They say it takes 30 days to make something a habit. If that is the case, I am so proud to have made it through my first month of make-ahead meals. Our activities schedule has slowed down considerably, but I still saw the value in it this week. I am able to put in more work on the site and I also am squeezing in more time to read thanks to the preparations that I have made for the week. Overall, I still am finding lots of value in it, especially in our family’s dining out budget.
Have you used Mint before to track your spending? If you aren’t sure how much you are spending on the different categories in your life, you can link your bank account to it and it will compartmentalize all of the areas of your spending for free. You can look at little pie charts at where you money is going and it can be incredibly enlightening especially when it comes to your food budget. It is through this program that I am able to see what a benefit these preparations have been for us and managing my other spending in the process. I’m a big fan especially of the email alerts when spending is out of hand. Especially when you are on vacation (GULP!) and the alerts are flying- ha!
Let’s get cooking!
Approximate Time for Preparation- 3 hours plus clean-up!
The MomAdvice Make-Ahead (Week 5- see previous weeks here)
Carnita Meat (prepped the seasoning mix ahead in a container to pour over the pork in the morning)
Homemade Pizza Sauce (I stole one from our freezer this week!)
Pizza Dough (I bagged the dry ingredients for my homemade pizza)
Roasted Chicken (NEW TUTORIAL!! for salads & wraps)
Grapes (removed from the vine, but I didn’t rinse so they don’t get moldy!)
Brown Rice (four cups)- (NEW TUTORIAL!!)
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili (had this simmering away while I prepped)
Chopped Romaine Hearts (for tacos and side salads)
Spaghetti Sauce
Brussels Sprouts (trimmed)- to be made into Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Broccoli (chopped and bagged)
Cracker Barrel Chicken Tenders (triple-batched the tenders and put in a bag to marinade)
Chopped Carrots & Celery (I store these in water)
Chopped Bell Peppers
Green Smoothie Packets (I use this recipe and froze the strawberries, bananas, and fresh spinach in packets for the morning.)
Meal Plan
Breakfasts- Green Smoothies
Lunches- Leftovers , Chicken Wraps or Salads, Pumpkin Chili
Dinners-
Monday- Gluten-Free Carnitas with Tortilla Chips (we also created rice bowls from our prepared rice)
Tuesday- Cracker Barrel Style Chicken Tenders, Brown Rice, & Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Wednesday- Spaghetti Night, Steamed Broccoli, & Grapes
Thursday- Homemade Pumpkin Chili & Grilled Cheese
Friday: Homemade Pizza Night
Saturday- SAYSFN (Seek and Ye Shall Find Night)
Sunday- SAYSFN (Seek and Ye Shall Find Night)
I hope you enjoy this make-ahead feast inspiration! Happy Monday, friends!! xo