Meal Plan 2016 - Week 51

This is it . . .what I think of the last "real" week of the year. Christmas (and Hanukah this year) arrive this weekend. No matter what you celebrate, there's probably a special family gathering and larger than normal meal involved! YUM! But, as faithful meal planners, we know that we still need to plan up to the big event.

Meal Plan 2016 - Week 50

Happy Monday meal planners! Are you ready for the week ahead? I can't believe how fast December is going by and that Christmas will be here before we know it. This week is pretty busy for us, with lots of running around. I'm going to confess that I am already more than ready for Christmas vacation and time off to just chill out and relax. Anyone with me?

Meal Plan 2016 - Week 49

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Welcome back meal planners! December is off to a great start, and we are getting geared up for the holidays around here. Last week, I mentioned that I broke down and bought an Instant Pot during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday frenzy. So far, I've managed to do the Water Test and hard boils some eggs. Not very impressive - right?

I have to confess, I find it a little intimidating. My perfectionism is really preventing me from just "jumping in" and using it. But this week, I picked up a marinated pot roast from Trader Joe's and I'm going to attempt it in the Instant Pot. Wish me luck - I think I'm going to need it.

Meal Plan 2016 - Week 48

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Happy Monday everyone, I hope you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving Weekend (for my US readers). It truly is a long weekend of food and family for us, and it was wonderful and much needed. I also started to put Christmas up around here, I'm feeling ready. But my biggest Thanksgiving Weekend news, related to meal planning and food, is that I bought an Instant Pot.

Yep - the deals on Amazon were just too good to pass up, and my news feed on Facebook was full of people that already had one and loved it, or were contemplating buying it. So, never one to miss out on all the fun, I bit the bullet and purchased the 7-in-1. I'm not sure if I will get it operating in time for this week's menu, but I promise to share what I learn as I go along. If you have any favorite recipes or sources for ideas, I'd love you to share them.

Meal Plan 2016 - Week 47

Welcome back meal planners! The end of the year is quickly approaching, and with busy holiday schedules, it's more important than ever to stay organized and on top of your meal plan. The last thing you need is a relaxing night at home, with no food in the house. So with three simple steps, you can stay on top of meal planning for the next six weeks and straight through New Year's.

The first step is to look at your calendar and figure out what nights you will be home for dinner and need a meal. Holiday concert at school may mean a quick and early meal for the kids, and the grown-ups are on their own. But knowing that ahead of time, can prevent you from buying (and wasting) food for that night. Plan according to your schedule.

Meal Planning 2016 - Week 46

As each weekend rolls around, I have a vision of a lazy Sunday morning spent on the couch with a cup of coffee, Pinterest and cookbooks, planning out our healthy and well-balanced meals for the week. The reality is closer to a desperate scribble of ideas, random shopping and a frantic push to put it all together in a logical sense to share here. I don't want to scare you, but rather let you know that it's not all roses over here.

Weekly menu planning is an integral part of saving me time, energy and money, but it isn't always easy, fun or effortless. Sometimes it's downright messy. But holding myself accountable, by posting each Monday morning, helps me achieve my goal. What helps you achieve your meal planning goals? 

Meal Planning 2016 - Week 45

Happy Monday meal planners! It's not only the start of a new week, but the first Monday of a new month, the first Monday after the end of Daylight Savings Time AND the Monday before the 2016 Presidential Election. That's a lot of pressure for one little Monday. But we are jumping in with a fresh meal plan this week.

Meal Planning 2016 - Week 44

Happy Monday meal planners! Welcome back to another weekly meal plan. I hope you can find an idea to inspire you here this week. Today is Halloween. For the past several years, I have made a big batch of Easy Slow Cooker Chili for the grown ups and some Mummy Dogs for the kids on Halloween. It's something that I can make and forget about it, and everyone can eat when they're hungry, without mesing up the trick or treat schedule. (It's all about priorities - right?)

Meal Planning 2016 - Week 43

Hey meal planners - happy Monday! If you're new around here, each Monday, I post my weekly meal plan for feeding my family. I try to prepare as much real food as possible, and keep it healthy. Some weeks work out better than others, but I always try to keep it real around here.

I've been meal planning for years. I find the effort I spend on Sunday, save me time and money during the week ahead. If I'm really in a planning mode, I can plan in advance to save even more. Most of my ideas and inspiration comes from Pinterest, or my family's tastes. I have two picky eaters, but I'm no short-order cook. They know they need to eat some portion of what I make, and they are free to supplement with anything we have on hand.

Meal Planning 2016 - Week 42

Happy Monday menu planners! Just as we were settling into Fall, Mother Nature decided to give us a blast of summer this week, with temperatures nearing 80 for a day or two. I've decided that since it's mid-October, it won't feel like summer, so I'm staying the course with meal planning.

I took a bit of time on Sunday to look through some recipe ideas and match that up to food I have on hand. I also asked what my family wanted to have this week. I don't know about yours, but my family doesn't provide many ideas, and leaves me pretty much on my own.

Meal Planning 2016 - Week 41

Happy Monday meal planners! How is everyone doing with their weekly meal plans? We are in the last quarter of the year, and fall is usually my favorite season for cooking. It's cool enough to use the oven again and fall soups are delicious.

Pinterest is full of flavorful and healthy recipes and ideas. Have you checked out my Recipes and Food Board over there? I also have a board devoted to meal planning! These days, I rely on Pinterest for ideas and inspiration much more than cookbooks and magazines. Where do you get your meal planning ideas from?

Meal Planning 2016 - Week 40

This week, I don't know if I'm coming or going. Thank heavens this is a rarity for us, I know many of you struggle with this level of busy on a regular basis - I do not know how you do it! I keep telling myself I can get through it. All I need to do is keep organized.

A big part of that organization is keeping a weekly meal plan. Even on weeks when we are running around, or just having simple meals, it makes me feel more in control, to have a plan. I know what I need to prep ahead of time, and I know how much time I have for other things, between work and dinner, when I know what I'm making for dinner.

Meal Planning 2016 - Week 39

Happy Monday - welcome to another weekly meal planning post. If you're a regular, I hope you'll find something to inspire you, and share your own plan for the week to inspire us. If this is your first time, or you haven't gotten into meal planning yet, I hope this post will inspire you to start a weekly meal plan of your own. At the end of the post, there are some links to even more ideas.

Since I'm a pen and paper kind of girl, I added a section to my Bullet Journal weekly layout for my meal plan. Each week, I jot in my ideas, and then I flesh them out for the blog. Sometimes I have a recipe, and sometimes, I only have an idea. Like this week, I have Roasted Chicken on my meal plan. I'm going to use a pre-marinated Lemon Chicken from Trader Joe's. It's a split whole chicken and takes about an hour to roast up. But you could use ANY roasted chicken recipe you like.

Meal Planning 2016 - Week 38

Happy Monday Meal Planners! You are a meal planner - aren't you? If not, why not? While I admit that planning meals each week is not my favorite thing to do, it does save me both time and money.

Each Sunday, I set aside some time to plan out our dinner menus for the week. I do this before we hit the store on Sunday, and base much of it off of things we already have on-hand. This week I had to take three evening meetings into account during my planning as well. Busier nights call for meals that require less prep and are easier. While it's a drag on Sundays, throughout the week, I'm always grateful for that time and effort because my weeknights go easier.

Meal Planning 2016 - Week 37

We survived the return to school! Last week, both the kids went back to school, and this week, I'm starting a new part-time job. Things never seem to have a moment to get dull around here. As always, planning and staying organized help keep things running smoothly. My weekly meal plan is part of that. Taking a few minutes (okay, realistically more like an hour) to review our upcoming calendar and what we have on-hand and planning out meals for the week, helps me feel more in control of my time.

I track my weekly meal plan ideas here on the blog to share with all of you, as well as in my bullet journal.  On my weekly spread, I have added a box for meal plan, and write in each day's idea. If I deviate form my plan, I may make notes in my journal, or I may just let it go - it really depends on my mood and time availability. How do you keep track of your meal plan?

Meal Planning 2016 - Week 36

Well, summer vacation has come to an end around here, and this week, the kids go back to school. I think we are all a little sad to see summer end, but excited at what lies ahead this year. In typical Sunday fashion, I spent part of my day on meal prep for the week. It's always refreshing to me to return to our school year routine and schedule.

When preparing my weekly meal plan, I keep an eye towards making them healthy AND keeping on a budget. It's so easy to let your food bill get out of hand, believe me, I've done it plenty of times. As I work on more and more meal plans, I've gotten better at buying what we actually eat and also not buying too much. Both of those things save me money each week.   

Meal Planning 2016 - Week 35

Hi there everyone! Who has their weekly meal plan all done for this week? If not, you're in the right place for some ideas and inspiration to help get you started. It doesn't have to be complicated - simply pick 3 to 5 recipes or ideas to get you started. It is our last week of summer vacation around here, and my husband is working on a big project at work, so most nights this week, it will be just me and the kids home for dinner.

But I know from past experience that it still helps to have a meal plan in place, even if we only loosely follow it, or change things up. I have all of my pantry items on-hand, and today I'll make a quick trip for meat and produce to round out our supplies and ingredients.  Meal planning each week helps me limit the number of trips I make to the store, and that's a definite benefit for me. 

Meal Planning 2016 - Week 34

Hi there and welcome back! Is this your first visit? Then thank you for stopping by my weekly meal planning post. Each Monday, I share my intentions for feeding my family for the week. It's not fancy, but it's mostly "real food" (not from pouches and boxes) that my very real family will eat.

I have a growing teenage boy who doesn't care for vegetables, a nine year old who doesn't care for meat and a husband who (bless his soul) is pretty easy going. So I feel your kitchen pain, believe me. But I've learned over the years that spending a bit of time on Sunday, to plan out a menu for the week saves me time and money . . .not to mention all the good things it does for my sanity.

Meal Planning 2016 - Week 33

Let's get inspired and share some ideas for our weekly meal plan - shall we? We are in the midst of a heat wave here in the Philadelphia burbs. It has been 90 degrees for as long as I can remember, and with the humidity, it feels over 100. I am over it to say the least. I know it's summer - but sheesh!

So, we are not a "cold plate" family . . . it's too hot to grill and too hot to run the oven. Take out every night is REALLY appealing, but bad for our budget AND our waistlines! Needless to say, sitting down on Sunday to plan our weekly menu was not very much fun this week.

Meal Planning 2016 - Week 32

Happy Monday and welcome back to another weekly meal plan. Today I was doing some cleaning and organizing. I was clearing out some of my craft stuff that I'm not using, from my main office area to the basement for storage. In the process, I came across a stash of cookbooks that I wasn't ready to get rid of the last time I cleared out stuff. These cookbooks have been in my basement for a couple years at least. But before I completely cut the cord today, I skimmed through them to see if I found anything new to make.

You know what I discovered? My tastes and cooking style have changed so much, that these cookbooks weren't even appealing to me. I flipped through some pages, and tossed them on the giveaway pile with barely a second thought. Just a few years ago, I couldn't imagine getting rid of them, so I moved to them to "temporary quarters" in the basement. Today, the emotional tie was broken, and I moved them to my giveaway box easily.