Weekly meals April 29 – May 3

Meal updates from last week:
We really enjoyed the curry chicken as well as the Santa Fe chicken bowl.  The sauce for the Santa Fe was amazing, and I will make it again and serve it with other dishes.  This weekend we went out for burgers on Friday night, grilled a Lina’s chicken with potatoes and salad on Saturday night and then went to the new Earls South Centre after baseball tonight.

This week we will be eating at home Monday-Thursday, not sure of our weekend plans other than sports.  The weather this week looks much cooler than last week, so I have decided to add a hearty pasta into the meal plan.

• BBQ chicken and rice bowls from @bevcooks, I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago and it was a hit!  I think that it will be on heavy rotation this summer.
• Beef tacos with all of the toppings from @feelgoodfoodie, I always offer soft and hard shells as well as salad as an option for serving.
• Burst tomato pasta with chickpeas from @howsweeteats, this recipe looks like comfort in a bowl!
• Salmon bowl from @wellplated, we haven’t had salmon in a long time so I decided to add it to the menu this week.

I haven’t really been in the baking mood for the last couple of weeks, and I am now tackling a home DIY so I don’t think that I will have any time this week.  Here are a few new recipes that I found this week: Oreo cake, meringues with citrus curd, strawberry trifle, chocolate peanut butter bars and baked oatmeal.  This week’s grocery list 11 24 is shorter than normal.

Have a wonderful week,
Sara

Weekly meals Feb. 5 – Feb. 9

Meal updates from last week:
We really enjoyed the loaded Greek potatoes, turkey bowls and the salmon.  The pasta was good, but I think that I like traditional pesto better.  This weekend my husband and I were away in the mountains skiing, eating and spending time together.  We ate at Bridgette Bar and Where the Buffalo Roam both in Canmore, and before leaving today we grabbed brunch and coffee at Communitea.

This week we will be eating at home Sunday-Thursday, Friday and Saturday we will be eating out.  Super Bowl Sunday we don’t have any plans, so we will just have to wait and see what’s on the menu.

• Hamburger soup from @bestofbridge, today I added double to veggies and served it with some flaky buns.
• Smashed Banh Mi tacos from @cheftomwalton, you can find this recipe on his IG page.
• Chicken yiros bowls from @mediterranean.diet.plan, this recipe can be found on their IG page.
• Miso dumpling soup from @dennistheprescott, this recipe is from his IG page.  I will use store bought mini dumplings that I got from CO-OP last week.  They are the perfect little dumplings to add to any soup.
• Crispy salmon bites from @lifemadesweeter I will serve these with edamame, rice and sliced avocado.

I am not sure if I will bake this week, I do have some bananas that need to be used, but we will see if I will time.  I did find two other baking recipes that are on my list to try: lemon creme brulee cookies and lemon blueberry muffins.  I sense a baking theme with these recipes!  Or maybe I should make these brown sugar cinnamon pop tart shortbread?!  Make your life easier by using my grocery list 4 24

Enjoy your 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

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 Nov. 27 Dec. 1

Meal updates from last week:
We really enjoyed the shepherds pie from last week, it made a large amount so we had leftovers for lunch and dinner for a few days.  The harvest salad was also so amazing, it would be a great addition to any holiday dinner.  This weekend it was only my daughter and I, Friday night I got a chance to go to Lulu Bar for dinner, Saturday we had dinner with my parents and last night I made spring roll bowls from @littlebrokenblog.

This week we will be eating at home Sunday-Thursday, we have a couple holidays plans this weekend.

• Mediterranean salmon bowl from @nocrumbsleft I am not serving this with quinoa, instead I am roasting some mini potatoes.
• One pot lasagna soup from @kalejunkie
• Sheet pan chicken fajitas from @tastesbetterfroms
• Portobello, broccoli and red pepper melts by @marthastewart this is a recipe that I used to make all of the time, but haven’t in a while.  I know that my kids won’t enjoy the roasted veggies so I will make theirs into a more traditional pizza.

My IG feed is flooding with all things Christmas, and all I can think about is cookies, cookies, cookies!  Cranberry almond shortbread, chocolate dipped peanut butter cookies, butter cookies and raspberry crumble cookies.  I haven’t made my final decisions on which cookies to bake this holiday season, usually I go with a ginger molasses, a chocolate mint and then a kiss cookie.  However I may have to change things up based on the recipes that I listed above.  Stay tuned for the final decisions.  Make shopping a breeze with  Grocery List 28 23

Enjoy your week,
Sara

Back to planning

Updates:
I am back after taking a week off from planning, and taking my kids to sunny California.  I didn’t cook very much while away, we ate out for most of our dinners and then kept our breakfast and lunches pretty simple.  We did go to the most amazing restaurant while on the California coast, Din Tai Fung was everything that I wanted it to be.  We went for lunch and everything that we ordered was outstanding.  They are known for their soup dumplings and those were our favourites.  They have many different locations throughout California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and New York.  If you are remotely close to one it is a must go!  We arrived back home mid-week and I kept our meals really simple: hamburger soup, picadillo and then we ordered Vietnamese Friday and went out for dinner Saturday.

This week we will be eating at home Sunday-Thursday, the boys are off for their hunting weekend so it will just be the girls at home this weekend.

• Avocado mojo bowls from @pinchofyum we had this tonight and for the chicken I used BBQ drumsticks
• BBQ salmon bowls with mango avocado salsa from @pinchofyum
• Shepherds pie from http://www.onedadskitchen.com I am going to make this early in the day and have it ready for a crazy activity night.
• BBQ sausage with a pear harvest salad from @acozykitchen I might add some roasted potatoes or simple buttered pasta for some added carbs.
• Tonight I will be working late so I will take leftovers or make a salad to have for dinner

Last week I started my holiday baking, I made nuts and bolts for my husband to gift when he goes home next weekend.  If I have time I will make these peppermint meltaways also a gift for friends and family.  Here are a few other holiday recipes I am excited to try: gingerbread white chocolate blondies, half-baked PB & J cookie bars, toadstool thumbprint cookies (IG account) and cinnamon roll cookies.  Make your grocery shopping more efficient with Grocery List 27 23

Happy week ahead,
Sara

Weekly meals Nov. 6 – Nov. 10

Meal updates from last week:
We liked all recipes from last week, especially the chicken shawarma and the turkey meatball soup.  On Thursday I didn’t have a plan but ended up making a super simple ground beef stir fry from @sailor_bailey.  This weekend we had Vietnamese on Friday and then went to friends on Saturday, I contributed a salad to the dinner.  I wanted to make a harvest salad, but used ideas from two different recipes: here and here.  I used spinach and spring mix as my base and then added: dried cranberries, apple, pear, spiced baked pecans with sunflower seeds and then cranberry boursin, and made a simple maple Dijon dressing.  Tonight we had my mom and dad over for dinner and I served chicken pot pie soup with biscuits and a house salad.

This week we will be eating at home Sunday-Thursday, Friday I am leaving with the kids for warmer weather.  We will be gone for five days soaking up some vitamin D.  All of the activities continue this week, but we are getting to the end of the school basketball season.

• Sausage and squash chili from @jamieoliver I saw him make this recipe on one of his shows and thought that it looked different.  Stay tuned to how it turns out.
• Greek chicken and lemon potatoes from @foodbymaria this looks easy and delicious.
• BLT salad with buttermilk dressing from @marthastewart I used to make this recipe all of the time, but it has bee way to long!  I usually make the kids quesadillas when we have this dinner salad.
• Honey sriracha salmon bowls from @olivia.adriance I went and got some salmon from my parents as we haven’t had any in a while, and their freezer is stocked!

I don’t have any plans to bake this week, but I have started to think about the holidays and what I would like to bake.  Soon I will be making a batch of nuts and bolts as my husband will be heading home for hunting.  I always send jars of nuts and bolts home with him to gift to family and friends.  Sometimes I bake cookies to send as well.  Here are some other recipes to think about this week: herb and maple roasted cauliflower (IG account), cowboy casserole (IG account), breakfast casserole (IG account) and cranberry custard pie.  Make shopping easier with  Grocery List 26 23

Happy November,
Sara

Weekly meals Sept. 18 – Sept. 22

Meal updates from last week:
The lemon herb chicken was great, but the panzanella salad with peaches and corn was outstanding!  Panzanella is not a salad that I ever think of making, but I will keep in mind for next time.  The pumpkin cheesecake was a hit with the birthday boy, if you are looking for a simple Thanksgiving dessert then make it!  I didn’t make the salmon bowls last week, instead I made them tonight and they were very good.  I used a store bought teriyaki instead of what the recipe called for.  This weekend I made pancakes for dinner on Friday night and then took the kids out for dinner on Saturday.

This week we will be eating at home Sunday-Thursday, our week is filled with after school sports and activities.  We don’t have any weekend plans.

• Salmon bowls from @tastesbetterfromscratch these were very good, fresh and easy to make.
• Lemongrass chicken with vermicelli from @sharemyroots in her video she mentioned that baking and air frying were the best for cooking methods, I will use the grill to cook our chicken.
• Rainbow black bean bowl from http://www.goodmoodfood.news I will eat mine as a bowl, kids can choose bowl or taco.
• Tuscan white bean soup from @sailor_bailey the weather is looking a lot cooler this week, so I think that calls for a big bowl of soup.
• I will not be around for dinner tonight, so I will leave hubby and kids with perogies or breakfast for supper, choose your own dinner!

It seems that everyone is fall baking!  This week my list of other recipes is dedicated to pumpkin and apples: pumpkin cookies, pumpkin loaf, apple fritter loaf, double chocolate pumpkin muffins and apple fritter cake.  My mouth is watering just typing out all of these recipes!  I also love to bake these pumpkin muffins by @cookieandkate.  My computer is not allowing me to upload my grocery list, I will try again later.

Enjoy your week,
Sara

Weekly meals Sept. 11 – Sept. 15

Meal updates from last week:
We really enjoyed the protein bowls and the salmon with mango avocado salsa.  The salmon was so buttery, soft and delicious!  This weekend we were on our last camping trip.  Friday night we ate chili with all of the toppings: cheese, sour cream, avocado, tortilla chips and hot sauce.  The kids ate theirs with pasta, which made it a chili-mac.  Saturday morning we did breakfast sandwiches using english muffins, scrambled eggs, cheese and sausage.  Lunch was build your own wrap, and dinner was naan bread pizzas for kids and tin foil packets for adults.  We added mini potatoes, corn and sausage.  We ate very well this weekend!

This week marks the beginning of all kid activities, so it will be a very busy week.  Two out of the four school nights we have later activities, which means I will have to be very organized or pre-cook dinner.  We will be eating at home Sunday-Thursday, my husband is away this weekend, so it will be me and kids.

• Marinaded chicken and burgers from Lina’s Market, on the side I served corn and a house salad.  The marinaded chicken from Lina’s is so good, such good value for your money.
• Out for dinner to celebrate my husband’s birthday.
• Grilled steak with baked potatoes, sauteed mushrooms and pumpkin cheesecake.
• Lemon herb chicken from @weelicious on the side I will serve peach and corn panzanella salad from @loveandlemons
• Salmon bowls from @tastesbetterfromscratch

This week is my husband’s birthday, we are celebrating with dinner out and I will make pumpkin cheesecake.  Here are so other recipes that look interesting: birthday cake ice cream sandwiches, sausage and gnocchi soup, pumpkin churro banana waffle bites and chicken shawarma wraps.  The grocery list 21 23 is finally back!

Enjoy your week,
Sara