I’ve got a new meal planning notepad (it’s linked below), and I’m nerdily taking advantage of it and staying strong on our no eating out for 30 days challenge that I talked about last week.
Here’s what I’m planning:
Thursday // Crock pot jambalaya with cauli rice– SO good. Adding some rolls and fruit for the kiddos.
Friday // Taco night with rice with all the toppings. Having neighbors over for dessert and a fire (and some vodka ice pops…read more below)
Saturday // Carne asada fries…how good do these look?! I envision just serving them on a big platter and having everyone dig in.
Sunday // Cookout with another family at our house…going all-American Labor Day style with burgers, watermelon, corn on the cob and some sides.
Monday // Salmon (air fryer!) with broccoli and risotto. Trying this cheese dipping sauce that might make the broccoli more enticing to the boys.
Tuesday // Quick bowls since we have a busy night: sautee some sausage with shaved brussel sprouts in some EVOO and sale & pepper with roasted sweet potato cubes, then top with a fried egg and avocado!
Wednesday // trying out this chicken pesto ravioli
What I’m Loving This Week:
1) Weekly Meal Plan Notepad // Joanna Gaines and Target…take all my money. This beautiful notepad has tons of space to write down my menu + prep for the week, along with a detachable grocery list. 52 pages to last a whole year, and only $7. It’s simple and makes me motivated to meal plan that much more!
2) Dash Air Fryer // I mentioned it over on my instastories last week, but the instapot vs. air fryer debate has been settled. Much to MY surprise, the air fryer won our vote! Basically, it came down to ease of use and versatility in cooking the kinds of foods our family enjoys. The air fryer allows us to do that, is straightforward in terms of cook times and is best for the types of things we regularly eat. I didn’t find the advantages of the IP to be that great, and thawing frozen meat quickly, although nice, isn’t a necessity for me since I usually thaw it first thing in the morning when I pour my coffee. And the unknown times to have various recipes come to pressure, cook and release was all over the board, which made pinpointing dinner time difficult. Lastly, cleaning the air fryer is MUCH easier than the IP with it’s rings, valves, etc. We ended up going with the Dash version (high ratings on Consumer Reports) when Amazon had it as a deal of the day and it’s been great so far!
3) Kirkland Vodka Cocktail Ice Pops // I heard Costco came out with their version of alcoholic ice pops and had to try. I tried the Slim Chillers brand they carried, and like the Kirkland version much more. For one, it’s cheaper by about $4 and the flavors are better and less tart/sweet. There were literally 3 left at my store so they must be good!
Have a great weekend!
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