Simplify Meal Planning: Identifying Family Favorites

With other bloggers creating lists of their go-to meals, I realized I don’t have anything like that for my family. And I probably should. After all, having a list of meals you know your family likes makes meal planning easier. I’ve been compiling this list over the last couple of weeks and then reviewing it after checking my fridge (and freezer and pantry) and grocery ads before coming up with my shopping list for the week. And I’m saving about $20 a week on groceries and spending less time planning! Win-win!

Our go-to meals: 

Chicken fajitas 

Chicken fried rice 

Chicken and rice bowls

Chicken salad sandwiches

Grilled cheese 

Taco bowls (or tacos)

Stuffed peppers 

Lettuce wraps 

Stuffed chicken parm

Steak rolls

Broccoli beef

Chicken fried steak 

Burgers 

Ribs

Chili

Pigs in a blanket 
Beans and cornbread

Thai chicken wraps

Stuffed shells 

Meatball subs

Mac and cheese
Pumpkin-sauced spaghetti

Pizza

Carnitas

Barbecue pork

Breakfast 

Sides:

Salad

Coleslaw (regular or peanut)

Cornbread 

Sweet potato fries or chips

Roasted potatoes 

Garlic toast 

Carrots and ranch

Breakfasts:

Whole wheat muffins

Donuts

Banana muffins 

Oatmeal 
Not overnight oats

French toast
Apple crumble

Pancakes 

Breakfast burritos

Breakfast sandwiches 
Scrambled eggs

Snacks:

Apple with peanut butter (or pb dip)

Nuts

Yogurt and granola

Protein shake

Fruit

Desserts:

Ice cream

Cookies

No bake cheesecakes

Fudgy brownies
Microwave brownie

Gratitude journals

As much as I enjoy writing, I have always been terrible at journaling. I probably started at least a dozen diaries and journals growing up, but never kept them up for more than a couple of weeks. Not that that’s bad. I think I mostly started them when I had a lot going on and needed an outlet for expressing myself, and then stopped once I felt like I had my shit figured out. 

A gratitude journal isn't like that. It's a completely different kind of reflection. The purpose of a gratitude journal is to take time at the end of the day and think about the good things that happened in your day and why they happened. It's supposed to help foster mindfulness and create a more positive mindset by making you focus on good things, even if only for a minute.

For example, my journal for today would be:

1.  I got to work in my garden because we have a lot of outdoor space and the sun was shining.
2.  My toddler and I had delicious donuts for breakfast because he wanted to bake with me this morning.
3.  I took time to write because I'm trying to make myself a priority.

What is mindfulness, and why is it important?

Mindfulness is simply being present. To be mindful, put down your phone, turn off the tv, and give your full attention to whatever it is that you're doing. It's about paying attention to your surroundings so you can appreciate and enjoy the things in your life.

Mindfulness can also mean playing music and having a dance party while you put away laundry. Or turning gardening into an impromptu biology lesson. Or giving your whole self to a good snuggle--what could possibly be better than that?

By devoting your attention to the task at hand, you can make an effort to make it more enjoyable. You can also get even more benefit from being mindful by combining it with starting a gratitude journal.