Hint: if you're here for my Potato & Leek Soup recipe, scroll to the very bottom! Enjoy!
Do you plan for the week ahead or are you one of those people that just 'wing it'? Perhaps you're someone who wants to be organised but isn't sure where to start?
Sunday's are all about self care for me and that includes organising myself, my work, my house etc for the week ahead! I am so much calmer, more productive and able to enjoy moments of relaxation because I take the time to plan ahead. Here are a few things that you can also do to plan for your week ahead!
Write it all down! - What have you got on this week? Use your calendar, planner, whiteboard etc and write all of the activities, appointments, things you have to do. Include everything whether that's soccer training for the kiddos or paying that phone bill. You will benefit from seeing it all written out in one place and this helps other members of the household too! p.s if you need a template to plan your week, I have some fabulous templates available on the website. Click HERE for a weekly planner.
Organise your clothes - This may seem a bit overboard to some but I organise my closet and pick out my 5 work outfits for the week (and maybe an extra one just in case). If you're not a morning person, this can save time (and stress) in the mornings. This can be an especially helpful exercise for the kids. Involving them in planning their weeks but picking out their clothes and accessories in addition to the school clothes that they may have to wear. You could even make it super easy and put them on shelves or in tubs with the days of the week labelled for them.
Confirm all appointments - this will help you not waste time and help you set a bit of a schedule around all of your meetings, appointments, school, sport, work etc. Obviously you can't be in a million places at once so delegate or ask for help!
Set some ''you time'' aside' - Life can get crazy busy most of the time and you are not a machine so don't treat yourself like one (p.s. even machines like computers get turned off or restarted most days). At least once a day, put some time aside for you to switch off, relax, reset or ground yourself. This may be a bath, some yoga or a walk. Perhaps it's just cranking the music in the car for a solo concert as you drive somewhere. Whatever makes you feel better, do it!
Meal prep - This is a huge one! The more organised you are when it comes to meals for the week, the better you will feel, trust me. I start by writing down all the meals I intend to cook for the week, I check the pantry then write a shopping list for any ingredients I am missing. I organise a box of fresh produce to the delivered for the week and get the rest of the ingredients from the supermarket. Sundays are spent prepping as many of the meals as possible. Perhaps it's adding all the ingredients and a recipe card to a tub or grab bag and popping in the fridge for quick and easy access through the week. I may also bake some goodies as treats for the house during the week too. Sundays are also time for the slowcooker in our house. You will often find me cooking soups, stews and more meals that I can freeze and reheat quickly during the week. (p.s. see below for my favourite slowcooker recipe - Potato & Leek Soup!). When I know my week is going to be hectic or I don't have time to prep and shop, I occasionally get a meal delivery service like HelloFesh. Simple, easy, portioned kits that come with exactly what you need and a recipe card for even the most basic chef to prepare! Enjoy this HelloFresh $50 credit promo code!
These practices are simple and although may take a few hours on a Sunday, they are designed to help you get more hours back in your day... and life during the week! How do you usually plane for the week ahead?
Here's what is in my slowcooker today!
SLOWCOOKER POTATO & LEEK SOUP RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
1kg potatoes peeled and cut into halves or quarters
3 leeks chopped
Tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves or garlic paste (I use Gourmet Garden Garlic Paste)
2 bay leaves
400ml chicken bone broth (I like Campbell's Bone Broth)
1 x vegetable stock cube
1 x chicken stock cube
1 x 300ml thickened cream or sour cream
Salt & pepper to season
Bread to toast/dip
METHOD
Add bone broth, stock cubes to slow cooker.
Peel & cut potatoes.
Saute chopped leeks in butter & garlic.
Add potatoes, sauteed leek, bay leaves, salt & pepper to slow cooker. You will need to add enough water to cover the ingredients. Stir.
Cook on high for 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally.
Once cooked, use a stick mixer to puree the soup. About half way through doing this, pour the cream in and keep pureeing. Handy hint: I ladle out some of the liquid and then add it back in during the puree process. This allows me to control how thick I want the consistency.
Taste test, add seasoning if needed, leave in slow cooker for about 10 mins while toasting bread.
Enjoy & thank me later!
Note: I like to keep this recipe nice and simple. You can add or subtract from the recipe but anytime I have deviated from this, it doesn't taste as nice.
What's your go-to meal prep recipe? I'd love for you to share in the comments!
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