What's for Dinner: August 2 - August 8

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Looking for dinner inspiration? Here's what I've planned for dinner at our house this week!

This post contains affiliate product links. Clicking on the links may result in my being paid a commission. Regardless of commission, all opinions expressed in this post are my own. For more information, please review our site policies.

The day I've been dreading is finally here. My time off from work is coming to an end, and tomorrow, I'll be back at it.

I didn't do everything I wanted to do... I expected that. I'm grateful that I had time to do some reading, some follow-through on a 40 Before 40 item, and some work on the house.

Another week off would be great, but I'm [somewhat] recharged and ready to go back to work. The next few weeks are going to be busy as the school I work for prepares to reopen... and as our daughter gets ready to start kindergarten. 

Menu plan, don't fail me now!

If you're curious to see what I've planned for dinner at our house this week, then keep reading!

Gremolata (a Zesty Italian Herb Sauce)

We're about to flip the calendar from July to August, and we're using our grill more than ever. In summers past, I'd head into the kitchen and turn on every burner -- and sometimes the oven! -- to make dinner for the family. But I've finally wisened up.

Stephen is always willing to man the grill, so I've been adding more grilled dishes to our weekly menu plans. This way, we're sharing the cooking responsibilities a little bit more.

When serving grilled steak, I love making up a batch of my famous Fiery Pomegranate Sauce. But there are times when I don't want to heat things up that much. When I want to change the flavor profile, I make this Gremolata sauce. It's a great way to use up the bounty of parsley in your garden and super simple to pull together.

What's for Dinner: July 26 - August 1

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Looking for dinner inspiration? Here's what I've planned for dinner at our house this week!

If you've spent any real time with me, then you know I have a giving soul. If you need anything, I do my best to help. But I have a hard time asking for help when I need it. And I have an even harder time saying no and taking care of my needs. Most of the time I feel guilty about doing what I need to do to make sure my own heart is full.

That's why my 40 Before 40 challenge was so essential. I had 40 reasons to focus on myself and to devote time to my goals and aspirations. 

But once I completed my challenge, with mere hours to spare, I slipped back into putting others first. While I don't have a formal list of items to cross off, I'm hoping to spend time this week resting and recharging. I need to do something to make myself happy. Something for me and only me. I need to remember (and believe) that I'm worth this investment.

Because if I don't, well... Who will?

I'm going to start by sharing this week's menu plan. Because writing this blog gives me joy. And sticking to my blogging schedule always feels like an accomplishment. So, if you're curious to see what I've planned for dinner at our house this week, then keep reading!

Tidbits

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Sharing what I'm loving right now, family/life happenings, favorite finds, and whatever else pops into my head.

This post contains affiliate product links. Clicking on the links may result in my being paid a commission. Regardless of commission, all opinions expressed in this post are my own. For more information, please review our site policies.

The scene late Thursday night...

I discovered (once again) that it's probably best if I don't drink cold brew coffee after dinner. I wanted something cold but didn't want another glass of water. Thinking nothing of it, I fixed up a tiny glass of cold brew. Shortly after that, I felt the charge of caffeine starting to run through my body.

Realizing my error but not wanting to waste the sudden burst of energy, I set my sights on my to-do list.

Last weekend, I jumped on an Old Navy sale and ordered a bunch of school clothes for our 5yo. She'll have to follow a dress code this fall, and I didn't want to wait until the last minute to buy clothes. To my surprise, the order shipped right away and arrived today... so I spent some time putting labels on everything after the kids were in bed. 

Then came the laundry. Oh, the laundry! Naturally, that meant I had time to do something else while waiting for the cycle to end. So I used the time to put together a new batch of Tidbits for you to read at your leisure.

Enjoy!

Get Your Cold Brew Fix without Leaving the House

I was provided a pouch of cold brew concentrate from Cold Brew Club at no cost to me. I did not accept monetary compensation for this post; however, this post does contain affiliate product links. Clicking on the links may result in my being paid a commission based on product sales. Regardless of commission, all opinions expressed in this post are my own. For more information, please review our site policies.

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know all about my love for coffee. But did you know that my first job in high school was at a coffee shop?

The shop sat in the center of town and during the slower parts of my shift, I was able to get in a lot of people-watching. That shop was where I perfected my frothing technique... and where I learned that they weren't kidding when they said a steam burn hurts like hell.

From my "light and sweet" days to our French press days and then to our switch to pour-over... coffee and me? We go way back. I mean... my appreciation for coffee is deep. So when Mike Maleszyk from Cold Brew Club emailed me and asked whether I wanted to try their cold brew concentrate... of course I said yes!