Weekly Meal Plan

I didn't menu plan last week, and it was obvious. I don't think I made a meal until Thursday night (or maybe it was Wednesday). I just threw things together right before Ben came home (or I made him throw something together right when he came home -- he's a sweety like that). The kids loved it because they enjoyed spaghetti leftovers for days. Days!

But I'm back in the swing of things this week, so I thought I'd share our meal plan again.

Sunday Ben made us yummy roasted cauliflower and chick pea tacos. This is a new recipe for us. We first tried it about ten days ago, when Ben's parents came to visit us one weekend. Ben and I fell in love. In love! This time around we doubled the cauliflower and chick peas (and taco seasoning) while leaving the lime crema sauce as is. I think that combo was perfect for us. Neither of us like sour cream (the lime crema uses yogurt), so we don't need a ton of sauce. However, we do need a ton of leftovers -- thus the doubling (Ben's actually eating a leftover taco as I type this, yes, at 9pm Tuesday night).

Yesterday I whipped up one of my favorite Fall/Winter dishes: chicken pot pie crumble.

I make this one a few times each year, and I usually end up eating most of it. However, this time around the kids really took to it. Reid had thirds last night. Thirds! Granted, I started his portions out really small because he hasn't always gobbled it up in the past. 

One thing I love about this recipe is its make-ahead appeal. The hour between 4 and 5 isn't always ideal for making dinner. Somewhere around 1pm though, that's when I can make dinner! So I made the filling at 1, covered it with tinfoil, threw it in the fridge, and then started the crumble at 4;30. I put the filling, topless, in the oven while the crumble baked -- to warm it up -- and then did the last step (cooking it assembled) once the crumble was done. I love when I can lower stress levels just before dinner, and still have a great home cooked meal on the table. 

We ate steamed broccoli and fresh strawberries as side dishes. We needed some raw fruits and veggies to counter all that creamy goodness! By all means, don't skip the heavy cream. Don't!

Tonight Ben and I teamed up to make one of his favorite dishes: Thai Crunch Chopped Salad. 

This photo was taken pre-peanut sauce. Yum, that peanut sauce. This is a meal that packs a lot of flavor for very little prep. There are so many components to the recipe, but somehow I'm always shocked by how easy it is to throw together. The toddler and the preschooler love this one. I can always get them to eat a salad with Ranch dressing on it, but they don't turn their noses up at this vinaigrette based salad. I credit the edamame, red pepper, carrot, and flavorful chicken -- all things they love. And it is so balanced I don't even offer any sides.

Tomorrow will probably be our leftover night, even though I'd originally planned it for Thursday. It just depends on whether or not I can make it to the store for some salmon.

Thursday we'd planned on enjoying Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Quinoa Bites as our main dish, but then I saw my favorite grocery store is having a great fish sale this week. I'm thinking I'll have to take Mel's (from Mel's Kitchen Cafe -- my most favorite food blog ever) recommendation and serve it alongside some grilled salmon. Either way, I know I'll enjoy these tasty little bites for breakfast the following day. Seriously, they would make a fabulous brunch party item if you're ever on the hunt. They're like mini quiches but better!

Friday we'll cozy up with our favorite soup (heavy competition for that title around here), Split Pea and Ham Soup, with barley. It is our absolute favorite recipe for using up leftover ham. The kids devour it. And it is sooooooooooo easy. What more can you ask for? Healthy, yummy, easy ... it's a no-brainer, add this soup to your list of regulars right now!