Bring on the 'shrooms (and no, not THOSE 'shrooms)

This week I'm on my own since Ben is still in Arizona (lucky punk) soaking up the sun, spending time with his family and getting in lots of golf in gorgeous weather. This means several things such as, my feet will get a reprieve from being messed with, I get total control of the remote, I don't have to immediately put the shower curtain back in the tub after a shower AND I can cook things with mushrooms and olives and no one will complain!!! Can I get a woot woot!?! Now this might not seem like a big deal to many of you but I ADORE mushrooms and olives and it makes me more than a little sad to pass them by when I'm at the store or remove them from recipes in order to please my picker eater but I do it because a) it makes him happy, b) I'm incredibly thoughtful like that and (maybe most importantly) c) I don't want to listen to him complain about how gross they are.

As I sit here all snuggled up under two blankets (because Idaho Falls is not Arizona no matter how hard I wish) I thought I'd share some of the things that make my life easier when it comes to meal planning and grocery shopping.

First there is the most marvelous website ever created. I give you Tasty Kitchen, the brainchild of Ree Drummond aka The Pioneer Woman. http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/ If you've never been to this site you really should make it a priority. Tasty Kitchen will change your life no matter what level of cooking expertise. The site was created as a place where everyday people could share their favorite recipes and you could expand your recipe box in a few simple steps. You can scroll through the recipes as they're posted or look at the featured recipes of the day; you can search for recipes using specific ingredients (like mushrooms) or by category (i.e. main course, cold dips, salads).

I searched "mushrooms" and found the following which I can't wake to make...
 http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/appetizers-and-snacks/crumbed-mushrooms/
http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/soups/beef-stew-with-mushrooms/
http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/special-dietary-needs/vegetarian/asparagus-and-mushroom-risotto/

Second is a little something that "The Project Girl" (Jen Allyson I believe) whipped up. It's a weekly meal planner AND shopping list. I've used this several times over the last month and have found that my frequent stops at the store for the ***insert food item*** I forgot have been reduced dramatically. I love that the shopping list is divided into categories, makes it so much easier when you're going down the aisles. It also gives you guidance and direction for the week; you know what you're going to make and when you're going to make it. Download and save your copy at http://theprojectgirl.com/downloads/theprojectgirl-mealplanner2.pdf

I swear to you, both of these sites will be time wasters (in the best way possible of course) and you'll soon come to find them indispensable! Enjoy my dears!!!