This was a draining week. My grandmother’s health rapidly declined, and we ended up losing her to cancer this week. My ministry kicked off, and we had a full week of homeschooling. The LAST thing I wanted to think about was what to make for dinner – so I was SO thankful I had all of that planned out in advance. Meal planning doesn’t just save money, it saves your sanity.
This week was full of a lot of easy to prepare meals – and I appreciated that. Don’t always feel like you have to put out gourmet meals. Simple and comforting is perfect.
Hope you pick up an idea or two this week! If you end up making something from the list, make sure to let me know! (You can find the Weekly Menu archives under the “Resources” tab.)
Sunday: Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas, Spanish Rice, Jello
This is one of our favorites!! I had forgotten to buy corn tortillas, so I used flour this time, and it worked just as well. This is definitely a keeper!!
Monday: Roast Chicken, Parmesan Zucchini Corn, Pasta Box
There is somethings so comforting about roasting a whole chicken -and it’s so easy! I season mine up with olive oil, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning – and it reminds me of Thanksgiving.
The side dish was SUPER delicious. I didn’t add the lime or cilantro, but this was definitely something we’ll make again – especially when we have fresh zucchini and corn in the garden! (And yes, I use short-cuts like pasta boxes -and no, I don’t feel bad about it!)
Tuesday: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, Rolls
This is essentially the recipe I made, except I used chicken, and I recently discovered frozen noodles. They make the soup SO delicious. And seriously, there is nothing better than homemade stock.
Wednesday: Sloppy Joes, Fries, Pickles
My kids started AWANA today, and on AWANA nights, we need a dinner everyone can eat quickly – so we can get out the door. We all love Sloppy Joes – especially topped with cheese and pickles. My family opts for cheddar while I have to go with American.
Give yourself permission to plan EASY meals!
Thursday: Tacos/Nachos
I fall back on tacos when I don’t want to cook. It had been an emotional week, and the mom’s group that I lead had kicked off this morning. I was tired and was happy to have everything on hand to make one of our favorites. I also put out tortilla chips to let people choose nachos if they preferred that over tacos. Customizable meals are my fave!
Friday: Pizza
We said goodbye to my amazing grandma today, as she lost her battle with cancer. I learned so much from her! (Check out my post, “10 Things I Learned From Grandma Chris.”)It had already been an emotional week, and I told my husband I didn’t have it in me to cook. I had to do our regular grocery shopping, and just went ahead and picked up 2 grocery store pizzas while shopping.
Saturday: Macaroni and Cheese Lasagna
I took pictures of this one, and will be posting the recipe tomorrow! Stay tuned!
