What’s your plan this week?

I received so much feedback after writing the Mastering the Weekly Shop, that I thought I’d fill you in on what we’ve been eating around here.  Maybe it’ll give you a fresh idea for feeding your family and how to make it work as simply as possible!  I’d love to hear how it has been going for your families.  Have you been setting aside time on Sunday to make your weekly menu?  Have you been able to minimize your trips to the market?  It doesn’t always work in life’s plan, but if you set aside a little time, you will actually save yourself in the long run!

The last couple of weeks have kept my kitchen busy.  It is always a saving grace when I know that I have a plan for when we walk in the door hungry at 6 pm after a full day of school, work, sports, etc.

When I’m menu planning, I tend to use a formula that looks something like this:

One new recipe

One tried + true

One sorta homemade

One from the freezer

One Soup + Sandwich

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Week 1

M – Roasted Chicken (Barefoot Contessa, original)  {tried + true}

T – Roasted Tomato Soup (Barefoot Contessa, original) + grilled cheese  {soup + sandwich.  cook once, have a batch in the freezer}

W – Chicken Stir fry – baby bok choy, crimini mushrooms + bean sprouts served with brown rice  {new addition, my own creation}

Th – Chile Verde Enchiladas  {leftovers from freezer}

F – Dinner at a friends

S – Family Date Night Out

Week 2

S – Shrimp + Cous Cous (The Sprouted Kitchen)  {new addition}

M – Beef Stew (Small Plates and Sweet Treats, new fave!)  {new addition}

T – Meatloaf (prepared from Whole Foods) roasted sweet potatoes + salad {sorta homemade}

W – Butternut Squash + Apple Soup (Barefoot Contessa, Parties) with grilled cheese  {soup + sandwich.  easy to cook and have tons of leftovers for another night}

Th – Family Dinner Out

F – Chicken Tacos  {tried + true}

I also like to make one homemade item for a snack, breakfast or lunch box item each week in addition to my dinner menu.  Recently, I made a fresh batch of Eat, Live, Run’s Pumpkin Crunch Granola which we love around here!  Especially the little nuggets of candied pumpkin seeds.  I double the batch to make enough for 2 weeks+.

This recipe from Eat, Live, Run, is simple to make which is why it has become a staple in our house since I made it last month.  Start by roasting the pepitas.

After the pepitas are roasted you will candy them with a little honey, brown sugar, butter and spice mix.

Since I always try to double {or even triple} recipes, I had enough to share!

Zucchini + Carrot Muffins were next.  The best part about this recipe is that I always have a big batch stashed in the freezer for the next few weeks!

I made up another delicious batch of applesauce.  I use a recipe from one of my current favorite cookbooks, La Tartine Gourmande.  If you are thinking, ‘what’s so great about applesauce?’ you have to try this recipe.  My kids and I agree that it tastes just like apple pie!

Lunches

For school lunches, my kids have been really into nachos lately.  There’s usually a sandwich day, leftover soup or pasta day and pizza bagel/muffin day.  Add a fruit + veggie and a note from mom or dad and you are done.  Check out my snack + lunch board on Pintrest if you’d like more ideas

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