Birthday Meals

I previously posted about my fine-tuned daily meal planning. That works for us. Especially since Zach and I have foods we can't eat and specific preferences. Here is a refresher chart.

Picnic
Day	Meat	Starch
Monday	London Broil	Pasta Salad
Tuesday	Breaded Chicken	Pasta Salad
Wednesday	Parents
Thursday	Grilled Chicken	Tator Tots
Friday or Sunday	Take Out
Friday or Saturday	Burgers	Fries
Saturday or Sunday	Peachy Pork Chops	Stuffing
Comfort
Day	Meat	Starch
Monday	Chicken Catchatorre	Spaghetti
Tuesday	Breaded Chicken	Rolls
Sunday or Wednesday	Cranberry Pork Chops	Stuffing
Sunday or Wednesday	Parents
Thursday	Terriyaki Chicken	Rice
Friday	Take Out
Saturday	London Broil	Baked Potato/ Steak Fries
Fall Transition
Day	Meat	Starch
Monday	Burgers	Fries
Tuesday	Breaded Chicken	Rolls
Sunday or Wednesday	Cranberry Pork Chops	Stuffing
Sunday or Wednesday	Parents
Thursday	Terriyaki Chicken	Rice
Friday	Take Out
Saturday	London Broil	Steak Fries
Spring Transition
Day	Meat	Starch
Monday	Burgers	Pasta Salad
Tuesday	Breaded Chicken	Pasta Salad
Sunday or Wednesday	Peachy Pork Chops	Stuffing
Sunday or Wednesday	Parents
Thursday	Terriyaki Chicken	Rice
Friday	Take Out
Saturday	London Broil	Steak Fries
Practice/Games: Btw 4 - 8. Schedule around sport.
Baseball Games 6pm (arrive 5:30): Dinner between 4 - 5:15 snack after the game
Dressing: Get cloths out long before dinner for quick prep (if needed)
Baseball Timing:  15 minutes to change and travel time.
Family Dinner Note: Wednesday and Thursday switch if needed

But, my birthday is coming up. This is where it gets extra hard for me! I have only a few restaurants I like to eat at because of my anxiety and sensory processing disorder. Thanks to the help of Josh's parents, we can enjoy Outback at the only time I am comfortable eating at Outback this Saturday.

Lunch on Saturday is proving to be very frustrating! It would be so much easier if we had a Roy Rogers nearby! Nope, that is not an option. So, I will see what I am in the mood for and hope for a craving that day!

Breakfast is the hardest of all. I cook every morning but Fridays. I can't find a place that makes the breakfast I like outside of the place we always eat at when on vacation! So, I have to make my own breakfast. I don't mind.

It's times like this when I really wish either Josh knew how to cook or Zach could cook more and didn't need supervision! At least we'll be having dinner with my parents after my birthday. My mom will make a favorite. But, it is hard to answer that question "what do you want for your birthday dinner?" I choose something for cooler weather and something for the grill. At this time of year you never know what you are getting!

On October 2nd Good Housekeeping is coming out with an updated cookbook. I'm excited for it and pre-ordered a copy as a birthday gift. It has me thinking about what I might get from it. It also makes it harder to choose possible meal options in the meantime. (Link below).

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1618372653/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I thought about it before. On my actual birthday I will be cooking breakfast and dinner. Lunch will be a salad from Josh's restaurant. I like cooking. I am picky enough where I would rather have my own food most of the time anyway. Zach says the same thing! When Josh chooses a meal for his birthday it is always something I cook.

So what is it I really want for my birthday? Lots of hugs and kisses. That's won't be a problem. A day without a responsibility. That's not happening anytime soon. A nice and enjoyable day. Yes! We can do that! I can time things I enjoy like a drive or that Outback dinner around other things. Pieced together it will be a nice birthday.

At the moment I am under a ton of stress. In addition to the normal September busy-ness, the bathroom ceiling caved in over the toilet. The plumbing part is fixed, but the contractor hasn't been reliable about the drywall and repainting. I really didn't need that right now! Picking birthday meals has somehow become additional stress. It shouldn't be, but it is.

Zach and Josh have a hard time with that too. "What do you want for dinner for your birthday?" In Zach's case, I already make his favorites all of the time. He usually wants what we would normally have anyway. He thrives on routine.

For Josh, it's the same thing. For father's day he wanted the BBQ bacon cheeseburger I make every week (although sometimes I don't add the bacon). The only addition was cole slaw on top. He absolutely loved it! It'll be interesting to see his choice for his January birthday!

Some people have an easy time choosing birthday meals. For others, it's not that simple. Yes, I am particular about the food. But, I also am particular about the environment too. That is because of the sensory processing disorder. I can't handle too much noise and chaos. Enjoying the meal isn't just about the taste of the food. It's about the company and the surroundings too.