Menu Plan ~ April 19, 2009 – April 25, 2009

Phew.  Busy week last week.  Things should be somewhat calmer this week.  No large cookouts to plan for or b-day cakes to bake.  😉  It is finally getting warmer, though, so there is much to do in the flower beds to get ready to plant after Mother’s Day.  I can’t wait to get all of my fresh veggie plants in the ground.  I know I am planning on tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and peppers.  I need to see if there is anything else I want to include.  Maybe some berries of some sort. 

Onto the plan:

Sunday ~ Leftovers incorporated into dinner.  I sauteed up veggies from the veggie tray (mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli and I tossed in some spinach) in some EVOO & balsamic vinegar.  I chopped up some grilled chix and tossed it into the pan and then tossed in some cooked buckwheat from the other night.  YUM!  I finished with Sriracha Hot Sauce.  I served salad along side.

Monday ~ Spaghetti (most likely Quinoa pasta) & meatballs (Aaron’s specialty), broccoli, salad & some kind of bread (maybe Chebe with garlic butter or maybe just toasted rolls with garlic butter)

Tuesday~ Hannah and I will fend for ourselves.  Maybe some quick burgers, sweet potato fries & veggies.  Maybe some leftover spaghetti. 

Wednesday ~ BBQ pulled pork, Roasted Rosemary Potatoes, Steamed green beans & salad (kids eat fruit salad as opposed to garden)

Thursday ~ I am meeting friends at Outback! YAY!  Gluten-free Mac & Cheese, baked beans , veggies & fruit for the kids & Aaron.

Friday ~ Homemade pizza (veggie for moi), veggies & salad

Saturday ~ Burgers, potatoes & salad for the fam; Honey baked lentils and roasted carrots & salad for me. 

Baked Goods for the Week

Pamela’s Bread

PB Cookie Bars

Coconut Macaroons

LiveJournal Tags: gluten free menu plan

Snickerdoodle Birthday Cake

Jon’s 13th birthday was Friday and we had a family cookout for him on Saturday.  He had asked for a Snickerdoodle Cake, so I set off to take my sister’s recipe and use it with Pamela’s GF Classic Vanilla Cake Mix.  I followed the directions on the package for a cake in a 9 x 13 inch pan and added to the mix:

~ 1 tsp vanilla extract

~ 1 TBSP cinnamon

I baked for about 20 minutes, 5 minutes less than Pamela’s suggested.  I have been keeping a close eye on my baked goods as my new oven is persnickety or I am not used to it yet.  Sometimes the temp is spot on with my oven thermometer, other times it is off (usually when I am not paying attention, of course 😉 ). 

I let the cake cool, then flipped carefully onto a decorative plate.  I prepared the following frosting:

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

Blend 1 stick of softened butter in a large mixing bowl on low speed for about 30 seconds.  Add 3 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 3 -4 TBSP milk, 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp ground cinnamon.  Blend until sugar is incorporated (1 minute or so).  Increase speed and beat until light & fluffy (1 more minute).  If frosting is too thick, add 1 TBSP of milk.  Add food color for variety & fun.

The cake tasted amazing and got rave reviews by all.  I served only gluten-free cake to all of the guests and it went over well.  Jon loved it.  He had 2 or 3 pieces yesterday and 2 pieces today.  It isn’t the prettiest.  I am far from a pro cake decorator (please don’t submit to that blog that makes fun of cakes 😉 ), so it is funny looking.  Jon wanted me to put M & M’s on it to “write” Happy Birthday.  Only problem was that I only had the Easter Dark Chocolate ones and you can’t see them very well against the cinnamon frosting.  Oh well.  No laughing or making fun. 🙂

LiveJournal Tags: Gluten Free Snickerdoodle Cake

Gluten Free Salad Challenge Day #5

One might think that I could be getting tired of my salad challenge, but I am not.  I am loving it!  I am putting things in my salad that I would not have put in before and that is great. I have a lot of great ideas for the upcoming week, too!

Today’s salad was similar to the one I made the other day with blackberries, but still different.

~ 2-3 handfuls of Romaine & Spinach

~1 chopped Roma Tomato

~ 1/2 chopped yellow squash

~chopped carrots

~chopped radishes

~chopped broccoli

~ chopped mushrooms

~1TBSP or so of organic raw pine nuts

~1TBSp or so of goat cheese

~ drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette

~handful of strawberries (another new thing for me!)

Excellent!  I am SO loving fruit in my salads!  What the heck have I been thinking not putting fruit in my salad for so long?  I have a bunch of oranges to go through, so look for those to make an appearance in my salads this week, too!

LiveJournal Tags: gluten free salad challenge

Gluten-Free Salad Challenge Day #4

Saturday was a busy day.  We had Jon’s b-day cookout planned, so lots to do.  I did manage to squeeze in my salad challenge salad at lunch time, though.  I also had a salad with dinner at our cookout, though it was just mixed greens, spinach, mushroom, tomato & broccoli.  Still a salad.  🙂

My lunch salad:

~2 cups mixed greens, arugula & spinach

~ 1 chopped Roma tomato

~ 1/2 chopped yellow squash

~ 1/4 cup cooked broccoli (leftover from last night)

~ 1 TBSP Goat Cheese

~ 1 TBSP Pine Nuts

~ Crushed Blue Corn Tortilla Chips for “croutons”

~ Drizzle of Balsamic Vinaigrette

Then, for kicks, look at this fruit & veggie spread at the cook out that I put together (with my Mom’s help…THANKS Mom!).

We had grilled burgers & grilled chicken, corn on the cob, baked beans & salad to go along with the spread.  YUM!

LiveJournal Tags: Gluten Free Salad challenge