meal planning.

ahhh, meal planning…
where would I be in life without meal planning?
probably eating takeout everyday.

now let me be straight with you:
some months, I am a meal planning maniac.  others, not so much.
lately, its been not so much.
BUT I’m going back in.  my grocery bills have been way too high + our meals have been way too takeout.
so to hold myself accountable, I’m going to be sharing my meal plans with you.

so you may be asking, how in the world do I start meal planning?
its very simple actually!

I usually grocery shop on Sundays….by “grocery shop” I mean picking up the groceries that I’ve ordered online out back of Shoprite.  best six dollars I spend all week!
to get my plan together though, I go through my recipe binders + box + pinterest to decide what I’m in the mood for each week.  I try to tailor what we’re having to the boys’ schedules/tastes as well.
from there, I build my grocery list for each recipe, cross off what I already have + add our weekly staples.
does it take some time?  yes.
does it save you money?  sure does!

so without further adieu, here is this week’s meal plan:

monday:  whole chicken in the crockpot with brown rice + broccoli (recipe below)
tuesday:  steaks + sprouts (steak marinade recipe below)
wednesday:  crockpot sweet potato + quinoa turkey chili
thursday:  mustard herb crusted chicken with green beans
friday:  BOYS CHOICE!  (order in or go out!)

recipes:

whole chicken in the crockpot

3-4lb whole chicken, fresh or thawed
1 lemon, halved
1 small onion, quatered
small bunch of fresh thyme
sea salt and pepper

rinse chicken, remove giblets etc and pat dry inside + out
stuff lemon, onion + thyme inside chicken
season the outside with salt + pepper
place chicken in crockpot, breast side down, for 6-7hrs on low
serve with brown rice + broccoli (I buy the frozen organic brown rice + frozen organic broccoli florets at trader joes)

steak marinade

filet mignon, sirloin or flank steak (the least fatty option available)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup orange juice
2tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
handful of fresh parsley, chopped
1/2tsp red pepper flakes
sea salt + pepper

mix all ingredients for marinade together, pour over steaks + let marinate for about an hour