This week still felt a little different for us because two of the girls were still on spring break, and the rain kept us indoors more than we would have liked.
Since we did not have to wake up early most days, we naturally shifted into more of a late breakfast or brunch rhythm. It made the week feel slower, more relaxed, and a little less structured. We stayed home more, kept meals flexible, and leaned into comfort food, easy favorites, and a few meals that felt extra special.
There were also a few fun moments mixed in, like homemade pizza, fresh lemonade from a friend’s lemons, a shrimp truck outing, fresh ahi katsu, and a birthday dinner for our oldest daughter with friends over.
Here’s what we ate this week, what worked, and what made life easier.
Grocery Snapshot
Weekly grocery total: [add total]
This week was more about flexible meals, easy brunches, and a few fun home-cooked meals that fit our slower spring break schedule.
What We Ate This Week
Monday
Brunch: Gyudon
Drink: Fresh lemonade
Treat: Banana berry chocolate ice cream
Dinner: Fresh homemade pizza
Monday felt like a fun start to the week. We made fresh lemonade using lemons from a friend’s tree, which made everything feel a little brighter even with the rainy weather. We also had banana berry chocolate ice cream, which the kids were very happy about.
Dinner was homemade pizza, and this ended up being one of the highlights of the week. We made the dough from scratch, and the kids had fun creating their own pizzas. We baked them in the toaster oven, which was actually faster than using the regular oven and made the whole process feel easier.
Tuesday
Brunch: Leftover pizza
Dinner: Mapo tofu with glass noodles
Tuesday was a good reminder that leftovers can be a gift. Leftover pizza made brunch easy, and by dinner we switched to mapo tofu with glass noodles.
Our kids really like glass noodles, so that helped make the meal an easier win. It is always nice when one ingredient makes a dish feel more familiar and kid-friendly.
Wednesday
Breakfast/Lunch: Sausage and egg bento
Dinner/Treat: Kahuku garlic shrimp
Wednesday was a split kind of day. We made a sausage and egg bento for one of our daughters who had school, while the others were still on break.
Later, we took the other kids to get shrimp from a Kahuku shrimp truck, which felt like a treat and gave us a nice break from being stuck indoors. Sometimes just getting out for a simple food outing can really change the feel of the day.
Thursday
Brunch/Lunch: Costco pizza
Dinner: Fresh ahi katsu
The weather finally held up enough for us to go to the water park, and on the way we picked up Costco pizza. Easy meals like that just make sense on days when everyone is out and hungry.
Dinner was one of the favorites of the week: fresh ahi katsu. A friend had caught fresh ahi, and we used it to make the kids’ favorite version of ahi. We ate all 2 pounds, which says everything.
Friday
Dinner: Stir fry
Also: A friend brought food for dinner
Friday was simple. We had stir fry, and a friend also brought food for dinner, which was such a nice help. Meals feel a lot easier when there is something already ready, especially after a week of rainy days and kids being home.
Saturday
Brunch: Egg, rice, and fishcake
Dinner: Ate out at kaiten sushi
Saturday felt easy and familiar. Egg, rice, and fishcake is one of those dependable meals that always works well for us. Later, we went out for kaiten sushi, which is always fun for the kids and makes dinner feel a little more like an outing.
Sunday
Brunch: Sourdough from Safeway with jam, butter, and avocado
Dinner: Beef stew with demi-glace sauce
Dessert: Cheesecake from Sam’s Club
Sunday was extra special because it was our oldest daughter’s birthday. She wanted beef stew with demi-glace sauce, so we made a huge pot and had friends over to celebrate.
We used the Instant Pot, which helped a lot, especially for a meal like this. Dinner felt warm, cozy, and perfect for a rainy day at home. We finished the celebration with cheesecake from Sam’s Club, which made for an easy dessert.
What Made Life Easier
Once again, the Instant Pot really helped this week.
It let us pressure cook the stew meat and then slow cook the sauce, which made the birthday dinner much more manageable. For meals that take time and usually need a lot of attention, having one tool do so much of the work makes a big difference.
A few other things helped too:
- leaning into brunches instead of forcing a strict meal schedule
- using the toaster oven for homemade pizzas
- making the most of leftovers
- keeping meals flexible depending on weather and who was home
A Few Takeaways from This Week
This week reminded us that when the schedule is different, the meals can be different too.
Some things that worked well:
- letting spring break mornings turn into easy brunches
- turning homemade pizza into a fun activity
- using fresh ingredients when we had them
- mixing home cooking with easy takeout and simple outings
- making birthday dinner at home feel special without making it too stressful
Even though the rain kept us indoors, the food helped make the week feel cozy instead of disappointing.
Final Thoughts
This week was slower, rainier, and a little less active than we expected, but there were still a lot of good moments around the table.
From homemade pizza and fresh lemonade to ahi katsu and birthday beef stew, this week felt like a nice mix of comfort, flexibility, and a few special treats.
Sometimes a good week of meals is not about sticking to a perfect plan. It is just about making the most of the week you have.
And this week, that looked like brunches, leftovers, fresh fish, simple treats, and a birthday dinner shared with friends.
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