Planning a Weekly Menu

Sorry Everyone, this was SUPPOSED to go up last night but I was having computer troubles so had to delay until now....

Yo Yo!
What a day today! Thank you to Fabia, the Evil, Evil Fabia, for her insane spin class this morning...that girl is a MACHINE. And she makes you love the pain, let me tell ya. I'm going to be in rough shape tomorrow, but I love it! The Bean rounded out her weekend with a second birthday party today after one yesterday and is now in a princess cake coma on the couch. She gets treats at home, don't get me wrong. But for the most part they're pretty healthy (raw organic macaroons, chocolate almond milk, coconut butter fudge, etc). So you get a little cake, cheezies & fruit punch into her and it's game ovah. Yikes. Oh well, a little unhealthy stuff every once in a while is fine as far as I'm concerned- the Middle Path, people. I believe in taking the Middle Path, most things in moderation. I've been known to put away some junk from time to time too, trust me...

With that said, what I wanted to talk about today was how to plan a weekly menu so that the temptation to eat crap when you get home from work (and time is short)is reduced. Yes, I AM one of those people who has learned to plan things out in advance so that there's no guesswork when it's time to start making supper. I was inspired by my friend A.H. to start with this idea...so I totally copied her and hauled out a little chalkboard that I had, and every weekend I plan for the week ahead, and doodle the menu on the chalkboard in the kitchen. That way we all know what's on the agenda. I may not stick to it 100% of the time, especially if I get a hankering for takeout Thai Food from Thai Ivory in Bedford (highly recommended!)...but for the most part I like knowing what's going on and not stressing about healthy meals. Here's what I have on the go for the next few days.

Menu:
1. Roasted Veggies with Balsamic Dressing & Goat Cheese, Brown Rice
2. Soba Noodles w/ Meatballs & Tomato Sauce for The Bean and the Young Fella, Spiralized Zukes & Carrots with Primavera Sauce for meself (google 'Benriner Spiralizer', transform your life with this gadget)
3. Stuffed Baked Sweet Potatoes w/ Kale Salad
4. Black Bean & Brown Rice Burgers, Oven Fries
5. Leftovaaaahhhhhs. A week of large meals means a real buffet of yummy things to choose from for sure.

Weekends are a bit of a wildcard. More time on weekends means that I can indulge and take more time to make fancier stuph, maybe a little West African Poulet Yassa? Moroccan-inspired veggie phylo rolls from 'Eat, Drink & Be Vegan? We'll see....In the meantime, a lot of the time what I make on one night can be used for another night. Take brown rice for example- you serve it steamed one night, and the next you can use the leftovers for a yummy fried rice and veg dish (never use freshly cooked rice for fried rice, leftover rice is drier and works better), or use the rice to make black bean & rice burgers, topped with the cheese of your choice, salsa & cilantro. Or a bit of primavera sauce- either home-made or a low sodium organic brand- can double as pizza sauce for a grilled veggie pizza on spelt crust. If you have a bit of time on the weekends, plan ahead and make your spaghetti sauce or veggie burgers or rice. It takes a few seconds to heat them up while the water boils for your noodles.

Whatever you choose to set as your menu, get your shopping done when you have the time- like the weekend. MAKE A LIST, then the likelihood of just grabbing whatever catches your eye at the cottage/grocery store is lower. I have been notorious for buying all kinds of stuff I don't need/want at the store if I don't have a list.

For me personally, it's important that my suppers are delicious, fairly healthy, and attractive- even if the other two don't care how the food looks, I do. I haven't had a Delicio Pizza or Fish Finger in forever...because I know I can do it better myself. I KNOW how lucky I am to not have a 9-5 or 7-9 with my darling in daycare after school, where getting home at 6 or later means rushing to get some food into the fam is part and parcel of the 'Witching Hour'. So I know I have a bit of luxury there....but even if that is your reality, there's the slow cooker, or a healthy casserole, or a stir fry, if you just consider a bit of planning in advance. If you have time to throw a frozen pizza in the oven, you have time to throw some fresh veggies drizzled with EVOO, balsamic, sea salt, pepper & garlic in the oven to roast...just because things sound fancy doesn't mean they are.

I hope this doesn't come across as condescending or anything, because that certainly isn't my intention. I'm just sharing what works for me, maybe you'll find it useful as well. Have a great day!
xoM