Monday Memo + Weekly Menu Plan

I hope you all had a great weekend. Here’s my little Monday memo and my weekly menu plan. I always try to have a meal plan going into the week, but sometimes I still struggle with coming up with healthy ideas. As long as I’m writing mine out, I figure I’ll share what we’re eating for the next few days. (Check out my post on HEALTHY MEAL PLANNING here.)

So, the weekend… Josh and I planned a “day date” to celebrate his birthday last week. We snagged an outside table at The Hope Farm and it was unreal! One of the prettiest restaurants I have been in, the setting was peaceful and the food was colorful, fresh and delicious. We will always order a side of fries to share if they’re on the menu and the Pomme Frites here did not disappoint! The Hope Farm is such a local treasure and we can’t wait to go back, bring our friends and I’m especially looking forward to taking Hugo for brunch on the weekend.

How we’re eating this week: Gluten Free and Dairy Free. Josh is able to add back in eggs so you will see this ingredient pop up a few times. Hugo and I definitely indulge a bit more with gluten and dairy and I eat avocado toast on sourdough bread most mornings, but dinner and my weekly menu plan is always filling and things that Josh can eat.

The Weekly Menu Plan:

Monday | Buffalo Chicken Salad

Here in the south we have a restaurant called Chicken Salad Chick. The entire menu is made of different types of chicken salad and it is amazing! I just discovered the other week that our local spot is also a drive through and is now entirely too convenient. At the same time I’m trying to be more mindful of the PUFAs in my diet (has anyone else fallen into this bunny hole of research too???) so I did some googling and found an recipe for my favorite buffalo chicken salad (I used an avocado oil mayo and no sour cream and it was still perfect).

Don’t miss the tip to use a Kitchen Aid mixer to get the chicken to shred perfectly. This chicken salad is great to use in a sandwich or with chips/crackers/veggies as a dip. Add as much hot sauce as you prefer! Copycat Buffalo Barclay Chicken Salad Recipe HERE

Tuesday | Beef Tacos with Guacamole & Chips

It took me a while to convert, but I will now tell you that we are the biggest fans of Siete Brand foods. I buy the grain-free tortilla chips in giant bags from Costco and love that they use good oils in all of their products. The are a little pricier than similar conventional products ,but I find that they often have sales and I have not tried one single thing that has not wildly impressed me. The taco seasoning is really good. My favorite taco toppings are slaw and guacamole.

Wednesday | Pineapple Chicken & Fried Rice

This is not nearly as unhealthy as it sounds. I always keep this SOY SAUCE (but seriously, what is this price?? Buy it from Walmart and it’s very reasonable) on hand since it is gluten free/soy free, throw in some extra veggies, a few eggs and some Everything Bagel Seasoning on top and you’re good to go. This is the recipe that I’ve been eyeballing for Well Plated Pineapple Chicken and Elizabeth Rider’s Healthy Fried Rice

Thursday | Omelets & Chicken Sausage

Breakfast for dinner is always a hit. I use a plant based cheese for Josh and the real stuff for Hugo and I.

Friday | Beef Chili

One of the weekly rhythms that I’m trying to build in is making soup for dinner on Friday nights. Having the leftovers in the fridge over the weekend make for a super easy lunch or dinner. Chili is one of my favorites cozy main dishes. In case you need a classic chili recipe, here is one for Beef Chili from The Seasoned Mom. Serve with cornbread or tortilla chips.