Good morning and Happy Tuesday to YOU! How is your week going so far? All is well over here. We spent most of yesterday getting back into the weekday groove and since I neglected my usual meal prep and grocery shopping on Sunday this past weekend, I ended up doing a lot of it yesterday, so I figured it might make a decent theme for a blog post since I always love seeing how other people figure out what they’re going to eat every week!
Morning
My morning began dark and early as usual. I woke up to the alarm at 5 a.m. and immediately headed into the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee with whole milk and collagen to sip on while I cranked out some work. About 45 minutes later, I was ready for breakfast and dug into the vegan protein overnight oats I quickly threw together on Sunday evening. (Sorry for the lack of photos but I didn’t initially plan to recap my Monday on the blog and am SO out of the habit of snapping lots of food pics these days!) I ate as I continued to work, taking a short break to say goodbye to Ryan before Chase woke up a little after 7 a.m.
Once Chase was up, we went about our usual morning routine and got dressed upstairs before making our way into the kitchen where we both had a Paleo blender muffin topped with some peanut butter. Chase neglected about half of his muffin in favor of using his spoon (which he calls his “mooch” and we have no idea why) to scoop up some yogurt instead. While Chase and I ate, I took a few minutes to throw together a meal plan for the week and write out a grocery list.
- Monday: Slow cooker chicken thighs (I added chicken broth to my easy baked miso chicken thighs and it worked well in the crock pot!) with mashed sweet potatoes and sautéed Swiss chard
- Tuesday: Sheet pan salmon with roasted potatoes and green beans (Planning to share this recipe soon! I tested it a week or so ago and it’s awesome! I just need to photograph it, which I plan to do tomorrow.)
- Wednesday: Easy marinated pork chops with roasted fennel and beet salad (Salad recipe from The Performance Paleo Cookbook)
- Thursday: Ravioli with marinara sauce (Ravioli is Parla Pasta’s frozen spinach ravioli and it’s delicious!)
- Friday: Shrimp and grits (Recipe from The Performance Paleo Cookbook)
Workout + Play Date
We didn’t have too much time to waste after breakfast before we had to head off to the gym!
While Chase spent the next 45 minutes with his Burn Boot Camp childcare buddies, I went through a cardio workout with my girlfriends that included four one-minute rounds of the following exercises:
- Equalizer sprinters
- Grasshopper burpees
- Ladder in-and-outs
- Jump rope
- BOSU ball hop-overs
The workout incorporated some tuck jumps and v-ups in between rounds as well, so I was a sweaty mess by the end!
With my workout of the day d-o-n-e, it was time for toddler playtime! My friend Lauren and I took our little ones from boot camp straight to Gymboree’s open gym where they had a blast running around and climbing all over everything.
We said our goodbyes around 11 a.m. because I was determined to sneak in some grocery shopping before naptime. Thankfully Chase was in a great mood and had a blast driving the car cart at the grocery store. (Bless whoever invented those things!!!)
The trip was a smooth one and we made it home with enough time for me to unload everything and even throw together a frittata before Chase went down for his nap.
(Quick tip: I’ve had some of you guys complain that refrigerating frittatas makes them watery/gross the next day. I used to feel the same way but ever since I started putting a paper towel at the bottom of the glass container I use to store my frittatas, I’ve noticed it soaks up most of the liquid and makes the frittata way more appetizing! I also let it cool completely before refrigerating.)
Afternoon
Chase ate lunch in his highchair while I prepped the frittata and chopped a bunch of different veggies I’m planning to use in lunches and dinners this week. Once Chase was asleep, I grabbed a quick shower before sitting down to eat two pieces of the frittata I made along with a cup of blueberry Siggi’s yogurt and a pear for lunch.
As usual, I spent the rest of Chase’s naptime working, pausing briefly for a snack break of cheese and crackers and a golden milk latte.
Chase’s nap flew by, as usual. I can usually count on a two-hour nap (sometimes more if I’m lucky) from our little dude, but yesterday he was up after an hour and a half and ready to play. After snack for Chase, we headed out to a local park to have fun on some slides for a while before we spent some time exploring a nature trail. Our day rounded out with a trip to the library to return some books and check out a few more and as we were leaving, I received a call from Ryan who was on his way home from work. Perfect timing!
Evening
Our little crew headed out to a local park for some fetch with Sadie and Chase had a blast attempting to blow dandelions all over the place.
By the time we made it home, I was quite grateful most of our dinner was ready and waiting. While I sautéed some Swiss chard in a skillet, I pulled chicken thighs out of the crock pot and scooped some pre-roasted sweet potatoes out of their skins to mash with a bit of butter and cinnamon to serve on the side.
With dinner in our bellies, we were ready for some last-minute play time with Chase and Sadie before it was time to head upstairs for Chase’s nightly bedtime routine.
After Chase was asleep, Ryan and I did some quick straightening up around the house before making our way to bed.
We got in bed fairly early last night and I ended up reading later than I intended because I got sucked into my book. I started reading From Sand And Ash by Amy Harmon over the weekend and couldn’t put it down last night. I ended up finishing it way too late in the evening, but really loved the book. I’m dragging a little bit this morning and am hoping my cup of coffee kicks in soon because we have a busy day on the agenda!
I hope you guys have a great Tuesday!
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this is a really stupid question, but I have never cooked with chicken thighs, are there bones in them?
You can buy them with or without bones in! These were boneless!
Ooh, that book looks really good. Adding it to my Goodreads list now….
Glad that you had a great weekend!
i’ve got to get on the meal planning train… i made a huge thing of chili on saturday and i’ve taken that to lunch yesterday and will do today, but i have nothing for dinner tonight or the rest of the week! back to the grocery store i go!
You’re a reading machine! 😀 That’s great you got to go food shopping on a weekday while everyone is at work–so much less crowded! I always feel like I’m doing something super luxurious when that happens haha!
HEHe i love your snack choice. Laughing cow is great. Can i come over for dinner this week? Quite the menu! You are totally on a chicken thigh kick hah!
You are so productive throughout your day. It’s impressive. I need to try out more crockpot meals, it’s always SO nice to come home to dinner already done. Thanks for sharing.
Julie,
Do you have a recommended book list on your blog? I seem to recall you mentioning it, but I can’t find it.
Yes! Here you go: https://www.pbfingers.com/favs-2/books/
Those mashed sweet potatoes look amazing! Thanks for sharing your meal prep ideas. Lately, felt a little a uninspiring with my week night meals. Thanks for the ideas!
I’m slowly creeping into the home life (AGH, is this real?!) so these posts are starting to become a whole lot more relevant, which blows my mind. I also really miss your daily casual posts, so this was so nice to wake up to. Happy Tuesday Julie!
What a fun and busy day! I recently broke my crock pot (the lid fell off the counter and completely shattered everywhere…whoops), but i love making at least one slow cooker meal a week. I like adding a little goat cheese to mashed sweet potatoes, so good! I bet laughing cow would work too actually. Sounds like a great week of meals!
I need some more frittata in my life!
So I thought the picture of the rotisserie chicken was REAL and I was like, “Why is her pen laying on the chicken?”…. I then realized it was a cook book. Blonde moment?!
Also, I started buying Fairlife milk and very impressed! I am not crazy about the price but I love that it has more protein, less sugar and lactose free!
Haha!! And yes, we love Fairlife!!
Very productive and organized day!! You are super woman! Curious, why couldn’t you prep on the weekend? I missed your normal weekend recap! Were y’all in town? I love reading about your adventures, as I visit Charlotte quite often and love hearing about where you all frequent! Hope all is well! 🙂 It was weird seeing a recipe from you on a Monday! (although it looked delicious!)
I went out of town for personal reasons to support a friend! 🙂
Ahh, gotcha…. thanks for clarifying. Guess she wants her privacy… would love to hear more about it, but understand if that’s not her wishes. 🙂 hugs!
thanks for understanding!
You get so much done during the day! Question – does Chase eat what you guys do or do you make him something different for dinner? It’s always a tough balance when the kids are small!
A little bit of both but honestly these days he’s often eating his own thing. Last night he had a peanut butter sandwich, a little bit of our mashed sweet potatoes and pear slices. I never really know what to expect with him these days but we definitely have some staples on hand at all times so he will have something if he doesn’t like what we’re eating, which happens more often than not!
I love your menu for the week! You are really good at mixing it up each day. I feel like I alternate between chicken and turkey. It’s time to get adventurous!
I really want to try those chicken thighs in the crockpot! 🙂 How long and what temperature did you cook them at?
I cooked them on low for about 6 hours but I think they prob would’ve been done in less time if we were ready for them before then!
Thank you trying them tomorrow!
I LOVE these kind of posts from you! So helpful!
Question – Could you do a post about what Chase eats in a day? Or tips/tricks on how you get him to eat? I have a 14 month old, and trying to get her to eat gives me so much anxiety! She refuses most things and would rather play than eat. I’m wondering if there’s a secret I’m missing out on.
What a fun day!! I love how you guys get out of the house so much! We’re the same way 🙂 I was going to ask how you are able to stay so focused when blogging. One of my biggest challenges is sitting down and actually working, versus sitting down and reading other blogs (hello, lol), scrolling social media, etc!! It sucks away so much of my time!! Do you have a “goof off” time or do you try and avoid mindless internet searching as much as possible?!
Thanks!!
-Sarah http://www.thefrugalmillionaireblog.com
If you haven’t read The Chemist yet – put it on your list. I just finished listening to it on Audible and am so sad it’s over. Great book!
Hey! Do you recommend any specific post workout protein?
I’ve been using a variety lately, including SFH, AfterBurn (sold by Burn Boot Camp) and Navitas Naturals Hemp Protein Powder but I’m always changing it up!!
I had to skip meal prep this weekend as well due to several family parties! I’m glad I was able to plan out my meals and get the grocery shopping done on Friday. Thankfully I planned meals that require very little work this week.
The car carts are the best things ever! My almost 3 year old brings a few dolls with her and a snack and I get to grocery shop in peace. Win Win 😉 Have a great rest of the week!
Totally agree!!! They save us!
Hi Julie – I love your Miso Glazed Chicken Thighs! I did some meal prep and took them for lunch last week. I was thinking I’d try to make them this weekend in the crock pot when my in-laws are in town! How much chicken broth did you add when you made it?
Thanks!!
I didn’t measure it out but I think about a cup! I’m so glad you like the original recipe!! 🙂
That’s a great tip for the paper towel under the frittata! I never would have thought of that! I usually make egg cups (which I guess is basically the same thing), they’re so convenient!
Looks like you are all organized for the week now! I’m looking forward to the sheet-pan salmon recipe. I always have the hubs cook my salmon on the grill, but I’d love to be able to throw it into the oven with a good plan! 🙂 Have a great afternoon, Julie!
I love the idea of meal planning and really need to get into it!
– Izzy | Pinch of delight
Meal prepping is key! You have a great menu this week. Inspiring me to switch things up!
I really need to choose the car shopping cart this week- it HAS to make things easier with toddlers!
How do you like that cookbook? It looks like it has lots of good reviews. I put it on my wish list for Mother’s Day. You guys sure get lots of play time in! How great!
I always love your day in the life posts (and Happy Tuesday’s-almost-over to you! I know it’s not your favorite day! Maybe your next book will be as captivating as the one you just read, and make this Tuesday more awesome.) You inspire my meals (I eat more protein because of you – just had a huge salad with homemade dressing and rotisserie chicken), so it’s always nice to see a little roundup of your day. And such cute photos as always!
Great idea for the paper towels with the frittata, also great that you included the tip about cooling your food down before refrigerating it – a lot of people don’t know this (I didn’t know this when I was younger, so you never know who might need this little tidbit.)
I’m having a really great week so far (big, positive changes are coming down the pike for me, career-wise), and I love that I get to kick back and catch up on your blog while chillaxing. Have a great night!
I notice that Chase seems to wear his Freshly Picked moccasins everywhere, and I’m just wondering why you prefer soft-soled shoes for him at this age vs. hard soled (like sneakers)? Just curious! I have a daughter about his age.
I just finished that book, too!! It was excellent! 5 stars