Easy Meals and Remembering to Plan

I often don't think to menu plan.  More often than not I find myself on a giant trip to the store- often rushed and frantically crammed in between the end of class and picking kids up from school- restocking things I need and buying whatever meats happen to be on sale that week and then backtracking from there to figure out what I can make with them once I get home.

The problem with that is that while it's great to have a freezer full of meat I often find myself having to make multiple small trips to the store for whatever other ingredients I need to go with it.

Do you ever feel like you live at the grocery store?

I do.  I'm there way too often.  They know me.

When I actually stop to think ahead and plan out menus and shopping lists life gets much easier.  I may not know exactly what I'm making each night but I do have a set of recipes for the week to choose from and already know that all of my ingredients are on hand.  I should really do that more often than I do!

Chicken Cornbread Casserole

I've so been enjoying this week guys, I've got to tell you.  I worked my rear end off filling box after box (after box after box after box...) with popcorn orders over the past couple of weeks leading up to Christmas.

Have I mentioned just how grateful I am for each and every one of your orders, by the way?

You guys are absolutely too kind.

THANK YOU.

 Anyway, I've been one busy girl.

I stay fairly occupied with popcorn orders most of the year, but these weeks leading up to Christmas always go a little nuts with orders for gifts and parties.  A few days ago I reached that point where there was very little chance that all but the most super-expensive-expedited shipping options would arrive before Christmas and I put the shop on vacation.  I hauled the last of the boxes off to ship and my daughter actually cheered.

I'm 100% my kids' for the rest of their Christmas break and it feels absolutely fabulous!

This never happens guys.  I'm so excited.

We've made spritz cookies and toffee.  We've hung festive paper chains.  We've wrapped presents.

Easy One Pan Red Beans and Rice Bake

Can I share something with you?

I suppose I consider myself a foodie.  I get ridiculously excited about good restaurants.  I consume cookbooks like they're novels.  I wax rhapsodic about amazing ingredients.  I should be in a support group for Penzey's addicts.

That being said, that's not everyday real life.

Everyday life is your standard picky 10 year-old eater, a ridiculously frustrating-to-feed 5 year-old with autism, and me- a mom who is generally busy all day every day with popcorn making, household, and kids and just really doesn't have time to go all gourmet before my husband gets home in the evening.

That doesn't mean I want to serve my family a box of mac and cheese or frozen pizza every night, either.

Nope, I think most of us often need a happy medium in our lives.  Simple food that people will actually enjoy that comes together quickly without a lot of time involved.  Good foods that will nourish our family, fill them up, and make them happy.