Meal Planning Success

Since food photography does not seem to be my strong suit, you get a cute kid photo instead.

 I am still going strong with my meal planning.  Since I have been planning ahead, we have tried some really yummy recipes instead of relying on all of our normal stand-bys.  I thought I would share some of the recipes that we have enjoyed plus some tips for how I have been meal planning.

I am by no means an expert in this subject, but I thought it might be helpful to share how I go about planning our meals for the week. 
1.  If I come across a recipe on a blog or pinterest, etc., I go ahead and print it out and set it aside.
2.  On Thursday or Friday I look at the recipes I have collected and decide which ones I want to make.  Then I fill in the gaps with any meals I have been craving or think that the kids would actually eat.
3.  I plan for 4 dinners.  This leaves leftovers for one night during the week.  We usually eat out on Friday and Saturday night.
4.  I list a few snack ideas for school and after school.
5.  I have been trying to make one batch of soup each week for an easy lunch. I try to make this on Sunday.
6.  I have also been making a healthy-ish treat to have on hand for the kids.  The kids feel like they are getting something special and I don't feel guilty about giving it to them.  I also try to make this on Saturday or Sunday.
7.  I plan for easier meals on the days I know we have an activity like Tae Kwon Do.  If possible I go ahead and make an extra meal on a night I am not as busy, so we can just grab and go or warm it up and eat.
8.  Once I have my plan, I make a grocery list. 

I will admit that this is a ton of work, but so far it has been so worth it.  It is so nice to come home from work and not think about what I am going to make. 

Here are some of our favorite recipes from the last few weeks:

Orange Slow Cooker Chicken- Mitch added hot sauce to it to off set the sweetness.  The kids ate it so I am calling it a success.
Nut Butter Brownies- not necessarily healthy, but definitely yummy
White Bean and Kale Stew from The Vegan Slow Cooker
Totally Addictive Cornbread- Yummy and gluten free and dairy free
Spicy Lentil Collard Wraps- I used brown rice instead of bulgar wheat because it is what I had on hand.
Blueberry Banana Pie Vegan Overnight Oats- We all love these oats.  I have made 2 batches now.  I was skeptical about cold oats, but let me tell you these are REALLY good.  The batch lasts for a few days, so you can have breakfast for several mornings.

I am sure there are more, but these are the ones that are standing out. 

Meal Planning Again

 

 I have successfully planned our meals for the last 2 weeks.  Woohoo.  I am on a roll.  It makes life so much easier when I don't have to think about what I need to cook for dinner.  I have been making some meals on Sunday so that we have food for lunch and good snacks to eat during the week.  I have also been making dinners ahead of time to cover the nights we have Tae Kwon Do.  It is definitely more work, but it is worth it to have healthy food to eat.

Here's what I planned for this week:
Snacks
Sunflower Oat Bars
Raisin Seed Balls
Ancient Grain Banana Breakfast Bread
Sunflower Seed and Cashew Cheese
I made all of the recipes above this weekend.  I can tell you they are all winners.  The kids love the raisin seed balls and the sunflower oat bars. I used peanut butter for the oat bars.  The breakfast bread is also very yummy and also almost gone.  The sunflower and cashew cheese is great on crackers or could work in a wrap with veggies for lunch too.

Lunch
Dilled Egg Salad
Sweet Potato Hummus
Avocado and Bean Burritos
Black Bean Soup
Black Bean Confetti Salad
I made all of these except the burritos this weekend too.  The sweet potato hummus might be my favorite.  It is really, really good. 


Dinners
Cashew Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
Wild Salmon with Rosemary Sweet Potatoes and Lemon Asparagus
Coconut Dal with Broccoli and Wild Rice
Sesame Crusted Sole, Kale Chips, and Quinoa
Kale Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms with Rice
I also have some chicken and tofu that will get thrown into the mix too for the kids.  Harper refuses to eat fish.  She was traumatized back in August when we went trout fishing. We ate the Lettuce Wraps Sunday night for dinner and the kids loved them. 

So needless to say there has been no sewing going on at my house.  I did manage to cut out and interface some fabric for a purse.  I also have a baby quilt to make.  So I promise there will be crafty things to show soon.