I don’t know about you, but my life has been BUSY lately. It seems like there hasn’t been a day to just stop and catch my breath for awhile now. In seasons of “busyness” like this, I am extra-grateful that I meal plan.
I’m not going to pretend that I always want to. Earlier this week, I sat down with my cookbooks and NOTHING sounded good. (Note to self – don’t try to menu plan when you are FULL!) It was a chore. BUT, it’s a chore that is going to really help me in the coming weeks. I also spent WAY under my budget on my latest 3-week shopping trip too! It’s worth investing the time. I promise.
This is a total glimpse at real life. My husband and I were out of town part of the week and we had some other stuff going on too. But might as well be honest with you guys -because deep down, I think we all want to know that other women are like us – busy, flawed, and imperfect. I will keep it real as best I can. Here we go!
Sunday:
Waffles
Salmon Fish and Chips
*I want all of you to know, in the total interest of transparency, that when I say “waffles”, I mean Eggo. I do make real Belgian waffles from time to time, but most of the time, it’s of the frozen variety. Favorite toppings at our house include peanut butter, bananas, whip cream, and syrup.
My husband and I were on a pastor’s retreat in Seaside Oregon. We ate at one of our favorite restaurants, Norma’s. They have incredible salmon fish and chips – soo soo good! If you’re local – try them!!
Monday:
Country Skillet
ROOM SERVICE!! (Chicken Marsala)
*We continued to have incredible weather at the coast, and had a great day exploring Seaside after a morning workshop on planning for retirement.
My breakfast was awesome – and you could totally make it at home. It was a combination of potatoes, bacon, sausage, ham, mushrooms, onions and peppers. That was topped with cheese which was topped with scrambled eggs. Breakfast heaven.
We were given a gift card to the hotel’s restaurant, which allowed us to get room service – for the first time ever! And oh my goodness! I need to find some Marsala wine at the store and attempt to re-create this at home. I could have licked my plate. For real. SOO good!
Tuesday:
Skipped breakfast to sleep in!
Chicken Stuffed Crescents, Veggies
*We couldn’t recall the last time we were able to sleep past 7. It was glorious. I’m not even going to lie.
We came home after another half day of exploring and were excited to see our kids! I made an awesome dinner – and I will post the recipe this week!!
Wednesday:
Cereal
Pita Pizza
*Pita Pizza is one of our “go-to” dinners. It is the EASIEST thing ever. Grab your favorite pita bread, top with your favorite sauce, and personalize for each member of the family. They are the perfect size for personal pizzas!
Thursday:
Bagels, Fruit
Chicken Nuggets, Fries, Apples
*Yep. I went there. My meal planning cycle was up on Wednesday, and I didn’t have the plans or food for my next 3 week cycle yet. So, we had chicken nuggets and fries. And I felt no guilt. (Neither should you!)
Friday:
Pancakes
Taco Salad
*I LOVE Taco Salad!! It makes me so happy. Plus, I don’t eat salad dressing, so I can have a little bit of extra cheese. Yum! We have a few kids who would rather eat dirt than salad, so they got to put their toppings into a tortilla. No big deal.
Saturday:
Donuts
Hot Dogs, Chips, Baked Beans, Apples and Cupcakes
To a Friend’s House for Dinner
*We ALWAYS have donuts the day after I do my 3-week shopping trip, because our grocery store has THE best donuts. They’re delicious and our little indulgence.
We had my daughter’s 3rd birthday party today! I wanted to include that menu because I see SO many women break their backs over putting out the world’s most perfect, sophisticated, or thematic spread at their parties. If you like doing that, more power to you, but seriously, keeping it casual is good enough! She was thrilled with her laid-back day of fun. (I’ll be posting my knock-off Hostess Cupcake recipe soon!)
**Click to read more about how it’s okay to have a simple birthday party!