Sunday, May 17, 2009 at 06:27 PM

Sunday Prep

My Sunday afternoon was quite busy– cleaning, organizing, and planning for the upcoming work week. I almost always do some “prep work” on Sundays, which has become an end-of-the-week ritual for me, but I thought you guys might want to see how I make my life a little bit easier… or at least try to!

  • Fruit and veggie chopping. For example, if I buy a big watermelon or cantaloup, I chop-up the entire thing and store it in a Tupperware container in the fridge. Over the course of the week, I portion-it-out and pack for breakfast/lunch as needed. For veggies that I like to eat raw (e.g. carrots, celery, peppers, broccoli), I cut them on Sunday, so I can just grab and go for the rest of the week. 

  • Make iced coffee. I brew a hot pot of coffee, pour it into a huge thermos, and chill in the fridge overnight, so it’s ready to go in the morning. Just add chocolate soy milk!

  • Pack oatmeal and cereal. With my oatmeal, I include all of my “mix-ins,” like ground flaxseed meal, wheat bran, nuts, seeds, etc. I also pack grab-n-go cereal for yogurt, trail mix, etc. It makes packing breakfast and lunch so much easier! 

  • Make a batch of wheatberries. Wheatberries take a good 45 minutes to cook, so I make a huge batch on Sunday and store them in the fridge for the week. I help myself to them as needed. 

I also packed my breakfast, lunch, and gym bag for tomorrow morning. My gym bag included a complete, accessorized outfit as well as my workout clothes and other “essentials.” ;-) Wahoo! For some reason, packing my gym bag is the toughest part of my evening routine! 

Dinner

Mal had the best idea for dinner tonight: Tomato-Basil-Mozzarella Paninis. He’s a genius! :-D

I made my panini on an Arnold Sandwich Thin with a little crushed garlic and olive oil. Yuuum!

With a side salad topped with ground pepper and balsamic vinegar…

Despite having my act together for Monday morning, I sort of have a case of the Sunday Blues. :-| They better go away ASAP! Meh.


Posted by: Tina 33 comments

Posted in: Uncategorized

33 Comments on “Sunday Prep”

  1. #1 Rachel Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 6:56 pm

    I do Sunday prep too! Usually planning and also chopping veggies – but wheatberries are a great thing to prepare and something I keep forgetting to do, so thanks for the reminder.

  2. #2 Shelby Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 7:02 pm

    I do this too on Sundays! I actually just made a huge batch of wheatberries for oatmeal and salad toppings =)

  3. #3 Rebecca Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 7:12 pm

    Wow! That Panini looks SO good. I love caprese salad and it looks like it might taste very similar. I’ve never tried wheatberries, but always wanted to. Do you just cook them and eat them plain?

  4. #4 Sarah Mila @ A Day in the Life Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 7:18 pm

    Mmm that panini looks awesome, esp with the addition of crushed garlic!

  5. #5 Danielle Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 7:19 pm

    Hope you can enjoy the rest of your weekend Tina! Don’t worry… be happy :)

  6. #6 Brandi Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 7:27 pm

    beautiful dinner! i do a lot of prep work on Sundays, too. that’s ALL I’ve been doing, besides laundry and trying to rest my aching body

  7. #7 Anne K. Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 7:45 pm

    I’m sure that prep work makes the week so much smoother. That reminds me, I need to cook up some wheatberries. I haven’t had them in a while!
    I hope the rest of your sunday goes well– the sunday blues are no fun :(
    That panini looks delicious!

  8. #8 Graze With Me Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 7:51 pm

    Wow that panini looks amazing, I just wish they sold those Sandwich Thins in my area. :(

  9. #9 Meredith (Pursuing Balance) Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 7:52 pm

    Dinner looks good! Sunday afternoon definitely seems busy for you, but maybe a nice way to ease yourself into the week?

  10. #10 Jordan Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 7:53 pm

    Wow, that panini looks amazing.

  11. #11 Megan Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 8:05 pm

    I do the same things on Sundays! It just always feels like the week flew by and I had just done it the day before :( I agree with the case of the blues! Hope yours goes away!! ;-D

  12. #12 Meg Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 8:12 pm

    I love your iced coffee idea with the chocolate soy milk! I will have to try that!

  13. #13 Alison Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 8:17 pm

    I love prepping food for the week ahead. I dno’t do that nearly often enough. And I love your panini!

  14. #14 Katrina (gluten free gidget) Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 8:22 pm

    Forget salad dressing! Balsamic Vinegar and Peach and Mango Salsa are the best salad toppers EVER!
    There is something so therapeutic about prepping vegetables, etc…. It just makes you feel so organized and accomplished, like a little Martha Stewart!

  15. #15 Help Meghan Run Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 8:29 pm

    That panini really does look amazing. And prepping food is an awesome way to stay organized. Good tips!

    www. HelpMeghanRun .com

  16. #16 Menden (Skinny Menny) Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 8:33 pm

    I used to be so good about “prepping” for the week on Sundays…thanks for inspiring me to get back on track :) Makes the week so much easier!

  17. #17 Ali Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 8:33 pm

    It was really helpful to see how you prep for the week. Thanks for the post!

  18. #18 Jocelyn Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 8:51 pm

    great ideas! Very organized! I love the iced coffee..I will DEFINITLY be trying that with some soy milk ;)

  19. #19 REBECCA P Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 8:53 pm

    Dinner looks Yummy! I am going to make that one night this week!

  20. #20 Maria Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 9:16 pm

    I always pack our lunches the night before.

  21. #21 Amy Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 10:38 pm

    All great ideas! I have a question. When you make the oatmeal do you then rrmove the mixins so they do not get mushy? Thanks!

  22. #22 Christina Reply to this comment
    on May 17th, 2009 at 10:53 pm

    I’ll have to start doing Sunday prep. The cut up veggies would definitely be a huge time saver!

  23. #23 Shannon (The Daily Balance) Reply to this comment
    on May 18th, 2009 at 1:08 am

    yummy sandwich idea ;)

  24. #24 Caroline Reply to this comment
    on May 18th, 2009 at 1:12 am

    My, you’re such an organized food diva! I need to have a prep day too.

  25. #25 N Reply to this comment
    on May 18th, 2009 at 3:20 am

    what balsamic vinaigrette do you use? i’ve tried a few store brands and they were gross. why is it that the best ones are from restaurants and salad bars?

    thanks!

  26. #26 Tina Reply to this comment
    on May 18th, 2009 at 5:55 am

    I’m very organized myself so I definitely can relate to your planning and organizing skills!

  27. #27 Megan Reply to this comment
    on May 18th, 2009 at 6:45 am

    Just wanted to comment that of all the blogs out there, I admire your realistic approach to eating and exercise. Your posts are well-written, your advice is sound, you don’t eat crazy mix-ups of stuff and you’re consistent–not vegan one week and eating roast beef the next. I feel like as a working mom, I can actually follow your approach. Well done!

  28. #28 Nicole (dishin') Reply to this comment
    on May 18th, 2009 at 8:31 am

    Your prep looks very organized, a great way to start the week. I do the same thing so I can get a little extra sleep in the morning!

  29. #29 Tina Reply to this comment
    on May 18th, 2009 at 9:19 am

    @Amy: I just throw them all in together and cook them in the oats.

  30. #30 Tina Reply to this comment
    on May 18th, 2009 at 9:23 am

    @N: Monari Balsamic Vinegar Green Label Vinegar

  31. #31 jenna Reply to this comment
    on May 18th, 2009 at 1:27 pm

    sunday blues are NO FUN!! I h*te that feeling. Your panini looks so good.

  32. #32 Lindsey (fiteats) Reply to this comment
    on May 18th, 2009 at 1:37 pm

    I am a “stay at home” mom so I am here to prep my own meals if I have to, but I think my life would be a lot easier if I did a weekly prep routine. I’m going to work on this. I love the idea!

  33. #33 Streamlining Your Weeknights – Carrots ‘N’ Cake Reply to this comment
    on Jul 8th, 2009 at 8:22 pm

    [...] Prep: Preparing for the week on Sunday nights also helps streamline my [...]

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