RECIPE ROUNDUP

Today I've got a post all about food! I wouldn't say that I particularly love cooking but overall, I do enjoy it. It also helps that I get a sense of satisfaction when my husband enjoys a meal that I have made 😍! Over the years, I have found those meals that are on rotation every other week such as spaghetti or tacos. I tend to gravitate towards simple recipes that don't include ingredients that I normally wouldn't have in my pantry. I have tried a few new ones recently, and they have either been a hit or miss. I thought I would share the ones we liked in case you want to try something new or are finding yourself stuck in a food rut!

Vegetable chicken curry- This curry was delicious! It was my first time making curry and I think I did alright! I did omit the mushrooms because I didn't have any on hand. I served it over rice and made a side of roasted cauliflower.

http://www.marshallsabroad.com/vegetable-chicken-curry-sweet-potatoes/

I know this isn't the prettiest picture but it was yummy!

Baked chicken parmesan- We are huge fans of Skinnytaste recipes. She takes popular dishes and lightens them up! I like to serve this chicken either over zucchini or pasta.

https://www.skinnytaste.com/baked-chicken-parmesan/

Pork chops with dijon herb sauce- Another one from Skinnytaste! These pork chops were really good! I think I added a little too much salt for my taste, but I will definitely make again. Sorry but I forgot to take a photo :(

https://www.skinnytaste.com/pork-chops-with-dijon-herb-sauce-525-ww/

Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup- I have made this soup several times. I use chicken sausage instead of the crumbled sausage and from the ones I have tried, I find that I like the apple chicken flavor the best. If you're a soup lover like me, put this on your list! And again, no picture.

https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=394002

Annie's vanilla sugar cookies- Now these are not homemade but because we like our sweets around here,  I like to have a package of these on hand. They are good with or without frosting!

I hope this gives you some ideas when it comes to your meal plan! 

MY MEAL PLANNING GUIDE

If you know me well, you know that I am not a fan of grocery shopping. There's nothing that is more frustrating than having to make multiple trips to the grocery store throughout the week. I blame my self since the last few months have been busy with a lot of travel. When my husband travels for work, I get lazy with meal planning or fill up the social calendar which results in making meals to share with others. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind socializing but my waistline tends to expand a bit in the process. Hehe! Enter my new meal planning guide. I have come up with a plan that I hope to stick to as much as possible in an effort to be less wasteful, spend less money and hopefully lose a bit of weight. So without further ado, here is what I am hoping to incorporate.

I am only listing 7 meals since breakfast is usually eggs, toast or oatmeal. My hubby doesn't usually eat breakfast so I don't feel as though I have to cook every morning and I usually pack him a lunch if we have leftovers from the night before. 

1- meatless 

1- crockpot

1- dining out (hubby quickly mentioned this would be an indulgent meal too!)

3- focus on lean protein, carbs and healthy fat (this will take some getting used to)

1- indulgent meal (think casserole or cheesy)

Here is the list of meals I have planned for this week 

Monday- scalloped potatoes following this recipe and adding diced ham https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/scalloped-potatoes-recipe/

Tuesday- hamburger for me and pigs in a blanket for him, with potato salad (world series game)

Wednesday- chicken cooked and sweet potato mash 

Thursday- crockpot fajitas over brown rice

Friday- dinner with friends (chili, loaded potato and salad)

Saturday- https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/vegetarian-linguine

Sunday- pork chops, pinto beans and mixed veggies

I realize that this doesn't necessarily fit all of my criteria, however, I have learned to be flexible so that is what I am doing. Also, I am not a registered dietician so I am just meal planning according to what we like to eat and some research I have done, mainly when trying to figure out the whole protein, healthy fats and carbs.  I am also hoping to incorporate a fitness routine so stay tuned for that! :)