it’s been the most beautiful weekend, and the forecast ahead looks just as wonderful… fingers crossed this means early spring is here to stay! i’m excited to see some fresh flavors creeping into the menu…

MONDAY //

Baked Chicken Parmesan Meatballs w/ Creamy Polenta
notes: made this exactly as-is (doubled the meatballs for leftovers), and it was delicious. Will make again!

Arugula Parmesan Salad w/ Simple Lemon Vinaigrette
notes: what can I say? just keep coming back to this… I like using the wild rocket arugula from TJ’s.

TUESDAY //

Tacos w/ Chips & Salsa

Cupcakes w/ Sweet Potato Frosting
notes: since it was valentine’s day, I wanted to do something a little special for the occasion. whipped up some cupcakes from TJ’s box cake mix. topped them with this frosting, which is both ridiculously healthy and delicious. not usually a big fan of frosting myself, but this is so good. I simply baked 4-5 small sweet potatoes at 450 for about an hour. squeezed the potato into my food processor and added a couple generous handfuls of semisweet chocolate chips. that’s it. the frosting thickens as it cools, and is really beautiful chilled. none of the kids noticed, which is a pretty big win in my book. definitely recommend trying this!

WEDNESDAY //

date night / Kids had TJ’s Mandarin Orange Chicken w/ Jasmine Rice (both from the freezer section)
notes: my sister turned me on to this easy weeknight dinner. you can have the rice packets on hand for perfect, mess-less rice in 3 minutes. and the kids loved it too!

THURSDAY //

Paprika Chicken & Spinach w/ White Wine Butter Sauce
notes: I ended up using 5-6 chicken breasts, and used 1-2 tsp dried thyme instead of fresh. It was quick, easy, flavorful and smelled amazing.

Candied Brussels Sprouts w/ Bacon & Maple Glaze
notes: I love good roasted brussels sprouts and these might have been my favorite recipe so far. Can’t beat it for ease, and obviously you can’t go wrong with anything bacon and maple in my book.

Crispy Salt & Vinegar Smashed Potatoes
notes: second time making these and they were just as good as I remember. Some of my baby potatoes were a little on the larger side, so next time I’d probably cut them in half so everything is proportional. These were a great sides combo, as they cooked at the same temperature as the brussels.

FRIDAY //

Homemade Pizza for the kids
The Mean Green Detox Salad w/ Grilled Chicken for the grown-ups
notes: so fresh, so good. I overcooked my chickpeas and coconut — watch it closely as it will def burn quick! but it was still delicious. We omitted the hemp & chia seeds. But definitely include the grapefruit and avocado. Mmmmm. Also used regular shaved parmesan instead of the vegan version. This made a big bowl of salad with enough for leftovers for lunch the next day. Good stuff.

SATURDAY //

CrockPot Beer Chicken
notes: this is a super easy, super flavorful dish that I always come back to when I need something simple. definitely recommend smothering the chicken in the juices when serving. You can also shred it and top with bbq sauce for pulled chicken.

Sweet Potato Fries – TJ’s freezer section wins.

Cranberry Apple Coleslaw
notes: I like to make this with the TJ’s broccoli slaw. quick easy and flavorful. This was a great, busy day meal — threw the chicken in the crockpot in the morning, and whipped up the slaw. All I had to do at dinner time was put the fries in the oven and we were good to go. Love those kind of meals.

SUNDAY //

out