As I enter the weekend It seems that I’m always forward thinking and trying to find ways to be present – balance my plans for fun and be ready for what’s next. Our weeks as a family are a beautify chaos and in the midst of the chaos, I want to ensure my family, me, our food, meals… are all prepared for the week to come.
A typical week for me usually goes from Tuesday to Tuesday, because that’s when the shopping list and meal planning starts. Tuesday I go into my Pinterest account with my anote app and pick the meals & ingredients needed for the next week. When making my meal plan I align the food with the plans in our weekly schedule – like soccer practice, horseback riding lessons…. – I want to be sure the meal is already made or it’s a pizza night when we have a lot to do – makes me feel less stressed and away from the quick fix of fast food. Making the meals healthy yet kid-friendly is important to me and I always choose at least one meal that stretches the taste buds of the girls just slightly. There is usually 1 meal a week that has something new and something I know they like. During the stretch meal, I require a no-thank-you bite so they are always trying new things. Other than kid-friendly I also choose meals that are lower in carb and gluten-free – I’ve discovered a disagreement between my body and carbs/gluten, so I keep them sperate so there isn’t’ any fighting – the gluten and carbs usually win that battle.
I usually finish the meal planning by Tuesday/Wednesday and have time to tweak it if things come up before I go shopping. Having my shopping list and the day-to-day meals are mapped out makes the weeknights easy – I don’t have to think about what to make, I already have everything I need, and it makes my shopping quick and the bill consistent; no surprises in the checkout line makes me and my budget very happy! Friday after work is shopping day (because then I can have a glass of wine while I put groceries away, not that a glass of wine isn’t acceptable every night 😉 )
Welcome to my Sunday morning meal and spirit prep! I’m an early riser by nature, so it makes it easy to get up before my family and being prepping. While I work on the meals for the week I also work on my heart and mind by listening to podcasts or audiobooks. Some of my favorites are: Focus on the Family, God Centered Mom, She Proves Faithful and The Ziglar Show. I make the most out of my Sunday morning quiet time by preparing to keep my waistline in check and also strengthening my heart and mind so that I may stay be ready for any obstacles/temptations that may come my way.
I pull out all the things to I need to prep and put them on the island – start boiling water and cooking sausage. This is what I make (lunches change but…)
- Hard-boiled Eggs
- Egg breakfast muffins
- Cut and divided vegetables (put into grab and go ziplock bags for my husband and me to take to work.
- Divide cottage cheese into containers for my husband
- Make the lunch for the week and divide that into containers to grap and go
This prep makes packing lunch very quick – 30 seconds probably – and we are ready to go. The Sunday morning prep session takes about 1.5-2 hours, but saves a load of time during the week not to mention puts my mind in a healthy and stronger place.
If you have questions or want to learn more about the meals I prepare – feel free to ask, I’d love to share.
Have a blessed week!
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