There's a darker side to summer meals. A purple-patterned kitchen floor, sticky with the trails from melting ice pops. The steam bath kitchen, courtesy of a big pot of parboiled ribs. A picnic dinner made up of convenience-store sodas, plastic cheese, and cardboard crackers, eaten on the sidelines of a child's baseball game. Frazzled children, worn and wired from too much sugar and caffeine.
Summer brings a new set of meal planning challenges.
Surrender to the season With creative meal planning strategies, summer doesn't have to bust the food budget, toss nutrition to the winds, or reduce the family chef to a melted, quivering puddle reminiscent of the Wicked Witch of the West. Flip the card over, and list each day of the coming week. Take a moment and think about your calendar. Using the week's specials, match simple entrees with busy days, more elaborate meals with at-home evenings. Once home, match the food you bought with the food you've planned, and ink in the coming week's menus.