Happy April…snow? What’s this white stuff outside my window? I’m going to push it out of my mind and instead think of spring salads and farmers markets opening in the coming weeks. Although we are traveling this week, I wanted to share some recipes that caught my eye recently.

Well Plated’s slow cooker Moroccan chicken. This looks amazing.

Sundried tomato creamy chicken. This is paleo and Whole30 approved.

We just ordered a spiralizer! I cannot wait to test it out with this recipe for Chicken Caprese Zoodles.

Very curious to make Quinoa Bread based on a friend’s recommendation. Here’s a comparable recipe to try it out yourself.

Till next week…happy cooking in your kitchen.

p.s. Watch for a new name on the blog in the days ahead! 

For more inspiration, see three years of past dinner plan here, my Pinterest board here, or OrgJunkie for a link-up of weekly meal plans. 

March is ending with a lion’s roar it seems. With all the snow in the forecast this week it looks like winter isn’t quite ready to let go. There will be some cozy dinner meals this week to help everyone forget it’s supposed to be spring. Easter brunch and dinner is being planned and I am very excited for my Dad to visit our new home. Sadly I think the snow will shock his system after being in Florida all winter.

As you prepare for a holiday feast, it’s really helpful to clear out your refrigerator and freezer space. Knowing we have a large ham and vegetables to prepare, I’m creating our meal plan this week by shopping the fridge first. Leftover chicken will be used for chicken salad lettuce wraps. Extra fruits will go into smoothies for snacks. You’ll be happy when you have some breathing room in your fridge for leftovers.

Here’s what’s cooking this week in our kitchen…slow cooker frenzy happening!

Dinner

• Quinoa Enchilada slow cooker– healthy vegetarian dinner with loads of protein and flavor. For the kids I strain it and put it in tortilla roll-ups.
• Harvest Chicken Salad– over salad or in lettuce wraps using up leftover chicken
• White Bean and Kielbasa cassoulet– another slow cooker dish planned for the day we have 5-8” of snow in the forecast
• Our favorite meatball recipe by the kid’s request. This recipe has always been so well received. We will serve it with roasted asparagus and brown rice rotini.
• For Good Friday, we will make Maple Cider Baked Beans. It’s from the Brown Eggs and Jam Jars cookbook and I was inspired to make it after our trip to Mapletown this past weekend. (see my Instagram to take a peek!) You can find similar recipes by searching on Pinterest.

Lunch

• This will be a big leftover week as we clear out the fridge. I have even started packing a lunch for Jim and we use the Planetbox stainless steel option which transports great. That box is indestructible.

Breakfast

• I cannot wait to make these Granola Muffins. Such a great idea for a breakfast on the go, snack or lunch box treat. Take a look at all these great breakfast ideas in this past month’s Runner’s World magazine. The apple waffles are also calling my name.
• Chia seed pudding- an old favorite has returned after a friend tracked down white chia seeds for me in a tiny organic shop. This recipe is best made with coconut milk and then add your favorite toppings. The kids liked it and some asked for seconds. (image above from Simple Bites)

Have a wonderful Easter weekend. I’ll be heading to Whole Foods to find a few dye free jelly beans for the kids and chocolate eggs to hide!

For more inspiration, see three years of past dinner plan here, my Pinterest board here, or OrgJunkie for a link-up of weekly meal plans. Some affiliate links are included. 

Hello January. We are jumping back into our family routines after a long break from the cold. School and activities are in full swing and this week marked my return to meal planning. After doing it for 3 years, I realize it is the #1 way for me to make sure we are eating healthy foods. I create the menu of dinners, write out the grocery list and make sure we follow it so we don’t waste any food. This year, I’m trying to plan more of our breakfast/lunch/snacks. These make up a big bulk of our diet so it only makes sense to put a little more thought into what will fill the most active part of our day.

I used to write out our meal plan on Sunday and then type it up on the blog to share. I’m shifting around the timing a bit as I am making a big effort to stay offline over the weekends. You can expect to see the meal plans towards the later part of the week so you can make your own plans over the weekend and get some meal prep done on Sunday too. That’s another goal this year…chopping veggies on a Sunday is a great way to get ahead of dinner prep and lunch box needs.

As you read through some of the January magazines and blog articles, you may have noticed many new ideas happening in the healthy food world. Juicing is out and “souping” is in. Focus on Pulse foods. Butter and eggs are no longer on the naughty list. There is a lot to digest and I’ll dig into some of these ideas in the coming weeks.

On to the menu…

Dinners

• Chicken sausage and broccoli rabe. (recipe)  This turned out great and I swapped out the penne pasta for faro that has more protein. Told the kids it was “oatmeal” for dinner. 
• Shrimp stir fry with snow peas and salad. Topped this with a homemade citrus dressing.
• Mushroom and chicken marsala. Bigger focus on the veggies instead of the meat in this revised recipe.
• Meatballs in slow cooker for busy nights, paired with multigrain spaghetti and spinach salad.
• Sweet and sour chicken (recipe) with brown rice and peas
• Chili…because the Patriots are in the playoffs and we can’t mess with tradition.

Lunches

• Tunafish prepped in advance and served on crackers or multigrain bread “thins”
• Ham and cheese cubes
• Spinach salad with almonds, cheese, tomatoes and leftover green beans.
• Pomegranate-farrow salad (use up leftover faro!) (recipe)
• Cauliflower soup (recipe per my friend’s suggestion)

Breakfast

• Greek Yogurt topped with fruit and farro (if you still have any, or with Grape Nuts) (image/inspiration source)
• Veggie-eggy scramble (recipe)
• Find milk I can make yogurt with in Canada…haven’t been successful so I’m making a trip to Whole Foods to spend some time finding the right one.

Snacks

• Celery with peanut butter (seed butter or cream cheese)
• Almonds
• Multigrain waffle with a dollop of ricotta or greek yogurt
• Guacamole and a few chips
• Hummus and veggies

You can find more of what recipes I’m saving over on my Pinterest board here, and see which meals actually make the cut to my Instagram feed here. Hope this list gets you started on a healthy new year trend!

For more inspiration, see three years of past dinner plan here, my Pinterest board here, or OrgJunkie for a link-up of weekly meal plans. All images from Ricardo magazine. Some affiliate links included.