It’s Week 34 of Dinner Plans and we’ve got an exciting week of meals planned!
Sending so much love and care to my fellow Southern Californians who are weathering Tropical Storm Hilary. We are hunkering down for the next two days as heavy rains pour outside my window as I write this. Thankful it’s not too windy and right now it’s just a lot of rain. If you are in areas affected by this storm, I hope you are safe and staying dry while finding something delicious to cook up to pass the time.
The farmers market was closed today and that also meant our CSA pickup was also cancelled due to the storm. We already skipped the delivery since we were scheduled to leave today for our annual camping trip. However, we cancelled that portion of our trip given the rain. Who wants to tent camp with kids in the rain? Not us, clearly.
Seasonal Cooking Tip: Traveling and Meal Planning
This week, we’re planning on traveling to Northern California for a last hurrah family vacation before school starts end of this month. Since we’re staying at an Airbnb and driving up we’re packing an ice chest to bring our remaining CSA box ingredients. This will help with meal planning while on vacation. It also got me thinking about how we ensure we’re keeping food waste to a minimum with our CSA to use all the produce we get while traveling.
This doesn’t mean we do this every time we travel. Depending on where and how we are traveling, this informs how I think about meals for us. Since we’re driving instead of flying, I knew we could bring a lot of goodies and stop off at a local market to grab a few more items for the week ahead.
Here’s 3 ways we’re getting ready for seasonal eating while traveling:
- Shop the Produce Bins: I’ll check the produce drawers in refrigerator and on our counters to see what remains. This week, we’ve got broccoli greens, lettuce, zucchini, and potatoes. We’re bringing those up with us when we leave later this week.
- Shop the Freezer: I’ll check for items already prepped. For instance, we have pre-made breakfast burritos that I will pack for fast breakfasts. With freezer meals or foods, I label the date made so I know how soon to use them. I plan to bring some portioned tomato sauce for pizza, pesto cubes, breakfast burritos, and a freezer compote.
- Outline Meals and Pack Ice Chest: Next, I outline meals. I’ll account for meals where we will dine out and meals where we’ll stay in. Once I have an idea of meals we’ll make, I pack the ice chest. It’s something I’m so particular about so I tell Jerry to leave it alone and I will pack it. Maybe it’s the home chef in me but I definitely like knowing all the ingredients we have to plan meals with ease!
See Part I and Part II of my Pantry Essentials Series for more tips and recommendations for keeping a well stocked pantry no matter what size pantry you have.
DINNER PLANS FOR THE WEEK
We’ve got a fun family trip planned to Sonoma County this week! If you’re local to the area, please share tips and ideas for activities in the comments. We’re planning to check out a couple museums and hike a number of regional and state park trails! I’m looking forward to this time to connect with my familia and get some R&R.
Here is our game plan for dinner this week:
Sunday: Homemade Pesto Ravioli using the Zucchini Basil Pesto recipe on the blog
Monday: Charred Corn Salad with Avocado and Chili Lime Dressing
Tuesday: Dinner in Petaluma or Santa Rosa
Wednesday: 30 Minutes Pasta with Hearty Heirloom Tomato Sauce
Thursday: Easy Broccolini and Beans Pasta Salad
Friday: Pesto Caprese Sandwiches (either purchased at a local deli or making them)
Saturday: Picking Up Pizza from a Local Place in San Luis Obispo (please send your recs if you’ve got one!)
From favorite recipes to new things with a wide variety of ingredients, cooking delicious food with our CSA definitely gets us out of a dinner rut and reduce food waste. I share meal ideas for our busy weeks with our weekly newsletter. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to be in the know when they’re live. 😉
Cheers to a nourishing week. ❤️
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