Seems like everyone’s in meal-planning mode this week!
- Head over to Motherlode today to hear about the Goldsteins, a family of four, who are in need of a little dinner boot camp. Using recipes from Playbook, Bon Appetit, and DALS, I’ll be coaching her through a week of family meals all week long, starting this Sunday, September 7. (The plan includes a shopping list — woo hoo!)
- I also put together a super-delicous, super-easy, one-size-fits-all* weekly game plan for you over at Bon Appetit — the companion to our “Providers” column this month. In addition to telling you what to cook, it also attempts to explain why you should pick certain meals on certain nights of the week. It’s a good line-up.
- And I just found this meal plan (plus shopping list) that I put together for you guys last September — during this same last-chance-for-corn-and-tomatoes time of year. Shall we call it the Last Gasp of Summer Plan?
Enjoy!
*I admit it, this was cheap — there ain’t no such thing.
Love the last gasp summer plan! I’m all about tomatoes for my meal plan for next week – did you see Bon Appetit’s pappa-al-pomodoro soup…? Ah! It’s just begging for lingering summer tomatoes and chunky bread to dip in….
Don’t read the comments at BA, jenny. tough crowd!! (my husband probably won’t go for sandwiches for supper, but that shrimp roll is gonna make him swoon!)
Love that dinner line-up. Lots of good dinner inspiration, as always!
Love this! Once again you rock!
Re: Bon Appetit commenters – Haters gonna hate, especially when they wish they had thought of it themselves… hey jealousy…
Anyways, I love every recipe you provided in all three line-ups. We’re eating a lot less meat these days and there are plenty of creative ways to add other proteins in besides meat. Now I have three week’s of meals to work with! Win win win!
I love how you explain how the leftovers from one day will translate into helping another meal later in the week. Great planning, and advice on thinking ahead to save time, money, energy.
I love meal planning – is it weird that I find it therapeutic?! haha
Hi Jenny, Thank you so much for that meal plan/recipes/shopping list download. I just changed jobs and will be doubling my hours…so Ima gonna need your new book! We made the salmon and asparagus tonight…turned out great!
Thank you so much for these meal plans. They are just what I needed and as always it’s DALS to the rescue. I love the summer menu and we made salmon recipe on Monday’s plan for Motherlode on Saturday and it was delicious. Thank you for all you do!
Jenny,
I’ve been following DALS for several years and you inspired me when my kids were toddlers to fight for the family meal! Your Pork Ragu from your first cookbook is one of our all time family faves (I make it 2-3 times a month and always when we have guests over). I just got The Playbook and I am inspired once again! It’s laid out perfectly and so easy to follow. Thank you once again for inspiring food and conversation around our family table.
Thank you, Jenny! I have been reading your blog for a long time and have enjoyed your recipes and book ideas. Your first book was my go to teacher gift.
I have so far successfully been able to manage the chaos ( well, kind of) in our home with four kids. But this year the lid blew off our normal back to school routine. We have one kid in cross country and that same kid made the swim team so dinner time is going to be wild. Your book came out at a perfect time. Doing your meal plan this week, thanks a million.
Not sure if my comment went through. I complained about the meal line up because few options were kosher (or halal for that matter which doesn’t permit pork) and therefore not usable by many.
Carolyn – There are three menu plans here, and the third one would work best for someone who keeps kosher. You’ll have to make one tweak (omit the bacon/ham from the summer spaghetti dish). Depending on where you stand on the kosher/mayo debate, you might have to replace the mayo in the slaw (for the chicken sandwich) with a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Like I said, there is probably no one-size-fits all menu plan — even in my own house!
My weekend game plan (cook ahead for the week ahead) got derailed by a beautiful day in the park on Sunday. Your plan this week inspired me to boil all of Sunday’s corn last night. Today, I’m making Mexican-style lunch bowls for our lunches this week. I love your columns in Bon Appetit. Thank you!
Love the meal plan you made for the family on Motherlode! Following along with it for the week! The one-pan salmon dish was amazing and gobbled up by my family! thanks Jenny!
This weekend we had your chicken soup all weekend, your chicken meatballs for dinner tonight, and the motherlode groceries are nestled in the fridge for the week ahead. We have four sons and we both work full time, so we usually use a meal plan, bit out was so nice to download yours. Thank you so much for sharing.