I’ve got an amazing free giveaway for you today. So make sure to read all the way to the end!
I can barely wait to feel the summer heat on my body. And I am so looking forward to catching a few awesome sunsets from the dock at the lake.
Last summer I decided to simplify my weekends. I got so tired of trying to come up with creative meal plans every weekend.
Mike, myself and the kids usually head up to the lake on Friday. After all the organization that it takes to get us up to the cottage, the last thing I want to do is spend the entire weekend cooking.
But that is exactly what I used to do.
I would search the internet for a couple of new, exciting recipes, make up a big shopping list, grocery shop, gather all the spices, sauces and extra kitchen gadgets I needed from home and then we would try…to…fit…it…in…the…car!
This never went well. Like, really never.
Once we got there, if the unpacking wasn’t enough, I spent morning to night, either cooking, doing dishes or prepping for the next great meal I had planned…because we all love great summer meals right?
I was asking way too much of myself and in the end, I wasn’t getting the result I wanted which was to relax!
And with young kids if you are lucky to have a few minutes between all this cookery, it’s usually to put your munchkin down for a nap or change a diaper…not to sit out in your muskoka chair with a cold drink.
Thank goodness my kids are bit bigger now because I can just about taste that nice cold drink coming my way this summer.
So last summer, after a particularly great weekend, I was in the car driving home and it dawned on me that the menu plan I had used had been perfect. It was exciting. It took minimal work and I was able to prepare most of it before we even left home.
I started to question why I had been putting myself through this whole process over and over again? What happened to finding what works, rinse and repeat?
So I made a decision that day. This was to be our menu plan for the rest of the summer weekends. This exact plan, every single weekend.
And that is what we did. No one complained ever.
What is great about this plan is that the recipes are very easy to assemble, work great for leftovers and can easily be prepared in advance so they are grill-ready when you arrive at the cottage.
They also follow our cook once, eat twice principle which means you always make enough leftovers at dinner for lunch the next day.
Of course, the majority of them are By Design (nutrient dense foods) and the others are better options to substitutes less optimal treats.
Oh, and they are all delicious.
This means that you have the same menu plan, grocery list and food prep process every single weekend. The more you make it, the faster you get. The more time you create for yourself.
Here it is... The Best Summer Menu Plan: Weekend Edition
Friday
Supper: Grilled Sausages with Watermelon Relish and Coleslaw
Treat: Chocolate Fondue with Berries and Bananas
Saturday
Breakfast: Wild Card (omelet, scrambled eggs, nutty cereal)
Lunch: Leftover Sausages with Watermelon Relish and Coleslaw
Treat: Chocolate Popsicles (you will need a blender or food processor for this)
Supper: Taco Burgers and Broccoli Salad
Sunday
Breakfast: The Best Waffles with Warm Cinnamon Apples and Bacon
Lunch: Leftover Taco Burgers and Broccoli Salad
Supper: Grilled Salmon with Tzatziki and a mixed greens salad.
What You Can Make Ahead:
- Homemade Mayo and Coleslaw and Broccoli Salad dressing
- Watermelon Salsa
- Popsicle mix (can be stored in airtight container until you are ready to freeze)
- Coleslaw (add the dressing later)
- Taco Burgers (just mix the egg and seasonings in, you can form the patties later)
- Broccoli Salad (add the dressing later)
- Make Waffle mix
- Marinade salmon
- Make Tzatziki
To make this plan even simpler you can just go with grilled sausages and no relish, have plain hamburgers by omitting the seasoning and guacamole and you can have grilled salmon without the marinade or tzatiki.
It's up to you how fancy you want to get. What one person considers “a minimal amount of prep” may seem like a ridiculous amount of work to someone else.
I sure hope that this is helpful for you. The big take away is that you can save a lot of time by creating a menu plan that you reuse whether if be for a weekend, a week or a month.
We did exactly that with our cookbook which is in the form a 28 day menu plan that you can reuse, month after month. You can check it out here.
And guess what else?
I have created a recipe package that contains all of the recipes in my Best Summer Menu Plan, with a grocery list and advanced prep instructions that you can download below.
You can download the free Best Summer Recipe Package HERE
I know, I can’t believe this is free either! I really hope this is as valuable for you as I am anticipating it will be.
Enjoy! And let me know how it goes…