Work of the Heart

I love to meal plan on Sunday night, then order groceries online and swing by and pick them up after school drop off. It is my favorite. Maybe it’s because I don’t have to walk around the store with my toddler, or maybe it’s my stop for an iced coffee at dunkin, I don’t know... but this routine makes me happy. I know what’s for dinner every night. The fridge is full for making lunches and breakfast. I feel together and ready for the week. This week is the start of extra curricular activities for us. My daughter starts dance. I also have several meetings at the school, for back to school orientation, so at least two nights I need quick meals. This weeks meals are very quick and easy with a couple being great make ahead options! This week is also filled with option.  Allowing my kids to choose their toppings, makes for happy kids and no fights! Baked potato bar. This is perfect for a Monday. You can bake the potatoes in the microwave, crock pot or instant pot. For Crock pot, ...

Instant Pot French Dip Ingredients: 1 beef roast (size dependent on your crowd) 2-2 1/2 cups red wine 2- 2 1/2 cups beef broth 1/2 sweet onion coarsely chopped Worcestershire Sauce Butter Garlic paste Salt & Pepper Parsley First, you want to sear the outside of your roast. Mine was big so I had to cut it into two portions and sear it in stages. Get out all your ingredients, set your IP on sauté Hot. While it warms up, trim up your roast. I prefer to get extra fat off the roast. Put a couple of table spoons of butter in the IP. Salt and pepper your roast and put it in. The goal is just to get it browned on all sides. Once browned, take it out and set on a plate (you want to collect juices). Add a little more butter and sauté onions. After 3-4 minutes, turn your IP off. Put roast back in. Sprinkle in a tablespoon of parsley and 2 cloves of crushed garlic. Pour red wine  (I used a wine we had opened for a get together and didn't finish) and beef broth...

There are very few people in my life that appreciate my cooking more than my best girl friend Lauren.  Everything I make for her, she swears could be on a restaurant menu.  Although, I'd love to think that is true...alas I think anything cooked by someone else is especially good.  Yesterday, she came by the house to give me some opinions on things and I promised I'd make her my greek bowl for lunch.  I am living a more carb conscious lifestyle.  I try to eat a lower amount of carbs ... especially during the week.  I try to up my lean proteins and veggies. I love Greek food.  In my little family of 5, I am the only one.  So this is a recipe I can whip together easily for lunch for myself or when a friend is around. This recipe is full of plant protein and chocked full of veggies. I sometimes add chicken to this bowl...but I did not today.  It was plenty filling without the chicken. To me the most delicious part of this recipe is the tzatzi...

Meal planning If you are like me, two things are going through your head lately. One, time to reel it in and get my eating back on track. Time to tighten things up and put the holidays sweets away. Two, back to school and evening activities are taking over my calendar in a serious way. How to balance getting the kids everywhere and maintaining a healthy lifestyle for momma (and kids). Planning is key . Every Sunday, during littlests nap I pull out my trusty Lilly Pulitzer planner and get to work planning our weeks meals.  I like to take into account weather... I’m not big of eating soup when its 90 degrees out! On a normal day, we usually eat between 5:30-6:00. We have young kiddos (9,6,2)... the babe of the group goes to bed by 7:30 most nights. That means we can not push supper back too late. One of my kiddos has a 5:30 basketball practice one day a week. On that night, we eat after practice. I try and have something ready to go on those nights. Hello Croc...