Hello! We are home from vacation and I am getting back into the cooking groove! After such a long break I am actually really looking forward to it.

Before we get to this week’s dinner plans, I need to tell you about the dinner that Nate and I had last night. Today is our 15th wedding anniversary (TIME FLIES! Happy anniversary, Nate!). Last night Veladora at the Rancho Valencia hotel in Rancho Santa Fe hosted us for dinner to celebrate. There are no words for how wonderful our evening was, but I’m going to give it a try! (Seriously, in the time it took for us to drive off the hotel property we must have said, “That dinner was awesome!” twenty times.) First of all, the food. Ahhh, the food. Nate ordered prime rib cap and I was treated to scallops. Both dishes were unreal. The rib cap was a beautiful cut of meat cooked to perfection, and my scallops were paired with three different corn sides that complemented the scallops beautifully. All of the food we had was wonderful, right down to the 18-year old balsamic vinegar for dipping the focaccia. Chef Matt came out to meet us at the end of our meal and it was so interesting talking with him about the food, how the menu is developed and modified with the seasons, as well as his own career path. Beyond the food, the serving staff was stellar and the restaurant itself was beautiful. The best part was that, despite the high caliber of the restaurant, we felt comfortable and relaxed, thanks to both the setting and the staff. Oh, and they gave us a little gift on the way out the door that was, of course, a tasty treat. It was truly the perfect way to celebrate our latest life milestone. Thank you, Veladora, for a night we will not soon forget.

Despite the fact that I pretty much don’t want to eat any other food ever after Veladora, real life dictates that I still have to feed my family. So, back to the weekly menu!

MONDAY:
– Caprese salad with crusty bread
– Stewed green beans

TUESDAY:
– Taco night

WEDNESDAY:
– Grammy’s Orange Chicken
– Rice and veggie

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– Takeout night

SATURDAY:
– Chicken on the grill
– Corn on the cob and watermelon

SUNDAY:
– Quiche
– Spinach and strawberry salad

Click here for the free printable of this week’s menu plus the shopping list!

Big THANKS to all of you who continued posting menus the last few weeks while I took a break. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it!

As usual, please share your menu for the week! Plain or fancy, we want to see it all!

Hi everyone! I’m getting a late start today after a very long night with our little Owen and another bout of croup. He’s doing well now, but pretty much everyone in the family feels like a zombie. Happy vacation to us! 😉

This is our last week of traveling, so no menu for us once again! But I’ll be back in the game next week. I really appreciate everyone who has been loyally posting menus the last few weeks while I’ve been taking time off from the kitchen. Your dinner plans are wonderful and a great inspiration to everyone.

So, here we go…my weekly beg for your menus! Please share your dinner plans for the week!

Happy belated Fourth of July! On Friday night my parent’s neighbors shot off a bunch of totally awesome {most definitely illegal} fireworks at their house, so we enjoyed a show right from my parents’ porch. Then on Saturday night we went to Vernon Township, New Jersey for their show put on by the local fire department. I’ve been going to big city fireworks shows for so many years that I forgot how wonderful a small town show is. It was perfect in so many ways.

Fireworks from the back porch!

I have a kinda-sorta-menu this week! I’m not going to get all fancy with a PDF and stuff because it’s not a particularly helpful menu for anyone, but at least it’s on paper, right? 😉

MONDAY:
– Fondue night! (We’re going to try making fondue with the kids, I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes!)

TUESDAY:
– Taco night

WEDNESDAY:
– Chicken and hot dogs on the grill
– Corn on the cob and fresh fruit

THURSDAY:
– Eat out

FRIDAY:
– Leftovers

SATURDAY:
– Driving back up to New England that evening, eating on the road

SUNDAY:
– Not even sure what town we’ll be in that night, so playing it by ear!

Your turn! Please pretty please with a cherry on top share your menu for the week! We need your inspiration!

Hi, everyone! Still on vacation, still not planning a menu! We are having a great time here on the East Coast and, as usual, it’s almost shocking how green it is out here. We definitely miss all these trees. I’m going to share some of our food finds with you this week, but for today just a quick snap of sunset over Mount Monadnock.

You know the drill…please share your menu for the week! I need you to inspire one another since I’m a useless vacationer!

Happy Sunday! Sooooo…I’m not planning a menu this week because it’s vacation time! We are headed to the northeast to visit all the grandparents and we are SO excited for our trip! Toyota will be lending us a hybrid Highlander again this year for our trip for the miles and miles and miles of driving we’ll be doing.

This is one of the few weeks of the year that I let myself take a break from meal planning. Which makes you sharing your menus even more important! We need your menus so you can get inspiration from one another! Please share your marvelous menus, no matter how fancy or plain!

See you on the east coast!

Happy Father’s Day! All Nate wants today is to surf and watch the World Cup. Done and done! We’ll feed him some yummy food, too!

Menu time!

MONDAY:
– Chili
– Corn chips

TUESDAY:
– Aaron and Lindsay’s Chicken Tortilla Soup Extravaganza!

WEDNESDAY:
– Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
– Salad

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– Takeout night

SATURDAY:
– Hamburgers on the grill
– Watermelon and salad

SUNDAY:
– Breakfast for dinner (details TBD)

Click here for the free printable of this week’s menu plus the shopping list!

You know the drill, it’s time for everyone to share their menu for the week! Thank you!!!

Confession: I didn’t even go to the grocery store last week, let alone follow my menu! I blame the end of the school year – it’s always so crazy! So, we have a few carry-overs from last week, which is nice in one way because it’s make the planning easier! 😉

MONDAY:
– Chili
– Corn chips

TUESDAY:
– Chicken Caesar Wraps
– Chips and carrots with dip

WEDNESDAY:
– Pat’s Oriental Chicken Salad
– Potstickers

THURSDAY:
– Last day of school! I think we’ll go to Islands to celebrate!

FRIDAY:
– Leftovers

SATURDAY:
– Chicken on the grill
– Potato salad and watermelon

SUNDAY:
– Happy Father’s Day! Steak, roasted potatoes and salad

Click here for the free printable of this week’s menu plus the shopping list!

Okey, dokey! Your turn! Can’t wait to see what you have planned for dinner this week!

My house really needed to be cleaned this weekend but, alas, the berries were calling and I spent all of my free time making this year’s supply of freezer jam. And, by the way, I do believe that indicates that my priorities are in order. Also, I sure wish it was practical for me to put all the jam into Bonne Maman jars, but I only have three on hand. But seriously, how cute?!?

Can’t believe it’s time to plan another menu!

MONDAY:
– Turkey Boursin Baguettes
– Fresh Fruit

TUESDAY:
– Chili
– Corn chips

WEDNESDAY:
– Chicken Caesar Wraps
– Chips and carrots with dip

THURSDAY:
– Leftovers

FRIDAY:
– Takeout night

SATURDAY:
– Going to dinner with some out-of-town friends

SUNDAY:
– Pat’s Oriental Chicken Salad
– Potstickers

Click here for the free printable of this week’s menu plus the shopping list!

You know the drill – share your menus for the week! Can’t wait to see what you’ve got cooking!

Happy Sunday! I can’t believe it’s already time to plan the weekly menu!

I have a few carry-overs from my last menu. Last week just didn’t go as planned, but whatever…those weeks happen!

MONDAY:
– Happy Memorial Day! Grill night: hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, and more!

TUESDAY:
– Malibu Melt Wraps

WEDNESDAY:
– Nachos (Anna’s idea!)

THURSDAY:
– Egg scrambles (mixed with whatever we yummy additions are in the fridge) and fresh fruit

FRIDAY:
– Take out night

SATURDAY:
– Homemade pizza night

SUNDAY:
– Turkey Boursin Baguettes
– Fresh fruit

Click here for the free printable of this week’s menu plus the shopping list!

You know the drill, please share your menu for the week, no matter how plain or fancy!

Are you ready to get to the meal planning for the week? I am! Here goes!

MONDAY:
– Chili and corn chips

TUESDAY:
– Spaghetti and meatballs
– Salad

WEDNESDAY:
– Nachos (Anna’s idea!)

THURSDAY:
– Egg scrambles (mixed with whatever we yummy additions are in the fridge) and fresh fruit

FRIDAY:
– Take out night

SATURDAY:
– Grill night: hot dogs, hamburgers, that kind of stuff

SUNDAY:
– Swedish pancakes (I still haven’t made these…but I am bound and determined to make them happen, so on the menu they go!)
– Fresh fruit

Click here for the free printable of this week’s menu plus the shopping list!

I don’t know about you, but I am soooo grateful for everyone who shares their menus each week! It really is such a great help and inspiration when I plan every Sunday, so thank you for the ideas. You know the drill, please post your weekly menu!