Weekend & Weekday Meal Prep Inspiration for Busy Moms

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people — thanks for checking out my blog today!

I wanted to share a few pictures with you that will inspire your meal prep this weekend and next week. I get it! Thinking about what to cook for the kids can be challenging sometimes, especially if you’re a working mom or business owner with a lot on your plate to run.

That’s why I love collecting food inspiration. I find that seeing pictures of meals like the ones I’ve shared today on the blog can really help spark creativity. These beautiful photos were all downloaded from Google Images, featuring different meals made by talented bloggers around the world.

When I look at these pictures, I get inspired to repurpose items I already have in my kitchen and turn them into fresh, delicious meals for my family. Sometimes it’s not about reinventing the wheel — it’s about reimagining what’s already in your pantry or fridge.

💡 Meal Prep Tip: Use these visuals to plan 3–4 meals ahead for the week. Batch cook grains, chop veggies, and marinate proteins so dinner comes together in minutes.

I hope this post helps you and brings more joyful smiles and energy to your home. Remember — feeding your family well doesn’t have to be complicated.

✨ Also, exciting news! I have a 5-week live coaching course starting August 30th for anyone who has been thinking about starting a blog but doesn’t know how to begin. I’ve been blogging and creating content for 11 years, and I’m so excited to guide you step-by-step.

I’ve made it very affordable for those who are serious but don’t have a huge budget to invest right now. You’ll get workbooks, bonuses, and my proven system to help you choose your niche and create content with ease.

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I hope these visuals inspire you to start your own meal prep journey and create simple but delicious meals your family will love.

Don’t let anyone steal your joy!

With love,

Maryam

BAKED CHICKEN AND POTATOES RECIPE|| FEATURING YOUTUBE'S COOK WITH LIZ

 

What's up wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. I hope this blog meets you well. Today is a beautiful day. Thank you all for joining me. You guys are so amazing. Today we are sharing an amazing recipe from one of my friends and subscribers Lizzie. Check her out on Cooking with Liz . Please subscribe to her and let her know I sent you.

Here's what you will need in Lizzie's own words

How to easily prepare baked chicken and potatoes dinner dish. Here are the spices that I used to season my chicken. You can use your own spices. Paprika, All Seasoning, Lemon Pepper, Salt, Roasted Garlic Powder and ground ginger.

Here is the video please watch:

Don't let anyone steal your joy!

Maryam

CHICKEN AND DUMPLING RECIPE

 

Good morning wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. It is Friday. Thank you for checking out my blog today. As you all already know, I love food and enjoy sharing my favorite recipes with you all. Before we get to the recipe, I hope you have all had an amazing week and are ready for the weekend.

Remember to protect your joy from killjoys and yourself.

For more recipes, please get my new cookbook available on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Dinner-Recipes-Plus-Dessert/dp/B097VX15BP/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1627046304&sr=8-1 or get the e-book here: https://www.maryamsjoyfullifeapparel.com/listing/12-easy-dinner-recipes?product=1451

Thank you for your support. Lets get to the Chicken and Dumpling recipe.

SIMPLE CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

What you will need:

2 cups of pillsbury southern homestyle biscuits( 8 count)

A 32 ounce box of chicken stock

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

2 cups of half and half milk

2 cups of chopped roasted chicken breasts or shredded rotisserie chicken

A soup pot

½ cup all purpose flour

DIRECTIONS:

Set stove at medium high heat

Add chicken stock to soup pot

Let boil

On a cutting board

Dust board with all purpose flour

Open biscuits, separate them and place on floured surface

Cut each biscuit into 9 small sizes

Open pot with boiling chicken broth 

Throw cut biscuits into pot

Stir lightly

Turn heat down to medium

Let dumplings cook for 5 minutes

Add half and half milk

Add your chicken

And stir in salt and pepper

Stir lightly

Cover pot and let cook thoroughly for about 15 minutes

Turn stove off

Set pot aside to cool for 10 minutes

Enjoy!

Don't let anyone steal your joy!

Maryam

cashapp $maryamsjoyfullife

paypal maryamsjoyfullife@gmail.com

Photo is from https://tornadoughalli.com/homemade-chicken-and-dumplings/

MY HOMEMADE GRAVY RECIPE

 

Good morning, wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. Thank you all for checking out my blog today. I am so happy that you are here. Today is tasty Tuesday and I am excited to share my gravy recipe with you. It is absolutely delicious and my children love it. I hope this inspires your culinary curiosity.

EASY HOMEMADE GRAVY

What you will need:

2 packets of .87 oz brown gravy mix

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp crushed red peppers

½ tsp knorr beef bouillon powder

2 tbsp all purpose flour

¼ cup chopped onions

1  tbsp olive oil

 

DIRECTIONS:

Place a saucepan over medium high heat

Let heat for 2 minutes

Add oil to saucepan

Let heat for 2 minutes

Add onions

Cook until onion is translucent

Get a mixing bowl

Open gravy mix and pour into bowl

Add 2 cups of water

Add all spices

Mix until you get a loose batter

Empty bowl content into saucepan

Stir saucepan content until onion mixes well with gravy

Taste for salt taste

Add a sprinkle of salt as needed

Cover pan and let boil

Keep an eye on pot to handle overflow

Turn off stove and let pot sit on heat for 5 more mins

Let cool for 5 minutes

 Serve over mashed potatoes and rice or even biscuits

If you want more recipes like this, please get my simple cookbook:https://www.maryamsjoyfullifeapparel.com/listing/12-easy-dinner-recipes?product=1451

Don't Let Anybody Steal Your Joy!

Maryam

Cashapp $maryamsjoyfullife

Thank you!

 

Good morning wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. It is so nice to bring another blog your way. Hope this day meets you with such great spirits and happiness. Today is a beautiful day and I am grateful to be alive.

In today's blog, I am happy to inspire your culinary curiosity with my recipe. This right here is delicious and wonderful. I just made a pot of this fried rice yesterday and shared it with my neighbor. It is really yummy.

MY FRIED RICE RECIPE

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

2 1/2 cups jasmine rice

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons Knorr beef

1 teaspoon Jamaican curry

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon Jamaican oxtail dry seasoning

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onions

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

4 midsized fresh tomatoes blended

1 green bell pepper blended with tomatoes

1 8oz bag frozen chopped carrots and green peas

1 teaspoon crushed red peppers

DIRECTION

Turn on stove to medium high

Place a soup pot on it

add oil and let heat for 2 mins

add onions and garlic and cook till translucent

add rice and fry for about 5 minutes stirring until mixed with pot content

add spices and seasonings

add blended tomatoes and pepper

stir

add water and let the water be about an inch above rice level

cook for 25 mins

make sure to check for burning and stir

If water dries up before rice becomes soft, 

add a little bit of water and turn heat down to low.

when rice is cooked, turn off stove and set aide to cool for about 5-10 mins

Enjoy!

Don't let anybody steal your joy!

Maryam

Cashapp $maryamsjoyfullife

MY CHICKEN MEATBALLS RECIPE

 

Good morning wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. I hope this post meets you well. It is a good morning and I am feeling extra delighted to share a new recipe with everyone of you. Before we get to the recipe, I hope you had a fantastic night. Always remember that your joy is under your control even when it seems like it is not. With that being said, "Don't Let Anyone or yourself Steal Your Joy!"

CHICKEN MEATBALLS RECIPE

What You Will Need

1/2 pound ground chicken

1/2 a cup Italian bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon Knorr chicken seasoning

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 cup whole milk

1 egg

1/4 cup crushed saltine crackers

A jar of any Marinara sauce you like

Directions

Set your oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit

In a mixing bowl

Add ground chicken

Add all ingredients except Marinara sauce to the mixing bowl

Hand mix with your hand

Mix until all ingredients are combined and become a mound

Mold chicken mound into bite size balls

Place bites into a baking pan (I prefer a medium sized pie pan) 

Make sure balls are 1/2 apart in the pan

Place in oven

Cook for 12-15 minutes

Remove out of oven

Empty marinara sauce into a sauce pan 

Add 1/4 water and mix

Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir.

Add your meatballs to it and make sure meatballs are covered in marinara

 Turn on oven at medium high

Cook for 5-6 minutes or until marinara sauce starts to boil

Turn off stove and let content cool

Now you are ready to serve over pasta of your choice or rice

Thank you so much for stopping by again. I have a recipe book that has amazing recipes like. Order your copy here:https://www.maryamsjoyfullifeapparel.com/listing/12-easy-dinner-recipes?product=1451

Don't Let Anyone Steal Your joy!

Maryam

IT IS THANKSGIVING DAY AND I AM SO THANKFUL

 What's up wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. How are you all doing today? I hope you're all having an amazing time with family and friends. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life. Today is a beautiful day. Thank you for checking out my blog today.

So today is Thanksgiving day and I am very grateful to be a part of it and for God's protection of me and my children.

This is my favorite Thanksgiving dessert. A slice of pecan pie with a scoop of premium vanilla ice cream. It is heaven on a plate and to your taste buds lol.

My Christmas Pjs are from walmart.com

I am grateful for today. God has been faithful to me. I want to stop every now and then to give thanks for good health and Divine protection over me and my children. God has truly been good to us. For most of us, it is normal for us to be grateful only when something extraordinary happens to us but that's not the only time we ought to show gratitude. I am learning to show gratitude when nothing crazy happens. I am learning to treat each moment as a miracle because there are people going through very difficult seasons right now but not me. 

See, I am learning each passing day that the more things I can give thanks for, the more things I will have to give thanks for. Sometimes I get blinded by the things I don't yet have and stand in my own way of being happy in the moment. Life as I am learning to live it, is lived in the moment. Happiness and joy shouldn't be postponed to a later date. It is in the NOW! I am learning more each day to count my blessings and focus on positivity. I have experienced a transformation in my thoughts since I started intentionally focusing on the good. 

Today being Thanksgiving Day is not the ONLY day of the year we give thanks for our many blessings. I believe giving thanks should be a part of our daily practice. Our human conditioning is so deceptive. It steals our joy of the present by ushering thoughts of past failures or future uncertainties and the moment we buy into these deceptions, we become victims to circumstances instead of creators of the type of experience we would truly love.

I am making the commitment each day, to be very aware of the thoughts I let take root in me. I know how it feels to dwell on uncertainties and past failures. It SUCKS! In my experience, you only produce more the same fruits if you focus on the seeds of past failures and uncertainties. Now, I just focus on the joy and beauty of each moment and of course what I would really love. Each day, I take a few moments to write and think about my goals. I notice the more I do this, the better I feel and the more excited the future seems. In fact, I bring the future to me whenever I get excited about my goals. It's like I am already the person I want to be and it is amazing. Try it!

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving because I enjoyed mine. I am grateful for me, my children and for you. 

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

With gratitude,

Maryam