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

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

Weekly meals Dec. 4 – Dec. 8

Meal updates from last week:
All recipes from last week were great, I especially liked the salmon bowls and the lasagna soup.  The kids LOVED the soup and really liked the fajitas.  All recipes were easy and came together quickly.  This weekend we had takeout on Friday, I made some turkey chili Saturday and then we went to Earls last night.

This week we are full of kid activities and studying for school, this weekend we are doing a few festive activities, and have a Christmas party Saturday night.

• Thai noodles with chicken and broccoli from Anne Lindsay, this is one of the most requested meals in our house.  I seldom include chicken anymore, instead I double up the veggies.  If you like lots of sauce then I would recommend doubling that as well.
• Greek turkey burgers from @skinnytaste, I will serve these with some fries and a Greek salad.  It is supposed to be 11 degrees, so why not BBQ.
• Sheet pan sausage and veggies from @jocooks, I try to keep things really simple on Wednesday as we have activities and there’s not a lot of time to spend prepping or cooking dinner.
• Chickpea and orzo soup from @nytcooking as you need a subscription to this site I have found a similar recipe here.

This afternoon I started my holiday baking, I picked two cookie recipes that needed to chill so I will bake them both tomorrow.  I made cranberry almond shortbread and lemon thumbprint cookies.  I will bake the shortbread tomorrow and dip cookies in white chocolate.  Then I will bake off the lemon cookies, I always cool the cookies and put them in the freezer.  I am still thinking of making the chocolate dipped peanut butter cookies and then found the cutest recipe for gingerbread cheesecake cookies.  I am feeling very torn as kiss cookies are not currently making the list, and I would also like to make a snickerdoodle or mint cookie as well.  I will report back next week with how tomorrow’s cookies turn out as well as what I have decided on the cookie front.  Organize your shopping with  Grocery List 29 23

Happy week,
Sara

Weekly meals Oct. 30 – Nov. 3

Updates:
Last weekend my husband and I were in Nashville for three nights.  We had a wonderful time eating, drinking and listening to amazing music.  The highlight meal of the entire weekend was Noko, an Asian inspired restaurant in the east-end.  We ate at many other places, but for me this meal that the absolute best, so if you’re in Nashville make a reservation at Noko.  When we arrived home it was so cold and snowy, we spent the whole week trying to get back into the swing of things.  This weekend we had dinner with friends Friday and then I was inspired to cook a recipe that @whatsgabycooking posted for her 30 minute meals for thirty days.  I cooked from day #4, you can find the details on her IG account.  Tonight we had friends over for chili, buns, salad and rhubarb cake.  It was simple and early night, just the way Sunday night should be.

This week we will be eating at home Sunday-Thursday, we have all of the activities this week and have no weekend plans.

• Chicken shawarma wraps from @mediterranean.diet.plan you can find this recipe on their IG account.
• Butternut squash pasta with bacon and parmesan from @nytcooking if you don’t have a subscription then you can find a similar recipe here.
• Turkey meatball vegetable soup from @skinnytaste
• TBD, I don’t have a plan for Thursday, I have some ground beef and shrimp in my freezer, so either a egg roll bowl or shrimp stir fry.  No plan is not usually my MO, but I couldn’t make a decision about what I wanted to make, so it will be a game time decision.

I don’t have baking plans this week. although I did see a post by @weelicious for oatmeal bars that looked delicious!  Soups, salads and bowls seem to be creeping into my IG feed, so here are a few I’ve got on my list: lasagne soup (IG recipe), harvest salad (IG recipe), butternut squash quinoa salad, hibachi chicken bowls, sweet potato burrito bowls and chopped broccoli salad.  Make grocery shopping easier with grocery list 25 23

Have a great week,
Sara

Weekly meals Oct. 2 – Oct. 6

Meal updates from last week:
The sheet pan sesame chicken was great, an easy and flavourful meal for busy weeknights.  I made the sour cream noodle bake on Friday and the chicken enchiladas on Saturday, both were great.  The kids and my husband loved the noodle bake, it was almost like a lazy lasagna.  The other great recipe from last week was the pumpkin doughnuts from @nytcooking, please remember that you need a subscription for view recipes.  After a weekend of company and cooking I opted for sushi for dinner, it did not disappoint!

This week we will be eating at home Monday to Thursday, then we are off to spend Thanksgiving weekend with friends.  We are keeping out menu simple: roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, harvest salad, roasted brussels sprouts, gravy and pumpkin pie.  Our weeknights are busy busy busy, so I am trying to be well organized and make double batches so we can have leftovers.

• Italian pasta and chickpea stew from @dishingouthealth I will serve this with buns for dipping.
• BBQ chicken bowls with sweet potatoes and coleslaw from @40aprons I have made this recipe many times before, but it has been a very long time.
• Tonight we are very busy, so I am hoping to have some soup or chicken leftovers but if not I have some hamburger soup in the freezer.
• Turkey pesto meatballs from @weelicious this is a family favourite and the perfect way to end our busy week!

Last week I baked pumpkin doughnuts, but that was all that I had time for.  I currently have a large container of apples from friend that need to be used, so I have complied a few recipes that I am going to try to make: baked apple oatmeal, big apple crumb cake, apple muffins and apple cinnamon cake.  Finally the grocery list 23 23 is back!

Happy Thanksgiving,
Sara

Weekly meals Sept. 25 – Sept. 29

Meal updates from last week:
We really enjoyed all meals from last week, especially the lemongrass chicken bowls.  The rainbow bowls were good and the Tuscan soup was a hit with the kids.  This weekend we ordered pizza on Friday night and then were invited to friends on Saturday and Sunday.  On Saturday I took a super simple appetizer of baked brie with pecans, I served rice crackers and apple slices with the cheese.

This week we will be eating at home Monday-Thursday, this weekend we are having friends come and stay with us.  All sports have commenced, which means that our after school and evenings are so busy!  I am going to try to keep up all of the home cooking, but do realize that Subway and other quick meals will have to be included.

• Greek turkey meatballs with lemon orzo and feta yogurt sauce from @ambitiouskitchen I made this tonight and it was delicious!  This is a sheet pan meal that would be prefect for meal prepping, or make ahead for a week of lunches.  I LOVED the yogurt sauce and so did the kids, I would count that as a winning recipe.
• Sheet pan honey sesame chicken from @dishingouthealth I will serve this with some steamed rice.
• Sour cream noodle bake from @pioneerwoman I will serve this with a green salad.  Not sure that this recipe will get made as we have basketball right after school.  If not then I will save it for Friday night.
• Crunchy chicken caesar wraps from @littlespicejar on the side I will serve raw fruit and veggies.
• Crock pot chicken enchiladas from @sailor_bailey I will serve this to our guests on Saturday night with taco chips, sour cream and guacamole.  For dessert I am thinking of making these baked pumpkin doughnuts from @nytcooking.

Last week I was on a baking kick, I made a batch of pumpkin muffins as well as some banana buttermilk muffins.  It has been a great breakfast for the kids, or packed in their lunches for a midday snack.  Here are some other fall recipes that are on my list: harvest fall salad (on her IG feed), apple crumble cheesecake, pumpkin chocolate chip coffee cake and pumpkindoodle cookies.  My word program is not currently working so there is not a grocery list for this week.  I hope that I can get is back working for next week.

Happy Fall,
Sara

Weekly meals Sept. 4 – Sept. 8

Meal updates from last week:
The two meals that we enjoyed the most were the flank steak as well as the sheet pan chicken with corn.  The sheet pan meal was amazing, and I will be making it again soon.  I served the Thai noodles to company on Saturday night along with fresh spring rolls and choco tacos for dessert.  Friday night we ordered sushi and Sunday night we ate leftover Thai noodles.  Tonight we are eating out to celebrate my mom’s birthday.

This week we will be eating at home Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  Friday we are heading out for our last camping trip of the season.  Today I took some time to prep soup and muffins for the week ahead.  Both recipes are from the @bestofbridge, I went with a family favourite hamburger soup and a batch of banana muffins.

• Grilled honey butter chicken from @howsweeteats I will serve potato wedges and corn on the side.
• Chicken kofte protein bowl from @mediterranean.diet.plan this recipe is available through her IG account.
• BBQ salmon bowls with mango avocado salsa from @pinchofyum, the last few recipes that I have made from her site have been so delicious!

Here are some other recipes I want to try: panzanella salad with peaches and corn, lemon brownies, chopped salad and peach cobbler cookies.  This week is a short week and the grocery list was also short, I will get back into posting my lists next week.

Happy September,
Sara

Weekly meals June 26 – June 30

Meal updates from last week:
We all loved the drumsticks and the chicken caesar salad sandwiches.  I grilled the chicken for the sandwiches and then let them cool, chopped and added them to the salad.  I toasted the rolls and then buttered them and added them to the salad.  They were delish!  This weekend we had takeaway pizza at the baseball diamond Friday, went to Brown’s Social House Saturday and then ate the sandwiches with corn on the cob tonight.  This week marks the end of school for the kids and myself, and the beginning of the summer break.  Baseball will be finished tomorrow night, we are hoping for a win in the championship game!  We will eat at home Sunday-Thursday, this weekend we are heading away for Canada Day long weekend.

• Summer cavatelli pasta from @skinnytaste I might make the house salad as a side.
• Sheet pan sausage and veggies from @chelseasmessyapron I will serve this with some rice.
• Smash tacos from @skinnytaste I am going to give this internet trend a try!
• Grilled beef burgers, tots or fries and watermelon crunch salad from @howsweeteats

Yesterday I finally used all of the rhubarb and made some snacking cake from @smittenkitchen.  It makes a 9 by 13 cake, and is so very delicious!  Other recipes that I’ve got my eye on: cilantro lime chicken with avocado salsa, crunch salad and creamy lemon pie (Dianemorrisey IG feed). This week’s grocery list 16 23  is a short one.

Stay healthy,
Sara

Weekly meals May 8 – May 12

Meal updates from last week:
I really liked the summer salad, as mentioned I didn’t end up making the crisps.  I used some smoked almonds in the salad instead of making the crunchy topping.  The pork bowls were great, I ended up using ground turkey instead, as my grocery store was out of pork.  Naan pizza night was super simple, I made myself a Greek salad pita pizza and it was delicious.  I didn’t make the chicken satay as I was working late on Thursday night.  This weekend we had burrito bowls on Friday and ordered sushi for dinner Saturday.  Tonight we grilled a marinaded chicken that I bought at Lina’s, I served it with some corn and sauteed broccolini with parmesan.

This week we will be eating at home Sunday-Thursday, we are jam-packed with kid activities and also have a ball tournament this weekend.  I am trying to keep most weeknight meals super simple as we need to eat and be out the door quickly.

• Turkey feta meatballs with lemony yogurt sauce from @amandafrederickson I will serve these with a simple Greek salad and some grilled pita.
• Vegan power bowls from @lifemadesweeter my daughter won’t eat the tofu but she will eat all of the veggies in her bowl.
• Grilled hot honey BBQ smoked sausage skewers from @howsweeteats, I will serve these with some buns on the side, or the kids can have their skewers inside like a sandwich.
• Turkey burger bowls from @playswellwithbutter I won’t be adding the chipotle peppers as I find them way too spicy.  The adults can add extra heat with some hot sauce.

I didn’t get the chance to make protein balls last week, but @whatsgabycooking posted a new recipe for ones that she makes and I think that I will give them a try this week.  This summer fruit caprese salad also looks amazing, and the perfect side dish for some grilled meat.  Another great looking salad comes from @kalejunkie she shares a recipe for a non-traditional Cobb salad that looks delish!  Find the recipe on her IG account.  If you are looking for a spring-inspired dessert to serve this weekend for Mother’s Day then make this one bowl lemon cake!  My computer is finally working properly, which means that the Grocery List 10 23 is back!

Happy spring,
Sara

Happy Holidays!

Meal updates from last week:
We really enjoyed the Greek bowls and loved the BBQ chicken a grilled veggie bowls.  I made the chicken and all of the veggies in my oven.  It’s way too cold to grill here!  We didn’t like the noodles with shrimp, but I think that it had to do with the noodles that I used.  As always we devoured the classy chicken as well as the parmesan and herb salmon.  This weekend we ordered pizza takeout on Friday and then my husband and I went to a holiday party on Saturday.  My girlfriend made the most amazing Christmas cocktail called the grinch.  Sunday was family Christmas, everyone brought a dish or two and my mom cooked the turkey, stuffing and potatoes.  She tried some new recipes this year that I will share with you:

• Best turkey from @jamieoliver
• Get ahead gravy and another gravy recipe both from @jamieoliver
• Perfect roasted potatoes from @jamieoliver
• Turnips
• Maple soy roasted Brussels sprouts from @skinnytaste
• Sausage and herb stuffing from @inagarten
• Simple winter salad
• Cranberry streusel bars, peanut butter kiss cookies and cookie bars

Everything was delicious, we will not be having another Christmas dinner as we are trying to have a low key Christmas day.

This week we will be eating at home Monday-Thursday, we will be out Friday and then hosting Christmas Eve Saturday.  

• Air fryer salmon bites from @dessertfortwo you can access this recipe via her Instagram account.
• Greek chicken with cucumber feta salad from @nytcooking you do need an account to view this recipe, but you can get a free trial for 7 days.
• Shake and bake chicken drumsticks, tater tots and raw veggies (keeping it simple!)
• Asian pork tenderloin from @laughingspatula I will serve this with steamed rice and green beans
• Breakfast for dinner at our friend’s house, I am going to take fresh fruit with a yogurt dip: plain yogurt, honey and strawberry jam.

Christmas Eve we are having a mixed charcuterie board from Peasant Cheese shop, our friends are bringing a veggie and fruit board as well.  Christmas morning I am making baked eggnog french toast from @fraicheliving I will serve fresh fruit on the side, there is not a solid dinner plan for Christmas but I did buy all of the ingredients for a baked sausage and pasta dish.   This will be my last post of 2022 as I am going to enjoy some family time for the next few weeks.  I will be posting some pictures on my IG account, so stay tuned for some new content.

Wishing you happy holidays, and a healthy 2023!
Sara