meal planning & cookies

Meal planning... one of those things I've mentioned on the blog before that I was going to "start doing" {<---- when you read that, feel free to make air quotes}.  I believe I talked about starting it during my freak out, crazy-list-woman post... ga'head and read that here if your unfamiliar with that wonderful trait of mine.  Anyway... similar freak out senario while I was at the store yesterday after I text Caleb and asked...

"What should we do for dinner?"

{It was six o'clock - I just got off work and Caleb was at a master's class}

Caleb's response was "Something good."  

Gonna be real honest here... I'm not your gal to just whip up "something good."

So I'm walking through the store picking up 2 more cans of refried beans when I already have about 5 cans at home, because I have no clue what food I have nor do I know what to make. So then, after I spent $60 at the store and Caleb calls me afterward and asks what we are having... my repsonse was...

"I still don't know... :( "

At home, I proceeded to give Caleb and lecture {which was really directed at myself} about how we were going to start meal planning for real because with my new job and new work schedule, I can't be getting off work at six and going to the store.  So here I go again, let's try this one more time...

To make this much more fun for myself... I designed my own weekly meal planner in photoshop! :) I will share it with you in case you need something similar. I know there are a ton of free meal planners on Pinterest, but I really just wanted to make my own for fun! Here it is....

The size is 8.5 x 11 - to make sure it fits within the margins, choose "scale to fit" or similar when printing. Link to download is below.

 Download the meal planner for yourself:
{Weekly Meal Planner} click to download

While I really dislike cooking and think it's a pain, I really don't mind baking. Last night while I was going through my own Pinterest board with meal ideas, I ran across a M&M cookie recipe I pinned a long time ago and never tried.  I really felt like some homemade cookies and I just happened to have all the ingredients... {including the secret ingredient of vanilla pudding mix powder}.  I found the recipe here.  Let me tell you, they are glorious!!!  I love them so much and will make them for many years to come!

I used my Silpat baking mat, which I have almost never used before... but the original blogger used one and I think it contributed a lot to how perfect the cookies were!

Happy planning & baking! :)