Things to Eat - 9 Week Meal Plan (September - October 2017)

As far as dinner goes, things have changed A LOT this fall.

F has loved cooking for awhile now, but up until this fall she concentrated on desserts. So we decided to try the meal-delivery service Plated and ask F to cook dinner two nights a week (I picked Plated because it appeared to have the largest recipe selection, but we're up for trying others as well).

Since she's the chef, F chooses the entrees and then when she comes home from school she arranges all the ingredients, references the recipe card, and cooks us an AMAZING feast. We're working on making P and T help her (though F often doesn't want their help).

Am I am so so happy.

Plus, Dan shot his first deer of the season and has made A LOT of incredible venison recipes. So so good!

Basically, I rarely cook at all anymore - which I'm totally okay with. Happy autumn!
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WEEK 1

MONDAY - Labor Day BBQ at a neighbor's.

TUESDAY - Black bean chilaquile (recipe here). When the kids were little they didn't like this that much, but now they request it regularly, which makes me so happy.

WEDNESDAY - Hot dogs and chicken sausage with brussels sprout/endive salad (the salad is from this book, super easy and so so good).

THURSDAY - Dinner out before Depeche Mode.

FRIDAY - Pizza at the back to school picnic.

SATURDAY - I have a photoshoot, Dan makes the kids dinner.

SUNDAY - Date night out at BrickHaus (the new beer garden on Columbia Pike). The kids eat mac and cheese.
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WEEK 2

MONDAY - Bacon, corn, and parmesan pasta (via Smitten Kitchen's blog).

TUESDAY - Brussels spout salad (via this book) and TJ's frozen lamb chops.

WEDNESDAY - Friends for dinner - veggie tacos two ways - corn and cauliflower/ black bean.

THURSDAY - Carry out from Tortas Y Tacos La Chiquita (the new taco place on Columbia Pike). The food here is crazy good, we can't get enough.

FRIDAY - Dan makes venison medallions with garlic bread.

SATURDAY - Dinner at our friend's 40th birthday party.

SUNDAY - Maggie's pasta (recipe here).

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WEEK 3 - I have dental surgery on Monday and ignore my family all week.

MONDAY - Plated - Salmon and Creamy Dill Sauce with Sautéed Kale and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

TUESDAY - Plated - Seared Steak with Bell Pepper Panzanella.

WEDNESDAY - Dinner out with Shannon (Farmers and Fishers), Dan makes pasta for the kids.

THURSDAY - Dan make dinner.

FRIDAY - Pizza at the neighbor's happy hour.

SATURDAY - We eat dinner at William Jeffrey's after Aasif Mandvi's comedy show at the Cinema Drafthouse. F makes pizza at home.

SUNDAY - Dan planned a huge venison feast, but the garbage disposal broke and he has to spend all day fixing it - so carry out from Tortas Y Tacos La Chiquita.

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WEEK 4

MONDAY - Dan's venison feast.

TUESDAY - Plated - Brown Butter Orecchiette with Spicy Sausage and Peas.

WEDNESDAY - Plated - Salmon Burgers with Chive Aioli and Mâche.

THURSDAY - Back to school night - I leave out apps for the kids.

FRIDAY - Friends for dinner - Dan makes venison steaks (yum!).

SATURDAY - Dinner at the wedding I'm photographing.

SUNDAY - I have a photoshoot and Dan has a Nationals' Game, so we order Ledos pizza for the kids.

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WEEK 5

MONDAY - Plated - Cuban Beef Bowls with Mojo Sauce and Avocado-Pineapple Salsa.

TUESDAY - Plated - Chop Steak with Crispy Brussels Sprout Home Fries and Herb Compound Butter.

WEDNESDAY - I FINALLY MAKE DINNER!! Brussels sprout salad (via this book) and pasta with tomatoes and sausage.

THURSDAY - Family dinner at Politics and Prose.

FRIDAY - Dan makes dinner for him and the kids; I eat at the wedding I'm photographing.

SATURDAY - Dan and the kids in Richmond; I eat at the wedding I'm photographing.

SUNDAY - Family at the neighborhood Ethiopian restaurant (I've been craving Ethiopian all week).

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WEEK 6

MONDAY - Dan makes a venison feast for F's birthday.

TUESDAY - Plated - Crispy Flounder with Spinach Orzo and Tomato-Olive Tapenade.

WEDNESDAY - Plated - Meatball Parm Heroes with Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce and Charred Broccoli .

THURSDAY - Black bean chilaquile (recipe here).

FRIDAY - Breakfast for dinner - pancakes and bacon.

SATURDAY - Order pizza after T's paintball party (yes, I know his birthday was in June, but sometimes it takes awhile to get a birthday party together).

SUNDAY - I have a photoshoot, Dan makes orzo with pesto.
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WEEK 7

MONDAY - Plated - Baked Pennewith Cauliflower Cream Sauce, Spinach, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes.

TUESDAY - Plated - Seared Steakwith Blistered Shishito Pepper Salsa and Smashed Potatoes.

WEDNESDAY - Nachos for dinner with black beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes (yum!).

THURSDAY - Trader Joe's lamb chops with broccoli salad (via this book).

FRIDAY - Order pizza after P's escape room birthday party.

SATURDAY - Dan makes dinner for him and the kids; I eat at the wedding I'm photographing.

SUNDAY - Make your own pizza.

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WEEK 8

MONDAY - Plated - Spicy Chicken Arrabbiata with Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower.

TUESDAY - Plated - Carne Asada Sopes with Avocado-Corn Salsa and Refried Black Beans.

WEDENSDAY - Chili's restaurant for dinner outside Cornwall, NY.

THURSDAY - Pizza at Jenny's house (Long Island, NY).

FRIDAY - Dinner at the Anthem before the Head and the Heart concert (kids have pasta at home).

SATURDAY - Hobo snacks (italian sausage, red peppers, shrimp, and corn in aluminum foil) on the fire while we camp at Shenandoah River State Park (still one of my favorite places).

SUNDAY - Dan makes venison osso buco (so so good) with asparagus and garlic bread.

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WEEK 9

MONDAY - Plated - Cuban Beef Bowls with Mojo Sauce and Avocado-Pineapple Salsa.

TUESDAY - Pizza at the neighbors' before trick or treating.

WEDNESDAY - Friends over for dinner - Black bean chilaquile (recipe here) and beef tacos.

THURSDAY - Easy dinner of bacon, avocado, almond butter sandwiches after the kids' tennis and soccer practices.

FRIDAY - Dan is out of town, F is babysitting, and P is at a sleepover. So I take T and two friends to Silver Diner. We are, by far, the loudest group in the restaurant.

SATURDAY - I have a photo shoot, Dan and the kids eat at his brother's house. I make a sandwich.

SUNDAY - Dan makes pork chops and salad.