Meal Plan || Number One

Hi!!! It's been way too long, I've missed you all and am looking forward to getting back into this blogging thing. If this is your first time here, welcome!!! 

I love meal planning, yes this is true. Since I love it so much, it really never occurred to me how much others don't. I've wanted to share my meal plans for sometime now, then the months keep passing. The other day I was reading a blog and the girl stated how much she hated meal planning then there were three comments in the comment section also saying the same thing, I realized I needed to do this already! So this is my new adventure...I'll be posting my weekly meal plan here recipes or links to recipes will be included. I'll be posting the week after so I can comment on any changes I made. I'll also share favorite side ideas, favorite brands, and favorite regularly made items.

Because of copyright laws and my love for finding new blogs to follow with recipes, unless the recipe is mine (very few) then I'll post a link to their blog where you can get directions, ingredients, whatever. Also, I make a lot of America's Test Kitchen or Cook's Country recipes, I will post a link to the recipe; unless it's the current season you'll need to sign-up for a membership or the free trial to get the recipe ~ totally worth it! I love them!!! America's Test Kitchen completely changed my life and love for cooking. Any money I can send their way to keep them on the air is my pleasure! Another thing I love about ATK is they usually have videos of how to make everything, totally takes away the scary factor if you're new to cooking or baking.

I've been posting my menu on Instagram for a couple months and met some other meal planners who I follow for new ideas, love making cyber friends! I plan my menu a month at a time, then grocery shop for non-pershibles for the whole month on my first trip. Then I make a small trip each week to get any needed fresh ingredients. 

A couple of years ago, I posted how I shopped and planned my food budget. Just like I wrote there, you have to mold your plan for your life and since moving to a different state ours has changed. I'll be posting sometime this month my new style.

MEAL PLAN || NUMBER ONE 

Weekly Meal Plan || Number One 

Monday

Porkchops with pineapple fried rice
This is one of our favorite recipes, my husband puts this in the "birthday dinner request" category. 

It's from Pioneer Women, we like double the Sriracha and I use red onions, they caramelize so nicely, pretty sure this recipe is the reason I'm starting to like onions. I also sub can pineapple, drain in a strainer, then brown in a skillet. 

Recipe: The Pioneer Women Pork Chops with Pineapple Fried Rice 

Homemade Black Bean Soup

Tuesday ~ Slow Cooker Meal 

Black bean soup (this is made in the slow cooker!) and grilled cheese 
 This is a planned leftover, I made the soup last week and froze half to have some tonight. In my meal planning I don't typically count planned leftovers as my leftover night. This soups was delicious! I love Panera's black bean soup, so the thought of being able to make my own equally as good is blowing my mind!  I highly recommend making it. The recipe calls for vegetable stock, I used chicken instead. 

Loves: I recommend Penzeys Chicken soup base.

Recipe: ATK Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Black Bean Soup 

Wednesday ~ 30 Minute Meal, Hot Weather Meal

Blueberry pancakes and sausage

Loves: I keep Saco cultured buttermilk blend (you can buy at most stores, Walmart for sure in the baking isle, usually bottom shelf) on hand if I need buttermilk for a recipe. A friend recommended the pancake recipe on the back. First time trying, yum! Thanks Erin!! There are a few recipes that I'll still buy fresh buttermilk for, but this is good for the others. I added a little coconut oil to my syrup, tasty! 

My pancakes - blueberry pancakes, topped with more blueberries, sliced banana, peanut butter (peanut butter on pancakes is a family favorite that I grew up eating) then the coconut maple syrup ~ heaven! 

Thursday ~ 30 Minute Meal 

Leftovers

Friday

Date Night

Sunday ~ 30 Minute Meal if you buy your buns

Sloppy Joes, baked beans, and raw carrots

Loves: Baked beans, Bush's of course
my favorite is Bush's Grillin' Beans, Southern Pit Barbecue.

Need side ideas? Carrots! Both of us like raw carrots, this is a very inexpensive easy side.

Buns for the sloppy joes - For Thanksgiving last year, I tried a recipe from Pioneer Woman for rosemary dinner rolls, loved; super easy and you use store bought frozen dinner rolls! This recipe is so awesome, I now use it for anything I need buns for and make mini sandwiches instead of large sandwiches (which I like better anyways!) and change the seasoning on the rolls. The frozen dinner rolls are plain, I prepare the rolls same as the Pioneer Woman's recipe but instead of rosemary I'll use other seasonings/herbs. This is also great for my budget, with it being just us two, super easy to have the frozen rolls on hand and make as needed. Instead of buying a bag of rolls, then having to figure out what to make with the extra rolls so they don't go to waste. 

Jolleen's Sloppy Joe Recipe

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion - red minced
• 2 teaspoon chili powder
• salt
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 pound ground beef 85 percent lean
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoon "Louisiana" Hot Sauce my favorite hot sauce
• 8 Rhodes dinner rolls

Directions

1. Heat oil in 12 inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering; add onions, chili powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until onions is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Add beef and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until almost cooked though, but still slightly pink, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir in tomato puree, ketchup, water, and Louisiana Hot Sauce. Simmer until sauce is slightly thicker than ketchup, 8-10 minutes.
4. Season with salt and Louisiana Hot Sauce to taste. Add brown sugar if any extra sweetness is needed, but the red onion usually takes care of this. Spoon meat mixture onto buns and serve, I love using Rhodes dinner rolls and serving as mini sandwiches. Follow package directions for prep, before baking top frozen rolls with melted butter and coarse sea salt.

Powered by

Sweet
Brownies 

I planned to make homemade carrot cake, but made brownies instead. I'll make the carrot cake later this week and do a single post on that, it's amazing!
Loves: My favorite brownies are Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate Brownies, Costco box of 6 packets about $9. True story - this is what we used for our wedding cake! My auntie made a little tiered brownie cake and our wedding topper was the bride and groom Homies (the quarter machine figures), then she made sheet pans of brownies for the guest!
So when I eat them it's sentimental too. 

A post on how I create my weekly/monthly plan to come...

Let me know if you make any of these things and how you liked them! 

Also, what are some of your favorite things to serve for a side?

xoxojolleen

{you are beautiful and wonderfully made}