Meal Planning Archives - Page 5 of 15 - Emily Roach Health Coach

Monday Meal Plan April 20th

Sometimes you get thrown a curve ball and you need to make adjustments to your routine. Having some back up meals can be a huge help. This weekend I was so excited to get back on my bike and ride for the first time this season. Just a few miles in, I feel off my bike and ended up in the ER. A stitch and an X-ray later, I’m recuperating. My apologies on getting the meal plan out a little later than usual as I couldn’t type yesterday with my left hand. Or change diapers, which was the one bright spot in this mishap.

Freezer meals are one of my favorite ways to be ready when our routine gets disrupted. I know I can rely on these meals, or one from this dinner cheat sheet, to get us through a couple days. When you make a large dinner and have a lot of leftovers, pack them away in a freezer safe glass dish. You can then thaw it a bit when needed and pop it right in the oven to reheat. The flavors will stay in tact better than if you microwave it. Easy peasy.

Don’t these fish cakes look yummy?! (source)

On the menu this week…

Monday: Cheeseburger Casserole (from this meal plan). Note- this is going to be in our rotation a lot next winter; it is amazing.

Tuesday: Pork carnitas leftovers, (from this post) cubed for a Mexican salad with avocado, corn, greens, tomato, peppers and cheese.

Wednesday: Chickpea and apricot stew (from here). Serve over couscous which I love since it only takes 5 minutes to make.

Thursday: Fish cakes from Dinner: A Love Story. The dip looks awesome! Plus lemony green beans on the side.

Friday: Pizza night!

Saturday: Arroz Con Pollo, also from Dinner a Love Story. (can you tell which cookbook I picked for my Sunday meal planning session?)

Sunday: Grilled rib eye, spinach salad and Israeli couscous.

What are you making for dinner this week?

For more inspiration, see three years of past dinner plan here,

my Pinterest board here, or OrgJunkie for a link-up of posts.

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April 20, 2015/2 Comments/by eroachwellness

Monday Meal Plan April 13

Spring is in the air! It’s been a long wait, but it certainly is delightful. Kids played outside for hours and it was refreshing to watch them explore the backyard all over again. It’s like a whole new world without snow covering it. It’s so nice to plan our dinner menu with a little more variety as the weather improves.

With Sunday’s sunny skies, we finally opened up the grill. I had forgotten that my favorite part of grilling is the clean up. No pots and pans to wash. Happy day. If the weather cooperates, there will be lots more grilling in our future.

On the menu…

Sunday: Grilled burgers, sweet potato fries and coleslaw.

Monday: Slow cooker Enchilada bake. This recipe looks amazing. And easy. And my kids will eat it. It’s a meatless meal that we can put in tacos for the kids or whole wheat tortillas. Last week we tried Mexican quinoa and my picky boys ate it all up!

Tuesday: Pecan crusted fish sticks. (recipe-although I’ll use local cod instead of farm raised tilapia.)

Wednesday: Crock pot carnitas. Super easy for a busy night. This will make a lot so we can save half in the freezer for another meal. This recipe is Paleo friendly and has lots of side dish suggestions.

Thursday: Meatball Casserole. New recipe that looks great for a rainy day. Steamed spinach on the side, kids will eat it raw.

Friday: Pizza night with homemade dough.

What’s cooking in your kitchen this week? Any new favorites? One last week’s meal plan, the one pot Mexican quinoa dish was a winner.

For more dinner ideas, see three years of past menus here,

my Pinterest board here, or OrgJunkie for a link-up of meal plans every Monday.

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April 13, 2015/3 Comments/by eroachwellness

Meal Planning, menu planning, organizing

Monday Meal Plan March 23rd

As winter drags on, it’s time to try out some new recipes. This week’s meal plan has a 5 new recipes after catching up on my magazine reading. Cooking Light is one of the few that I still prefer to receive in print so I can easily access the recipes.

The system I use for organizing recipes is to rip out the ones I’m interested in and add it to a folder that stays at the front of my recipe binder. Once I have cooked the meal and decide if it’s worth making again, then it gets filed into the correct section of the binder for storage. Most of the recipes from magazines end up in plastic sleeves so there are no worries about kitchen spills.

On the menu…

Sunday: Grilled Rib Eye with shaved carrot and parsley salad. {recipe}

Monday: Pasta tuna salad. I make a pasta switch as the kids don’t care for campanelle. This is a great pantry-friendly recipe that comes together really fast. {recipe}

Tuesday: Seared Flank Steak with Blue Cheese Polenta. Kids who don’t care for blue cheese will get parmesan cheese swirled into their polenta. Sautéed broccoli on the side. {recipe}

Wednesday: Spaghetti and meatballs in slow cooker. Recipe from the Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook.

Thursday: CORN: Clean Out Refrigerator Night

Friday: Mushroom Asparagus and Roasted Red Pepper Pizza. {recipe} Getting creative with meatless meals during Lent. It will be even better with homemade pizza dough.

Saturday: Chicken curry bar. I’ll toss the kid’s chicken into a tortilla with their choice of toppings. Grown ups will have it over rice. {recipe} Are my kids the only ones who won’t eat rice?

Sunday: Mustard Glaze Chicken plus a big batch of roasted vegetables. {recipe} I’m loving the soup idea to make with the leftover veggies!

Which dinner night would be the favorite in your house?

For more recipes, see three years of past dinner menus here,

my Pinterest board here, or OrgJunkie for a link-up of meal plans.

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March 22, 2015/7 Comments/by eroachwellness

Holidays, Meal Planning, menu planning, organizing

Family Meal Plan March 16

The past week was a banner of unique days. Sunday is the “Ides of March.” Saturday was Pi Day, which won’t come again for 1000 years. Friday was Friday the 13th, and also my birthday. Monday will be back to a normal day, one full of wishing for spring to arrive a little faster. As I worked on creating this week’s meal plan, somehow it became loaded up with cozy slow cooker dinners. Winter hasn’t shaken it’s grip on us so I’m giving in and sticking with hearty meals for the week ahead.

Tuesday brings us St. Patrick’s Day! We are hosting a family feast and I’m excited to share a lovely dinner with family. We will pick out a craft or two for the little ones to work on, take a peek here to see what I might make.

Pin this image and save it in a place you will remember for when you start thinking about what to make for dinner in your home.

On the menu…

Sunday: Chicken cutlets with mushrooms and pearl onions (recipe), roasted asparagus, barley with parsely

Monday: Rustic Chickpea Stew with Apricots and Turnips (recipe) Another meatless Monday meal to serve over couscous.

Tuesday: Corned Beef, cabbage, carrots and potatoes. Love this recipe that finishes with baking the corned beef in the oven with a mustard glaze. Plus our Irish Soda Bread, Dubliner cheese and my sister will surprise us with one of her delicious desserts.

Wednesday: Chicken and Sweet Potato Korma (recipe) in slow cooker. White rice on the side made ahead of time and nann bread.

Thursday: C.O.R.N. {for anyone new, this means Clean Out Refrigerator Night}

Friday: Chef salad

Saturday: Dinner out

Sunday: One more beef stew before winter lets us go. I’ll be trying the one in The Kitchn cookbook (affiliate link)

I hope you all have a fun St. Patrick’s Day and enjoy the week ahead! I’ll raise a glass of Guinness and toast you all who spend a little time reading here. Thank you!

For more recipes, see three years of past dinner menus here,

my Pinterest board here, or OrgJunkie for a link-up of meal plans.

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March 15, 2015/6 Comments/by eroachwellness

Meal Planning, menu planning

Monday Meal Plan 3/9

How are you doing with your resolution to meal plan this year? Hopefully it’s making the dinner time dance a little easier in your home. Sometimes your meal plan can get derailed when life changes course. Dinner invitations are accepted, kids get sick, grocery delivery gets delayed. Stuff happens and it’s helpful to have some favorites planned as a back up.

18 Dinner Ideas When you Don’t have Time to Cook:

Omeletes
Quiches (keep a crust in the freezer)
Scrambled Eggs
Oatmeal
Super salad (hard boiled eggs, cheese, or bacon to make it a meal)
Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup
BLT
Buffalo Chicken Wraps
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Quesadillas with whatever is left in the fridge
Stir fry veggies and chicken or flank steak. Keep them in freezer ready to go.
Pasta with sauce and green olives (my personal favorite pre kids)
Tacos. Super fast with black beans.
Frozen pizza
Tuna or chicken salad on greens
Hot dogs or sausages
Leftovers (also known as C.O.R.N.)
When in doubt…cold cereal.

Pin this post so you have a quick cheat sheet for those soccer nights and times when meal planning goes awry. Another way to get ahead of the week of meals? Do some Power Cooking! Prep on Sunday or when you have a pocket of time. Stash some stuff in the freezer and you are good to go when the week gets a little bumpy.

On the menu this week…

Sunday- Soy Ginger Pot Roast was amazing!

Monday- Cheddar and Broccoli Quiche, stewed tomatoes and toast. {Meatless Monday}

Tuesday-Sloppy Joe’s , summer squash and salad

Wednesday- Orange Hoisin Chicken in slow cooker (from this cookbook) with steamed broccoli

Thursday- C.O.R.N.

Friday- To be determined…it’s my birthday. Should I cook or shouldn’t I cook?

Saturday- Date night!

For more recipes, see three years of past dinner menus here,

my Pinterest board here, or OrgJunkie for a link-up of meal plans.

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March 8, 2015/5 Comments/by eroachwellness

Meal Planning, menu planning, organizing

Monday Meal Plan March 2nd

Hey look. It’s snowing. Must be a Sunday night in Boston. Here’s to dreaming of days without snow pants and grilling without gloves on. Anyone else ready for a big thaw this month?

On the dinner menu this week there is a mix of new recipes and family favorites. Last week I shared my two favorite new recipes in this post. I’ll continue to share the winners, and if there are any big losers too.

Sunday: Chicken Satay Bites from the Weelicious Lunches cookbook. Told the kids it was “peanut butter chicken” and they were sold.

Monday: Autumn Chopped Salad. Skipping the bacon to keep it a Meatless Monday meal. Will add hardboiled eggs to up the protein content.

Tuesday: Fish sandwiches, corn and salad. We use haddock, dress it in panko and pan fry it in coconut oil. Super fast and a winner.

Wednesday: Slow cooker sausage and spaghetti dinner. More salad

Thursday: Family favorite chicken nuggets, oven baked fries and roasted broccoli.

Friday: Pizza night! (with bread maker dough)

Saturday: Thai night! Thai Butternut Squash soup and chicken pad thai.

Sunday: Soy Ginger Pot Roast, snow peas and sweet potatoes.

For more recipes, see three years of past dinner menus here,

my Pinterest board here, or OrgJunkie for a link-up of meal plans.

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March 1, 2015/3 Comments/by eroachwellness

Meal Planning, menu planning

Monday Meal Plan February 23rd

As we head into the last week of February, I’m ready to say goodbye to winter and think about the spring menus ahead. It’s nearly time to start mapping out our garden and dream of early micro-greens. We have room for more raised beds this year and may finally plan out a flower fairy garden with Madison. Let your mind wander and think spring as we move closer to the days of March.

On the menu this week is a repeat Sunday favorite from Dinner: A Love Story. A continued attempt to include more vegetarian meals into our menu. Family favorite for busy sport nights. A new attempt at bread making.

Beautiful rosemary sea salt bread {recipe from The Cookie Rookie}

On the family meal plan…

Sunday: Pomegranate Pork Loin with Cabbage

Monday: Continuing the one-pot trend I mentioned last week with Coconut Chickpea Curry from The Kitchn Cookbook. If you are not following a Meatless Monday tradition, this is a similar chicken option that looks divine.

Tuesday: Taco (tuesday) with either leftover pork or ground turkey. Avocado, rice, and veggie toppings for all. And lots of cheese.

Wednesday: Celebrating a friend’s birthday with dinner. Before bed, I’m going to put this recipe together, Rosemary Sea Salt Bread. It looks amazing and will go perfect with a chicken dinner.

Thursday: Whole Chicken in a slow cooker. Testing out this Lemon Garlic Chicken recipe.

Friday: Pizza night.

Saturday: Parent Talk’s annual Go Green party with friends!

Slow cooker lemon garlic chicken {recipe from No 2 Pencil}

Congrats to Francine who won this month’s giveaway for Brown Eggs and Jam Jars! Enjoy!

For more inspiration, see three years of past dinner menus here,

my Pinterest board here, or OrgJunkie for a link-up of meal plans.

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February 22, 2015/5 Comments/by eroachwellness

Meal Planning, menu planning

Monday Meal Plan Feb 16th

Once you get into a routine of meal planning, it gets easier once you do it at the same time each week. Throw in a massive snowstorm and that routine gets a little shaken up. We decided to get out of the house with some of our summer beach friends. Dinner at one of the few open restaurants was delightful, both the food and to think about warmer days ahead.

On to menu planning for this week. The latest food trend is a focus on one pot meals. While not new, it certainly can make dinner prep easier. The new Martha Stewart cookbook One Pot: 120+ Easy Meals from Your Skillet, Slow Cooker, Stockpot, and More can provide lots of easy dinners for a busy night. I picked a “one pot” meal from a recipe bundle I received for preordering the Brown Eggs and Jam Jars cookbook. Doesn’t it look delicious!

Dinner Menu

Monday: Roasted Chicken and Squash over Polenta (bumped from Sunday in favor of Sweet Basil’s)

Tuesday: Baked Salmon, Roasted Asparagus and Orzo

Wednesday: No meat for Ash Wednesday. JJ asked for egg cupcakes. Take a quiche recipe and bake crust free in muffin cups.

Thursday: One-Pan Greek Chicken and Barley Bake

Friday: Pizza night with bread maker pizza dough

Saturday: Whole Skillet Chicken, spinach salad. Make chicken stock in crockpot.

Sunday: Pork Tenderloin and roasted winter veggies.

p.s. The there’s still time to enter to win Brown Eggs and Jam Jars cookbook. Stop over here and leave a note!

For more inspiration, see three years of past dinner menus here,

my Pinterest board here, or OrgJunkie for a link-up of meal plans.

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February 16, 2015/4 Comments/by eroachwellness

cookbook, Meal Planning, menu planning

Monday Meal Plan Feb 9th

If you live in the Boston area, we really didn’t need the groundhog to tell us we have six more weeks of winter. With another snowstorm coming, I’m not sure we will even see the ground in six weeks. At least we will have warm food in our bellies and dreams of our warm vacation this past week. Thank you to my wonderful in-laws for taking care of us, especially while Daddy and I escaped for 24 hours for some blissful quiet time. A dose of the beach did wonders for us all.

As this week’s meal plan came together, there were so many recipes I kept coming back to that featured chicken thighs. In The Kitchn Cookbook, they call them the Next Big Thing and I have to agree. Chicken thighs are hard to overcook, full of flavor and often less expensive per pound than chicken breasts. Our kids generally eat chicken thigh recipes more consistently than chicken breast recipes so I’ll count that as another win.

On the menu…

S: Italian spaghetti and roasted asparagus

M: Skillet Roasted Cauliflower and Sausage Rigatoni {new recipe}

T: White bean and mushroom stew. Our vegetarian pick of the week. A repeat recipe that is making a comeback.

W: Coconut Chicken Curry slow cooker. I picked the same recipe to make the week I came home from vacation last year. It is my all time favorite slow cooker recipe from Aimee at Simple Bites. I have been sharing her recipes for years with friends and adore her family style of cooking. Her first cookbook, Brown Eggs and Jam Jars: Family Recipes from the Kitchen of Simple Bites, is releasing this week and I can’t wait for it to grace my doorstep.

T: C.O.R.N. {also known as Clean Out Refrigerator Night}

F: Pizza night

S: Valentine’s Day! Date night in with some beef tenderloin, creamed spinach and oven baked fries. Plus a really good bottle of red wine.

S: Roasted chicken thighs and squash over polenta. Another new recipe from The Kitchn cookbook.

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

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February 8, 2015/19 Comments/by eroachwellness

Food, Giveaway

Meal Planning on the Go {Thrive Market giveaway}

While we enjoy a little vacation, this week’s meal planning post shares some tips on how to plan meals ahead when traveling. At the end of the post is a giveaway for you to try shopping the new Thrive Market site. When you get ready for a vacation, you often plan all the snacks for traveling to your destination. But then it stops there. Each day you still need to figure out breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sometimes it’s okay to throw planning out the window for vacation weeks, especially when your travel plans dictate it. Other times you are visiting family and will need to team up to plan some meals, especially when you are bringing five hungry people to visit.

Plan to eat like the locals and grab what’s in season. I know we are all looking forward to fresh Florida oranges this week. If you are in a foreign country, try something new. Encourage your children to try new flavors together. Just have something small packed to avoid meltdowns while on the road. No one needs that on vacation.

Recently I tested out the new Thrive Market, which is a bit like Whole Foods/Costco/Amazon/Instacart all rolled into one. Like Whole Foods, the items available through Thrive Market are already filtered to be organic, sustainable, dye-free and so on. They make shopping easy. It’s a great alternative for people who have to travel a long distance to their closest Whole Foods.

With Thrive Market, I could order a batch of goodies and have them shipped directly to my travel destination. You could do this when traveling to family or even a hotel. It’s not two day shipping like Amazon Prime, so plan ahead. It comes from the West Coast so deliveries are faster to California then say, Boston.

Here’s what goes into my cart…

Seventh Generation Diapers and wipes (not as cheap as Amazon, but one of the few places with a great price on just one package.)
Arrowhead Mills Organic Popcorn (feeds a crowd)
Arrowhead Mills Pancake Mix (make breakfast for your hosts!)
Bonne Maman Raspberry Preserves (awesome price and it’s so hard to find jam without high fructose corn syrup)
Sunscreen (remember to pick a healthy sunscreen)
Late July mini cheddar cheese sandwich crackers for the littles

While we are not strict about meal planning while we are away, I still want to make sure the kids are eating lots of fruits and veggies at each meal. Having some quality snacks while traveling to our next adventure is better than them filling up on something we find at an amusement park.

Curious about ordering from Thrive Market? Just think, healthy food delivered to your doorstep. They have been so kind to offer one of my readers $50 to test them out. Maybe eating healthier foods is one of your goals this year? Thrive Market makes it a little easier for you to achieve your goal. Going on a trip? Test out the idea of sending some of your needs ahead to your travel destination.

Please let a comment below and share where you would want to travel to this year if you had all the money in the world. A random winner will be chosen when the giveaway ends on February 9th, at 12:01am. I will announce the winner in next week’s meal plan. US residents only.

Note: Thrive Market provided me with a complimentary membership. You do not need to purchase a membership to order as they offer a 30 day free trial to test it out. If you get hooked, it’s $5/month.

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

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February 2, 2015/15 Comments/by eroachwellness

Posts

Monday Meal Plan April 20th

On the menu this week…

What are you making for dinner this week?

Monday Meal Plan April 13

On the menu…

Monday Meal Plan March 23rd

On the menu…

Which dinner night would be the favorite in your house?

Family Meal Plan March 16

On the menu…

Monday Meal Plan 3/9

18 Dinner Ideas When you Don’t have Time to Cook:

On the menu this week…

Monday Meal Plan March 2nd

Monday Meal Plan February 23rd

On the family meal plan…

Monday Meal Plan Feb 16th

Dinner Menu

Monday Meal Plan Feb 9th

On the menu…

Meal Planning on the Go {Thrive Market giveaway}

Free Meal Plan

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