meal plan

No Meal Plan this Week!

Abby H.

Our floor has been installed in the kitchen, and the stove has been reinstalled. Check out my lovely new tile, and my stunning kitchen rug. We have the same pattern rugs in different sizes in the hallway and the entryway.

We’re waiting on cabinets, which will be here tomorrow, then the fridge can be reinstalled, and the water heater will be installed next week and then we are done!

Because we’re still without 100% kitchen, there is no meal plan this week. We’ll be eating a lot of salads, sandwiches, cereal, and snacks. Not too exciting, but we’re playing it by ear.

3/29/2022- No Meal Plan this week!

Abby H.

I know. I’ve done it every week through our kitchen remodel, but… I’m tired. We’re coming around the bend and I can see the finish line, but.. I’m tired of trying to cook food in a microwave. At this point, we don’t have access to our stove (It’s currently sitting next to our kitchen table in the dining area), or air fryer/toaster oven, dishwasher, or kitchen sink. 99.9% of our dishes, pots, and pans are in boxes in the living room.

It’s easier for us to forage for food out of the open pantry boxes in the living room, or eat out for the next week or less. I’m stressed, my house is covered in construction dust, and everything is in boxes and mushed around. It’s not relaxing, and it barely feels like home. I’ve been posting pics on Instagram.

I didn’t get a CSA box this week. We’ll get one next week. By next week, I’ll have my kitchen back, and I’ve got all sorts of ideas!

Veggie Loaded Zuppa Toscana Recipe!

Abby H.

I’ve posted my copycat Zuppa Toscana recipe before and it’s good, but this recipe is better! Heartier, more filling, and best yet- Loaded with Veggies. We got all of the veggies from our Yasukochi Family Farms CSA box. To learn more about these awesome produce boxes, check out my post here.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb of Italian Sausage (hot or mild, your choice)
  • 3 T. crumbled cooked bacon (I like the kind from Costco)
  • 2 T. Butter
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 ribs of celery, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 T. Italian Seasoning
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 3 medium potatoes, sliced into bite-sized pieces (I left the skin on- it’s up to you)
  • 1-quart chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 bag triple-washed spinach
  • 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk (or 12 oz milk of your choice)

Directions:

  1. In a large stockpot, cook and crumble Italian Sausage
  2. Add in bacon and heat  until sizzling
  3. Add butter, onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until onions are translucent (about 10 minutes).
  4. Add garlic, and herbs/bay leaf- cook until fragrant.
  5. Add broth, and scrape brown cooked bits off the bottom of the pot.
  6. Add Potatoes, cook on medium with the lid on the pot until the potatoes are soft (about 15 minutes).
  7. Remove lid, turn the stove up to high, add spinach. Stir and incorporate the spinach until wilted.
  8. Turn the stove down to low, add milk, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
  9. Remove Bay leaf prior to serving.

This makes 10-12 servings. Serve with bread of your choice. I like to top with a little parmesan cheese.

Notes/Substitutions:

  • If you prefer Kale, substitute for the spinach and add another 5-10 minutes of cooking time.
  • This soup keeps well in the fridge for up to a week, and it freezes well.
  • If you are a vegetarian, substitute 2 cans of rinsed/drained cannellini beans in place of the Italian sausage (or meat-free Italian sausage), and use crumbled vegetarian/vegan bacon. Use Vegetable broth, and 12 oz. alternative milk (I like almond or hazelnut for this recipe). Add in 1/2 t. Fennel Seed, and a pinch of red pepper flakes (to mimic the flavor of Italian sausage) when using beans.

 

3/21/2022 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgWe are entering week four of no kitchen due to our water heater leak.

Our kitchen is in the middle of remediation, and we got insurance approval Friday, so I’m hoping that this will be our last week sans kitchen. It’s very frustrating.  My oven and stove are inaccessible, so I’m relying a lot on my sweet air fryer/convection oven/toaster combo (Like this one, but ours is bigger), microwave, and fridge for this week (and probably next week too).  I planned, but I’m not 100% committed to anything.  I took the big kid grocery shopping on Saturday to pick up lunch food and find some stuff to keep their little tummies full. I’m trying really hard to have food at home that the kids can eat, so we aren’t going out to eat.

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.

Dinner: I’m leaning heavily on the CSA box this week, and what’s in the fridge. All of my pantry is packed up, and I don’t have access to 90% of my kitchen. I will be taking my CSA box over to my mom’s house today or tomorrow to do some prep- roasting veggies, making salad.

  • Monday: Nug night- crinkle fries, apple slices & strawberries
  • Tuesday: Soup, fruit, and bagels
  • Wednesday:  Mac n’ Cheese (I got some frozen Stouffer’s brand at the grocery store), veggies (cucumbers and carrots), fruit salad, and toast
  • Thursday:  I really want to make a pot roast in the crock pot, but I don’t know what box mine is packed into. So we may end up grazing.
  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:  Leftovers
  • Sunday: Who Knows, by Sunday I may have lost my marbles if the kitchen isn’t done.

3/14/2022 Meal Plan Monday

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgWe are entering week three of no kitchen due to our water heater leak.

Our kitchen is in the middle of remediation, and it’s gotten to the point where we are just waiting for estimates to be approved by our insurance. It’s very frustrating.  My oven and stove are inaccessible, so I’m relying a lot on my sweet air fryer/convection oven/toaster combo (Like this one, but ours is bigger), microwave, and fridge for this week (and probably next week too).  I planned, but I’m not 100% committed to anything.  I need to go to the grocery store this morning and pick up some milk and a few other things to fill in. I’m trying really hard to have food at home that the kids can eat, so we aren’t going out to eat.

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.

Dinner: I’m leaning heavily on the CSA box this week, and what’s in the fridge. All of my pantry is packed up, and I don’t have access to 90% of my kitchen. I will be taking my CSA box over to my mom’s house today or tomorrow to do some prep- roasting veggies, making salad.

  • Monday: It’s Pi day, so the kids and I are heading next door to Round Table Pizza for $3.14 personal cheese pizzas.
  • Tuesday:Nug night- crinkle fries, apple slices & strawberries
  • Wednesday: Parmaesan Crusted chicken and veggies- I prepared this late last week at my mom’s house and I’ve got it in the fridge
  • Thursday: Salad Bar Night with garlic bread and roasted veggies
  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:  Leftovers
  • Sunday: Who Knows, by Sunday I may have lost my marbles.

3/7/2022 Meal Plan Monday

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpg

Uh, so the long and the short of it is that there is no meal plan this week.

Our kitchen is in the middle of remediation, due to a water heater failure two weeks ago. You can see pics on my Instagram later today. I’m taking my CSA Box to my mom’s house later and I’ll be roasting and doing veggie prep there for the week.

My oven and stove are inaccessible, so I’m relying a lot on my sweet air fryer/convection oven/toaster combo (Like this one, but ours is bigger), microwave, and fridge for the week.  I planned, but I’m not 100% committed to anything other than eating roasted asparagus this week.

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.

This week I also got a lovely bouquet of flowers (pics on IG in a bit), that I’ll be taking to my mom. We have dehumidifiers going 24/7 and I don’t want the flowers to dry out.

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.

Dinner: I’m leaning heavily on the CSA box this week, and what’s in the fridge. All of my pantry is packed up, and I don’t have access to 90% of my kitchen.

  • Monday: Nug night- crinkle fries, apple slices & strawberries
  • Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner (probably bagels with cream cheese,  fruit, and yogurt)
  • Wednesday: Pesto ravioli and roasted veggies
  • Thursday: Salad Bar Night with garlic bread
  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:  Leftovers
  • Sunday: Who Knows, by Sunday I may have lost my marbles.

2/28/2022 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpg

This week I lagged on the meal plan, and as a result, this post is a little later than usual.

I chopped, peeled, and prepped fruits and veggies this afternoon after work.  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.

This week I also got a jar of Strawberry jam. I can’t wait to slather it all over popover (recipe coming up this week).

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.

Dinner: I’m leaning heavily on the CSA box this week, Dream Dinners, and what we’ve got in the house. I didn’t do a big shop this week, just milk and popsicles.

2/21/2022 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpg

The kids and I have the day off school/work today! The kids stayed at home and played, and I ran a bunch of errands, effectively taking care of 99% of my care tasks for the week. I will not be adding any additional tasks.

I did zero meal prep over the weekend, as we had out-of-town guests, and I went out with friends on Saturday, and I stayed out waaay too late.

I’m picking up an order of Dream Dinners this afternoon, and our CSA box will be delivered this afternoon.

Our veggies and fruit are delivered by Yasukochi Family Farms CSA. For $25, 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.

Dinner: I’m leaning heavily on the CSA box this week, Dream Dinners, and what we’ve got in the house. It’s supposed to be cool and rainy/overcast for much of the week, so I’m thinking of Soup and grilled cheese at least once!

  • Monday: Nug night- crinkle fries, apple slices & strawberries
  • Tuesday: Soup and Grilled Cheese (I have a couple batches in my freezer)
  • Wednesday: Spinach and Artichoke Ravioli Bake
  • Thursday: Breakfast for Dinner (probably waffles and fruit)
  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:  Leftovers
  • Sunday: Pulled Pork Banh Mi Sliders

 

Flash Sale! Exclusive February Dinner Bundle!

Abby H.

It’s back! This month, Dream Dinners get eight top-rated medium meals from our February menu for just $185. This is a great way to check grocery shopping and meal prep off your to-do list, so you have more time to do the things you love.

We’ve had a lot of these dishes before, and there are a couple that I’ve never had before ( I’m super excited about Bacon Popper Chicken).

If you can’t make my in-person event (details here), this is an excellent way to try Dream Dinners.

Order before 9am Friday (2/18/2022) by emailing or calling the La Mesa location:

Store Email: lamesaca@dreamdinners.com
Store Phone Number: 619-460-6800

In-Person Dream Dinners Workshop: 2/22/22 in La Mesa, CA!

Abby H.1 Comment

I know y’all have been waiting for this in-person event, I know I have!

You’re invited to my Meal Prep Workshop at Dream Dinners! Learn my secret to making easy, homemade meals, taste delicious appetizers and spend some time with friends. You’ll receive three delicious, medium-size meals to enjoy at home with your family for just $50.00.

Plus, you get to create our exclusive Scone Trio. Only available at the Meal Prep Workshops, these delicious scones are a fun baking activity the whole family can help with.

  • Tuesday, February 22, 2022 – 6:00 PM
  • Dream Dinners La Mesa: 5208 Jackson Drive Suite 116 La Mesa, CA
  • RSVP Here, Invite Code is yummy1

There are limited spaces available, and this offer is only available for guests of this event. Reserve your spot today by choosing three dinners from the menu here and completing your order!

If you are coming, please let me know!