Following a weekly meal plan is the best way to cook healthier for your family, and save time and money. Each week I share six easy, healthy, and family-friendly recipes to help you simplify feeding your family!
Life Lately – I know I said I was back a few weeks ago and then went dark but now I’m really back. Vacations are over; camps are finished, so summer has come to an end. Damn, that was fast. While I know I need the structure of the school year, I’m not ready to jump back in 100%; I loathe the rushed feeling of a school/work week – there never seems to be enough time in the day. But alas, b*itching won’t change things so I guess it’s time to put on my big girl pants and accept it. T-minus a week-ish people. We got this.
While I’m in the back-to-school space can I vent about the merry-go-round of the school supply list? After just dropping hundreds of dollars on items I’ve been purchasing every twelve months for the past eight years, I’m a little hot. I have two points here – do my girls really need fat AND skinny Crayola markers, colored pencils, and glue sticks for 7th and 8th grades? At what point can we just tell the kids to color with one of the twelve hundred #2 Ticonderoga sharpened pencils I had to purchase? My second point – I think schools should have a buy-back plan for all of the supplies I HAVE to purchase at the beginning of the year that comes home in May, unused. I’m talking multiple notebooks, never touched extra folders, etc. Of course, my girls have no idea what they did with all of the crap that came home in May. Somehow it all magically disappeared, just in time for us to hit up Staples once again. Now that I think about it, I do remember hauling a large trash bag of school stuff to the trash can, frustrated that it had been living all over my house for weeks. Dang, it.
Grocery List for the Week
Herbs | fresh thyme, fresh basil, parsley
Fruits & Veggies | lemon, garlic, shallot, roma tomatoes, red onion, arugula, zucchini, ginger, carrot, onion, red bell pepper, mushrooms
Meat | deli turkey, shrimp, chicken thighs, pork chops, ground beef sirloin
Dairy | whole milk ricotta, burrata cheese, parmesan cheese, pepper jack laughing cow cheese, part skim ricotta
Dry Goods | pasta, low carb wraps, hamburger buns
Pantry | olive oil, salt & pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, balsamic vinegar, pistachios, everything bagel seasoning, white wine, soy sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire, steak seasoning, red wine vinegar, tomato sauce, tomato paste
Meal Plan 8/7 – 8/12
Sunday, August 7th | One Pot Melty Burrata Lemon Pesto Pasta | Total Time: 25 minutes | Nothing screams summer more than a basil pesto and this one gets taken to a new level with the addition of toasted pistachios. I know some people shy away from pesto because it sounds complicated but it is anything but – all you have to do is dump ingredients into a food processor. And pesto will take anything from boring to delicious – top your chicken breasts, use it as a salad dressing – the options are endless. And your favorite protein – I think I’ll do chicken!
Monday, August 8th | Spicy Turkey and Arugula Crunch Wrap | Total Time: 10 minutes | We need to stop overcomplicating dinner; it doesn’t have to be a protein, two sides, and a salad. These yummy wraps are full of hearty ingredients and each can be customized to fit all of your family’s needs. Heck, let your kids make their own. The spicy comes from Laughing Cow Cheese but you can sub with mayo if your kids are spice averse. I love the Xtreme Wellness wraps – low in carbs but the flavor is 100%. Also a great lunch idea!
Tuesday, August 9th | Lemon Ricotta Shrimp Zoodles | Total Time: 30 minutes | Winner, winner shrimp dinner. The mix of ricotta and lemon is the best creamy but healthy combo. Kid Tip – serve their shrimp and sauce with noodles or if really picky, shrimp over buttered noodles or in Regan’s case, just buttered noodles.
Wednesday, August 10th | Lemon Ginger Soy Marinated Grilled Chicken | Total Time: 25 minutes + marinating time | This might be THE chicken recipe of the summer. Minced, fresh ginger is one of my favorite ingredients. Double this recipe for lunch salads! Serve with fresh corn and a side salad.
Thursday, August 11th | The Best Pork Chop Recipe | Total Time: 25 minutes + marinating time | A few simple ingredients (you most definitely already have in your pantry) and voila, the most amazing pork chops! This will be a new family favorite. Serve with roasted asparagus and potatoes!
Friday, August 12th | Skinnytaste Sloppy Joes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Sloppy Joes get a bad wrap because growing up we all ate the stuff out of a can. This lightened-up and healthy version are made of lots of hidden veggies, real tomato sauce, and a little vinegar. Your kids will never know they are eating something good for them!
Quick Tip – this week there are two recipes that need to marinate overnight. Spend a little time on Sunday and make the marinades so Wednesday and Thursday all you have to do is pull a bag out of the fridge and quickly grill/pan cook the meat. I promise the little investment of time will pay off big!
This Week You Will Need
Leave a Reply