It’s Memorial Day weekend and I always feel very pensive and grateful during this holiday.  And I always feel a bit sad, too.  I know a lot of us are excited to have an extra day off, but I am taking some time to reflect on the ultimate sacrifice many of our servicemen and women made to allow us the freedoms that we enjoy and take for granted, quite frankly.  Freedom and safety are often part of my gratitude practice and more so this weekend.

I also would like to practice some mindfulness this weekend when I am socializing.  So often during holidays I eat things that deviate from what make me feel good and then I am annoyed with myself afterwards.  I’m going to try to make choices this weekend that won’t make me annoyed afterwards!

Here’s your dinner planner for the week:

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Memorial Day weekend is next weekend and I am stunned.  Stunned.  Oh this year is slipping between my fingers.  But the thought of summer being so close is beyond exciting to me!  

Someone asked me in my class the other day what is the first step I take when I sit down to make my dinner planner for the week.  My first step is looking at my calendar for the coming week, and I write down all the days I need to make dinner and I jot down who is eating or not eating at home that night and any other pertinent info (e.g. I am driving all over town until dinnertime.)  Then I look inside the fridge and pull things to the front that I need to use up and I think of ways to incorporate those ingredients into the meals.  I may or may not ask my family for suggestions for the remaining meals.  Sometimes I have to recipe test, like next week I will be recipe testing for the Thanksgiving issue of Clean Eating Magazine.  Anyone know where I can get a whole, fresh turkey???!!

Here’s your dinner planner for the week:

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To all my online cooking class students, the new class has been uploaded and is now accessible.  It has been a huge hit in my in-person classes so far.  You’re going to love it all!!  Click here if you’d like more information about taking my classes online.

My husband’s birthday was a few days ago and we snuck off to his favorite place, Palm Springs, for 2 nights.  We had such a great time.  It was really a treat to get away during the week. 

We have a nice Mother’s Day planned with a visit to LACMA and then a family dinner out.  I know my husband and my son took the hint from my previous post and will fix me a good breakfast while I work out in peace.  😉 Happy almost Mother’s Day to all the moms out there.  Here’s your dinner planner for the week:

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I was so out of it when I was creating last week’s dinner planner, that Cinco de Mayo was not on my radar for this Sunday.  Whoops!  As you know, I have soooo many delicious and healthy-ish Mexican recipes, from red and green enchiladas, to this chopped salad and this Mexican Cobb, and Caldo Tlalpeno soup, plus arroz verde and lots of tacos, including slow cooker chicken, beef barbacoa, fish, cauliflower, as well as Mexican beans and drunken beans.   

Lots happening this week.  I am starting a new menu in my cooking classes this week.  I just filmed a class for my online class platform and all I can say is that is one of my best classes yet!  Hubs is celebrating a big birthday this week and we are sneaking away to his favorite place, Palm Springs, for a few days.  We’ll be back in time for a bigger birthday celebration and then Mother’s Day!  What a week!

Here’s your dinner planner for the week:

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Ok, this is it.  Manuscript is due this week and then regular programming will resume.  I’ll start filming YouTube videos, grocery store stories, Friday Favorites, etc. Not all at once, but I’ll get back on track!  Writing a book and work full time is no joke OMG!  In the meantime, here’s your dinner planner for the week:

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Happy Holiday weekend!  I hope you are going to have a relaxing few days.  Perhaps some of you are on spring break.  I am in the home stretch of my manuscript,  still working full-time and I have a television appearance today, sooooo I am only doing desserts for the holiday this year.  My segment on Hallmark’s Home & Family show will air on Monday, April, 22nd.  As they say, check your local listings for channel and time!  For this week’s dinner planner, I provided a link to a post about things you can do with hard boiled eggs in case you made a lot for Easter.  There are also some options for those of you observing Passover.  Tag me on Instagram this weekend so I can see what you’ve cooked up!  #pamelasalzman @pamelasalzman

Here’s your dinner planner for the week:

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It’s a big week if you’re hosting either Easter or Passover next weekend.  My mother always hosts Easter dinner in NY and I have the best memories of coloring eggs, making the traditional Italian pizza rustica and pastiera, hiding eggs, and of course all the candy in my Easter basket.  My husband’s family celebrates Passover and since we live in LA, I often host Passover, and even when I don’t, I always make all the desserts.  I’ve been slowly chipping away at those and freezing them for Passover since I have a crazy busy week this week.    But we still have to eat dinner the other nights of the week, so I plan it all out.  Here’s your dinner planner for the week:

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I took a Spring Break from the blog this week.  I traveled to Dallas to see my babies and then to the east coast to see my parents and sisters.  I am feverishly working on finishing my book.  (Although if my editor is reading this, JK!  I’m almost done!) So something had to give.  My last book was finished during the summer months when I have a very light teaching schedule.  Not so this time!  

For those of you who take my online classes, April will be uploaded any day now.  It is a GREAT one! Here’s your dinner planner for the week:

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