Here is what I did today to prepare for the week ahead, in order to make things just a little bit easier.

(1) Grocery shopping

I did a big run at Whole Foods, including our household staples, shelf-stable ingredients for the week, and some salmon and ground pork sausage for Monday and Tuesday meals (Wednesday is take-out this week).

(2) Made blueberry muffins with my son

These are an easy breakfast or snack, and made for a fun activity with my 3 year old this afternoon. I love this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction, though I ALWAYS forget to soften the butter ahead of time. I chop it into small pieces on a cutting board while I prep the rest of the ingredients, and usually it’s soft enough in time for that step.

(3) Roasted veggies for breakfast

I love a quick veggie scramble in the morning, but don’t want to spend time chopping and sautéing veggies in the morning while we’re racing to get everyone ready and out the door. I roasted 2 zucchinis, 1 red bell pepper, and 1 yellow onion with some olive oil and salt at 425º for 20 minutes, and will store in the fridge for the week. I’ll put a scoop of roasted veggies into a small pan with 2 scrambled eggs for a 5 minute breakfast that includes a full serving of vegetables.

(4) Made a pack of bacon

Some people keep a bottle of champagne in their fridge at all times. I keep cooked bacon. Warm up a few slices in the air fryer to go alongside breakfast, or toss it in a breakfast burrito. Add some to a sandwich when you really need that salty savory kick. Hell, eat it straight out of the fridge as a snack! Bacon always makes things great and it’s far better when you don’t have to cook it every time.

A suggestion: bake your bacon. 425º for 15-20 minutes (I check it at 15 and then decide whether it needs to be crispier. It usually does). It doesn’t destroy your stove top, and if you lay it out on a sheet of parchment, then half your clean up is taken care of once the grease cools.

Have a great week!