Meal Plan: April 17-April 23

Every week we make a meal plan for the week ahead. The plan accounts for 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches (plus fruit or vegetables), 4 snacks, and 5 dinners each for the two of us. Lunches are typically a double batch of whatever the recipe calls for. We make the lunches and do other prep work on Sunday. Nearly all items are purchased from either our local farmers market or Whole Foods. We live in Cincinnati, OH.

Homemade Spam musubi. Yes, I married a Hawaiian

April 17-April 23

Our meal plan was a little off last week because we spent four glorious days in Nashville, so I wound up not posting anything. Guys, springtime in Tennessee is just glorious. I am a Tennessee girl through and through.

This week’s plan was a bit of a “what do we have in the pantry/freezer” menu due to the fact that we really needed to restock some pantry staples. It’s always a bit of a bummer to spend so much on such basic things, but it was nice to get so many of them knocked out at once without going over budget. Also, if you’re a Whole Foods shopper, you should download the app and check out the coupons. They scan them right from your phone, and a few have actually been right in line with what we were planning on buying. One week even had $5 off any combination of produce that was over $20. Since at least half our budget is spent on produce, that was no problem for us. Hey Whole Foods: more coupons for fresh things! Cool, thanks.

Breakfast

• Cranberry apple baked oatmeal– with homemade coconut milk
• Eggs and avocado with Cholula

Lunch

• Curried cauliflower wrap with Alton Brown Hummus

Snack

• Chopped pineapple and mango 

Dinner

• Spicy beans and cornbread
• Spam musubi and roasted broccoli
• Glowing spiced lentil soup with roti- this soup is really so good. Second week in a row for us
• Green curry
• Loco Moco remix

Meal Plan: April 3-April 9

Every week we make a meal plan for the week ahead. The plan accounts for 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches (plus fruit or vegetables), 4 snacks, and 5 dinners each for the two of us. Lunches are typically a double batch of whatever the recipe calls for. We make the lunches and do other prep work on Sunday. Nearly all items are purchased from either our local farmers market or Whole Foods. We live in Cincinnati, OH.

Weekend mornings with Minerva

April 3-April 9

We had a productive and fun filled weekend with friends, and this week looks like more of the same (hence the lack of dinner options. No point in food going to waste). The weather has become a little chilly again and we’ve had some insane wind. Saturday was so windy that the power went off for a good two hours at our friends’ party, but we lit candles and played games and made sure to drink all the beer before it went bad.

Spring can be tricky like that.

I have a feeling that next week’s meal plan will be a little on the lighter/healthier side,  so we’ll enjoy our gluttony while we can.

Breakfast

• Eggs and avocado with Cholula 
• Avocado toast on Good Seed bread

Lunch

• Baked chickpeas with pita chips and yogurt– as a salad over greens, with pita chip “croutons”

Snack

• Chopped apple and pineapple

Dinner

• Miso coconut chicken
• Weeknight enchiladas– with canned refried beans. No shame
• Vodka Sauce with shrimp

Meal Plan: March 27-April 2

Every week we make a meal plan for the week ahead. The plan accounts for 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches (plus fruit or vegetables), 4 snacks, and 5 dinners each for the two of us. Lunches are typically a double batch of whatever the recipe calls for. We make the lunches and do other prep work on Sunday. Nearly all items are purchased from either our local farmers market or Whole Foods. We live in Cincinnati, OH.

Easter strawberry balsamic pie

March27-April 2

My thought that I had finally discovered the perfect pie crust was put to the test this weekend, and came through with flying colors. Yes, this crust really is that good, and that easy. I was even able to roll and cut the dough pre-coffee on Sunday morning, which speaks highly to it’s ease of use. Pre-coffee Allyn: not my best. the pie recipe was from Four and Twenty Blackbirds, and I will definitely be buying a copy of the cookbook when I have to return mine to the library. It has so many great recipes to using as a jump off point, plus it’s full of tips on pie making. Go check it out!

Easter

• Strawberry balsamic pie p.80, plus tip on p. 64, and perfect crust

Breakfast

• Eggs and avocado
• Thai coconut oats with mango

Lunch

• Green salad with crispy chickpeas and roasted jalapeño dressing

Snack

• Bananas

Dinner

• Roasted brussels sprouts and crispy baked tofu in sesame honey glaze
• Thai green curry with spring vegetables
• Roasted cauliflower and lentil tacos
• Pasta with sardines, capers, and lemon
• Lamb with roasted fennel, carrots, and potatoes 

Meal Plan: March 20-March 26

Every week we make a meal plan for the week ahead. The plan accounts for 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches (plus fruit or vegetables), 4 snacks, and 5 dinners each for the two of us. Lunches are typically a double batch of whatever the recipe calls for. We make the lunches and do other prep work on Sunday. Nearly all items are purchased from either our local farmers market or Whole Foods. We live in Cincinnati, OH.

Walking around a city can certainly lead to… interesting discoveries

March 20-March 26

Josh and I have been walking around our neighborhood almost every day lately, both to celebrate the fact that it’s no longer freezing and to get some good exercise in now that we can. This, combined with the yoga I do every day, is making me SO HUNGRY. Seriously, we walked 5 miles yesterday and I think I ate 1/4 of a chicken and countless mouthfuls of roasted vegetables that I inhaled as quickly as possible (roasting vegetables in this duck fat for the win, forever and ever, amen). Now I’m trying not to go eat a whole box of Samoas and daydreaming about dinner. Not even sure what I’ll wind up cooking from the list, but still dreaming about it. I might need to plan for heartier snacks if we keep this up.

Breakfast

• Eggs and avocado with Cholula 
• Thai coconut oats with mango– kind of using this recipe as inspiration for my own lazier version

Lunch

• Chicken and cabbage salad with lime and mint

Snack

• Bananas

Dinner

• Rice and bean casserole with guacamole– With jasmine rice. We’re not a brown rice family
• Baby lima soup with chipotle broth
• Lemony arugula spaghetti cacio e pepe- Cravings p. 79
• Bacon fried rice
• Roasted chicken with potatoes, beets, and carrots roasted in duck fat. Leftover chicken used for lunches

Meal Plan: March 13-March 19

Every week we make a meal plan for the week ahead. The plan accounts for 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches (plus fruit or vegetables), 4 snacks, and 5 dinners each for the two of us. Lunches are typically a double batch of whatever the recipe calls for. We make the lunches and do other prep work on Sunday. Nearly all items are purchased from either our local farmers market or Whole Foods. We live in Cincinnati, OH.

Jok Moo from Cravings cookbook is one of our new favorites

March 13-March 19

Cincinnati springtime (though snow is in the forecast) means that even though we don’t need coats anymore, it’s still dark and rainy enough that we want comfort food. The trick is finding things that are cozy but still a little light, because we’re no longer feeling the urge to build up our fat for winter hibernation. That’s totally a thing that humans do, right?

I’m craving summer produce, but knowing that it’s still a long way off, I’ll just hope that Whole Foods gets some rhubarb for pie soon.

Breakfast

• Cranberry apple baked oatmeal
• Scrambled eggs and avocado

Lunch

• Roasted cauliflower, beet, and farro winter salad

Snack

• Banana bread– with a handful of chocolate chips thrown in for good measure

Dinner

• Jok Moo (Cravings, p 109)- our second week in a row to make this. Instant classic
• Veggie okonomiyaki– with teriyaki chicken
• Jamie Oliver’s pot pie with homemade crust– still on the hunt for my go-to pie crust recipe
• Sweet potato quesadillas
• Red lentil dal

Meal Plan: March 6-March 12

Every week we make a meal plan for the week ahead. The plan accounts for 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches (plus fruit or vegetables), 4 snacks, and 5 dinners each for the two of us. Lunches are typically a double batch of whatever the recipe calls for. We make the lunches and do other prep work on Sunday. Nearly all items are purchased from either our local farmers market or Whole Foods. We live in Cincinnati, OH.

New (to us) dresser! Only took 3 years to find the right one

March 6-March 12

Cincinnati has a surprisingly great selection of affordable midcentury furniture, and we’ve been slowly collecting pieces since we arrived. Also, this dresser, which we share (as well as a small closet) is why I roll my eyes when people on House Hunters freak out that a walk in closet is too small to possibly share. Or the episode I saw where the woman needed 4 closets JUST FOR HERSELF. That’s insane. Less is more. All that to say… hooray for pretty furniture, especially pieces that don’t take up too much space in our tiny bedroom!

We’re continuing on the no-dairy train this week, and with spring allergies coming up, I might try to keep it this way for a while. Sniffles and snoring are bad for all parties.

Breakfast

• Cranberry apple baked oatmeal– used some leftover canned coconut milk
• Scrambled eggs and avocado with Cholula 

Lunch

• Curried cauliflower wrap with Alton Brown Hummus

Snack

• Bananas

Dinner

• Vodka Sauce and pasta
• Pork belly bowl with homemade kimchi and roasted broccoli
• Mulligatawny
• Coconut curried fried rice
• Jok Moo (pork and rice porridge)- Cravings, p 109

Meal Plan: Feb 28-March 5

Every week we make a meal plan for the week ahead. The plan accounts for 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches (plus fruit or vegetables), 4 snacks, and 5 dinners each for the two of us. Lunches are typically a double batch of whatever the recipe calls for. We make the lunches and do other prep work on Sunday. Nearly all items are purchased from either our local farmers market or Whole Foods. We live in Cincinnati, OH.

I don’t know how I ate as much as I did last week, but that is my hand grabbing more candied bacon

February 28-March 5

Josh had to travel for work all last week, so we made the last minute decision that I should go spend the week in Nashville and soak in some long overdue time with friends and family.  Also, copious amounts of biscuits. Sometimes that’s just what you need.

All of Josh’s travel and less than stellar eating has manifested itself in a nasty cold, which isn’t altogether surprising. I made a big pot of chicken noodle soup  last night for dinner (in the  pressure cooker!), and it will be on repeat again tonight. All other recipes for the week either don’t contain dairy or the dairy will be omitted. You have to take care of yourself. Phlegm is a jerk.

Breakfast

• Roasted bell peppers and scrambled eggs
• Cranberry apple baked oatmeal– made with homemade coconut milk

Lunch

• Spicy butternut kale chopped salad

Snack

• Bananas

Dinner

• Vegetarian ramen bowl with spicy brussels sprouts
• Chicken noodle soup– this time I cooked it for 30 minutes in my Instant Pot and it turned out GREAT
• Gochujang marinated chicken with crispy rice (Bon Appetit magazine, March 2016 p.12)- half batch
• Cured egg yolks with Modified loco moco rice
• Pasta con ceci-double

Meal Plan: February 7-February 13

Every week we make a meal plan for the week ahead. The plan accounts for 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches (plus fruit or vegetables), 4 snacks, and 5 dinners each for the two of us. Lunches are typically a double batch of whatever the recipe calls for. We make the lunches and do other prep work on Sunday. Nearly all items are purchased from either our local farmers market or Whole Foods. We live in Cincinnati, OH.

Nashville now has an L&L! We obviously need to go back soon for a visit

February 7-February 13

Happy post Super Bowl day! I wasn’t rooting for any team, so I feel very comfortable stating that Bruno Mars won the whole game. Also a winner? The beer cupcakes I worked on for a friend. I’ll have to post the recipe soon because they were incredibly delicious.

Josh made a huge jar of kimchi using the Momofuku cookbook, and it’s been fermenting for two weeks, so a lot of our meals this week are based around that beautiful jar.

Breakfast

• Scrambled eggs and avocado
• Steel cut oats and bananas

Lunch

• Country italian salad

Snack

• Bananas

Dinner

• Jamie Oliver’s pot pie
• Kimchi fried rice
• Kimchi rice bowl with pork belly and roasted broccoli 
• Kimchi grilled cheese
• Pea and mint soup with leftover focaccia

Meal Plan: January 31-February 6

Every week we make a meal plan for the week ahead. The plan accounts for 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches (plus fruit or vegetables), 4 snacks, and 5 dinners each for the two of us. Lunches are typically a double batch of whatever the recipe calls for. We make the lunches and do other prep work on Sunday. Nearly all items are purchased from either our local farmers market or Whole Foods. We live in Cincinnati, OH.

Such an asian cart at Jungle Jim’s

January 31-February 6

January has come and gone, and over all, it was a pretty great month. I cooked quite a few recipes from actual cookbooks, which is something I’ve been wanting to do more, and I did a great 30 Days of Yoga routine from Yoga with Adrienne, who has become a favorite of mine. I’m not really into resolutions, but I love a chance to learn more and feel better, and January just happened to be the right time to dig in to my yoga practice this year.

My goal for February is based on a friend’s request for me to make some cupcakes using the MadTree Rubus Cacao beer, which is a seasonal beer from our favorite local brewery. This one is brewed with raspberries and cocoa nibs, and is totally delicious, so I’m thinking a chocolate cupcake with a can of the beer in the batter, and then maybe topped with a chocolate ganache, also flavored with the beer? We’ll see. I’m not a big fan of buttercream frosting, so ganache is totally the way I’m leaning. Will report back with the results.

This week has two carryover dinner from last week, because the unexpected batch of bolognese wound up being stretched for multiple dinners. SO GOOD.

Breakfast

• Black bean and avocado bowl with pressure cooker cuban black beans
• Oatmeal with bananas and cinnamon
• Ultimate breakfast sandwich-This was Sunday morning’s breakfast, and it was delicious. The hash brown patties from Trader Joe’s might be our new favorite breakfast food

Lunch

• Cobb Salad- lettuce, turkey, avocado, sprouts, sunflower seeds, croutons all with caesar vinaigrette

Snack

• Apples, carrots sticks, and cucumber slices

Dinner

• Red curry w/ chicken
• Pasta con ceci-double
• Leblebi
• Yellow Beet and Carrot soup
• Turkey white bean chili

Meal Plan: January 24-January 30

Every week we make a meal plan for the week ahead. The plan accounts for 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches (plus fruit or vegetables), 4 snacks, and 5 dinners each for the two of us. Lunches are typically a double batch of whatever the recipe calls for. We make the lunches and do other prep work on Sunday. Nearly all items are purchased from either our local farmers market or Whole Foods. We live in Cincinnati, OH.

Adulting like a boss

January 24-January 30

I’ve come to realize that when it’s cold outside (and inside my poorly insulated kitchen), I’m often drawn to the same meals, week after week. My brain is numb and can only handle so many new ideas. I know that when things start to warm up, so will my creativity, along with my desire for things that are light and bright. Until then, we cozy up with hearty meals and hibernate a bit.

This week’s plan includes 6 dinners instead of the usual 5, because yesterday afternoon Josh requested bolognese, and I just couldn’t say no. In hindsight, I’m so glad I made some, since it helped soothe the sting of the Patriot’s loss.

Breakfast

• Scrambled eggs and avocado with hot sauce
• Indian spiced steel cut oats with coconut milk

Lunch

• Massaged kale with curried chickpeas, radishes (I’ve been cooking large batches of dried chickpeas in my pressure cooker. So fast and delicious) 

Snack

• Bananas

Dinner

• Pasta con ceci-double
• Bolognese 
• Cured egg yolks with Modified loco moco rice
• Black bean avocado enchiladas –top with sour cream
• Navy bean soup with sausage and spinach
• Red curry w/ chicken