Show Notes
Today’s planning-adjacent topic is something we all have to contend with: meal planning! Meghan Splawn is an expert on this topic and I had a great time chatting with her about her peaceful meal planning ritual, ways to handle busy weeknights, favorite kitchen gadgets + more!
Meghan & Stacie’s storefront (including links to the recommended mandoline slicer): https://www.amazon.com/shop/didntijustfeedyou
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More Info:
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Notes:
- Very few (fewer than 5) slots remain for BLP at Home: Planning 2024 – please jump in now if you were planning to do so!
- Voice questions: https://www.speakpipe.com/bestlaidplans
- Send me a text or voice memo – (305) 697-7189
- Sign up for my newsletter here – next edition coming up 12/1!
5 Comments
The worst! Especially since my husband and son are not as convinced as I am that cereal and a piece of fruit = a perfectly acceptable dinner.
I’ve been inspired by the Lazy Genius and adopted a meal matrix for the last 2-3 months and it really helps. Lately, I’ve been flying by the seat of my pants, but when I’m home more, I use my “taste of Asia” and “something complicated Sundays” as a way of getting out my cookbooks and trying something interesting.
I have listened to Megan and Stacy’s podcast for quite awhile and really enjoy both of them! I like the idea of keeping a running list of meals we’ve made/liked in a notes ap to make meal planning easier! I need to start doing that. Right now I write the meals we plan to make at the top of the grocery shopping note that I share with my husband but I should make a new note w/ a running list of what we’ve made. I have a binder of printed out recipes that we have tried and liked. I usually page through that if I need some inspiration.
I love that I knew you were bringing key lime pies to Thanksgiving before you even mentioned it! I have a standard thing I bring to Thanksgiving although mine is less fun – I bring the veggie tray and dips and a brussel sprout salad.
I have also started printing and keeping some of our favourite recipes in a binder to go back to – i have found that a few of my favourite blogs or tv shows have gone offline. Apparently the internet isn’t forever.
I really love cooking and trying new recipes so it’s important to me to have room in the schedule to plan for one or two of those kinds of meals in the week. Family life is busy and it’s easy to default to the tried and true but i am so much happier when i have some novelty.
I love the suggestion of choosing a theme for the week so that you can use a similar set of ingredients in several meals. I started doing this during the pandemic by designating one cookbook from which to make all of our meals for the week. Partly, I wanted to use my cookbooks more thoroughly, rather than just going back to that one recipe over and over. But also a cookbook author often uses the same set of herbs and specialty ingredients, so you’re less likely to waste half a bunch of mint, or all but two sprigs of thyme. This was especially great for Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbooks, his recipes are notorious for requiring so many herbs!
Paprika app is the only app I can say I have used daily for over a decade. All my recipes are stored here and it’s also where I meal plan!