Weekly meals May 12 – May 17

Meal updates from last week:
Most of last week’s meal plan never actually happened ;). Monday we went to my parents for dinner and then on Wednesday we went out for dinner with my mom and gramma.  So, I didn’t end up making the sheet pan chicken or the minestrone soup.  I moved the sheet pan to this week, but decided to hold off on the soup.  The recipe that I did make from last week we really liked and I will make the hot honey chicken bowls again.  This weekend was filled with sports, Friday night we grabbed takeout burgers and Saturday we went to friends for dinner.  I took my new fave copycat salad and it was a hit!  Yesterday I WAS NOT cooking, so my husband opted for sushi takeout.

This week we will be eating at home Sunday-Thursday, I am here with the kids for the long weekend, not sure what we will do as the weather is not looking great.

• Sheet pan chicken piccata from @defineddish, this is a carry over recipe from last week.  Tonight when I was going to make it I realized that I didn’t have enough time, so I opted for this recipe and served it with roasted potato wedges and slaw.
• Thai basil chicken bowls from @reciperunner I am using ground turkey instead of ground chicken for this recipe.
• Summer chipotle chicken cobb salad from @pinchofyum I love a good cobb salad and I am sure that I will love this one too.
• Grilled sausage, perogies and house salad from @skinnytaste, everyone has a sport tonight and I am working late so we are going simple!

I haven’t been in the mood for baking at all, and I think that is because I have been working on a smaller home DIY project.  Maybe when I am finished with the project I will get the itch to bake again!  Despite no baking going on, I seem to only save the baking recipes!  Here a a few new ones: lemon brownies, banana blueberry oatmeal cups, small batch chocolate cake, sheet pan chocolate chip cookies and tiramisu cheesecake.  So many yummy options.  There isn’t a grocery list this week, but it will be back next week.

Enjoy your long weekend,
Sara

Weeky meals April 22 – April 26

Meal updates from last week:
Both soups from last week were a hit with the kids.  I made the hamburger soup using deer meat and you could not even tell a difference.  We really like the miso chicken salad that I served in lettuce cups with some extra rice.  The rice and bean recipe made a huge amount, the kids ate theirs as burritos and I had mine as a bowl.  This weekend we were at a basketball tournament, so Friday night we ate a late dinner at Buffo at Chinook Centre.  Saturday I had dinner planned and ready to go, we ate BBQ smokies and sausages with tots and a green salad.  I have been loving a new dressing that I found, I make it in a jar and then use it multiple times during the week.  Tonight we ordered sushi as my son has been asking all weekend long.

This week is SUPER busy with all of the spring sports, the weather seems to be warming up, so I will be using the BBQ.  We will eat at home Sunday-Thursday, the weekend is open except for a baseball game.

• Crispy pork dragon noodles with broccolini from @simplyscratch my kids love noodles so I think that this will be a hit with them.
• Grilled curry chicken with smashed cucumber salad from @themodernproper, bring on BBQ season!
• Sheet pan Italian sausage heros (sandwiches) from @themodernproper I will serve these with a green salad.
• Santa Fe chicken bowl from @thedefineddish, all of the ingredients that I love in one bowl!

Last weekend I didn’t do any baking, and to be honest I have nothing planned this week.  My kids are loving mini carrot muffins, so I might try to find a recipe so that I can make some.  This week I found so many warmer weather recipes to share: watermelon Aperol spritz, lemon angel cake bars, springtime pesto tortellini, spicy chicken burgers, passionfruit citrus cordial and croissant s’mores.  It’s safe to say that I am excited for warmer weather and outdoor gatherings!  The grocery list 10 24 is a long one this week!

Have a sunny week,
Sara

Welcome spring!

I am back from a wonderful family vacation in the sun!  We were home late Monday night, which made the start to our week a little slow.  We hosted family on Tuesday night, I served flank steak with roasted potatoes and salad.  Wednesday I made a bruschetta bowl with chicken, rice and a tomato mozzarella salad.  Thursday I kept it very simple with a dumpling soup with carrots and spinach.  This weekend we had Cactus Club takeout on Friday and hosted friends Saturday, we served rice bowls with ginger turmeric chicken.  Today we got out for our last official ski day of the season!

This week we will be eating at home Sunday-Thursday, we are in full spring sport swing, most nights are busy with multiple activities.

• Grilled Italian sausage, smokies, perogies and a copycat Olive Garden salad.  I made this salad when we were away and I have made it three times since coming home.  If you make this salad you have to make the dressing, it is so amazing!
• Classy chicken from @bestofbridge, I used to make this all of the time and haven’t made it in forever.  I asked for any meal requests this week and my husband asked for it.  I always serve this casserole with egg noodles.
• Honey garlic pork from @dessertfortwo I will serve this with steamed rice.
• BLT salad with buttermilk dressing from @epicurious, this is another recipe that I used to make a ton.  My husband and son really like it, but my daughter is not a fan.
• Spicy miso chicken salad from @defineddish, we will eat these in lettuce cups.

There was no time for baking last week, but I am hoping to do some this week.  Blueberries are everywhere and very sweet so I was thinking of a snacking cake or muffins.  I found these recipes: gluten-free bakery style blueberry muffins and buttermilk blueberry breakfast cake.  Here are some others that I have been looking at: limoncello and basil posset, strawberry almond cake, oatmeal cookies and cinnamon swirl cake.  Make going shopping way easier by using grocery list 8 24

Happy spring,
Sara

Weekly meals Feb. 26 – Mar. 1

Meal updates from last week:
We LOVED two meals from last week: sheet pan meatballs with roasted veggies and the chicken bowls with chili sauce.  This weekend I cooked on Friday (chicken bowls with Calabrian chili sauce), we went to friends Saturday (I took a mixed berry and feta salad) and tonight we grilled beef burgers and chicken drumsticks.

This week we will be eating at home Sunday-Wednesday, Thursday my husband and I are off for a weekend away.  The kids will be home with family.  I won’t have any time to bake this week as I am working every day until we leave.

• Grilled beef burgers and chicken drumsticks, on the side I served house salad and skinny fries.
• Hamburger soup from @bestofbridge, I prepped this soup on Friday knowing that I would have no time to cook Monday.
• Thai noodles with chicken and broccoli, a family favourite and a recipe that my son asks for all of the time.  I will be making this meal meatless.
• Bean and vegetable burritos from @smittenkitchen, I will prep this filling on Tuesday night and then fill and heat in the air fryer on Wednesday night.
• Baked ziti from @saltandlavender, I will also be prepping this meal so that it is ready to be reheated for dinner on Thursday night.

No baking this week, but I have found some new spring forward recipes that I would love to share: lemon raspberry cheesecake bars, crumb cake doughnuts, popcorn cake, raspberry ice cream and Easter sugar cookies.  There is no grocery list this week, it will be back next week.

Stay warm,
Sara

Weekly meals Feb. 19 – Feb. 23

Meal updates from last week:
My birthday dinner at Major Tom was outstanding!  We have been before, but this was the first time that we’ve ever taken the kids.  They were great, my son was also super adventurous and tried tuna crudo as well as steak tartar.  Our favourite recipe last week was the Santa Fe salad, I turned it into tacos for the kids and it was just as good.  This long weekend we were supposed to go away for a ski weekend, but the universe had other plans for us.  Our son got really sick so we ended up staying home, it wasn’t the weekend we had wanted but it was still pretty good.  Friday night we had naan bread pizza, Saturday we ordered sushi from Big Catch and last night we grilled a marinated chicken from Lina’s.  As it is a short week, kids activities as less, but we will still be eating at home Sunday-Thursday.  We have no weekend plans, but are hoping to head out skiing.

• Lina’s marinated chicken with roasted fingerling potatoes and a house salad (my very fave salad right now, we have it at least once a week).
• Ground beef tacos from @feelgoodfoodie
• Sheet pan Greek meatballs with veggies from @lexiscleankitchen
• Creamy vegetable alphabet soup from @foodbymaria, this is great soup, I might add a can of white beans this time.
• Banza chicken bowls from @pinchofyum, I won’t be using Banza pasta, instead butter, fresh tomatoes and some parmesan.

As today was a holiday, I took some time to bake and prep with my kids.  We made some peanut butter protein balls and some avocado brownies.  It’s great to start the week with a full fridge and some food prepped for snacks and lunches.  Here’s a few other recipes I have been looking at : lemon tiramisu, cinnamon scone bread and no-bake cornflake cookies.  My Grocery List 5 24 is back to help make shopping a breeze.

Happy short week,
Sara

Weekly meals Jan. 22 – Jan. 26

Meal updates from last week:
All meals from last week were very good.  With the weather being so cold, the soup was great, we also really liked the salmon with salsa as well as the chicken and orzo skillet.  This weekend we were away with friends skiing, we made crock pot chicken enchiladas for dinner on Friday night.  Last night we had cheese tortellini with tomato sauce, grilled sausage and a mixed greens salad with cranberries, apples and walnuts.  Tonight we arrived home later and there was no dinner to be made so we ordered sushi.

This week we will be eating at home Sunday-Thursday we don’t have any weekend plans except skiing.  This week we are very busy with lots of kid’s activities, so I am going to be organized and prepared for all of our dinners.

• Goulash from @twopeasandtheirpod I will serve this with a house salad.
• Lemongrass chicken vermicelli bowls from @maxiskitchen, you can fid this recipe on her IG account.
• Bang bang shrimp rice bowls from @thewoodenskillet
• Bean and cheese burritos from @nytcooking, as always you need a subscription for their site, so I found a similar recipe here.

Last week I baked some blueberry muffins as well as some peanut butter sweetheart cookies, which we took along with us for our ski weekend.  I didn’t make the streusel topping for muffins, and we all found that they were a little dry.  I won’t be using this recipe again.  I didn’t make anything lemon last week, but I do have my eyes on this lemon curd crumb cake.  If you are looking for winter fruit forward salads: orange and pomegranate, butternut squash salad and kale winter salad!  Shopping made easy with grocery list 2 24

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead,
Sara

HNY!

I am back!  Happy 2024, I hope that you had a wonderful holiday season, we had a great time celebrating with friends and family.  There was lots of cooking, less after Christmas and it was more simple and included some takeout.  We were home last week and I cooked Tuesday-Friday, last night we ordered pizza and I made a salad.  This week we will be eating at home Sunday-Thursday, Friday we are off for a ski weekend with friends (we are in charge of Friday dinner).  This week is supposed to be a little warmer than last week, but it is not looking better until the end of the week.

• Honey mustard salmon with citrus salsa from @twopeasandtheirpod I will serve this with some steamed rice and mixed greens.
• Sausage potato and kale soup (Zuppa Toscana) from @reciprunner.
• Kalamata lemon chicken orzo skillet from @woodenskillet
• Grilled Italian sausage with orange arugula salad from @twopeasandtheirpod I will probably make some buttered pasta for the kids.
• Chicken caesar salad using two different recipes from @justataste first, dressing from her chicken caesar pasta salad, and then her recipe for chicken Milanese.
• Crock pot chicken enchiladas from @sailor_bailey, this meal is feeding a crowd so I will be making rice and also serving with tortilla chips, avocado, salsa and sour cream.

I have not been in the mood to bake anything lately, but blueberries were on sale so I might use them in muffin or loaf.  I am also craving anything lemon, but what I really want is a cake or a loaf.  I think that a bright and tart loaf will brighten everyone’s week.  New year, new grocery list 1 24 to help you while shopping.

HNY everyone,
Sara

Weekly meals Dec. 18 – Dec. 23

Meal updates from last week:
We loved both of the soups and the chicken taquitos.  The noodle salad was good, but I found it a little salty.  We liked the tofu bowls, but I have made better recipes.  This weekend was quiet, I still had a sick kid at home so we didn’t end up doing much.  Friday night we ordered food from Cactus Club, Saturday I made a simple tomato sauce pasta with salad and Sunday we had family Christmas.  My mom made the majority of the food: turkey, stuffing with Italian sausage, turnips and gravy.  I took a broccoli and cauliflower bake and there were also mashed and baked sweet potatoes as well as salad.  If you are looking for any Christmas dinner recipes just use the search engine.

This week we are eating at home Monday-Thursday, Friday we will order in, Saturday night we are going to a party and then we are hosting Christmas Eve.

• Creamy cauliflower soup from @nytcooking, you need a subscription for this site but I found a similar recipe here.
• Baked salmon from @cremedelacrumb I will serve it with some steamed rice and a green veggie.
• BBQ sausage with fries and a fall salad from @dianemorrisey.  You can find all of her recipes on her IG account.
• Pork stir fry from @theendlessmeal I will serve this with some steamed rice.
• Taking sausage stuffed dates to the party on Saturday night
• Christmas Eve: wine-braised short ribs, mashed potatoes and harvest salad.  Cookie tray for dessert.  I am thinking of serving a winter Aperol spritz, I found this recipe and this one.
• Christmas morning: cinnamon french toast muffins with fresh fruit and coffee.
• Christmas dinner: pesto stuffed shells with vodka sauce, fresh bread and house salad.

Today I baked Swiss Mountain Shortbread, the entire tray will go to my husband’s office with coffee for his staff to enjoy.  I think that means that I am finished baking for the season!  You never know if I will make another recipe, but as of today I feel like I’m done.  My grocery shop today was a huge one!  I shopped for my entire week, and then also tried to buy for the weekend including Christmas Eve and Day.  It took me a long time to make my list, and I only missed a few things that I will pick up tomorrow.  The grocery list 31 23 is really long, but includes all meals up till Christmas Day.  This will be my last post of 2023 as I am going to take a break and spend time with my family during the holiday season.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!
Sara

Weekly meals Dec. 11 – Dec. 15

Meal updates from last week:
The turkey burgers were great, the sheet pan meal came together so fast and the orzo soup was a hit with the kids.  This weekend we had pizza with friends on Friday night and then went to a Christmas party on Saturday.  Last night we had dinner at home, the recipe will be on the meal plan below.

This week we will be eating at home Sunday-Thursday, we don’t have any Friday plans, but something possibly on Saturday night.  Sunday we are having my family Christmas, I will be taking a side-dish, I am thinking of something with broccoli, cauliflower and cheese!

• Creamy chicken noodle soup from @twopeasandtheirpod, I served this with a side salad.
• Chicken taquitos from @tastesbetterfromscratch, I bought a rotisserie chicken for the soup and then will use the leftover meat to make these.  I will serve them with sour cream, avocado and a green salad.
• Rice noodle salad from @amandafrederickson her recipe calls for chicken, but I am going to omit the chicken and add more veggies.
• Cabbage soup with ground beef from the @thenaturalnuturer I am not sure how my kids will feel about this soup, but I am going it give it a try.
• Spicy peanut tofu bowls from @pinchofyum this is one I haven’t tried, but it looks so good!

Last week I had the chance to bake the lemon thumbprint cookies as well as the almond cranberry shortbread.  I tasted both and they were delicious!  They went straight into the freezer for gifting and unexpected company.  Tomorrow I am hoping to make either chocolate dipped peanut butter cookies or gingerbread cheese cake cookies.  I won’t have time to make both, so it will be a game time decision.  After I bake the last two I think that I am finished my holiday baking, I like to take small containers with a variety of cookies when we are invited to friends.  This week’s Grocery List 30 23
is a long one!

Happy Monday,
Sara