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Making Weekdays Work- Getting Started (Meal Planning)
by
Stephanie
Calificación: 4.0
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%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI'm%20so%20excited%20to%20be%20sharing%20this%20series%20of%20posts%20with%20you!%20Every%20day%20this%20week%20I%20will%20be%20posting%20helpful%20tips,%20tricks,%20and%20recipes%20to%20make%20weekdays%20work%20for%20you%20and%20your%20family.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIn%20a%20couple%20weeks%20I%20will%20be%20returning%20to%20work,%20saying%20goodbye%20to%20being%20a%20stay%20at%20home%20mom,%20and%20saying%20hello%20to%20being%20a%20working%20mom.%20With%20that%20transition%20of%20starting%20daycare,%20adjusting%20to%20seeing%20Landon%20much%20less,%20keeping%20the%20household%20afloat,%20and%20starting%20a%20new%20school%20year,%20there%20is%20still%20the%20need%20to%20get%20dinner%20on%20the%20table%20without%20compromising%20the%20few%20precious%20hours%20I%20have%20with%20Landon!%20After%20a%20long%20day%20at%20work%20or%20taking%20care%20of%20kids%20we%20all%20need%20a%20way%20to%20get%20dinner%20on%20the%20table%20without%20laboring%20for%20hours.%20Turning%20to%20take%20out%20isn't%20the%20answer!%20Check%20out%20my%20tips%20and%20tricks%20this%20week%20in%20my%20series%20%22Making%20Weekdays%20Work%22!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWell,%20let's%20get%20going,%20shall%20we?%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E1-%20Evaluate%20your%20week%20and%20assess%20how%20many%20nights%20you'll%20cook/how%20much%20time%20you%20realistically%20have%20to%20cook.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E2-%20Create%20a%20list%20of%20meals%20to%20make.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E3-%20Create%20a%20food%20shopping%20list%20(and%20buy%20the%20ingredients)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EStephanie%20Cooks%20Steps%20to%20Meal%20Planning%20(the%20long%20version)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E1-%20When%20it%20comes%20to%20meal%20planning%20I%20always%20start%20by%20looking%20at%20my%20week%20and%20thinking%20about%20how%20my%20schedule%20looks.%20I%20can't%20tell%20you%20how%20many%20times%20I've%20planned%205%20or%206%20dinners%20only%20to%20realize%20we%20won't%20be%20home%20more%20than%202-3%20days!%20This%20results%20in%20wasted%20produce%20and%20spending%20money%20we%20don't%20need%20to%20spend.%20Also,%20look%20at%20your%20schedule.%20For%20example,%20Tuesdays%20I%20am%20at%20work%20late%20for%20meetings.%20I'm%20not%20going%20to%20schedule%20risotto%20for%20a%20Tuesday%20night,%20but%20a%20crock%20pot%20meal%20would%20be%20perfect.%20Think%20realistically%20about%20how%20much%20time%20(and%20energy!)%20you'll%20have%20at%20the%20end%20of%20each%20day.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E2-%20Once%20I%20assess%20the%20week's%20events%20I%20make%20a%20list%20of%20meals%20I'd%20like%20to%20try.%20I%20typically%20aim%20for%201-2%20meatless%20meals,%201-2%20chicken%20dishes,%20and%201%20shrimp%20or%20beef%20dish.%20I%20do%20this%20to%20try%20to%20create%20some%20variety%20in%20our%20meals.%20I%20also%20make%20a%20point%20to%20add%20Asian%20or%20Mexican%20inspired%20meals%20to%20give%20us%20some%20variety.%20I%20search%20blogs,%20Pinterest,%20and%20my%20Google%20Reader%20for%20inspiration%20(check%20out%20Meal%20planning%20from%20Elly%20Says%20Opa!%20for%20some%20great%20tips%20on%20where%20to%20find%20recipes-%20my%20method%20is%20very%20similar%20to%20hers).%20There%20are%20many%20great%20posts%20on%20meal%20planning%20out%20there.%20One%20%20of%20my%20favorites%20is%20from%20Annie:%20Menu%20planning%20tips%20from%20Annie's%20Eats%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESome%20people%20advocate%20looking%20at%20the%20store%20circulars%20and%20making%20your%20list%20based%20on%20what's%20on%20sale.%20I've%20tried%20that%20method%20but%20it%20doesn't%20work%20for%20me.%20I%20am%20a%20person%20who%20gets%20strong%20cravings%20and%20tends%20to%20act%20on%20them.%20I%20keep%20costs%20down%20by%20cooking%20from%20scratch%20and%20eating%20meat%20free%20meals%20often-%20honestly%20the%20less%20processed%20food%20you%20eat%20the%20cheaper%20it%20is%20to%20cook!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E3-%20After%20I%20have%20my%20list%20I%20go%20through%20the%20recipes%20and%20jot%20down%20what%20ingredients%20I%20need.%20I%20then%20go%20food%20shopping%20(if%20you%20REALLY%20want%20to%20save%20time%20you%20can%20use%20Peapod%20or%20similar%20grocery%20delivery%20services.%20I%20utilize%20this%20every%20now%20and%20then.)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E...After%20You%20Shop...%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOnce%20I'm%20done%20shopping%20I%20take%20a%20few%20extra%20steps%20that%20make%20the%20week%20just%20a%20wee-bit%20easier.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E1-%20I%20look%20back%20at%20my%20menu%20and%20see%20what%20produce%20I'll%20use%20for%20the%20week.%20I%20then%20assess%20what%20can%20be%20washed/prepped%20in%20advance%20to%20make%20meal%20prep%20easier%20on%20the%20weeknights.%20For%20example,%20for%20fajitas,%20I'll%20slice%20the%20peppers%20and%20onions%20and%20place%20them%20in%20a%20bag.%20You%20can%20get%20wild%20and%20crazy%20and%20label%20the%20bag%20%22Monday%22-%20the%20teacher%20in%20me%20REALLY%20loves%20labeling%20things.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E2-%20Making%20salad%20always%20seems%20like%20an%20annoying%20task%20to%20me%20so%20I%20%20like%20to%20take%20a%20bag%20of%20romaine%20lettuce%20hearts,%20wash%20it,%20dice%20it%20up,%20and%20throw%20it%2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