Weekly Meal Plan July 10th - July 16th
Happy Friday, Friends! Today is exciting because I venture to Costco for my once a month every trip. My list is looooong and I stock up on all the things we use daily - whole wheat wraps, hummus, tzatziki sauce, meats, frozen and fresh veggies, paper goods, pouches and other snacks… its a lot. But, it always inspires my menu planning in some form or fashion. Perhaps I’ll do a blog post on some of our favorite Costco items soon.
Let me explain:
Meal 1: I buy them almost every time I go because they are sooooo good. We eat them once and they become lunch for my husband and I throughout the week. I’ve also tried to freeze them and that turned out fine, they were a little soggy when reheated from frozen. I’ll serve them with steamed broccoli, fruit and bread so there’s something on the table for everyone.
Meal 2: I was inspired by this recipe I saw on Pinterest. I’m going to try and recreate with with my own twist. I plan to grill some salmon, whip up the pasta salad and keep some of the ingredients separate to appease the picky eater. I’ll also place the real pasta salad on the plate to show him that, “Look, it’s the same items, just mixed up!” Throw some fruit on the table and toss some mixed greens in a dressing for a simple salad on the side and dinner is done.
Meal 3: Since I took Costco’s help with Meal #1, we’re going all in for pizza night and making our own (Lord, help me). I haven’t decided if I’m doing Naan pizza or doing true pizza dough (that would be fun!)… leaning towards Naan. But I’ll have the sauce in a bowl and basting brushes so the little ones can “paint” it on their crust, and a few toppings (pepperoni, peppers, onions, spinach) and shredded cheese. Bake them up, and they can taste their own creation. Pizza night always comes with fruit, salad, and veggies and hummus.
Meal 4: A good friend cued me in on a new type of chicken sausage that Costco carries, I plan to take her advice and give it a try. She also inspired me to sauté it with peppers and sweet potatoes and serve it over rice which sounds delicious to me! Again, I think with the rice, there will be something for everyone on the table.
Meal 5: I’ve been wanting to make some zucchini boats lately, but I want them as a side dish… without meat in them. I’m going to grill up my favorite Greek Chicken and try to make some zucchini boats with some sort of whole grain (quinoa?), cheese, veggies, bread crumbs and butter for a crispy topping… I’ll let you know what I come up with! Bread and fruit will also make an appearance on the table.
Meal 6: If you haven’t visited Pinch of Yum blog, go there now. Her recipes are delicious and inspiring. I love this Chicken Enchilada Bake because it has 5 ingredients and is simply heavenly, sometimes we eat it as a dip with chips… its decadent! I plan to experiment with adding some peppers and zucchini, which now makes it more than 5 ingredients… but why not add a little veggie. The one-year-old will gobble this up, the three-year-old will not (I think). I plan to do a little more “catering” to him than I normally do and make quesadilla wedges. I’ll leave them in the middle of the table so we all can have some (for dipping!). I also plan to make my quick cilantro lime slaw - the veggie side dish I use with almost every Southwestern-ish meal.
Meal 7: OUT! Looks like Redneck BBQ Lab food truck will be in our neighborhood… so that’s that!