One thing that keeps me inspired to continue writing blog posts is YOUR feedback. And I’ll tell you what: the comments, questions, and emojis you share MEAN THE WORLD TO ME. Seriously. It makes me feel connected to something greater than a computer screen. Which I know is important for you too when you read this blog. In an effort to always keep things real here, I wanted to share another round of REAL dinner menus with you all. And in case you forgot, just head on down to the bottom of this post to see my other posts that shed some light on the realness of my meal planning. Hint hint: there’s lots of jarred tomato sauce dinners, hot dog nights, and you guessed it, pizza nights!
If you’re not sure where to even start when it comes to meal planning, here’s what I find most helpful: I outline dinners every week because I keep things similar for breakfast and lunch each day. Cereal, frozen waffles, sandwiches, hummus and crackers, and some fruit and veggies. You might consider yourself a breakfast or lunch aficionado, so forget my dinner schedule and go with what works meal for YOU. Next, take stock on what’s on hand in your fridge freezer and pantry, and then look at your schedule for the week. Chances are there’s not much outside of the home you are doing right now, so you might have more time to try a new recipe or make that soup that takes an hour vs. a 15-minute skillet meal. Lastly, cut yourself some slack, and know that if you opt-in for frozen meals or cereal 3x a day, you’re doing JUST FINE. Some of my best childhood food memories are eating meals with someone else, not necessarily WHAT we were eating.
In a nutshell… do you find yourself cooking a whole lot more with COVID-19 keeping us at home?! Me. Too. So, I hope you find a meal or two here that inspires you to try something new! And if not?! Give yourself a little grace. Actually, a LOT of grace. Because we are living during trying times and my hope is that food is something that brings you joy amidst the chaos. Which is what food has always been for this self-proclaimed chaos queen.
Note: Most of my recipes I make on the fly [use Google for recipe ideas/directions if you need to follow a recipe]. If there’s a particular recipe I do follow, I’ll link below!
Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Week 4:
Some repeats here!
Week 5:
All pretty self-explanatory this week. Especially my family’s favorites of sausage and hot dogs!
Need some more mealtime inspiration? Here’s a look at past real dinner menu options from my kitchen:
5 More Weeks of Real Dinner Menus
QUESTION: Do you find these menus helpful? Overwhelming?
[Just know if you’re not sure if you ever feel like cooking again I’m in the same boat… but tomorrow we might feel different].
