Christina Shoup

When you know better you do better

August 28, 2016 by Christina Shoup 5 Comments

Some farmer’s market love from Eric

Let me first say that I truly appreciate all the feedback since I’ve started this little blog. I have really appreciate our texts, emails, posts, and comments at school to let me know how much you’re enjoying it. It’s been fun for me and I am enjoying it more than I thought. So many of you have been kind enough to share your tips, suggest new recipes, and commiserate about the stress and hassle of getting dinner on the table each evening- thank you!!

For many of us, school and fall sports are well underway. I might have over-planned last week’s meal calendar just a bit. I stuck to the plan, and my family appreciated each meal, but I underestimated how busy and tired I’d be with school and sports starting all in the same week. I planned for one day of leftovers, but what I really needed was either another day of leftovers or something easy from the freezer. Rookie move. This week is looking a little nutty with busy days and several evening meetings. One of my favorite sayings- When you know better you do better! Here’s to an easier week of getting food on the table. And, let’s not forget we’ve got a nice long weekend ahead of us!

Turkey Chili with White Beans

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/turkey-chili-with-white-beans-3090

There are many chili recipes out there, and I’ve made several different kinds myself. Over the years I’ve tried many variations- beans vs. no beans, ground beef vs. cubed, tomato sauce vs. chicken/beef stock/beer, spicy vs. mild, quick and easy vs. simmer all day, etc. This week I am cooking my favorite turkey chili because it’s quick and easy, full of flavor and provides leftovers. It’s always a hit and the recipe is usually requested when I share it with family and friends. I serve it with all the toppings: cilantro, shredded cheese, green onion, avocado, and sour cream. A side of cornbread- Trader Joe’s box(!) or crushed up tortilla chips is yummy, too.

I make it as directed with these exceptions: I substitute the 3 cans of white beans for 1 can of white beans, 1 can of black beans and 1 can of dark red kidney beans. I like the variety but anything works. I also use dark turkey thigh instead of more lean turkey breast- it seems to have more flavor. Finally, I add about a cup of frozen corn in the last 10 minutes of cooking.

*Bonus- the leftovers are even better the next day after the flavors have had a chance to develop.

Frozen Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken

You’ll recall me saying a few weeks ago that once school starts you’ll see “Trader Joe’s frozen something” on my meal calendar more often. Well, this is one of those go-to meals for busy nights. I actually cook 2 packages for our entire family and there’s always a little leftover. I serve it with a side of broccoli and frozen jasmine or brown rice- all from Trader Joe’s. Not the healthiest meal, but it couldn’t be easier and my kids absolutely love this dish.

*Caution- Once I packed a few servings in Tupperware for Sydney and I to eat in the car on the way to a “birds and the bees” class. I figured we needed full tummies for the night we had ahead of us. The darn chicken dish didn’t sit for more than 30 minutes in the Tupperware before it steamed its crunchy outside right off and into a nasty mushy layer making our dinner nearly inedible. Lesson #1- do not make this ahead of time and certainly don’t package it! Lesson #2- if you’re going to take your kid to such a class, treat them to a nice juicy In & Out Burger, fries and shake.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/12/03/recipe-best-pulled-pork-crock-pot/

This is a household favorite and I’m excited to get it back into the rotation. Thankfully, my friend Marina reminded me of this dish and I am happy that she did! It’s a great dish for the crockpot that can cook all morning or afternoon and can sit until you’re ready to shred the pork and add BBQ sauce. We love the pork on Hawaiian rolls with a side of coleslaw (nothing fancy here- bagged shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, and Marie’s coleslaw or poppy seed dressing) and baked beans.

Labor Day Menu

Tomato Pie, Grilled Sausages, Corn Salad, Watermelon Wedges and Butterfinger Pie

I made a very similar menu when we had some friends over this summer and thought it would make a great Labor Day menu as well. Make one or all of these dishes and you won’t be sorry. At first glance, it probably doesn’t look like an easy menu, but each dish only has a few ingredients, very easy to prepare, and is full of summer flavor. Enjoy!

Tomato Pie

I know what you’re thinking… tomato what?! This has been a favorite of mine since childhood. My mom used to make this when we had company over and guests always requested the recipe. Years ago she gave my siblings and me a wonderful Christmas gift- a book of family recipes and this one made the cut. I make it several times each summer and this year is no different. It makes an impressive and delicious dish when you entertain but is simple and comforting enough to make and bring to a friend with a new baby.

Make it easy on yourself and buy pre-made pie dough and unroll it right into a pie dish. Poke a few holes in the dough and cook as instructed before filling your pie shell with the tomatoes and cheese mixture. And, don’t bother peeling the tomatoes, it’s unnecessary!

Right out of the family recipe collection

Strange looking crust but that didn’t affect the taste

Corn Salad

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/fresh-corn-salad-recipe.html

This is delicious, super easy, and I make it as directed. Fresh corn is really important here!

As disturbing as this photo seems, it’s a great way to cut corn off the cob and catch it in a bundt or angel food pan.

Butterfinger Pie

This is hardly a recipe but here’s another favorite from my childhood that was included in our family recipe book. My kids nearly died when they were at the grocery store with me and I asked them to go find 6 Butterfinger bars. One of them said, “What is this, Halloween or something?” My candy bar-deprived children declared this the best dessert ever and I’m pretty sure I’m going to need to include it in my very own family recipe book someday.

4 ingredients!

Plans change, so use pencil!

August 21, 2016 by Christina Shoup 2 Comments

Meal planning always begins with the best intentions- a nice balanced week of food, a mix of simple and more involved recipes and different types of cuisines. Last week the planning was no different, but the execution was not as easy. Several days last week I wasn’t feeling super and in the late afternoon the meal I had planned on making just didn’t sound great to me. I texted Eric each afternoon and asked, “What sounds better- fish tacos or cobb salad? Beef hand pies or chicken lettuce wraps?” He thought the service around here was amazing! I didn’t want him to get used to the changing daily menu choices so I fessed up that nothing sounded good to me and that while I was happy to cook it was his job to pick the meal.

That’s the beauty of using a pencil with a good eraser when meal planning. What I had planned on for Sunday night’s dinner got moved to later the following week due to a last minute family birthday celebration. Wednesday’s dinner got moved to Monday because I had all the ingredients and no time to go to the store. Friday’s meal wasn’t made because I needed a cooking break and moved that meal to Monday. It usually all works out. My goal over the past few years has been to meal plan so that when the plan changes, we don’t end up wasting a bunch of food that goes bad and has to be thrown out. All of us are guilty of that right? And it doesn’t feel good at all…

I have finally found a way that works for me and that is to break up the grocery shopping into two times a week. This will be different for everyone, but as I wrote in a previous post, I look at my calendar on Sunday, and then make a meal plan for the entire week, including at least one of the following weekend days. I go to the store on Sunday or Monday as well as the farmer’s market to get me though 3-4 dinner meals, breakfast, lunches, snacks, etc. If I made everything as planned, then I shop for the rest of the week/weekend. If I had to make a change- last minute dinner invitation to someone’s house, meeting went longer than expected, the flu hits our house, etc. then I adjust accordingly. When I used to shop once a week, my cart looked like I was stocking up for a big storm to hit, not to mention the issue of enough refrigerator and pantry space. So, taking two trips to the grocery store a week is what generally works for me.

Speaking of taking two trips to the grocery store, I get to do that completely kid-free beginning in a few days! Camp Mom is about over and I think we are all finally ready to throw in the summer beach towel. I’ve got some easy recipes planned for the week, as well as using a yummy one from last week that I didn’t quite get to. It’s also the time of year that I need to pull out those easy breakfast and snack ideas. During the summer I pretty much only make my kids dinner- they are in charge of making their own breakfast, snack and lunch. It’s just a nice, well-deserved break for me. Kudos to all of you that have your kids make their own school lunches. I’m just not there yet! I want to be, but it’s not the morning battle I choose right now.

A few recipes I’m making this week:

Baked Chicken Meatballs

https://smittenkitchen.com/2009/10/baked-chicken-meatballs/

These are really easy to make ahead and bake at dinnertime. They are full of flavor and a great recipe to double or even triple and freeze for another day. I often serve them with roasted sweet potatoes or Brussels sprouts and a Caesar salad. You can also toast some rolls and make a tasty meatball sub sandwich with your favorite pasta sauce and melted mozzarella/provolone cheese on top.

A few changes I make- I have made this recipe with diced pancetta (Trader Joe’s has this for a reasonable price) and diced bacon. Either way, if you cook the pancetta or bacon in the pan it will render enough fat to sauté the onions making the whole dish more flavorful. If you use precooked bacon, just add a touch of olive oil to the pan, add the precooked bacon diced up and it will crisp up in the pan and then you can add the onions and sauté. I also really like adding a mixture of ketchup and barbeque sauce- just brush it right on top before baking. It’s a favorite around here!

Thai Chicken Wrap with Spicy Peanut Sauce

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/thai-chicken-wrap-with-spicy-peanut-sauce-recipe.html

This is the kind of dish I make on our super busy Wednesday evenings. When all kids have practice or a game from 5-8pm, this is the kind of meal that is easy to prep ahead of time and keeps us from getting our dinner from a drive through window. The chicken can be grilled earlier in the day and the veggie and herb mixture only gets better as it sits. If both of these are done ahead of time, you can walk in the door and have dinner on the table in 10 minutes. Another idea is to pre-make them and wrap in foil, cut up a melon and put it in a container and you’ve got dinner on the go. Hmmm… maybe I look forward to these crazy Wednesday evenings!

Pizza Night

Four words for you- Trader Joe’s pizza dough. What kid doesn’t like to make their own pizza? I pick up the dough, a few toppings, a bag of romaine lettuce for salad and we’ve got an easy, quick and fun family dinner.

Egg Breakfast Casserole

There are a million recipes for these types of egg dishes. It’s a standard item in any breakfast potluck because it is easy, can be made ahead of time, and feeds a lot. This is a staple in our house, especially during the school year because I can make it the night before in about 10 minutes. I make it as directed, but if I have time and ingredients; I like to sauté diced red bell pepper, scallion, and spinach and put that on the bottom of the casserole dish before pouring the egg mixture in. This dish has been known to show up on the dinner table served with a fruit smoothie and nobody complains.

FullSizeRender

Pineapple Zucchini Quick Bread

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/zucchini-pineapple-quick-bread

My kids love this packed for their morning snack or sliced with cream cheese in lieu of a sandwich. It makes two loaves and we usually plow through one before I get a chance to wrap them up and refrigerate. If your family has more restraint than ours does, then you can cool the loaves completely and wrap one up and freeze it. I make as directed with one exception- the recipes calls for “egg substitute” but I just replace that with 2 whole eggs.

Happy planning this week!

PS- The calendar below show Tomato Pie, Grilled Sausage and Corn Salad on the menu for next weekend. This will be in a future blog post, I promise!

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The Countdown…

August 14, 2016 by Christina Shoup 3 Comments

Where did summer go?? The first day of school is just around the corner for most of us and fall sports schedules are slowly trickling in. To parents and teachers, it seems September is just as or more important than January. In this “New Year” we all hold our breath, cross fingers, or say a little prayer that our kids’ schedules all don’t fall on one particular day of the week (always Wednesdays for us!). We might set goals for them (academic, personal, etc.) and we certainly set them for ourselves (I will say “no” more often or at least give my best “yes” to school committees and other community events). I can also feel myself tense up just a little at the idea of early mornings, packing lunches, and busy weeks ahead. But even with all the busyness of the start of another school year, as a teacher and now a parent, it’s still my favorite time of year.

This week, we’re thinking about getting back into routine and on a school schedule. I’m thinking about dinner and how to feed my family without the craziness – whether it occurs at the dining table, kitchen counter or in the car. To help with the busy days ahead, two of the recipes below would be great to double and freeze for another day. I also included a muffin recipe that our family loves and are great for a quick breakfast or school snack. They also freeze beautifully so you better believe I’m doubling this recipe and freezing at least half. I hope you enjoy the recipes below. Thank you for all your comments and feedback on the previous recipes- it means a lot!

Cobb Salad

This has been a staple in our home for over 10 years. When the kids were little I began by making a deconstructed Cobb salad for them- basically putting chopped up hard-boiled egg, bacon, avocado, tomatoes and chicken right on their high chair tray. As they got older I’d make little piles on their plates (no foods touching each other, of course) and finally graduated into tossing all the components together with the lettuce and dressing and they gobbled it right up. I always left the crumbled goat or blue cheese on the side for anyone that wanted it. I tried to always stick to a rule that when we were eating tossed salads, stir fry, or other foods that had many ingredients all mixed up, that they could pick out one ingredient but had to eat the rest. I do believe this helped them to eat or at least try new foods when they would have otherwise turned their nose up to it. This trick might have ended up with food being thrown from a high chair or booster but for the most part it was a successful rule!

For this salad, I try to prep some of these ingredients on the weekend, in the morning or at least in the afternoon so that putting it all together in the evening is a piece of cake. You’ll need the following components:

Chopped romaine lettuce, sliced hard boiled egg, chopped tomato, crumbled bacon, diced rotisserie chicken, sliced avocado, and crumbled goat or blue cheese. Toss in a large bowl with the dressing below or a store-bought vinaigrette.

Homemade dressing

2 tablespoons vinegar (apple cider, champagne, red wine or balsamic)

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Pinch of sugar or drizzle of maple syrup or honey

¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of ground pepper

½ tablespoon mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

Shake ingredients in jar or plastic container with tight fitting lid.

Fresh Cream of Tomato Soup

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cream-of-fresh-tomato-soup-recipe.html

I know what you’re thinking… hot soup in the summer? Yes, and for two reasons. 1) I live in CA by the San Francisco Bay and it’s just not that hot. 2) With fresh tomatoes and basil, it’s like summer in a bowl. I haven’t made it yet this year and I’m so glad I looked back on my previous summer meal calendars and found it on there many times! It’s a good one to double and freeze in mason jars to enjoy when fresh tomatoes are long gone. Although it has some cream in it, I’ve never had any trouble freezing, defrosting and reheating it. Sometimes we eat soup with a simple green salad, but everyone is a lot happier if I serve the soup alongside a gooey grilled cheese sandwich. Choose your bread (we love sourdough), choose your cheese (very fond of white cheddar), but always use salted butter. It makes all the difference. I learned that from my mama and she’s so right.

**I use an immersion blender or my Vitamix to blend this soup. I actually prefer the immersion blender (stick blender- cheap and super useful for many soups I make) because I like the soup to have a bit of texture.

Beef and Cheddar Hand Pies

http://www.marthastewart.com/1104125/beef-and-cheddar-hand-pies

My kids go crazy for this! In fact, my 11 year old just walked by my computer and cheered that it was on the upcoming meal calendar. It’s a little bit naughty with buttery puff pastry, but I serve it with a side of roasted broccoli, maybe push a little harder on my workout that day and feel just fine about this delicious dinner. I also double it and freeze the hand pies uncooked in freezer bags with parchment paper in between. The best part? You can cook them frozen directly from the freezer on a busy night!

Taco Bar

No recipe here, but we switch between grilled chicken/ground beef or turkey with soft flour tortillas and all the fixings (cheese, shredded lettuce, tomato, salsa and sour cream) and grilled cod/sole (on a piece of foil) with some chili powder/lime seasoning in corn tortillas with shredded cabbage, lime and sour cream mixed with the adobe sauce from canned chipotle peppers. Chips, salsa and guacamole are always necessary and sometimes some refried or black beans, too. Yum!

*Short on time? Frozen Breaded Cod from Trader Joe’s are perfect to keep in your freezer for this easy weeknight dish- while they are in the oven, prep toppings and dinner is on the table in less than 20 minutes, I promise!

Grilled, Korean Style Steaks with Spicy Cilantro Sauce

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/grilled-korean-style-steaks-with-spicy-cilantro-sauce-105124

We don’t eat red meat very often around here but when we do, it’s got to be really flavorful! This recipe fits the bill… it’s full of spicy and bright flavors, though not super kid-friendly, ours eat a fair amount of spicy foods and can tolerate this dish. If yours don’t, make this anyway and throw some chicken apple sausages on the grill for those that don’t want the spice. I like to grill zucchini, red onion, and eggplant on the side as well as some couscous or jasmine rice. The best part about this is the leftovers! The next day, take a toasted roll and put some grilled veggies, sliced steak and sliced mozzarella on top. Drizzle with the spicy cilantro sauce and you have yourself a delicious steak sandwich.

** Use low-sodium soy sauce and be sure to not marinate for much longer than suggested or it can be a bit too salty.

Blueberry Bran Muffins

http://barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=965&S=0

Easy, yummy, freezes nicely and my kids love them. Enough said! Wheat bran is not super easy to find, but Bob’s Red Mill makes an 8 oz. package and I buy several of them and put them in my freezer. Locally, Molly Stone’s and Whole Foods carries this product. Sadly, Safeway and Trader Joe’s do not. If you get a chance to make these, you won’t regret it!

**The first ingredient in this recipe is vegetable oil but it doesn’t tell you the amount until you get to the directions below- I almost made a mistake this morning making this recipe. Also, I often use pure maple syrup instead of honey. I buy it at Costco and it just seems easier to use than honey.

Back from vacation and back on the wagon

August 7, 2016 by Christina Shoup 4 Comments

First, thank you for all the kind words and feedback on the first WORDY post! I promise to never write such a long post. It was no surprise that from your comments, many of us get stuck in the same dinner rotation from week to week and everyone, including me, needs some fresh recipes every now and then.

We are just back from beautiful Lake Tahoe where we did a mix of cooking in (yes, I had a meal plan on a scrap of paper on vacation!) and eating out. As true with all vacations, we indulged on plenty of yummy snacks, meals and treats, not to mention an impressive amount of vodka/mint creations and wine. It’s always nice to be home and back on track with healthy meals and cutting back on those tasty beverages (until Friday, at least).

Below are the recipes for what I have on my meal calendar this week. You’ll notice that there are five recipes. One of the days this week is going to be leftovers and the other day is a date night that I’m quite looking forward to. Thanks Nano for watching the kids! Thankfully, I don’t have a very busy week ahead and happen to have extra time to cook, but on a normal busy school week, you’ll find a few nights utilizing recipes and others that simply say taco bar, egg scramble or “frozen Trader Joe’s something.” Not every week looks like this, but as I said above, I’m home from vacation and happy to be back in the kitchen! Let me know if any of you try any of these recipes. They are all printed out, have been in my binder of favorite recipes for quite awhile (a separate post in the near future) and are all a hit with Eric and kiddos. Thanks for reading and happy planning this week!

Curry Spiced Veggie Burgers

http://www.marthastewart.com/962982/curry-spiced-veggie-burgers

This is a tasty vegetarian recipe that my friend Lisa and I both saw on TV years ago and happen to both have all the ingredients on hand to make. I’m certain we both were sitting on the couch feeding a baby watching cooking shows, something we both used to do a lot of! It is simple to make and I recommend you watch the quick video that is available just above the recipe in the link. I serve it on top of or next to mixed greens dressed with vinaigrette. Nice and light dinner.

* I always double it and put half of the uncooked burgers in the freezer for another day.

Greek Chicken in Pita

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/14527/greek-chicken/

This is such a hit in our family that I put it on the meal calendar several times a month and nobody has yet to get sick of it. I use the marinade in the recipe above and use boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6 or so) instead of the whole chicken. I marinate the day before or the morning of and it’s the easiest yummiest grilled chicken. After cooking, slice the chicken into bite sized pieces. We either put it in/on warm pita bread or on top of a plate of romaine lettuce dressed with Greek vinaigrette. In either case, we put tomato and sliced cucumber, a dollop of hummus, and a drizzle of Sriracha on top and dive in. SO yummy.

Edited Aug. 10th, 2016: I made this last night and my kids enjoyed it but didn’t go back for seconds. Here’s why: I didn’t make the tzatzki sauce that I have made every single time except last night. No idea why I forgot, but they really missed the yogurt cucumber sauce. Easy to make: greek yogurt, grated or finely diced cucumber, little garlic, lemon zest and juice, dried dill, salt and pepper. Last night I just mixed yogurt and Sriracha and it was yummy too, but the cucumber yogurt sauce is key. ALSO, the marinade above doesn’t call for salt and pepper, but it’s necessary, as well as the zest from the lemon. Makes a much more flavorful marinade. Enjoy!

Grilled Salmon with Lime Butter

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/grilled-salmon-with-lime-butter-sauce-1222181

Dinner doesn’t get any easier! Grilled salmon is a staple in our house and four out of five people in my family love it and thankfully the other one tolerates it. I put the salmon on some foil (about a pound and a third for two adults and three kids), put a little olive oil, garlic salt and pepper on top and grill as directed. The lime butter is delicious and super simple, but sometimes I cannot handle one more step and skip it all together. I often serve with grilled asparagus and a salad, but this week I’m serving it with roasted sweet potatoes and couscous.

Aromatic Noodles with Lime Peanut Sauce

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/aromatic-noodles-with-lime-peanut-sauce-recipe.html

Not much to say here because I make it as directed. It’s another hit in my family and we’ve been known to put it in a plastic bowl and eat on the way to an evening sport. Classy, right?! I’d just recommend adding the sauce as needed. Depending on the amount of veggies I have, the dish can be too saucy (and makes it harder to eat in the car!) J

Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/barbecued-chinese-chicken-lettuce-wraps-recipe.html

We love these lettuce wraps and one of my kids even requested it for their birthday dinner a few years ago. It’s a Rachael Ray recipe, and she’s known for quick and easy recipes, so give this one a try! I’m sure ground turkey or pork would be tasty as well. A few changes that I make… To make it less messy, I drain some of the chicken liquid after cooking but before I add seasonings, garlic and ginger. I also decrease the mushrooms or omit altogether (kids are not fans), increase the bell pepper, and add shredded carrot and diced zucchini. I add more hoisin sauce and reduced sodium soy sauce as well. I love to top the lettuce wrap with chopped cilantro, chopped peanuts or cashews and Sriracha. My mouth is watering…

Once a planner, always a planner!

August 2, 2016 by Christina Shoup 10 Comments

This is the “I don’t have time/talent/energy to write a food blog” blog. With that said, here it goes!

Many years ago, before I had kids, I was an elementary school teacher who loved organizing my classroom and planning for 20 or so little people to walk through my classroom door each morning. Clear goals, good intentions and purposeful planning wasn’t a convenience, it was a necessity. Who would want to be caught off-guard with 20 sets of eyes staring at you each day?! I used to love filling my calendar with goals for each day and lessons to match. I began each day with a sense of calm as I posted the daily schedule on the board each morning and wrote down everything that I could possibly plan. And because unexpected events happened throughout the school day, such as a fire drill, last minute assembly, arrival of a new student, etc. I learned to always write in pencil, erasable pen or dry erase marker. Life’s plans shouldn’t be written in permanent ink.

Fast forward five or so years when I was pregnant with our first child. Just like most expecting moms, I began thinking about and planning for those busy days that lay ahead and the possibility of holding a cranky baby while cooking with one free hand. I decided to try one of those meal preparation services, Dream Dinners, I think it was called. These businesses have the great idea of presenting a recipe, with all the ingredients ready and measured out, placed it in a plastic bag or foil container, with a premade label on it such that you could make it and pop it in your freezer for a rainy day. Brilliant! I came home with 4-5 semi-homemade, freezer ready meals with easy-to-follow directions and was so happy when I could pop one of those meals out of the freezer and cook it up like a boss.

I was pretty happy doing that off and on for a few months when I realized it wasn’t the cheapest meal around (diapers were expensive!) nor was it the healthiest with many premade sauces that seemed pretty high in sodium. The one thing that these pre-made dinners provided was a weekly dinner plan… frozen lemon chicken on Monday, pasta bake on Tuesday, leftovers on Wednesday, etc. Yes! Like a set of lesson plans and a daily schedule – just like how I ran my classroom! Being a new mom and now juggling a part-time teaching job, any chance to make life easier, more organized and a little less chaotic was exactly what I needed.

I printed off a basic blank calendar and wrote out my plans for dinner for the entire week using up those premade frozen meals. I continued the calendar long after I ended going to Dream Dinners to prepare our meals. And because you never know how your daily or weekly plans might change, I learned to always use a nice sharp number two pencil.

The meal planning idea became even more important when babies two and three arrived… While I stuck to a meal plan each week, I experimented with planning dinners for the next 2-3 days and as long as 2 weeks ahead of time. I cannot say that either of those was ever really great. Even today, it seems best for me to look at my weekly calendar on a Sunday, see what we had going on that week, then plan dinners accordingly. If my husband was traveling that week, was it really the best time to try that new recipe from Bon Appetit with three toddlers as my taste testers? Probably not! If we had a late afternoon pediatrician appointment where I could probably expect cranky babies wouldn’t it better just to plan for leftovers that night? And if planned out correctly, I might even have time to prep a dish during their morning nap and pop it in the oven after the doctor’s appointment. It was a weekly routine I enjoyed – and I have to believe it made us saner and healthier (not to mention saving a few pennies too!).

As crazy as it sounds, I have over ten years of these meal calendars in a file folder sitting right next to my favorite cookbooks. TEN YEARS! For quite some time, the calendar printed off the Internet was simple and worked perfectly fine. Then one day, I had a little fun using a clip art program and began printing off seasonal calendars that looked cute hanging on the refrigerator or sitting out on a cookbook stand in the kitchen. It wasn’t necessary by any means, but an October calendar with a picture of a big ‘ol pumpkin sure put me in the mood to put butternut squash soup and a fall salad with persimmons, goat cheese and candied pecans on the menu. Yum!

Anyone that has been to my house before is familiar with my posted schedules, chore charts, and calendars. Once a teacher, always a teacher! My meal-planning calendar is no different and is easy to spot in my kitchen. It gets a giggle or two every time someone asks, “Is that a calendar for food? Did you make all that? Do you do that for just dinner? How do you plan that far ahead? WHY do you do that? How many times a week do you go to the grocery store?” All good questions… I frequently giggle with them, show them how many times a month I “meal-planned” leftovers, pizza delivery or a reservation and we all instantly feel better. J

The truth is, I can look back on my many years of meal calendars and so much of our life is evident on those calendars. New babies, new houses, new jobs, birthdays, celebrations, houseguests, illnesses, vacations, etc. I love looking back on previous years to see how food at dinnertime shows what our life looked at that time. New baby in the house? You better believe there were plenty of easy to make meals, freezer ready meals, and thankfully plenty of delicious homemade dinners delivered to us by loving friends and family. New job or celebration? A tasty dinner and dessert to honor the special person that surely took longer than 30 minutes to prepare. Packing to move to a new home? Lots of outdoor grilling, paper plates and pizza delivery. Trying to lose those last 5 pounds before a Hawaiian vacation? Low carb meals! It’s all evident on our calendars and it’s my kind of scrapbooking.

Beyond the fun memories these past meal calendars provide, they are also a great resource of meal ideas when I’m planning out a new week. If I’m tired, have a busy week ahead or don’t feel like trying any new recipes, it’s fun to look at previous calendars for the current month and choose a few meals for the week, throw in a night or two of leftovers and a pizza delivery or date night and I’m done! That’s right, I try to plan for pizza delivery or leftovers so that we don’t have to scramble when everyone’s starving or coming in and out of the house from evening sports, school meetings, etc. Planning for these busy nights, even when it means delivery, has made dinner in our house that much easier.

This blog is lovingly created for my friends and family who over the years have asked for a copy of my meal calendar template, have been curious about what is in my dinner rotation, or just wanted a copy of the recipe from something I’ve made that they have enjoyed. I’m beyond flattered and humbled by the interest and I hope that together we can enjoy sharing those tried and trued recipes, meal planning tips, and all things related to Food, Family and Friends.

Attached is a calendar for the month of August. You can print it out and give it a go. It’s a new month so let’s get planning!

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