Sunday chicken, Monday pasta, Tuesday pizza

I love to cook and I love to eat. But there are definitely times I’d rather just do the eating than the cooking. However, I’ve acquired a manly man who doesn’t consider cheese and crackers and yogurt a meal, so it was time to come up with a way to get organized in the kitchen. I’ve started weekly meal planning and so far it’s been a culinary success.

Planning our evening meals and making thorough shopping lists has been an easy way to save money. We don’t end up with the dreaded drawer full of soggy, unused veggies and we always have leftovers, which keeps us away from eating out on the fly at work.

Cooking with a plan has helped me start to make use of the dozens of cookbooks I have stored all over the house, whip up recipes emailed from friends and family and of course, cook from my favourite food blogs. Having dinner planned leaves more time during the week to eat together, relax and most importantly, watch Master Chef.

Here’s what a few days last week looked like at our house:

Sunday – Turkey Sloppy Joes on Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits


Monday – Grilled Chicken with homemade BBQ sauce, Corn on the Cob & Spicy Baby Potatoes


Tuesday – Apple-glazed Pork Chops on Quinoa


Wednesday – Three-Cheese Grilled Cheese & Spoon Fed’s Wild rice, mushroom and chicken soup


Meal planning is uncomplicated, fun and it’s kept us from killing each other over that uncontrollable après work hunger. I encourage you to search through those recipes you’ve been meaning try forever, see what The Pioneer Women or Julie's been up to lately and to simply make the most of your food and time this week.