Capsule Meal Planning

Capsule wardrobes are definitely a thing so why isn’t capsule meal planning a thing? I’m doing it! Capsule wardrobes are a smaller selection to mix and match to make choosing easier. Meal planning needs some of those same principles! Starting a meal plan for the week can feel daunting but having a plan, getting the ingredients, maybe doing some prep in advance, and sharing the plan with those eating it are all keys to success. I always meal plan factoring in weather, speed/ease of prep, and what we have going on but why not add in a few more guidelines?
The Three Bite Rule - Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa

I came up with a bunch of themes and categories and definitely think it has made planning and executing meals easier! I decided to choose a few as the starting point to then plan with our favorites. I’m focusing on weeknights since those are for sure the craziest around here. What are your weeknight go-tos? I need to know! 

Here’s my running list of weeknight dinner themes:

night of bfast
night of meatless (here are some of mine, and more of mine)
night of international: Mexican/Mediterranean/Italian/Thai/Indian
night of pizza/pasta/calzone
night of panini/soup/salad
night of grilling
night of a grain bowl dinner (some of our favs are here)
night of anything goes (that means fast, not creating leftovers but maybe even using a leftover item, maybe not everyone eats the same thing: often eggs/quesadillas/grilled cheese/pasta)
night of takeout (that’s what we do on Fridays)

Kielbasa Grain Bowl - The Three Bite Rule

Last week, here’s what we did:
Mon = night of calzone: sausages & onions
Tues = night of crockpot: BBQ pulled pork & roasted butternut squash
Wed = night of pasta: tortellini w/ alfredo
Thurs = night of Mexican: pork tacos & fiesta bean salad
Fri = night of takeout
The Three Bite Rule - Sausage & Peppers Calzone
The prior week, here’s what we did:
Mon = night of salads: build your own salad bar
Tues = night of anything goes
Wed = night of grilling: hot dogs & broccoli salad
Thurs = naan pizzas
Fri = night of takeout

This week, here’s what we did/are having:
Mon = night of pasta: spaghetti & tomato sauce and salad
Tues = night of a blogged dinner (coming soon! it is very fall inspired!)
Wed = night of a freezer food recreated (loaded waffle fries with pulled pork, beans, corn, queso, & avocado)
Thurs = night of anything goes (my bookclub night this week!)
Fri = night of takeout

The Three Bite Rule - Pesto Flatbread
I tried it out a few weeks. I can honestly say it makes creating a meal plan so much easier. I haven’t quite set our themes we’ll do every week, but I’d guess during this busy season of our lives, I’ll keep: pasta/anything goes/takeout and that leaves 2 other weeknights to get creative or do whatever we’re in the mood for. Tacos/Mexican seems like a likely theme we may have most weeks too. Even 3 weeknights covered with a starting point seems helpful!

What are your go-tos for weeknight dinners?? 

Chocolate Mint Smoothie

Anyone who grows mint has it in spades. Anyone who buys mint also probably has extra and wants to get their money’s worth. Everyone wins! In the fall, our herb garden goes bananas and I’m seeking all the ways to use the herbs at hand. I hadn’t made a smoothie with mint this whole season, not since last year’s mojito smoothie (which is also a delicious one). The mint flavor is also perfect to go with a green smoothie. Adding the chocolate flavor muddies the color, but it is ohh-so-worth it.
The Three Bite Rule - Chocolate Mint Smoothie

Chocolate Mint Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup spinach/kale
1/2 cup greek vanilla yogurt
1/2 apple, frozen
1/2 banana, frozen
hand-full of fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

Directions:

Add greens, vanilla, and milk. Blend throughly.
Then add in the apple, banana, mint, cocoa powder, ground flax seeds.
The Three Bite Rule - Chocolate Mint Smoothie
Blend well.
Enjoy!

I loved this one! It tastes like dessert but starting the day with a fruit and a veggie is the best. The mint is nicely refreshing and the chocolate makes this taste like a total treat. If the color turns you off, pop it into a cup with a cover. This is totally a keeper!

The Three Bite Rule - Chocolate Mint Smoothie
Use your mint for these mojito shrimp and in this zucchini/ricotta/herb pasta and then for this smoothie!

September 2018 Recap

September went by in a blur. The babe is 6 weeks old and we’re getting our footing a bit. A bit. I cooked a few things but my priority was hitting all the food groups for everyone and not worrying if meals weren’t my most exciting or inventive. I’m giving myself some grace and always striving for some advanced dinner prep while I’m home for maternity leave, especially since dinner time got wayyy crazier with a baby who hates 4pm-9pm and a toddler who is ready to play.

Some of my go-tos lately have been: sesame noodles & edamame; grain bowls (farro/sausage/zucchini); meatball sliders; eggs/breakfast; and salad bar. I’m 100% still obsessed with a pb&j smoothie I made non-stop while pregnant. I owe you the healthier reboot I took on this smoothie but it is saved on my insta-stories highlights for now. I have a new smoothie to share next month as well as the cutest seasonal appetizer ever.

I made this protein-packed salad as a twist on the Italian tuna and white bean salad.
The Three Bite Rule - Tuna & White Bean Protein Salad

Because they’re so easy and ohh-so-good, I made these chicken, bacon, cheddar, and ranch turnovers with crescent rolls. After these, the little guy and I made pizza ones with sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni but we didn’t blog it.
The Three Bite Rule - Chicken Bacon Ranch Turnovers
Lastly, dessert is necessary in life and this cheesecake mousse parfait is perfectly packable to bring somewhere or was great mixed to order as you need a little sweet treat.
The Three Bite Rule - Cheesecake Mousse Parfaits

The Little Guy

I’m thanking our lucky stars that we’ve squeaked out this long (3.5 years and counting) of him in a crib. With the new baby I’m ever so thankful he’s happy in his bed/crib for now. I have a feeling the toddler bed in is in our future but I’m hoping he can hang on until baby sister sleeps through the night. One thing at a time, right? He is such a good big brother. He loves the baby and doesn’t mind that sometimes we divide and conquer. He has confirmed the only deli meat he’s into is salami. All grains are good- this month he really loved farro which I haven’t made in awhile. We’re all still popping cherry tomatoes from our plants as often as we can. He has especially loved pineapple and raw bell peppers this month.

The Baby Girl

1month
She’s about 6 weeks old now. Just like her big brother did, she struggles in the early evening. Around 4ish she can’t sleep and by 6 she wants nothing to do with anything. Nothing helps soothe her until 8 or 9pm when she’ll eat and then sleep. Apparently this is a thing- like sundowning. Our pediatrician says most work themselves out of it at 6 weeks-12 weeks. Here’s hoping it is any day now! It is emotionally draining, very tiring, and so sad. We’re also trying to give the little guy attention and love (as well as dinner & a bath) after his day at preschool so her screaming makes this timeframe even more exciting. Daytime she’s so happy and starting to smile! She eats every 3 hours and I cannot wait until I don’t have to wake her to eat. Ditto for evenings, we’re waking her every 4-5 hours to eat. Since she wasn’t gaining weight we’re not really at liberty to dismiss her doctor’s advice for eating.

This Year’s Goals:

Year of the candle: I got this pumpkin/vanilla-ish one 
Cook more appetizers/snacks: 
nope 
Taking time to blog thoughtfully: 
ehh. blogging at all is an accomplishment in my book.
Journal the cute moments of my little one: I slacked this month. 
What I’m reading: 
 I read The Vacationers; The Goldfinch; & The Last Mrs. Parrish 
What I’m watching: 
I’m into The Crown which is fun for some substance

Tuna and White Bean Protein-Packed Salad

Salads for lunch can be tricky. Sometimes they’re tasty but not filling, or sometimes they’re delicious but full of the add-ons and not the healthy parts. I made this one with a tweak on the traditional Italian tuna & white bean salad by really upping the greens. Balance is the goal right now. The days often end with ice cream so starting with a green-based smoothie and lunch centered around veggies, fish, and protein seems like a good idea.
The Three Bite Rule - Tuna & White Bean Protein Salad

Tuna & White Bean Protein Salad (for 2 servings)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white beans
1 can tuna, white in water
1/2 cucumber
1/2 tomato
2-3 cups arugula

Directions:

Rinse beans, drain tuna, and wash and chop the tomatoes, cucumber, and greens.
The Three Bite Rule - Tuna & White Bean Protein Salad
Add everything to a bowl.
Mix one part Italian dressing and 1 part Creamy Caesar dressing. Then toss the salad in the dressing.
The Three Bite Rule - Tuna & White Bean Protein SaladEnjoy!

I liked the heft to the salad with the tuna and the beans with the fresh and crisp greens, tomatoes, and cucumbers. I often have arugula around because I love the peppery flavor, and it has a pretty long shelf-life in the fridge. The dressing gives the ideal alive, vinegar touch with the decadence of a creamy dressing too.

I only tossed half with the dressing and batched the rest up for the next day. I’m home on maternity leave and sometimes have fun in the kitchen come lunch time…other days, I’m grateful to have a no-brainer lunch ready to sneak it in before the next feeding/naptime/etc. I don’t often bring tuna to the office for lunch because of the smell-factor, but it would be a perfect dinner to have ready too. Reducing (and finely chopping) the greens would make this more like the traditional Italian one that would be great scooped onto crackers!
The Three Bite Rule - Tuna & White Bean Protein Salad

Chicken, Bacon & Ranch Turnovers

These little buggers are so cute and delicious. Crescent rolls are getting stuffed with, yup, you’ve guessed it, chicken, bacon, ranch, and cheddar. They became an instant dinner with the help of pre-cooked bacon and some rotisserie chicken. Serve these with some salad and they’re dinner like a hot sandwich, or on a big platter with ranch as an app! They are an ideal weeknight dinner or a fun one for kids to help assemble.
The Three Bite Rule - Chicken Bacon Ranch Turnovers

Chicken, Bacon & Ranch Turnovers

Ingredients:

1 can crescent rolls (8)
4 strips of cooked bacon
1 cup roasted chicken, shredded
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons ranch dressing
1 teaspoon ranch dressing powder mix

Directions:

Preheat the oven according to the crescent roll instructions, then shred the chicken and chop the bacon.
The Three Bite Rule - Chicken Bacon Ranch Turnovers
Mix the chicken with the dressing.
Unroll the crescent dough into the perforated triangles. Top the wide part of the triangle with chicken, bacon, and cheddar. Then carefully roll towards the point.
Sprinkle ranch powder on top and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment, a baking mat, or sprayed generously with non-stick spray.
The Three Bite Rule - Chicken Bacon Ranch Turnovers
Bake 10-15 minutes, as directed by the crescent packaging.
Enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Chicken Bacon Ranch Turnovers

These are a great use for leftover chicken if there isn’t a lot of it and they reheat well in the oven or toaster oven. Pop any leftovers into the freezer for another day’s  quick lunch or game-time snack….though, I don’t think you’ll have any leftovers!