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Menu Plan Monday
We’ve been sick with a nasty cold the last few days. Thankfully, I think we are on the tail end of it. Needless to say the last couple of days I haven’t done much cooking and menu planning made me really hungry. So, at 7:30 p.m. tonight I decided to get up and cook something yummy.
Also, is it just me, or have you found the most amazing recipes through Pintrest? You really must check out my “Recipes to Try” board on Pintrest.
Like this photo of Lemon Merigue Pie!!! Which has inspired me to make a Lemon Meringue Pie with a Double Meringue for our Sabbath Evening Meal on Friday. Gorgeous!
Source: flickr.com via Melissa on Pinterest
Sunday:
B – Cereal and Soy Milk
S – Veggie Hot Dogs and Homemade French Fries
Monday:
B – Cereal with Soy Milk
L -Fettuccine Alfredo
S -Indian Chickpeas, Rice, Asparagus with Rosemary Citrus Butter
Tuesday:
B – Bagels and Gluten Free Brazilian Cheese Bread with Cream Cheese
L – Crockpot Enchiladas, Black Bean Salad, and Guacamole
S – Cabbage and Onions, Mashed Potatoes, Pimento Cheese Fritters with Homemade Apple Pepper Jelly
Wednesday:
B – Sourdough Blueberry Muffins and Scrambled Eggs
L – French Lentils, Garlic Cheese Biscuits, Steamed Cauliflower
S – Cornbread Pancakes with Honey Butter Syrup, Fried Eggs
Thursday:
B -English Muffin Sandwiches, Grapefruit
L – Crockpot Taco Soup, Salad
S – Stewed Tomatoes and Rice, Salad
Friday:
B – Cheese Grits or Cream of Wheat
L – Homemade Gouda Cheese Crackers, Salad, Boiled Eggs
S – Tacos, Lemon Meringue Pie with a Double Meringue
Sabbath:
B -Cereal, Yogurt
L – Potluck: Oatmeal “Meatloaf”, Sweet Pickled Apples, Scalloped Potatoes
S – Leftovers
Snacks:
This week we’ll be eating lots of citrus – a few bushels oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit that need to be eaten before they go bad now that spring has sprung.
Baking:
I’ll be busy every afternoon baking Brazilian Cheese Bread, Sourdough Blueberry Muffins, Amish Sourdough Sandwich Bread, Gouda Cheese Crackers, and Double Lemon Meringue Pie.
Be sure to check out Organizing Junkie for hundreds of ideas for your meal planning!
What are you eating this week?
Menu Plan
Sometimes I really hate menu planning. I love to cook. I love to eat. I love feeding my sweet family food they love to eat. But sometimes actually coming up with what to eat is a real chore. Needless to say, menu planning is very helpful because it is even more of a chore to figure out what we are eating five minutes before everyone is ready to eat.
I must be tired this afternoon. Mentally tired. Maybe because we are currently working on high school math in our homeschool and its 4:30 in the afternoon.
Lately, rather, the last few months, I have had to spend even more time in the kitchen. Sometimes I feel like I spend at least six hours a day in the kitchen (sometimes more) just cooking and cleaning. Since Sarah has gone wheat free and mostly vegan for her health I have to prepare two of everything, very often, and it takes forever. Gluten free foods cost so much, we can’t afford for everyone to eat them. So when we have pasta, I make a separate dish for her. It’s okay. I really don’t mind. I love her more than anything in the world and spending more time preparing food is soooo worth her feeling healthy and normal.
Here’s my latest attempt at making a yummy gluten free sandwich bread:
Unfortunately, it tasted gross. I have not yet found a sandwich bread using gluten free flour that tastes good. I was excited about this recipe because I had made pizza crust for her and that turned out nice and tasted good as a pizza and had a good texture. So, I thought, why not try it as a loaf of bread? Yuck. I don’t know. I am planning to try making my own Brown Rice Flour Mix soon. Something about the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour is just not appealing, the smell, the taste, the texture. Sorry! I think I prefer the King Arthur Brand Gluten Free flour, but unfortunately, we bought several ( a lot ) of the Bob’s Red Mill flour when it was on closeout at Big Lots, because the price was so much lower than at the health food store. So, I need to find a way to use it up. Maybe some sweet breads would taste better.
Anyway, back to the whole cooking and meal planning thing…
The fact remains, cooking takes time. For instance, my husband requested Lasagna last night, which Sarah cannot eat. I hate for her to feel neglected without just as delicious food to eat, so I made her a single dish of Eggplant Parmesan. It took me about three hours to get dinner on the table. We’ll have Eggplant Parmesan again (all of us later in the week).
There are days when I really want to just have something quick and easy like hot dogs or veggie burgers, but since she can’t have them, I try to keep prepared meals in the freezer for her. Like her favorite enchiladas, gluten free pizza crust and toppings, gluten free oatmeal patties that can be eaten with gravy, rice
So here’s the rundown for this week:
Sunday:
B- Tea Towel Biscuits with Milk Gravy and Spelt Biscuits with Tomato Gravy (for Sarah)
D – Vegetable Lasagna, Salad, Fresh French Green Beans with Fingerling Potatoes (Eggplant Parmesan for Sarah)
Monday:
B – Krispy Kreme Doughnuts ( a very rare treat)
L – Leftovers
S – Fruit, Cream of Wheat
Tuesday:
B – Sourdough Blueberry Muffin, Scrambled Eggs
L – Southern Fried Tofu (from Earth Fare in Johnson City, TN – its amazing!), Fresh French Green Beans, Cornbread, Mashed Rutabagas
S – Salad with Boiled Eggs and Beer Bread Toast
Wednesday:
B -Oatmeal with dried fruit, walnuts, and soymilk
L – Eggplant Parmesan, Salad, Garlic Cheese Biscuits
S – Leftovers, Cereal
Thursday:
B – Toast and Fried Eggs, Veggie Sausages
L – Chickpea Salad Sandwiches (tastes like Tuna), Fruit
S – Pancakes, Pecan Oatmeal “Sausage,” Tangerines
Friday:
B – Cereal, Yogurt, Toast
L – Fruit, PB&J Sandwiches
S – Black Bean Soup, Cornbread
Sabbath:
B – Cereal
L – Potluck – Oatmeal Meatloaf, Pickled Apples, Scalloped Potatoes
S – Leftovers
Desserts:
Georgia’s Cornmeal Pie with a Spelt Pie Crust
Strawberry Pretzel Salad (made with gluten free pretzels)
Raw Vegan Chocolate Cream Cake
Baking:
Amish Friendship Sandwich Bread (gluten free experiment and wheat flour versions)
Spelt Garlic Cheese Drop Biscuits
Beer Bread
If you didn’t notice, in an effort to be healthier as a family, help myself and my husband lose a little weight, we are eating our biggest meal at the lunch hour and a lighter meal in the evening when your metabolism slows down.
What are you cooking this week? Be sure to stop by Organizing Junkie for hundreds of ideas for meal planning!
Menu Plan Monday
Some things on my menu last week didn’t get cooked, but I did accomplish most of my menu plans. This week, I have a lot of produce that will go bad if I don’t get to everything!
Breakfast
S – Cereal with Soymilk
M – Leftover Rice Pudding
T – Oatmeal with Raisins and Walnuts
W – English Muffins, Fried Eggs
TH – Pancakes with Homemade Apple Syrup
F – Cream of Wheat with Honey and Sweet Cream
S – Cereal with Soymilk
Lunch
S – Leftovers
M – Squash Patties, Salad
T – Thai Peanut Noodles, Sliced Oranges
W – Pasta Salad, Sliced Fruit
TH – Hot Dogs, Chips and Salsa, Apple Slices
F – Vegetarian “Chicken” Burgers, Hash Browns
S – Potluck
Supper
S – Creamy Mushroom Pasta, Herbed Tuscan Brad with Parmesan and Peppercorn Cheese Spread
M – Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Egg Noodles, Zucchini and Onions,
T – Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup, Dinner Rolls
W – Spaghetti Squash, Marinara Sauce, Salad, Garlic Bread
TH – Vegetarian “Sausage” and Cheese Quiche, Caesar Salad
F – Eggplant Parmesan, Spaghetti, Steamed Veggies
S – Leftovers
Baking/ Canning/ Make Ahead
S – Applesauce, Apple Butter Canning
M – Bake Potatoes, Freezer Hash Browns, Canning Apple Jelly
T – Bake Sweet Sourdough Bread
W – Feed Amish Friendship Starter, Canning Apple Pie Mix
TH – Canning Spiced Apple Marmalade
F – Canning Applesauce, Brownies
S – Feed Amish Friendship Bread
I am looking forward to a week of yummy food! What are you eating this week?
You can find hundreds of ideas for your meal planning over at Organizing Junkie.
Menu Plan Monday
January really puts me in the mood to cook. I love the quiet winter days. Something about frigid temperatures and roaring fires just makes me want to putter around the house including the kitchen! I am looking forward to a week of baking and another week of canning all of that produce that is still chilling in my garage. You can watch my progress over on the sidebar!
Here is this week’s menu for our family:
Breakfast
S – Cereal with Almond Milk
M - Cream of Wheat, Maple Syrup, Wheat Germ, Cream
T – Oatmeal with Raisins and Walnuts
W – English Muffins, Fried Eggs
TH – Pancakes with Homemade Apple Syrup
F – Cream of Wheat with Honey and Sweet Cream
S – Cereal with Almond Milk
Lunch
S – Egg Salad Sandwiches, Hummus w/ crackers
M – Big Frank Spread Sandwiches, Potato Chips, Sliced Cucumbers
T – Broccoli Salad
W – Ramen, Cho Bap, Kimbap
TH – Steamed Veggies and Rice
F - Pea Soup, Macaroni Salad
S – Potluck
Supper
S – Salad, Fried Dal w/ Rice
M – Zucchini and Parmesan Squares, Salad
T – Squash Patties, Steamed Veggies, Carrot Sticks, Sweet Hawaiian Bread
W – Oatmeal Patties w/gravy, Rice, Corn Pudding, Salad
TH – Veggie Skallops, Veg-all Casserole, Homemade Tartar Sauce, Homemade Pickles
F – Eggplant Parmesan, Pasta, salad, Garlic Bread
S – Leftovers
Baking
S – Rice Pudding w/ leftover rice
M – Sweet Hawaiian Bread, Bake Potatoes, Feed Sweet Sourdough Starter
T – Freezer Hashbrowns
W – French Bread
TH – Feed Sweet Sourdough Starter
F – Bake Sweet Sourdough Bread, Potluck
You can find hundreds more menu plans and lots of great ideas over at Organizing Junkie!
Menu Plan Monday
Today we start our homeschool. I have to say, I am glad summer is over. Not that it wasn’t a great summer with lots of wonderful memories, but we were so busy and out of town almost the entire summer it seems. I am ready for routine!
So here is my first menu plan in several months!
Download the .pdf version of this menu.
Breakfast
S – Cereal with Soymilk
M – English Muffins, fried eggs
T -Blueberry Pancakes, Bacon, scrambled eggs
W – Toast, Fried Eggs and Cheese Grits
TH -Pancakes with Homemade Apple Syrup
F -Cream of Wheat with Honey and Sweet Cream
S – Cereal with Soymilk and Homemade Yogurt
Lunch
S – Fajitas
M – Cesar Salad
T – Homemade Pizza, Salad
W – Leftover Oatmeal Patties, Steamed Veggies
TH – Steamed Veggies and Rice
F – Hot dogs, Macaroni Salad
S – Potluck
Supper
S – Cesar Salad
M – Sausage Cheese Quiche, green beans and potatoes,
T – Oatmeal Patties, gravy, squash with onions and peppers, Frozen Peaches
W – Sesame Tofu, Rice, Roasted Cashews, Vegetable Lomein
TH – Veggie Skallops, Homemade Tartar Sauce, Homemade Pickles, Green Bean Casserole
F – Crockpot Lasagna, Salad, Sweet Sourdough Garlic Toast
S – Leftovers
Snacks
M – Goldfish crackers
T – Canned Peaches
W – Celery with peanut butter
TH – Cheese Crackers
F – Sliced Apples
Baking
M – Start Amish Sourdough Starter
T – Homemade Yogurt
W – Feed Sweet Sourdough Starter
TH -Feed Amish Friendship Bread Starter, Bake Sweet Sourdough Bread
F – Black bean soup for potluck
S – Feed Sweet Sourdough Starter
You can find lots more great menu plans over at Organizing Junkie!
Meal Planning Made Easy
It’s 6:00 pm. Do you know what you are feeding your family for supper tonight? If not, you are probably feeling stressed right about now. Whether you are a homeschooling mom like me and must feed your crew three meals a day at home, or simply a wife and mother, meal planning is something we all have to think about.
In our house, I have at least 6 people (if not 7 – 15) to feed three times a day. On those days when I am caught without a plan, it can be exhausting just trying to figure out what to cook. We have very little food in our house that provides instant gratification. Most of our food must be prepared ahead of time.
The first step in being prepared for meal time is to set aside a time each week when you can sit down and plan your menu for the week. Some women prepare for an entire month! I just plan for the week ahead. I like to cook a variety of foods – comfort foods (family favorites) and I like to try out new recipes on a regular basis.
I was reading an article on Keeper of the Home about being good to our husbands with the food we prepare. I started thinking about my own cooking style. The last few years I have been cooking more and more ethnic meals which I love. In fact everyone in the family seems to enjoy them. But as I thought about it, I realized that those meals that get the most praise from my husband and children are the good old fashioned “meat and potatoes” kind of meals. That may sound a little funny considering we are a vegetarian family. However, they love for me to make my version of “meatloaf,” oatmeal patties with gravy, and mashed potatoes are always a hit. Casseroles are also a favorite. Tonight I made my vegetarian “chicken” and dumplings and tomorrow sweet potato casserole (with marshmallows) is on the menu.
These are the kinds of food I grew up eating! I struggle with desire to serve really healthy food and serving food we really love to eat. After reading Stephanie’s article on the subject, I decided I needed to find a healthy balance between the two.
I began to make a list of our favorite meals. I can now refer to this list when I am planning my menu. My list is really long (several pages). I still want to try new recipes. You never know when you will come across a new family favorite!
You might want to make a list of your family’s favorite foods. You could even get really organized and make the list according to main dish, side dish, salad, soups, etc. like I did; or make the list according to main ingredient – broccoli, eggplant, pasta, etc.
On menu planning day, sit down with your list, your blank menu chart, and a few cookbooks or other recipe sources. Choose mostly from your tried and true favorites and then select a few new ones to try out.
Some other ideas for menu planning and some links to enjoy:
- Menu Plan Monday
- Dine Without Whine
- Menus 4 Moms
- $45 Emergency Menu
- All Recipes
Menu Plan Monday
Breakfast
S – Asiago Bagels with Cream Cheese
M – Asiago bagels with Cream Cheese
T – Cream of Wheat with Wheat Germ and Soy Milk
W – Pancakes, TVP sausage patties, applesauce
TH – biscuits and gravy, little links
F – yogurt and granola
S – Cereal with soymilk
Lunch
S – veggie dogs and sauerkraut
M – Taco Soup (leftover)
T – peanut butter and jelly, sliced oranges
W – tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches
TH – sub sandwiches, pickles, and apple slices
F – egg salad sandwiches, chips
S – potluck
Supper
S – baked potatoes
M – spaghetti, french bread, salad, chocolate cake
T – cauliflower and dip, grapefruit, cheese and crackers
W – veg-all casserole, veggie burgers, potato skins, steamed asparagus
TH – chili rellenos, zucchini and onions, rice, corn tortillas
F – Potluck
For hundreds more ideas on how to plan your menu, visit Organizing Junkie!
Menu Plan Monday
After last week’s detox and not cooking anything at all… I am looking forward to some regular meals!
Breakfast
S – Yogurt with granola
M- leftovers
T – Berry Smoothie, Scrambled Eggs, toast
W – Yogurt with Granola
TH – grits, fried eggs, sliced oranges
F – Oatmeal with dates, soy milk, and sliced oranges
S – yogurt with granola, soy milk, cereal
Lunch
S – grapefruit, hot dogs, carrots
M – Sandwiches, chips
T - hummus, carrot sticks, leftover oatmeal “meatloaf”
W – black bean salad, crackers
TH – vegetable lo mein
F – macaroni and cheese, peas
S - Potluck
Supper
S – pizza, salad, tater tots
M – oatmeal meatloaf, steamed asparagus, honey carrots
T – cabbage, apples, and onions, steamed broccoli
W – chana masala
TH – “chicken” and dumplings
F – 15 bean soup, corn bread, tapioca pudding
S – leftovers
For hundreds of menu ideas, be sure to hop on over to Organizing Junkie today!
My Detox Journal: Day 1
I have suffered with severe systemic candida (a type of auto immune disease) since I was a teenager. In 2006, my immune system was so weak I was near death’s door. I improved some, but a year later was so over run with yeast I knew I had to make a change. I went on a very, very strict diet eating – meaning I ate no fruits, grains, mushrooms, vinegar, dairy, no sugar of any kind, no starchy veggies, etc. (I am a vegetarian if you didn’t know that already so I wasn’t eating meat either.) I pretty much ate green veggies, eggplant, some oatmeal, and goat’s milk for several months. It was HARD. But I got better. I was symptom free for over a year.
In January, I began breaking out in severe boils (something that used to happen with great frequency) which is a symptom of a weak immune system. I have had a painful boil on my chin the size of a half dollar for over a month now and smaller ones on my face and neck. It was not long before I began to break out in candida rashes again.I am not able to take ANY type of antibiotic because the yeast would over take my body and potentially be fatal. So, with a weakened immune system, I have to be very, very careful about being exposed to germs. Pneumonia could do me in along with a host of other illnesses.
I have been taking candida herbs, and acidophilus supplements, but have not seen much improvement. So, I am going on a detox program of my own design… using the knowledge I have accumulated about natural healing over the years.
I thought it would be fun to journal what I am doing over the next two weeks to purify my body naturally. Here is what I have planned for today:
Breakfast:
1 grapefruit – good for stomach, antioxidant, Vitamin C
8 kiwi fruit – helps remove excess sodium from body, antioxidant, Vitamin C, good respiratory system
Green Tea – steeped with 1/4 lemon, 4 drops Stevia, 30 drops of Kidney Cleanse Formula
Lunch:
1 sliced orange
Black Bean Salad (I ate the entire recipe below for my lunch)
Green Tea – steeped with 1/4 lemon, 4 drops Stevia, 30 drops of Kidney Cleanse Formula
Black Bean Salad
1 can black beans – cholesterol lowering fiber, loaded with antioxidants (even more than oranges, grapes, or cranberries)
1/2 fresh avocado – antioxidant, improves skin, good for digestion
1 tomato – Vitamin C, supports liver health, improves skin
1/2 lemon juice – Vitamin C, Vitamin B1, good for liver, digestive system, bladder,blood purifier
2 tbsp. finely chopped onion – good for immune system
1 large clove garlic – helps build immune system
1/2 cup chopped parsley - loaded with Vitamin C, good for digestive system
* Note: whole kernel corn would make a yummy addition to this recipe!
Snack:
16 oz. Bolthouse Farms Vedge Juice – Our juicer died and we have a new one on order, for now, this will do.
Supper:
raw broccoli – cancer fighting, good for immune system, beta carotene, Vitamin C, calcium, folate
raw carrot sticks – good for eyes, cancer fighting, Vitamin A, beta carotene, Vitamin B6 and B12, calcium, and more
1 grapefruit – good for stomach, antioxidant, Vitamin C
Green Tea – steeped with 1/4 lemon, 4 drops Stevia, 30 drops of Kidney Cleanse Formula
Note: You may be wondering why I am not just juicing – I get very, very shaky if I do not eat. So, I decided to eat a natural, nearly raw diet as well as drink juices.
Valentine’s Day Menu
I love making my family feel special on Valentine’s Day. Here is a free download of our traditional Valentine’s Day Menu. I hope you enjoy the recipes!
Download the .pdf version of this menu along with the recipes here.
Breakfast:
Heart Shaped Pancakes with fresh Strawberries and Maple Syrup
Strawberry Yogurt Parfaits
Orange Juice
Dinner:
Spinach Lasagna Béchamel
Tossed Salad with Strawberries, Green Onion, Feta and Raspberry Vinaigrette
Garlic Toast
Strawberry Lemonade
Heart Shaped Butter Cookies
Decadent Chocolate Cake with Strawberries and Cream
