{"id":5418,"date":"2024-05-21T10:32:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-21T17:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/?p=5418"},"modified":"2025-03-26T14:40:05","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T21:40:05","slug":"summer-meal-planning-homemade-dinner-ideas-free-planning-printables","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/2024\/05\/21\/summer-meal-planning-homemade-dinner-ideas-free-planning-printables\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer Meal Planning &#8211; Homemade Dinner Ideas [+ free planning printables!]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>It doesn&#8217;t have to be complicated. Here are a few categories I use for my summer meal planning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Simplify your summer meal planning with a handy list of go-to recipes. Today I am sharing some of my favorites to inspire your planning as we head into the summer season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s jump into it! \ud83c\udf74<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Summer-Meal-Planning-Printables.pdf\">Free Summer Meal Planning PDFs<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><a href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9aaa2c71-a08d-4e59-8b98-f2646ce44b1f_1080x1080.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9aaa2c71-a08d-4e59-8b98-f2646ce44b1f_1080x1080.png\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">caption&#8230;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dinner Bowls<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of my favorite ideas from Kendra Adachi is <strong>Dinner Bowls<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I know she did not invent this concept but the way she explains it in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thelazygeniuscollective.com\/lazy\/bowlone?rq=dinner%20bowls\">The Lazy Genius Podcast | EP108 &#8211; Food in a Bowl: Basics<\/a> is super helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cSo your singular rule for dinner bowls is contrast, and your building blocks to put together that contrast are a base, a protein (plus veggies), toppings, and a sauce.\u201d <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thelazygeniuscollective.com\/lazy\/bowlone?rq=dinner%20bowls\">The Lazy Genius Podcast | EP108 &#8211; Food in a Bowl: Basics<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Dinner Bowls have become a staple in our house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>they are delicious<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>each bowl can be modified for each person<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>dinner bowls are easy to make<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>great for guests<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>easy to prepare ahead of time<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><a href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6386db22-6025-43fd-8d8d-630859d858f6_1080x1080.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6386db22-6025-43fd-8d8d-630859d858f6_1080x1080.png\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pasta Salad<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Another go-to favorite is <strong>Pasta Salad<\/strong>. Especially as spring moves into summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I like to try out new recipes and new combos based on what I find at our local veggie market. When the corn and tomatoes are at their best, I like to make Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad or Taco Inspired Pasta Salad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or I gather a variety of fresh veggies, some Italian deli meats, cheese cubes, and I make my Italian Pasta Salad. (I like to add broccoli, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, radishes, celery, bell peppers, and snap peas). The more colorful the better!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t forget to add in frozen veggies like peas or sweet corn! This cools down the pasta and can be cheaper if they are not in season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out the variety in these recipes: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bowlofdelicious.com\/pasta-salad-recipes\/\"><strong>20 Easy Pasta Salad Recipes<\/strong> from Bowl of Delicious<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><a href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd348d69d-97dc-4066-b9d9-66915ba39614_1080x1080.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd348d69d-97dc-4066-b9d9-66915ba39614_1080x1080.png\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Air Fryer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The appliance most used in the summer in our kitchen is the <strong>Air Fryer<\/strong>. We have this one (<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/beautifulbydrew.com\/collections\/air-fryers\">Beautiful Collection from Drew Barrymore<\/a>). I have to wash it several times a day because we use it so often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When writing out my idea list for Air Fryer Meals I found this great article: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/kitchendivas.com\/air-fryer-summer-recipes\/\">Air Fryer Summer Recipes &#8211; with Kitchen Divas<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><a href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf42a862-7548-4732-a3c0-c31c546b3c61_1080x1080.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf42a862-7548-4732-a3c0-c31c546b3c61_1080x1080.png\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">One Dish Meals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a category that is the favorite for my youngest. He loves Noodle Night. I like the simplicity of all the ingredients cooked in one pan and the combo of flavors. This can be a simple or as complicated as you have time for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><a href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a0da607-68b2-4106-b5f4-633036687559_1080x1080.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a0da607-68b2-4106-b5f4-633036687559_1080x1080.png\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Homemade<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">[also called my Sourdough Recipes]<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Another factor I think about when doing Spring\/Summer Meal Planning is my <strong>sourdough starter<\/strong>. But the summer months are busy and I don\u2019t want to spend a long time baking. I go to my favorite expert: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhouseonboone.com\/category\/sourdough\">Lisa from Farmhouse on Boone<\/a> for recipes that give us some variety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My current favorites are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhouseonboone.com\/easy-sourdough-flatbread\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Easy Sourdough Flatbread<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhouseonboone.com\/easy-sourdough-blueberry-bread\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Easy Sourdough Blueberry Bread<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhouseonboone.com\/how-to-make-sourdough-waffles\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Easy Sourdough Waffles Recipe<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhouseonboone.com\/bread-machine-sourdough-bread-recipe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bread Machine Sourdough Bread Recipe<\/a> &#8211; I don\u2019t have to use the oven!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhouseonboone.com\/sourdough-pizza-dough\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sourdough Pizza Dough<\/a> &#8211; This is delicious on the grill.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.farmhouseonboone.com\/the-best-soft-sourdough-pretzels\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Best Soft Sourdough Pretzels<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>I find that in the fall and winter months I am naturally drawn to baking and longer recipes. So in this spring\/summer season having a handy list of ideas to keep my starter going is essential. I also keep my starter in the fridge so that it doesn\u2019t develop as quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Summer Favorites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>What would a Summer Meal Plan be without the typical favorites of sandwiches and food cooked on the grill?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These two categories just must get a quick mention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both are great for crowds and easy to modify based on what is on sale that week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><a href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3996fbbb-7238-4a74-a8bc-4ed61946daca_1080x1080.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3996fbbb-7238-4a74-a8bc-4ed61946daca_1080x1080.png\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><a href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4fed25b8-a376-44f2-a78d-4c6d36794033_1080x1080.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4fed25b8-a376-44f2-a78d-4c6d36794033_1080x1080.png\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Summer-Meal-Planning-Printables.pdf\">Free Summer Meal Planning PDFs<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Using a summer dinner plan will help you embrace the season and spend less time in the kitchen. This frees us up for more moments to savor the joys of summer and enjoy our families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have found that the key to meal planning is having a list to reference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I would love to hear your ideas!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What do you enjoy making in the summer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please share in the comments. \u2b07\ufe0f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83c\udf72\ud83c\udf74Happy Meal Planning! &#8211; April<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Need more ideas?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t miss the free planning printables!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Summer-Meal-Planning-Printables.pdf\">Free Summer Meal Planning PDFs<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out this great resource: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thelazygeniuscollective.com\/lazy\/summercooking2019?rq=summer%20dinner\">The Lazy Genius Podcast | EP112 &#8211; What I\u2019ll Be Cooking This Summer<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out my Summer Meal Planning Quiz on Instagram!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/embracinghome_blog\/\">My Instagram Post<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out my TikTok video of how I use library cookbooks:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It doesn&#8217;t have to be complicated. Here are a few categories I use for my summer meal planning. Simplify your summer meal planning with a handy list of go-to recipes. Today I am sharing some of my favorites to inspire your planning as we head into the summer season. Let\u2019s jump into it! \ud83c\udf74 Free&hellip; <\/p>\n<div class=\"readmore-wrapper\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/2024\/05\/21\/summer-meal-planning-homemade-dinner-ideas-free-planning-printables\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read <\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5419,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_stc_notifier_status":"sent","_stc_notifier_sent_time":"2024-05-21 10:40:40","_stc_notifier_request":false,"_stc_notifier_prevent":false,"_stc_subscriber_keywords":"","_stc_subscriber_search_areas":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[553,255,17,552,551,550,549,548,147],"class_list":["post-5418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home","tag-adutling","tag-meal-planning","tag-summer","tag-summer-cooking","tag-summer-dinner-ideas","tag-summer-dinners","tag-summer-meal-ideas","tag-summer-meals","tag-summer-planning"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5418","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5418"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5418\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5743,"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5418\/revisions\/5743"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5419"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5418"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5418"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5418"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}