Good morning, all! We’re three weeks into the paid/free subscription model at The Family Plan, and I thought I should check in and see how it’s going. I’m well aware that for many people, a paid subscription isn’t doable right now—but it’s important to me that you’re still getting the help you need from me. So I have two questions today, one Family Plan-specific and one about life in general:
If you’re receiving only the free Thursday edition, the one with the menu and shopping list, is that giving you what you need to implement the plan each week? Or would you rather receive the Saturday edition instead, the one with the how-to info for repurposing leftovers, etc.? If enough people chime in here, I’m totally open to making a switch. The whole point of this newsletter is to help you get dinner on the table, so lemme know.
Tell me about your cooking life: Are you using the oven? Grilling every night? Totally digging the farmers market? Still shopping infrequently? What’s vexing you about feeding the family? Bonus points for links to your go-to summer recipes.
Just back from picking up my online grocery order, and weirdly ... I could not get the feta or edamame or pita bread. *sigh It's so random what they do / don't have sometimes.
But, I bought some premade hummus, so I'll figure out the rest as I go along with last week's plan.
My local store uses their own staff to fill orders, so I feel like they know the store well. and do try to get it right. It's lame sometimes, though. I know they have certain products IN the store usually, but some of them (like mirin) are not available for online order / pick-up. So, I end up doing substitutions pretty often.
That sounds challenging, Roxanne. I know Amazon's world domination isn't great, but their grocery section offers all kinds of things you might not find locally.
I am just so tired of cooking right now! The silver lining to that is that I’m impressing myself with what I throw together at the last minute so that we don’t have to order takeout, so I guess that’s something. I’m relying on sheet pans and something-easy-in-a-skillet with rice cooker rice a lot lately. We’re definitely ordering more pizza this summer, but that happens every year and I’m perfectly happy about that (at least, I will be until sundress season is over and I try to button my jeans!).
Still hunkered down hiding from Covid here in SC. Using mostly instacart from Aldi. It's HOT. Just the four of us. My children vex me. (They loved beans last week and hate them this week. Lemon is spicy, apparently.) Nightly meals are cooked on the grill or in the big toaster oven and air fryer. On weekends we grill or smoke a hunk of meat and use it to boost up the freezer or next week's menu. Summer time usually means seafood for us even though it's a bit harder to find right now. Friday and Saturday are dessert night so a quick dessert would be yum. I'll come back and post some recipes a little later.
🤣 lemons are spicy! Someone else was telling me that all brown foods are spicy to her kids. I've been thinking about dessert ideas--we do Fri/Sat, too. And I love my big toaster oven--roast chicken in the summer? Hell yeah.
Hi Debbie! Absolutely loving the plan. Been cooking from it for about three months and now have the paid subscription. These are just fun ideas and in no way a need. For breakfast in my family I make a double batch of a morning glory muffin. Breakfast is usually always in the car or in the go. It would be fun to see a make ahead and freeze breakfast option you might have. We’ve truly had the same muffin every morning for six months! Another idea would be a once a month or special occasion dinner party menu. I know covid is really crazy for many followers. Where I live we have started to have a very small number of family and two or three friends back in our circle and home. Starting to have more shared meals with our circle and live the idea of a dinner party menu
My life is still almost entirely within my apartment! The idea of going out every morning... Sometimes it feels like we'll never get back to that here. LOVE the idea of a dinner party menu, one that allows for social distancing, etc. I'll think on it.
Just back from picking up my online grocery order, and weirdly ... I could not get the feta or edamame or pita bread. *sigh It's so random what they do / don't have sometimes.
But, I bought some premade hummus, so I'll figure out the rest as I go along with last week's plan.
I am sure on my last Instacart order the person just all together skipped the international aisle.
My local store uses their own staff to fill orders, so I feel like they know the store well. and do try to get it right. It's lame sometimes, though. I know they have certain products IN the store usually, but some of them (like mirin) are not available for online order / pick-up. So, I end up doing substitutions pretty often.
That sounds challenging, Roxanne. I know Amazon's world domination isn't great, but their grocery section offers all kinds of things you might not find locally.
I've never ordered food from Amazon. I'll have to take a look. It's all just so exhausting.
I am just so tired of cooking right now! The silver lining to that is that I’m impressing myself with what I throw together at the last minute so that we don’t have to order takeout, so I guess that’s something. I’m relying on sheet pans and something-easy-in-a-skillet with rice cooker rice a lot lately. We’re definitely ordering more pizza this summer, but that happens every year and I’m perfectly happy about that (at least, I will be until sundress season is over and I try to button my jeans!).
No shame in ordering pizza! We're all doing our best, and it sounds like you're cooking plenty.
Still hunkered down hiding from Covid here in SC. Using mostly instacart from Aldi. It's HOT. Just the four of us. My children vex me. (They loved beans last week and hate them this week. Lemon is spicy, apparently.) Nightly meals are cooked on the grill or in the big toaster oven and air fryer. On weekends we grill or smoke a hunk of meat and use it to boost up the freezer or next week's menu. Summer time usually means seafood for us even though it's a bit harder to find right now. Friday and Saturday are dessert night so a quick dessert would be yum. I'll come back and post some recipes a little later.
🤣 lemons are spicy! Someone else was telling me that all brown foods are spicy to her kids. I've been thinking about dessert ideas--we do Fri/Sat, too. And I love my big toaster oven--roast chicken in the summer? Hell yeah.
Kids are usually happy with a bowl of ice cream. But if I’m going to indulge I want fancier.
My children are vexing too! Can't they just pick what they will and won't eat? Also my son once told me Sprite was spicy!
Oh yeah. Sparkling water is spicy because of the bubbles. More for me!
Oh, to be able to put a GIF in here... "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
Hi Debbie! Absolutely loving the plan. Been cooking from it for about three months and now have the paid subscription. These are just fun ideas and in no way a need. For breakfast in my family I make a double batch of a morning glory muffin. Breakfast is usually always in the car or in the go. It would be fun to see a make ahead and freeze breakfast option you might have. We’ve truly had the same muffin every morning for six months! Another idea would be a once a month or special occasion dinner party menu. I know covid is really crazy for many followers. Where I live we have started to have a very small number of family and two or three friends back in our circle and home. Starting to have more shared meals with our circle and live the idea of a dinner party menu
My life is still almost entirely within my apartment! The idea of going out every morning... Sometimes it feels like we'll never get back to that here. LOVE the idea of a dinner party menu, one that allows for social distancing, etc. I'll think on it.