Weekly Meal Plan Week 1 – 10 great bloggers bringing you a full week of recipes including dinner, sides dishes, and desserts!
Welcome to our Weekly Meal Plan Week 1. This kicks off a new series that I hope you will love.
Long time, no post. Life, it gets crazy at times. We've been enjoying our summer immensely. Always lots to do. We spend time outside grilling up a storm. I've been gardening here and there too.
Mostly I'm just missing my kids. My regular readers know my son moved out to Calgary a few years ago to get his PhD. He's doing great and visits at least a couple of times a year. I miss him something awful. Even after all this time, you never quite get used to it.
Now my daughter has zipped off as well, although her departure is temporary. She's gone off for training, I can't explain what exactly for because of security reasons though. Once I can tell you I will, I promise. But the household is just not the same without her.
It's part of the reason the blog has been so quite in recent months. We knew she would be going away for about 4 months so I took some time off prior to her departure so I could spend some quality time with her. Then she left and I'll admit that I sort of fell apart a little bit.
Okay, I fell apart a lot. If we're being honest it pretty much knocked me on my butt for the first month or so. I could barely function, lots of crying and just being so down in the dumps I could barely function. It was pretty awful. Even though I knew it was temporary it immobilized me.
I went to see her for a ceremony about a month ago. That trip calmed me down a lot. Seeing her with her crew and how happy she was made all the difference in the world. They respect her, and she seems to have found her place in the world. So it made me realize things will be okay.
That was a good thing because honestly I was starting to wonder if I would ever snap out of empty nest syndrome. It's so odd how hard it hit me. You would think knowing it was temporary would help, but it didn't at all. I think once you're in that state it's hard to see reason.
Plus I'm wicked close to my kids. I lost it when my son left too. I think it's fairly normal. When my daughter left it just crushed me. We've spent every day together for over 20 years. We go to the barn together, we watch movies together, we cook together. She's my best friend. I also think she sort of fills that void my mom left in my life. Not having my mom around in my life has been tough. Having my daughter sort of softens that hardship.
Having another female to bond and spend time with means the world to me. I don't take a minute of our time for granted. I love that we're friends and she enjoys spending time with me. That's why I'm off work this weekend. She got a weekend off so we're spending tons of time together.
We'll be visiting the horse, shopping, seeing movies, going car shopping for her, binge watching Netflix and probably eating everything in sight. After only seeing her a handful of time these past few months I soak in every moment I can with her. Family is everything.
The only thing better than fine food is family and friends to enjoy it with.
Hope you enjoy this Weekly Meal Plan Week 1. More coming each week.
Weekly Meal Plan Week 1:
Creamy Summer Pasta Salad - Barefeet In the Kitchen
Cilantro Lime Chicken - Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
Honey Sriracha Glazed Chicken Bites - Foodie with Family
White Cheddar Mac and Cheese - I Wash...You Dry
Kitchen is CLOSED! Enjoy a night off!
Grilled Steak Bites - Kiss My Smoke
Perfect Grilled Souvlaki - Sweet C's Designs
Mocha Cream Popsicles - The Cookie Rookie
Coconut Key Lime Trifle - Lemons for Lulu
This weeks meal plan was brought to you by:
Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts | Barefeet in the Kitchen | Foodie with Family |
I Wash...You Dry | Lemons for Lulu | Sweet C's Designs | The Cookie Rookie | Kiss My Smoke
Pin this to your meal planning board for easy access all week long!
Thanks so much for swing by. Hope you enjoy the meal plan. Tune in next week for more fabulous recipes!
Toodles and smoochies! xx
janet
i so hear you on the daughter bonding / leaving home thing. My daughter's years in college killed me - then she was back home, for 3 years. Then she met a guy... So they just go grow up and we have to let them. It's so hard though!! Fortunately, the guy she met, his parents live 45 minutes from us - so we do get to see her - we also moved out of state, which further complicates things - but on the bright side - she calls me every morning on her way to work, txts me throughout the day - and we facetime during some of our favorite shows. It's different - but it's going to be ok.
thanks for the menu!
foodwanderings
I can completely relate having a 22 year old that just moved out yesterday. He was back home for six months after college. Seems like your kids are off to a bright future which is wonderful!! BTW a week long meal plan?! You are super woman!
Lora @cakeduchess
Your post makes me tear up and get emotional. I'm so close to my lil' girl too. I know how you feel and it makes me sad to think of you missing yours so much. You're a great mom and blessed to have this special bond. I love this weekly meal plan idea!!! Every thing has me hungry! hugs to you, my sweet friend xx
Stephanie
I love these meal plans - so helpful! I feel for you, missing your kids. Mine are all so small still but I just hate being away from them. Heck, I miss them while they nap! You are a strong lady and have raised good kids. Hang in there!
Rose | The Clean Dish
I'm sorry to hear about the empty nest!! Of course I can't really relate to it -- other than feeling lonely when I board my pup the night before I go off somewhere haha! (Don't think that counts 😉 )
I can totally use a weekly meal plan right now, summer makes me lazy! I need inspiration so this is great timing 🙂
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom
Kim, I think it's wonderful how much you love your children .. thank you for sharing with us. . I feel as though I've experienced some of the pain with you. . just from reading your FB posts. . I wonder if I will be as close as you are with your daughter, with mine. . love that you guys are so close. Family is everything. Word. Thanks for sharing and hope you two have a terrific time when you see her next! xoxoxo
Martha @ A Family Feast
I was just talking to a friend tonight whose daughter is headed off to college...it's such a huge adjustment to have one child leave the nest - I can only imagine how you feel with both off and out into the world! This is your time now! (Of course - I say that now - ask me how I feel in another 9 years when my daughter goes off to college...) 🙂
Kim Beaulieu
Luckily it's only temporary for K. She has two more years of university to finish, so she will likely be with us for two more years. Then gone for summers for training every year. It's probably good though, her career path will have her travelling a lot so I may as well get used to it. It is rough, we're best friends so I miss her something awful.
Heather | girlichef
I can't imagine the day when my kids are out and on their own - so glorious and scarey and nerveracking at the same time. I am horrible at meal-planning, so this is a great idea!
Kim Beaulieu
I always thought I was cool and progressive so I would handle it really well. Ya, not so much. Both times I lost it. Ha.
I love meal planning. When I keep up with mine we eat out less. True story.
Cookin Canuck
I can only imagine how tough it was when your daughter left for training. I'm so glad that you've been able to spend time with her when she's had weekends off! What an awesome meal plan - every single thing looks good to me.
Kim Beaulieu
Thanks Dara. The first couple of months were horrible. I was a mess. I'm am much better now. I still miss her but I can function again, which is good news for the blogs. Ha.
Thanks. It's nice to be able to help those who plan. I actually keep a monthly plan on my fridge. I use sticky notes so I can move things around when I want. I find writing it on the calendar stresses me out, too much commitment for me. Ha ha ha
DB, Foodie Stuntman | Crazy Foodie Stunts
Ah! This meal plan is a great idea. To be honest, when I saw your post title I thought you were going all healthy on me and I was going to ask who are you and what did you do to Kim? LOL
Kim Beaulieu
Ha ha ha. I promise that will never happen. I like butter more than skinny jeans. Like A LOT more.
Thanks my friend. Can't wait to hear about the conference.
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
Kim, first off - I LOVE the new blog design! It's fabulous! Second, I'm so sorry to hear how devastated you were when K left. I love that you're so close to your kids and I knew that you were having a hard time, but I had no idea it was that bad 🙁 I hope you're feeling better and you should be super proud of how incredibly intelligent, talented and overall wonderful your hooligans are. Sending you big virtual hugs, my friend!
Angie | Big Bear's Wife
Wish I could give you big big hugs!!! I don't know what it's like to have a child go off in the military but I do know that gut wrenching miss my entire world feeling due to Thomas and his military days. Stay strong!! Love you bunches!! Ps. I love all of these but I think hubby would go nuts for those Grilled Steak Bites!
Paula - bell'alimento
My baby will be a senior this year. Sniff Sniff. But hello I'm all about those kebabs! Now if I could just get organized enough to put together a meal plan too!
Tasha @thatssoyummy
My kids are still too young to leave yet but I know when that day comes I pray that I can manage... because as of right now I can't. As for this meal plan these dishes look droolworthy!!!!
Sarah Walker Caron (Sarah's Cucina Bella)
I love what you said about your daughter finding her place in the world. I can't imagine how hard it's been for you though, and am so glad to hear that you are bouncing back now.
Colleen (Souffle Bombay)
Here comes a big-fat-long-hug! I can-NOT imagine! My life tilted on its axis when I became a mom and forever changed who I was...My oldest is 13 and I am already breathing fast at the thought of only 4 more years with home before he's off to college (however I WILL be in the room next-door...lol). I'm sure you, me and everyone gets through this...somehow...sniff!! As far as your meal plan goes...I want to come and eat at your house every day!!
Nutmeg Nanny
I moved away from home when I was 19 and I feel so bad that I never really thought about how my dad would take it. I just assumed he would be happy because it meant he had the house to himself...lol. Now that I'm older I can see how hard it can be for a parent to say goodbye. It's ok though - we all have to move out and start our lives. Plus she will always come back to visit and to watch OITNB 🙂
Kim Beaulieu
I moved out at 19 too. I didn't tell my dad till after I left. My poor dad.
She is only gone temporarily so it's not all bad. She is doing army training for 4 months. We're really close, not your typical mother/daughter relationship, we've gone to the barn together every day for about 15 years. So it's been hard having her gone. She is a couple years away from moving out, thank goodness. My son is gone, but luckily she is still here.