My Weekly Menu 7/17/15

Alright, so I'm a weekend late in posting this, but that's a pretty big improvement mmkay....

I typically start a new "week" on Fridays because this is when the husband's work begins their work week.  So many times, we think of Fridays as Mondays around here.  I know....that's pretty awful.  Fridays are CLEARLY not Mondays.  However, since the husband and I work most weekends, we've found that this way of thinking works for us and my menu planning is no different!  Just do what works best for you.

This week I'm planning 6 meals, 2 breakfasts and 2 desserts.  Normally I only do one dessert but I was working on a new recipe for cobbler so I planned another one just in case the new cobbler recipe was a total disaster.  Here we go!

Evening Meals

• The Pioneer Woman's Au Grain Potatoes.  Alright, so I make scalloped potatoes THE EXACT SAME WAY except that I layer in the white sauce between the potatoes.  However, these au gratin potatoes are made even easier by just cutting up the potatoes into chunks and pouring the sauce over the top.  Serve with a big salad or oven roasted veggies and you've got a great and easy meal!
  

• Crock pot Vegetarian Chili and Grandma Janice's Mexican cornbread.  The crock pot recipe is new but the cornbread recipe is a family favorite.  Sorry folks- it's a secret recipe!

Photo Courtesy of TriedandTasty.com

• Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas with Spanish Rice.  The kiddo LOVES "Taco Tuesday" so I try my best to make a yummy Mexican dish on Tuesdays.  This week, I'll be making up a double batch of these healthy enchiladas and popping the second pan in the freezer for another night.  Since our schedule is much slower in the summer time, it's a great opportunity for me to build up my freezer stockpile!  *Please note, this is a personal recipe of mine that I have yet to post to the blog.  I will update here once it's up!

• Mini Lentil Shepard's Pies.  Another original recipe that I will do my best to put up this week.  These are SO simple and ridiculously cute!  If you can make a shepards pie, you can make this!  Just substitute your meat for lentils- that's it!  Here's a photo to give you an idea of how simple these are to make.  I'll prep my crust a day ahead of time and then when it's time to assemble, just pull it out of the fridge and roll out.  You can also make your mashed potatoes a day or two ahead as well.  Easy Peasy!
  
  

  

  Photo Courtesy of Tablespoon.com
  
  
  

  
  

• Kale Pesto Pasta and salad.  This was on my menu last week however the kiddo wasn't feeling well, so I subbed out this pesto pasta with a plain Orzo and Veggie Soup.  So I've still got all this kale to use up!

  

  You can easily make this pesto ahead of time
  for a quick & healthy weeknight meal!

• Cauliflower Fried "Rice" bowls.  Cauliflower is perhaps the most wonderful veggie of all!  Did you know that it can make a fake "Alfredo" sauce, a base for a cheese sauce, works great as "taco meat" and now....well, now you can use it to make fried rice!  Add in a ton of veggies to your cauliflower rice and it's a guilt free meal.  Seriously- it's just all veggies!

  

  Photo Courtesy TheKitchn.com
  
  
  
  

  
  

Breakfasts

• Pancakes and fresh fruit.  I will mix up a HUGE batch of pancakes in my super large mixing bowl and then whenever the kiddo wants a pancake in the morning, he'll just pull out the bowl, stir it up and pour it into the pan.  Super easy!
• Strawberry Banana Bread Muffins.  These are made with yogurt to reduce the sugar content and I'm going to try making them with my frozen bananas since I seriously have a butt load of them!

  

  Photo Courtesy Juliasalbum.com
  

Misc

• Roasted Garlic Parmesan Hummus.  This week I'm trying out a new recipe in the hopes that I can convert the husband to loving the hummus.  He likes my black bean hummus but let's be honest- it's not a true hummus since it doesn't have tahini.  I've made a few other dishes from this site so I'm excited to give this snack a try!
  

• Blueberry Peach Cobbler.  I posted above about working on a new cobbler recipe, well this is the final result.  The husband has labeled it "damn good" and I'm pretty impressed with my awesome self.  It turned out great!
  

• Brownies.  I am on the eternal quest to find THE PERFECT brownie recipe.  It took me years upon years to find the best chocolate cake recipe so now I've moved on to finding just the right brownie recipe.  This one is pretty close.  I do not make with the frosting and just sprinkle the M&M's right on the top before baking.  If anyone has a favorite brownie recipe to share, I'd love that!

  

  Photo Courtesy AverieCooks.com

Ok guys, that concludes this week's menu.  Have you been following along the previous weeks?  Given any of the dishes a try?  I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments!

Do You Have a Freezer Stockpile?

I've said it before and I'll say it again- I believe in being prepared.

That's why I like to keep my freezer well stocked with easy meals made from healthy foods.  If you've read my blog before, you know that I like to cook whole foods, mainly vegetarian and organic foods from scratch.  I keep the processed foods to a minimum.

The easiest way that I've found to build up my freezer stockpile is to simply make a double batch of a meal as you're cooking it.  I do this with just about everything- provided I have enough ingredients on hand.  This assumes you are keeping a well stocked fridge and pantry.  Sometimes you make a meal last minute and simply don't have enough ingredients on hand to make a double batch- don't worry about it!  There will be plenty of chances to double up later!

Handy Chart for Freezing Meat

Here's a list of some of my favorite meals to stockpile-

• Meat & Bean Chili
• Lentil Chili
• Black Bean Chili
• Black Bean & Cilantro Quinoa
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Cheese Enchiladas
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Black Bean Soup
• Baked Potato Soup
• Chicken Noodle Soup & other veggie based soups
• Vegetarian Burgers
• Beef Burgers *not cooked
• Spaghetti Sauce
• Lasagna
• Twice Baked Potato Casserole
• Meatloaf *not cooked
• Meatballs *not cooked
• Muffins
• No Yeast Breads like Zucchini & Pumpkin
• Cookie Dough *not baked
• Pie Crusts *not baked

I will also cook up a roast or whole chicken (very rarely) and then make broth with the bones and save the meat to add into other meals.  The cooked meat is then easy to thaw & throw into soups, chilis etc.  One five pound whole chicken will provide a full chicken dinner for my family, up to 3 additional meals where chicken is added (soups, stews, enchiladas etc) and not the main course, a gallon of chicken broth and scraps to feed my dogs for two meals.  I use every single part of that chicken!

I also freeze yogurt, cheese, berries, chocolate chips, fresh fruit, nuts, deli meat, packaged hot dogs and more!  Just about anything can be frozen.  So stock up when your favorite items are on sale and pop it in the freezer!

I use foil pans like this one for freezing casseroles, enchiladas, lasagnas etc.  For soups, I cool in the fridge and then put it in a large ziploc bag the next day.  Don't forget to label it with a sharpie with the name of the recipe and the date you made it!  For meats that I don't cook- I will make a double batch and bake one that day then put the other half in a labeled ziploc bag.  For burgers, meatballs and cookie dough, I flash freeze then stick in a ziploc bag.  Super easy!

This is a simple way for you to save money- you won't eat out as much and for you to feed your family healthy meals!  For a busy wife and mother- it's guaranteed to make your life much easier!

Super Simple Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I love soup.

It's easy to make, filling, freezes beautifully and usually pretty cost effective.  Soup is awesome! And now that we are heading back into Fall- soup season is officially back.  WooHoo!!

Here's one of our favorites, Broccoli Cheddar.  Really, who doesn't love Broccoli Cheddar Soup?!?  This recipe is low in fat, full of veggies and kid approved.  Now that's awesome!

Add your veggies to your broth!

Super Simple Broccoli Cheddar Soup

2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
3, 8oz packages frozen or fresh broccoli
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 large carrot, grated
fresh black pepper
heavy cream- optional

Melt your butter and then add the flour to create a paste, this is called a Roux.  When your Roux thickens a little, start to slowly add your chicken broth and milk.  Go slowly and allow this to thicken & bubble.  Be careful not to scald the milk!

Now slowly add your shredded cheddar cheese.  Make sure you find one that melts easily and doesn't clump.  For this reason, we never use Tillamook, which is usually the brand I buy most often.  Instead, I like to use Open Nature from Safeway.  It's made without any antibiotics or cows treated with RBST.  And it melts beautifully!  By the way- I usually add about 1 1/2 cups of cheese and save the rest to sprinkle on top when served.  You can also add more cheese if you like it cheesier- totally up to you!

Blend & add your last bag of broccoli

Once your cheese has melted, add 2 bags of broccoli.  If it's frozen, no need to thaw or cook first- it will cook in your broth.  Add your shredded carrot and fresh cracked black pepper.  I usually do about 1 tsp pepper- just give it a taste test.

Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

Get out your Immersion Blender and blend all those broccoli chunks.  Now add your 3rd bag of broccoli and simmer for another 20 minutes.  I like to finish the soup with about 1/2 cup of half & half or heavy cream.  Gives it a nice rich flavor without so many extra calories!

Serve with grated cheddar cheese and a yummy roll.  Perfection!

*PS- don't add any salt!  The soup will be salty enough with the cheddar cheese.

Enjoy!

A Week of Real Food for a Busy Mom

I have a few food inspirations.  Food Babe and 100 Days of Real Food are my go-to websites for healthy, vegetarian foods and for all the latest food related information.  I highly recommend you check them out.  With that being said- holy moly who has time for all that!  Seriously, I just don't have the time to make my tortillas from scratch or prepare seaweed wrapped "sandwiches" for lunch.

My reality is that I need to make 3 meals per day for my family.  I also need to have a few "on the go" breakfasts for my husband since he sometimes has to leave super early in the morning.  In addition, I pack him a lunch every day and he prefers things that are easy to eat while driving.  I know...I know...Unfortunately he does not have access to a microwave or a fridge, so this severely limits what I can pack him for lunch.  I also work from home, homeschool and shuttle my child around to various events and activities.  I do not have an unlimited amount of time to spend in my kitchen day in and day out.  I cook healthy, mainly vegetarian meals from scratch.  I prefer whole foods and try not to use prepackaged or processed foods.  

I'm sure you can all relate.  You want to feed your family healthy meals but you lack the time or the energy.  So what exactly does a typical week's worth of meals look like for a busy household?  How do you prep and cook healthy meals from scratch in the "real world"?  I have set up a few guidelines for myself that I think you may find helpful.

Here's my guidelines:

1.  Prep as much as you can ahead of time.
2.  Use your crockpot when you know you won't have time to make dinner.
3.  Eat your leftovers.
4.  Make a double batch and freeze half for another week.
5.  Use the weekend to bake.
6.  One pot dishes are your best friend.
7.  Eat real food.

These all seem fairly easy but I will give you an example of what a typical week's worth of meals looks like at my house.

Monday- 

Dinner:  I put Quinoa & Black Bean Chili in my crockpot.  I had a busy work day and William had soccer practice.  So that means we wouldn't be getting home until after 6:30pm.  And when we did get home, dinner was done.  

Lunch: Applegate Farms turkey sandwiches on Dave's Killer Bread.  Roast Beef for the husband.  Organic veggie chips & fresh fruit.

Snacks: fresh fruit, popcorn

Breakfast: Hashbrowns, turkey sausage and fresh fruit

Tuesday-

Dinner: Steak Night!  I had put the steak in a ziploc baggie to marinate on Sunday night.  So all I needed to do was take the bag out & fire up the grill.  I also boiled some potatoes and cooked some corn on the cob.  All pretty simple.

Lunch: Turkey sandwiches, Roast Beef for the husband.  Veggie chips & fresh fruit.

Snacks: apples & cheese slices

Breakfast: Hashbrowns, turkey sausage & fresh fruit

Wednesday- 

Dinner: Quinoa & Black Bean Chili leftovers from Monday night.  William had soccer practice again so I planned ahead of time on Monday and made a double batch.

Lunch: Leftover potatoes from Tuesday's dinner w/salad.  Husband had a Newman's Own frozen pizza that I had cooked, cooled & cut up for him.  These are seriously super yummy!

Snacks: fresh fruit, sunflower seeds

Breakfast: Breakfast sandwiches for the husband w/cheese & turkey sausage.  Oatmeal w/frozen organic berries for me & the kiddo.  The husband is not a fan of oatmeal.

Thursday- 

Dinner: Veggie Fajitas.  I prepped these in the AM, cut all the veggies & put in a ziploc baggie to marinate.  When it was dinner time, I simply pulled out the bag & cooked them in a fry pan on the stove.  I opened a couple cans of black beans to serve them with.  Easy, filling & healthy.

Lunch: Turkey sandwiches & Roast Beef for the husband. Veggie chips & fresh fruit.

Snacks: popcorn, yogurt

Breakfast: Chocolate Muffins from the freezer- hubbie had to leave for work early, so I just took one straight out of the freezer & popped in his lunch bag.  I also made him a Green Smoothie to drink on his morning drive. The kiddo & I had toast w/avocado.

Friday-

Dinner: Tomato & Lentil Stew from the freezer.  I usually make a double batch of something during the week & put in my freezer for another night.  I typically pull something out of my freezer one night per week.  Especially on Fridays when I've had a long week and the last thing I want to do is cook!

Lunch: Grilled Cheese with fresh fruit.

Snacks: cut up carrots & apple slices

Breakfast: Chocolate Muffin from the freezer for the husband & Green Smoothie.  Fruit & yogurt parfaits for me and the kiddo.

Saturday- 

Dinner: Out.  We went to our favorite Italian restaurant, yum!

Lunch: Leftover Veggie Fajitas from Thursday nights dinner.  The kiddo had vegetarian refried beans and tortillas.

Snacks: cheese slices & Late July brand crackers

Breakfast: Toast w/avocado.  The husband slept in & woke up in time for lunch.

Sunday- 

Dinner: Parmesan & Spinach Orzo, salad and roasted veggies.  I made extra for lunches during the week.  I also usually have more time on Sundays so enjoy making a more elaborate meal.  I also baked some blueberry muffins and froze half for breakfasts another week.

Lunch: Leftover Tomato & Lentil Stew from Friday night's dinner.

Snacks: fresh fruit & sunflower seeds

Breakfast: Pancakes with real maple syrup and turkey bacon.  Whenever I make pancakes, I always make a triple batch and freeze some for easy, weekday breakfasts.

So there you have it, a fairly typical week at my house.  We just so happened to have a bit more meat this week because our favorite lunch meat, Applegate, was on sale at the grocery store.  We normally just eat leftovers for lunches.  All the meals were quick, healthy, well balanced and fairly inexpensive to make.  And with a little pre-planning and prep time, I was able to feed my family all week long with minimal stress and time on my part.  Sweet!