We continue to have houseguests, and have been having such a great time. Asa and Justus are at church camp, so while we are so proud of them and excited about what they are learning, we sure do miss them being home! Can’t wait to hear about their adventures. :)

As I have been cooking for our guests, but not cooking for my teenagers, I have really learned about how much my two oldest boys eat. Here is a little story problem for you:

The Coppinger family of 6 has 2 teenagers away at camp. They have welcomed 4 guests into their home while their boys are gone. If Laura continues to prepare the same amount of food she normally serves at each meal, what amount of food will she have leftover at the end of each meal?

Give up? Our family of 6 take away 2 equals 4 plus 4 guests equals 8…eating the same amount of food normally prepared for 6 and leaving leftovers.

Conclusion: My teenagers eat as much food as two or three people…each. I knew they ate a lot, so this has been eye opening to experience just how much they can put away. I love that they are such good eaters! You can bet I’ll be making their favorites when they come home. Have I mentioned that I miss them?

Here’s our menu this week (for 6-2+4=8 people)

Sunday, July 7
Chocolate chocolate chip muffins, grapes
Pizza casserole, tossed salad
Leftovers

Monday, July 8
Whole wheat waffles, strawberries, whipped cream
Nachos (with healthier cheese dip), kiwi
Grilled Italian chicken, tossed salad, green beans, watermelon

Tuesday, July 9
Scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, hashbrowns, cherries
Easy noodle stir fry with carrots, broccoli, and zucchini
Black bean taco salad, cantaloupe

Wednesday, July 10
Creamy orange cooler, toast
Tuna salad on lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, grapes
Pizza on the grill, veggie tray, watermelon

Thursday, July 11
Pancake sausage muffins, blueberries
Pigs in a blanket, baby carrots, raspberries
Grilled salmon, potato wedges, peas, tossed salad

Friday, July 12
Quick mix biscuits with butter and jelly, cantaloupe
Homemade hoagies, pineapple mango smoothies, carrots
Chicken tacos, watermelon

Saturday, July 13
Homemade whole wheat donuts, blueberries
Leftovers
Grilled steak, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, tossed salad

Well, the past two weeks have been abnormal around here when it comes to menu planning. This week? Still weird. In fact, every week this summer will be just a little bit different from our normal school year routine. 

We’ve got kids in and out all summer heading to camps, mission trips, more camps, and grandparents. Sometimes we’ll have three boys at home, sometimes just two, sometimes zero, and often we’ll have all four boys plus their cousins, neighbors, and friends too.

Did you follow that? Neither did I. I’m just sayin’ that planning a menu each week this summer might be a little difficult. Well, planning it may not be that hard. Following it is another story.

Here’s what is kinda sorta on our menu this week:

Sunday, May 26
Granola, fruit
Tuna sandwiches with lettuce and tomatoes, carrots, grapes, apples
Pizza with family

Monday, May 27
Pancakes, cantaloupe
Hamburgers on the grill, potato salad, veggies, cake and homemade ice cream
Dinner on the road

Tuesday, May 28
Sweet pepper, spinach, and mushroom omelets, clementines
Chicken salad in whole wheat pitas, tomatoes, pears
Steak on the grill, asparagus, watermelon

Wednesday, May 29
Whole wheat waffles, strawberries, whipped cream
Black bean salsa with organic corn chips, fruit salad
Crock pot chicken tacos

Thursday, May 30
Creamy orange cooler, fried eggs
Salmon patties, tossed salad
Cheeseburger macaroni, peas

Friday, May 31
Breakfast burritos, blueberries, oranges
 Chicken Patty Sandwiches with lettuce and tomatoes, baby carrots, watermelon
Pizza casserole, tossed salad

Saturday, June 1
Pineapple mango smoothies, toast
Leftovers
Pigs in a blanket, steamed broccoli and carrots, cantaloupe, strawberries

I am loving our warmer weather and the food that comes with it! Hope you are having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. :)

We walked into the house today after church to the delicious smell of pot roast. I quickly made gravy, and we sat down to eat. By the way, see that itty-bitty tiny amount of gravy? There wasn’t much juice in this roast for some reason, so our gravy portions were very small. But hey, how nice is it that our worst problem today at lunch was lack of gravy?

After this week, we will officially have two teenagers in the house. Justus turns 13 on Friday! 

I was disappointed that last week I never got around to making A Moment With Mom’s Potato Soup. She is one of our site sponsors and not only does she share the occasional yummy recipe, she has lots of encouragement to share. Be sure to check out her blog! Here’s hoping I’ll get this soup made Tuesday as planned. :)

Sunday, February 10
Giant breakfast cookies, clementines
Beef chuck roast, carrots, potatoes, gravy, whole wheat butterhorns
High school huddle – Breakfast casseroles, peanut butter chocolate chip muffins, banana muffins, applesauce bread, apples, oranges, pineapple

Monday, February 11
Whole wheat pancakes, blueberries
Chicken salad on whole wheat pita bread, fruit salad
Leftover roast made into stew, cornbread muffins

Tuesday, February 12
Granola, dried fruit
A Moment With Mom’s Potato Soup, baby carrots
Lamb chops, baked potatoes, green beans

Wednesday, February 13
Scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, creamy orange cooler
Quesadillas, sweet peppers, apples
Bbq chicken legs (baked in a 350° oven for an hour), cheesy mashed potatoes, peas, tossed salad

Thursday, February 14
Honey whole wheat bread with peanut butter and honey, applesauce
Easy noodle stir fry with chicken, broccoli, and carrots
Hamburger steak, ranch potato wedges, peas, pineapple, some sort of special Valentine’s Day treat?? Ideas?

Friday, February 15 – Justus’ birthday choices!
(He hasn’t decided yet.)  :)

Saturday, February 16
Homemade poptarts, fruit
Leftovers
Mother-Son Banquet with church family