Reclaiming Your Weekend Plans: Why Doing Nothing is Actually Something
By Maren — Home cook energy. Not chef energy. Let's make something good with what you've got. ·
Let’s Be Real: Your Weekend Isn’t a To-Do List
It’s August 2026, and if you’re anything like me, your calendar is currently screaming. Between back-to-school prep for the middle schoolers—which, let me tell you, is a whole different beast when you’re the one standing at the whiteboard—and trying to soak up these last few golden Minneapolis days before the wind starts biting again, it’s easy to treat the weekend like a frantic sprint to the finish line.
We tend to look at Saturday and Sunday as the time to finally catch up on the laundry, deep clean the fridge, and meal prep for the week. But honestly? That’s not a weekend. That’s just a second job you don’t get paid for.
My grandmother used to say that the best recipes happen when you stop worrying about the clock and start paying attention to the smell of the bread. She was right about cooking, and she was right about life. This weekend, I’m giving you permission to ignore the "productive" version of your weekend plans and lean into something a little more soulful. We’re aiming for Home Cook energy, not Chef energy. Low stress, high reward.
The “Gary” Rule: Slow Down by Default
If you’ve been following my TikTok for a while, you know Gary. My sourdough starter. Gary is a demanding little guy, but he’s taught me the most important lesson about weekends: you cannot rush biology. If you try to force the fermentation, you end up with a flat loaf.
Apply the "Gary Rule" to your weekend. Don't plan your Saturday around the things you have to do. Plan it around the things that force you to slow down. For me, that means Saturday morning isn’t for grocery shopping at the crowded co-op; it’s for sitting on my porch with a cup of coffee and actually finishing that book that’s been sitting on my nightstand for three months.
If you need a concrete plan, try this: pick one thing that takes an hour and requires zero screens. It could be weeding your window box, hand-washing that one cast iron skillet that’s been neglected, or even just reorganizing your spice drawer. Don't do it because it’s a chore. Do it because it’s tactile. We spend so much of our week staring at glass rectangles; give your hands something real to touch.
The “Fridge Forage” Strategy
I get asked all the time, "Maren, how do you manage to cook without a plan?" It’s simple: I don’t buy ingredients for specific recipes. I buy ingredients that like each other.
For your weekend dinner, don’t go to the store with a list. Go to your fridge and see what’s hanging out in the back. Is there a half-empty jar of pesto? A block of feta that’s seen better days? Some zucchini from the farmer’s market? That’s your dinner.
This weekend, try a "Forage Night." No pressure to recreate a Martha Stewart centerpiece. Just pull out your biggest cast iron, throw in some olive oil, and start cooking whatever needs to be used up. If it tastes good, great. If it’s just okay, you’ve fed yourself and cleared some space in your fridge. That’s a win. Cooking with what you’ve got is the ultimate act of self-care because it stops the cycle of "I don't have the right ingredients" and turns it into "I’m capable of making something delicious right now."
Sunday Night: The Gentle Reset
We’ve all been there: Sunday at 8:00 PM, scrolling through social media, feeling that pit of dread in your stomach because Monday is looming. Let’s kill that vibe before it starts.
I’ve started doing a "Sunday Reset" that has nothing to do with cleaning. I put on a playlist—something acoustic and quiet—and I do three very small things. 1. I fill my water pitcher so it’s ready for the morning. 2. I pick out my clothes for Monday (yes, I’m a teacher, I still need my outfit ready or I’ll be wearing mismatched socks). 3. I feed Gary.
That’s it. It’s not a deep clean of the apartment. It’s just setting the stage so that the version of me waking up tomorrow morning doesn’t have to make any decisions. Decision fatigue is the enemy of a happy week. If you can eliminate three tiny decisions on Sunday night, you’re winning the game.
A Final Note on Being Human
Whatever your plans are—whether you’re going to a lake, hiding in your apartment with a stack of magazines, or actually tackling that project you’ve been putting off—just make sure you’re doing it for you. Not for your Instagram followers, not to show off to your neighbors, and certainly not because you think you "should."
If your weekend plans involve eating toast over the sink and staring at the wall for twenty minutes, I’m here for it. We aren’t machines, and we aren’t chefs working a high-pressure line. We’re just people trying to make a good life out of what we’ve got.
So, what’s on your menu for the weekend? Are you tackling a big project, or are you embracing the art of doing absolutely nothing? Drop a comment below—I’m dying to know what’s currently in your fridge and what you’re planning to do with it. Let's chat!