Howdy!

I mentioned this on my IG story the other day, about feeling anxious lately. There are a few reasons, but mostly, it hit me that I’m 35.5 weeks pregnant, which means baby will be full term in 1.5 weeks! I mean, I could go into labor in the next 2 weeks (or possibly 5-6 weeks), and I feel unprepared. Mentally and physically, I’ve been doing a lot to prepare my body. But it is still making me incredibly anxious.

It doesn’t help that this week was loud and busy with house add-on stuff, and all the dust and noise and flies (from having empty window frames throughout the day!) adds to the stress. And then, “will they finish before the baby comes??” is weighing on me as well.

Annnnnyway, because of that, I have been in my own little world this week. But I did want to share a weekly meal plan with you. This is what we followed last week. Last week, Cameron went through the fridge and pantry and wrote up an inventory for me, so I created a meal plan using mostly what we already had. (By the way, that’s almost always a really fun way to think outside of the box, especially if you’re in a cooking rut!)

Meal Plan

Crispy quesabirria tacos

• NOTE! I use this instant corn flour to make my own corn tortillas!

Loaded baked potatoes (baked potatoes with leftover meat from the tacos, cheese, green onion, sour cream, etc)

Chicken parmesan with noodles

1. Thin out some chicken breasts, either smashing them with a meat masher OR cutting them in half, which is what I do.

2. Coat them in a little bit of flour, salt, pepper, and paprika.

3. I try not to use too many dishes, so I do the flour step right on the cutting board. Then I dip them in a shallow dish of 1-2 beaten eggs and place them back onto the cutting board.

4. Meanwhile, heat 2-3 Tbsp of cooking fat (I usually use butter) over medium heat.

5. I rinse out the dish and add some breadcrumbs, dried herbs, and grated Parmesan. Dip the eggy chicken pieces into the breadcrumbs and place 2-3 pieces into the skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes per side (if you have a meat thermometer, aim for 165F internal temp). Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.

6. While the chicken’s cooking, you should be cooking up some pasta!

7. Okay, as soon as the chicken’s done, top the pieces with shredded or sliced mozzarella.

8. Okay now, in the same pan, add a spoonful of minced garlic, then pour in 1-2 cups of marinara sauce (depending on how much chicken you did and how many people are eating!) along with ½ cup of heavy cream. Mix all that together and let it simmer for a few minutes.

9. PLATE IT: Scoop of drained noodles, piece of chicken, sauce all over.

Chicken pot pie

• This can be a fairly quick meal or a more tedious process. I’ll share the long way first, which is what I typically do.

1. Make a pie crust (or biscuits!).

2. Turn the oven to 350F if you’re making a pie rather than biscuits.

3. Chop some carrots, onion, potatoes, and broccoli (or any combo of those).

4. Chop up 2 chicken breasts into cubes or strips. You can chop them smaller once they’re cooked.

5. In a big pot or skillet, cook your chicken until it’s mostly cooked. It’ll cook a little more later, so it’s fine if it’s not 100%.

6. Remove the chicken, add 1 Tbsp of butter along with your carrots, onion, and potatoes. After about 10 minutes, add the broccoli.

7. Add another 1-2 Tbsp of butter, plus about ¼ cup of flour, mixing that all into the veggies. Then add 1 cup of broth (or water, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, herbs… sort of a quick fake broth) and about ½ cup of milk.

8. Bring to a simmer and add back in your chicken.

9. If you made biscuits, you can just spoon this mixture over the biscuits.

10. If you’re using a pie crust, you’ll pour your mixture into the bottom crust. Then top with the second crust, crimp the edges, brush with a beaten egg, and cut a few vent holes on top. This will need to bake 30-40 minutes until the crust is golden.

Here’s a faster version:

1. Use a store bought pie crust (or cook up some canned fluffy biscuits).

2. Turn the oven to 350F if you’re making a pie rather than biscuits.

3. Shred a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken.

4. In a large skillet, melt 3-4 Tbsp of butter and add ¼ cup of flour. Whisk gently to form a paste, then add 1 cup of broth (or water, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, herbs… sort of a quick fake broth) and about ½ cup of milk.

5. Add in 1 large can (or 2 small cans) of mixed veggies (I like Veg-All!) along with the shredded chicken. Let it simmer until it’s warmed through.

6. If you made biscuits, you can just spoon this mixture over the biscuits.

7. If you’re using a pie crust, you’ll pour your mixture into the bottom crust. Then top with the second crust, crimp the edges, brush with a beaten egg, and cut a few vent holes on top. This will need to bake 30-40 minutes until the crust is golden.

White chicken chili

Sweet potato, carrot, apple, and sausage hash + eggs

1. Peel and chop a few sweet potatoes as well as 3-4 carrots. I go for a smaller chop so they’ll cook faster.

2. Begin to cook these in either bacon fat, butter, or olive oil, as well as salt and pepper. This will take 20 minutes or so, on low heat, until they’re nearly soft.

3. While they cook, peel and chop 1-2 apples along with 2 link sausages. We love the Aidell’s brand Chicken Apple Sausage! To be honest, I’ve never used another type of sausage in this hash, so I can only assume it will be delicious with other sausages as well.

4. Add the apples and sausage now. The timing will depend on the type of apple - some of them take 10 minutes to get soft, and others just take about 5.

5. We serve this hash with boiled eggs usually (it makes such a bright pretty plate!) or scrambled eggs. But it’s GREAT on its own, and it makes for great leftovers!

   

Italian macarons

• If you’ve followed me a while, you know I have made macarons MANY times in the past. I have typically followed a recipe using French meringue, but this Italian meringue version is WAY more fool-proof. If you’ve never tried making macarons because you’re worried it will just be a big fail, then you should try this recipe!

  

Eton mess

• I’m obsesssssed with this dessert. You make a big batch of meringue cookies (which are deceptively simple!), just make sure you let them cool for long enough - don’t rush it!

• I make a big batch of whipped cream, but you can use store-bought whipped cream or cool whip, I’m sure.

• And I’ll use raspberries or other berries if that’s all I have. I also use jam in mine.

• It’s just very light and refreshing, so you don’t feel sickly afterward like with some other desserts!

That’s it for the week!

I feel like I should share more, but I’m just sort of fried right now! I have an OB appt this week, so hopefully I’ll find out that baby has flipped into position.

I have a friend date later in the week (tacos!), which I’m looking forward to.

We’re done with school (I made this little cake to celebrate), so this week will just be hanging out, preparing for the baby, and keeping our fingers crossed that the house add-on FLIES BY. ❤️

Hope you have a nice, relaxing, lovely week, and if you need anything from me or just wanna chat, you know how to reach me.

-Bethany