Menu Planner Week of May 1

I’m pretty sure food was my first true love. As long as I can remember, I was interested in what we were eating and curious about how it was made. As a child, I thought the grocery store was a giant world of possibilities and endless inspiration. To this day, going to the grocery store is one of my favorite things to do. Wandering the aisles of the grocery store isn’t just a necessary errand for me. I am inspired by new products on the shelves and get excited by seasonal produce announcing the arrival of spring, summer, fall, or winter.

The first thing I ever made as a child was a tomato sandwich. During summers in Wisconsin, I would slather mayonnaise on white bread, add thick slices of perfectly ripened, peak season tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. I have no idea how I thought to do this as a kid because it certainly wasn’t your average bologna sandwich. What’s interesting to me is that the way I eat hasn’t changed that much. My mom can attest to the fact that since I was a toddler, I knew exactly what I wanted to eat, would go to great lengths to get it and took great pleasure in it.

How do you think about food? Do you look at it as fuel for your body? A way to bring your family to the table to connect after a long day? Is it a chore or a pleasure to make? I look at food as a special gift to myself and my family. I know how good it feels to crave something very specific and how special it is to finally get that delicious first bite. That burst of culinary joy and satisfaction is what I’m after when I feed my family.

My menus are designed in hopes of meeting the needs of my family and making everyone happy. When you take the following into account, it isn’t such an easy task:

*Flavor – I don’t want to serve the same kind of food every night so I like to balance out regional food. My family is very capable of going on a serious bender and working something they love to death and then never want to see it again. So, we take trips around the world each week at dinner and I try not to stop in the same region twice in one week. So, I keep things interesting with a combination of Italian, Mexican, American, Asian, etc.

*Proteins – To shake things up, I offer a variety of proteins like chicken, beef, turkey, and fish. No one wants to eat beef every night. While I’m not a nutritionist, I’m sure a diet of just beef is not very good for you. So, to keep things healthy and balanced, I mix up my nightly protein.

*Likes & Dislikes – My family has no shortage of opinions about food. Lily isn’t a fan of pasta but loves Asian food and would eat it every night (see the first bullet point!). Jake doesn’t eat cheese and Doug likes to eat clean. PHEW. That alone is a lot to manage.

*Experimenting – It’s hard to experiment with kids. I usually only offer one new thing a week, and when I do, I always have a “safe food” on the table. For example, if my kids have never had the Mongolian Meatballs on this week’s menu, I will serve it with things that are familiar and “safe” for them like rice, broccoli, and potstickers. Trying new foods for kids is exhausting and scary. Finding foods on the table that they recognize is comforting.

*Cost – no one wants to blow the bank every week on food. I don’t jam tons of expensive ingredients into a week because that just stresses me out! I don’t offer a week of super pricey beef, fish, and out of season produce that was flown in first class from across the globe. Most kids don’t care about impressive, expensive food. They just want good food that makes them full and and happy!

This week’s menu is one that is sure to work for my family. I’m offering a lovely Lemon Pasta with Shrimp by Giada, Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers in Tomato Sauce, Potato Tostadas, and Cafe Delites Mongolian Meatballs. My family will love these dinners and I hope yours does, too!

Enjoy!
-xo