My husband read this article on The Kitchn about a super easy five-day meal plan… so we are trying it this week. (Personally, while the article makes the whole thing sound very easy and breezy, it does not actually seem like it will be easy and breezy in practice. First of all, I had to click on all the links for each separate recipe. And secondly, it sounds like these recipes are easiest and breeziest if they are things you make all the time and are comfortable just throwing ingredients in with eyeball measurements and stuff. While I feel like I am fairly confident in the kitchen, I am not THAT confident. So I am suspicious whether any of this will be worthwhile.
HOWEVER it is fun to try new things AND my husband suggested that we do it, and he is not usually particularly helpful when it comes to meal planning, AND I have a Meal Plan Sanctioned reason to make nachos for dinner so I am HERE FOR IT.
I also got some beautiful cod from the grocery store (nothing notable about this trip, for which I am grateful) so we are having fish tacos tonight.
Dinners for the Week of August 10-August 16
Note: I haven’t been eating a lot of fish since the pandemic began, and I am kind of… craving it? Can you crave fish?
- Shawarma with Grilled Zucchini
Note: I am going to make four chicken breasts instead of two, and then my husband can have the extras for the next two nights’ meals.
Note: This sounds suspiciously similar to the crockpot Indian-spiced chicken I make… But without the ease of the crockpot. I am wary. I don’t need chicken with mine, but my husband will have a leftover breast from Shawarma night. I am also a little irritated that I am supposed to go ANOTHER website to make a ginger-garlic sauce that is apparently essential not just for this dish but for the rice bowl AND noodle bowl later in the week.
Note: The Meal Plan decrees that we shall eat nachos; I must but comply.
Note: Okay, here’s where I hit a roadblock. I do not like ground pork. And the ground pork is supposed to be for this meal AND tomorrow’s meal, which makes it kind of essential. So… I guess I will crockpot some pork tenderloin instead?
Note: The recipe for the noodle bowls calls for ramen – like the kind you used to buy at the corner store in college? And heat up with one of those “Insta Hot” fountains outside the bathroom? Well, turns out that ramen is A Thing these days and my grocery store had about a million options. None of which was the corner store individual packet of ramen.
- Takeout
Cocktail of the Week
Note: This sounds like a strawberry margarita with some black pepper in it. But I am intrigued.
Meal plan looks interesting. I always use that type of site to get ideas but generally don’t take as gospel. I get the free version of this newsletter: https://familyplan.substack.com/ and I have been using at least one or two of the recipes each week
The easy breezy meal plan reminded me of one of those things that makes me laugh, recipes that are “super easy, ready in 30 minutes” which doesn’t include, you know, CHOPPING the vegetables or gathering ingredients or going to three different grocery stores…but I’m glad you posted the five day meal plan because I think that chickpea bowl looks divine. And I do like making things that can be used as leftovers, now my husband works from home, it’s easy for him to just grab it for his lunch.
I hope you’ll love those meals! None of them (mayyyyyybe the nachos) would fly at my house. 😉
I do about a 6-day meal plan, myself. This week’s highlights: homemade pizzas tonight, and Pioneer Woman’s creamy tomato fettucine on Wednesday, which is incidentally Kate’s first day back at her (small, private) school, and one of her faves.
As you know, I don’t meal plan or cook – but, I am currently OBSESSED with Kendra for other life issues. From what I can tell, her basic mantra with meal planning is decide ONCE what is for dinner (say on Sunday night/Monday morning) and then you don’t have to think about it. Also, she suggests preparing what you can (chopping and what have you in advance). Also, her meals don’t have to be YOUR meals…you make what works for you and your family.
Now…does it work? Who knows since I don’t do any of that. But the thought of making one decision and calling it done seems like a solution, to me, for many of the challenges that I face on a daily basis.