Whole Parenting Family

Week Eats v.12 // Meal Planning & Link Up

week eats saturday

Hi.

Remember me? With my high resolutions about meal planning?

It’s been a bit of a mess over here. But I’m determined to get back on my own band wagon. Is it called a band wagon if it was yours? Like you, singular?

The purpose of Week Eats is to give each other ideas and inspiration on what we’re preparing for the week for food. And if you’re a blogger, and you blogged about food in any capacity this week, link up so we can get inspiration there, too? Peas and thanks.

My friend Rachel started a great Facebook group with her meal plans for the week. Talk about saweeeet? Yup. Sweet. So ask to join here and see what wonders she performs. I’m inspired. And hungry just reading it.

I’m going to borrow a little from Rachel and then scoot back to my usual and predictable ways, Smitten Kitchen, et al.

The week is a special one because our dear friends in a band are staying with us. So I’ll be feeding seven hungry men in addition to my usual crew.

Monday: steak night and celebrating a special birthday

I’ve been doing steaks the Alton Brown method with cast iron skillets in a 500 degree oven. And they’ve been really ruddy good. So go read his method here.

steak

Cinnamon roasted butternut squash.

Mushroom risotto with peas.

Sweet potato fries made right.

sweet potato

Two desserts: strawberry mousse and lemon poppy seed cake.

Tuesday: Beef Chili & chocolate cake.

I won’t eat the cake because we always give up sweets for Lent, but with seven guys around, I’m sure they can devour my grandma’s pantry chocolate cake with my mom’s frosting.

chocolate cake

Going with my sis & bro-in-law’s chili. Super simple & super good. Similar recipe here.

Wednesday: homemade pizza.

pizza

The guys’ show is Wednesday night so we’ll make pizza in the afternoon so they have something easy to grab & snack on before they play later in the evening. It’s also so easy to make a big batch and lots of fun toppings. I go off my recipe here.

Thursday: Chicken Stir Fry with brown rice, garlic broccoli and egg rolls.

Snapping this up from Rachel’s Menu. To see it, hop on over and join the group!

Friday: Collapse.

No seriously. What should I make on Friday?? Considering breakfast for dinner.

6 Comments

  1. Eliese on February 21, 2015 at 9:00 am

    I am a weird person who derives great satisfaction from meal planning. Maybe one day I’ll blog it too… This Lent my husband and I gave up meat (he’s done it before- I admit I decided to do it this year too because it is TOO HARD to plan meals around one person eating meat and one not; but now I am looking forward to it). Ok we cheat on Saturday (anticipatory!) and Sunday. We do meatless Friday all year but this is a stretch and chance to be creative. Here’s what we’ve had since Wednesday until this coming Wednesday:

    W: baked eggs with cheese and sweet potato hash, salad
    Th: dal and rice
    F: baked cod with lemon-herb cracker topping, lemon orzo, spinach
    Sat: chicken teriyaki, rice, peas
    Sun: steak fajitas and the fixins’
    M: shakshuka and pita
    T: grilled cheese (maybe I’ll fancy it up?) and tomato soup, roasted broccoli
    W: salad nicoise

    Basically I’m trying to work in a nice rotation of eggs, beans, tofu, dairy, and fish. Who knows, maybe this will become our norm! Sorry for the novel 😉



    • Natural Mama Nell on February 21, 2015 at 9:05 pm

      Never sorry for a novel around here, especially pertaining to food!! This is really creative! Oooh I saw a “grownup grilled cheese” the other day. Maybe I’ll pop it in next week. And Salad Nicoise: scrumptious! Great ideas. Thank you so much!



  2. Maggie on February 21, 2015 at 9:25 am

    While I love a good meal, and a good meal plan, during Lent, we eat very simply (and we’re still dieting off those Christmas pounds). This is a typical week around here:
    Friday – fried rice with veggies
    Saturday – greek salads
    Sunday – quinoa salad with smoked salmon
    Monday – grilled chic and veggies
    Tuesday – baked fish, veggies, brown rice
    Wednesday – ground turkey chili
    Thursday – on your own (frozen Lean Cuisine, likely)



    • Natural Mama Nell on February 21, 2015 at 9:04 pm

      Nice. NICE!!! I missed you and your brilliance. AA hates quinoa but me & the kiddos can eat it while he just sucks down the salmon. LOVE IT, MAGGIE!



  3. Ruth on February 22, 2015 at 7:21 pm

    i cant even talk about my meal planning. cant. even. as i stare @ a M/T/W/TH/F/S/S magnet pad right this second as it’s sunday night and the week!!! and meals!! are starting.

    sal;dfkjas;dkfja

    anyways! thats my own bandwagon problem.

    my friday go tos are THIS meatless enchilada bake – paul. kids. everyone raves. or !! easy baked tilapa in the oven with some garlic salt. lemon. and rice from the rice cooker. done and done.

    ps. how am i just seeing these MPs?! awesome. cant wait to catch up.;



    • Natural Mama Nell on February 22, 2015 at 10:39 pm

      Girl–the meals are ALWAYS starting, right? Ok–you’re talking my love language with this meatless enchilada bake. Yum to the Tum!! 😉