle Ranch SaladIngredients: 1 packet “Restaurant Style” … Continue reading 

March 2023 Recap

I made tortellini in honey garlic sauce and thought the pairing of ham and honey was spot-on. We love that sauce on pizza, turkey sandwiches, burgers, on broccoli, or anything!

Tortellini in Honey Garlic Sauce with Ham - The Three Bite Rule

We shook up the smoothie game with a redo of Creamsicle Smoothie. We, as in, the little girl and I are the only consistent smoothie drinkers here. The key is to add some other fruit beyond just oranges – it neeeeds frozen peaches or frozen mango.

Creamsicle Smoothie Redo - The Three Bite Rule
Creamsicle Smoothie

Then I made a Cheeseburger Burrito and it was perfect. I loved the crumbled burger with a little rice and all the burger fixings. I loved it an plan to whip up a few for a night that needs dinner in-advance or on the go. It seems fitting for a baseball night this season. I wouldn’t freeze these but they could be assembled and popped into the toaster oven or to a pan when it was time.

Cheeseburger Burrito - The Three Bite Rule


The big kid:
It is prime birthday party time for his school-friends. We are seeing ohh-so-many, almost all are at the trampoline park. He loves going and I’m enjoying it for him, especially for this time of the whole class, or all the boys, etc. My strategy is a go-to present we give everyone unless he has an idea and they’re super close. He’s into Mario Kart and always legos. Baseball starts soon!

The little one:
One afternoon when big-brother was at a birthday party, we found our own excitement with a teddy bear tea party at the library and it was adorable. They had gold-rimmed paper plates and paper cups with handles and matching saucers and tiny spoons. It was very fancy and she loved it. She’s still always coloring and very into magnatiles.

Next month will feel full with Easter, school vacation, we’re getting our floors refinished (which means totally cleared off and a few days before we can walk on them again!), and of course some birthday parties. I’ve planned a few fun foods for April! 

Goals:
Year of workwear! I tried a new brand for some short-sleeves which might be a tiny bit premature season-wise, but I have them. 
Salads or side-dishes: not really.
prep ahead bfasts or lunches for weekdays: I haven’t been great about this – I need to get back to it.
Monthly dates: we didn’t. booo. I had to reschedule one and couldn’t get another Saturday until May!
Declutter/cleaning: This is prime time to clear some stuff out before we get our floors refinished. I handed over a few baby-ish toys and expect to really get some stuff out. 
Workouts as a routine: I’ve gone on a few runs and am doing one a mix of weight days with yoga days – though I’m at a solid 2 out of the 3 yoga ones they think I’ll be doing per week.
What I’m reading: My bookclub read And Then There Were None as our classic – it was pretty ok. I read The People We Keep and found it to be the best coming-of-age story I’ve read in awhile. I read It Ends With Us and sort of got the hype, but wasn’t blown away. I can’t quite picture the next one. I also read The Personal Librarian and hadn’t had a historical fiction in awhile.