(recipes linked below)
I think it's safe to admit that I'm in love with the framework I've been using for our weekly meal plans. Having themes for each day, and a list of possible recipes for each theme, has helped me whittle meal-planning down to a weekly 15-minute task. Easy peasy.
I sit down each week with my calendar to see which days will be particularly rushed, and then I plug in recipes according to the loose framework (Mondays are Mexican, Tuesdays are rice bowls, etc...). And since many of my recipes use normal pantry ingredients, I only have to throw the fresh ingredients onto the grocery list and I'm all set.
Like I said, easy peasy.
As for truth in blogging though, I think it's only fair that I report back on how the previous week's plan worked out. Last week, I forgot to pick up egg rolls and vegetable gyoza from Trader Joe's, so {ahem} I grabbed a couple of $5 pizzas from Little Caesar's between picking up the kids from one activity and dropping them off at the next one. Then, on Friday, The Musician decided to take the kids to the discount movie theater while I was in Atlanta, so they ate theater popcorn for dinner. Saturday evening, my father was in town for a last-minute super-short visit, so we celebrated Princess Hazelnut's birthday at Piccolo's, our favorite local Italian restaurant, where I devoured the super decadent gnocchi with greens and beans. The other four days went according to plan (that's a mind-blowing 57% success rate for those of you keeping score).
The past month has been overly busy, so I'm working steadily and conscientiously to keep the calendar under control for this week. We will be home a lot more than usual, and the weather is acting suspiciously like autumn is on the way, so comfort foods are showing up all over the menu. Wednesday, as usual, involves dinner eaten on the run, so I have planned for leftovers for that evening.
As always, Sunday will be Every Man for Himself because of the long-standing labor laws in our household.
- Monday: Beans & rice and pico de gallo
- Tuesday: Black pepper tempeh with cauliflower, served with brown & wild rice
- Wednesday: leftovers
- Thursday: Pasta with Blue Cheese, Spinach, & Walnuts (adapted from this Gourmet recipe)
- Friday: Broccoli & Cheddar Soup (recipe not available online, an oversight I intend to rectify) and a crusty baguette
- Saturday: Squash-Rice Casserole and a salad
- Sunday: Every Man for Himself
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