Publix Apron's Simple Meals

One goal of mine is to cook more often! I don't make eating well and cooking healthy meals enough of a priority. It seems like I put all my extra energy and effort into my artwork and art business. I just can't seem to find any energy leftover for normal things like eating well and cooking. When I do go grocery shopping, I just sort of wander around and grab things that look good. Then when it's dinner time, I don't ever have the right things on hand to make a meal, so my husband and I end up going out to eat or grabbing fast food. But I know that needs to change! And I'm definitely going to try. =)

I recently found something at Publix, my local grocery store, that helps me so much. They have a program called Publix Apron's Simple Meals. Each week they feature a different recipe at the front of the store. They sometimes have someone cooking the meal so you can try it and they also have a free recipe card that you can take with you. The best part is, they put all the ingredients you need to make the meal up front. So you just grab everything you need from one display and you're out the door! The recipes are also really super easy to make. But there's still enough cooking to do so that you feel like you made a nice home cooked meal.

The recipe cards also suggest sides and desserts to accompany the meal. I love this part, because I feel that I always grab the same old side dishes to make all the time. So it adds a lot of variety to our normal routine.

My husband and I have already tried quite a few different meals and we've enjoyed all of them!

First we tried Meatball Marinara Sliders with Pasta Salad and French Fries. Next was Country Fried Steak with Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes. And our last recipe we tried was my favorite: Brats in a Blanket with German Potato Salad. I had never tried Brats before and now I actually like them more than hot dogs. And the German Potato salad was very delicious!

For those of you watching your calorie intake or other nutritional values, all of the stats are listed right on the menu card. For instance, I am watching my calories, so on days where we try a menu that's a little heavier on the calories (like the Country Fried Steak meal), I cut back on my portion size. It makes it super easy to figure out what you're eating.

I can't wait to try out our next meal! I think the next one is going to be Roasted Garlic and Potato Soup with Ham and Cheese Pinwheels.

I'm also thinking about starting to take pictures of all the meals! I'm always so proud when I plate everything up lol. Anyways, I just thought I'd share this little tip in case any of you have a Publix nearby and are scraped for time like I am (who isn't these days?). I definitely recommend giving these meals a try. =)