As January rolled into February, my meal planning continued as did my adventures in “new to me” meals that follow the guidelines of THM. These are some of the tasty meals from this month of “new” cooking.

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal -I’ve blogged about Baked Oatmeal a couple of times before…so of course I would look for these sorts of recipes that align with THM. I made this on a blustery Saturday morning. It was delicious right out of the oven and equally delicious throughout the week either cold or warmed for less than a minute. The combo of ingredients provides you with a “stick to your ribs” breakfast in the best way possible. (THM = E)

Buffalo Burgers with Mashed Cauliflowers and Wilted Spinach – I whipped this meal up on a Monday evening after I had been away for a long weekend and the groceries were rapidly dwindling. I pulled the box of Trader Joe’s Buffalo Burger patties out of the freezer in the morning. After work, this meal came together quickly. In one skillet, I browned a thinly sliced onion and caramelized it with a bit of balsamic vinegar – then I added a huge pile of fresh spinach and let it wilt down. The burgers were quickly cooked in another skillet with just a bit of salt and pepper. As these things were cooking, I cooked a bag “steam bag” of cauliflower in the microwave and then made a mash in my blender (based on the recipe for the topping in this Shepherd’s Pie). Quickly this was all plated with a dash of Parmesan cheese to finish. (THM = S)

Sizzling Spinach Salad with Roasted Chicken and a Fried Egg – Another Monday evening supper bowl. I started with some chopped up chicken in the skillet with some coconut oil & Frank’s Hot Sauce (a go to protein since my first Whole30) – then I added a bit of chopped/cooked bacon & a big pile of fresh spinach to the skillet & cooked it till the spinach had wilted. As the spinach went in, I also fried an egg in my mini-skillet to add to the top of the bowl. (THM = S)

Green Egg Cups – A make ahead breakfast option for the work week. Fresh spinach in the bottom of the greased muffin cups. A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. An egg cracked directly into each cup & topped with a twist of cracked pepper. Bake @ 350 for about 20 minutes.

Spinach Eggs – A supper time variation of green eggs. I stumbled across this recipe and immediately made it for supper that evening – I’ve maybe made it several times this week as I’ve been in a “leftovers” menu plan to clear out the fridge. I added some Parmesan cheese on top of the spinach before adding the eggs. (THM = S)

Many things from the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook: Creamed Spinach with Pan Seared Chicken (recipe: Collagen Creamed Spinach)…Cornbread Crusted Mexican Pie…Blackened Chicken with Warm Peach & Black Bean Salsa (recipe: Blacked Chicken with Mangoes & Black Beans)…Egg Roll in a Bowl…Mexican Mocha Gluccie Pudding…assorted “Trimmy” coffees on cold mornings…

As February rolls to March, I have some extended travel that will have me away from the kitchen and cooking – but I’m already looking forward to when I’m “back home” and can once again play in the kitchen with new recipes and some of the recently added new faves. What were some of your favorite foods this month? 

As I completed previous rounds of the Whole30, one of the things that made it successful was weekly meal planning. Knowing specific meals and plans for the week ensured that “Oh, I’ll pick up something or order in” wasn’t on the radar when it came time for dinner. As 2015 was drawing to a close and I was starting to think of my one word for 2016 and things I wanted to accomplish in the new year, I made the mental note to incorporate meal planning into my routine.

Writing out the meal plan for the week ahead…

On Christmas morning, as we opened our stockings before breakfast I was thrilled to see a fun “weekly sticky notepad” included in the goodies. Then & there I decided that notepad would become my weekly meal plan.

As the new year started, Rebecca partnered with me to plan the weeks using the Trim Healthy Mama (aka THM) plan. (Side bar…I think the program/method name is horrible & I cringe when I say it) As we figured out the first week, the first note was populated and then posted on the glass door of my china cabinet in the kitchen for easy access.

A few of the tasty results of my meal planning, so far…

Among the tasty things on the menu plans so far this month:

Roasted Green Beans – A quick “invention” early in the month. Fresh green beans are tossed with olive oil, salt & pepper & then roasted at 425 for about 10 minutes. A sprinkling of Parmesan cheese is optional. These are cooked and yet still crisp – so they are great for eating with my fingers (a la french fries). Homemade garlic basil aioli is a great sauce with them. Leftovers (if there are any) are great chopped & added to a salad.

A tasty and satisfying Shepherd’s Pie with mashed cauliflower to top it. Excellent to pack for lunch.

Egg Cups – A great reason to use my fun new muffin cups – I put some crumbled bacon & shredded cheese in the bottom of each before filling with well beaten eggs. A quick 20 minute bake and I’ve got breakfast for the week.

A pretty simple and oh so tasty sweet treat this week is a batch of Black Raspberry Cheese Danishes using this recipe.

From the THM Cookbook, all sorts of fun discoveries so far: Egg Roll in a Bowl, Chicken Jalapeno Popper Soup, Chia Pudding and assorted smoothies and sippers.

As I look at the blank sheets of this simple notepad, I look forward to seeing what fun recipe discoveries will be in the my plans.

What is your meal plan approach? What kitchen goals do you have for this new year?