Farm Share & Meal Planning

I am taking a Monday off from my weekly meal plan ... so what put a wrench in my new habit?

I signed up last week for a CSA farm share with a local farm that does drop offs close to my home.  They have a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and for an upfront fee I get a variety box of whatever is fresh for 12 weeks.  I enjoyed buying from this farm at my local farmers market, and love the convince of picking up a box each week and planning my meals around what is inside.

This is my first time doing a farm share even though it has been on my mind for several years now.  With my move to the Charleston, SC area I suddenly had many options to finally purchase a farm share.  I am not sure what to expect in the box that I will pick up on Tuesday so I am temporarily putting my meal planning on hold.

Just thinking about the box that will be waiting for me on Tuesday inspired my photographic mind, as well as wondering what new recipes I will discover.  So for this blog post I wanted to share a few resources that I bookmarked to re-visit when my box arrives.

15 Fresh Vegetable Side Dishes for Summer from Delish

Fruit & Vegetable Recipes from All Recipes

Farm Share Survival Guide from Babble

Recipes from Local Dish

So the plan is to go the grocery store and stock up on some meats for the freezer, and other basics.  Then I will see what it in my box tomorrow and go from there!

If you are interested in trying out a farm share check out Local Harvest -- that's where I found mine!


* Images & text copyright 2012 Brooke Photo Studio

Week #11 Meal Plan

Welcome to Week #11 of my meal planning experiment!


I am exhausted this week as I write this blog post, and not feeling too adventurous so I think I will pick mostly from old favorites and have a week of comfort food.

Here's the plan for this week :

{old favorites}

Sausage Stuffed Shells & Homemade Sauce - frozen from past cooking days to make for an easy dinner.

Steak with Quick Mushroom "Risotto"

Roasted Chicken with Mixed Vegetables

Lemon Pepper Marinated Pork Chops on the Grill with Grilled Asparagus

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms & Green Beans

{new recipes} 

Maple Mustard Pork Tenderloin with Baked Sweet Potatoes
Lemon Chicken Stir Fry

{baking project - if I have time!}
Low Carb Chewy Chocolate Fudge Protein Bars

View my other meal planning blog entries at this link.  They are all packed with good recipes so enjoy!



* Images & text copyright 2012 Brooke Photo Studio

Week 10 Meal Plan

Welcome to Week #10 of my meal planning experiment!

Last week involved a lot of things to do and celebrating so we didn't get to eat all of the planned meals - I didn't even make it to the grocery store until Friday!  My husband made some of his fabulous pasta sauce & turkey meatballs over the weekend so that gives us a good supply in the freezer as well as to enjoy during the week.

Here's the plan for this week :

{old favorites}

Mostly Veggie with some Chicken Fajitas (No recipe here - I just poach the chicken and steam the veggies)
Pasta & Turkey Meatballs Leftover from the Weekend Cooking Spree!

{new recipes} 

Chicken Cacciatore
Maple Mustard Pork Tenderloin
Lemon Chicken Stir Fry

Mini Greek Lamb Burgers with Roasted Potatoes

{baking project - if I have time!}
Black Bean Brownies as suggested by An Organic Wife - You may have noticed that I haven't baked since the beginning weeks of this experiment!  It is still on my to-do list and someday I will find the time.

View my other meal planning blog entries at this link.  They are all packed with good recipes so enjoy!



* Images & text copyright 2012 Brooke Photo Studio

Week 9 Meal Plan

Welcome to Week #9 of my meal planning experiment!

This week I have to say that I am really looking forward to some more turkey chili!  My schedule is getting busier so although we enjoy eating at home a class on Tuesday nights will likely make that an eating out night (we have a Groupon to use this week!), and pizza night will likely remain at the end of the week.  I am going to plan 6 meals as usual and see what happens this week, adjusting next week if necessary.

Here's the plan for this week :

{old favorites}

1-2-3 Alarm Turkey Chili with White Rice - Yes I have to have this AGAIN this week.  It was so good!
Mostly Veggie with some Chicken Fajitas (No recipe here - I just poach the chicken and steam the veggies)
Stuffed Shells with Sauce & Fresh Crusty Bread (frozen from

{new recipes} 

Chicken Cacciatore
Maple Mustard Pork Tenderloin
Lemon Chicken Stir Fry

{baking project - if I have time!}
Black Bean Brownies as suggested by An Organic Wife - You may have noticed that I haven't baked since the beginning weeks of this experiment!  It is still on my to-do list and someday I will find the time.

View my other meal planning blog entries at this link.  They are all packed with good recipes so enjoy!



* Images & text copyright 2012 Brooke Photo Studio

Week 8 Meal Plan

Welcome to Week #8 of my meal planning experiment!

I have been traveling to see family up in surprisingly sunny Connecticut so this week's meal plan will be a short one.  Monday is never a great day to grocery shop so I am going to plan meals for Wednesday - Monday and we will likely eat out somewhere between on the weekend.









Here's the plan for this week :

{old favorites}

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Marinated in Spicy Soy Sauce & Fresh Grilled Zucchini
1-2-3 Alarm Turkey Chili with White Rice - Yes I have to have this AGAIN this week.  It was so good!
Lighter Chicken Enchiladas
Steak with Quick Mushroom "Risotto"

{new recipes} 

Chicken Cacciatore
Slow Roasted Garlic Chicken with Roasted Vegetables



{baking project - if I have time!}
Black Bean Brownies as suggested by An Organic Wife

View my other meal planning blog entries at this link.  They are all packed with good recipes so enjoy!


* Images & text copyright 2012 Brooke Photo Studio

Recipes & Meal Plan for This Week

Welcome to Week #7 of my meal planning experiment!

I am loving the warm weather as I go on my weekly grocery shopping trips.  An errand with the sunroof open is simply more pleasant then it was on a chilly day.  This week I am adding in a few meals from weeks past that I have ingredients for, but haven't cooked yet to help clean out the fridge & will make for an easy shopping trip.

I also wanted to share with you another benefit of meal planning - I have fallen into such a routine for food shopping that I know exactly how much to budget now.  With my smaller trips, and larger stock up trips the numbers were much more variable, but after meal planning for 7 weeks now I can see more of a pattern in my spending.

Here's the plan for this week :

{old favorites}

Turkey BBQ with Sweet Potato Fries & Steamed Corn
Pasta with Pesto, Fresh Italian Bread and Salad
Lighter Chicken Enchiladas
Cayenne Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa & Fresh Green Salad

{new recipes}

Chicken with Green Sauce and Roasted Tomatoes
1-2-3 Alarm Turkey Chili with White Rice

{baking project - if I have time!}
Black Bean Brownies as suggested by An Organic Wife

View my other meal planning blog entries at this link.  They are all packed with good recipes so enjoy!




* Images & text copyright 2012 Brooke Photo Studio

Week 6 Meal Plan Experiement

Welcome to Week #6 of my meal planning experiment!

Last week I made the mistake of not printing out the new recipes for the week when I wrote the blog post so I kept having to go back to the blog and look things up.  This week I will print it out as I go to simplify!

I thought this week I would try something different - I asked my husband to pick out some recipes.  I think he saw the task as work, but I hope that he took the opportunity to chose some good meals that he will enjoy.

Which leads me to my #1 question in the kitchen - Does he really like what I am cooking?  My husband is sweet and will eat whatever I prepare or shop for him to prepare - but does he really like it?

So here are the husband's picks for the week!

{old favorites}
Crock Pot Lemon Chicken
Grilled Steak with Green Beans and a Salad (must be a "normal" salad - croutons and no fancy lettuce!)
Lighter Chicken Enchiladas
Cayenne Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa & Couscous Stuffed Bell Peppers (we have some frozen and want to see how they fared)

{new recipes}
1-2-3 Alarm Turkey Chili with White Rice
Lemon Pepper Marinated Pork Chops on the Grilled with Grilled Onions, Grape Tomatoes & Mushrooms


{baking project - if I have time!}
Black Bean Brownies as suggested by An Organic Wife

View my other meal planning blog entries at this link.  They are all packed with good recipes so enjoy!

* This post contains affiliate links, but I was not paid by the manufacturer to review this product - I just like it! I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255. Images & text copyright 2012 Brooke Photo Studio

Weekly Meal Plan

Welcome to Week #5 of my meal planning experiment!

I'm a day late this week since we had an extra dinner out last week to celebrate 3 wonderful years together.  But now I find that even though I am slammed with work I am also reluctant to go to the grocery store without a plan!

Here's the plan for this week :

{old favorites}

Cornish Game Hens with Stuffing, Roasted Red Potatoes & Green Beans
Crab Cakes with Cilantro Lime Sauce & Roasted Asparagus
Mushroom Herb Chicken with Baked Sweet Potatoes
Turkey BBQ with Sweet Potato Fries & Steamed Corn

{new recipes}

Chicken Piccata with Artichoke Hearts
Mushroom Appetizers with Grilled Pork Tenderloin Marinated in Spicy Soy Sauce & Fresh Grilled Zucchini

{baking project - if I have time!}
Black Bean Brownies as suggested by An Organic Wife

View my other meal planning blog entries at this link.  They are all packed with good recipes so enjoy!

Weekly Meal Plan

Welcome to Week #4 of my meal planning experiment! So far it is saving me time, money, and grocery shopping which are all good things.  The meal plans are also proving to be helpful in trying out new recipes as well.  Last week I only did okay with the meal plan, altering some of the recipes to suit my tastes, and I did have to make one extra grocery trip.  Overall it was still much more convenient then my old winging it approach ever was.

The way I see it is even if we don't cook exactly what is on the menu, I have food in the house for 6 complete meals which makes improvising easy if we are not in the mood for one of the dishes selected.  All of the recipes get printed out, and if they are good end up in my custom made cook book that I blogged about when I first started this blog.

Weekends and Monday's are crazy for me so I am making this weeks list 7 meals instead of 6 to postpone my next grocery shopping trip if needed.  This weeks menu took me a little longer to create because I was more in the mood for new recipes then the things we normally cook around the house.  It should make for a yummy week!


{old favorites}
Sausage Stuffed Shells with Garden Salad & Fresh Bread
Cornish Game Hens with Stuffing, Roasted Red Potatoes & Green Beans

{new recipes}
Cornmeal Crusted Chicken Nuggets with Blackberry Mustard  & Potato Salad

Crab Cake Burgers & Tomato Cucumber Salad
Beer Beef Fajitas with Chips & Salsa
Mustard Tarragon Roast Chicken with Egg Noodles

Steak with Quick Mushroom "Risotto"

{baking project - if I have time!}
.77 Carrot Cake as suggested by An Organic Wife

View my other meal planning blog entries at this link.  They are all packed with good recipes so enjoy!

Weekly Meal Planning

Welcome to Week #3 of my meal planning experiment! So far it is saving me time, money, and grocery shopping which are all good things.  The meal plans are also proving to be helpful in trying out new recipes as well.

The way I see it is even if we don't cook exactly what is on the menu, I have food in the house for 6 complete meals which makes improvising easy if we are not in the mood for one of the dishes selected.  All of the recipes get printed out, and if they are good end up in my custom made cook book that I blogged about when I first started this blog.

One other tidbit - I am also finding myself taking more advantage of meats on sale, and family size portions to throw in the freezer.  I have gotten out of that meal by meal shopping mentality, and with this buying for a week list in mind I am getting better deals.  I do use coupons from time to time, but not in an extreme way.  I never buy anything I don't need for the next week.

So Week #3 here we go!

{old favorites}
Sausage Stuffed Shells with Garden Salad
Mushroom Herb Chicken with Green Beans
Pork Chops with Mushrooms & Shallots and a Garden Salad.
Grilled Steak with Mixed Grilled Vegetables
Cornish Game Hens with Stuffing & Tomato Cucumber Salad


{new recipes}
Turkey BBQ with Sweet Potato Fries & Steamed Corn

{baking project - if I have time!}
Black Bean Brownies as suggested by An Organic Wife

View my other meal planning blog entries at this link.  They are all packed with good recipes so enjoy!

Food Ideas for the Week

Well ... it is Monday so I am supposed to have 6 meals planned for the week!  I did okay last week.  We ended up eating out on Wednesday, but the meal plan did result in less grocery trips, and quick and easy dinners.  So I am trying it again this week.  I don't promise to blog it out every week ... we will see how it goes.

The plan is to map out 6 dinners leaving day 7 for eating out, and go grocery shopping on Monday's.  I am trying to plan on 2 old favorites, and 4 new recipes to try to bring some excitement into my kitchen.  So here is what I came up with for this week.

{old favorites}
Pasta with Chicken & Homemade Pesto and a Garden Salad
Spaghetti & Meatballs - we ate out twice last week and missed this one!


{new recipes}
Roast Beef with Baked Sweet Potatoes & Steamed Corn
Skinny Mozzarella Cheese Sticks with Chicken Quesadillas
Baked Chicken with Dijon and Lime with Baked Asparagus & Tomatoes
Pork Chops with Mushrooms & Shallots and a Garden Salad.

{baking project - if I have time!}
.77 Carrot Cake as suggested by An Organic Wife

I do have to say the process only took me about half of the time this week!  It looks like it will be a tasty week in my home.  View my other meal planning blog entries at this link.  They are all packed with good recipes so enjoy!

Monday Meal Planning

In my adventures reading around the Blogosphere I often see people planning out their meals for the week on Monday.  This could save me so much time and grocery shopping trips during the week, but it is taking the time to plan such a thing that is complicated.

First of all Monday is the busiest day of my work week, I have been under a pile of paperwork since I came in, and I came in early.  I have photo shoots to start, and other tasks to complete.  I might have to move this project to another day.

Second my grand plan was to plan a meal that I have all the ingredients for to cook for dinner tonight so I won't have to run to the store after I am done at the studio, but come to find out that the recipe I had in mind needs 2 more critical ingredients to complete. 

I am not real big on the eat this on Monday, and that on Tuesday plan.  I like to decide what I want to eat as I go along, but I do see the benefit in planning out meals for the week before going to the grocery store.  So I am going to plan out 6 meals as I write this post, leaving one day for a meal out.




Here's what I came up with :

{old favorites}
Weight Watchers Balsamic Chicken & Mushrooms with steamed zucchini
Lighter Chicken Enchiladas with avocado Slices
Pasta with Turkey Meatballs and Salad - we have extras frozen from last time we made this!

{new recipes to try!}
Balsamic Marinated Steak with Two Potato Salad and green beans
Mustard Crusted Turkey Breast with Carrots & Broccoli
Lighter General Tso's Chicken with Snow Peas & Rice

{dessert - if I ever find the time ...}
Red Velvet Cupcakes

I will report back and let you know if the time I spent planning this (about an hour...) saved me any time this week.