Quick & Easy

100% accurate

As we've discussed before (HERE; HERE; HERE!!) I loooove to eat. Thankfully, I also love to cook. I enjoy the process, the control over ingredients and flavor and the fact that Dr. H is an excellent dishwasher certainly helps:) But with a move on the horizon (not so humble brag: organized packing is my bitch!!) I don't have a ton of time to spare in the evening and the majority of my supplies have been put into boxes. So in order to avoid a delivery/takeout/dineout tour-de-force (bad for the wallet and waistline) here are a few quick and easy recipes for your dining pleasure:

Pasta is the key to my heart.

I'm a lover of straight up spaghetti and meatballs, but sometimes you feel like you need something with a bit more pizzazz. This recipe for Lemon Garlic Spaghetti (on Pinterest here) requires only a few ingredients and only a few more minutes than opening that jar of red sauce. If you're looking to add a protein, I'm going to try shrimp with some garlic and oil prepared broccoli on the side. Bon appetit! 

Chicken Ranch Tacos. Awwww yeah.

Mexican is a go-to for me when I'm looking for an easy meal. You can put the seasoned beef or chicken over lettuce with all the fixins (salsa, cheese, sour cream, avocado, jalepenos, refried beans!) for a delicious salad or go the hard shell/tortilla route. This recipe (on Pinterest here) calls for nothing more than chicken and the taco powder and adds ranch dressing for a lil something special. Serve with a side of rice and beans (Goya's prepacked mix is my fav) and you'll have your own little fiesta!

Get some slow cooker tips HERE.

I think I've mentioned my love affair with my crock pot before. If you don't have one of these glorious devices, you really must get one because they make cooking a more complicated meal much easier. Maybe on a night you order takeout,  use those 30 minutes waiting for the delivery guy to arrive to prep the ingredients for tomorrow's meal... When you wake up in the morning it takes 2 minutes to dump it all into the crock pot and bam! 8 hours later, dinner is served. SixSisters'Stuff is my favorite resource for crock pot recipes - check out 50 good ones HERE and HERE.

My midday meal slump...

My lunch rarely looks this glam

What are you eating for lunch? I find myself eating the same half dozen or so lunches ad nauseam (hehe) out of a combination of habit, convenience and lack of creativity. I try to make lunch 4 of 5 days every week (though I'd say I average only 3 days) because my homemade lunches are healthier and eating out can be expensive ($8-15 per day adds up fast!!) You'd think that because I am the creator of my lunches, I'd get creative, but the reality is that I throw lunch together in a maximum of 10 minutes before I run out the door each morning (I have no interest in making tomorrow's lunch after making dinner each night) and when I buy lunch, I gravitate to the same handful of places where I order the same handful of foods. Here's what's on the menu:

Homemade: turkey sandwich (occasional variation of turkey type and condiment); tuna sandwich (both on "lite" bread with no lettuce or tomato - too soggy by 1pm); green salad w goat cheese and avocado; "sides" are almost always carrots and hummus, fruit, Popchips/Special K crisps and sugar free pudding snacks (might as well bring a lunchbox with a note from my mom right!?)

When I buy: udon soup; chicken salad sandwich; make your own salad (and I "make" the same exact salad 90% of the time!); veggie dumplings and egg drop soup

Perhaps for some this is a lot of variety, but after years of the same things, I'm looking to mix the routine up a bit. What are your favorite quick/easy/filling lunches? Healthy (specifically PointsPlus friendly) suggestions are welcome (leave a comment! share the tastiness! talk amongst yourselves my hungry, merry readers!) Plus, have you ever tried the "Wheel of Lunch"!?