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Home | Food | 5 Tips for Cooking from Scratch Every Night Without Meal Planning

5 Tips for Cooking from Scratch Every Night Without Meal Planning

June 15, 2017 by Lisa 106 Comments

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Learn my 5 tips for having healthy meals every night without meal planning. Making 3 meals a day does not have to be complicated. In fact, it is super simple!

cast iron skillet dinner vegetable hash recipe

So Many Food Options

I’ve noticed that when people want to start cooking from scratch, they think they need elaborate meal plans with dry erase boards neatly filled in with three meals a day.

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Baked blueberry pecan oatmeal for breakfast, Asian pesto curry for lunch and almond crusted parmesan tilapia for dinner…

(I just made those titles up, by the way, but they really do all sound fabulous.)

Just do a quick Pinterest search for “Paleo Recipes” and prepare to be overwhelmed.

I love a good crispy coconut chicken with squash and parmesan fritters as much as the next person, but maybe for a Saturday night special dinner, or a night when I have a little extra time to spend in the kitchen…

Which is pretty much never.

I am a mom of six small kids!

If you think you need to make Paleo safe coconut tortillas for every meal, that plan isn’t something sustainable . No wonder people limit their healthy eating attempts to 30 days.

Eating real food can feel so overwhelming when we hold ourselves to these standards!

What ever happened to good old fashioned meat, vegetables and herbs?

Back when my grandma was a mother of young children, I imagine she cooked a whole chicken, baked potatoes and maybe served it all with a biscuit and canned jam.

No fancy recipes. Just real food.

Five Tips for Cooking from scratch Without Meal Planning Video

Meal Planning is Stressful

Meal planning stresses me out, my friends.

If you have a Type A personality, and thrive in environments with plans and rigid structure, you should probably stop reading this post now. I think meal planning is a fabulous option for you.

I am NOT against meal planning.

I am talking to the moms who actually feel burdened and stressed by the idea.

I tried meal planning. Really, I did. I sat there for hours, on Pinterest, with my pen and notepad in hand, one night per week. I sifted through as many popular healthy eating boards as I could find.

I wound up with an almost full bottle of rice vinegar, half a can of tomato paste and rotting herbs all stashed in the back of my fridge.

Ok I don’t remember exactly what happened, but I know I ended up buying a bunch of crap I don’t normally use, just so I could follow the recipes.

I like the freedom and creativity that not having a plan allows for me.

I can fill up my cart “on a whim” with organic peppers, when I see the store has them on sale for $1.99.

When chanterelle mushrooms are in season, and we forage a grocery sack full, I want to incorporate them into everything.

If 13 dozen organic eggs are marked down, because they are about to expire, I am going to snag them up, and throw the meal plan out the window on the way home.

Egg salad, anyone?

In the summer we eat lots of tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini, because I find them cheap at the local produce stand.

Would you believe I also go to the store without a list? *Gasp*

And, trust me, it’s not as reckless as it sounds.

I will share with you my 5 tips for cooking from scratch every night without a plan.

1. Always have meat thawing in the refrigerator.

I keep a glass 9 X 13 pan in the fridge for thawing meat.

When I only have a few dinners worth of thawed meat in it, I will restock it with a whole chicken, two pounds of ground beef and a couple of steaks.

If you have meat thawed out, you are less than an hour from a meal at all times.

Is throwing a whole chicken and five sweet potatoes in the oven really that much harder than throwing a pre-made pizza in?

2. Do a little prep work when you have extra time.

If you’re a person who likes to ferment things, like me, spending some time on a Saturday to make up a few gallons of raw sauerkraut, will reward you richly in having a side dish ready to go.

Once it is done fermenting, you throw it in the fridge, and it is all ready to go every time you need a side.

No cooking, chopping, nothing.

I serve it with literally every single meal.

If you have some extra time in the morning, chop up several onions and peppers and store them in the fridge for a quick side for steak or chicken.

Hard boil a dozen eggs and throw them in the fridge. They will be all ready to go when you need a super quick meal.

If you already have the oven on, while roasting a chicken, or making meatloaf, you might as well throw in 10 sweet potatoes. After they cool, scoop the cooked sweet potato out and put it in a. glass bowl. Next time you need a quick side, pull it out of the fridge, warm it up and add butter and salt.

When I buy bananas I always buy about 10 bunches at once. When they start to get brown spots, I peel them, break them in half and throw them in a gallon size ziplock bag. Then, they are all ready to go for breakfast kefir smoothies.

3. Keep quick cooking staples on hand.

You know those nights when you forgot to thaw meat, you’ve been out of the house all day and you come home hungry?

The rigid planner types might use this as a scare tactic to make you  think meal planning is the only way to handle this scenario, without derailing your healthy eating plan.

I’m only kidding. I admire my meal planning friends.

But, for real. It isn’t true.

If you keep a few things on hand, you can have a meal in less than 30 minutes, even if you forgot to fill up your meat thawing pan. 😉

For these little emergencies, I always keep canned salmon in the pantry. I make Crispy Salmon Burgers and serve it up with some sliced avocado and sauerkraut.

Another great option is scrambled eggs. No thawing required, and they take less than five minutes to cook.

Running out of eggs for us is an emergency and requires an immediate trip to the store. I need them on hand for times like this, and super easy breakfasts.

We have five chickens, but we would need more like 20, to sustain our egg eating habits.

Add some sautéed onions, and a few of the easy sides in tip four, and eggs can pass for a legit meal.

4. Keep the fridge stocked with easy sides.

Learn how to make sauerkraut with this recipe for fermented vegetables that promote gut health

A great example of this is avocado.

They are filling, healthy and require no cooking.

If avocados are on sale, I buy 30 at a time. I keep them in the refrigerator, and pull out four or five at a time, to ripen.

When its meal time, I just slice it up and sprinkle on a little salt. I serve one or two with every meal, as a super easy side dish.

Some other super simple sides are steamed carrots, mashed cauliflower, crispy potatoes and baked sweet potatoes.

For carrots, I usually slice them into sticks and steam them in a small saucepan, with a little water, and the lid on. I serve them with butter and salt.

I do the cauliflower the exact same as the carrots, but afterwards I mash it up. I always add plenty of butter, salt and pepper.

I sometimes serve carmelized onions, or sautéed mushrooms, as a side dish all on their own.

5. Stock your staples.

You will never find my fridge without carrots, potatoes, onions, cauliflower, celery and butter.

I don’t mess around when I go to the grocery store. Five bags of carrots, 10 pounds of onions, three heads of cauliflower. Why not? I will use them all up in a week anyway.

In the fall, I purchase butternut, acorn, and spaghetti squash in bulk.

In the spring we eat a lot more salads, drizzled with olive oil, apple cider vinegar and sprinkled with salt and pepper.

My freezer always has serval bags of frozen vegetables, frozen fruit and lots of beef and chicken.

As long as you have the thawed meat from tip one, and these staples on hand, you have a meal.

For snacks, I keep walnuts, pumpkin seeds and popcorn on hand in my cabinets.

Sometimes I make my kids Paleo Dough Cookie Bites, Homemade Larabars and Grain Free Granola. But most of the time, I don’t. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I made any of these things. I just don’t have enough time to spend it all in the kitchen.

Most of the time the kids help themselves to nuts and frozen fruit.

I also like to make homemade yogurt, by the gallon, in my instant pot for a super simple snack option.

Making Simple Meals

To sum it all up, cook some meat and a whole bunch of vegetables.

Add salt, pepper and butter.

Mix it up with herbs and foods that are in season, and sprinkle it all with whatever random spices you have in your spice cabinet.

Turmeric and basil chicken. Grass Fed Roast with rosemary. Why not?

Get creative.

Buy a bunch of lemon or limes, if they’re on sale, and squirt them on everything you make.

Throw the blueberries and toasted coconut in the oatmeal if you feel like it. Add fresh herbs to your meat with reckless abandon. You don’t have a recipe at every single meal to do this.

No, meal planning definitely doesn’t mean boring.

For breakfast, I fry eggs and make smoothies six days out of seven.

Typical lunch and dinner meals for my family include:

Roasted chicken with with steamed carrots, sauerkraut, and sliced avocado.

Grass fed beef steak sliced very thinly and sautéed in butter. Served with sautéed onions, peppers, sauerkraut and avocado.

Salmon burgers with mashed cauliflower, sliced avocado, and sauerkraut.

Leftover chicken soup, in homemade bone broth, with onions, carrots and frozen peas.

Meatloaf with mashed butternut squash, sauerkraut and sautéed mushrooms.

Sometimes I get fancy and follow recipes, or make desserts.

But most of the time, I just cook a whole bunch of meat and whole bunch of vegetables, add in whatever is in season, some butter spices and salt and leave. it. at. that.

How about you? Are you a meal planner? Or do you fly the seat of your pants like me, and find it all works out?

Were these tips helpful?

Any tips I forgot?

Let me know in the comments below.

Bon apetit.

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5 Tips for Having Healthy Meals Every Night Without Meal Planning

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Comments

  1. Jen Ray says

    June 15, 2017 at 1:27 pm

    I love everything about this!

    Reply
    • Lisa Bass says

      June 16, 2017 at 7:13 pm

      Thank you so very much!! :). So glad others can relate!

      Reply
  2. Kelly says

    June 15, 2017 at 4:01 pm

    This is a great post – thank you! I too am overwhelmed by all the healthy eating, meal planning, etc. I work full time and have 3 young children – I also don’t have time to spend hours on Sunday coming up with new recipes and a shopping list to go with it, or cook an elaborate meal on weeknights (even though I’d love to!), so I tend to stick to basics and routine dinners – although that’s getting boring even for the kids 🙁 I love all of these tips – thank you, can’t wait to try them!

    Reply
    • Lisa Bass says

      June 16, 2017 at 7:12 pm

      I am so glad this post was helpful for you! That was exactly what I was hoping for. 🙂 We mamas need to take a little pressure off. Healthy eating doesn’t really have to be that hard. Thanks again for reading!

      Reply
  3. Katie @ Character & Charm says

    June 15, 2017 at 6:10 pm

    I really enjoyed this blog post, Lisa! We are also transitioning to a more simple, whole foods, old-fashioned approach to cooking in our home, and I love it. I’ve always enjoyed cooking, but it’s so hard to find the time to create an elaborate meal during the week days after working all day! (Even though I totally would if I could!) I’ve recently decided to leave that for the weekends, like you mentioned. It makes things so much easier and way less waste! Now if I can just get my hubby to broaden his palate a bit… 😉 He’s an Italian eater through and through, ha!

    Reply
    • Lisa Bass says

      June 16, 2017 at 7:11 pm

      That’s so awesome, Katie! I feel like a lot of people are trying to get back to a more natural lifestyle. I truly think it makes all the difference in how we feel. Hope you can get the hubby more on board! ;). Thank you so much for reading and commenting, friend!

      Reply
    • Mary Carmen says

      February 26, 2022 at 11:36 pm

      Wow I just love it! Thank you for sharing. Many people think that to run a house as a homemaker you need manuals, planners and everything. Definitely I am not a meal planner!! I thought you were one. It is nice to know you are not.

      Reply
  4. Cheryl says

    June 16, 2017 at 3:11 am

    I am one of those meal planner people and do my grocery shopping according to what meals I have plannnec and what I need to restock. Two things I did take away from your post for me was: always have the main staples on hand and meat thawing in the fridge. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Lisa Bass says

      June 16, 2017 at 7:09 pm

      Thank you o much for reading! Sounds like you have a pretty good system in place for you and your family!

      Reply
  5. Annie says

    June 17, 2017 at 6:36 pm

    Hi Lisa,
    Thank you for this great post !!
    I work a full time job and i tend to prepare simple healthy meals like you.
    While shopping at Trader Joes the other day, I stumbled upon packaged organic multi colored carrots!! My kiddos think these are amazing. I wash, peel and slice the carrots on the diagonal. Put them in a bowl, drizzle olive oil, sprinkle salt, pepper and rosemary, toss, place on a cookie sheet and roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. They are delicious! The natural sugars in the carrots make them tasty for the kids and they love eating yellow and purple carrots.

    Reply
    • Lisa Bass says

      June 26, 2017 at 7:10 pm

      Hey Annie! My kids love those carrots too! I grab several every time I make it out to Trader Joe’s. A few weeks ago they had the purple carrot juice to sample and I couldn’t believe how naturally sweet they are. The way you make them sounds absolutely delicious!

      Reply
  6. Dana says

    June 17, 2017 at 10:53 pm

    Your idea with the avocados is something I have never heard before! How long do they keep in the refrigerator? I have some on the counter that appear ripe but we are not going to be eating at home tomorrow so I wonder if I could slow it down by sticking them in the refrigerator. I may try it and see what happens. .

    Also, I find it so easy to roast my veggies at a very high temp — broccoli at 500 is done in about 6 minutes and I have heard it cuts down on the sulfer smell. I use coconut oil with the broccoli. Thanks for the great meal ideas!

    Reply
    • Lisa Bass says

      June 26, 2017 at 7:09 pm

      If I am buying a large quantity, like 30 avocados, I pick out the very firm and green ones. They can last for weeks in the fridge like that. The cold temperature definitely slows down the ripening process a ton.

      Also, great tip on the veggies! Roasted veggies are delicious. I also like to use my pressure cooker to cook things quickly. 🙂

      Thanks for reading!

      Reply
  7. Janese @ Gingham Goat Goods says

    June 21, 2017 at 3:11 pm

    Thank you for this great post! I feel set free from the overwhleming, regimented meal planning I tend to get stuck in. What I took away was it’s ok to do what I do ~ The Do Me/Do You mantra ~. While I don’t tend to keep multiple meats available in the fridge, I find keeping one meat/fish thawed helps the rest of the meal come together. My husband is super duper finicky on what veggies he’ll eat, but we keep trying others and slowly adding new items to our choices.

    Really enjoyed this one! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Lisa Bass says

      June 26, 2017 at 7:07 pm

      Thank you so much for reading! Sounds like you and I have a similar strategy. ;).

      Reply
  8. Emily says

    June 26, 2017 at 12:54 pm

    Have you or would you be willing to post the meals you actually eat? I am a big planner but love the idea of just using whole Foods and staples vs meals with 100 ingredients, especially now that I am dairy free. However I honestly don’t know how to cook like that or even know where to start!

    Reply
    • Lisa Bass says

      June 26, 2017 at 7:03 pm

      That is a good idea Emily! I will try to start snapping some pics of our meals over the next couple of weeks and maybe do some more specific posts, or update this one. :). Thanks for reading!

      Reply
  9. KimmR says

    July 3, 2017 at 11:46 pm

    Thank you for sharing another wonderful post 🙂 As we all get busier we yearn for a simpler way of living. This includes meal prep and cooking (who needs to shop for 35 ingredients for one meal???)……Keeping cooking simple, but healthy and allowing you to share more quality time with family is heaven on earth x

    Reply
    • Lisa Bass says

      July 6, 2017 at 2:30 am

      Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment! And I totally agree with you. Time is better sent elsewhere, than in the kitchen! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Aruna says

    November 28, 2017 at 3:01 am

    I loved your post. I can definitely relate to the half a can of tomato paste and the wasted herbs in the refrigerator. I am definitely going to change my approach to grocery shopping. I think it will also help me reduce the amount of stuff that I buy and often waste. Thank you for all of the great suggestions.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      November 29, 2017 at 4:08 am

      I am so glad this post was helpful for you! Thank you so much for stopping by, Aruna!

      Reply
  11. Laura Bennett says

    January 24, 2018 at 11:56 pm

    Many years ago, I was a restaurant cook. Then I had kids. Fussy eaters they were too. I lamented the waste of all my training just to make butter noodles and chicken fingers.
    I thank my kids now. I shed my foodie pretensions and kept things simple. When they got older they came around to new favors. They help out with meal prep now
    Knowing cooking techniques, not recipes will help with fast meals. All your advice is good and follows what, for me, is the best meal planning.

    Reply
  12. Houda Kawadri says

    January 30, 2018 at 12:33 pm

    Hi Lisa! This post is great and so true! One thing I might add is fish or prawns. You can cook from frozen especially god. I always keep on hand some coconut milk and this spices to make a Thai green curry in about 30 minutes, just add corn and some green beans and you have a fantastic meal. Sometimes we also dont make any meat or fish products if are out and have nothing in the fridge, we make a lentil dish with rice and side salads with any left over tomatoes and lettuce we have in the fridge.

    We also keep cans of varied beans to make quesadillas with canned chopped tomatoes, herbs and cheese and are very filling.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      February 3, 2018 at 3:25 pm

      Great tips! Mexican meals are always a quick and easy option. 🙂

      Reply
  13. Helen says

    April 20, 2018 at 8:32 pm

    Wonderful tips and suggestions. Thank you so much for sharing !!

    Reply
  14. Lynne says

    April 21, 2018 at 8:25 am

    Hi, Lisa! I don’t know how I missed this video/post! It’s incredible! Love everything about it. I don’t plan either. It may look like I do on my IG feed, but I don’t!! Most times, I have no idea what I’m making until half way through. I look at pictures for inspiration, simply bc I love the beauty of food. I don’t follow recipes or have a plan. I do like you, keep meat thawing and keep my pantry stocked as well as refrigerator with fresh veggies and herbs and lemons/limes. Listen, you can also us ACV if you don’t have lemons. ACV will brighten up a dish even a sweet one. Think of the 6 minute vegan cake which is really the Great Depression cake. That cake uses vinegar for the rise, but the flavor and texture is amazing. It’s the only chocolate cakes I use. I do use recipes for baking or a souflee, but most of the time, I just wing it! And if I’m following a recipe, I won’t make it unless I have the ingredients stocked. I don’t plan the recipe, haha, it’s in a whim. Great post! Love everything about it and you and your lifestyle!!!?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      April 21, 2018 at 9:27 am

      You sound so much like me, Lynne! I need to start using ACV more. I bet that really is delicious. 🙂 All your food sounds amazing!

      Reply
  15. Emily says

    June 3, 2018 at 2:00 pm

    I homeschool 2 girls and chase a toddler all day and this…was life changing. I am trying a more homestead style lifestyle just for the simplicity but my brain wouldn’t make the switch when it came to food. I was overwhelmed by planning school and meals. A lot of times I was throwing together meat, veggies and a carb and feeling defeated. I hated cooking. This means I can go with my usual system but tweak it a little. So simple. Bless you!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      June 5, 2018 at 10:12 pm

      Yay! I am so glad this was helpful for you. Life is too busy and crazy to worry about elaborate meals. especially with little ones around! 🙂

      Reply
  16. Kulpreet Chahal says

    August 23, 2018 at 9:03 am

    nice article. thanks for the sharing. quite good tips and helpful. keep it up.

    Reply
  17. Martha Reyes says

    September 17, 2018 at 2:39 pm

    Thanks a lot for sharing these wonderful tips. I think these tips will help everyone.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 24, 2018 at 4:52 pm

      So glad you enjoyed! Thanks so much for the positive feedback!

      Reply
  18. Carmen says

    March 3, 2019 at 7:35 pm

    I am a retired home school mom and this was me!! Thanks for the validation ❤️!

    Reply
  19. Rebecc says

    October 18, 2019 at 12:22 pm

    This is me! I am 5 years into marriage with a 3 year old boy and a 1.5 year old girl. I feel like FINALLY, I have figured this out. When it’s just me and my husband we are kind of like college kids, sandwiches and ramen and random stuff. I am NOT an organized person and it took me forever to practically get this. I’ve learned to just make something. Anything. Cooking anything is way better for you than ordering food/eating out and it is so much cheaper. Now with kids I’ve learned the most. I just tried to meet one goal at a time. Lunches are usually cold things like yogurt and peanut butter and apples and dinners are hot. Breakfast is mostly oatmeal (my husband and son like cold cereal). Dinners are a meat and a veggie and a starch. Now that I have the hang of it I am transitioning to start using less starch. Using the bread maker to make our reads. But I don’t stress about it I just replace one thing at a time. And I practice that. Eventually I want to make our own yogurt and have 50% more veggies but I just give myself grace to transition slowly without stress. I’ve found a stressed mom is an unpleasant one and I know my kids can tell. I’d rather take my time and do my best on each step. Makes meals happier 🙂

    Reply
  20. Diane says

    January 20, 2020 at 8:45 pm

    I am retired now and that is the way I always made my family meals—- last minute, roasted veggie, oven meals or crock pot and they always turned out fine no one starved, children all grown now with just the two of us I would like to try making your breads. I enjoy reading about your family makes me wish I was young again.
    Diane

    Reply
  21. Sherry says

    January 20, 2020 at 8:52 pm

    Loved this post!! I am a “basic” meat, potato and vegetable cook. I do experiment some and do casseroles on occasion. I agree with you that many of these recipes call for too many different ingredients and can really run a grocery bill up! Being from South Georgia, I come from a family of great Southern cooks—nothing fancy but delicious home cooking comfort food that can be quickly put together. My great grandma had 13 children so chicken,rice or potatoes and homegrown vegetables were her specialty!

    Reply
  22. Rachael says

    January 20, 2020 at 8:53 pm

    I absolutely love your posts and these in particular are super helpful!! I actually enjoy meal planning but I find it’s not very practical. It’s hard to always follow recipes or to think of a bunch of different meal ideas at once. We have 5 boys that are always super hungry – and we need to eat healthier – so thanks for sharing! I seriously wish we could be friends. Lol 🙂

    Reply
  23. Marilyn says

    January 20, 2020 at 9:55 pm

    Lisa, my husband grew up eating scrambled eggs with salmon . His grand mother was an awesone cook. She beat the eggs and added the salmon, stirring to break it up. Then she cooked it in butter, and salted it lightly. I add black pepper. I use the salmon in the foil packages. We have this for supper about once a month with a salad and potatoes. That is pleanty!

    Reply
  24. Marilyn says

    January 20, 2020 at 9:55 pm

    Lisa, my husband grew up eating scrambled eggs with salmon . His grand mother was an awesone cook. She beat the eggs and added the salmon, stirring to break it up. Then she cooked it in butter, and salted it lightly. I add black pepper. I use the salmon in the foil packages. We have this for supper about once a month with a salad and potatoes. That is pleanty!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      January 21, 2020 at 7:55 pm

      That sounds delicious! I have never thought of doing that.

      Reply
  25. Maria says

    January 21, 2020 at 5:18 am

    yay for simplicity!!! Whatever happened to it?
    This is a great post promoting the basics which is all we need, and I think many people would benefit from reading this!!!!!

    Reply
  26. Talitha says

    January 21, 2020 at 6:25 am

    Haha!! I could’ve written this post! I opened it because sometimes I feel guilty for not meal planning. Since I admire so many of your ways, I thought it would give me practical insight on meal planning…only to find that this is EXACTLY how I cook. Thanks for freeing me to do so without feeling guilt that I don’t meal plan. Yay!!

    By the way, I discovered your blog recently and LOVE, LOVE LOVE everything about it. You are so inspirational while being honest about life and motherhood. Your blog is the only one I keep up with (I stay away from social media but discovered your blog through my sister, Lisa, who sells you her milk from my old dairy cow. 😥I miss milking, but got married and moved away, so at least Penny’s got a wonderful home.😊) Anyway, you are inspiring to me, and I’m so glad I found you!! God bless!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      January 21, 2020 at 7:55 pm

      I wrote this post because I always felt guilty about non-meal planning ways. After a while, I was like “wait, this actually works for me, so who cares!” I’m so glad you found my blog. Penny sure makes some great milk! 🙂

      Reply
      • Julie says

        January 27, 2020 at 5:09 pm

        Thank you for the helpful tips! Can you provide any insight on organizing the fridge with the items you’ve recommended stocking up on? Thanks for any help!

        Reply
  27. Miriam Ayala says

    January 21, 2020 at 7:06 am

    Lisa,
    I am like you when it comes to meal planning. I thought I was weird!! Lol!
    I like your tips and they were helpful.
    Especially about the avocados 🥑, I didn’t know you could leave in refrigerator that long.
    Also, the salmon burger 🍔 sounds yummy and I will try soon. Thanks 🙏🏽.

    Reply
  28. Rebecca A Parker says

    January 21, 2020 at 12:22 pm

    I LOVE this! I would love to think of myself as a planner but in reality, I’m not. At least not when it comes to cooking! Your tip about keeping meat thawed in the frig is genius! Why hadn’t I ever thought about that? That’s always what I find myself doing; forgetting to thaw the meat. I love all your tips. I can alread see my life getting easier.
    Thank you so much!

    Reply
  29. Erin says

    January 21, 2020 at 1:30 pm

    I came across your video on this topic a while back, and it has been so incredibly helpful for me. I am not a meal planner either, and as a full time working mom (out of the home), I have a tight timeline to make easy healthy meals. These tips have been exactly what I’ve needed. Thanks for showing it’s possible, and helping a fellow mom out big time!!

    Reply
  30. JoLyn says

    January 21, 2020 at 1:53 pm

    Hi, Lisa,
    This is the best post or article I’ve ever read on this subject! This is the way everyone cooked 70 years ago when I was growing up and it’s sad that people have forgotten how to feed themselves. In our home, there was always good, healthy food on the table! Your method of keeping meat thawed in the fridge and plenty of veggies around mimics the days when we didn’t have freezers. Food was bought fresh when needed and was always on hand and ready to cook. It’s just as quick and easy as fast food, much more delicious and nutritious. Thanks so much for sharing wonderful advice that I think will be useful to many people. Great stuff!

    Reply
  31. Kylie says

    January 21, 2020 at 2:24 pm

    I love this!!! Such a great reminder of how we can easily complicate things lol 😆 Thanks for sharing!!!!

    Reply
  32. Janet says

    January 21, 2020 at 5:59 pm

    I am so like you except I take out my meat the night before. If peppers or other veg is on sale I will get to use but if I don’t get around to use later that week I will cut it up and freeze so I doesn’t go to waste. I really like listening to you. Thank you.

    Reply
  33. Birdie says

    January 22, 2020 at 7:00 am

    Hello Lisa;
    Thank you for your information.
    I LOVE cook books, trying new recipes. I have settled on a protein/fish each day, for 5 days usually. Then I will add something (salad/beans/?) to the main.
    It’s to overwhelming to do more and I feel guilty if I don’t follow through. Out with the guilt and in with the simple!!!!
    You blog is lovely.

    Reply
  34. Belinda says

    January 25, 2020 at 6:13 am

    I agree! This is the way I have always cooked. Meal planning is so stressful to me and like you I would find that food went bad in the fridge. I like being more creative. To me a recipe Is just guidelines, unless you’re baking a cake etc., which is a rare thing for me to do. Love your blog and videos.

    Reply
  35. Abby says

    January 27, 2020 at 9:41 pm

    Thanks for keeping it simple

    Reply
  36. Julie says

    January 28, 2020 at 6:17 am

    Great tips Lisa! This is right up my ally. I try to convince myself that meal planning works for me but I have come to realize it doesn’t because I’m more of a Lisa thinker in this haha. I do the same thing with meat and eggs. Breakfast for dinner is a big one in our house. I always keep broccoli and asparagus on hand when in season and this year I’m planting my market garden and creating a podager garden aka kitchen garden. I am curious, do you have a garden? Is this something you consider doing? So many things mentioned are easy to grow and since you like to do bulk things you can preserve a lot of it. You’re a busy working mama so that might not be your thing. I was just curious where you were on this? We have 14 chickens (lost 6 over the course of the year) and they supply us with enough eggs for our family plus gifting to friends and family. We get a dozen a day even in winter. We are in zone 8 so weather is a bit warmer. Anyway, loved this and so happy I’m not the only mama who can’t stand the site of a meal planner. My dry erase board meal planning system got taken over by the kids ha!

    Reply
  37. Colleen says

    February 4, 2020 at 11:13 pm

    Oh, how I love this. Meal planning gives me so much anxiety. Aagh!….and I’m not even good at it! 🤦🏼‍♀️🤣 This gives me hope. I CAN DO THIS METHOD!
    Do you think you could do a video or post to teach us the best ways to store these fridge staples? I love to stock up on avocados, but I struggle with knowing how to buy them. For example, do you buy them when they are soft and keep them in the fridge to stop them from ripening up or do you buy them still unripe and how long does it take for them to ripen on the counter? Do you keep onions and potatoes in the fridge? Thanks for sharing all of this! I’m excited to ditch my meal planning!!! Yippeeeee! 🤣

    Reply
  38. Tânia Sequinho says

    January 20, 2021 at 7:43 am

    Found your Youtube channel this week and am hooked. Just saw this video and was strike with how easy and simples it sound. And you know what? Exactly like your grandma, I remember that mine have done exactly that for years! Going to throw the meal planning out the window now. Thank you for sharing content like this!

    Reply
  39. Gabrielle says

    January 28, 2021 at 1:32 pm

    Hello Lisa,

    I find depending on how and when you prepare your meals, getting the children involved a few nights a week helps to promote healthy eating as well as their cooking skills. Eventually they can be a great help in the Kitchen. Win win! They’re never too young to start.

    Maybe you can post a few tips and tricks you’ve used in the kitchen with them along with different eating habits, favourites, etc

    Reply
  40. Donna Weigel says

    January 28, 2021 at 7:57 pm

    Great tips Lisa! I also like to make rice in large quantities in my instant pot and then portion it into freezer bags and keep them in the freezer for a quick headstart on stir fry or chicken and rice, etc. Cooked rice freezes beautifully. Thanks for all your wonderful posts!

    Reply
  41. Alexis says

    January 30, 2021 at 12:45 pm

    When I first learned to cook in my early 20s, I followed recipes to a T, because I was so scared to get things wrong. (I love to bake, so for me, recipes need to be followed exactly). After a few years of breaking out of fear in the kitchen I now meal plan and experiment with a few recipes. After reading this post, my eyes have been opened up to so much freedom I can have in the kitchen. I am definitely going to try these tips and, who knows, I might never make a list again…maybe😉
    Thanks, Lisa! Have been following you for about 2 years now and I love, love, love your content. It’s my dream to live in a farmhouse and have some acreage, you inspire this young mamma so much ❤

    Reply
  42. JoLyn says

    January 30, 2021 at 3:55 pm

    Marilyn, my parents made salmon and scrambled eggs, too, always for dinner with a vegetable and either biscuits or cornbread. They used the little cans of pink salmon. I grew up eating it regularly, delicious and such an easy meal. It’s amazing what you can make a meal with if you don’t complicate things and just cook good food! Thanks, Lisa, for sharing your great ideas!

    Reply
  43. Lauren says

    February 6, 2021 at 8:37 pm

    Definitely fly by the seat of my pants. I really appreciate this! Seeing that you run a home successfully like this is encouraging! I’ve felt that I’m terrible at meal planning and should be better at having a plan but we do just fine taking it a day at a time 😉 thawing meat and cooking frozen veg a lot of times!

    Reply
  44. Alison says

    October 10, 2021 at 6:09 pm

    Also, have a meal rotation. We have spaghetti once a week, baked chicken once a week, sloppy joes or tacos once a week. Maybe on the weekends we try a new recipe but not during the week when I work.

    Reply
  45. Meagan says

    October 10, 2021 at 7:30 pm

    Love this post! We definitely don’t mean plan here but people think we have extravagant meals often since my go to is a whole roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, and usually brussel sprouts. It’s just so easy and we always have a thawed whole chicken!

    Reply
  46. Tina Williams says

    October 11, 2021 at 12:05 pm

    I’m usually a fly by the seat Of My pants! It seems when I take the time to go through the recipes and meal plan it cost Me More money!
    But I still do it once in awhile, I guess for something new!
    Only two out of three of us like soup so I don’t make that as often as I would like.
    I love your blog and as a 61 year old women am amazed at all you do! In some ways I wish I would have homesteaded when I was younger. Looks like a great life.

    Reply
  47. Tabitha Juell says

    December 19, 2021 at 10:54 pm

    I am a planner, but in reality, it’s fallen apart leaving me staring at the fridge wondering what we’re going to eat for dinner. This has been very helpful!

    Reply
  48. Jeanetta says

    February 16, 2022 at 2:30 pm

    Lisa, I love this post, and I have watched this video probably three or four times now. This way of meal planning is so appealing to me, as I have tried SO HARD over and over to meal plan, and it just doesn’t work for me! I do love to look at recipes and try new ones, but it is so time consuming. I already feel like I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. My mom always used to say that it didn’t matter, that it gets eaten up right away anyway. The main problem was, that I would plan out a whole week, and my husband would want something else other than what I was going to make, or something would come up to throw off the plan. I also have a very hard time trying to decide what to make for each day. So for years, this is what has worked best for me: I keep frozen, cooked meat in the freezer. Cooked ground beef, cooked and sliced up chicken. Raw hamburger patties. I make a big roast in the crock pot for quick meals for our different schedules ( my two older girls work in the afternoons, and my husband gets home late at night). Sometimes I make a big pot of chilie, or a lasagna casserole. In the mornings we usually have fried or scrambled eggs, apple slices with peanut butter bagels with cream cheese, etc. . Or I cook up a bunch of sausage links on the Georg Foreman grill when I make supper, and wrap them in crescent roll dough for breakfasts. My little children can make those themselves. We almost never all eat breakfast all together, with our schedules being different. Lunches are usually leftovers, or the kids make themselves sandwiches or salad. I keep lunch meat on hand, salad fixings, canned tuna, frozen fish and burritos, etc. Our kitchen is a busy place, and rarely stays cleaned up! Everyone knows how to make themselves something to eat, and nobody goes hungry. My kids are healthy and happy, and I don’t have to stress about meals.

    Reply
  49. Mimi says

    February 26, 2022 at 9:50 am

    Amen! We have complicated our lives unnecessarily. Our great-grandmothers didn’t serve 3 types of international cuisine through-out the week but these days we’re encouraged (via magazines and cooking shows) to impress with so much variety it makes my head spin. I’m done with it. Simple is best!

    Reply
  50. Shauna says

    February 26, 2022 at 9:53 am

    I know this is years later….how am I just now seeing this? I LOVE this! I have all things on hand most of the time and my biggest issue is “thinking” of what to cook. I could literally throw nearly ANYTHING together which is such a blessing, I just get decision overload.

    I’m going to try and think more simply and keep some more of the things you mentioned ready, these tips seem so simple but GENIUS! ALWAYS Appreciative OF YOU LISA! Been a follower from the beginning!

    Reply
  51. Melissa says

    February 26, 2022 at 10:03 am

    We don’t have children but we still have to eat. I don’t meal plan or use a grocery list either. It’s just not my style. If I roast a whole chicken, bake a bunch of potatoes, have eggs and cheese on hand we can eat well. When time allows I’ll get sourdough bread and pizza crust going and the possibilities become endless! 😂

    Reply
  52. Roberta says

    February 26, 2022 at 10:12 am

    Im not a meal planner…I’m not really an anything planner and I love this – just when I was starting to think motherhood would change everything about who I am, turns out I can keep the kitchen sink 😂

    Reply
  53. Jessica says

    February 26, 2022 at 10:39 am

    Great tips! And such validation for the way I tend to operate for meal prep as well. Thank you!

    Reply
  54. Barb Kluver says

    February 26, 2022 at 10:58 am

    Great post!
    I am a widow so cook for only one.
    I’m not a planner in general. I usually just buy what is on sale and fix whatever comes to mind. I always have peppers, tomatoes, salad fixings, carrots, celery, etc. on hand as well as any vegetables that are in season (and grow my own tomatoes and peppers in the Summer then can salsa and tomatoes in the Fall).
    I like the buying bulk on sale like your avocado suggestion! Of course I don’t buy as many as you. 😊
    Thank you for sharing your ideas!

    Reply
  55. Carol Anderson says

    February 26, 2022 at 12:04 pm

    My family isn’t as large as yours n perhaps leftovers don’t happen at your home, but VERY often … ok, most of the time lunch is leftovers that have been “recreated”. Sometime they’ve been on the recreation list so many times that I can’t remember what the original start was!! Lol. My motto is taken from the chef Ann Burrell, “I paid for it all, I’m going to use it all”. It brings out my creativity. Sometimes the results are so yummy, but can not be made again due to the variety of leftovers. Your tips are great. A couple reinforced what I’m doing n a couple are new inspiration. Thank you for sharing what little extra time you have with all of us. Hug yer babies. It’s over all to soon!

    Reply
  56. Cari N says

    February 26, 2022 at 12:58 pm

    I am always learning great tips from you! Thank you!! I love this post. I meal plan but just so I know ahead of time what I am doing. It helps me to make the decisions before I am tired. I have certain pantry meals that I can throw together in case I can’t get my planned meal done. I also keep leftovers, in single serving sizes, in the freezer– and sometimes we just eat freezer meals, if I am really tired.

    Do you have a post on how to keep fruits and veggies fresh longer? How do you store yours? I’m also always wondering how long things stay good.

    Reply
  57. Becky Neuhalfen says

    February 26, 2022 at 4:44 pm

    Hi…..how do you make he starter you use to make biscuits, pancakes bread, etc? Thank you

    Reply
  58. Susan says

    February 26, 2022 at 4:49 pm

    Hey Lisa, such great ideas for these survival times. A quick easy lunch in winter is lots of chunks of veggies in pan on stove with splash of water and cover, gently steam few minutes, when cooked to your liking cover with grated cheese add S&P. Great way to clean out that fridge using storks of veggies that didn’t make it to soup or stir fry. With all the baking do you or anyone have an easy reliable way to clean the oven, my oven does my head in. Thank you to everyone for their helpful suggestions.

    Reply
  59. Wiosna says

    February 28, 2022 at 1:10 am

    Oh my! This is my way od cooking. I always thought I was chaotic, and perhaps I am, but highly effective. Plus we always have something to eat, though the meals are strange at times. Thank you for this lovely post!

    Reply
  60. Becky Orris says

    March 1, 2022 at 7:56 am

    I tried meal planning but hated all the ‘fancy’ ingredients. I instead made a list of the ingredients we eat the most and planned a bunch of meals around those ingredients. Things like potatoes and onions, frozen vegetables, ground beef and chicken, rice and pasta….Anything that required a fancy ingredient I either tossed out or figured out how to make that ingredient. Now, I pretty much have everything on hand to make many meals.

    Reply
  61. Shannon Arias says

    March 2, 2022 at 11:31 am

    Thank you!!! The idea of meal planning totally stresses me out and when I heard someone present it as a “must” in order to have a good week, I just felt a little down to be honest. Of course I want to do better and find a way to make our home run more smoothly, but that just felt like extra work to take on that would take from my reserve of energy, not add to it! Like over complicating things.

    I remember my grandmother, my mom grew up on a farm… she was always cooking and I’m sure she planned some things, but it was so refreshing to see what wrote at the beginning here.

    Reply
  62. Amanda says

    April 9, 2022 at 6:23 pm

    I cook up ground meat and then have it on hand for tacos, Mexican casseroles, nachos, spaghetti etc!
    Also if I forget to that ground meat I put it in the instant pot for 5 min HP and then saute it.

    Reply
  63. Natalie says

    April 19, 2022 at 8:31 pm

    I needed to read that. I don’t have kids yet, but healthy diet is crucial for my husband’s health (and me) and I get overwhelmed by all those elaborate healthy recipes. I admire moms like you who manage 6-7 children, a farmhouse and a vegetable garden, and a blog as well. I really like your approach. I especially liked the tips about thawed meat and bags of frozen vegetables and fruit in the freezer. I enjoy reading your blog and watching your videos on Youtube. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  64. Fran says

    July 31, 2022 at 4:11 pm

    Super late to the party but you are reading my mind!
    I actually keep my meat in the fridge and my veggies in the freezer so I don’t have to thaw anything. Meat keeps in the fridge for a while and I write the dates on my calendar that’s by the fridge so all I have to do is see there are 2x chicken in the fridge that go bad by 8/12 and I know I’m good.
    We don’t have a large fridge or a deep freeze so we have to compromise. 😁

    Reply
  65. Elizabeth says

    August 11, 2022 at 6:40 pm

    This. Yes! Absolutely.

    Reply
  66. Reena says

    October 7, 2022 at 7:44 pm

    This is exactly how I cook as well, I work at a grocery store so I tend to grab a few meats after I’m off and a few days a week I actually shop and fill my cart with a ton of veggies and just throw together what sounds good at the time. I also keep a pantry and love canning so I always have stuff on hand. My only down fall I’m trying to get away from is having to add pasta, rice, bread or potatoes.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      October 8, 2022 at 9:45 am

      Sounds like you make lots of wonderful and healthy meals.

      Reply
  67. Heather McAllister Gilmour says

    November 17, 2022 at 8:44 am

    I love it, Lisa! As a mom of six I definitely get tired of meal planning which I have done for roughly 20 years. I definitely like your way of down-home cooking, however. It’s very similar to the way we eat, but a little more freeing. I definitely helps to simplify things in my brain for sure! Plan to incorporate these tips! Thanks for all you do❤️

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      November 18, 2022 at 10:12 pm

      Thanks so much for coming by and commenting! Glad the tips helped.

      Reply
  68. Kendra Gubbins says

    March 15, 2023 at 5:32 pm

    This was so refreshing to hear. I have lots of friends that meal plan and I always feel bad for not. I am a big supporter of having my favourite staples on hand and just winging it. I make a lot of food from scratch or close to it and It seems to work out;)

    Reply
  69. April says

    May 2, 2023 at 11:54 pm

    Love it . I love to cook but since becoming disabled, I have no patience for fancy recipes . Your ideas are solid and remind me of the way my big son cooks !

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      May 3, 2023 at 8:17 am

      I’m so glad these recipes work for you and you enjoy them!

      Reply
  70. Jillian C says

    June 7, 2023 at 1:05 pm

    Hey Lisa!
    Thank you! You are so inspiring and this definitely takes some weight off my shoulders. Especially since it ‘seems’ everyone has huge grocery lists to go along with their meal plans, I felt like I was incompetent since those never really worked for me (Glad it works for other people though). Thanks for simplifying things. In another post you had mentioned it took you a while to become a good cook but once you learned a few basic things you can whip things up off the top of your head but also keep it simple. Is there a blog post I missed on these tips for cooking on a whim (not following a recipe) i.e. dressings (keep it to sour cream + mayo + herbs + ACV), meat (always have some thawing), vegetables (steam + butter + cheese) do you have a post like this? Am I dreaming? It would be awesome if you could share your simplified cooking tips you’ve learned because you are such a great cook with practical tips and insights. I really enjoyed the always have meat thawing in your fridge and you are 30 min away from a meal! Anywho, THANK YOU!!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      June 8, 2023 at 9:58 am

      Thanks for your kind words! There is not one official round up of tips — although I love the idea! However, I do share a lot of “what we eat in a week” videos on YouTube where I give a little bit of insight into how I do things. I hope that helps!

      Reply
  71. Sabine says

    June 15, 2023 at 11:59 am

    I LOVE THIS!!!! I’ve been following and admiring your homemaking skills! Your way of life is just beautiful and inspiring. I am a fairly new mom (2yr old boy) and my husband and I have no family around. I am getting overwhelmed with everything right now. it’s just been creeping up since the baby was born. I finally went and searched “overwhelmed” on your blog and found this. THANK YOU! it sounds like this will be my rescue. This is totally my style and thank you for linking all the tutorials for sauerkraut and etc. You really think of everything!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      June 16, 2023 at 5:53 pm

      Good luck! I promise it does get easier. I was there once and it was challenging to get anything done. Focus on the small things. You can do it.

      Reply
  72. Candy says

    September 15, 2023 at 10:39 am

    THANK YOU!!!! This is so freeing for a non meal planner like me! Brings sanity and wholesome simplicity to my life. 🙂

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 16, 2023 at 11:04 am

      Glad these tips could help!

      Reply

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