{Pinterest Project} Probiotic Lemonade

A while back I came across an interesting pin for  probiotic lemonade. I’ve been hearing lots about the benefits of probiotics and I have wanted to incorporate them into our diet but Kombucha kind of grosses me out so this seemed like a great alternative. I made a half batch the first time. The kids LOVED it! Since then I’ve made a batch about every week. We even had 2 lemonade play dates so I could show friends how to make it. Everyone likes it. One friend even compared it to Chick-fil-a’s lemonade. Yum! (Original Recipe)

Probiotic Lemonade

• You will need a gallon size glass jar with tight fitting lid - or some of these adorable bottles that I picked up at IKEA. (I’ve seen similar ones at Hobby Lobby as well.)

• 12 juicy lemons – The original recipe calls for organic but I don’t think that’s necessary.

• 1/2 cup – 1 cup organic evaporated cane sugar*

• 1 cup fresh whey (In the original recipe she explains how to easily drain whey from fresh yogurt, I just order it through my co-op)

• Cool clean chlorine free water**

First, get your favorite citrus juicer and start juicing the lemons. The amount of juice will vary, depending on the size of your lemons. This batch I only used 8 because they were large and pretty juicy. I usually get about a cup to a cup and a half of juice and this seems to be a good amount. A little more, a little less won’t hurt. I don’t have a hand juicer so I just cut the peel off and toss them in my big juicer. I feel like it extracts more than hand squeezing would but it adds to the clean-up. 

Add your fresh lemon juice to the whey in the gallon jar. Give it a quick stir. When I use my cute bottles I mix all the ingredients in a gallon pitcher then use a funnel to pour it into the individual bottles. This works well, just make sure you stir it really well before dividing it up. 

Now you will need to decide how much sugar you want to use.  You need to use at least a 1/2 cup of sugar up to a full cup.  I used 1 cup in mine. The sweetness level goes down because the probiotics feed on it. For us 1 cup makes it good and sweet without tasting like Kool-Aid or ‘Texas Sweet’ tea. 

I get this at Costco. It's very reasonable in price and I use it for everything. Great alternative to white over-processed sugar.

Next fill the rest of the jar with enough cool filtered water to make a gallon and mix very well to distribute the whey and dissolve the sugar. Now comes the hard part… waiting. Keep the jar on your kitchen counter (room temperature) and wait for 2 days. I sometimes store it away in the pantry for the two days so my children forget it’s “brewing”. Once the 2 days are over you can stick it in your fridge to keep it cold. This should also slow down or cease any further fermentation. 

 

My kids LOVE this. I have to ration it out because they would drink it all in one sitting and that would be bad for tummies.

So why are probiotics good for you? This is what the Mayo clinic has to say about them.

A word about whey: Whey can be stored in your fridge for up to 6 months. When it is good it will smell like yogurt. When it has gone bad it will smell like rotten milk, toss it out then. Also, Funky Farmz will have grass-fed whey on sale this week for $3! That will make 4 gallons of yummy lemonade :)

*You can use sucanat as a sugar substitute but it may give an undesirable color to your lemonade. Honey by nature is anti-bacterial so it is NOT a good substitute.

**Typical filtered water is fine, NOT TAP, we use Sparklettes or Ozarka. It must be chlorine free otherwise the chlorine will kill the good bacteria.

{Simple Supper} Pasta Piccata

With all of the energy I spend trying to figure out "What's for Dinner?" I often find myself beat down. I don't want to think about it, I don't want to stand in the kitchen for an hour, I don't want to clean up afterwards. Which is probably why we eat out more than we should. Some times I get busy with my day and realize it's time for dinner and I don't have anything in the works. That's when these little gems have come in handy... A Simple Supper.

This one is my own {lazy} adaptation of a Rachael Ray recipe and these are all things I have on hand regularly. I don't have to think to much about it or spend lots of time chopping or measuring. And my taste buds and tummy love me for it.

Pasta Piccata

What you need:

• a box (approx. 16 oz depending on your crowd) of any pasta. I like penne.
• some olive oil or butter
• a lemon - or 2 depending on your taste
• some capers
• chicken stock or white wine if you like (optional)

What you do:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. Now you can either do one of two things, 

1. Toss the pasta in olive oil, squeeze the lemon juice over pasta, spoon in some capers, & toss, OR 
2.  in a small sauce pan melt a little butter or olive oil, squeeze in lemon juice and add a little chicken stock or white wine and let it heat through. You don't want the pasta to be soupy so it doesn't take much liquid. When it's hot stir in a spoonful or two (we like capers so we use at least half a jar) of capers and then pour over the pasta. Toss.

 If you have some leftover grilled chicken, throw that in. If you like parmesan cheese, put some of that on it. Whatever you like. Then enjoy a big bowlful... or 2.

12 Days of Holiday Recipes - Day 6 - Party Potatoes

It has to be good if it has 'party' in the name, right? I think the first time I had these I was a teenager and we were eating at a friends house. I love potatoes and this was so delicious I could have eaten the entire casserole dish full. It has made an appearance at most of our family holiday dinners since then only absent in the presence of gouda potatoes :) 

My mom is making these on Christmas so I opted not to and snagged this photo from Simply Potatoes

Party Potatoes

1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 lbs. Ore-Ida frozen cubed hash browns - sometimes I use shredded hashbrowns like Cracker Barrel's hashbrown casserole. 

Mix first 4 items together with salt and pepper, combine with frozen potatoes, put in greased 9x13 pan. Top with 2 cups of corn flakes and 1/3 cup melted butter together.Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.

You can add some chopped onions if you like. These are also good with crushed Ritz crackers instead of the corn flakes, in fact, next time I make these I may use some French's Fried Onions on top :)

12 Days of Holiday Recipes - Day 5 - Cranberry Punch

We went to a holiday potluck Friday night and one of the items I signed up to bring was a drink.... I debated back and forth between apple cider or picking up a 2 liter of soda but after our Ladies Christmas fellowship at church I settled on this. Quick and easy (are you seeing a theme here?) with just 2 ingredients it was a perfectly festive choice.

Cranberry Punch

• 1 Lg bottle of cranberry juice - This can be regular cranberry, cran-raspberry, cran-whatever, I'll be using my favorite - Cranberry - Pomegranate
• 1 2 liter of Ginger Ale

Don't add the ginger ale until you're ready to serve. To make it pretty you can add a skewer of sugared cranberries or place some cranberries in ginger ale and freeze it to make ice cubes or an ice ring. Simple. And sparkling :)

Now, mine did not look quite as pretty as the photo above (courtesy of myrecipes.com) because I just served it in a clear pitcher. I also attempted an ice ring of sorts by using a washed can and filling it about an inch with the punch and some cranberries and letting it freeze, then adding another layer of punch and cranberries to make a cylindrical ice ring. I started it too late and add a 15 min car ride to the mix and the 'ring' was mush by the time we arrived.... at least it tasted good.

12 Days of Holiday Recipes - Day 4 - Hot Cocoa Mix

Now we all know I'm a coffee gal through and through but when the weather starts to get colder I do find myself craving a snuggly cup of hot cocoa. This recipe makes a VERY LARGE amount. So grab your biggest mixing bowl (or even like a big roasting pan) and make you a batch :)

Hot Cocoa Mix


1 box dry milk - 8 qts.
16 - 20 oz jar powdered coffee creamer
2 lb box instant Nestle's chocolate
1 lb powdered sugar
1-2 TBSP Cocoa - to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a LARGE mixing bowl. Store in airtight containers - 2 coffee cans work well, or Ziplock gallon sized bags. To serve fill a mug 1/3 to 1/2 way full with the mix and add boiling water.

I like mine nice and rich so I use a very healthy heap. I purchased a 3 lb container of Nestle's at Costco and just kind of eyeballed it all. You can totally tweak this by adding, removing, adjusting amounts based on your personal tastes. I love that it's not an exact science. I tend to not fail at those kinds of recipes :) This recipe makes SO much we plan on packaging it up in some cello bags and including them in some gift baskets we are making for neighbors and some family members. A bow and a candy cane and these are fabulous!

12 Days of Holiday Recipes - Day 3 - Butterscotch Party Mix

Mackenzie was drooling just over the photo. Courtesy of VeryBestBaking.com*

Each year during the holidays we extend an open invitation to our friends who might not have family in the area and are unable to make it home. They become honorary 'Dunninites' and are treasured guests at our table. I love this tradition.

Last year our dear friend Russell was able to join us and with him came this MAGNIFICENT treat. Now, I don't like butterscotch or caramel very much but this snack has been renamed "Crack" by our friend Coy because of it's addictive qualities. And as always it is so easy to make...

Butterscotch Party Mix

• 2 cups cereal squares - like Chex
• 2 cups small pretzel twists
• 1 cup dry roasted peanuts
• 1 cup caramels, unwrapped, coarsely chopped
• 1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) Butterscotch Flavored Morsels

COAT 13 x 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

COMBINE cereal, pretzels, peanuts and caramels in large bowl. Place morsels in medium, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave uncovered on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; STIR. The morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10 to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Pour over cereal mixture; stir to coat evenly.

SPREAD mixture into prepared baking pan ( or just some wax paper spread out on the counter); let stand for 20 to 30 minutes or until firm. Break into small pieces.

Note: I was able to find these little caramel pellet looking things at Target when I made it, taking out the caramel unwrapping/chopping step. You can also throw some white chocolate chips in there too.

Seriously good stuff. 

*Hopefully tomorrow I'll have a camera and after a trip to the store I can actually make and take pics of the recipes :)

12 Days of Holiday Recipes - Day 2 - White Chocolate Popcorn

photo from Taste of Home

When the holidays roll around there is never a shortage of munchies around. This one has become a favorite in recent years. It's quick, easy, and tasty. :) I made it for our Mother/Daughter Christmas party last week.


Here is the recipe:

White Chocolate Popcorn
(Originally published as White Chocolate Popcorn Deluxe in Healthy Cooking December/January 2010)

• 8 cups air-popped popcorn
• 2 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Place popcorn in a large bowl. In a microwave, melt white chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Pour over popcorn mixture and toss to coat. Add the cranberries, nuts and salt. Spread onto waxed paper. Cool until set. Store in an airtight container. Makes 2 quarts.

Now.... This is what I do: 

Pop some popcorn in the microwave. Plain popcorn, no butter. This last time I actually used regular popcorn that you'd use in an air popper and popped in the 'wave in a brown paper bag like they explain here. Put it in a large mixing bowl. Then you take a couple squares of white almond bark and microwave it in a glass measuring cup, 30 seconds at a time, until it's just melted. Pour over popcorn and stir. It will clump together as the chocolate hardens which isn't a big deal unless you want it to look pretty. If so, then spread it out on wax paper to 'dry'. If you want to be festive you can add some dried cranberries, red & green m&ms, or for non holiday occasions you can add a few drops of food coloring to the chocolate. For Kenzie's last birthday I added some red to make 'PINK' corn. No need for the butter or salt...unless you just want it. Store in an airtight container and it keeps for a while.

Yum! 

12 Days of Holiday Recipes - Day 1 - Potato Chowder

My friend Sarah has an awesome blog and during the month of December she always does something fun. Last year it was 25 Days of Cookies. Each day she and her boys, she has 5, would make a batch of cookies and then deliver them to someone. This year she's doing Crafty, Salty, & Sweet where they make something and she shares the recipe or the craft tutorial. It's always lots of fun to read. It also encourages me to seize these moments with my own kiddos and take the opportunity to make memories.It also makes me a little jealous, I mean, she's got time to blog regularly and she's so smart to think of this stuff ahead of time, instead of like me when it's almost halfway through the month and I'm trying to squeeze stuff in.

Anyway... I thought it would be fun to share some of the wintery goodness that I like to fill my tummy with this time of year. Today it's Potato Chowder. The weather is cold, sort of, and while I'm not a 'soup' person I totally dig a steamy bowl of this chowder with some dipping bread. Mackenzie was my kitchen helper and we got to try out my new Cuisinart can opener that I got for free by collecting stamps from my shopping trips to Albertson's over the past few months.This gem is from the Calvary Bible Church cookbook courtesy of Emily Scheffler.

Elise's Potato Chowder

Sauté:
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
& link sausage cut into bite size pieces

Add:
2 cans Campbell's Potato Soup
1 can cream corn
1 can corn
1 can diced green chilies
2 cans milk

Heat thoroughly. Garnish with shredded cheese.


That's the recipe, which I think is how I made it the very first time except I used diced ham instead of the sausage. I do it a little different every time. Today I just did the 'cans' part. No onion, pepper, or meat. I wasn't sure how well rice milk would taste in it and I only had some powdered milk on hand so I used that and it worked fine. You could also skip the potato soup and use diced potatoes and make your own 'soup' by making a roux with a little butter, flour, and milk.

I served mine with a little cheese and some crescent rolls. Quick, easy, and totally hit the spot.

E2 - 28 Day Challenge Wrap-Up

So I promised a follow-up post to our conclusion of the 28 Day (not quite) Challenge.


If you've read my daily posts you know that this challenge has been just that, challenging. The kiddos, especially the littles, constantly rejected my vegan offerings and often were fed a different meal. I was hoping that the challenge would encourage some weight-loss and it didn't, not for any of us. I think this happened for several reasons. 1. I deviated from the menu on occasion based on our schedule and what I knew we would, and would not, eat. 2. We rarely added extra exercise into our day and 3. portion control. I didn't feel bad having seconds if it's a plate of veggies... maybe I should have.

Several of you have asked questions. Here are some of them....

Why Almond milk and not soy? Soy contains estrogen-like chemicals, called phytoestrogens, and heightened exposure to estrogen has been linked with increased risk of breast cancer. I've got three young daughters and two growing boys who don't need any extra estrogen.


Is regular organic milk that bad? Organic milk is a better choice than regular milk simply because it's organic BUT organic milk 1. is still dairy, and 2. is ULTRA pasteurized - the process of
heating every particle of milk or milk product to 280ºF. This kills a lot of the beneficial nutrients... think about raw veggies vs cooked veggies. Cooked veggies aren't bad for you. You just retain more of 'the good stuff' when you consume them raw.


Does raw milk have casein? yes, because casein is an animal protein.

How does eating vegan affect your grocery bill? Well, this challenge affected our grocery bill somewhat. We eat out a LOT (3-4 meals a week) but on the diet we only ate out maybe once a week. This decreased out dining out budget but increased our grocery bill. Also, because there was a menu to follow as opposed to being able to meal plan based on grocery store sales had an impact too. It's the end of the month and we're making meals from what's in the freezer and pantry. I think going forward this shouldn't change our bill too much. You can get good deals on produce if you buy what's on sale and seasonal items tend to be a little cheaper. Also, I never bought a single container of 'milk' without using a coupon (lots of which I found online & printed at home). I matched it with stores that had it on sale and saved a lot this way.

Doesn't eating all those veggies and fiber cause lots of gas? Our house has definitely been a little rooty-tooty and not so fresh-n-fruity lately. Several forums I read said that your body needs time to adjust to cleaning out your system and processing all this extra fiber. Some people said they've eaten vegetarian for many years with no relief of excess gas. I think it depends on the person?? 


What websites are good for vegan recipes? The Post Punk Kitchen has quite a few recipes as well as a forum for asking questions. VegWeb has a lot of recipes too. I like the Engine 2 website but I found several of the recipes there are incomplete, so if you see a recipe on there you'd like to try google it. Several of them have been posted on SparkRecipes and are good. There are a lot, just google it. I'll post some of my favorites as I come across them. And if you've got some good ones please share! :)

Where do you go from here? Well, we've decided to make several of these changes permanent. Like always I'll continue to cut more and more processed foods out of our diet. We've been switching all of our 'whites' to 'browns' for a while now - brown rice, whole wheat flour, sucanat - instead of their white, over-processed, nutritionally void counterparts. We've never been big beef eaters so that's not too different but we do consume a lot of chicken. I'd like to cut this back a bit and try to have more meat-less meals. Graham is consuming almost no dairy and will continue to do so. He's realized the benefits on his digestive system and doesn't want to go back. All of us will make a permanent switch to almond/coconut milk. The kids love the original almond milk so why not? Less hormones that way too. I've started doing the Apple Cider Vinegar drink. I usually add 4 tsp to a 16 oz bottle of water and drink half of it in the morning and the other half in the afternoon. A friend mixes hers with apple juice to combat the pungent taste. I don't mind vinegar so the taste doesn't bother me. The girls have had a little here and there and they don't mind the taste in water either. Dr. Mercola has a good article about ACV. Make sure you read the whole thing.

I think more than anything we've been armed with information, information that can help us make wiser decisions on what we use to nourish our bodies. I have to balance what I've learned with what the bible says about the food God has provided. I think, like always, everything in moderation. A little meat won't kill us and I could use a little bacon in my life :)

Vegan Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Photo from Original Recipe post at Oh She Glows

Vegan Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
(see original recipe here)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups regular oats, divided
• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  
• 1/2 cup Sucanat (or brown sugar)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp almond milk
• 3.5 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup dried cranberries
  

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, 1 cup oats, cinnamon, and Sucanat (or brown sugar). Place dry ingredients in a food processor* and process for about 20-30 seconds until mixed. In a small bowl add the coconut oil and microwave for 20 seconds to soften (if necessary). In the same bowl, stir in the maple syrup**, almond milk, and vanilla, and pour into food processor. Process until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Remove bowl from processor and dump contents into a large bowl. Mix in the remaining 1 cup of oats by stirring or with hands. Fold in the 2/3 cup of cranberries. Take about 2 tbsp of dough, make a ball, and then flatten with fingers. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat.

Bake for 10 minutes and no longer. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet*** for 2 minutes before placing onto a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes. Makes about 16 cookies. Delicious!

You could make all kinds of adaptations to this- use different flour or dried fruit, add chocolate, nuts.... The possibilities are endless but remember that adding certain items will change whether it's vegan or not.

* I don't have a food processor so I just mixed it all by hand. The dough seemed crumbly at first but the baked cookies weren't crumbly at all.

**I used the real deal, not pancake syrup but didn't have quite 1/2 a cup so I topped it off with some honey (Which IS NOT VEGAN). The cookies did not have a maple flavor at all.

*** This is KEY. If you take them off right out of the oven they will fall apart.

28 Days (More or less)

Spelt Blueberry Pancakes from the Engine 2 website

So we've decided to try something... For the month of November, except Thanksgiving Day, our little family will be eating vegan. After watching several documentaries on Netflix and doing some research on my own, on top of stuff I already knew, it just seems like a wise choice. The connection between nutrition & disease is overwhelming, even it's connection to cancer. And the guidelines we've been taught all our lives may not truly be what is best.


I've connected with the website www.Engine2diet.com and have chosen to do the 28 day challenge. The website provides a TON of helpful info including menus, shopping lists, a forum, and recipes. I've had to adjust some things based on our schedule, when we are starting, and my preferences (very little soy, no mushrooms, etc). I want to chronicle our journey here for several reasons:

1. to keep myself accountable
2. to share our progress
3. to encourage others

Why are we going vegan? At this point everyone in my immediate family is 'healthy'. No one in my house is taking prescription meds for any ailments or for preventative measures. I'd like to keep it that way. I've been lucky enough to know 3 out of my 4 grandparents into my adulthood, making me fairly aware of our medical history. This history includes high blood-pressure, thyroid issues, osteoporosis, & on my husband's side, diabetes. As my parents age I am beginning to see some of these issues start to effect them. If there is any way that I can prevent these for myself or my children I want to do it.


Does this mean we'll never eat animal products again? No, it doesn't. We plan on eating Turkey on Thanksgiving and Mackenzie has already requested a trip to Babe's Chicken for her birthday. Graham LOVES ice cream & I LOVE cheese. I just want to cut these things down significantly. The 28 day challenge is just that, a challenge. I want to see if we can do it, change our tastes and my kids' perceptions of 'healthy' food. And to feel first hand the effect food has on our general well-being.


Will we only eat salad? NO WAY! I love salad but there are so many yummy things that fit into the vegan diet, some things you might not have never suspected: Ghirardelli Hot Chocolate, Cinnamon Life cereal, bagels, guacamole, pasta & pasta sauce (these are just some of my favorites). Now, if I were to just follow the vegan guidelines of "No Animal Products" I could sit down to a breakfast of Fruity Pebbles with soy milk, a tall glass of almond milk with Nesquik chocolate mixed in, followed by a snack of cracker jacks and Famous Amos sandwich cookies. This would NOT be a healthy choice. The benefit comes in making wise choices: whole wheat pastas or Quinoa, oatmeal and fruit, veggies galore, minimal soy & corn, avoiding processed foods, choosing as close to nature as possible.

This past week I've been researching, meal planning, and ridding our pantry, fridge, & freezer of non-diet friendly foods. Tonight I'm making a trek to Whole Foods to get a few things I can't get at my normal grocery store. In the upcoming days I'll share a little more about the science behind making this choice & what I'm learning.

So, I invite you to follow our journey and hopefully you may be encouraged to take the leap too. For your health.


Some 'food' for thought:

(Both on Netflix Instant Watch)
Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead
Forks over Knives

The China Study
Engine 2

Meal Plan Monday (ish) - Again

I promise. One day I will post something other than my meal plans. I have a lot mulling around in my head I'd love to share but rarely have, or make, the time to type it out.

While I'm attempting to stick to our convictions about what we eat, this week I am honoring a few of my eldest daughter’s requests. So often she HATES what I fix but suffers through it. She asks what we have for snacks and never likes my answers. I figured this week I would humor her a little so it's not quite as healthy as I'd like but we'll live. I'm sure you'll be able to guess what things she wanted :)

Breakfast:

Biscuits

Cereal

Bagels w/cream cheese

Fruit & yogurt parfaits

Lunch:

Leftovers

Turkey sandwiches

Amy's Bean & Cheese burritos

Cheese and fruit

Snacks:

Cheese ball w/ crackers

Annie's snacks - Assorted

Fruit

Popcorn

Dinners:

Monday: Bulgar Burgers w/ sweet potato fries

Tuesday: Neiman Marcus chicken over rice w/ sweet peas (this recipe is similar but I do 8oz cream cheese, 8oz sour cream, & will make my own cream o' chicken soup. I also just use one sleeve of crackers, no clue exactly how many that is, and one stick of butter)

Wednesday: Greek Salad - Romaine, cuke, feta, olives, tomato, homemade dressing

(If I feel ambitious I may make some bread this day)

Thursday: Bean & Cheese nachos, sour cream, guac, jalapeños

Friday: Cod with Mediterranean salsa and salad (This is a new one for us, doubt Chelsea will eat this)

Saturday & Sunday: clean out fridge, one meal out, spinach quiche w/ fruit salad

Meal Plan Monday (ish)

It’s meal planning time again. I missed a week or two and didn’t stick to the budget very well so this week is a pinching-pennies/clean out the pantry week until the new month kicks in on Saturday. :) This just stresses to me once again the importance of sticking with planning. Also, having the kids home all day really changes things too. Before, Izzie and I would just share the previous night’s leftovers for lunch. Now, I’ve got two bigger girls who want all kinds of snacks and eat more so sometimes the leftovers aren’t enough for everyone so I am having to plan more for lunches as well.

I’ve started posting some recipes on Recipezaar and hopefully will be able to link them here soon. There’s nothing that bugs me more than seeing the title of a recipe and thinking it sounds good only to not be able to access the recipe. So here it is, unhealthy and all.

Breakfasts:
Cereal
Malt o Meal
Pancakes

Lunches:
Leftovers
Spaghetti
Tuna sandwiches
Fried Egg sandwiches

Snacks:
Leftover chips from the weekend
Cucumbers
Cannellini Dip
Cashews
Dry roasted Edamame


Dinners:

Monday: Thai Tuna Wraps

Tuesday: Mel’s Meal-In-One (Got this from a Fix-it & Forget-it cookbook – making it with regular extra lean ground beef this time may try without meat in the future or use grass-fed beef)

Wednesday: Sweet Asian Chicken (from my freezer meal swap) and green beans

Thursday: Simple Quiche with fresh fruit

Friday: Eat out (Chipotle)

I did make a cobbler for dessert Monday night. It was a little disappointing so I won’t share the recipe… I’d like to make another dessert later I the week but can’t figure out what to make with what I’ve got. Must investigate further :)

Meal Plan Monday

Last week’s meal plan pretty much got tossed out the window because I was sick so I didn’t post it. I may in the future just because. I’ve found out a few things in the past few weeks:

• We love carbs and probably eat way too many and with no regard to gluten.

• I’m not good at planning out well balanced meals. I’m a main course kind of a gal but I’m trying to get better at it.

• We’ve gone almost completely meatless. Any meat we have we either already had in the freezer and needed to use it, or it is consumed while eating out (Chipotle). We did get some pasture raised/corn finished ground beef and tenderized round steak from my parents which we’re using for burgers tonight and maybe some philly cheese steaks next week. Good meat/poultry is just too expensive and we seem fairly content without it.

• Also, Chelsea only eats about 30% of what I make. She has to at least try everything but she’d be perfectly happy with a bagel and cream cheese for every meal. I tried asking her for suggestions when planning this week so maybe she’ll be more apt to eat it this go round.

So here it is:

Breakfasts:
Cereal
Cinnamon toast

Snacks:
Cannellini bean dip with pita chips
Celery with PB
Veggie chips
Fruit leather
Annie’s graham bunnies

Dinners:
Monday: Taco Salad (romaine, black beans, avocado, tomatoes, cheese, fritos – I know these are not good but it just doesn’t taste the same without them- and some Catalina dressing. If I can’t find any dressing that’s HFCS free I may attempt making my own or just use sour cream and salsa)

Tuesday: Pasta w/ pesto, garlic bread, fruit salad

Wednesday: Stir Fry veggies and brown rice

Thursday: Black bean & cheese quesadillas with chips & salsa

Friday: Out

Saturday: Breakfast – Grandma Johnson’s scones w/ dried cranberries
Lunch- Avocado & Chickpea Muffaletta
Dinner- Clean out fridge

Sunday: Lunch – Out
Dinner – Stuffed French Toast with fruit