4.05.2017

Weekly Menu & Meal Planning

Thanks for all of the feedback on the CrockPot....we went with the popular vote, the multi-use Cuisinart multi-option slow cooker. I'm going to use it this week, so I will report back!

The past week was a little more hectic than we expected - didn't think Monday we'd be scraping dinner for the emergency room, but we still managed to get 4 dinners made (although I forgot to snap pics of Friday nights delish dinner!).

Tuesday - Wasabi Steak Salad
I don't follow a recipe for this, as its based off one of my favorite salads in LA at Reel In. Basically I use arugula, shredded carrots, sliced red onion, cherry tomatos, avocado, jalapeno and cilantro topped with steak and a wasabi dressing. 

 


Wednesday - Bunless brats and a Caprese salad 
I love the balsamic glaze from Trader Joe's for salads like this! So good. 

Thursday- Oven Baked Fajitas

 Friday- I made pasta and meatballs....I use Natalie's recipe loosely and they're always winners! I totally forgot to take a picture....whoops!

Instagram Food Pictures With A Hilarious, Punny Twist - DesignTAXI.com:

Meal Planning

I was reading Shay's blog about how she meal plans, and thought I would add my two cents too about what my meal planning process looks like.

Lately, I try to meal plan and make my grocery list on Sunday morning - ideally over a piping hot cup of coffee while Leo is still down. I keep a running list throughout the week of what we need, or what we are low on, so that I'm not doing an inventory check on Sunday too.

For my meals, I try to cook 3 regular meals that I've "mastered", and try one new or new-ish recipe each week. It doesn't always happen, but that's typically my "plan". I use Pintrest for 85% of my recipes and inspiration for what I want to cook for the week and will look through my blog for ideas or on other favorite blogs (Designer Bags is one of my most favorite for recipes)

The last few months we've been trying to go to the grocery store as a family on Sunday, normally after church. It frees up my Monday morning, and makes it so much easier for me to have everything we need going into the new week. If we're really ambitious, we'll spend some time on Sunday doing some prep work too which is really helpful; baking chicken, cooking quinoa or rice, boiling eggs, etc.

Once the week shows up, I try and do a lot the day's dinner prep as early as possible so that its not a crazy scramble at 5pm when I'm hungry and tired. If I waited to cook the entire dinner until then, we'd be a hungry group.

If the dish can be made ahead of time, I try and do it completely before I start working at 12:30. I also am drawn to recipes that fit that bill.  I will either leave it covered in the fridge or if it's soup, I'll have it sit on the stove top, or if it's a crockpot meal, I'm set. 

We feel better physically and financially if we are cooking at home 5 or 6 nights a week, so I really try to use that to motivate me just to get dinner cooked. Sometimes it is painful, but for the most part, I really enjoy the entire process. Thankfully Joel isn't a picky eater and is normally just thankful that he's got dinner (and normally lunch for the next day!) when he comes home from work!
  
Where do you find most of your recipes?

2 comments:

  1. can we just move in with y'all? my meal planning is beyond awful. so beyond thankful for chik-fil-a! insert praise hands. i do have a killer "food" pinterest board tho. ;)

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  2. These meals all look delish and you are amazing getting dinner on the table that often!!!

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