Meal Plan / Week of December 18 2017

This year has been busy beyond belief! I’ve tried to not act like it but it’s taken a toll on me. Don’t get me wrong! A lot of good things have happened that I’m grateful for. My blog has a growing income that I’m excited about. (It’s been a long time coming.) Also, I started doing some contributing writing over on Houzz.com, which was exciting. In addition, Brandon and I got a weekend away. That was so much fun and something we will remember forever.

But a lot of “not so great things” things have happened, including loosing 2 family members on my Dad’s side – an aunt and uncle, on two separate occasions. One of the funerals, cancelled a yearly family vacation, that was already paid for. In addition, my husband’s mom has been dealing with cancer the last 3 months. When I finally slowed down and thought about it I realized this year has been weird.2017 has been unpredictable, sad, filled with some “want to be happy but feel bad about being happy” moments, and a lot of other craziness that I’ll spare you the details of.

I know you just came here to read what I’m cooking for dinner this week. So, I apologize for the personal rant. But you may also may be experiencing some unforeseen circumstances. If you don’t plan, it will affect your eating habits and those of your family. It sounds deep and that’s because it is.

Life affects what we eat and how we eat.

Though I’ve focused my content in other areas, I’ve still been meal planning. Even when life is crazy and even sad, meal planning keeps things together. I realized early on in 2017, that with all of the life madness going on, I couldn’t let dinnertime slip.

Does it sometimes? Yes, I’m normal and imperfect. But, maintaining a meal plan for dinnertime has been a lifesaver, even on the worst days. So, in 2018, I’ll do better about sharing my meal plan with you. I’ll also be adding in some other helpful information to my meal planning e-book, “3 Best Tips for Meal Planning Success”.  If you haven’t already, you can download it using the bar at the top of my website. Now on to this week’s menu.

Pork Loin with Wine and Herb Gravy ~

Boneless pork loin was on sale at Rouses Markets, so I grabbed a few. I’m gonna cook one this week and I’m torn as to what recipe I’ll use. I really love the way this wine and herb gravy sounds. But I’m a little scared the gravy could scare the kids off. So, I may just roast it and serve with potatoes and vegetables. Here’s a roasted pork loin recipe that could be nice to try.

Source: Seasons & Suppers

Chicken & Beef Fajitas ~

I cannot keep this meal simple. I just feel like if you’re gonna have fajitas, you need everything. Fresh salsa, Spanish rice, bean dip, fresh chips…the works! Each item complements each other so well. You’re really missing out if you don’t have everything. Plus, with a family of picky eaters, I know on this night, everyone will find something that they love. This meal will be shared with my in-laws so it definitely won’t go to waste. Who are you feeding this week?

Quesadillas ~

It’s the fajita remix! (I’ll be sharing more about “re-mixing” food in my e-book update.) Since I make fajita night such a big meal, having quesadillas the next night is a no brainer. There will likely be some protein leftover as well as some sides. This is a perfect time to remix last night’s dinner…you could make taco salads, burritos, or a tostado. I’m making quesadillas. What can you re-mix this week?

Hamburger Soup ~

The reason I’m cooking this soup is because of my meal planning system. Huh? Well, before I go grocery shopping I check to see what I have on hand. What did I find? I found a pound of ground beef. This recipe was one that I’ve been wanting to try, so this was a perfect week to do it. It’s basically a vegetable soup with ground beef. I’m also crazy about a good soup and feel that the whole family will like this one.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

No matter where you are in life, you can still make time to have a nice home-cooked meal. With a little planning and a lot of love, dinnertime can be a success.

Do you find my weekly menu’s helpful? Let me know in the comments below. 

-Crystal 

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