Meal Planning: Exciting Changes and New Beginnings This October

Happy October, everyone! As if fall couldn’t get any busier, we’ve recently undertaken a major life transition. In the past two weeks, we bought a new house and put our current home on the market! To say things have been hectic is an understatement. Managing the sale of our home while still living in it—with kids—has been a whirlwind.

Navigating the Chaos of Selling a Home

Living in a house that’s on the market is a whole new level of stress. With constant showings and the need to keep everything in pristine condition, it feels like a full-time job. Our kids have been troopers, though, patiently enduring my daily reminders to pick up their stuff, make their beds, and keep the bathroom spotless. The relentless vacuuming and sweeping to make the house look “show-ready” is exhausting, but we’re making it work. I’m optimistic that this phase will pass quickly, and we’ll be able to focus on our move in less than two weeks.

Excited About Our New Home

We’re thrilled about our new home, just a mile away from our current one. It offers a floor plan that better suits our family’s needs and a flat backyard for the kids to enjoy. While I’ll miss my beautiful kitchen—its charm and views are hard to beat—I’m eager to create new memories in our new space. I’m already planning the first meal I’ll make once we’re settled. I still remember cooking our first meal in our current home just two days after moving in!

Our First Meal in the Current Home

For a bit of nostalgia, here’s what we made on our first night in this house: roasted salmon with honey mustard, a mixed green salad with pears, feta, and almonds, and a side of broccoli and corn. Many were impressed by how quickly we settled in, but for me, cooking a meal in a new kitchen is a vital part of making it feel like home.

What We’ve Been Eating Lately

With all the chaos, meal planning has had to be flexible. For the busiest days of preparing the house for sale, I made beef chili and enjoyed leftovers for a couple of days. When a heatwave hit and our home temperature soared to over 90 degrees without A/C, using the oven was not an option. We ended up dining out frequently, which quickly lost its appeal.

Once the weather cooled down, I turned to the freezer for convenience. We enjoyed frozen beef hand pies, chicken meatballs, and Trader Joe’s orange chicken. On another day, I picked up a roasted chicken from the store and whipped up a Southwest barbequed chicken salad, a staple in our home.

Looking Ahead

I anticipate this next week being a little calmer and have planned some easy, flavorful dishes for dinner. I also realized that I have needed a few more options for a quick breakfast in the morning and have included a few recipes for that as well. I’m going to make both today or tomorrow and hopefully our mornings of picking up the house will go smoother with breakfast already made. 

As always, thank you for reading and for sharing in my love of Food, Family and Friends. Have a great week and feel free to share if you end up trying any of the recipes below!

Cheers,

Christina

MEAL PLAN:

Mexican Chicken Soup

This is a cross between a feel good chicken soup and tortilla soup. It makes a ton and is great for leftovers, not to mention packed in a thermos for school lunches. It’s not spicy, very healthy, and has lots of flavor. Good toppings are a must- sour cream, cilantro, shredded cheese, and crushed up tortilla chips.

Braised Beef Roast With Banana Peppers

This is my take on the very popular Mississippi Roast. A quality cut of meat, a few ingredients and only a few hours in the oven and you’ve got a delicious main dish. I often pair this roast with a seasonal vegetable like sauteed zucchini, steamed broccoli or roasted brussels sprouts as well as a simple arugula salad. My kids like to use the leftovers in a grilled panini with sharp white cheddar – an umami flavor bomb!

Quick Tikka Masala

This is a hit in our family! It calls for garam masala and it can be found at most grocery stores. It’s also sold in small portions so if you don’t want to commit to another spice in your cabinet that may go to waste, you can be sure it’s not expensive and worth adding it to your shopping list. I only have two recipes I use it in, but I still think it’s worth having. If your kids aren’t very adventurous with spiced (not spicy) foods, this is a good one to try because the tomatoes and tomato paste kind of sweetens the dish. Serve with a size of steamed broccoli and rice. The leftovers are even better the next day.

*BONUS RECIPES*

Apple Muffins

I’m sneaking in one last apple recipe before all things pumpkin happen in October and November. These are really tasty! I make them just as the recipe says. I usually have whole wheat pastry flour, but if I ran out I’d use whole spelt flour or half whole wheat and half all purpose flour. If you don’t eat the entire batch out of the oven, they are best stored in the refrigerator. My family seems to like them cold just as well as warm. They also pack well for snack or school lunches.

Scrambled Egg Muffins

My family likes to call these “egg pucks.” This is a good starter recipe and I’m sure it’s delicious as written, but I make several changes to suit our tastes better. I like to sauté veggies such as red bell pepper, green onion and spinach in a little olive oil just until soft and divide equally among the muffin cups. Then I sprinkle on diced Canadian bacon or cooked crumbled bacon on top of the veggies followed by a pinch of grated cheese. Finally, I pour the egg mixture on top of each muffin cup and bake as directed. They heat up really well for a quick and healthy breakfast during the week.

PS- I love this muffin tin and have had great success getting these little pucks out of the pan with ease! No need to grease the pan.