For this week’s menu, I chose old favourites from our meal plan, and included three new recipes, including Spicy Chicken Nuggets. And scroll down to see the fun food day ideas too, like National Junk Food Day (Tue Jul 21).
- Click here to get your copy of this week’s Excel Weekly Meal Plan.
There’s a week of mixed weather ahead, with the sun out tomorrow, and a high of 24°C. The other days have clouds and rain, but that’s okay – almost anything is better than the hot and smoky days we had last week!
The other two new recipes are Tomato Tortellini for Two, and Tuna Patties. They both look quick and easy, and perfect for a summer supper.
The Weekly Plan
Here is our plan for the week starting Sunday, Jul 19, 2026. There are links for some recipes, and others are made “freestyle”.
- Note: Beside each recipe, I show the number of times that we’ve made this recipe, since I started keeping track in 2015.
Sunday — Cauliflower Fusilli Alfredo ( 9 times )
- Total Time: 30 mins
Monday — Sheet Pan Hot Italian Meatballs ( 40 times )
- Total Time: 45 mins
Tuesday — Spicy Chicken Nuggets ( 0 times )
TIP: dip in egg whites
- Total Time: 30 mins
Wednesday — Tomato Tortellini for Two ( 0 times )
- Total Time: 30 mins
Thursday — Tuna Patties ( 0 times )
TIP: skillet or oven
- Total Time: 30 mins
Friday — Carrot Apple Ginger Soup ( 36 times )
- Total Time: 1 hr
Saturday — Burgers ( 153 times )
- Total Time: 30 mins
Food Celebration Days
Almost every day of the year has a food celebration that we can enjoy, or ignore! Here are a few of the food days for the upcoming week, with recipe ideas for you.
Tuesday, Jul 21 – National Junk Food Day
It’s not clear how Junk Food Day got started. Wikipedia says that the term “junk food” has been used since the 1950s.
If you enjoy junk food occasionally, you could pick up some fast food for supper. Or, make something quick and easy at home. When our kids were little, we often had beans and wieners, frozen pizza, or fish and chips, for supper. I’m not sure if those qualify as junk food, but we enjoyed them!
Here are a couple of recipes to try for Junk Food Day:
- Kids (and adults) might like this Spicy Chicken Nuggets recipe. Prep time is 10 minutes, cook time is 20 minutes, and it makes 6 servings
- Or try this Chili Cheese Dog Grilled Cheese Recipe Prep time is 5 minutes, and it cooks for 20 minutes, for a single serving.
Wednesday, Jul 22 – National Mango Day
Mango Day was started in 1987, by India’s National Horticulture Board. They encouraged people to try different types of mangoes, and use them in a variety of recipes.
Here are a couple of quick recipes to try:
- This One Pot Mango Chicken Recipe looks tasty! Prep time is 10 minutes, then it cooks for 20 minutes, and serves 4
- This recipe for Thai Curry Meatballs with Spicy Mango uses ground turkey or chicken. Prep time is 10 minutes, cook time is 20 minutes, and it serves 4
Saturday, Jul 25 – Feast of Saint James
The Feast of Saint James has been observed since the 9th century. It’s a public holiday in the Basque Country, and in Galicia.
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Saint James is the patron saint of pilgrims, soldiers, veterinarians, pharmacists, and people with arthritis. He’s also the patron saint of Seattle, where Microsoft is located, so perhaps he’s the patron saint of Microsoft Excel too!.
Here are a couple of traditional Saint James Feast recipes to try:
- Did you know that Coquilles Saint-Jacques is French for “shells of Saint James?” Prep time for this recipe is 30 minutes, and it cooks for 20 minutes, and serves 4
- In Spain, the feast ends with Tarta de Santiago (St. James’ Cake) Prep time is 15 minutes, and the cake bakes for 50 minutes, and serves 8
Tip: To create your own meal plan, get my free Excel Weekly Meal Planner template.
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Weekly Meal Plan 2026-07-18
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