Day: April 11, 2022

4/11/2022 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

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It’s back this week! Finally, the kitchen is a little more put back together and we can cook! I’m going to be doing some baking this week: Cookies, biscuits, or cheesy garlic bread, and a bar dessert.

I chopped, peeled, and prepped fruits and veggies this afternoon. Our veggies and fruit are delivered by Yasukochi Family Farms CSA. For $28, it’s a great deal. I don’t have to pick anything, go to the store, or carry it upstairs. I can’t go to the store and get the same amount we get weekly for $25. Seriously. It’s a deal. They email a preview of what will be in the boxes over the weekend, so I can start thinking about what I’d like to make.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. I’m back to packing lunches again. However, school lunches are free this year- Little Bit has been buying her lunch and expanding her palate. This is week two of Spring Break and we’ve got some adventures planned, I’ve got a new snack box in the car, and it will be repacked and ready for some fun on the road.

Dinner: I’m leaning heavily on the CSA box this week, and what we’ve got in the house. I didn’t do a big shop this week, just milk and popsicles (always the first two items on our shopping list). I’m doing a Dream Dinners pick-up late this week, so next week we’ll be back to Dream Dinners 1-3 times per week.

  • Monday: Nug night- crinkle fries, apple slices & strawberries
  • Tuesday: Roasted Veggies, Pasta & Red Pesto
  • Wednesday: Chicken and Veggie Soup, biscuits, or cheesy garlic bread
  • Thursday: Salad Bar Night- I did most of the prep work today!
  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:  Leftovers
  • Sunday: Breakfast for dinner (pancakes, fruit salad, yogurt)

Family Recipe: Baked Red Pesto and Roasted Veggie Pasta

Abby H.

This recipe is easy to make, and amazing. It uses Red Pesto, which has a tomato base. It’s warm, filling, and comforting.

The first thing you need to do is roast some veggies. Check my recipe here. I roast 5-ish lbs of veggies each week, so we usually have some in the fridge.

 

Baked Red Pesto and Roasted Veggie Pasta

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Boil salted water and cook pasta per package directions. As you drain, reserve some of the pasta water (about 1/2 cup).
  3. In a large baking dish (11×13) mix roasted veggies, pasta, red pesto, and add pasta water a little bit at a time, until all the pasta is coated. You may not need all 1/2 cup.
  4. Mix in 1/2 of the cheese.
  5. Smooth the mixture down into the baking dish, and bake for 20 minutes covered.
  6. After 20 minutes, top with the remaining cheese and continue to bake uncovered for 10-ish minutes until the cheese is brown and bubbly.
  7. Serve with garlic bread and a green salad.

Serves 6-8. This re-heats well, if there are any leftovers.

Notes:

  • This dish is vegetarian, but not vegan. This is a vegan red pesto, but I’ve not tried it. To make it vegan, use a vegan red pesto and vegan Italian Cheese blend.
  • Pesto is not a nut-free product! If you have a nut allergy, be careful!
  • Feel free to use your favorite pasta (high protein, gluten-free, made from soy, etc). I do not recommend shirataki noodles- They have a weird texture and smell (seriously).

 

AO Opinions: Upcoming HR Employment Platforms Project $150

Abby H.

AO Opinions is another Market Research company that I get information from. Right now they are recruiting for an upcoming research study for HR Employees.

  • To be considered please complete the pre-screener survey here.
  • Compensation: $150 (if chosen)
  • Open to: HR / Human Resource Management Field
  • Tuesday, April 26th – Thursday April 28th 2022 – approximately 1-hr (Complete the entire survey at one time do not log in and out to complete at a later time.)

Free Recipe Lion Fruit Recipes eCookbook!

Abby H.

Ok, so we get a lot of fruit in our CSA boxes each week. Thanks to this awesome (and FREE) Recipe Lion Fruit Recipes eCookbook, I’ve got all kinds of new recipes up my sleeve.

And it’s not just sweets/ desserts, there are some savory recipes too!

 

Here are a few of the recipes I am looking forward to trying:

  • Braised Pork with Pears
  • Crowd-Pleasing Roasted Potatoes
  • Pear and Cranberry Bread Pudding
  • Orange Cranberry Cookies

To check out this offer, and receive your FREE copy of this eCookbook, click here.