Weekly Dinner Menus

Find quick links to all my favorite weeknight recipes from these posts on Pinterest!

A Fresh Direct Delivery Meal Plan!

January 18, 2017

This meal plan for my first Fresh Direct delivery has been a while coming to the blog, although when I made it last week it couldn’t have gone better! I was hoping to post it mid-week (last week) with pictures of a couple things that we’d eaten so far, but life (and pregnancy) won. Looking back at my calendar, I’ll be honest–I’m not totally sure what I spent the week doing, but there was a lot of driving around to errands (just not groceries!) and I’m really trying to stay committed to a light workout routine even though I let it go for a while in the second trimester. I’m trying to walk a mile or two every day, plus do either the Spinning Babies daily activities or some yoga.

Note: I have no affiliation with Fresh Direct and haven’t received any compensation or freebies in exchange for this post. If you DO want to support more free meal plans on NCK, you can use this link to do all your Amazon shopping (no extra charge to you). Thanks!

Today, after I dropped the Clar Bear off at doggie day care, the rain cut my walk short, and now I need a break from lugging the contents of our dining room (still being used, a year later, as the move-in room) to the basement so it’s ready to seat a crowd at my baby shower! I can make about half a trip down those stairs before being in complete oxygen deprivation. Thank you baby for squishing my airways.

Now it’s only a matter of minutes before sitting starts to kill my back and I’m back to the stairs, so apologies if the writing is a little disjointed–I’ll take what I can get for time! Just practicing for the demanding infant schedule.
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A Peapod Delivery Meal Plan!

January 4, 2017

So, I tried Peapod. I liked it (for the most part). But just what did I order, and how does it fit into my meal plan for the week?

Note: I have no affiliation with Peapod and haven’t received any compensation or freebies in exchange for this post. If you DO want to support more free meal plans on NCK, you can use this link to do all your Amazon shopping (no extra charge to you). Thanks!

As I mentioned, I’m putting together as many easy meal plans as possible for when the baby comes. For me, cooking is a hobby and a stress release, something I’ll need to hold onto even when I’m sleep deprived and my hair hasn’t been washed in two days. However, I’ve come to acknowledge that, as the exclusive feeder for a while (we’re going to try to stay away from bottles as long as possible), my window for cooking with a baby in the house may be limited to the pocket somewhere in between Steve getting home, feeding or changing the baby, and feeding and “changing” the pugs. Sounds like a pretty small pocket. But I’m determined to cook some dinners, even if they’re far simpler dishes than I would have considered putting on my meal plans two years ago.
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Dinners for the Week before Vacation

November 3, 2016

There are so many good things going on just in the title of this post. One, I’ve bounced back from a really nasty cold/maybe the flu and am nearly cooking at full force again. It’s a marked improvement from last week’s diet of Boston Market mashed potatoes and Ritz crackers. Two, it’s vacation time! Steve and I are taking a little combo babymoon/first anniversary long weekend trip to Vermont, to a gorgeous, pet-friendly resort. Yep, that’s right, we’re allowing the pugs to infiltrate our romantic getaway. And in case you don’t follow my personal Instagram account, you also may be surprised to find out that, after a rough first dog experience and before adding a baby to the house, we acted like crazy people and adopted another pug. Blog world, meet Nugget (whose name may not be permanent):

He and Clarence are getting along pretty well:

Although, Nugget’s an estimated six years old (he was found as a stray, so we can’t say for sure) and definitely has the old man attitude going on sometimes, like when Clarence wants to play, which is…always. My life is now listening to Clarence bark his head off at poor Nugget to get a little chase going.

BUT, this was not meant to be a pug post. It’s meant to explain how, during a pretty busy week of pug care, getting ready for vacation (i.e., doing 17 loads of laundry…per day), pregnancy, and house upkeep and decorating, I managed to make us (and a client-friend) good, comfort food, warm dinners every night. Except the night I must order pizza.
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What’s for Dinner? Nov. 17th

November 17, 2014

One thing is clear after this weekend: I ain’t 25 anymore. I’m not all that far from it in actual age, but in “ability to hang and stay up late” I am seriously lacking. Friday night was nice and quiet at home. Steve actually got me to watch some Hobbit movie, which, incredibly, I followed and stayed awake through, and I made fried pickles at “intermission”. I love that old format of family movie nights at home, where you start the movie and then make your whole plan, “okay, at 10:15, we’re pausing for [insert favorite movie snack here].” Mine involved a huge dredge station mess, a bit of splattered hot oil, and about an hour of cleanup the next day, but it was a fun treat. The cornmeal-based crust on the pickles (and the few undercover jalapeno slices I threw in) was close to the Buffalo Wild Wings version I was going for, but I think I’d do a double coat next time for a little thicker crust, and maybe add a teensy bit of baking soda to up the golden color. Someday when I get motivated to tackle them again, I’ll post my recipe.

Saturday was a stark contrast, beginning with a tequila shot in the kitchen. Hel-lo. [Read more…]

What’s for Dinner? Nov. 10th

November 10, 2014

Goooood morning! How was everyone’s weekend?? After a really hectic last week, I was finally able to set aside all the blog “work” and other projects I have going on for a solid 24 hours. That is a major rarity these days, but it was for a good cause. On that trip to Minnesota this summer that I can barely go two posts without referring to, I ran into one of my good friends from middle and high school who I haven’t spoken to in ages. We met up for coffee on that trip and, I guess you could say, “rekindled” our friendship. Conveniently, it just so happened that she’s working for an international company and spends some time in New York, this week being one of those times. After her work conference in the city got out on Friday, she hopped on a train for her first-ever visit to Connecticut to stay with me and hang out for 24 hours.

Before her arrival, I practically moved mountains (meaning, I skipped yoga class) to make it to my favorite ever cheese shop in Darien, CT. Now, if I recall correctly, I’ve only ever been to a handful of cheese shops in my entire life, most of them only once, so it’s not like I’m a connoisseur of cheese shops and I’ve carefully selected this one as my favorite. However, this store is one of those places that you know, almost immediately when you walk in, is a special business that handpicks every single product they carry, from the dinnerware to the imported Italian crackers to the apple butter made in California that is downright magical when paired with my six month organic manchego. I know that sounds pretentious–I certainly would have scoffed at that statement before I made consuming wine and cheese my part-time job (if only it paid…anything). However, I think exploring and discovering exquisite small businesses such as this one is good for everyone, whether you can afford to buy your cheese exclusively from them or it’s a once-a-year treat. For me, the bi-monthly habit helps me slow down and enjoy life–I’m not about to rush through that expensive little Creme de Lyon brie with the TV on or my laptop in front of me. So it was a natural choice when I looked for a snack to go with a little wine and a lot of catching up.
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What’s for Dinner? Oct. 27

October 27, 2014

My weekend started with a bottle of red wine, shared on the couch with my honey, and ended with…well, the same thing, come to think of it. Steve and I both love relaxing at home, but lately our timing hasn’t been exactly in sync. He’s working about six and a half days a week on big projects, so when he’s home, he is generally ready for a nap, a cuddle, and some Food Network or football. I, on the other hand, work alone all day, so while my pace is about as hectic as Steve’s, I deal mostly with vegetables, lentils, a camera, and a computer screen. [Read more…]

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