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Anyone else feeling like September is passing by way too fast? I love fall and just want to savor every crisp warm day, knowing they are limited. This weekend we celebrated the wedding of a dear friend and got to spend time at “camp.” Lots of hikes, baby-wearing, amazing food and no TV made for a delicious weekend.

So now back to reality. Family in town, business travel, evening events and the regular kids schedule. Meal planning really helps me get through the week so even though I would rather be going to sleep, writing this all down helps get the week off on the right foot.

Sept 23 meal plan

Sunday~ Omelets with tomatoes and herbs from the garden

Monday~ Tacos and rice. {If you want a meatless Monday meal, try these Black Bean Tacos}

Tuesday~ Garlic lover’s chicken over salad

Wednesday~ Spaghetti and meatballs in the slow cooker. I’ll adapt this recipe to the slow cooker and use some of our frozen pureed tomatoes for the sauce.

Thursday~ Spinach Sausage Soup. I strain it a bit for the kids and they love it!

Friday~ Pizza night with homemade dough.

What are you making this week?

P.S. If you are losing a little motivation already when it comes to packing a healthy lunch, join us for a chat this Thursday  night on Google +. Danielle Shea Tan, a nutritionist and health coach, gives advice and strategies for busy moms to make packing a lunch a little less stressful. Click over to RSVP to the event, or just head over to watch on Thursday night at 8:30 pm EST.

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

Get back to the family table #getfresh

This week’s meal plan is a little different. I’ve partnered with The Fresh 20 on their fall campaign to #getfresh, empowering children to take charge of their health. Making the right food choices for your family, and especially children, is so beneficial to long-term health.

Here’s a little more info on the #getfresh campaign:

The Fresh 20 supports healthy eating habits as kids head back to school this year.  They’re on a mission to find The Freshest Kids in America by asking kids the question, “How do you #getfresh?” Utilizing any social platform, parents can submit either a video or a photo of how their children #getfresh on health.  The campaign offers children and their parents a unique opportunity to get creative with their fresh and healthy habits and to get kids involved in their own health decisions. Check out their site for #getfresh back to school ideas.

This week’s meal plan features some of the menu options from The Fresh 20’s meal planning service. I was given a complimentary membership so I could get a sense of the variety in their dinner plans each week. There is a classic menu, gluten-free and vegetarian options. Newly added menus are For One, Kosher and Dairy Free. (I remember nursing baby #2 and having to go Dairy Free…this menu would have been a lifesaver!) My favorite part of the menu plan is that there is usually one bigger meal made that is then re-made into a new dinner later that week. We usually just eat leftovers but I’m inspired to reuse my leftover and be a little more creative with them go forward.

Sept meal plan week 2 via RandomRecycling

Sunday~ Hubby’s BBQ Birthday bash (Hence the late post today!) We had amazing grass-fed rib eye steaks, local corn, potato salad, salad with roasted golden beets, apple pie with apples from Smolak Farms, and peanut butter brownies. I haven’t been so full in a long time!

Monday~ BBQ Chicken Thighs. New recipe I’m testing out from The Healthy Lunchbox ebook. I want to see if the kids like it for dinner before I send it along for lunch. Always a good idea to test out new foods at home before sending them along to school. There will be broccoli and some pasta on the side. I’ll be sharing more about the ebook in the coming weeks as it’s a great resource for any parent in charge of making lunches every day.

Tuesday~ Cumin Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Peach Chutney. (Fresh 20 menu item). These will be used again for a later meal. We will have salad on the side with our garden tomatoes that are ripening fast and furiously.

Wednesday~ Whole Chicken in slow cooker. I love one pot meals like this where I can throw in the potatoes and carrots too. The kids love egg noodles so I’ll serve the dinner over some yummy noodles.

Thursday~ Chopped Asian Slaw. (Fresh 20 menu) Uses the leftover pork tenderloin and a little of the peach chutney to create an entirely new meal. I’m already excited about having nearly all of dinner ready ahead of time. There are also tips in each week’s meal plan on what you can prep ahead of time. (cutting veggies, spice mixes, etc.)

Friday~ Pizza night with our homemade dough. I have found the dough a little stickier when making it on warmer days. I think I need to increase the amount of flour in it by a little.

If you want to learn more about The Fresh 20, you can learn more at their newly redesigned website. With a membership, you get 5 dinners planned out for you using only 20 ingredients. I think it’s a great option if you really want to start meal planning, but need a little structure to get going. There’s also a really cool Pin 2 Win event happening with the Fresh 20’s Pinterest board. Check out the details here.

Other big news on the cooking front this week here…we just signed up with 4 families for 1/2 a cow!! Can’t wait to see what we get.

What are you making this week?

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

Looks like summer is back this week so the meal plan is light and easy to accomplish. Best wishes to anyone starting the back to school schedule this week. With preschoolers in the house, we still have another month before school starts. I need to remember to enjoy this down time before the busier schedules start up.

August meal plan week 3 from RandomRecycling.com

Sunday~ Easy salad with today’s picks from the Needham Farmers Market

Monday~ Picnic dinner at the pool with friends so Caprese sandwiches sound nice. Madison will probably just eat the cheese…

Tuesday~ Baked Haddock with tomatoes from the garden and a little onion.

Wednesday~ Chicken stir fry with zucchini and rice

Thursday~ Hamburgers on the grill with corn on the cob. Need to remember to serve corn with lime instead of butter.

Friday~ Pizza night

Saturday~ Off to the family’s annual Lobster Party. I think I’ll make these S’mores Brownies that are so decadent.

What are you making this week?

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

How is it nearly the middle of August? I’m not quite ready for back to school fever and just want to enjoy my summer meal planning with easy dinners and ice cream for dessert. The week started off right with an impromptu BBQ with our neighbors. In addition to an heirloom tomato salad, I made an awesome dessert from Shutterbean, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake. Topped off with cream cheese frosting it really did hit the spot if you love cookies and cake!

August meal plan week 2

Sunday~ BBQ with Heirloom Tomato Salad

Monday~ Steak Tips with Teriyaki dressing. (Making my own tips from “Flap Steak” I got at the farmer’s market.)

Tuesday~ In-laws visiting and I have two meetings at night to head out to so heading to the freezer for our favorite Honey Balsamic Drumsticks from my Wildtree stash.

Wednesday~ Meatless Wednesday anyone? Omelets with herbs, tomatoes and peppers from our garden. My quest for more meatless meals is going to be a bit more challenging as I won’t be able to eat any more bean dishes while I’m nursing. (poor little guy!) I asked my readers what they suggested and you can join in the conversation on Facebook here. Read about our success (and fail) in my Black Bean Taco post.

Thursday~ Clean Out Refrigerator Night

Friday~ Pizza Night. In addition to our usual pepperoni, I may try a new zucchini pizza

In case you  missed it, Pinterest highlighted my Lunch Love board this weekend. I’m excited to share some healthy living tips with new readers and encourage them to get cooking in the kitchen with their kids. What are some of your kid’s favorite lunch box meals?

 

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

This week’s meal plan came together after a visit to the Needham Farmers Market. I haven’t been since June and I have missed seeing what’s new from our farmers. I took Madison to the market and she helped pick out fresh peaches, corn and just had to get some little cucumbers to make pickles.

August meal plan week 1

Sunday’s dinner of grilled swordfish came from Globe Fish at the market, one of my favorite vendors. Grilled with just a little olive oil, salt and pepper and dinner is done. Local corn and some heirloom tomatoes from MacArthur Farm rounded out the meal.

Monday~ Trying to get a Meatless Monday trend going in our house again. Hoping a fun taco night will disguise the fact that there is no meat involved. Plus I can make homemade salsa with our first tomatoes and use some of these gorgeous red onions from the market.

Local Red Onions

Tuesday~ Grilled Pesto Chicken and Tomato Kebabs. I made two monster batches of my homemade basil pesto recipe and will use some for this dinner.

Wednesday~ Hamburgers on the grill…I have missed our new grill. Our vacation place only had a charcoal grill so many of my easy summer dinner menu ideas were not so easily cooked last month.

Thursday~ Clean Out Refrigerator Night (mama needs at least one night off!)

Friday~ Pizza with our Homemade Pizza Dough 

Saturday~ Off to a party…which sweet treat shall I bring. Must check my Pinterest Board.

Farmers Market Shopping

What are you eating that’s in season?

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

Welcome meal plan readers! I have missed you and I’m excited to return to the weekly meal planning process after a great break. There’s lots of new recipes to try from my Pinterest boards and the magazines I devoured at the beach this month. This week is a transition from vacation life to real life so it’s pretty simple. Which is probably what everyone else  needs as we move from July into August in the week ahead.

July Week 4 menu plan

Monday~ Meatless Monday! Using up some pantry staples along with some delicious local corn. {Marshall’s in Gloucester corn isn’t to be missed.}

Tuesday~ C.O.R.N {Clean Out Refrigerator Night ~ complete clean out in this case!}

Wednesday~ moving home and hoping to have an omelet for dinner with herbs from our garden, which I have missed.

Thursday~ Campanelle Tuna Salad. A great pantry ready meal.

Friday~ Pizza night with our homemade pizza dough.

Saturday~ Regroup with an easy take out night.

Quick deal to mention—From Your Freezer To Your Family, Slow Cooker Freezer Recipes is now half off! Buy your copy here for just $4.99. I am a new fan of freezer meals and plan to make more of them before back to school business starts.  It will be half off till August 14th, in honor of Mama and Baby Love’s newest cookbook that comes out on August 8th. {This is an affiliate link which gives me a little kickback if you make a purchase. I own the book and think many of you would enjoy it as the slow cooker can make dinner time prep so much easier.}

Slow Cooker freezer cooking book

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

Happy Memorial Day! I hope everyone is enjoying a long weekend. We are excited to finally get a day of sun and be able to play outside with the kids all day. The menu this week could be tricky…baby still hasn’t arrived so there may be some swings in the next week or two (or month or two!). I have freezer meals tucked away but I’ll wait until the baby arrives and I’m home to break those out.

Today we (almost) could have put the heat on as it was a little chilly when we woke up. By Thursday, it’s supposed to be 90 degrees. If it gets too hot, we may just have to make smoothies for dinner!

Monday Meal Plan May 27

Sunday~ BBQ day with sausages and hot dogs, corn on the cob and coleslaw.

Monday~ Salmon burgers, pesto pasta and salad

Tuesday~ Meatballs (Madison’s request), pasta and green beans

Wednesday~ C.O.R.N. {Clean Out Refrigerator Night}

Thursday~ Eggs

Friday~ Pizza

Saturday~ Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Did you notice how clear the chalkboard menu plan is this week? No, I did not master some new photo editing tool. I was sent the new Lullaby chalkboard paint to test out and it works beautifully!  Lullaby Paints has 16 fun colors of chalkboard paints and they’re totally non-toxic, zero-VOC, and safe for my kitchen. I love how smooth the paint went on and the colors on the kid’s section of the menu board seem much more vibrant now too.

Chalkboard Paint Menu Board

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

 

Disclosure: I did receive the Lullaby Paints to test out. All opinions shared here are my own. Just wait till we show you what we did with the chalkboard paint in our basement!

 

As I prepared my meal plan this week, I thought about how many places I buy my food. There is the local grocery store (which also does our home deliveries), Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Costco and the farmer’s market in our town opens up June 2nd. I got into this new habit of shopping after I became a stay-at-home-mom and wanted to get the best food at the best price. I don’t hit every store every week, but at least two a week. We spend a lot of our monthly budget on food, even with me traveling to all these different stores. As I think about life with three little ones four and under, I think I’ll have to make some adjustments.

I wonder what other moms are prioritizing when it comes to shopping locations. Is it price? Is it selection? Is it how fast you can get there and get home? Meal planning has helped me stay on top of what is actually in our freezer/refrigerator to decrease the amount of food wasted. Now I’m going to make sure my meal planning allows me to visit one big store each week, plus one local stop for additional produce for the weekend. When we started making smoothies our produce stash started diminishing awfully quick! If you have suggestions of how to streamline the grocery store process, I would love to read them in the comment section. 

On the menu this week…

Monday Meal Plan May 20

Sunday~ Homemade Waldorf Chicken Salad for Daddy, Hot Dogs for the Kids. Mom’s off duty and heading to Rice Barn for a spicy dinner and a meet-up with local bloggers for some pre-summer catch-up.

Monday~ Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries

Tuesday~ Date night after the Magic Beans Drool Baby Expo in Boston

Wednesday~ Homemade Chicken Nuggets, steamed green beans and a side of pasta

Thursday~ Pasta Fagioli (meatless meal) and a side salad

Friday~ Mixing it up with Pulled Pork Cemita, Veggie Rice and Guacamole

Saturday~ Pizza night is bumped to Saturday in case we get together with friends and need to make a bigger dinner. Did you catch my recipe post last week for our homemade pizza dough? I tried it with some whole wheat bread flour, but wouldn’t do it again. A little whole wheat is fine but it’s much better with mostly white bread flour.

Homemade Waldorf Chicken Salad

Homemade Waldorf Chicken Salad for Sunday night

What’s on your menu this week? Any great grocery shopping tips to share?

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

Happy Spring

I hope all of my mom readers had a lovely weekend. We spent half of it in Gloucester with family and the other half relaxing at home. It was the perfect weekend, despite some rainy weather. As the weather shifts towards warmer nights, I find myself trying to recall what we usually cook in the summer. Grilling, salads and easy recipes generally top our list. This week’s meal plan starts to hit on this trend. I should also put away a couple more freezer meals to get ready for baby’s arrival. The countdown is on!

On the menu this week…

Chalkboard Menu Plan

Sunday~ Grilled Steak Tips, Corn on the Cob, Sourdough Bread (thanks Melissa!) and Pesto.

Monday~ C.O.R.N. {Clean Out Refrigerator Night, we have chicken, steak and leftover fish dinner to clear through)

Tuesday~ Cheesy Skillet Pasta and broccoli

Wednesday~ Grilled Salmon, grilled asparagus and Annie’s Pasta on the side

Thursday~ Swiss Steak Slow Cooker Freezer Meal. Time to use up the “wintry” slow cooker meals.

Friday~ Pizza Night with our homemade dough in the bread machine!

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

Hello spring! It’s finally warmer and everything outside is growing and turning green. As I planned this week’s menu, I started looking forward to those days when we can pick everything we need to make a salad from our garden. On Sunday I planted two different lettuce varieties, baby spinach, green beans and basil. We use raised beds so I’m hopeful the weather will stay warm enough to let my little seeds thrive.

This week is a little nutty with the semi-annual Parent Talk Used Clothing, Toys and Gear sale happening on Saturday May 4th in Needham. I’ll be helping out Thursday, Friday and Saturday so I’m trying to keep the cooking to a minimum!

Monday Meal Plan Board

On the menu this week…

Sunday~ Burgers and hot dogs, sweet potato fries and potato salad

Monday~ Spicy Green Chicken Burritos (Wildtree freezer meal) and rice

Tuesday~ Super easy Whole Chicken in either the slow cooker or pressure cooker, salad and Annie’s Bunny Pasta. Leftover chicken will be used for chicken salad sandwiches.

Wednesday~ Soy Ginger Scallops with snow peas and leftover rice

Thursday ~ CORN (Clean Out Refrigerator Night)

Friday~ Pizza!

Saturday~ Date night

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

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