Name that post!

Should we name it "Where do I begin?"

Or, how about... "I'm baaaaaaaaaack!!!"

Or maybe just "Meal Plan".

I think those would all be appropriate titles for this post, because, dear readers, I have missed blogging *lots* in the past few months, and I'm thinking it's time to make it more of a priority in my life.  I'm wondering where to begin, so I'm just going to start with our meal plan for the week.

It's a new year (sort of... I'm a little late to the party here on January 17) of new beginnings and I'd really like to begin to treat blogging like my job, just cuz it's very good for me to write things down, I think.  My goal is three posts a week-- one about me, one about the kids, and one about the meal plan.  Although baby is on a bit of a more regular schedule these days as far as naps and feedings, and the girls get increasingly independent with homeschool, it's still tough for me to predict how much free time (let alone energy) I will have in any given week, so I can't really make a promise to three posts a week.  But that's my goal.  :)

So, along with the cutest pic of baby J that I have from recent times

...here is this week's meal plan.

{Before I post the meal plan, I'll just briefly say that I'm committing to a better attempt at clean eating in the new year as well... things were getting junkier and junkier around our house towards the end of my pregnancy and in the early days of survival mode with four kiddos.  It was fine... I'm not beating myself up about it because I think it was definitely necessary that I not have to stress out about food for a while.  It's not that I want to *start* stressing out about it now, or even that I was stressed before, but... well... I'm just feeling *ready* to get back to a more balanced approach and feeling more energy for things like chopping vegetables and/or prepping healthy things ahead of time.  Know what I'm sayin'??  I started a free trial at Thrive Market and it's really inspiring and motivating!!! Anyway, here's the meal plan.}

breakfasts:

whole grain pancakes with nut butter

smoothies (we have lots of ingredients in the pantry and freezer that we need to use up like flaxseed, frozen strawberries/blueberries, canned coconut milk, hemp powder, carob powder, greens, yogurt, banana)

lunches:

salads (excited to try some new ingredients here, like the marinated mushrooms I ordered on Thrive Market, and the kale beet salad I saw at our local grocery store)

fruit with nut butter dips; veggies with ranch

hummus roll-ups

snacks:

trail mix

chia pudding

fresh fruits and veggies

suppers:

quinoa bone broth white wine stew in crockpot

grass-fed burgers, sweet potato chips, broccoli or asparagus

homemade fish sticks, street corn, kale chips

roasted veggies over einkorn pasta
burrito bowls-- rice, beans, avocado, tomato

Linking up with Laura, after a long hiatus!  Thanks!