more, please! your weekly meal survival guide #1
1 breakfast, 4 lunches & dinners, & 1 dessert
welcome to my new cozy hub on the internet <3 i’m excited to have you here with me on substack. most of you guys know the run down at this point with the sunday newsletter, but for the new friends in the crew, hello! every sunday i send out a meal plan to help make your week a bit less chaotic and (hopefully) a bit more delicious.
meal time can be stressful and that is something i am here to help with. this doesn’t mean you need to spend hours in the kitchen meal prepping each week either. my approach is more of a meal plan philosophy. spend some time sunday morning or whenever mapping out the week ahead. see what is on your schedule and what you are craving. then make a grocery list, stock up and do your thing (however you want!). maybe that means partially prepping a meal or cooking the night of - you do what works best for you! i personally find a mix of both is the sweet spot for us.
now let’s dive in to this week ..
this week’s menu was curated with valentine’s day in mind. some cozy date night at home recipes for you! starting with this copycat starbucks banana walnut pecan bread is like you are at starbucks without the price tag!! it is super easy to make and will be a family favorite! plus it is made with much simpler ingredients than starbs (sorrrryy starbucks ily).
then for dessert we are making my deep dish chocolate chip cookie skillets for two! because who doesn’t love a lava-like cookie recipe for dessert?!
BONUS DESSERT: my better than boxed mix devil’s food sheet cake because why not face plant into a tray of absolute chocolatey goodness?!
these meals will make your (maybe romantic) dinner menu?!! or maybe. they’re the meal you are cooking whenever - either way you will love. here is what is on the menu this week - one pot high-protein lasagna soup, french onion soup meatballs, marry me chicken meatballs + mongolian beef noodles.
here are some of my favorite cooking tools to make these recipes:
dutch oven - no, not like the phrase your husband prob says (lol) but this is great for soups, stews and of course going from stovetop to oven!
cast iron skillet - a GEM for cooking and baking! every kitchen needs this imo.
meat handling gloves - 15 years into cooking and i still cannot stand touching raw meat. i love these gloves!
stainless steel pans - we tossed any toxic cookware last month and this set is gorgeous and stainless steel, which yes is a labor of love to cook on but it is top notch!
meat masher - my mom told me to buy this last year and it is GOLD! makes breaking up ground meat so much easier.
valentine's day is right around the corner and i know gift shopping can feel SO overwhelming and maybe even unnecessary?! but you know gift giving is my love language so i've got you covered with the most amazing gifts for literally everyone in your life. click here to see my guide for the queens, for the guys, and for the kids! and this blog post for the full rundown on what to make and dye-free candies!
and of course check out what we cooked in january over on Instagram
So much goodness!!! The cookie skillet is one of our favorites! Thank you for the roundup! 🤍🤍