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May 6, 2026

Meal Train Food Ideas

Need meal train ideas? Here are comforting, practical meal train meals that actually help families during busy seasons, postpartum recovery, grief, illness, or hard times. Includes casseroles, soups, breakfast ideas, snacks, freezer meals, healthy meal train ideas, and easy dinners that reheat well. Perfect for new moms, friends in need, or community care planning. From Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.

Meal Train Food Ideas

I’ve been the recipient of a meal train once. Although back then it wasn’t a formal meal train. Almost 18 years ago (gasp!), it was just my Mom, my sister-in-law, a friend, and a neighbor. There wasn’t a meal train signup, a group email, or a text thread. Back then, my mom called me on the phone and told me not to worry about dinner because she was bringing us food. The other meals that first month were unexpected, but warmly welcomed. 

Day two at home, my mom came in hot with a repurposed box from Costco.

Inside was:

  • a beef stew in her biggest round Pyrex dish
  • a package of egg noodles
  • her vinaigrette
  • romaine lettuce prepped in a bag + avocado
  • a baggie of chopped parsley (for serving)
  • store-bought brownies

She left us with verbal instructions to heat the stew, boil noodles, add butter, and finish with parsley. Of course, she followed up the next day by phone to see if I followed directions, asked how it was, and how the baby was doing. The call ended with the first of many reminders to bring back her salad dressing container.

CONTINUE READING

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May 4, 2026

Intentions for the Week

 

Intentions for the Week Workbook by Tracy Benjamin now on sale!

Intentions for the Week- Week 19 in 2026

Hello hello! Happy Monday. We made it to Week 19. How are you doing? Did you have a good weekend? Did you take good care of yourself? 

I shared my April pages in my Currently workbook on The Handwriting Club this weekend. 

Things Mom Used to Say Book by Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com

This week, I am hosting Practice Pages on Zoom (Wednesday 4:30-5:30PST).

Here’s what’s on the agenda:

05/06- DEAR MOM

 

We will say goodbye to April and HELLO to May. I’ll share both my 2026 April pages and my past May pages from my Currently Workbooks to get you ready for the new month.

May 10th is Mother’s Day. It can be especially challenging if you’re living without a Mom or if your relationship with her is complicated.

Our optional homework this month is to handwrite a letter to your Mom (whether she’s alive or not) from your current self. I will share the book I made to process my grief and remember my Mom: Things My Mom Used to Say. This project helped me learn how to gently “Mom Myself” without her. 

 

Here are my Intentions this week!

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May 3, 2026

My Everyday Life Week 18

My Everyday Life Week 18- Here’s what this past week looked like:

Looking through my Aprils for the past 7 years. 

My art practice has flourished!

This week, I am using my food journal.   I am trying to slow down and see what life is like with and without eggs. 

My Everyday Life Week 18 of 2026- Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com

The view from on top of my chest. 

My Everyday Life Week 18 of 2026- Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com

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May 1, 2026

I LOVE LISTS

I love lists//tracy benjamin #hobonichicousin

I LOVE LISTS

  1. I didn’t realize you could make sheet pan tacos. 
  2. This art must be cool in person.
  3. Creative architecture to inspire. 
  4. Time travel- the politics of butter vs. margarine
  5. I learned what lasagna gardening is this week.
  6. Stop trying to help your server. 
  7. All the iconic Hitchcock scenes. 
  8. These stamp collages are so intricate. 
  9. The science of store bought bread with a long shelf life.
  10. Old grammar rules that don’t apply anymore.
  11. Here are all my favorite magic makers!
  12. This holiday rental in Normandy is charming.
  13. Tootsie rolls are kinda like the sourdough of candy!
  14. Some Apple CarPlay hacks you might not know. 
  15. Popular foods that were made by accident. 
  16. Eating outside is good for your mental health.
  17. NASA lets you write your name with aerial views
  18. Diane Keaton’s stuff is going to be auctioned off next month.
  19. Weekend Reading: Famesick
  20. Are you ready for grilling season? Here’s my prep.

 

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April 27, 2026

Intentions for the Week

 

Intentions for the Week Workbook by Tracy Benjamin now on sale!

Intentions for the Week- Week 18 in 2026

Hello hello! Happy Monday. We made it to Week 18. How are you doing? Did you have a good weekend? Did you take good care of yourself? 

I did a light meal prep this weekend, which included my favorite:

Sol Food Chicken /Pollo al Horno is an amazing baked chicken dish with oregano and garlic. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

 Sol Food Chicken

This weekend I also added a new dance video to my favorite workouts:

 

 

Here are my Intentions this week!

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April 26, 2026

My Everyday Life Week 17

My Everyday Life Week 17- Here’s what this past week looked like: 

 Got my mammogram this week! Everything is OK. YAY. 

My Everyday Life Week 17 of 2026- Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com

Checking in with my Hobonichi! 

Hobonichi Cousin- Tracy Benjamin Shutterbean/The Handwriting Club

Worked at the Larkspur library.

Got my own study room for an hour. That was fun.

My Everyday Life Week 17 of 2026- Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com

Looking at a sunset through an office window. 

My Everyday Life Week 17 of 2026- Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com

Art time on my deck with Neiley. 

My Everyday Life Week 17 of 2026- Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com

CONTINUE READING

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April 24, 2026

I LOVE LISTS

I love lists // shutterbean//hobonichi cousin by Tracy Benjamin

I LOVE LISTS 

  1. How basketball filming happens with rollerblades.
  2. I want to see a golden print in person.
  3. Things organized neatly.
  4. Let’s learn about Route 66. 
  5. The best foods at Ikea.
  6. Let’s get lost looking at liminal spaces. 
  7. What are heirloom seeds?
  8. Bodega cats of NY.
  9. Here’s a good kitchen makeover.
  10. We used to picnic in cemeteries.
  11. I want to lounge on my deck in this stripey beanbag.
  12. Time travel: vintage photos with people & their dogs
  13. For the Val Kilmer fans.
  14. How these 55 popular songs got their names.
  15. This studio space in Milan is full of whimsy. 
  16. Do you use Apple Reminders? I forgot it existed. 
  17. What’s the best way to store asparagus? 
  18. Which reminds me- I love Asparagus Soup!
  19. I love looking at the trees in architecture drawings. 
  20. If you need meal prep inspo, here’s my Pinterest board.

May include: A black card with the text "MOM YOUR-SELF!" in orange, yellow, and purple lettering.

Need a pep talk? Here are some of the things my Mom used to say when I needed a pep talk. I turned it into a postcard pack- Mom Yourself