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How I Keep Track of My Favorite Recipes and Create My Weekly Meal Plan and Grocery List in Evernote
Thursday, March 14, 2019
I am honestly so happy that doing Whole30 last year lead me to create a meal plan and grocery list system that really works. I remember the days when I would go to the grocery store and aimlessly walk up and down each aisle placing things in my cart without a clear vision of what I was going to make or eat. I'm pretty sure most of the items making it into my cart weren't the healthiest, think frozen pizza and chicken nuggets... I am a literal face palm emoji just thinking of how bad my diet used to be! Not everything I would eat was bad, but it was pretty simple. I opted for simple meals since Steven was the cook in our relationship. Doing Whole30 last year during Steven's busiest work time forced me to roll up my sleeves and learn how to cook. Whole30 also forced me to create a meal plan system in order to keep track of all the compliant meals I was having to cook. While we completed Whole30 in April 2018, the system I developed during that time has stuck around.
For my meal plan and grocery list I use a notebook in Evernote to keep track of everything. If you are recreating this system it isn't necessary to have Evernote, but it does make it a lot easier when it comes to accessing your meal plan and grocery list on the go!
My Evernote Notebook Set Up
In Evernote I created a stack titled Food in which I have two notebooks: Recipes and Meal Plans . I keep the notebooks separate to make it easier to find exactly what I am looking for.
In the Meal Plan notebook I have two Template notes that I use week after week:
For each recipe, I keep track of a few specific details that make it easier for me to meal plan. These details are:
Once I have completed my meal plan, I write up my grocery list for the week. Since I shop at different stores for different things, I have my grocery list broken down by store and by section. The stores I shop at are: HEB, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Costco. A majority of my groceries will be from HEB, but I do occasionally go to the other stores for specific items.
Under HEB I have a list of categories that correspond to different sections of the store. I do this so that I can get everything from that section before moving on to another part of the store. This has made my grocery trips a lot faster than they used to be. The categories I use are:
In the Recipe notebook I have one Template note:
- Recipe Layout Template
In the Meal Plan notebook I have two Template notes that I use week after week:
- Meal Plan Template
- Grocery List Template
Recipe Layout Template
For each recipe, I keep track of a few specific details that make it easier for me to meal plan. These details are:
- Recipe Title: When I title my recipe I preface it with the category that the recipe is in. The categories I use are: Breakfast, Beef, Poultry, Pork, Seafood, and Side Dishes. As I build out my recipe catalog I will include more categories.
- Link to Original Recipe: A majority of the recipes I make have been created by someone else and can be found online. I like to keep track of where I got the recipe from incase I want to reference the original recipe since I do make modifications and change the ingredients list and instructions on my own copy of the recipe.
- Cooking Information: This includes prep time, cook time, total time, and serving size.
- Ingredients List: Because this is the section that I copy and paste into my meal plan template I use the recipe title again and include a link back to the recipe note with the ingredients listed below. Linking the title makes it easy for me to access the recipe from my Meal Plan for the week.
- Instructions: I list step by step cooking instructions here.
Meal Plan Template
When creating my meal plan I like to be able to collect all the information I need in one place. I've created a table where I track the day of the week, date, each meal of the day, and what needs to be prepped on that day. Below that is where I paste a copy of the Ingredients List from my recipe note for each recipe that I will be making that week. Since I've linked the title of the Ingredients List back to the Recipe note, I can easily go from my Meal Plan for the week to the Recipe that I will be cooking. This eliminates having to search for the recipe saving a little bit of time.
Once I have all my meals planned and the ingredients list for each recipe, I start working on my grocery list. The first step is to check off the ingredients that I already have in my fridge or pantry so that I am not buying more of the same and wasting food.
Grocery List Template
Under HEB I have a list of categories that correspond to different sections of the store. I do this so that I can get everything from that section before moving on to another part of the store. This has made my grocery trips a lot faster than they used to be. The categories I use are:
- Produce
- Proteins & Meats
- Dairy & Cold items
- Snacks
- Spices
- Canned / Dry Goods
- Drinks
- Frozen
- Other
Conclusion
I've loved using this system to keep track of all my favorite recipes and to create my weekly meal plans and grocery lists especially because I can share the notebooks with my husband and we both have access to the information. I hope this helps you create your own Meal Plan/ Grocery List system! Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.
Favorite Recipes: April 2018
Monday, April 30, 2018
I didn't do as much cooking this month as I did last month. Mostly because we were so excited to be done with Whole30 so we went out to eat a bit. I did try out three new recipes:
Paleo Blueberry Lemon Bread
I love love love blueberry and lemon combinations and I loved this paleo bread! The texture is a little different because of the almond flour and coconut flour but it was good! I am going to slowly try out gluten free recipes of some of my favorite gluten filled foods since I want to avoid gluten as much as possible.
Bell Pepper Nachos
Easy and delicious! I loved this healthier version of nachos. I topped my nachos with fresh guacamole and Trader Joes salsa. I also had a handful of corn tortilla chips to add some crunch to my nachos.
The Dud this month...
Lemon Paprika Chicken
Meh. That's how I felt about this recipe. It was fine, didn't taste bad, it just wasn't that delicious either.
Favorite Recipes: March 2018 (Whole30 Edition)
Thursday, March 29, 2018
All the recipes I tried this month were Whole30 compliant or made to be compliant. One of the best things about Whole30 was that we didn't feel like we were restricting ourselves. Don't get me wrong, we still missed some of our favorite foods but at least the food we ate was delicious!
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind the recipes below may not be 100% compliant as they are. I recommend double checking the ingredients. With a few tweaks you can make the recipes compliant.
All Day Frittata
I followed the recipe exactly and made it with compliant chorizo. It was very tasty! This was a dish I made for myself and I ate it for breakfast for the entire week. I will say, shredding the sweet potatoes took work but it was worth it in the end.Red Curry Shrimp Skillet
OMG, so good!!! This was one of my favorite recipes this month. It was super easy to make and oh so delicious! I got the recipe from the Whole30 Fast and Easy book and it did not let me down. I made 1.5 times what the recipe called for so that we could have leftovers and the curry tasted just as good reheated as it did fresh.Crispy Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings
Steven and I both love buffalo wings so when we found this recipe we knew we would have to try it. The wings turned out so good! I bought the large chicken wings at the grocery store and followed the recipe exactly. I think is is our new go to wing recipe!Garlic Lime Marinated Pork Chops
This was Steven's favorite food. I made this along with a side of spiraled sweet potatoes and it was certainly a quick and tasty meal. I grilled the pork chops both times I made this and they turned out perfectly the first time and were a little to well done the second but the flavor was still good.Butter Chicken
So easy and so good! I added more chili powder than the recipe called for and a bit of cayenne pepper because I love my food with extra spice. We ate this with a side of cauliflower rice.The Dud this month...
Breakfast Hash with Chorizo and Eggs
Well I did eat this for breakfast for a few days but it wasn't my favorite. I think I just prefer sweet potatoes over red potatoes now. The chorizo I used also didn't seem to crumble like other brands so that could have been part of the problem.Favorite Recipes: February 2018
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
I tried a few new recipes this month and I found my absolute favorite baked fries recipe. If calories weren't a thing I would eat the Baked Parmesan Truffle fries every day, so good!
Buffalo Chicken Ranch (Whole30)
This recipe is great for meal prepping. I can already tell that this will be a lifesaver during the Whole30 because it is easy and delicious. By following the recipe I was able to make enough for four meals which to me is the prefer amount since any more than that would make me get tired of eating the same food. This recipe required me to make homemade mayo and ranch dressing and while I was a little intimidated it turned out to be fairly easy.
Beef Enchilada Skillet (Whole30)
Another great meal prepping recipe! I added three jalapeños and used double the amount of chili powder and cayenne pepper to make the recipe a little spicier. It was so good! I ate it with half an avocado and some salsa verde.Baked Parmesan Truffle Fries
OMG! So good! I am sad that I am only now learning how to make these since we are starting Whole30 soon and these will be off limits. I made these along with some garlic aioli, steak, and chimichurri for Valentine's Day and Steven said they are the top three fries he's ever eaten and he eats a lot of fries haha.Brownies
I've only ever made brownies from boxes before. I had a hankering for dessert and after looking up this brownie recipe realized that I had all the ingredients to make them! It also helped me use up the rest of our flour and sugar before we start Whole30 next month so we won't have any temptations. I replaced the vegetable oil with an equal part of coconut oil and the brownies came out perfectly! Super easy recipe and delicious brownies.The Duds this month...
North African Chicken Skillet with Sweet Potato Noodles (Whole30)
I wasn't a big fan of the flavors in this recipe. I think it mostly stemmed from the mixture of tomatoes and dates. It was a weird sweet flavor that through me off. When we were cooking this we made it in two skillets and we left out the tomatoes and dates in Steven's skillet and he said he liked the flavor of the chicken and enjoyed the sweet potato noodles.Orange Chicken with Cauliflower Rice (Whole30 Fast & Easy page 102)
I barely ate my serving and didn't even bother trying to eat the leftovers because this recipe was just so bland. As I started cooking I could already tell I wouldn't like the food. The recipe didn't have me marinate the chicken which should have been a red flag for me. Overall it was just a bland recipe and if you have the Whole30 Fast & Easy cookbook I would suggest you skip this one.Favorite Recipes: January 2018
Thursday, January 25, 2018
I started off the year with a goal to cook a new meal once a week and I am proud to say that I did that and more! I used to be a little scared of the kitchen, but now I just search Google or Youtube for help if there is something I don't know how to do... like how to make ghee.
Steven and I have resolved to complete a Whole 30 in March so a couple (not all) of the recipes we are trying are Whole30 compliant. We figure the better prepared we are, the more likely we will be to successfully complete a Whole30, but more on that later.
Favorite Recipes: January 2018
Butternut Squash Noodles with Goat Cheese and Sage
Oh my goodness, this recipe is so delicious! I follow Merritt of The Style Scribe on Instagram and I'd seen her making this recipe. She raved about it so much that I decided to try it and I am so glad I did. I already love spiralized zucchini so I was willing to try spiralized butternut squash. You guys, spiralized butternut squash is amazing! If you haven't tried it, do yourself a favor and get yourself some ASAP! I take a whole butternut squash and make my own noodles using this spiralizer, but you may also be able to find packaged pre-cut butternut noodles at your grocery store.Restaurant Style Chicken Tikka Masala (Whole30)
Indian food is something I crave constantly and this recipe did not disappoint! I love spicy food so I ended up adding some Chili Powder and Cayenne Pepper to add a little more spice. I served it with cauliflower rice and it was delicious!Paleo Carnitas with Pork Loin - Crockpot (Whole30)
So easy and so good! I added extra jalapeño peppers, because incase you haven't noticed I like my food spicy, and it was just perfect. We ended up eating the carnitas in tacos (tortillas are not Whole30 compliant at all) but I can see eating this with some cauliflower rice and salsa and being content when we do properly do a Whole30.Ina Garten's Lemon Chicken
Super simple and super delicious! This chicken recipe is definitely being added to our dinner rotation. I served the chicken with cauliflower rice, but next time I will add a side asparagus or broccoli to make it a more satisfying full meal.Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake
This cake was delicious! I loved every bite of it! It was just the right amount of sweet which is perfect since I made it for brunch and didn't want it to feel like an outright dessert. I made the cake the morning of brunch, but it can be made ahead of time which is a plus.
Sweet Potato Home Fries
This is a perfect base for multiple meals. For breakfast, I ate the home fries with a fried egg and some bacon and for dinner I ate them with sausage and avocado. So good!Now for the duds of this month...
Chilaquiles with Sweet Potatoes (Whole30)
I had high hopes for this one but it ended up looking a lot better than it actually tasted. I used some leftover crockpot carnitas on it and fresh guac because I love both of those but some how mixed in with all the other ingredients this recipe just fell flat. Oh well, you win some you lose some.Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Prosciutto
I don't think I've ever worked so long on a single recipe. I spent over two hours working on this soup! It was delicious, rich, and filling but that much work for dinner makes it a once a winter recipe for me. Not something that will be on my monthly rotation.Cheesy Tater Tot Breakfast Bake
I made this for family brunch and while it tasted fine there was something off about it. In the comments section some people mentioned changing some of the proportions of the recipe and I think they may have a point. I would give this another try with a couple of changes but as is it wasn't my favorite.
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