Hi folks! Before I launch into the meal plan for this week, I feel like I have some explaining to do. You see, last week got away from me. I struggle with these types of weeks I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency to think that I can do about ten times more than what is humanly possible and then also have time to be an amazing friend, Donna Reed housewife, and shouldn’t I also be volunteering for some great cause? In short, I am partly delusional. 

I was lamenting to Manatee about everything I didn’t get done last week: I didn’t get my blog posts up, I didn’t get social media work I wanted done, I didn’t start my book proposal, I didn’t, I didn’t, I didn’t.

He told me I was falling into the gap.

A few weeks ago, he heard a speaker that talked about falling into the gap. Picture this: you are in the ocean swimming to the horizon. All day, you swim and swim. At the end of the day, you look to the horizon. Are you any closer? It sure doesn’t look like it. Now, turn around and look back to the shore. Wow, you did make a lot of progress. The only way to see how far you have come is to look back to where you started. When we continually focus on the horizon and what still needs to get done, we are falling into the gap.

It’s true, there was a lot I didn’t get done last week. But, there was a lot I did get done. I finished the revisions on the Homemade Snacks and Staples cookbook and laid some great groundwork for the Lombardino’s cookbook. I completed my first lesson towards my Nutrition certification. I worked out every day. Did I mention that I finished my revisions for the Homemade Snacks and Staples cookbook? That was a lot of work.

So, remember to mind the gap as you plow through your busy weeks.

mind the gap

When you want to squint towards the horizon and throw your hands up in frustration, take the time to look back. Focus on what you did accomplish. You will never reach the end of your to-do list just like you can never reach the horizon.

Alright, enough of the motivational speech, here is what is cooking this week in the Badger Girl/Manatee household.

This week’s theme is survival. Both Manatee and I have busy weeks, and we are not feeling 100%. I still want to cook at home, but I need everything to be easy enough so I am not (too) tempted to just call in delivery or live on toast and fruit all week.

Leek, Jalapeno, and Mushroom Burgers: After several days of going meat-free, I was craving meat.  I made these on Sunday and we had leftovers last night. I would have taken a picture, but frankly, these were not pretty. They were, however, very good. It was 1 lb of ground beef, 1 leek chopped, 5-6 jalapeno slices chopped, and about a fourth cup of chopped white mushrooms mixed with an egg white, dash of garlic powder, and a healthy dose of Worcestershire sauce. The first night we had these on top of Portabella mushroom caps and last night, we crumbled them on a salad with steamed veggies, crumbled potato pancakes, ketchup, and a small dollop of mayo. It may sound weird, but it was amazing.

Pasta with Chicken Italian Sausage, Portabella Mushrooms, and Cherry Tomatoes: Essentially, these are the collection of leftovers I have from the weekend and need to use them. I am sure Manatee will throw it on a salad but I will toss it with whole wheat pasta…and then put it on a salad. Any ideas for a good, easy sauce?

Veggie packed BBQ– courtesy of our freezer.

Tofu Tacos– I am going to try marinating the tofu ahead of time just to see if I can improve a classic. I will report back!

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup– This is a spice pack that I will be using with real, whole food ingredients. I’m not sure how it will turn out, but with this cold weather, it’s worth a try.

Originally, I also planned to make some apple butter, energy bars, and bran flakes. I have managed to get sick so I think it’s more realistic to say I will be trying some different juicing recipes and maybe, the energy bars if I am feeling really ambitious.

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Do you make a daily to-do list? How do you approach it?

Any ideas for a good, light pasta sauce for my pasta dish?

 

 

 

 

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