Thank you for your sweet comments yesterday! I always appreciate what you have to say and love hearing your personal stories too 🙂 Really, thank you for sharing with me.
So I am all excited it’s Friday and even more excited that winter break is approaching. We may not celebrate Christmas but I do look forward to the no school thing as well as some of the fun stuff we have planned like The Big Apple Circus and a quick little trip to Boston for a few days too!
A few random things from this week:
I am obsessed with those new Pure Barre Tone in 10 workouts that I mentioned to you in Sunday’s post.
I ordered the set of six workouts which stream online and I have been playing around with 10 minute workout combinations all week.
More details to come about these awesome new Pure Barre workouts in this Sunday’s workout recap post but oh my, they are challenging and leave me sore (this is a good thing!).
I didn’t stick to our meal plan Wednesday night because we went out for dinner to The Cheesecake Factory instead.
I had a gift card (Thanks Hanukkah!) and it was the perfect night to eat out since I had all of the carpets in my house cleaned during the day so everything (except the kitchen) was wet and smelled like soap. Staying out of the house for as long as possible was the way to do things and the perfect excuse for not cooking even though the kitchen was perfectly accessible.
Meal Planning:
I intend to do some food prep Sunday morning. I don’t normally but there are a few things I want to make in advance of the week ahead:
Meatless Meatballs – I don’t even know if I will eat them this week or just freeze them.
Quinoa – For salads, power bowls and chili if I decide to make it before Sunday.
Cold S’Mores – An oldie but goodie dessert recipe of mine which is perfect for prepping and freezing in advance – I will share with you next week!
If you are wondering how I go about figuring out our dinners for the week ahead, my process is this:
I pay attention to the recipe blogs I follow all week. If I come across a recipe that I think my son would like, I pin it to my meal planning board on pinterest. Later on in the week, I take a look at those pins plus pull inspiration from the rest of my pinterest boards and then discuss the dinner ideas with him (always the fun part).
I try to keep some nights easy, some nights leftovers and the more involved meals on the nights we are around and have the time. Although, I don’t love anything too involved ever!
Monday – Beef Taco Bowls (looks really easy! I will make a vegetarian version for myself)
Tuesday – Pizza night (I may make my sweet potato pizza bites for me)
Wednesday – Peanut Sauce Veggie Fried Rice (Very excited about this! May sub the tofu with chick peas)
Thursday – Out for dinner
Friday– Loaded baked potatoes (perfect long run fuel) but want to make this Mexican 7 layer mashed potato bake for my son
Saturday – Out for dinner
Sunday – Sweet Potato Vegetarian Chili
Extra recipes of interest:
Graham Cracker Gingerbread House – Totally planning to make this one night! I bought the gingerbread house kit last year (or the year before?) from Trader Joe’s but it wasn’t awesome. This looks easy enough and more fun.
Flourless & Grain Free Fudge Brownie Bites – I keep meaning to make these again. Reminder for both of us!
Have a great weekend!
Random Stuff & Next Week's Meal Plan #PureBarre #CheesecakeFactory #mealplanning #foodprep #vegetarian #fitfluential #recipes @Pure_Barre Click To Tweet****************
3 things you are doing this weekend?
Are you a routine food prepper?
Are you making a gingerbread house this yar? What do you use? A kit? Graham Crackers? Actual Gingerbread that you bake? Tell me!
This weekend I must get going with my Christmas shopping! Other than that I am hoping to finally see my friend who had twins over the summer but we haven’t been able to get together since then. I am hoping to have time on Sunday to meal prep again because it definitely made things easier this week!
Lisa @ Running Out Of Wine recently posted…At-Home Workouts for the Running Off-Season
It’s so warm out I don’t know how anyone does Christmas shopping. It doesn’t even feel like Hanukkah!
Hi Meredith. I can’t resist checking out the brownie bites recipe. Thanks 🙂
Have a great weekend!
It’s a good one, let me know if you make it!
I am not a meal prepper at all. I wish I was or had the need to, but I work a lot so I eat many sandwiches, bagels and meals from my job. I really feel lucky for this and blessed…but sometimes I would be nice to have an excuse to meal prep. Pretend I am an actual adult for once haha
Ellie recently posted…TOL: The Game Changers
It’s always nice to get the food at work, at least you don’t have to worry about forgetting your lunch? 🙂
At least one of my kids is making a gingerbread house at school so that will have to satisfy all of us 🙂 I have to try pure barre – you’ve sold me! Not that it takes much to get me sore lately, but still. Sweet potato pizza bites sound darn good!
Michele @ paleorunningmomma recently posted…Paleo Butternut Sausage Bake with Kale
You so have to try pure barre already. Order the videos or lets take a class!
Graham cracker gingerbread house? That sounds amazing! I’ve made one a few years from kits but would love to DIY one this year.
Laura @ This Runner’s Recipes recently posted…Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Paprikash
I am hoping to make it with my son one of these days when we have the time.
I’m excited for the cold smores recipe! Sounds interesting. Hope you have a great weekend!
Gretchen | Gretchruns recently posted…Top Five Friday #36
It’s such a great and easy recipe. I will share it this week!
Very curious about the cold s’mores recipe!! Love a good s’more!
Three things I’m doing this weekend: Four holiday parties (I feel like everyone chose this weekend to host something)! + Baking bread!! + IKEA trip with my mom.
Have a great weekend!
Arthi recently posted…My Favorite Presents.
Hope you had a great weekend at the parties!
I am slowly but surely becoming a Sunday routine food prepper! Planning to make a frittata, some veggies, some grain free banana bread, and also some grain free brownies this week 🙂
Alyssa @ renaissancerunnergirl recently posted…How to Choose a Charity for a Holiday Gift
I wish I had some overripe bananas to play around with .I have been eating them too quickly.
I need that recipe for the s’mores. You know they’re my favorite. I haven’t been sticking my meal schedule this week at all. The holiday season is just crazy so it’s hard to plan ahead!
Sarah @pickyrunner recently posted…Let’s Catch Up
I think I will be sharing the smores recipe this week. It’s so easy and perfect for preparing in advance so you have it in the freezer when you want something sweet.
That salad looks SO good!! Yum! And those pure barre workouts sound awesome. I went to Pure Barre last week and I was sore for daaaays
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables recently posted…Chocolate Cherry Smoothie [Gluten Free]
I so love Pure Barre! Such a great workout in a nonimpact way
Gingerbread house, brilliant! I’ve been entertaining thoughts of making one of these beauties from scratch for Christmas day for people to nibble away at but reckon it might be a bit (wayyyyyy) too ambitious on top of all the other cooking. Building one from graham crackers might actually be an option. Thanks!
Fiona recently posted…Mail Order Santa
Make it a few days ahead?
Alright what’s the name of this salad at the Cheesecake Factory. It calls to me and the last time I tried to order it, I failed and an entirely different salad instead. Oops.
I plan on doing some meal prep this weekend as well, mainly because I have no energy during the week to cook anything elaborate. I’m too tired by the time I get home from the office and lacking in all motivation.
lol It’s the barbeque ranch chicken salad – I order it without chicken and tell them to give me extra of the rest of the ingredients to make up for it. Oh, and dressing on the side. I personally don’t feel it needs any dressing at all. Let me know what you think when you order it!
It definitely help me to stay on track when I meal prep sunday – helps eliminate the time excuse. The trick is finding a quiet Sunday – that’s the part that’s not always so easy! Looks like a great week ahead!
Krysten recently posted…Meal Planning + Weekly Workouts + a Great Mail Week
That’s exactly it – when we have time on Sunday’s it works, when we are busy, it gets pushed to the side.