Weekly Meal Planning & Grocery Delivery

This week has flown by, like most weeks in the summer tend to do. Our oldest will start kindergarten in the fall {Well, 65 days..yes I'm counting down. I'm that mom.} This will make our schedule much less carefree; while at the same time I crave the regiment it will bring it will also be an adjustment. Something that helps me currently and will be really beneficial in the fall is 'meal planning'. The planner {see: list maker} in me loves to strategize weekly menus, we don't always stick to them 100% but it does help me feel little less, well...insane. I really enjoy it, carving out a bit of time during naps or after bedtime to comb through my recipe books, tried & true family favorites, and new ones that I have pinned to my Pinterest 'Culinary Inspiration' board that I would like try out. Another reason I love to meal plan, often times I'll find myself I'm standing in front of my fridge around 4 pm willing it to give me answers because my brain is fried. It helps if all of the ingredients are in there & ready to go. We also do some themed nights, like Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, and Soup-y Sunday. Don't get me wrong; we do order in some evenings {who doesn't love pizza night, and not the homemade ones although they are great also.}

My process for meal planning is usually the same each week. First, I pull out my agenda/calendar to see what we have going on for the week, what nights we are home, which nights we are away and when it looks like it will just be kids and me for dinner. On those nights I still make wholesome meals but I definitely don't go all out with an intricate and time-consuming meal. They couldn't care less how much time and effort I put into the food in front of them, they just care if it tastes good. Secondly, I take inventory of what needs to be consumed in our fridge over the next few days. I haven't always done this step but it has made the biggest difference over the past two months. We no longer waste as much and it usually gives me my starting ingredient to plan a meal around. Next, I write that all down and try to find recipes to accommodate. For example, if I have two zucchini's that need to be used and corn in the freezer all I need is a frozen pie crust and we have a zucchini corn pie for Meatless Monday. Or if I have red potatoes starting to sprout I'll whip up a pot of Ham & Green Bean, serve half for lunch and freeze the rest. Also, to make things easier some weeks I will buy a rotisserie chicken, clean it and bag the meat separately for quick meal prep. Usually, one rotisserie chicken gives us enough for two different recipes. Additionally, I've been cutting up all my veggies & fruit during meal prep time and storing them for quick access. I as well try to make meals that use a lot of the same ingredients so nothing is wasted.  Here’s an example of what a typical week of meal planning might look like:

Monday:

– cheesy garlic parmesan spinach spaghetti squash (use up wilting spinach || recipe )

–  garlic bread 

Tuesday:

– chili lime chicken tacos (use up limes|| rotisserie chicken || recipe)

– homemade corn salsa

– cilantro lime rice (use up cilantro)

Wednesday:

– hamburgers or strip steaks on the grill

– watermelon, mint & feta salad (use up the watermelon)

Thursday:

– chicken fried rice (use up veggies || rotisserie chicken || recipe )

– steamed broccoli 

Friday:

– lasagna roll ups or baked ziti

– spring salad with strawberries, mandarins, sliced almonds, feta & poppy seed dressing

Saturday:

– out to eat or pizza

Sunday:

– zucchini corn pie (recipe)

– tomato basil bisque (recipe)

Here are two notepads I like to hang on the fridge for easy access:

What to Eat Notepad

Let's Eat Notepad

 Once my list is made I jump online and start adding to my list {yes, I order my groceries online}. I've found that having a plan combined with ordering online has really helped me to not be so frivolous with my grocery shopping and it totally cuts out impulse buys. I started using grocery delivery about two years ago and it's been the best decision ever. I select my groceries, choose a date and time for delivery, they pick it, pack it and bring to my door and right into the kitchen. So easy and so simple! They accept manufacturer coupons and can double them up to $.99, they recycle bags and have awesome communication with you by sending alert texts when you are the next customer delivery in your driver's route. The best thing is I don't have to drag three kids out to the store, forget half of the things on my list because I'm distracted and buy things just because they are placed at exactly the right place to grab my attention. I can monitor my running total as I shop; they also offer weekly specials and delivery discounts including FREE delivery – for all new customers. Also, they have a program called PodPass – I'm a VIPea with PodPass and pay one low annual fee for unlimited free deliveries. They are expanding all the time to try and reach new areas for delivery! I highly recommend grocery delivery, young kids or not, no judgment here! It makes life simple and leaves more time for family or fun. 

Follow the link below to see if they are delivering in your area give it a try!

Happy Meal Planning!

xoxo- Tiffany

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