Meal Planning 101: Week 42

January 14, 2014July 23, 2015Leave a comment

Hey guess what? I still do that meal planning thing! Time to start sharing again. 🙂 Holidays are hectic and usually involve more parties, celebrations, and leftovers than meal plans, so this is actually my first full week meal plan since Thanksgiving probably. Giving you a few extra days too since there were meals and since I won’t be in town and cooking this weekend. Also… of course after I wrote out my meal plan, it changed due to more leftovers that anticipated! So it will be a little different than pictured. 🙂 Also! I majorly scored at the grocery store this week. I got two weeks worth of groceries for $80!! I saved over $30 in coupons and managers special labels!

Saturday:

Leftover Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings (recipe coming soon)

Sunday:

Cobb Salad with Garlic Cheese Toast (recipes coming soon)

Monday:

Leftover Cobb Salad

Tuesday:

OWLs Dinner – bringing Double Chocolate Bread Pudding (recipe coming soon IF it turns out well)

Wednesday:

Church Meal

Thursday:

Crock Pot BBQ Pork Loin, Sauteed Bacon Kale, and Spiced Carrots

Friday:

TWU Retreat – bringing Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies and Double Chocolate Brownies

Saturday:

TWU Retreat

Sunday:

Fancy Sandwiches and Crudities with Cucumber Dip

What are you eating this week? Post your weekly meal plan in the comment section below! You can also link your meal plan up over at Organizing Junkie and see even more people who are meal planning.

Meal Planning 101: Week 41

October 7, 2013July 23, 2015Leave a comment

Am I gonna use a regularly scheduled meal plan post to count as a #31days Food for Thought post? Why yes I am! If they fall on a day that happens to be one of the making the kitchen manageable days, why not?! It counts.

Am I going to keep it short and sweet because today was another busy day (first Sunday Gathering for Arise Church – the new church plant I’m part of + crock pot prep + sewing project with friends for orphans = NO MORE TIME!), yes, yes I am!

Monday:

Crock Pot Pumpkin Chili (with tortilla chips and toppings)

Tuesday:

OWLs Dinner? (if we have it bringing Pumpkin Spice Latte Baked Donuts (sort of this recipe, gonna change it up a bit), if not, leftovers!)

Wednesday:

Hosting Missional Community! Serving a baked potato bar (baked potatoes, cheese, green onions, pumpkin chili, bacon, broccoli, butter, sour cream ranch, etc) and a s’mores bar.

Thursday:

Leftovers (baked potato smorgasbord)

Friday:

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

Saturday:

Leftovers

Sunday:

Crock Pot French Onion Soup

So… maybe I went a little crock pot crazy with this meal plan, but it actually feels like fall!

For the month of October, I’m participating in The Nester’s #31Days blog writing challenge. My topic is Food for Thought. I’ll be writing about two main things. 1. Understanding and believing God’s love. 2. Making life in the kitchen more manageable. You can read all my #31Days posts here.

Making the Kitchen Manageable: Part 1 – Meal Planning

October 2, 2013July 23, 20151 Comment

I simply can’t start a series about making the kitchen manageable without starting with the thing I think is the foundation of a manageable kitchen: MEAL PLANNING. Meal planing, it really works people. If you are a semi-regular reader here, you know I talk about it all the time and post weekly(ish) meal plans. There are many things about managing life that can be stressful, the kitchen doesn’t have to be one of them. I hope by the end of this series you will believe me and feel less stressed about the kitchen. Whether you are a planner or not, you can make meal planning work for you and reap the benefits.

What are the benefits? (Most of this info was posted over a year ago in my original “How to Meal Plan” post, but it’s worthy of repeating here!)

1. IT SAVES MONEY! Really, it does. If you don’t meal plan and just shop when you come up with something, you know you always add extra things to the cart with each trip. Those extra things and extra trips add up. You also buy groceries with more intention. Yes, every kitchen needs staples (we’ll talk about those later). BUT when you don’t plan you aimlessly buy things you think you need, that you don’t actually need! It also minimizes the amount of times you feel too stressed to come up with something for dinner and end up just eating out. If you plan, you eat out way less and make meals you’re proud of that cost a fraction of the price they would at a restaurant. Also, going to the grocery store every time you cook dinner is stressful because the grocery store is stressful (AMEN?!)!

2. IT’S STRATEGIC! It cuts back on the amount of products you waste. If you find one recipe you want to make that requires buttermilk, you can find others to include in your plan that need buttermilk. Thus you don’t waste the rest of that buttermilk. When you don’t plan, lots of things end up expiring and going to waste. Better for the environment and again.. YOUR POCKET!

3. IT’S HEALTHIER! When you plan your own meals you are much less likely to plan an abundance of unhealthy things. As mentioned earlier, it also cuts back on the desperation fast food trips. Not to mention, when you plan and cook your own food, not only do you cut back on fat, but you control the amount of sodium, butter, oil, preservatives and exactly what goes into everything you eat.

4. IT’S NOT BORING! It’s exciting. The number one thing I hear from people who cook is that they get tired of cooking the same things. If you think and buy for meals on the fly, you’re always gonna gravitate to the same things (spaghetti, hint hint). In meal planning you get to plan in your own excitement to your meals!

Sold yet? You should be! But now, how?

1. Don’t be overwhelmed! Start small. Try it for one week at a time first. Currently I do two weeks at a time because that is my pay schedule (every other week). When I got paid once a month I did do it a month at a time. I planned the entire month and shopped only once a month. Yes! It is entirely possible.

2. Use your resources! Those cook books you have? Break them out! Read them. Set little fun goals. When I was doing monthly planning, I set some guidelines like at least one new recipe a week and at least two recipes from my cookbooks a month. The internet is your cooking companion. Let’s call her you sous chef! There are SOOO many food blogs out there. Pinterest is of course a great resource as well.

3. Look at sale ads. I know Kroger and Target send weekly sale emails. Wal-mart has a weekly sale paper. Don’t be afraid of coupons! If you have a farmer’s market, find out when they sell things. Fresh produce is better and often cheaper. If you have a Sam’s Club, it’s not just for bulk items. I am a single person and every two(ish) weeks I visit Sam’s! Sam’s is wonderful for cheaper produce and meats. When I did monthly planning, I would wait to plan my meals until I knew what meats were on sale.

4. Have fun getting organized! I have a friend who always had a big dry erase white board calendar where she recorded her meal plan. I posted a picture of the method to my madness above. I’ve tried apps and digital list makers, but there is just something I love about writing out my own list. I have a magnetic list on the fridge where I write random things I think of through out the week or things that I run out of. During the week, I out meal ideas and groceries I need or needed for meals. A day or so before I will be doing my shopping, I plan out 5-6 full meals, make my shopping list, and organize the shopping list grouping items together so the grocery store isn’t as chaotic.

With a bigger family you’d need to cook more than 3 times a week, but I’m just me so I eat leftovers about every other day. I feel like this is A LOT! But if you want more, I can totally give you more ideas and suggestions. Just try it for a month, make it a habit. You really will begin to experience the benefits.

And now, a list of every meal plan I’ve ever posted! PS. Don’t expect every post in this series to be this long, haha. I just have a lot of info on this topic. Hence why I think it’s the foundation to kitchen management.

THERE’S MORE!

15 More Meals

Lots-O-Meal Ideas
Baking Ideas
St. Patrick’s Day Meal Ideas

Lunch Ideas 1
Lunch Ideas 2
Lunch Ideas 3
Lunch Ideas 4
Lunch Ideas 5
Lunch Ideas 6
Lunch Ideas 7
Lunch Ideas 8
Lunch Ideas 9
Lunch Ideas 10
Lunch Ideas 11
Lunch Ideas 12
Lunch Ideas 13
Lunch Ideas 14

Lunch Ideas 15
Lunch Ideas 16
Lunch Ideas 17
Lunch Ideas 18

Meal Planning 101: Week 40

October 1, 2013July 23, 2015Leave a comment

I know I skipped last week! I went out of town Thursday, so there wasn’t much of a meal plan. But this week I’m on call! I couldn’t leave if I wanted to, and thus, there is a meal plan. Keeping in short and sweet for you, just the meals!

Monday:

Fiesta Rice Bowls with Chips and Salsa

Tuesday:

OWLs Potluck (bringing wilted spinach and roasted brussel sprouts)

Wednesday:

Church Meal (Was bringing pumpkin cookies, but found out it wasn’t my team’s week to cook, so I’ll make these for something else!)

Thursday:

Savory Waffles and Fancy Eggs

Friday:

Fried Chicken and Waffle Sandwiches with Breakfast Potatoes

Saturday:

Leftovers

Sunday:

Crock Pot French Onion Soup and Grilled Cheese

Last week I made a crock pot rotisserie chicken using the balled up tinfoil trick and it was excellent! Also used leftover chicken to make a big fall chopped spinach salad that was delicious!

Meal Planning 101: Week 39

September 17, 2013July 23, 2015Leave a comment

Would you believe me if I said I forgot yesterday was Monday?? I totally did! I had this post prepped and ready to go but forgot to post it because it didn’t feel like a Monday! Due to my lateness, I’ll keep it short and sweet, no rambling, just the meal plan. One note… Last week I had to bake a million things so cooking dinner took a seat on the bench. I mostly ate boiled peanuts or snacks for dinner! So there is a repeat meal from last week that I never got to.

Monday:

Easy Garlic Pasta and Sauteed Garlic Kale

Tuesday:

OWLs (Older Wiser Ladies) Dinner Party – We’re eating out this week!

Wednesday:

Dinner at Missional Community

Thursday:

Fiesta Bowls (lime rice + fiesta lime chicken + black beans + salsa + anything else that fits from my fridge/cabinet) with Blue Corn Chips & Peach Mango Chipotle Salsa

Friday:

Leftovers

Saturday:

Cheesy Bacon Waffles, Cheese Grits, Fancy Scrambled Eggs, and Sauteed Pears (Never got to it! Crazy busy week of baking last week.)

Sunday:

Fried Chicken and Waffle Sandwich and Roasted Rosemary Brussel Sprouts (And therefore never got to this day two recipe.)

What are you eating this week? Post your weekly meal plan in the comment section below! You can also link your meal plan up over at Organizing Junkie and see even more people who are meal planning.

Meal Planning 101: Week CATCH UP (38-ish)

September 10, 2013July 23, 20151 Comment

I’m back! I think. I hope. Gotta get back into the rhythm of posting, but I’m pretty sure I’m back! Or that I want to be at least. Brief little update of what you missed since I’ve been gone: 1 plus month of CRAZY (called RD training, RA training, move in day, and the first couple of weeks of school), a back injury (resulting in a shot, three medicines, and a couple weeks of physical therapy, still not totally recovered but know what ~~stupid~~ careless things not to do now), and now I’m sick! Full blown cold, icky, feel like I have been hit by a truck kind of cold. Is it just me or do colds feel worse the older you get? Oh and I got two new tattoos. Oh and I got obsessed with a book series, Divergent. I’d totes be in Amity with their bright colors, but I’d be a rule breaker and set on falling in love with a tattooed dauntless boy with a bad boy exterior and gentlemen huggable interior. Just saying. It’s true. Well now that you’re all caught up.

Guess what’s back?! PUMPKIN! By September 1st I had already used three cans of pumpkin and had three pumpkin spiced lattes. All in one week. It’s still ridiculously scorching hot, so it’s putting a damper on my fall mood, but I’m clinging to the pumpkin! Pumpkin love will bring on the fall. And until it gets cool enough, I’ll just have my pumpkin coffees iced!

Now to the meal plan! I will admit meal planning has a been a struggle lately! I made a deal with myself that I wouldn’t say no to friends wanting to hang out with me even if it interrupted my meal plan and/or tv watching schedule. YES! I actually had to make that deal with myself. I’m a shy routine loving extrovert (get energy from being with people, drained by too much alone tome). So I need people, but I avoid chaos at all cost and therefore love my routines. But, while living in peopleless routines, I’m not as happy! I’ve happily said yes to a few weekly things, which is great! But just means less of a meal plan. BUT thankfully the way people connect is over food, so most of these things are potluck situations. Therefore, I think I’ll still be able to work up a meal plan for us (for my sanity and your enjoyment – meal plan posts steal continue to be my most viewed).

Monday:

Kale Bleu Chopped Salad (Pizza was planned too, but my sickness only wanted salad!)

Tuesday:

OWLs (Older Wiser Ladies) Dinner Party – Bringing individual Pumpkin Cheesecake Trifles.

Wednesday:

Dinner at Missional Community – Bringing Iced Sugar Cookies (tea party themed).

Thursday:

Cheesy Bacon Waffles, Cheese Grits, Fancy Scrambled Eggs, and Sauteed Pears

Friday:

Leftovers

Saturday:

Tailgate Snacks – Bringing Iced Sugar Cookies (football themed).

Sunday:

Fried Chicken and Waffle Sandwich and Roasted Rosemary Brussel Sprouts

Some other meals I made while away:

Chicken Tortilla Soup and Southwest Chopped Salad

Pumpkin Pancakes and Maple Bacon

Lunches:

I have a happy/sad update about lunches… The university I work for decided to give the RDs (my job) another benefit… A meal plan! At first it stressed me out. I like cooking! I wanted to be able to take advantage of the benefit in some way to allow it to help my budget without missing out on cooking (And blogging! If I don’t cook, what will I blog?!). My favorite part of my job is getting to meet one on one with RAs. I meet with each of them every other week, so half one week and half the next. I used to do these meetings in the late afternoon/early evening, but decided a good practical compromise was meeting with them over lunch. So the happy news is… budget saved! With only purchasing stuff for my planned meals and breakfast (which is mostly 10 for $10 yogurts), so far the last two grocery bills have been $50-$70 less! The sand news is that meals I can’t give you take to work lunch ideas! One day, when I have a job without this benefit, lunch ideas will return. But for now, I’m going to attempt to use this as an accountability tool to make healthy lunch choices in an “out” to eat setting and possibly post pictures. We’ll see how it goes!

Did I mention it’s pumpkin season?? This as one of my pumpkin creations, a pumpkin cake with cinnamon pumpkin butter cream for a friend’s birthday. Also made two pumpkin bread puddings with caramel sauce.

What are you eating this week? Post your weekly meal plan in the comment section below! You can also link your meal plan up over at Organizing Junkie and see even more people who are meal planning.

Meal Planning 101: Week 37

July 30, 2013July 23, 2015Leave a comment

The number one tip for meal planning on a budget, other than actually DOING IT (do it, really!), is checking sale ads and sale sections! My local grocery store has manager’s special labels, most places do this! Sometimes I make a stop by the grocery store before I plan my meals to see if I can catch any of these labels. Other times I will sit there with my little list and change my meal plan based on the labels I find.

I had an awesome collage made with all the things I got this week on managers special, and then I deleted it! Ugh. So I’ll just tell you, even though the visual is always better! I got two packages of button mushrooms for 80 cents each and a fresh loaf of unsliced sourdough for $1.89 (hence the mushroom swiss grilled cheese sandwiches being on the meal plan below). I also got my FAVORITE yogurt for 69 cents! I got Jet Puffed Mallow bits for 15 cents a container from Big Lots (hence smores cookies also mentioned below). I also got Saltine cracker rounds, whole wheat and regular for 75 cents a box!

Sign up for store emails! Know what’s on sale. Know what’s cheaper at which stores (Big Lots has cheaper bread, pasta, and other random things, Kroger has cheaper produce when it’s on sale and cheaper pickles, whipped topping, and cocoa powder because they have their own brand and Wal-Mart doesn’t. Wal-Mart has cheaper meats.). PLAN out you meals. And your meal plan will be on a budget or under budget too!

Monday:

Mushroom Onion Swiss Grilled Cheese and Fajita Pasta Salad

Tuesday:

Buffalo Chicken Sammies and Baked Onion Rings and Celery and Carrots

Wednesday:

Church Meal

Thursday:

Bacon Cheddar Green Onion Waffles (rearranged things so didn’t get to this last week), Breakfast Ham and Sunny Side Up Eggs

Friday:

Chicken and Waffle Sandwiches (using the leftover waffles) and Fruit Salad

Saturday:

Leftovers

Sunday:

Quick snack-y leftovers before leaving for the RD retreat!

Extras:

Made another gallon and a half of cold brew iced coffee.
Eating yogurt for breakfast with fruit and granola. Some of my favorite yogurts were on sale!
Making Smores Cookies for my coworkers.

Lunch Ideas:

top right: spaghetti bread + salad + strawberries

bottom left: rice with green onions and yogurt butter + cucumber tomato onion salad + strawberries

bottom right: leftovers (poppyseed chicken casserole) + cucumbers + strawberries

What are you eating this week? Post your weekly meal plan in the comment section below! You can also link your meal plan up over at Organizing Junkie and see even more people who are meal planning.

Meal Planning 101: Week 36

July 22, 2013January 4, 20171 Comment

Can you even believe that I’m posting my menu before midnight?! I’m trying hard to schedule in an hour or two here and there a couple of days a week to get posts together for you. Also, my file of pictures I take for potential posts is getting out of control! I need to get this stuff out to you guys. The good news is there is nothing else in my apartment that I can possible clean or organize. I went a little crazy and cleaned and organized every little thing possible! I’ve also kept it up. Hanging clothes I tried on in the mornings and didn’t wear, putting away shoes, putting my jewelry back in the jewelry box, making up my bed, EVEN washing clothes once a week (and putting them away!). I impressed myself this past week guys.

Last week’s meals were some great ones! By far my favorite had to be the naan flat bread grilled eggplant pizzas pictured above that I threw together. Oh man, I’m working on a post with the recipe. You have to make these. And I mean, just look how beautiful! The colors, the flavors, I was in heaven. This week’s meal plan is making me happy too!

Monday:

poppy seed chicken casserole, roasted green beans, rice and garlic toast

Tuesday:

chili cheese dogs and cucumber tomato salad (It’s $1 hot dog day at Sonic!)

Wednesday:

church potluck (my contribution will be loaded mashed potatoes)

Thursday:

buffalo chicken lettuce wraps and baked onion rings

Friday:

Japanese potluck (my contribution will be edamame hummus and baked wonton chips)

Saturday:

leftovers

Sunday:

bacon cheddar green onion waffles (that will be used as leftovers to make chicken and waffle sandwiches next week), breakfast ham and sunny side up eggs

Notes:

I cooked a bag of chicken in the crock pot to shred and use for two different meals.

More overnight oats for breakfast this week! Flavors: banana and almond butter, peach melb, and orange banana dream.

Snacking on sliced cucumbers, fresh tomatoes, sliced bell peppers, Oikos Greek Yogurt Red Pepper Dip, and fresh fruit.

Lunch Ideas:

top left: turkey roasted red pepper sandwich + avocado grilled corn salad + strawberries

top right: pizza rolls (cleaning out the freezer, don’t judge!) + cucumber, bell peppers and blue cheese + strawberries

bottom left: tomato sandwich + avocado grilled corn salad + grilled potatoes and peppers

bottom right: leftovers (grilled talapia + avocado grilled corn salad + grilled potatoes and peppers)

What are you eating this week? Post your weekly meal plan in the comment section below! You can also link your meal plan up over at Organizing Junkie and see even more people who are meal planning.

Meal Planning 101: Week 35

July 16, 2013January 4, 20174 Comments

I get on these kicks sometimes where I can’t focus on anything else but whatever “kick” I am on. My current kick is organizing and cleaning all the things. I’m almost finished! I’ve still been cooking and snapping pictures for you, but I’ve slacked on posting due to my organization cleaning project. I will return soon! I couldn’t leave you hanging without a Meal Plan Monday (barely, but before midnight!).

I was all about tomatoes last week thanks to my local farmer’s market. Tomatoes made an appearance in every single one of my lunches and most of my suppers! Oh how I love a farmer’s market. Does your town have one? GO! Mine just so happens to be on the magical brick streets of our olde towne. My favorite vendor is the honey/kettle corn family. The sale local honey and pop kettle corn right there on the streets. Enough talking, we’re almost out of minutes for this Monday! This week’s plan comes complete with breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas! I even chopped up fruit and veggies for healthy snacking for the week. AND I even cold brewed over a gallon of cold brew coffee concentrate for iced coffee at home. It will last a month! I’ll miss you Starbucks, but I’m saving $10 a week with this.

Monday:

grilled foil fish packets, with grilled peppers, onions and potatoes

Tuesday:

ground turkey spaghetti, grilled eggplant, garlic bread and strawberries with coconut whipped cream (A friend is bringing dessert! Three of us are going to the local Star’s Hollow-esque Farmer’s Market together then watching Pretty Little Liars.)

Wednesday:

church meal

Thursday:

Indian food potluck – I’m bring vanilla chai cupcakes

Friday:

grilled eggplant (using leftover eggplant) and heirloom tomato flatbread pizzas and crudities with roasted red pepper Greek yogurt dip

Saturday:

leftover spaghetti

Sunday:

spaghetti boats (using leftover spaghetti) and cucumber onion salad

Lunch Ideas:

top left: avocado half + chopped garden tomato + grapes + veggie chips + MS cookies

top right: leftover dill pickle soup + veggie chips + peach + cheerwine

bottom left: tomato sandwich + veggie chips + strawberry trifle

bottom right: tomato (snacky lunch before an early dinner)

Extras:

Breakfast – OVERNIGHT OATS HAVE RETURNED! Since acquiring chia seeds at Trader Joe’s, I decided breakfast for the next two weeks must be overnight oats. Seven(ish) new recipes coming! This week I’m all about strawberry flavor combos since strawberries are on sale: strawberries and cream, strawberry peach, orange strawberry, banana strawberry. Last week I was crazy about avocados. On more than once occasion I had an avocado and some form of caffeine for breakfast and it was perfect.

Iced Coffee – As mentioned above, I made over a gallon of Pioneer Woman’s cold brew coffee. I didn’t have a container as big as hers, but I had a 1.5 gallon container. I used 1 1/2 cup ground coffee and 24 cups of water. It’s basically 2 cups of water for every ounce of coffee. 12 ounces of coffee (1 1/2 cups) + 24 cups of water.

What are you eating this week? Post your weekly meal plan in the comment section below! You can also link your meal plan up over at Organizing Junkie and see even more people who are meal planning.

Meal Planning 101: Week 34

July 10, 2013January 4, 20171 Comment

Monday:

crockpot polish dill pickle soup (sounds, gross, but it’s delicious, sort of used this recipe but change a few things)

Tuesday:

leftovers

Wednesday:

church meal, bringing strawberry trifle

Thursday:

grilled tilapia packets, grilled corn and grilled potatoes

Friday:

tapas at Babalu for a friend’s birthday

Saturday:

leftover grilled things

Sunday:

bacon avocado grilled corn Salad and BLTFEs (a BLT + fried egg – aw it at Brent’s Diner, had to copy)

Lunch Ideas:

hummus + broccoli + ham + reduce fat cheddar + crostinis + grapes

avocado chicken salad sandwich + broccoli and cauliflower + fat free ranch dip + peach

avocado chicken salad + crostinis + broccoli + fat free italian dressing + peach

What are you eating this week? Post your weekly meal plan in the comment section below! You can also link your meal plan up over at Organizing Junkie and see even more people who are meal planning.