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

Weekly meals May 6 – May 10

Meal updates from last week:
We LOVED the BBQ chicken bowls!  This is the second time I have made them, and they were a hit with everyone.  We also really enjoyed the salmon bowls.  The tomato and chickpea pasta was okay, but not a recipe that I will make again.  This weekend we went to friends on Friday night for ribs, I took my favourite new salad.  Saturday we had baseball and then went to Browns for dinner, tonight I made turkey pesto meatballs with spaghetti for dinner.  I haven’t made these in a very long time, but they are super easy and SO delicious!

This week we will eat at home Sunday-Thursday, it is another week of kids sports and activities.  We have a few plans this weekend as well as a baseball game.

• Turkey pesto meatballs from @weelicious I serve these with spaghetti, and a large handful of spinach for added protein.
• Sheet pan chicken piccata from @thedefineddish I will serve this with roasted potatoes and a green salad.
• Hot honey chicken plate from @crowded_kitchen this recipe looks amazing!
• Minestrone soup from @thewoodenskillet looks like a great soup filled with lots of veggies.
• Grilled sausage, tater tots and new fave salad.

I didn’t bake anything last week, and this week is looking the same.  I did make some really easy banana oatmeal pancakes this weekend that I will be making again soon.  I might have time to make some energy bites, but that is all that I have planned.  I have found a few sweet treats that look amazing: raspberry cheesecake cookies, raspberry almond cake, lemony limoncello tiramisu, Biscoff cheesecake bars and Oreo s’mores.  This week the grocery list 12 24 is a long one!

Have a wonderful week,
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 March 11 – March 15

Meal updates from last week:
We really enjoyed the sushi bowls and miso soup from last week, I didn’t end up making the chicken fajitas, instead I made pancakes for the kids and reheated a veggie burrito (recipe I shared a couple of weeks ago) for myself.  This weekend we ate out on Friday night, Saturday I made spring roll bowls and last night we did a marinaded flank steak (recipe from Whitewater Cooks, but find a similar one here) with roasted potatoes and house salad.

This week we will be eating at home Sunday-Thursday, we have lots of different activities this week, and are hoping for one more ski day this weekend.

• Slow cooker chicken burrito bowls from @skinnytaste this is a recipe from her latest cookbook called Fast and Slow.
• Teriyaki beef bowl from @sailor_bailey, since we are having rice the night before I will serve this with rice noodles.
• Chicken kebab from @foodbymaria
• Grilled sausages, tots and a triple berry salad from @iowagirleats

I baked some small batch banana muffins last week and they were gobbled up!  I think by the end of the week I will try to make some mini egg cookies, there are so many different recipes out there for them!  Here are a few that I have found: oatmeal chocolate chip mini egg cookies, mini egg cookies, mini egg fudge or if you are not a fan of mini eggs you could try this Easter egg fruit pizza.  Shop with ease using grocery list 7 24

Enjoy the sunshine,
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 Feb. 12 – Feb 16

Meal updates from last week:
We LOVED the tacos and dumpling soup!  I will be making both recipes again soon.  The salmon was good, but I overcooked it and it was a little tough.  This weekend I was out for dinner on Friday night at Salt and Brick, Saturday we were supposed to go out but the plague is moving through our children so I made some chicken noodle soup (this a NYT recipe, which requires a subscription).  Tonight, for Super Bowl I made some buffalo chicken tenders with fries and a wedge salad with ranch dressing.

This week we will be eating at home Sunday-Thursday, we will be eating at Major Tom tomorrow night for my birthday.  This weekend is currently unplanned, we will see what happens this week.

• Major Tom
• Santa Fe salad from @sailor_bailey
• Turkey pesto meatballs from @weelicious for Valentine’s Day
• Sausage potato and kale soup from @daleyplate

Last week I made some banana muffins, I only had two bananas so I found a recipe for a small batch, and this might be my new favourite muffin recipe (the kids raved about it).  I have been very inspired with Valentine’s recipes, but I am not sure that I will be making any: vanilla raspberry heart cake, heart sandwich cookies, thumbprint heart cookies and cheesecake cups.  There isn’t a grocery list this week as I am not shopping on my birthday, it will return next week for your shopping pleasure!

Happy love week,
Sara

Weekly meals Jan. 29 – Feb. 2

Meal updates from last week:
Everything we ate last week was great!  We especially liked the vermicelli bowls and the burritos.  The kids LOVED the goulash and the shrimp bowls came together in no time9I used store bought tempura shrimp).  I will be making the burritos again soon as they make a lot and are a great lunch meal.  We ate ours with sliced avocado, sour cream, salsa and hot sauce.  This weekend we had takeout Friday night and then went to the new Earl’s at South Centre on Saturday, the food was excellent.  Today we skied and then grilled burgers and smokies for dinner.

We will be eating at home Sunday-Thursday this week, Friday my husband and I are off for a ski weekend.

• Grilled beef burgers and smokies with tots and house salad
• Loaded Greek potatoes from @teachertastes, you will find this recipe on her IG account
• Asian ground turkey bowls from @slenderkitchen
• Spinach pesto pasta from @inquiringchef, I will serve this with a house salad
• Ginger dill salmon from @nytcooking, as always you need a subscription for their site, but I have found a similar recipe here.

I don’t think that I will bake at all this week as it is a busy one, but it seems that I have been saving a lot of dessert recipes!  Oreo brownies, meyer lemon pudding cake, peanut butter chocolate bars and small batch cupcakes.  Shop using my  grocery list 3 24

Happy week,
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