Weekly meals Mar. 4 – Mar. 8

Meal updates from last week:
We enjoyed all of the meals from last week, but what I liked the best was the Thai soup and the meatballs.  The soup is good on the first day but even better on the two following days.  I used pork and beef in the meatballs and they turned out very well, I also baked them instead of frying.  Both of my kids gobbled them up, and I made a simple tzatiki to serve alongside the meatballs.  We spent the weekend in the mountains skiing with friends.  On  Saturday night I made chicken enchiladas to feed the group, I served them with chips, salsa, guacamole and sour cream.  If you are looking for a meal to feed a crowd then this recipe is for you!  We arrived home yesterday afternoon so dinner was simple, barbecued burgers with tater tots and a veggie plate.

This week we will be eating at home Sunday-Thursday.  Friday we are going to eat out with friends and then Saturday we have a dinner out.  My son is finished basketball for the season so we only have swimming this week.  We start baseball the end of April, so that’s when things will start to get busy again.

• Thai cashew chicken from @wellplated we will eat this with some steamed brown rice.  I am going to add some edamame to the stir fry and possibly some asparagus.
• Sheet pan blackened salmon bowl from @halfbakedharvest I am going to add some asparagus to this meal.  I have the salmon from last week in the freezer as I didn’t get a chance to make the burgers.
• Honey garlic shrimp from @skinnytaste with a side of brown rice and possibly a steamed vegetable.
• Grilled chicken caesar lettuce wraps from @food52 we will see what my kids eat from this meal.  I know that they will love the croutons and grilled chicken, but I am not sure about the lettuce and the dressing.  As always a deconstructed dinner is better than no dinner at all!

I have no plans to bake this week, but if I get the chance I will share any recipes vis my Instagram feed.  I made banana bran muffins last week and they all got eaten over the weekend.  These muffins pack a ton of fibre so if you are looking for a way to get more fibre into your children give this recipe a try! Dinner List 88 print it and make your life easier!

Happy cooking,
Sara

Weekly meals Feb. 18 – Feb. 22

Meal updates from last week:
The salmon and the chicken shawarma bowls were my favourite meals from last week.  Don’t get me wrong the lobster tails were amazing, but I think that the other meals were all-around better.  My kids devoured the salmon, my son went back for seconds.  I will be making both recipes again.  I didn’t have a chance to make the cheesecake, but I heard from a reliable source that made them, they are very good.  Instead of making dessert for Valentine’s Day I bought cupcakes, my kids couldn’t have been happier about my choice!  We spent the weekend in the mountains enjoy the scenery, spending time together, skiing and eating out for all of our meals.

New week, new meal plan with lots going on!  My son has basketball twice and swimming on the weekend, he will also be out one evening to go to his family school dance.  We will be eating at home Monday-Thursday with a backup dinner plan in the freezer for Friday.  There isn’t much going on this weekend it seems to be relatively quiet.

• Maple balsamic pork tenderloin from @soniathehealthyfoodie we ate this with brown rice, sautéed corn and steamed beans.  The sauce for the pork is amazing!  I cooked this according to the recipe and it turned out perfect, we like our pork a little pink in the centre instead of well done.
• Mediterranean chicken pita burgers from @canadianliving I will serve these with tater tots and Greek salad.  It is supposed to be -3 today which is going to feel like spring!
• Greek shrimp with tomato and feta from @themediterraneandish I am going to make egg noodles and serve the shrimp overtop.  The recipe recommends using orzo as the pasta, but I think that my children will enjoy the egg noodles better.
• Cauliflower rice chicken biryani from @skinnytaste I saw this recipe on Instagram and it looks really good, I am not sure how my kids will enjoy the different flavours but you don’t know unless you try.
• I bought a package of veggie burgers, so if we decide to stay in then I will cook them up.  I’ve never served them to the kids, so I may have some chicken fingers as a backup.

While making dinner tonight I made a large pot of quinoa, my hope is that I will use it to make salads for my lunch this week.  I will go with a Greek theme and add: tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, olives and a simple lemon dressing.  I am looking for something that will make my work lunches more interesting, lately I’ve been feeling so uninspired by what I have been eating.  I also wanted to make some banana bran muffins, I will let you know if I find a recipe and make them.  Print Dinner List 86

Happy cooking,
Sara

Weekly meals Feb. 4 – Feb. 8

Meal updates from last week:
We enjoyed all meals from last week, but the best were the pork chops and the shake and bake chicken.  I guess that I need to start breading all foods so that my kids will eat them!  We didn’t get a chance to eat the hamburger soup as we ordered sushi for dinner on Friday.  On Friday I baked some blueberry muffins from @cookieandkate they are so good!  I used maple syrup and didn’t add the cinnamon.  Tonight while watching the Super Bowl we had a brown and green snack platter, I got this idea from @thebakermama.  My platter included: pretzels, mixed nuts, cheese, grapes, celery, snap peas, cucumber, kiwi, gherkins, popcorn, guacamole, ranch and gummy frogs.  We ate the entire platter!  If you’ve never made a snack platter for dinner then you need to try, especially if you have children, as they tend to eat more when they have a variety to choose from.

This week we will be eating at home Sunday-Thursday.  My son has basketball twice this week and I will be out for a music competition Friday night.  Winter has arrived and a cold snap has settled in, it doesn’t look like it will be getting warmer anytime soon.

• Rosemary lemon chicken patties from @thedaleyplate I will serve this with some roasted cauliflower and steamed green beans.  I have a few potatoes so I may mash them for the kids.
• Pork rice noodles with cucumber and peanuts from @nytcooking I could only find this recipe through their Instagram feed, I was unable to find it through their website.  It’s a very simple meal of rice noodles and pork with some Asian sauce.
• Thai-style chicken legs from @smittenkitchen I have made this recipe many times but forgot about it.  I use chicken thighs and drumsticks, and we will eat this with steamed rice and broccoli.
•  Taco salad from @skinnytaste this is one of her meal prep meals but we will be eating this for dinner.  I will have mine as a salad, while my kids will eat there’s in a hard taco shell.
• I will be out on Friday night, so we may eat the hamburger soup from the freezer.  I like serving it with some cheese buns.

I don’t have any plans to bake this week as I still have muffins from last week.  As February has begun I have been thinking about a family Valentines dinner menu.  I will let you know my ideas as soon as I have a plan.  Shopping made easy with Dinner List 84

Happy cooking,
Sara

Weekly meals Jan. 14 – Jan. 18

Meal updates from last week:
Loved all of the new meals from last week, but my favourite was the turkey meatloaf.  Moist and flavourful, perfectly paired with a vegetable and salad, or even some creamy mashed potatoes.  The pork tenderloin was also very good as was the garlic shrimp, my kids devoured the shrimp!  I didn’t make the quinoa salad, instead I took leftovers for lunch last week.

This week is fairly busy with kid activities, birthday parties and all the usual family stuff.  We ate at home last night, and will be eating at home Monday-Thursday.  Friday we don’t have any plans, and Saturday we are going over to friends for a party.

• Chicken teriyaki burgers with grilled pineapple, the recipe that I made is from @chrissyteigen but it can only be found in her new cookbook Cravings Hungry for More.  Honestly, this is the third recipe I have cooked from it, and we have enjoyed all of them.  Go out and buy this book!  Here is a similar recipe that I found, I would omit the Swiss cheese and make a simple Sriracha mayonnaise instead.  We ate our burgers with waffle fries and an Asian slaw.
• Sheet pan chicken souvlaki from @thekitchn I will serve this with a simple tzatiki.
• Garlic shrimp in coconut milk with tomatoes and cilantro from @skinnytaste I will continue with recipes using shrimp as my kids have been gobbling them up!  We will eat this with some brown rice and steamed green beans.
• Garage noodles from @bonappetit I have made these before and we all loved them. It is really a classier version of ramen, with some added veggies.

We are having some friends for a play date today and I wanted to have a snack for them post school, so I made some lemon blueberry muffins with an added twist.  I found a bag of Meyer lemons at the Farmer’s Market this weekend and I used them instead of a regular lemon.  If you’ve never tried a Meyer lemon then go out and find some now, as they are in season along with all citrus fruits.  I liken them to a cross between a lemon and an orange, and they smell almost floral when zested or juiced.  Take your dinner list 81 to help with your shopping.

Happy cooking,
Sara

 

Weekly meals Dec. 10 – Dec. 15

Meal updates from last week:
All recipes from last week were so good.  We loved the sheet pan chicken tikka!  So much flavour and the roasted veggies caramelized in the oven.  My husband was in heaven eating the chicken and dumplings, he also ate every last leftover that was in the fridge!  The Korean meatballs were really good, I used ground turkey instead of beef and they were juicy and flavourful.  I finished making the peppermint bark cookies and then made some gingerbread granola as well as peanut butter blossoms.  I haven’t made the Swiss Mountain Shortbread yet, but those will be done some time this week.  We celebrated Christmas this weekend with my mother in law, I served baked salmon with lemon butter caper sauce, green beans and the autumn chopped salad.  For dessert we had a cookie plate, this morning we ate cinnamon buns with a fruit platter.  We ate well and enjoyed a weekend filled with family.

Finally everyone in our house is healthy, but we do have a busy week.  I am out one night and so is my husband, my son has basketball two nights this week.  We will be eating at home Sunday-Thursday,  Friday we have no plans, Saturday we have a holiday party and Sunday we have two!

• BBQ burgers with tater tots and autumn chopped salad from the @recipecritic  We ate this meal tonight and I bought the burgers pre-made from @sunterramarket.  If you haven’t bought their burgers before I would highly recommend it!
• Broccoli cheddar soup with puff pastry cheese straws from @whatsgabycooking this is a new recipe to me, but I love all the ingredients in this soup.
• Tandoori chicken and vegetables from @foodiecrush this recipe is similar to the chicken tikka that I made last week, so I’m sure that we will like this one as well.
• Shrimp stir fry from @bestofbridge my kids have been loving shrimp so I will give this recipe a try.
• Pirogies with sausage and soup cream.  I won’t be home for dinner, but I know that this will be a well liked meal.

I am hosting a few ladies this week during the day, so I’ve decided to make some carrot muffins and serve them with fruit and coffee.  These muffins are very similar to the pumpkin muffins I was making in the fall, so I know that they will be delicious.  I will add some chocolate chips and possibly omit the nuts.  I found these two new recipes that I really want to try: winter Aperol spritz and feel-good fall salad.  Now I just need to find the time.  Print Dinner List 78 to help you organize your week!

Happy cooking,
Sara

Weekly meals Nov. 5 – Nov. 8

Meal updates from last week:
I enjoyed all meals from last week, but I LOVED the roasted chicken with kale and tomato panzanella.  It was one of the best sheet pan meals I have ever made.  The lasagna soup was good, especially the next day for lunch.  My kids devoured the pumpkin snack board, and it was the most that my daughter has eaten for dinner in many nights.  I really liked the orzo and shrimp, my son liked the shrimp and broth where my daughter liked the orzo.  I also had a chance to make another batch of the healthy pumpkin muffins from @cookieandkate

This week we will be eating at home Sunday-Thursday, my husband and I will be going out on Friday and we don’t have plans for Saturday.  After a busy week last week, this week is a little quieter which will be nice.

• Skillet turkey pot pie from @tasteandtell I haven’t made this recipe for a long time, we ate this tonight with a beet, feta and pumpkin seed salad on the side.  For the salad I mixed roasted beets with some mixed greens, topped it with some toasted pumpkin seeds and crumbled feta.  For the dressing I mixed: Dijon, honey, balsamic and some olive oil.  My mom made these baked apple pie rice wrapper rolls for dessert and they were delicious!
• Slow-Roasted salmon with orange olive salsa from @anntaylorpittman you can access this recipe via her Instagram feed.  My kids are loving salmon these days so I hope that this will be a hit.  They don’t love olives but I will serve them the oranges. We will eat this with steamed rice and roasted asparagus.
• Salted maple chicken from @thedaleyplate I will serve roasted potatoes and steamed green beans with slivered almonds on the side.
• Thai meatball lettuce wraps from @jocooks this is a recipe that I have shared before.
• Creamy tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches.  My husband is working late so we will be eating quick and easy tonight.  I have shared with you before that my favourite store-bought soup is from Pacific foods.  I have been making grilled cheese in my waffle maker and my kids love it.  To change things up I will add some ham in the grilled cheese.

I am almost through my last can of pumpkin puree, so I might make another batch of muffins.  I have been craving @sallysbakblog breakfast cookies, so tomorrow may be the day for those.  I have already been thinking about my holiday baking, deciding what I should make again and what new recipes I need to try.  When I finalize my list I will share it with you.  Head to the store with Dinner List 73

Happy cooking,
Sara

 

Weekly meals Oct. 22 – Oct. 26

Meal updates from last week:
We loved the chicken cacciatore and the salmon chowder.  I was apprehensive about giving the kids the chowder, but my son gobbled it up and asked for seconds, my daughter pushed to bowl away.  I guess that you can’t win them all.  I didn’t get a chance to make the shrimp bowls so I will be making them this week.  Tonight we went to my parent’s and enjoyed beef and elk burritos with a side salad and pumpkin tarts for dessert.  Everything was so delicious!

This week we will be eating at home Monday-Thursday.  We don’t have plans for Friday but Saturday we will be attending a two Halloween parties.  Weather here is still looking good so I will try to use the grill as much as possible.

• Thai noodles with chicken and broccoli from Anne Lindsay’s Light Kitchen cookbook.  This recipe is a crowd pleaser and is so good the next day hot or cold.
• Cilantro lime shrimp bowls from @fitfoodiefinds this is a recipe that I didn’t have a chance to make from last week.
• Grilled chicken with green chile ranch from Donna Hay, this recipe is not available online but find a similar recipe here.  I am going to serve this with grilled asparagus and peppers.
• Portobello, broccoli and red pepper melts from @marthastewart I haven’t made this in a long time, but after reading the recipe I remember how good they are!  I like to make mine on pita or naan bread.
• I have ingredients to make chicken lettuce cups but haven’t found a recipe I love.  If I find one then I will share it with you.

Make shopping simpler with Dinner list 71

Happy cooking,
Sara

 

Weekly meals Oct. 8 – Oct. 12

Meal updates from last week:
The meatloaf sheet pan dinner was delicious and so simple to make.  I loved the Thai ramen, my kids weren’t as impressed with them.  I think that it was because they were really saucy and sometimes my kids are put off by too much sauce.  They did really like the sweet fire chicken, but I didn’t put sauce on their chicken I kept it plain.  Last night we celebrated Thanksgiving with our family, everyone brought something and it was all amazing.  My mom hosted and cooked the turkey, stuffing and made the gravy.  My sister-in-law made the mashed potatoes, I made turnips and birthday cake, my aunt made maple soy glazed brussels sprouts and butternut squash and my grandma made the Pumpkin Pie.

This week we will be eating at home Monday-Friday, my son started playing basketball and his games are all on Friday night, meaning that we will need to eat at home or grab a quick dinner out.

• BLT salad with buttermilk dressing from @marthastewart I have shared this recipe many times before and it never disappoints.
• Pork fried rice from @rachaelrayshow I have made this recipe before and it was a hit!  My daughter is off meat unless it is ground, so this paired with her other favourite food rice will be a winner for sure!
• Sloppy joe tacos from @gimmesomeoven my son has been asking for tacos and this recipe goes a little bit beyond the traditional taco.  I like to eat mine over a bed of shredded lettuce topped with some broken tortilla chips.
• Grilled chicken kale salad with peanut vinaigrette from @skinnytaste this is a new salad for us, but as you know I love a dinner salad.
• Grilled chicken sausage with roasted potatoes and cauliflower.  I will serve this with some grainy and Dijon mustards.  My kids will dip their sausage and potatoes in ketchup.

Last week I had another chance to use pumpkin in some baking, I made a batch of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.  I left half on the counter, which were eaten in days, and I froze the rest to gift to my son’s teacher.  They were soft and chewy with a hint of spice, I didn’t add the walnuts instead added a new more chocolate chips!  Dinner List 70 will help with this week’s shopping.

Happy cooking,
Sara

 

 

Weekly meals Oct. 1 – Oct. 5

Meal updates from last week:
All the meals that I made last week were great, I didn’t get a chance to make the grilled sausage, peppers and potatoes as we ate with my mom.  I shared the delicious Thai soup that she made for us on last week’s blog post.  I loved the roasted cauliflower that we ate with the salmon, so much so that I had it with some quinoa and feta the next day for lunch.  The egg rolls bowls were also a hit, I made some steamed brown rice so that my husband had a little more substance to his meal.  The saucy shrimp were outstanding, make sure to have the lemon rice with it as it completes the meal.

Today I got the chance to attend a cooking class with my mom.  At the class we learned all about pies!  We got instruction and practice making four different types of pie dough with accompanying fillings.  It was a wonderful class with an exceptional instructor, and when we were finished we walked away with two small tarts and one pie.  A passionfruit tart, frangipani tart as well as a cranberry raisin pie.  I am so excited to try them all!  If you are looking for cooking classes check them out at Cuisine and Chateau.

This week we will be eating at home Monday-Friday, we are going to the mountains this weekend and then home to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with family.  I will be solo two nights this week as my husband is working late, which means that I will try to keep things simple on those nights.  I still have some leftover pumpkin from last week’s muffins, so I may try to use the rest of it up.  I am taking turnips and chocolate cake to Thanksgiving dinner, as we are celebrating a number of birthdays along with our family gathering.

• One-pan petite meatloaf with roasted veggies from @cookinglight the recipe originates from @skinnytaste
• Thai peanut chicken ramen from @halfbakedharvest I am hoping that my children like this recipe, but I will reduce the curry paste amount so that it isn’t too spicy for them.
• Pizza, I will either use store made dough or pizza bases.  We usually add peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni, fresh tomatoes and then top with arugula when they come out of the oven.
• Sweet fire chicken from @carlsbadcravings we will eat this with some steamed brown rice.
• Breakfast for dinner, pancakes or waffles with bacon and fresh fruit.

Shop with ease, Dinner List 69

Happy cooking,
Sara

*Soft pumpkin chocolate chip cookies*

Weekly meals Sept. 24 – Sept. 28

Meal updates from last week:
Everyone loved the chicken Milanese, my son even asked to take it in his lunch!  We also enjoyed the spicy shrimp and noodles, better known as pad thai.  I didn’t get a chance to make the fiesta chicken but ended up using the chicken in quesadillas instead.  I baked a batch of zucchini carrot mini muffins that my kids devoured last week.   Tonight we went to my parent’s house for dinner where we ate classy chicken with a green salad, and angel food cake for dessert.

Last night we enjoyed celebrating Friendsgiving with our closest friends and their children.  The meal was cooked mainly by the hosts, but everyone contributed in some way.  We had turkey, stuffing, gravy, potato layer bake, squash apple bake and maple roasted carrot salad.  Before our feast we snacked on a beautiful charcuterie from @empireprovisions.  I brought two desserts, dutch apple pie and gluten free pumpkin muffins with cream cheese icing.  The meal was outstanding!

This week is another busy one!  We will be eating at home Monday-Thursday, Saturday night we are going out to a film festival and we don’t have plans Friday.  My goal this week is to get the rest of my carrots and beets out of the garden, once they are out then I need to clean out the beds and get them ready for winter…BOO!  A couple of weeks ago I picked all of the grapes from our vines, and on Friday I had some time to make jelly.  Now I have to be honest, canning is not my favourite nor am I very good at it, but I made nine jars and they seemed to have turned out.

• Spice roasted salmon with roasted cauliflower from @cookinglight we will have some brown rice as another side dish with this meal.
• Grilled sausages, peppers and potatoes from @damn_delicious this is supposed to be the nicest day this week so I am going to take advantage and use the grill.
• Egg roll in a bowl from @40aprons I love a good one bowl meal!
• Saucy Greek baked shrimp and lemon rice from @foodiecrush I may or may not serve a vegetable with this meal.
• Friday night dinner may be breakfast, either french toast or eggs with bacon, we will see what the week brings.

Dinner List 68 makes shopping a breeze.

Happy cooking,
Sara

Thai coconut cauliflower soup
Pumpkin muffins