fyi: the menu plan newsletter is being paused until I get some energy back - which may not be until after baby boy is born! (missed the pregnancy announcement? see the post here!)
meal plan
sunday:
dinner: grill and chill (or Brett cooks something from his favorite cookbook)
I’ll have Brett make a teriyaki chicken of some kind and we’ll make these crunchy roll bowls
monday: sandwiches
why we love a weekly sandwich night
IP (or crockpot) italian beef sandwiches
pulled from the freezer - Past Haley froze leftover meat in these containers BLESS
frozen french fries and/or big bowl of fruit
tuesday:
our newest tradition: Apple Tasting Dinner!
let’s do various cheese and crackers and such for an easyyy charcuterie board dinner
googling “apple charcuterie board” or “fall charcuterie board” gave the best ideas!
but then I’ll also set out:
slices of 5-7 different types of apples
and maybe some caramel apple toppings like this precious caramel apple board
wednesday: pizza, pasta, or rice
my favorite steamable bag of seasoned broccoli
or crispy roasted broccoli
or one of those bags of Trader Joe’s frozen veggies in our freezer
big bowl of fruit and/or the frozen breadsticks in our freezer that I keep forgetting to use
thursday: soup, crockpot, or IP
make Brett his favorite cornbread (or just serve with Fritos. or rice. or or or.)
serve with a big bowl of whatever fruit we have hanging around
or easy tostadas (another one of my favorite, easy meals)
but I use this refried bean recipe (but omit the onion out of personal preference)
freeze any leftover beans in these containers
friday:
dinner date with Brett
saturday: snack dinner saturday or dinner with loved ones
Annual Waffle Dinner
Brett asked me out a million years ago over an Eggo Waffle, so now every September 24th we eat Waffles for Dinner to commemorate. A silly, easy, and beloved tradition.
This could definitely be a Waffle Bar for Dinner type situation, but since a Waffle Bar is usually one of our special Valentine’s Day traditions, we’ll probably just make my absolute favorite waffles with scrambled eggs and some bacon. Or I’ll serve it with with “maple syrup and butter or your favorite jam or lemon curd or Nutella and strawberries,” per the recipe’s suggestion. NOMMMM.
This is also why part of our September Play Theme is to put this precious waffle maker in KK’s play kitchen rotation. Food traditions make the best play inspiration!
meal prep
i usually do a little meal prep on Sundays as a part of our Grill and Chill, but I may instead do a bit here and there throughout the week. (you’ll notice I allow space in my daily rhythm for potential meal prep.)
below is the list of what I hope to meal prep this week - it may not all happen, and that's okay! even 5 minutes of prep is super beneficial.
prep some dinner components:
during the summer, I prep as much dinner stuff on Sundays as possible, so that KK and I can spend plenty of time at the pool after her nap
prep produce, make veggie box
pick up our ranch dressing for the week
prep some sort of dessert for the week:
see here why this is our new favorite thing for our marriage.
the oatmeal cookies I never got around to making last week…or the week before
prep some things to make breakfasts/snacks/lunches smoother:
make the weekly pot of beans so I can make this other favorite quick breakfast/lunch
I’ll use whichever recipe I make for Thursday’s dinner
let’s prep smoothie cups in these containers
make our weekly batch of beloved oatmeal
move some frozen mango/pineapple/cherries to mason jars in the fridge for KK like this
slice lemons for hot lemon water
make a big batch of carrot orange juice, if time/energy
read more about my juicing routine here
favorite things
these velvet hangers for baby boy’s closet - full baby prep blogpost coming soon!
saving what I’ve shared so far to my “pregnancy” highlight on my instagram
September’s play dough tray (it’s woodland themed!)
curious how we utilize this tool in our household/marriage? see this quick post!
our annual pie date - one of our silliest, easiest traditions we love
september’s sensory bin…and bookshelf…and play kitchen items
the big list of things, systems, and routines that help me feel my best - I’m always updating this post and it’s the best place to start to get a lot of FAQs answered!
want more?
i’m always sharing our favorite routines, our favorite systems, and our favorite dinners on Instagram.
and know that when you share kind words with me or share my page with your followers, I do a happy dance. your support means everything, and your support allows me to spend time creating free content, like this menu plan. xo.