More Intro and The Week Ahead

You know that ice breaker where everyone has to say two lies and one truth about themselves and then everyone has to guess which one is the truth? I actually really like that game - I think because it's fun to come up with a truth that sounds outlandish enough to be a lie, or vice versa.

Here are some of my favorite "truths" for the game:

• My favorite vegetable is asparagus.
• I have bungee jumped.
• I have visited 17 national parks.
• I love math and science.
• I earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouts. 
• I am a Girl Scout leader.

Outside of my not-so-outlandish "truths", my day-to-day life includes my wonderful husband of 11 years, James. We have a 2-year-old son that I'll refer to as EJ, for Engineer Junior. I hope it doesn't seem as though I'm pushing him toward engineering with that nickname. While he can build a mean tunnel with Mega Blocks, he also loves music, hockey (2-year-old version), and playing in the dirt.

I am an architectural engineer with a focus on mechanical systems. An architectural engineer is not the same as an architect. We focus on the engineering related to architecture, so structure, mechanical systems, electrical systems, and construction management. I design heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems for commercial and institutional buildings, mostly renovations.

When I get home from work I have to take care of (play with!) EJ and get dinner on the table. Because I like to maximize my time with EJ every day, a lot of the dinners we eat have parts of the meal that can be prepared the night before or are rather quick to completely make.

I spend time every weekend planning our dinners for the entire week, keeping in mind any evening events, such as my Girl Scout troop meetings. I take the weather forecast into consideration by planning a casserole that I can pop in the oven for days that are nice so EJ and I can play outside.

Menu for the Week of October 15, 2012
I have an appointment Thursday evening, so an easy dinner is best. Friday and Saturday I'll be camping with my best buds, so James is chef those nights. I've planned easy, super-kid-friendly meals for him to prepare.

Monday: Spaghetti Squash Bake
Tuesday: Curried Spinach and Chickpeas with Rice
Wednesday: Pasta with Veggies
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Chicken Nuggets and Tater Tots
Saturday: Hot Dogs and Baked Beans

You'll rarely see a Sunday menu because my entire family goes to my mom's house for dinner almost every week!

I have some questions for you: (1) How do you save time planning and cooking? (2) What are your favorite "truths" for the game?