Simple Meal Plans & Real Life – April 28

Easter weekend threw me a little off schedule.  We went out of town to be with family.  Meredith’s cousins threw her a lovely bridal shower.

It was a great weekend, but when we got back in town I really needed to hit the grocery.  I did that on Monday and tested the Traditional list for an upcoming week in May.

 

You can see from the photo which meals were planned for the week.  I knew that I would be making some of those meals, but I also knew that I had recipes to create this week.  No worries, since all the meals use common pantry ingredients I knew I would have what I need by sticking to the list.

Here’s how it all worked out this week:

Monday – I decided to buy ground pork instead of beef for hamburgers.  It was a lovely evening, so we fired up the grill.  Instead of detox salad, I served sweet potato fries and cucumbers and tomatoes.

Tuesday – I was looking forward to trying the Mojo pork chops, but the store didn’t have that type of marinade.  I bought Caribbean Jerk instead.  It was great!  We had Pressure Cooker Mac & Cheese and broccoli with it.

Wednesday – I did another spin on Basic Chicken Skillet, this time giving it a Mexican flair.  The resulting recipe combines elements of Mexican Beans and Rice with the Basic Chicken Skillet.  Easy, quick and family friendly.

Thursday – I created yet another spin on Basic Chicken Skillet.  This time I went with a stir fry.  The homemade sauce turned out great.  I used Napa cabbage in the dish.  That was easy to swap out for the kale that the grocery list called for.

Friday – I’m writing this post on Friday afternoon.  Jim and I decided we’ll have a date night tonight.  I’m not sure what the kids will be eating, but it may be the grilled cheese and tomato sandwich that was on the menu.  Everybody needs a simple dinner sometimes!

Simple Weekly Meal Plans

This is a great time to become a member of our Weekly Meal Plans.  You get access to a whole month at a time.  Since this is the end of the month, that means that you’ll be getting all of April and all of May when it posts next week.  A whole extra month!

Here’s a sneak peek at this week’s meal plans.  When you join the Weekly Meal Plan list, you get the grocery list and printable recipes with side dishes included.  You can find out more about how to get the meal plans for yourself by clicking here.

Whole Foods Menu (these are edited on our plans to make them Whole Food compatible)

1. Whole Chicken in Slow Cooker
2. Black Bean Tacos
3. Skillet Chicken, Peppers & Tomatoes
4. Penne Gorgonzola Grilled Chicken
5.  Spaghetti
6.  Lemon Tilapia with Veggies
7. Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Traditional Menu

1. Chicken Enchiladas
2. Hamburger Stroganoff
3. Corn Chowder
4. Pork Tenderloin
5. Turkey Italian Sausage and Tortellini Salad
6. Baked Pasta with Cauliflower and Cheese
7. Peanut Butter Cookie Pudding

Slow Cooker Menu