Menu Plan Monday ~ January 4, 2009

Here we are in the year 2009.  The first week of the year has proved to be a little rough for us.  Both Hannah and I had the stomach flu last week on New Year’s Eve.  Needless to say, there wasn’t much celebrating going on here.  Now, as I write this, Jon has the stomach flu.  He told me last week when Hannah and I were sick that he wanted to get the stomach flu on Monday (the 5th), so he could have another day off of school.  Well, the kid got his wish.  Poor thing!  This week we are concentrating on getting back into the groove. 

Cheryl, over at GF Goodness, is hosting this week’s GF Menu Swap.  The theme this week is soup.  I don’t think I have ever made soup before, so it is a huge coincidence that I have Crockpot Taco Soup on my menu for the week!  Don’t forget to check out Org Junkie for some other great menu ideas.

Sunday ~ Spaghetti with meat sauce, steamed broccoli and salad.

Monday ~ Grilled Chicken, oven roasted red-skin potatoes, sauteed spinach & salad

Tuesday ~ Salmon, quinoa, salad & veggies

Wednesday ~ Herb Pork Loin Roast, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Steamed Veggies & salad

Thursday ~ Going to the Fish Market for my birthday (it is actually the 9th, but my Dad is leaving town, so we are celebrating early)

Friday ~ Crockpot Taco Soup & salad

Saturday ~ Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries & Salad

 

Baked Goods for the Week

Brownies from the 1, 2, 3 Gluten-Free Mix

Something baked from the Carol Fenster 1,000 GF Recipes Cook Book…haven’t decided what yet, but need to fulfill my goal of making 1 item per week out of this book.

Menu Plan Monday ~ November 24, 2008 ~ Thanksgiving Week

It is here! Thanksgiving week! I love Thanksgiving and all things pumpkin & turkey. 🙂 I love spending time with my family and shopping on Black Friday. For the big meal, I have some family contributing sides like Catholic Potatoes, a wonderful mashed potato casserole with cream cheese and cheddar cheese, it really is heaven in a pyrex dish; Sweet Potato Casserole; Creamed Peas; and last, but not least, the non-GF pies, that way I don’t have to gluten up my kitchen with flour for the pie crusts. Truth be told, I was not much of a pie crust maker before I went gluten-free, I don’t see myself making them now, especially if they contain gluten! For gluten-free pie crusts, I use Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bakehouse frozen crusts. They are excellent and even picky family members can’t tell they are GF! Best of all, they are EASY!

The days leading up to Turkey Day are very busy here. We have parent/teacher conferences tonight for Hannah, hockey scrimmage for Jon tonight, family get together tomorrow night at the inlaws, hockey practice on Wednesday…ACK! Somewhere in there, along with my normal daily routine, I need to find time to bake! So, my menu leading up to the big day this week is very simple. Nothing complicated for a couple of reasons…time and oh yeah, I have a 20 lb turkey defrosting in my fridge that is taking up a bunch of space! LOL!

Sunday ~ Pei Wei…we used the rest of a gift card after putting up the Christmas Tree (yes, I know, I am crazy)

Monday ~ Baked Salmon, Brown Rice, Steamed veggies and salad (how much simpler can I get??)

Tuesday ~ Breakfast for dinner (eggs/omelets/bacon/sweet potato hashbrowns/toast/OJ)

Wednesday ~ Cheeseburger in Paradise ~ hockey practice night (BTW, CIP has a GF dessert now!!! WOO HOOO!!!)

Thursday ~ The Big Day ~ Here is my menu:

• Veggie Tray with Dip
• Sweet Potato Rounds with Curried Chicken Salad on top (Mom’s bringing)
• Turkey & Gravy
• Cornbread Stuffing (GF, of course)
• Catholic Potatoes
• Cranberry Glazed Carrots
• Homemade Cranberry Sauce (will also have the jellied kind)
• Sweet Potato Casserole (MIL is bringing)
• Creamed Peas (MIL is bringing)
• Crescent Rolls (for the gluten eating peeps)
• Chebe Rolls (for us GF peeps)
• Pumpkin Pie (GF and non-GF)
• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars
• Cherry Pie (GF)
• Pecan Pie (non-GF)

Friday ~ Leftovers (DUH!)

Saturday ~ I bet we are still having leftovers!  LOL!

 

Baking Items This Week

Bread

Pumpkin Pies (2 ~ freezing one for Christmas)

Bagels, if I have time…LOLOLOL

 

This week Book of Yum is hosting the Gluten-Free Menu Swap. The ingredient of the week is Sweet Potato, how appropriate! I am using sweet potatoes for our hash browns on Tuesday night, the kids love them like this! Thanks for hosting! Also, don’t forget to check out Org Junkie for lots of menu plans.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Menu Plan Monday ~ November 10, 2008

I feel like the fog has been lifted. Maybe that has something to do with the fact that I finally ditched the painkillers that I was on last week. 😉 I have to say that when my dr first told me that I would be out of work for 5 days and still not feeling well for 10, I kinda laughed. I mean come on, I am in good shape, go to the gym 6 days a week…I should heal fast. Well, I shouldn’t have been so quick to laugh b/c today is day 11 post-surgery and the first day that I feel close to “normal”. So, I am bright-eyed and busy tailed, ready to start the week out with a clean bill of health and a new energy.

The Holiday season is among us. I went to Wal-Mart on Friday night after dropping Jon off at hockey and on the way I heard Christmas carols on the radio. It was November 7th. I think that is a record for the earliest I have ever heard Christmas carols on the radio. Sure, there are Christmas trees up in the stores and there have been for weeks, but the carols, already? Come on! I love, love, love my Christmas carols, but if they start playing them so early, I will be really sick of them come December 25th. I guess that means it is time to break out one of my all-time favorite Chirstmas movies, Elf. “Smiling’s my favorite!” Okay, enough about Holidays, on with the menu!

Sunday ~ Salmon, baked potatoes, steamed broccoli & carrots
Monday ~ Enchilada Bake, corn and salad (I can finally eat salad..YEAH!)
Tuesday ~ BBQ chicken breast, cheesy chili potatoes, steamed veggies & salad
Wednesday ~ Ice Skating/Hockey ~ eat out
Thursday ~ breakfast for dinner (omelets & french toast, bacon, fruit)
Friday ~ Homemade pizza, veggies & salad
Saturday ~ Pei Wei take out (if I haven’t caved and gotten it earlier in the week….we have a gift card that was given to us an we still have close to $100 left on it).

Baked Goods
I am excited to get back into baking this week. I hope to start baking for the Holidays soon and freeze some things.
Hot Soft Pretzels (Miss Roben’s Mix)
Bagels (Pamela’s Mix)
Bread (Pamela’s Mix)
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brownies (Mix…I have several to try out)
Maybe a coffee cake, if the spirit moves me

Phew….I am ready for a nap! Just kidding. 🙂 I am so happy to have my energy back!

Don’t forgot to check out Gluten-Free Goodness and Cheryl’s menu plan. Cheryl chose pomegranates as the ingredient of the week. I just bought my first one today! YAY! Now I need to figure out what to do with it. 😉 Also, head over to Org Junkie for lots of other menu plans.

Menu Plan ~ Week of September 29, 2008

Wow. I can’t believe that it is already Sunday night. Time really does fly. It seems like I just did my menu plan for last week. This week is going to be crazy, just as last week was. I have so much going on. I didn’t get half of what I wanted to get baked last week done, so I have moved some of it to this week. I am trying to concentrate on using stuff I have in the house and only buying fresh fruits, milk, eggs & veggies. Well, the $100 I spent at the grocery store today shows that I didn’t do as well as I had hoped! LOL! I really should stay out of the store when I am hungry.

Sunday ~ Grilled Salmon, okra medley (for me; brocooli for my peeps), steamed brown basmati rice and spinach salad. Oh, the kids also had leftover All Purpose Quick Bread.

Monday ~ Crockpot Roast Chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, steamed green beans & salad.

Tuesday ~ Mexican Pizzas with ground turkey taco meat, mexican rice, & salad.

Wednesday ~ Cheeseburger In Paradise. Hannah has ice skating.

Thursday ~ Filet mignon, baked sweet potatoes or baked sweet potato fries & spinach salads

Friday ~ Homemade pizza, steamed broccoli & salad

Saturday ~ Breakfast for dinner (french toast for the kids), veggie frittata for moi, bacon & sweet potato hash browns.

Baking Projects for the Week
Applesauce Cake
Pie in a Pumpkin
Chocolate Chewies
Pumpkin Muffins (did these once, I need to perfect them)