So I thought I’d try something new! You probably haven’t noticed, but I’m doing my best to up the ante here on le blog, and post more frequently. The last couple weeks, and my current plan as of now, is to post new recipes four days a week, and then one day gear more towards lifestyle type posts. As of now that day is Thursdays!
So here we are!I’ve been contemplating posting meal plans for awhile, and I’ve talked in my Happy Hour posts about different dinners we’ve had that are super delicious, so I’m trying this out for a few weeks. If the interest isn’t there, I will come up with something else to fill this space!
I wouldn’t survive without meal planning. I do it every single week, I plan 5-7 meals, and inevitably, there is always one that doesn’t get made, because either I don’t feel like cooking, or we go out, or leftovers, or just life! But then I just roll it into the next week. As long as I have a list of dinners that I know I already have the ingredients for, it takes the guesswork out of dinner and I can prep a lot ahead of time. Plus we save a ton of money since we’re not going to the store 4-5 times a week, which ultimately ends up in extra items, ie; more money spent.
So basically, here is how it all goes down…
With two kids, going to the grocery store more than once a week sounds like torture. So I sit down, usually during my sons nap-time, pull up Pinterest, my blog, favorite cookbooks, and get to work. Oh I also keep a list going as I read through all my favorite blogs every week, of things I want to try, and I generally ask my husband once or twice if he has any requests for the week. Sometimes he gives suggestions, like ‘soup’, or ‘tacos’, but for the most part he says he doesn’t care.
So as I sit and peruse through each recipe, I write down the ingredients that I know I don’t have and need to buy. I separate my grocery list by section of the store, in the order that I know I go through it. It’s an extra step, kind of, but when I’m by myself with two kids, it makes things go much smoother and quicker versus running back and forth throughout the entire store, lugging a heavy cart. I can usually do a full trip, in and out within 45 minutes because of this.
I keep a running list in my kitchen too, on the side of the fridge, of items that I run out of throughout the week, you know, ‘the essentials’, condiments, things like that, and after I plan our meals, I add these things to the grocery list too, so it’s all in one place. I like simple.
I know this probably sounds like a lot of work, but once you get a system, it’s really quite simple, and you’ll really love it.
I do my grocery shopping usually at the end of each week, before going into the weekend. I’m not really sure why, it started working out this way and so I just kept it up. I like going into the weekends with a fully stocked kitchen I guess? But really it doesn’t matter when you go!
Now in the honor of full disclosure, I should tell you, that even with all my planning..sometimes, everything just goes awry. Not often, but once in awhile, I look at the list of dinners, and I’m not in the mood for any of it. Sometimes I just see something on one of the beautiful blogs I read, and I just have to have it. like that day. So in that case, I run to the store with my kids, (though not frequently) OR I call up my husband and he picks up what I need on his way home from work…he’s better at not buying all the additional random items that I would. BUT for the most part, we stick with the list.
I should also add, that every couple of weeks, I plan a more time consuming dinner, that my husband and I cook together after the kids go to bed. We eat every meal with them, but since I still don’t trust anyone out here yet to watch my kids, we have a date night at home, where we put the kids to bed a little early, break open the wine, and cook together, then usually watch a movie or just listen to music and talk. It’s what works for us! We used to love to cook together before we had kids, so this is our way of incorporating it back in, without one of us (usually me) freaking out because my 1 1/2 year old is trying to reach up and grab hot pans off the stove of knives off the counter, or the other wrangling them in from being outside and cleaning them up. It’s pretty chaotic here at dinner sometimes, so we like our m makeshift dates!
I know the above rambling doesn’t affect you, but once in awhile, you’ll see a dinner that may take a little more time than a weeknight meal! Ill add a note that it’s our date dinner, but just so you know! 😉
Alright, I had no intention of talking that much, but, now you know my procedure and way of organizing it all! Without further ado, these are the dinners on our meal plan for the next seven days! Some we’ve had previously, and love, others are new to us!
Crockpot Maple Dijon Chicken Drumsticks
Saw these this week and immediately added them to my list..the flavor, the crock pot, it sold me! I’ll probably serve it along side either brown rice of roasted sweet potatoes, and a veggie.
Shrimp and Smoked Sausage Aged Cheddar Grits
ohmygah. If you follow me on Instagram, you know we had these this week, and they were the best. I’ve added them to next weeks too because we couldn’t get enough. oh, I eliminated the shrimp because my husband wont eat seafood, but I imagine it’s even more amazing!
Healthier Crock-pot Butter Chicken
We’ve had this one in the past too, and is a favorite of ours. It’s so warm and cozy on a cool night, and it couldn’t be easier! Oh & don’t skip out on the naan, it’s fantastic!
Creamy Parmesan Garlic Gnocchi
Doesn’t it just wound like a big bowl of comfort? Can’t wait to try this one!
This is a quick one, but so much flavor, filling, and everyone always loves it!
Creamy Tomato Lasagna Florentine
You just can’t go wrong with lasagna..and this a lighter & healthier version. #winning
Barley Risotto with Kale and Butternut Squash
This is more of a date dinner, since risotto requires so much time in front of the stove, but we’ve had this and it was totally worth every stirring minute! Plus it gives you a great opportunity to drink a glass of wine and talk to your husband. (I would probably feed my kids leftovers of the above lasagna on this night before putting them to bed!)
And that’s a wrap for this week! I hope this helps in your meal planning adventures! All the photos above are credited to the link they lead too.
P.S. I’m working on creating a downloadable template based on categories in the grocery store, so it’s a more organized shopping trip!