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
The Duffys are heading to Europe! Have I mentioned that to y’all yet? Any who, we are heading to Europe in the spring, and any free second I have has been consumed with planning. I seriously think I missed my calling to be a travel agent. My point in sharing this with all of you this week is I have found some fantastic travel necessities I thought might be of interest. If you are here solely for the food, just scroll on down! P.S. – please send your London and Paris recs my way!
- LL Bean Nor’easter Tote Bag – I am a glutton for LL Bean totes mainly because they let you slap a monogram on everything and I heart a monogram. This bag is the perfect travel companion because it’s big and when you are flying anywhere these days your carry-on needs to get you thru at least one day without your luggage – change of clothes, toiletries, jacket, etc. Plus it zips and the bottom is waterproof!
- Coolife Luggage – We all needed new luggage as it’s been a minute since we traveled but I wasn’t interested in spending a small fortune on a suitcase. I ordered the large size for under $130 and I love them. Great quality, spinny wheels, expandable, and awesome color options.
- Travel Document Organizer – I kept having this nightmare we all lose our passports and can’t get home so I ordered this organizer. It will hold three passports (Patrick’s on his own), credit cards, plane tickets, and my phone. Plus it’s RFID blocking which I had never even heard of but apparently, it’s made so bad people can’t scan my stuff. And it’s super cute and I’ll use it as a clutch after our trip.
- Packing Cubes – I chose these for the color options and price point but they are all pretty much the same. I just like the organization packing cubes offer and I prefer to make it more difficult for people to steal my stuff.
- Rothy’s Slippers – not listed above but I really want these slippers. I love a slipper that functions as a shoe. These will take me from the plane to the airport and then onto the streets of Paris. I love that you can wash them!
- Cole Haan Packable Rain Jacket – my rain jacket from 1999 finally disintegrated so I’ve been searching for a new one. This has great reviews, a good price point and it packs down to basically nothing.
Meal Plan 2/19 – 2/24
Sunday, February 19th | Creamy Green Chili Chicken Bake | Total Time: 65 minutes | I’ve been following Lillie Eats and Tells for a while now and I’m this close to counting macros. I gotta do something y’all – the 40s have taken a toll on my waistline and exercise isn’t doing a damn thing. But macros are so freaking complicated so for now I’m just going to try some of her recipes. This is a one-dish wonder the whole fam jam will love.
Monday, February 20th | Five Ingredient Italian Sausage and Zucchini Orzo | Total Time: 22 minutes | Y’all LOVED last week’s orzo & sausage recipe so why not share another one? Sub sweet sausage for spicy for the littles. You can also deconstruct this one! Oh, and to make this “macro friendly” you can sub cauli rice or leave out the orzo altogether and eat over arugula. I think. I honestly don’t know how it all works.
Tuesday, February 21st | Salmon Cakes | Total Time: 23 minutes | I never thought I would eat salmon out of a can until I made these salmon cakes. They are freaking fantastic. The key is to place your patties into the fridge for up to thirty minutes, before cooking, so they stick together. And your pan/oil has to be hot so they don’t stick!
Wednesday, February 22nd | Thai Basil Turkey Veggie Skillet | Total Time: 25 minutes | The best way to stick to eating healthy is to make sure every dish is full of flavor – plain chicken with a side of broccoli and I’m out. Simple ingredients like ginger, basil, and chili garlic sauce like in this recipe can make dirt taste delicious. Add a side of Trader Joe’s chicken wontons for the kiddos.
Thursday, February 23rd | Sheet Pan Harissa Chicken with Roasted Vegetables | Total Time: 50 minutes | A one pan wonder, full of flavor and healthy veggies. Harissa is smokey, and savory with a little spice and can be found as a paste or a dry seasoning. It’s amazing and you will want to put it on everything!
Friday, February 24th | Creamy Buffalo Chicken Casserole | Total Time: 45 minutes | Skip the pizza and make this creamy, comforting casserole instead. Use a rotisserie chicken to save even more time! I have a feeling this will become a new weeknight staple for many of us!!!
Lunch This Week: Simple Chopped Italian Salad
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