• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Sunny Side Up Nutrition

A cooking, nutrition and family feeding blog to simplify your life

  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • Work With Us
  • Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

Family Feeding

Garlic Shrimp with Feta – A New “Go-To” Meal

January 25, 2021 By Anna Lutz Leave a Comment

A couple of years ago, I wrote about my annual tradition of taking stock of my family’s dinner meals on our long drive back from Ohio over the holidays. I’m not someone who makes New Year’s Resolutions, but I do like the idea of thinking back over the least year and ahead to the future of what I’d like to do differently. During the 9 hour drive, in the past, I’ve taken the time to think through what meals we’ve been cooking and what meals or foods we’d like to have more or less of.  The idea is to get us out of the rut of cooking the same 4-5 meals over an over again.

When we do this, we categorize our dinner meals into 4 categories: 

  • Go-to Meals – Meals that we typically have the ingredients for and can make without planning and get on the table quickly
  • Make Ahead/Slow Cooker Meals – Meals we can make on the weekend to have during the week or put in the slow cooker on a weekday morning if we know there’s a busy evening
  • Standard Meals – Meals that require some planning and cooking, but I usually keep meals to 30 – 40 minutes tops
  • Special Occasion Meals – Meals that we like but we’d never make during the work week.

A Very Different Year

This year my assessing and planning, like so many things, looked a lot different. There was no trip to Ohio, so no long trip to think about and talk through the coming year. As I reflect now on the last year, it’s clear to me that meals and the stress around cooking was really different in 2020.  There’s no evening commute and no afternoon kid’s activities. So, the dinnertime push, that stressful time between work and activities and getting food on the table, has nearly gone away – something I don’t miss and hope to preserve in some form after the pandemic is over.  My family enjoyed cooking many new meals in 2020, adding some joy and excitement into our Groundhog Day-like weeks. We made brisket for the first time and even roasted oysters on our back porch. We are also ordering take-out more often than we used to. I don’t have judgement about this. We are supporting local restaurants and at the same time adding something new into our week. Our “go-to” meal list definitely expanded in 2020.

“Go-to” Meals – Key to Reducing Stress

Having “go-to” meals are essential to reduce stress and feel confident about getting dinner on the table. “Go-to” meals are meals that you usually have the ingredients for and are easy and quick to cook. So, if plans change or you know it’s a busy day, you can “go-to” one of these meals without stress and worry. Lately, tacos has been that for us. I keep ground beef in the freezer and bags of Penzey’s Taco Seasoning on hand. I know I can get tacos on the table quickly, with a bagged salad or fruit and the whole family is happy. 

A New “Go-to” Meal

Garlic Shrimp with Feta

My favorite “go-to” meal that we added to our list last year, is a Garlic Shrimp with Feta dish.  This is adapted from a recipe that was in Real Simple many years ago.  I keep frozen shrimp in my freezer, jarred roasted red peppers in my pantry, and feta cheese in my fridge so I can put together this easy, crowd pleaser anytime!  It is excellent served with rice to soak up the garlicky broth and is wonderful the next day for lunch! I like adding fresh green beans to this dish that I buy trimmed and in a microwave safe bag from the store.  They cook for 3.5 minutes in the microwave and I add butter and dill to season. 

Check out our meal planning template found at the top of our website when you subscribe to our mailing list and try making your meal lists.  What are your “go-to” meals that you like to have on hand that make you feel confident in the kitchen? Share then with us in the comments or on our social media accounts! 

Print

Garlic Shrimp with Feta

Garlicky Shrimp with feta and roasted red peppers in a broth that goes well with rice. Serves 5-6 people with leftovers. Adapted from a recipe from Real Simple

  • Author: Anna Lutz

Ingredients

Scale

2 12-ounce packages of frozen raw, peeled and deveined shrimp

2 12-ounce jar of roasted red peppers, cut in 1″ pieces

4  cloves of garlic, sliced

4 Tbs olive oil

12 ounce of feta, crumbled

1/2 t kosher salt

1/2 t pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Defrost shrimp by running warm water over them in a colander. 

3. Combine shrimp, red peppers, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a bowl. 

4.  Put mixture in a 9 x 12 casserole dish. 

5. Top with crumbled feta. 

5. Bake ~20 minutes, until shrimp is pink and opaque. 

6. Serve with rice. 

 

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sunnysideupnutritionists on Instagram

Filed Under: Family Feeding

Gift Guide: 7 Favorite Food-Related Gifts

December 12, 2020 By Anna Lutz Leave a Comment

By: Elizabeth and Anna

This year, we decided we’d do a new Gift Guide with our 7 favorite food-related gifts. They’re a mix of gifts we like to give and gifts we like to receive – from homemade to local to brand name.

In the past 2 years, we’ve shared a variety of Gift Guides of our favorite books and kitchen items that we think make great gifts.

Here are the links to our previous gift guides:

  • 14 Favorite Kitchen Essentials That Make Great Gifts
  • Gift Guide: Books for Children and People Who Care for Them
  • Gift Guide: 7 Nutrition and Amazing Body Books for Adults
  • Our Favorite Cookbooks

And here are this year’s ideas – 7 Favorite Food-Related Gifts:

Pumpkin Bread makes a great gift

1. Gifts of Homemade Food ~ Elizabeth

When I was growing up, we went through a phase where we baked Apple Cakes to give to friends and family. The recipe was from the mother of one of my mother’s best friends from college. (I’ll share the recipe sometime!) This year I’m planning to make pumpkin bread and granola as well as a few kinds of cookies to deliver (or mail) to friends and family.

Are you looking for some simple recipes to bake and share this holiday season?

Click on these links:

  • Pumpkin Spice Bread
  • Homemade Granola
  • Carmelitas
  • Chocolate Chip (or M & M) Cookies
  • Simple Sugar Cookies

2. Chapel Hill Toffee ~ Anna

I buy these boxes of locally made toffee to give as gifts this time of year.  I usually buy several boxes to have on hand for teachers, neighbors or friends and they are always a big hit.  There’s nothing better than a cup of coffee with one of these chocolate covered pieces of toffee.  Here’s a link to Chapel Hill Toffee or check out what candy is made locally for you!

3. East Fork Pottery ~ Elizabeth

I love East Fork Pottery in Asheville, NC. In addition to making beautiful pottery, they also have lots of pantry items that make great gifts. Growing up, my sister and I each always got a tin of smoked oysters in our stockings. Funnily enough, my husband’s brother also got smoked oysters in his stocking as a kid! So, I think tinned fish is a completely reasonable stocking or holiday gift! Or, do you have a friend or family member who loves candles? East Fork also has these fun fruit candles; as well as meat and cheese candles that make a unique gift. 

4. Cheese straws ~ Anna

At the Lutz house, one of favorite things to serve with wine before dinner is cheese straws. A southern tradition, this reminds me of “cheese coins” my grandmother used to make when I was younger.  I love sending these tins of cheese straws to friends this time of year. 

Rancho Gordo Beans

5. Beans ~ Elizabeth

BEANS! While I’m a devoted fan of canned beans, I also love the creamy texture of cooked dried beans. My favorites are from Rancho Gordo. Their dried beans are fresh (meaning they haven’t been on a store shelf for an extended period) so they don’t require a presoak! Their website says they’ve been overwhelmed and can’t guarantee orders by Christmas, so they suggest a gift card if you’re hoping to have a gift to someone by Christmas. 

 

Pears make great gifts6. Harry and David Pears ~ Elizabeth & Anna

We’re all about sweets and we also love fruits and veggies! Both our families love these Harry and David pears. They’re great eaten on their own, in a salad with candied walnuts and mixed greens, or sliced and served with cheese or chocolate fondue.

 

7. French Style Butter Keeper ~ AnnaButter keeper

There is a constant debate amongst my children and their Chapel Hill first cousins. Which is better:  “Tub of butter or stick of butter?” There are those who prefer the spread of a tub of “butter” from the store and those that prefer the taste of a stick of real butter. I would venture to say the latter are correct! Well, last year, Elizabeth suggested this French style butter keeper and now everyone’s happy.  You can have the taste of real butter in an easy to spread form. And, it looks so great on your table!  They come in several colors.

 

We’d love to hear about your favorite food related gifts!  Drop us a message on our socials or shoot us an email – hello@sunnysideupnutrition.com

*Sunny Side Up Nutrition is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and an item listed above is an affiliate link.  Thank you for supporting our efforts to promote positive relationships with food.

Filed Under: Family Feeding, Featured Posts

« Previous Page
Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Sunny Side Up Nutrition! 

• Are you looking for sound, practical nutrition and cooking information?

• Do you want to opt out of diet culture and the hype around food?

• Do you want to be empowered to foster healthy relationships with food in your home?

If so, then you’ve come to the right place!

Subscribe To Our Mailing List




Recent Posts

  • 7 Tips for When Your Teen Says They’re Going Vegetarian
  • Let’s Talk About Sugar
  • Garlic Shrimp with Feta – A New “Go-To” Meal
  • Gift Guide: 7 Favorite Food-Related Gifts
  • #dietfreeholidays

Archives

Footer

  • terms of service
  • privacy policy

Copyright © 2021 · site by m8.design