Tag Archives: meal planning

menu plan monday: 07.30.12

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This Sunday, my husband officially becomes the pastor of two congregations.

The kids go back to school here in two and a half weeks.

If everything works out, I go back to school the week after that to pursue a degree in nutrition.

And I can’t figure out where the heck summer has disappeared to.

This week’s menu plan is a little bit all over the place. It’s the end of what seems like a really long month when it comes to budget. It’s going to be busy and we’re going to be out of town a few days. Some of these meals might be dependent on when I can sneak in Costco and grocery trips.

So…this is probably more of a loose goal than an actual menu plan. As in the past, our meals are predominantly paleo or primal in nature (come back tomorrow if you want to know a bit more about what I’m eating now and why). We do, on occassion, enjoy sweet or red potatoes, sometimes white rice in small amounts and corn when it’s fresh and extra yummy. And I generally double the amount of meat I cook for each dinner in order to have leftovers for lunches.

Monday
Grilled Chicken
Corn on the cob
Zucchini
Watermelon

Tuesday
Mushroom Gravy Slow Cooker Roast
Mashed Cauliflower
Roasted Potatoes (for the kids)
Kale

Wednesday
Lemon Herb Rubbed Chicken
Cucumber Salad
Grilled Sweet Potatoes

Thursday
Doctor’s appointment an hour away – either eating out or all beef hotdogs

Friday
Red Curry Glazed Chicken Skewers
Roasted Cauliflower (drizzling with coconut oil and my favorite vadouvan spice mix )
White Rice (for the kiddos)

Saturday
Lime and Basil Beef Kabobs
Salad
Whatever fruit we have on hand

Sunday
Mom’s Night Off/Leftovers

What’s on your meal plan for this week?

Menu Plan Monday: 05.21.12

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It’s been a few weeks since I’ve gotten a menu plan together and, as always, we’ve paid for it. In the past 3 weeks, we’ve had three houseguests and enjoyed a short vacation, and have had just a whole lot of running around going on. With only three more weeks until summer break and the start of our No Excuses Summer, I’m working hard to get my own daily schedule in place and some bad habits taken care of before the kids are home all day.

A menu plan is always one of the best places to start.

I’m also working on keeping meals a little simpler – we were able to pick up a new barbecue, which will help immensely, and I’m starting to see farm stands pop up with awesome (and cheap!) vegetables. As I always do at the beginning of summer, I’m craving simple and fresh meals.

Monday
Fajitas (just dumped on a big salad for me, with corn tortillas for the kids)
Guacamole
Tossed Green Salad

Tuesday
Grilled Chicken, seasoned with Magic Mushroom powder from the Nom Nom Paleo app (which is brilliant, by the way)
Grilled Squash – I have a bit of a glut already and summer isn’t even here yet!
Grilled Sweet Potatoes

Wednesday
All beef, no weird stuff hot dogs
Carrot sticks

Thursday
Skirt Steak with Chive Butter (from Make It Paleo)
Steamed Broccoli
Green Salad

Friday
Red Curry Glazed Chicken Skewers
Roasted Cauliflower (drizzling with coconut oil and my favorite vadouvan spice mix )
White Rice (for the kiddos)

Saturday
Easy Chicken Cacciatore
Quinoa pasta for the kids
Spaghetti Squash for me

Sunday
Mom’s Night Off – leftovers or whatever you’re capable of making on you’re own

What’s your plan for this week?

menu plan monday: 01.23.12

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Another week of meal planning…made a little bit easier by the fact – yet again – that I threw half of last week’s plans out the window for ones that worked better for time constraints I didn’t expect.

I’m rather excited, though, to have found a non-egg breakfast – those little tasties up there we’re calling muffin tops. It’s a recipe from an awesome paleo food blogger I made a few little tweaks to, and we’re all in love with them…even our pickiest eater!

This week’s menu plan:

Monday
Southwestern Flank Steak
Chipotle Lime Roasted Delicata Squash
Guacamole (mashed avocado, diced onion, lime juice, salt, pepper, a bit of garlic, maybe some tomatoes – super easy!)

Tuesday
Quick and Easy Crock Pot Brisket
Roasted Potatoes (red for the family, sweet for me)
Roasted Broccoli
Kale sauteed with Bacon

Wednesday
Grilled Chicken with Rosemary and Bacon
Roasted Baby Carrots
Salad Greens

Thursday
Beef with Broccoli
Cauliflower Rice (both from Make It Paleo)

Friday
Primal Philly Cheesteak Bowl (with about a quarter of the cheese called for)
Salad Greens

Saturday
Pulled Pork BBQ (with Paleo BBQ Sauce)
Cajun Sweet Potato Fries
Salad Greens
(all from Make It Paleo)

Sunday
Elana’s Pantry Pancakes (replacing the agave with half the amount of maple syrup and cooking in coconut oil instead of grapeseed oil)
Scrambled Eggs
Bacon

Shared at Org Junkie’s Menu Plan Monday and the Gluten Free Menu Swap at Angela’s Kitchen (and check out the pomegranate recipes while you’re there – I know I will!).

menu plan monday: 01.09.12

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Long time, no plan!

With the holidays and an extra long Christmas break, we’ve been eating out more than usual (never good) and I’ve been doing a lot of day to day planning (also never good). We’ve still got one more week of vacation, but meal planning is back in progress.

I’ll probably add in some salads with most of these meals – I’m craving mixed greens right now. Lunches tend to be leftovers. I’m starting to feel a bit desperate for new grain and dairy free breakfast ideas…eggs are starting to get a bit old. Any ideas?

Monday
Red Curry Glazed Chicken Skewers (from Make It Paleo)
Cauliflower Rice

Tuesday
Hanna’s birthday – dinner out with her friends

Wednesday
Quick and Easy Crock Pot Brisket
Roasted Broccoli

Thursday
Southwestern Flank Steak
Guacamole (mashed avocado, diced onion, lime juice, salt, pepper, a bit of garlic, maybe some tomatoes - super easy!)
Baby Mixed Greens

Friday
Pineapple Glazed Chicken Skewers (Make It Paleo, again)
Sauteed Kale with Bacon

Saturday
Bacon, Red Pepper and Onion Frittata
Elana’s Pantry Pancakes (replacing the agave with half the amount of maple syrup and cooking in coconut oil instead of grapeseed oil)

Sunday
Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Soup (sooo good! made it as directed the first time, but this time I’ll replace the cream with coconut milk)

A few new recipes and a few old favorites – my favorite sort of week.

menu plan monday: it’s Christmas!

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I  have one goal for this week’s meals:

easy!

We’re still in school until the 22nd (seriously nuts). Tom’s heading to San Francisco on Tuesday for a check-in with his cardiologist. We’re heading to Grandma’s house Thursday to celebrate with his side of the family and it’s just going to get crazier after that. I’m thinking soups, crock pot and maybe even soups mader earlier in the day staying warm in the crock pot. Anything to bring a little sanity to this week.

Also, this week’s plan isn’t strictly paleo – more primal. I’ll probably end up adapting the mushroom soup to be dairy free, but this cold, foggy weather has me craving broccoli cheese soup.

Here’s my plan:

Monday
Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Soup (just discovered this blog – stunning and yummy all at the same time! If I can’t find organic cream – always a possibility in my small town – I’ll use coconut milk instead. either way, I’ll halve the amount called for)
Savory Almond Flour Muffins (love these!)

Tuesday
Roast, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Onions and Mushrooms in the crockpot

Wednesday
Roasted Broccoli Cheddar Soup (same on the cream and I’ll probably halve the cheese as well)
Herbed Almond Crackers (if I get crazy)

Thursday
Christmas Dinner out with family

Friday
No idea. I’ll be helping get ready for Christmas Eve at my grandparent’s, so I’m thinking fast and easy like brinner or tomato soup.

Saturday
Christmas Eve – my grandmother assigned me a vegetable. I’m thinking roasted carrots since they’re easy and will be quick to reheat after church.

Sunday
Breakfast:  Paleo Monkey Bread, Scrambled Eggs and Bacon
Dinner: Prime Rib at my parent’s – I’m bringing roasted cauliflower and I think the carrot cake from Make It Paleo.

Have a great holiday week and a very Merry Christmas!

Oh, and if you have any favorite soup recipes – especially if they’re paleo or primal friendly – please share =)

menu plan monday: 11.07.11

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I’m behind.

Sooo behind.

I normally get my week of blog posts started and mostly done Sunday afternoons.

Yesterday afternoon, I did this:

Held my brand new baby niece for a few hours.

So I am behind, but it was totally worth it and I’ll share more on my sweet Katrina.

tomorrow.

This week’s seat-of-my-pants menu plan, which includes a few hold-overs from last week and two of my favorite crock pot recipes, plus one that might become a favorite:

Monday
Steak Tips with Roasted Veggies – a marinade I’ve been working on. I’ll share it once I get it just right.

Tuesday
Slow Cooker Chicken – crockpot
Roasted Rosemary Sweet Potatoes (so good!)
Green Salad

Wednesday – crock pot
Shredded Beef Taco Roast (served in lettuce wraps, sans cheese)
Some sort of veggie

Thursday
Leek and Sweet Potato Soup
Grilled Chicken Skewers

Friday
Firecracker chicken on zucchini noodles (hoping to share this one soon too – it’s a yummy, creamy paleo chicken and pasta type dish that is a family favorite)

Saturday
Heading to my brother’s house to snuggle the new niece some more and celebrate his birthday. The menu will probably include tri tip and a salad, but I’m not sure what else.

Sunday
Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore (working to adapt it for church potlucks) – crock pot
Green Salad

Shared at Org Junkie’s Menu Plan Monday and the Gluten Free Menu Swap at Angela’s Kitchen this week.

menu plan monday – it’s October!

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Is anyone else in total shock that today is October third?

I mean, really…that’s just a little crazy.

I’m in my second “official” week of the paleo diet…though I did get an early start due to some stomach issues a few weeks ago that made it hard to eat much of anything and kept me on broth and bland chicken soup for quite a few days. I’ll have a little review of how it’s going for me later on this week, but in a quick nutshell? I like it. A lot.

Lots of new recipes and links this week as we work on finding some new family favorites. One of my favorite things about the paleo/primal diet is that it’s all gluten-free, which opened up tons of new recipes and ideas for me. It’s also left-over friends, so I’m making lots of dinner bigger by about half so I can have planned leftovers for lunches.

Breakfasts are eggs with leftover veggies (I’m obsessed with mashed butternut squash with a little butter, cinnamon and chili powder), bacon or sausage once in a while, and these awesome pancakes about once a week. I’ve got a few paleo-friendly muffins tagged that I’ll try once I get the proper ingredients.

Monday
Grilled Italian Sausage with Bell Peppers and Onions
Marinara Sauce
Spaghetti Squash
Green Salad

Tuesday
Easy Steak Skewers (from Everyday Paleo)
Baked Curry Cauliflower (also from Everyday Paleo)
Green Salad

Wednesday
Pecan Crusted Chicken (hmmm….another Everyday Paleo recipe – but I intend to change the spices just a bit. I’ll share my adjusted recipe if we’re happy with it)
Sweet Potato Mash
some other vegetable…

Thursday
Paleo Chicken and Vegetable “Lo Mein”
Baked Brown Rice (for the kiddos, who are transitioning slower than I am)

Friday
Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas (leaving the fat on the roast and using homemade stock)
Avocado
Green Salad

Saturday
I have no idea! I’m helping to give a baby shower that afternoon, so it might be a good day to plan on eating out =)

Sunday
Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

Linked to Org Junkie’s Menu Plan Monday - check it out for tons of great meal planning ideas!

menu plan monday: 08.29.11

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I know there are other months with 31 days, but August always seems the longest to me. I’m so anxious for Fall to get here – after six years in Florida, I am chomping at the bit to start making soups and stews, to pull out my pumpkin collection, to see trees that actually lose their leaves again.

We’re finally getting back into the school groove and used to new schedules, and I’m trying a new meal planning schedule of my own (courtesy of Women Living Well):

With all of my favorite and must-try recipes in Plan to Eat and this plan, it’s taking me just a few minutes to pull together a meal plan and shopping lists. Love it!

And a request…I am in need of something new to do with veggies. Any suggestions?

Monday
Tex Mex Lasagna (with corn tortillas and homemade gluten-free condensed cream of chicken soup)
Salad
Cantaloupe (the cantaloupe fairy dropped by again-yes!)

Tuesday
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Sauteed Cauliflower (steam a chopped up head of cauliflower then throw in a saute pan with a bit of olive oil, butter and garlic and let it get a little caramelized and yummy)
Artisan Bread

Wednesday
Grilled Chicken
Baked Brown Rice
Broccoli

Thursday
Slow Cooker Green Chile Chicken
Corn Tortillas
Corn

Friday
Southwestern Chicken with Spinach and Mashed Potatoes
Tossed Salad

Saturday
Sub sandwiches (on a lettuce leaf for me)
Cantaloupe

Sunday
Potluck lunch at church – need to plan something…maybe potluck mushrooms?
Grandma Andy’s birthday dinner – artisan bread and hosting are my responsibility

This post will be linked to Organizing Junkie’s Menu Plan Monday. Looking for meal inspiration? It’s a great place to visit!

menu plan monday – 08.08.11

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The last full week before school starts on the 18th, and it’s going to be a busy one. Dinners out, doctor’s appointments, nephews for a day, a train trip to Old Town Sacramento and an 80th birthday party for one of our church members – I’m going to have to be on or this menu will fall apart!

Monday
Dinner at a church member’s house

Tuesday
Fajitas with corn tortillas (I also marinate some sliced mushrooms for vegeterian fajitas)
Melon

Wednesday
Crock Pot Chicken (using split breasts)
Mashed Potatoes
Sauteed Squash and Onions

Thursday
Brined Pork Chops
Baked Brown Rice
Whatever veggies are still in the fridge

Friday
train to Old Town Sac – we’ll probably just grab something on the way home

Saturday
Spaghetti (Tinkyada)
Giada’s Marinara (I usually double or triple and freeze)
Italian Sausage
Artisan Bread (from the 5 Minutes a Day cookbook) - for those who can eat it
Green Salad

Sunday
Scrambled Eggs
Hashbrowns
Bacon
Maybe some gluten-free biscuits?

This post will be linked to Organizing Junkie’s Menu Plan Monday. Looking for meal inspiration? It’s a great place to visit!

menu plan Monday – 07.11.11

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It's been sooo long since I've been able to get one of these published. It's my first official week of meal planning in the parsonage and, boy, do we ever need it. I've been picking up groceries, but somehow never seem to get the right things to actually make a meal. It makes such a huge difference in the way my day is ordered – not to mention our budget! – to have a menu plan in place.

A quick note: while most of my family isn't, I am gluten-free and eat meat only occasionally. Any recipes that call for pasta, I just substitute brown rice or quinoa pasta. I skip bread, and eat extra veggies and the grains I can eat instead of meat.

Monday
Vietnamese Crockpot Chicken
Brown Rice
Asian Slaw (a bag of slaw mix and my favorite Pampered Chef Asian Dressing)

Tuesday
Pork Chops (marinated in garlic and rosemary from the bush I found outside Tom's office)
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy (made with cornstarch instead of flour)
Steamed Broccoli

Wednesday
Fajitas (add mushrooms – sooo good!)
Strawberries

Thursday
Tuscan Lemon Chicken
Brown Rice Pilaf
Salad

Friday
in the mountains – eat out

Saturday

Sunday
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Veggie Fried Rice

Lots of tried and true favorites, one new recipe to try out and a few more I'm wanting to try for next week. Is there anything new and yummy you're trying this week?

This post will be linked to Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday. Looking for meal inspiration? It's a great place to visit!