Why I’m Always Thinking About Food (And How I Plan My Week)

 

I wake up thinking about food.

Not in a “what should I grab quick” kind of way… but in a full-on:

what are we having for dinner this week, what’s in the freezer, what can I make with that salmon kind of way.

It’s just how my brain works.

 

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📝 My Weekly Meal Planning Routine

 

At the start of the week – usually Sunday or Monday morning – I try to get myself organized.

Coffee in hand (always), I start thinking about the week ahead.

• What do I already have in the fridge?
• What’s in the freezer… including the basement freezer that I sometimes forget to check 😄
• What needs to be used up?

 

 

 

 

I keep everything in Evernote (thank you, Lou) – it’s where I save recipes, organize ideas, and keep track of what I want to make next. I have hundreds of recipes in there… some favorites, and plenty I still haven’t tried yet.

 

From there, I start building out a rough plan for the week.

And I say rough… because it almost always changes.

 

 

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🔄 Plans Change (And That’s Okay)

 

I might have a full plan written out…

…and then real life happens.

 

Some days I’ll ask Lou: “What are you in the mood for?”

And just like that, everything shifts.

Other nights?
We just want:

• Chinese food
• Pizza
• Something easy

 

And honestly… that’s part of it too.

 

But having a plan – even a flexible one – helps:

• keep me organized
• stay on budget
• avoid that 5:00 “what are we eating??” panic (we ALL know this panic, right?)

 

 

 

 

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🐟 A Real-Life Example (Because This Is Exactly How It Happens)

 

Last Friday, so no meat.

I knew I had salmon in the freezer, so that was the starting point.

 

But…

I had just made chicken pot pie soup the day before. So Lou said: “What about a seafood pot pie?”

And that’s how it starts.

 

Lou and I start tossing ideas back and forth. We look through:

• my saved recipes
• things online
• past meals we’ve loved

 

And suddenly, we landed on a Cajun seafood pot pie that looked incredible.

 

Next thing I know, I’m at our favorite local fish market picking up shrimp and crabmeat…

…and dinner is officially happening.

 

 

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💡 This Is My Favorite Part

 

That back-and-forth with Lou? I love it.

We’ll say things like:

• “Remember that dish we had at that restaurant?”
• “I bet we could make that at home”
• “What if we added this?”

 

It’s creative.
It’s fun.

And honestly… it’s part of how we connect.

We just really love food.

 

 

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🤯 Yes… I Actually Taste It in My Head

 

This might sound a little crazy … but I can taste food while I’m thinking about it.

I’ll be planning a meal and thinking:

• that needs more garlic
• maybe a little lemon
• something creamy would balance that

 

And I can almost taste how it’s going to come together.

Sometimes it works perfectly.

Sometimes… we adjust 😄

 

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💛 Why I Plan (Even When It Changes)

 

Do my plans always stick?  Nope.

Do I sometimes change everything halfway through the week? Absolutely.

But having a plan gives me:

• a starting point
• structure
• a little peace of mind

 

And from there, I can be creative.

 

 

 

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✨ Final Thoughts

 

Food is always on my mind. Not in a stressful way… but in a what can I make, what sounds good, what can we create kind of way.

Some people unwind by watching TV.

I unwind by thinking about dinner.

 

And honestly?

I wouldn’t have it any other way.