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 simple, healthy, and family-friendly recipes to help you simplify feeding your family!
Holy rainy weather! Charleston has had eleven straight days of rain. Eleven. I’m not sure who turned on the faucet, but I’d really appreciate it if it could be turned off. I’ve never suffered from seasonal affective disorder but not seeing the sun these last eleven days has definitely affected my mood.
The one positive of all of the rain (other than the real positives) is that I was forced to stay indoors, which gave me time to google Cyndie Spiegel. Cyndie is the author of A Year of Positive Thinking that I’ve been talking about incessantly. (Apologies to anyone who has come into contact with me over the last few days – this will be repetitive) I came across a TedTalk of hers and I think all women should take seventeen minutes and listen to it – The Necessary Paradigm Shift For Women To Collectively Thrive. Before you roll your eyes, I promise it’s not male bashing or a “let’s place blame on everyone else” kind of talk. That’s not my cup a. It’s actually about how women are not supportive of other women and in order for us to “collectively rise” we have to change how we treat one another. If you have teenage daughters, force them to sit down with you and watch. With Cyndie’s help maybe one day “mean girls” will be a thing of the past.
OK – I’m off my soap box and back to what I actually know – food. If you didn’t make the Mexican meatloaf, farro dish, or Tuscan soup from last week, you seriously missed out. All three were bananas yummy. Definitely worth going back to make! But this week is pretty freaking amazing if I do say so myself! Cheers to another week!
Grocery List for the Week
Herbs | parsley, thyme, dill
Fruits & Veggies | garlic, peas, lemons, carrots, mini sweet peppers, green onion, zucchini, green beans, baby potatoes, ginger
Meat | canned tuna, ground turkey, shrimp (optional), boneless chicken thighs, ground pork, pork tenderloin
Dairy | ricotta cheese, parmesan, shredded mozzarella cheese, eggs, pesto
Dry Goods | penne pasta, breadcrumbs, white or brown rice
Pantry | pine nuts, salt, pepper, dried oregano, olive oil, crushed red pepper, sweet or smoked paprika, grilled artichoke hearts, julienne sun-dried tomatoes, mayonnaise, sriracha, dill pickle relish, ground ginger, garlic powder, dried basil, soy sauce, Asian chili-garlic sauce, vegetable oil, Italian seasoning, grainy mustard
Meal Plan 8/28 – 9/2
Sunday, August 28th | Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Fresh Peas | Total Time: 20 minutes | If you haven’t eaten a ricotta pasta dish, have you really lived? The answer is no. This creamy ricotta pasta dish screams summer. Serve with her roasted dill carrots. Shrimp would be a delicious addition to the pasta too! PS – sometimes I don’t care if my kids will actually like a dish I choose like this recipe. They can eat butter pasta, and carrots, and if I add a protein to the pasta dish, a side of that!
Monday, August 29th | Crock Pot Chicken Thighs with Artichokes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes | Total Time: 5 hours | An oldie but a goodie, this chicken dish will blow you away. I’m not a huge artichoke or sun-dried tomato fan but both are delicious in this dish.
Tuesday, August 30th | Sriracha Tuna Cakes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Talk about a flavor explosion, these canned tuna cakes are out of this world. They can be made in the skillet or an air fryer if you have one. If you are worried about the spice, just omit the sriracha. You can always drizzle on top after!
Wednesday, August 31st | Pesto Baked Turkey Meatballs | Total Time: 40 minutes | Take ten minutes to combine a few ingredients then top with store-bought pesto, some cheese, and bake. Double this recipe and freeze the meatballs or, you can make a meatball, pesto arugula salad for an easy lunch idea!
Thursday, September 1st | Spicy Ground Pork and Zucchini Stir-Fry | Total Time: 30 minutes | Just a straightforward, low-calorie recipe perfect for a busy weeknight. Kid Tip: double the ground pork then toss half over pasta and store-bought marinara.
Friday, September 2nd | Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin Sheet Pan | Total Time: 35 minutes | Green beans, potatoes, and pork tenderloin all cook together for this one pan wonder. The yumminess lies in the tenderloin sauce. So good!
Lunch This Week – Lemon Arugula Pasta Salad ( I will sub farro for the pasta!)
This Week You Will Need:
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