Showing posts with label Pasta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pasta. Show all posts

Monday, August 6, 2012

Monday Meal Planning 8.6.12

Although we were out of town for the weekend, and that usually precludes me from assembling a meal plan for the coming week, I actually had a chance to put together a plan while stuck under a sleeping toddler yesterday afternoon. She was so exhausted from all the fun we had on Saturday that I couldn't keep her awake no matter how hard I tried. Then, when we got home, the September issue of Food Network Magazine was in our mail box, and so I edited a little as I looked through the magazine.

Here's what we're eating this week!

Monday: Chicken with Arugula Pesto

Gabbie wanted chicken for dinner, and this recipe looked fantastic, so it took the first place in our meal plan for the week.

Tuesday: Blackened Tilapia with Black-Eyed-Pea Salad, Baked Sweet Potatoes

Aaron and the girls really like fish, and I'm trying to like it, so we've decided to incorporate one fish dinner per week into our menu. Last week we had some fantastic salmon with lemon butter caper sauce (I actually went back for seconds, it was so good), and so I thought we'd try this recipe for our fish dinner this week.

Wednesday: Taco Rice

A family favorite, that we haven't had in a while. I'm looking forward to it this week!

Thursday: Grilled Brats, Broccoli, and French Fries

Simple, delicious grilled meal for Aaron to prepare while I'm out running.

Friday: Bacon Pizza Pasta, Salad

I've been eyeing this recipe for a couple of weeks now. It's actually supposed to be cooler this weekend, so it is the perfect chance to try it out!

I haven't decided on meals for Saturday or Sunday, yet, and chances are we'll actually be out and about so I won't have to cook (bonus!).

Monday, July 9, 2012

Monday Meal Planning 7.9.12

It would figure that the one week I'm on top of it and have five minutes to post my meal plan for the week would be the week that I'm going to be gone half the week. That doesn't mean that it's half a meal plan, though. It just means that I spent my weekend preparing to be away, which included coming up with super easy meals for the family to make/eat while I'm away. It only goes through Friday, though, because I get back mid-day on Saturday, after having to be to the airport by 3 AM (Pacific) to catch a 5:30 flight back. Then we're swinging by Aaron's grandma's house on the way home to pick up some bikes, and she has promised to make us dinner (she's an awesome lady). I plan to be recovering on Sunday.

On to the food!

(Also, I'm including last night's dinner, because it was awesome.)

Sunday: Glazed pork chops, corn on the cob, macaroni and cheese, watermelon

I froze the sauce from this recipe when I made it for father's day, and this time we used thick-cut (about an inch thick) boneless pork loin chops from the grocery store, and it was just as good. Everybody ate fairly well last night, which is a rare occurance, so that's yhow you know it was a delicious dinner.

Monday: Butter chicken, basmati rice, steamed broccoli, naan

I have been craving Indian food lately, and this recipe is nearly as delicious as anything I can get from my favorite Indian restaurant (and a heck of a lot cheaper). The last time I made this was a couple of weeks after Sophie was born, and at that time onions made her spit up. A lot. I kind of had PTSD regarding the recipe, but enough time has passed that I'm ready to eat it again. I can't wait!

Tuesday: Taco Rice

I have serious love for taco rice. Serious. It's so good!

Wednesday: Cheese ravioli, marinara (with mushrooms and zucchini), and roasted cauliflower

This is the day I'm heading out, so I planned a fairly easy dinner for Aaron. I'll have everything chopped so he just has to throw it all in the pan. The girls love pasta, so it should be a hit.

Thursday: Pizza, carrots and cucumbers, fruit

I'm not going to make him cook every day I'm gone. They usually grab take-out one night, so I'm making it super easy for him, and planning for that.

Friday: Ham and cheese empanadas, baked sweet potatoes

I'll put these together tomorrow night, and then they'll just have to pop everything in the oven and dinner will be ready a short time later!

Now all I have to do is come up with lunches for Wednesday through Friday for the girls and they won't have to worry about food all week!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Monday Meal Planning 2.27.12

Well, that was an unexpected absence. Things were CRAZY last week, and meal planning just didn't happen. I don't know why I do that - meal plans tend to make my life easier than flying by the seat of my pants and having to decide on meals last minute.

Well, wait, I do know a little of the reason I didn't do a plan. I have lost my will to cook a little bit. My kids, as adorable as they are, absolutely kill my will to cook by not eating anything. Seriously, anything. Sophie will eat cheese and carbs, and Gabbie will eat fruit and sugar. Not only do these two things not overlap, but they're not exactly what I want them to be eating all the time. I mean, the fruit isn't bad, but some vegetables and meat would be good too.

I'm hoping to win them over tonight with a pot roast. Who doesn't love pot roast? (Don't answer that.) I'm also making room in my freezer this week by making many of our meals out of things I've frozen (meat, pre-formed chicken pillows, bolognese, chicken, pizza dough). I'm hoping that makes this week much easier in terms of the time it takes to make the meals my kids refuse to eat. Ahem.

On to the plan!

Monday: Three packet pot roast, with carrots, potatoes, and celery

Tuesday: Chicken pillows, broccoli, rice pilaf

Wednesday: Cheese ravioli with bolognese, salad, garlic bread

Thursday: Chicken spaghetti, broccoli, fruit

Friday: Homemade pizza (like usual), salad, fruit

Saturday: Tomato, basil, parmesan soup, 7 layer salad

Sunday: (brunch) Most likely quiche of some sort, and fruit salad

Monday, February 6, 2012

Monday Meal Planning 1.6.12

I don't know what it is about 2012, but both my husband and I have started out this new year with renewed motivation. However, this has led to schedules that are way more crazy-busy than normal. This is also conference abstract season, which means I'm doing a heck of a lot more writing than normal, and, due to a very sad and unfortunate situation at work I'm possibly taking on a little heavier workload than normal for a couple of months. (Oh, and my favorite member of my team is taking on another, well-deserved role in our program, but that means I have to hire another person, and that takes months too, so even more work.)

So, what this all means is that I am having to find meals to make that are even quicker than usual. There are a couple repeats on this menu from last week, because I made last minute substitutions a couple of times when I wasn't in the mood for what we were planning on eating that night. (We had cheeseburger salad instead of squash, and spaghetti and turkey meatballs instead of tomato soup.)

On to the plan!

Monday: Broccoli Cheese Soup (half recipe), and fruit
Tuesday: Salsa Verde Chicken tacos (using my Foodie Penpals salsa from Elizabeth) and refried beans
Wednesday: Tomato Parmesan Soup, salad, fruit
Thursday: Butternut Squash Coconut Curry, Naan
Friday: Homemade Pizza (I'm thinking of doing something different this time using some fun ingredients from my pantry)
Saturday: Pappardelle Bolognese, Salad, No-Knead Bread
Sunday (brunch): Piggy Pudding (an old favorite that I haven't made in a long while - Aaron will be super excited!), smoothies

Monday, January 2, 2012

Monday Meal Planning 1.2.12

Today is the last day of my 11 straight days off of work, and I am growing increasingly sad about this. I think that calls for a warm, homey meal tonight and quick, easy meals for the rest of the week, don't you?

Here's what we're eating this week!

Monday: Clean out the fridge soup, a salad, and pretzel rolls

We have so many little bits of leftovers from the past week or so, and they are just begging to be added to a big pot of soup. This one will probably contain: chicken and apple sausages, diced tomatoes in juice, chicken stock, red and green peppers, diced onion, carrots, celery, garlic, beans, and rice or pasta to be added at the end.

Tuesday: Spicy Thai Noodles, steamed broccoli

I pinned these a while ago and have been wanting to eat them ever since. This is my week!

Wednesday: Cheeseburger Salad

From The Pioneer Woman. I think that about says it all.

Thursday: Brinner

I think we'll be having breakfast burritos for brinner this week: eggs, sausage, peppers, onions, salsa, hash browns, and cheddar all wrapped up in a flour tortilla (or separated out for the kiddos).

Friday: Homemade pepperoni pizza, raw vegetables and fruit

We have some sandwich-sized pepperoni, which I think will be fun on this pizza. On mine I'll add either black olives or tomatoes and banana peppers.

Saturday: Balsamic Roasted Chicken, basic parmesan risotto, steamed broccoli

Sunday: Leftovers

We've been doing a big breakfast on Sundays as our main meal, and then snacking or eating leftovers the rest of the day. This is how my mom did things when I was growing up, and it seems to be a nice way to round out the weekend. I understand why she did this now. :)

And now that I'm all done typing this, I'm starving. Good thing it's just about lunch time!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Roasted Garlic, and Kale

As usual, I am a horrible food blogger - I get so hungry making dinner that I dive in and am halfway through my meal before I realize I didn't take a picture of the food when it looked the most appealing. Then I figure, oh well, too late now, so I eat the rest. Afterwards, the regret sets in - this meal was so delicious, and now I don't feel like I can share it on my site because I don't have any pictures.

Well, this one was so simple, delicious, and comforting that you'll just have to use your imagination.

So! Imagine this: You look in your refrigerator and you have a large bowl of heirloom cherry tomatoes. Yellow, green, orange, red, purple jewels just begging to be eaten. And you know they taste even better roasted just until their skin starts to crack and their juices leak. You also have a head of monster-sized garlic, a rubber-banded together bunch of dark green kale, and a fresh block of parmesan just begging to be shaved into a pillowy cloud of deliciousness.

You can see why I was inspired, I'm sure. These ingredients, cooked just so, and served over pasta made one heck of a fantastic meal last night. Aaron and I usually exercise some self-control and save portions of dinner for lunch the next day, but last night all self control went out the window and we ate every single last bite. "It will be better freshly cooked," we told ourselves. I'm not sure that's true, but it was a good enough excuse for us.

Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Roasted Garlic, and Kale

3 cups cherry tomatoes
2 large cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

1 bunch kale (about 12 stalks)
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
1 c. stock (I used vegetable, but chicken would work well too)
salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, to taste

1/2 lb. rotini, or other short pasta, cooked in salted water per manufacturer's instructions
1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. On a large roasting pan, toss cherry tomatoes and unpeeled garlic cloves with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes, or just until the skins on the tomatoes start to burst and the juices start to escape. Remove from the oven, and set aside.

Meanwhile, wash your kale well and remove the leaves from the tough stem. Chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Add olive oil and butter to a saute pan over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add kale and saute until the leaves begin to wilt. Add in the stock, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover partially, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until leaves are soft.

While kale is cooking, remove garlic from its skins and smash with a spoon in a small bowl. Add smashed, roasted garlic to the kale and stir. Add in tomatoes and accumulated juices. Serve kale and tomato mixture over pasta, and top with parmesan to taste.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Monday Meal Planning 8.22.11

Last week was a week of easy, dad-doable meals like sloppy joes, hot dogs, french fries, and macaroni and cheese, because I was out of town for most of the week. Then we were bad and ate out all weekend (except for breakfasts; I  made awesome breakfasts), so I'm forcing us to eat in all week, using all the wonderful produce we have from the CSA,the meat we have stocked in our freezer, and ingredients from my overflowing pantry. Even though I'm (really not, because I have a lot) limited to what I have on hand, we're eating pretty well.

Monday: Aloo Gobhi, vegetable rice, naan (and possibly baba ganoush to use up an eggplant before it goes bad)

I'm making the rice slightly more fancy than plain basmati, because I have a feeling Gabbie won't eat the cauliflower and potatoes. I'll start by sauteing onions in butter, use broth instead of water to steam the rice, and add in carrots, peas, and possibly corn to give it a little more nutritional punch. Because otherwise, my carb loving child would eat just bread and rice, and I just can't let that happen.

Tuesday: Stuffed zucchini, bread, fruit salad

We're down to our last gargantuan zucchini, and I plan to stuff the whole thing (it's seriously about 18 inches long) with all sorts of tasty vegetables and sausage. Aaron didn't notice the turkey sausage last time, but I'm a little wary of buying any right now due to recent ground turkey recalls, so he gets the full fat version this time. Really, though, it's only about 1/2 a pound at the most that I usually put in, so it could be worse.

Wednesday: Pepperocini beef sandwiches, sweet potato fries, cole slaw

There was a buy-one-get-one sale on roasts at the store last week, so I have 4 roasts to use up now (it ended up being about $2 per pound, I really couldn't pass it up!). I also have a jar and a half of pepperocinis in the fridge, so this works out perfectly. I've been making my sweet potato fries seasoned lately, using paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and they're fantastic.

Thursday: Marinated hot dogs, potato salad, fresh vegetables and dip

I read about marinated hot dogs a while ago, and was completely intrigued, so they're on the menu this week. I'm also making Aaron's grandma's recipe for potato salad, and if she told me the truth and it works out, I'll share the recipe. She's famous for leaving out "the secret ingredient," so you can understand why I'm feeling a little dubious.

Friday: Baked sweet potato and black bean burritos, quick spicy rice cheesified

I was looking for a second vegetarian recipe to add for the week, and these just look fantastic, plus they got great reviews, so they're going on here. I made a "cheesified" (TM Aaron) version of my quick spicy rice last weekend, and it was a hit, so I'll probably make it to go with these. Basically, I made the rice, then mixed it with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and a little softened butter, and baked it for 20 minutes, and then we all devoured the entire caserole dish worth in ten minutes flat (we had help from my parents and sister, lest you think we are complete gluttons).

Saturday: Pasta with pepperoni sauce, foccacia, salad

This is what you make when you have plenty of pepperoni and pizza dough left over from recent pizza making experiences, and a sick-of-pizza husband. (I really think he's just sick of the mess I make when I make pizza. I manage to get corn meal everywhere, I admit.)

Sunday: ???

Either leftovers, brinner, or a last minute, what do we have that needs to be used type meal. Or beer can chicken, because I've really been wanting to make that.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Monday Meal Planning 8.1.11

I'm sitting here in disbelief that it's August already. August! The last month of summer! The last month before my oldest starts preschool! I'm so not ready for all of this!

Anyway, we still have to eat, so here's what we're having this week:

Monday: Spice-rubbed rib-eye with Bar Americain Steak Sauce, Grilled Potatoes with Spicy Tomato Mayonaise, and steamed fresh peas

For Aaron's birthday back in May, I bought him a Bobby Flay cookbook to inspire him to use our new grill. He decided he didn't really want it, but never took it back, and now we're stuck with the cookbook, so we're using it tonight. We also have some fresh peas from my parents' garden which need to be used (and Sophie gets peas for the first time tonight!), so those will be accompanying this dinner as well. Fresh peas are one of my favorite foods, hands down.

Tuesday: Perfect poached eggs and sauteed kale on toast, fruit salad

As adventurous as I usually am in the kitchen, I've never tried to poach an egg the traditional way. Well, I'm trying it this week. Wish me luck!

Wednesday: Macaroni and Cheese, brats and hot dogs, broccoli

This is a request from Gabbie, and I don't know why I'm giving in, because she almost never eats the macaroni and cheese even though she swears that she will! I was inspired this recipe for the macaroni and cheese, so I think I'll try something similar, leaving out the taco-type ingredients (and then making it as written next time, because, yum!).

Thursday: Garlic Greens and White Beans over Polenta

I may be the only person in my family that eats this meal, but it sounds completely heavenly to me. There will be leftovers and other options for the nay-sayers if there are any. I'll win them over on polenta eventually, I swear!

Friday: Pot Stickers, Vegetable Fried Rice

I have been making pizza of some sort every Friday for a couple of months now, but I think it's time to change it up and do home-made take-out type dishes. We all love pot stickers, and I have a pound of ground pork in the freezer, so these fit perfectly. The fried rice is an awesome way to use up extra CSA vegetables that we haven't gotten to yet. Plus, I love fried rice like no one's business.

Saturday: Fajitas on the Grill, Southwest Corn Dip

We bought a beautiful skirt steak yesterday, and I think fajitas (something like this recipe) sound like the perfect way to use them up. Yum! Also, the first corn is arriving at Farmers' Markets in the area lately, so I will be there ready to grab a bag full of fresh sweet corn.

Sunday: Something with Zucchini, fruit salad

I have zucchini coming out of my ears lately, so I need new ways to use them up. This recipe for zucchini pie/quiche is a strong contender, and uses up a bunch of other stuff I have in the house already.

Preschool Lunch Ideas:

What do you send with your kid for lunch? My preschooler has recently decided to eshew all foods that were previously deemed the only foods she would eat and I'm at a loss. She would eat yogurt and crackers every day for every meal, accompanied only by candy, if she could get away with it. Which she can't. So help me out, if you would. I'm fresh out of ideas!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Monday Meal Planning 6.13.11

Thankfully the Work Project that Ate May (and Some of June) is finally done! To say May was a hectic month would be a bit of an understatement. I laid low last week to recover, thank goodness, and now I'm ready to join the ranks of productive adults once again!

This week is one of the most exciting of the year for me - our CSA starts this week! I am really, really looking forward to all the wonderful fresh vegetables and eggs. The only thing that is hard about the CSA is meal planning, because we get a list of possibly available vegetables at the beginning of the week and then don't get to pick them up until Wednesday, and so I have to make meal contingency plans. Early on, it's not too hard because it's pretty much just different kinds of greens, but as the variety increases and the possibilities list gets longer, it gets a lot harder.

Keeping in mind the greens we will have mid-week (and the farm fresh eggs, one of my favorite parts of the CSA) here's what we're eating this week!

Monday: Macaroni and cheese, roasted asparagus, turkey sloppy joes

Tonight is Gabbie's last tumbling class of the season, so it's the last week I have to take it extra easy and quick on Mondays. To celebrate we're having three of Gabbie's favorite foods (mine too!).

Tuesday: BBQ Chicken, baked sweet potatoes, broccoli

Aaron has been talking about BBQ chicken on the grill for longer than we've actually had the grill, and is determined that this will be the week it happens.

Wednesday: Margherita Paninis, cucumber salad, french fries

I have a large piece of fresh mozzarella, a bunch of tomatoes, and a huge container of basil in my refrigerator. Throw in the sliced sourdough boule I have on my counter, and what else could I possibly even think of making? Yum!

Thursday: Quinoa stir-fry with vegetables and chicken

We'll use left-over chicken from Tuesday to make this a super-quick meal

Friday: Brinner!

We'll be having fried or poached eggs over a mixed green salad, spiced cubed potatoes, sausages, and sauteed mushrooms. It doesn't get much better than that!

Saturday: Aaron's Choice

My sister will be in town from Arizona yet again this weekend, and it's the last time until mid-September, so we'll be seeing her on Sunday. This means we're celebrating Father's Day on Saturday, and Aaron gets to pick whatever he wants for dinner (and he hasn't chosen yet). I would not be the least bit surprised to see either meatballs or taco rice (depending on how involved he wants me to get) on the menu, nor would I be surprised if he chose breakfast out at our favorite local restaurant instead of dinner. I would be very happy with any of those options!

(Sunday is up in the air too, thanks to visits with family)

And with that all said and done, here are:

Pre-Schooler Lunch Ideas
Monday: Oatmeal with brown sugar, strawberries, yogurt (she wanted scrambled eggs too, but we had to draw the line somewhere!)
Tuesday: Ham and Cheese on Sourdough, carrots, blueberries, applesauce
Wednesday: Chicken, peas or broccoli, mandarin oranges, yogurt (and possibly some fruit snacks as a treat)
Thursday: Pasta with butter and parmesan cheese, peas or broccoli, strawberries
Friday: Peanut butter and honey sandwich, pretzels, yogurt, banana (and possibly some fruit snacks as a treat)

Monday, May 16, 2011

Monday Meal Planning 5.16.11

Do you know what I love? I love minimal shopping weeks. Groceries are getting so ridiculously expensive these days that any week I can use what we already have (which is typically a lot) is a great week for me. We have lots of leftover food from my husband's birthday party this past weekend that we only have to get a few essentials this week (milk, a few veggies and fruits, yogurt, and cereal) to be all set. Score!

Monday: Barbecue Spaghetti, Asparagus, Fruit and Yogurt parfaits

I saw this recipe in the most recent issue of Food Network Magazine and since we have some leftover pulled pork in the freezer and all the other ingredients already, it went on the menu immediately. Two of Gabbie's favorite foods are bbq pork and "snake noodles" (aka spaghetti), this should go over well!

Tuesday: Border Burgers, Salad, Chips and Dip

Amusingly (at least to me) Gabbie is all about spinach and lettuce these days (good thing because that's what we'll be getting from our CSA for the first few weeks), so salads are happening in our house with increasing frequency. Thank goodness! There's not much I like more than a good salad.

Border burgers are hamburgers topped with a heap of sliced banana peppers and sliced cheddar. They're SOOOO good.

Wednesday: Butternut Squash Enchiladas, Rice, Mangos

We didn't get to these last week, but they are so happening this week because we're all craving them.

Thursday: Hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, broccoli

Yet more leftovers from the party, and also one of our very favorite meals. I may have to try this recipe from macaroni and cheese this week because it looks amazing.

Friday: Rodeo Burgers, ranch potatoes on the grill, cole slaw

Another burger variation to use up all of the burgers that we prepped. This one is topped with bacon, cheddar, and bbq sauce. Gabbie's daycare teacher told us about how they make ranch potatoes - in a foil packet, combine sliced or cubed potatoes, butter, a little diced onion, and a generous sprinkle of both ranch dressing mix and grated parmesan. Then grill until tender, about 20 minutes. Sounds fantastic, no?

Saturday: PARTY (redux)

Gabbie's birthday party is this weekend, and she is so excited she can barely stand it. Our menu includes chicken skewers (with the chicken having been marinated in Italian dressing), buttered naan, broccoli, fruit salad, and pasta salad, plus, of course cake and ice cream. Oh, and pink punch of some sort. The cake will be pink as well. We are having a "very pink" birthday party.

Sunday: Out.

My sister and parents will be in town, so we're going out at least once, and I think Sunday night will be perfect for that.

Toddler Lunch Ideas
Monday - Waffle, yogurt, mixed berries
Tuesday - BBQ spaghetti, carrots, banana muffin
Wednesday - Baked beans, broccoli, shredded cheese, tortilla
Thursday - Oatmeal, raisins, yogurt, stewed apples
Friday - Hot dog, mac and cheese, green beans and carrots

(Also posted over at I'm on Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.)

Monday, May 9, 2011

Monday Meal Planning 5.9.11

Oh, what a crazy week we have upon us! In addition to being horrendously busy at work again (and Spring/Summer being my least favorite time to be so busy), it's Aaron's birthday tomorrow and we're throwing him a big birthday bash on Saturday. Thankfully I have a husband who likes to clean, so he's taking on the majority of getting the house ready, but I have a lot of cooking/prep work to do so we can feed the crowd. I will admit, I love throwing a party, so even though it's a lot of work I'm kind of looking forward to it.

In the meantime, here's what we will be eating this week:

Monday: Macaroni and cheese with bratwurst and peas

With food prices being what they are these days, we're using up every single left-over we can. I'm going for a zero food waste week this week. So, leftover brats from this weekend are going into the mac and cheese. Actually, it sounds pretty delicious to me!

Tuesday: Spaghetti Bolognese, Garlic Bread, Salad, Ice Cream Cake

This is what Aaron has requested for birthday dinner. Seeing as this is one of my favorite meals, I don't mind a little extra work in the kitchen on a weeknight for something so delicious.

Wednesday: Butternut Squash Enchiladas, Cilantro Rice

I made these a while ago and had more filling than I had tortillas to fill, so these will be super quick and easy using the leftover filling that I froze. Also, they're probably the best enchiladas I've ever eaten, so there's that.

Thursday: ???

I honestly can't remember what what we put on the meal plan for Thursday. I will update later if I can remember.

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: PARTY TIME!

We'll be serving up hamburgers, bratwurst, hot dogs, fruit, a couple different salads, cut up veggies and dip, chips, and two kinds of cupcakes (margarita cupcakes for the adults, and vanilla cupcakes for the kiddos or the pregnant). We want to keep it simple enough that we don't spend the whole party in the kitchen, but also serve people a great meal. This plan should accomplish both of those things. (P.S. That hamburger recipe made the best home-made on a grill burgers I've ever had. Even Gabbie, who usually turns her nose up at burgers, ate a good bit of a cheeseburger last night!)

Toddler (I should update this to pre-schooler!) Lunch Ideas
Monday: Oatmeal with brown sugar, mashed sweet potato, mangos, cheese (this is what she requested)
Tuesday: PB&J, banana, cucumbers
Wednesday: Noodles with butter and cheese, side of bolognese, broccoli, plum
Thursday: Rice, green beans, yogurt, raspberries and blueberries
Friday: Cheese quesadilla, salsa, peas, mango

(Also posted over at I'm an Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.)

Monday, April 25, 2011

Monday Meal Planning 4.25.11

Is this two weeks in a row I've posted a meal plan? I think it is! I may finally be getting my stuff together. I remember it taking forever after my first daughter was born, so I lowered my expectations this time. Life sure is crazy with two little ones. Add in Gabbie's extra-curriculars (tumbling and swimming classes), holidays and the associated get-togethers (Easter last weekend, plus our upcoming May birthdays and Memorial Day), and I'm barely holding on some weeks. As a result, I'm finding I have to put together more quick and easy dinners whenever possible. Also, I've set a goal for this week to not eat out at all, so I definitely need to ensure that these meals are easy enough that I'm not tempted by take out.

So, here's our fairly quick and easy meal plan for the week:

Monday: Egg Salad BLTs, chips, carrots, grapes

We arrived home yesterday with 8 hard boiled eggs that Gabbie colored at my parents' house. I'm not huge on egg salad, but I figure that adding bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes will help me like it quite a bit more.

Tuesday: Cashew Chicken, rice, steamed green beans

The way that Erica talked about this dish made me want to try it immediately. Plus, the ingredients make it sound like one of my favorite Chinese dishes from a restaurant in my hometown (which sadly has gone downhill in quality, so the dish isn't as good as it used to be). I can't wait to try this!

Wednesday: Taco Rice

My husband requests this every week. Seriously. I give in only every other week, though.

Thursday: Minestrone, bread, salad

This is going to be a "clean out the cupboard and fridge" type soup. I'm thinking potato, pasta, white beans, diced tomatoes, carrots, celery, spinach, chicken broth...and anything else I feel like throwing in. We will definitely be topping it with what Gabbie now calls "Salty Cheese" (aka parmesan). (Hilariously, we used to call it "green cheese" growing up, due to the Kraft green container it came in.)

Friday: Hummus Wraps, fruit and yogurt parfaits

These are basically a pita or tortilla spread with hummus, and filled with cut up vegetables (cucumbers, green peppers, lettuce, tomatoes) and feta. Yum!

Saturday: I'm hoping we'll get to try out our new grill on Saturday. This depends on our ability (read: available time to go to the store) to pick one up this week. I am so excited about a having a grill finally that I can hardly stand it! (If we don't get the grill, we'll be eating leftovers.)

Sunday: Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce, salad

This looks delicious, and will hopefully provide lots of leftovers for Monday's lunch!

Toddler Lunch Ideas

Here's what I'm planning to send with Gabbie this week. I've been trying to make a plan so I don't end up staring into the refrigerator every morning, wracking my brain trying to come up with something healthy and easy to send with her.

Monday: Cheese, crackers, broccoli, strawberries
Tuesday: Mini Whole Grain Morning Glory Muffin (omitting the walnuts because I'm allergic), cottage cheese (something new we're trying out with her) or yogurt, banana
Wednesday: Cheese Quesadilla, beans, carrots, grapes
Thursday: Leftover cashew chicken, rice, green beans, banana
Friday: Cheesy pita (a pita, brushed with garlic butter, baked with cheese on top), marinara for dipping, cucumbers, grapes

(I, along with hundreds of others, posted my meal plan at I'm an Organizing Junkie. Check it out!)

Monday, March 28, 2011

Monday Meal Planning 3.28.11

This week’s meal plan is abbreviated because we’re headed up north for a (hopefully) relaxing weekend. Plans involve a trip to the butterfly house and a memorial service, so it really could go either way.

As an aside, I am laughing at our meal plan right now, because we just had a discussion the other day about reducing the amount of meat we eat, and then we set out and planned this very carnivorous week (and I had a meat-filled lunch today). I think it’s totally comfort eating though due to various stressors happening lately. Oh, well. We’ll try better next week!

Monday: Southwestern Turkey Mac and Cheese, fruit

This one is super easy – I whip up some macaroni and cheese (either quickly from scratch or from a box if I want a really quick dinner). While that’s cooking, I also brown some ground turkey and season it up with taco seasoning. During the last couple of minutes of the macaroni cooking, I add in a cup or so of frozen peas. Then I mix the noodles and peas with the cheeses sauce and mix in the turkey. I can also see this being delicious with corn and black beans in place of the peas. Pretty much this was created on a night when we were trying to make something quick and fairly nutritious from what we had on hand, and it totally worked!

Tuesday: Chicken Chow Mein, Egg Rolls

A new recipe we’re trying out from a children’s cookbook I have on hand. The egg rolls will be the frozen variety; while I am fairly ambitious in the kitchen, I’m not quite homemade-eggrolls-on-a-random-Tuesday ambitious.

Wednesday: Taco Rice

Seriously, you should try this. It’s one of the top-requested meals in our house these days.

Thursday: Calzones

These are on the menu to use up some ingredients we have on hand that need used. Fillings will probably include salami, provolone, and mushrooms. Mmmm…calzones.

Toddler Lunch Ideas:
Monday: Mashed butternut squash w/butter and brown sugar, peas, rice, raspberries
Tuesday: Cheese quesadilla, grapes, carrots
Wednesday: Macaroni and cheese, peas, banana
Thursday: Tomato cheese dip, pita wedges, blueberries, cucumber slices
Friday: Cheese, sliced turkey, crackers, grapes, yogurt

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Monday Meal Planning - 3.7.11 (Okay, so really 3.9.11)

I should probably change the title of these posts to “Weekly Meal Planning,” since Mondays aren’t happening. But, I want to post meal plans all the same. We’ll just pretend today is Monday for this one, right?

It’s my first week back to work, but I’m only working half days, so it’s kind of a mixed bag of quick and complex meals this week.

Monday: Chicken Strips, French Fries, Salad (cut up veggies for the kiddo who won’t eat lettuce)

These chicken strips are FANTASTIC, and super easy. My husband and daughter are huge fans. HUGE. I made the mistake of making them once and now they’re on frequent rotation in our house.

Tuesday: Hot sub sandwiches, chips, fruit salad

For the subs, I took a loaf of Italian bread from the supermarket, cut it in half and hollowed it out, leaving about a ¼ to ½ inch shell (and then the toddler and I ate the entire inside of the loaf of bread – delicious! Also dinner-ruining, but worth it). Then I layered on the deli meat and sliced cheeses of choice; this week that included deli ham, turkey, and salami, as well as muenster and Colby jack slices. I wrapped the whole thing in foil, and baked it at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes (it could have used another five if I wanted the cheese to be really melty, but 10 minutes was fine). After it came out of the oven, I sliced it into three parts, and topped each sandwich with chopped lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and Italian dressing. Delicious!

Wednesday: Spaghetti with meat sauce, Salad

I had about a ¼ pound each of ground beef and pork, so I sautéed that up with some mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper, and added in a jar of marinara. Served over buccatini, this was a delicious meal.

Thursday: Slow Cooker Spiced Chicken Stew with Carrots, Orzo

Aside from using chicken breasts instead of thighs (Aaron has a weird thing about thigh meat. I don’t know.) we’re staying pretty true to this one. Looks easy enough and absolutely delicious! Also, it doesn’t use onions, which I still can’t eat because it makes the baby spit up a lot, so that makes it a winner in our book!

Friday: Clean out the freezer vegetable bean soup, bread

I made this once before, and Aaron loved it. Basically, I use a box of stock, a quart sized bag of the tomatoes I processed and froze last summer, a bag of beans (also processed and frozen last summer), and whatever vegetables I have in the fridge or freezer. I also added slices of chicken sausage last time, which I think clinched it with Aaron. I think I’m out this time, though, so he may have to suffer without it.

My sourdough starter should be ready to use to make bread by Friday (another post forthcoming), so we’ll probably have a fresh loaf of bread on the side. Mmmm….

Saturday: Some sort of curry using up a butternut squash, Naan
 I typically make this dish, but Aaron wanted to try something else, so I’m not sure yet what dish I’m making. (This from the man who recently complained that I try too many new recipes, and he can never remember what he’s eaten. Poor guy.)
 Sunday: Leftovers (or possibly the meal from Saturday night if I don’t feel like cooking on Saturday)

Monday, December 6, 2010

Monday Meal Planning 12.6.10

Wow, yeah. So it has been two weeks. I blame pregnancy brain plus a rough week last week. But I'm back, and with a fairly easy meal plan because I'm very nearly 39 weeks pregnant and I don't want to do anything difficult. We also have two nights this week that require quick meals because we have evening activities, and one night that requires some input from all of you - I need an easy and delicious appetizer (or dessert) to take to my company's holiday party.

Here goes:

Monday: Grilled cheese sandwiches (w/tomato & avocado for the grownups) and sweet potato fries
Tuesday: Mediterranean Mostaccioli (this one is super easy for me, because it's a dish that Aaron likes to cook. Score!)
Wednesday: Taco Rice (I made this a couple of weeks ago and it was a BIG hit. In the words of Yo Gabba Gabba - Try it! You'll like it!)
Thursday: Hash Brown Casserole (Nothing like a dish where you don't have to chop anything!)
Friday: Here's where I need your help! Company holiday party: it's anticipated that I bring something delicious, while I want to put in a minimum amount of effort. So - easy appetizer ideas? Easy dessert recipes that wow? If all else fails I might make mini chocolate chip cookie pies. Because they're delicious!

I'm not planning for the weekend. Our weekends are my only time to really relax, and since I'll have a newborn soon I kind of want to be taken out to a restaurant while it's still a relatively easy task. Still, we'll probably make some Christmas cookies (cut-outs and corn flake wreaths), and I'll probably bake something for breakfast (we made these on Saturday and they were DELICIOUS!)

Okay, now onto Toddler Lunch Ideas:
Monday: Soy dog, mandarin oranges, yogurt, crackers
Tuesday: Bean and cheese quesadilla, carrot sticks, peaches
Wednesday: Buttered noodles, edamame, yogurt, blueberries
Thursday: Pancakes (probably whole wheat), apple sauce
Friday: Israeli couscous with peas and ham, apple slices

Monday, November 15, 2010

Monday Meal Planning 11.15.10

When I sat down to plan our meals for the week yesterday morning, I could not think of a single thing to put on the list. That rarely happens to me, as there are usually a few recipes I'm dying to try. So I surfed around the 'net for a while, then I surfed around my archives for a while, and I managed to put together several recipes that should suffice. This whole thing is made doubly hard since I can barely fit any food in my stomach lately, as it's being squished by the baby. Being able to only take a bite or five of food kind of kills my will to cook. However, there's the whole having a family to feed thing that takes precedence, so I will soldier on.

Monday: Taco Rice

Quick and easy tonight since we have tumbling class. I saw this recipe a few weeks ago and then again yesterday when I was surfing for ideas, and it sounds like some amazing comfort food. Now I just have to try to avoid mixing the rice with melted butter, sour cream, and cheddar cheese before adding the toppings, even though I think that sounds totally better.

Tuesday: Pot Stickers and Sesame Noodles, Edamame

We still have pot stickers in the freezer (I apparently made a HUGE batch), so we'll be eating those with a side of sesame noodles. I'm halving the recipe for the noodles because it takes us forever to make it through a whole pound of them.

Wednesday: Coconut Curry Butternut Squash, Rice, Naan

We have approximately a dozen butternut squashes (plus assorted other squash) from our CSA so it's time to start using them up. This recipe has become a total comfort food in our house because it's so good and filling.

Thursday: Egg Salad Melts, Fruit

I didn't get to these last week, but the craving is strong so they WILL be happening this week.

Friday: Leftovers/Take-out

Saturday: Pizza

I still haven't gotten around to making this pizza recipe, but it needs to happen soon, and I'm thinking Saturday will be the perfect day for it. I'm planning to top it with pepperoni and black olives (my current favorite topping combination).

Sunday: Something in the crock pot.

I haven't decided what to make for Sunday yet, but there are a few possibilities, including Italian Pot Roast, Split Pea Soup, and Jamaican Red Bean Stew

And now, for Toddler Lunch Ideas:

(As an aside, do you know what kills me? It's when my child will scarf something down at dinner time, eating second and even third servings, and then when I send the same thing to lunch for her two days later, she won't even touch it. I just don't get it.)

Monday: Bagel and cream cheese, mandarin oranges, peas
Tuesday: Soy dog, cheese slice, carrot sticks, grapes
Wednesday: Grilled cheese, green pepper slices, strawberries
Thursday: Edamame, naan slices, yogurt, sliced peaches
Friday: English muffin pizza, yogurt, fruit strip

Monday, November 8, 2010

Monday Meal Planning 11.8.10

Well, even though I totally failed at NaBloPoMo once again (darn those weekend and having too much fun to remember to post!), I'm going to try to post at least most weekdays through this month, if not every weekday. I have a huge backlog of recipes to post about and I'm ready to get them up. Call it nesting: blog version, if you will.

Here are the meals planned for this week:

Monday: Hearty Black Bean Soup, Crescent Rolls

I need something fast and filling on Monday nights for the next six weeks because Gabbie has tumbling class across town at 6:45. This recipe looks like it will fit the bill, and is full of beans which are among her favorite foods.

Tuesday: Aaron's Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Bread

It has been a while since we've eaten Aaron's specialty: spaghetti. We use a jarred sauce, and add browned sausage, and sauteed mushrooms and zuchini. It's heavenly. Add in that every time we ask Gabbie what she wants for dinner she says "noodles and sauce", and this one should be a hit. Except for with the baby, who kicks like the dickens after I eat tomato sauce and causes me to have horrible heartburn. Oh, well. It's good enough that it makes it worth what will ensue after the meal.

Wednesday: Sweet Potato Hash with Fried Eggs

I have been looking forward to this meal since I saw the recipe last week, and it immediately went on the meal plan. (Although we'll probably substitute a regular green pepper for the poblano so Gabbie can eat it too.) I love a good brinner!

Thursday: Asian Beef Skewers, Edamame

Another of Aaron's favorites and helps satisfy a red meat craving I've been dealing with lately. I have to admit, one thing I'm looking forward to most about not being pregnant any more (besides getting to have a little itty bitty baby, of course) is a meal consisting of a medium-rare steak with bleu cheese butter and a glass of red wine. Aaron has already been forewarned that this will be happening.

Friday: Leftovers

Because there's no way we can eat all this food, even with leftovers for lunch every day of the week.

Saturday: Out

Aaron is headed to beer camp (excuse me, deer camp) this weekend, so my sister is coming to stay with us and we'll probably take Gabbie out for Girls' Night Out. It should be a blast!

Sunday: Grandma's Open-Faced Egg Salad Sandwiches, veggies and dip

This one doesn't sound that appealing at first glance, but stick with me here, because I promise it's great comfort food. Plus, we just found a place that is on my way home that will supply us with farm fresh eggs all winter, and I can't wait to try them. Our first pick up is at the end of the week, otherwise I'd be eating this before Sunday. I'll post the recipe with a picture next week.

Now for Toddler Lunch Ideas

Monday: Grapes, Carrots, Yogurt, Crackers (as requested by her tiny highness)
Tuesday: Cheese Quesadilla, Mandarin Oranges
Wednesday: Mini Bagel with Strawberry Cream Cheese, Grapes, Pretzels
Thursday: Noodles and Sauce, Mandarin Oranges, Yogurt
Friday: Black bean soup, Tortilla Chips & Cheese Sauce

Monday, November 1, 2010

Monday Meal Planning 11.1.10

I cannot believe that today is the first day of November already! The weather decided to be seasonally appropriate today (sadly) and it is pretty frigid out there. The only thing good about seasonally appropriate weather is that it makes it the perfect time to eat seasonally appropriate food. There. I think I've said "seasonally appropriate" enough.

We'll see how we do with actually eating what we plan this week. We haven't been good at it for a few weeks now, and I think making a plan and actually sticking to it will take care of some of the overwhelmed feeling I have lately. We'll see how it goes. On to the plan!

Monday: Turkey Pineapple Chili & Cornbread

I needed something super fast for tonight because we have to leave the house by 6:15 tonight for Gabbie's tumbling class. While chili is usually a long, slow dish to make, this one is ready in 10 minutes flat, and it's a house favorite.

Tuesday: Chicken Spaghetti, Steamed Broccoli

I've been wanting to try this recipe for ages, but haven't gotten around to it. I have all the ingredients at my house right now, so I don't have an excuse. Everyone raves about it, and I can't wait to dig in!

Wednesday: Crock Pot Pulled Pork and Coleslaw Sandwiches, Sweet Potatoes

I have a 3 lb pork roast in my freezer that is taking up too much space, as well as a head of cabbage, carrots, and a bunch of small white sweet potatoes (I can't wait to try them!) from our CSA, so this meal is perfect. It uses up everything I have that needs used up! Plus it has great reviews and sounds delicious to me. You can't get much better than that!

An interesting side note - my child who won't eat anything LOVES cole slaw (usually - this will be the one time she refuses to eat it, I'm sure). Bizarre, but I'll take it.

Thursday: The Best Quiche Ever!, tomato salad

After such a meat heavy few days, it seemed perfect to have a lighter meal. We get our last egg share from our CSA this week (and are VERY, VERY SAD about this, as the eggs were the best we've ever eaten), and so The Best Quiche Ever! will be fabulous, I'm sure.

Friday: Ranch Macaroni and Cheese, roasted brussels sprouts

Friday is supposed to be one of the colder days this week, so a nice comforting bowl of macaroni and cheese sounds perfect. Mmmm....

Saturday: Baked Chipotle Beef Taquitos, red rice, chips and salsa

I've made the chicken taquitos from Our Best Bites several times, but never the beef ones. I'm pretty pumped to try them though. I'll have to hold back on the chipotles and sauce so Gabbie can eat them, and substitute monterey jack for the queso fresco so I can eat them, but I think they'll still be fantastic.

Sunday: Leftovers

This looks to be a heavy cooking week, so I'm sure we'll have plenty left over for lunches AND Sunday dinner. We tend to do our bigger meal for breakfast on Sunday anyway (ricotta lemon pancakes or pumpkin maple cinnamon rolls are on tap for this week).


 
And then this week on "Will the Toddler Eat It/Anything" (aka Toddler Lunch Ideas):


Monday: Cheese, Crackers, Grapes, Yogurt
Tuesday:  Mini Bagel, Peanut Butter, Apple Slices, Carrot Sticks
Wednesday: Soy Dog, Green Pepper Slices, Yogurt, Banana
Thursday: "Noodles and Sauce", Broccoli, Yogurt
Friday: Pork, Cole Slaw, Kiwi, Cheese

Monday, October 18, 2010

Monday Meal Planning 10.18.10

I cannot believe that we are half-way through October already. Time is definitely slipping through my fingers lately, and I want it to slow down, just a little, while simultaneously speeding up to when this baby is due to arrive. Can someone arrange that for me? Thanks.

It feels like another surge of nesting has hit me, but unfortunately the surge of energy that is needed to accomplish everything I have to do has not accompanied it. My house is a bit messy after a very busy weekend, and I want to make it sparkly clean and get dinner to the table in a reasonable amount of time. In order to make this happen, I focused on quick meals when planning this week. The only non-quick meal I have on the plan is for Sunday, and that's because I'm big on one big family meal per week (not like we don't eat dinner together every night, we have to have one fancy meal happen every week). Anyway, on to the plan!

Monday: Ham, Cheesy Potatoes, Peas, Salad

This may not seem quick, but it is. Mostly because I made it yesterday to take to Aaron's grandma's house and we have leftovers. We all ate a ton, but still have a ton left, so it's making its appearance again tonight. The recipe listed is exactly the same as the one I use; the only modification I make is to use cheddar cheese soup because I like them as cheesy as possible.

The refrigerator is high on my "Make Sparkly Clean" list, so I'm emptying as much out of it tonight as I can. There's also a pumpkin pie in there with my name on it. This dinner is going to be FANTASTIC.

Tuesday: Eggplant burgers (with some made into smaller patties for Gabbie), French fries, Carrot sticks

We have one more eggplant from the CSA to use, and we've eaten enough baba ganoush lately to supply a small village. This sounded like an interesting way to use up the eggplant, so we're going to try it.

Wednesday: Quesadillas, rice

All other leftover veggies are going into quesadillas this night. I like them with zuchini, mushrooms, and onions. Gabbie prefers straight up cheese and refried beans. Aaron will eat anything, and that's why he's awesome.

Thursday: Pork chops with Saurkraut, mashed potatoes, broccoli

This one is a crock pot meal. I put down one can of 'kraut, top with pork chops, top with another layer of 'kraut, a heavy sprinkle of brown sugar, and a peeled, cored, quartered apple or two, then serve it over mashed potatoes. Yum!

Friday: Pot stickers, rice noodles, edamame

I still have quite the stock of frozen pot stickers, and since we love them we're diving in once again. I'll probably make some sort of sauce for the rice noodles and edamame, and most likely it will include soy sauce, chicken broth, and scallions.

Saturday: Out

Aaron's mom is going to be in the state, so we're heading out to visit her on Saturday. My job will be to make the food run, so I hope they don't mind eating according the whims of a pregnant, prone-to-sudden-strange-cravings, woman.

Sunday: Chicken Cacciatore, Noodles, Peas

I saw this recipe this morning and added it to our plan. It looks fantastic, and I can't wait to try it!

Finally, on to what the toddler is eating for lunch this week:

Monday: Waffle w/pear butter for dipping, yogurt, strawberries (this is called a "we need you to actually eat something today" kind of lunch)
Tuesday: Bean and Cheese quesadilla, green pepper slices, mandarin oranges
Wednesday: Eggplant patties (assuming she likes them), peas, yogurt, grapes
Thursday: English muffin pizza, applesauce
Friday: Apple Pumpkin muffin, grapes, cucumber slices, cheese cubes

Monday, September 20, 2010

Monday Meal Planning 9.20.10

Another Monday is here and even though I'm completely sick of spending my evenings making meals that my toddler REFUSES TO EAT, I still have a meal plan ready to go. We tried to do a mix of "Things that Gabbie Will Eat" (which changes from moment to moment) and "Things that Mom and Dad Like" which does not include things like plain rice separated from plain peas. I mean, those things are okay and all, but I prefer a little more flavor in my meals.

(Can you tell it was a difficult weekend eating-wise?)

Anyway, on to the plan!

Monday: Swiss Chard Stew, Rice, Naan, Fruit Salad

We have a beautiful bunch of swiss chard from our CSA share last week, and this recipe is perfect for using up a lot of swiss chard. Both Aaron and I have been craving Indian food for a while and instead of dealing with another infuriating toddler/restuarant trip, we thought we'd make a few meals at home (hence why there's two Indian-style meals this week).

Tuesday: Pasta with Smoky Bacon and Pea Sauce, salad

We didn't get to this last week because we never made the trip to the specialty butcher to get the pancetta. Aaron picked some up on Saturday morning for two reasons - one, the meatballs I made on Saturday contain pancetta, and those were a much higher priority, and two, the specialty butcher is also the best place to buy a six pack of micro-brews. Priorities! He has them!

Wenesday: Three Packet Pot Roast, Fruit Salad

Last winter I made this pot roast a few times and Gabbie couldn't get enough of it. Unfortunately Aaron is not fond of pot roast, to say the least, so I don't get to make it as often as I'd like. This one is so easy and delicious, and I can't wait to dive in on Wednesday night!

Thursday: Indian Style Curry with Potatoes, Caulflower, and Chickpeas, Rice Pilaf

I asked Aaron for a meal idea to make up for the pot roast, and his answer was "Something Indian-ish with Cauliflower." I had just downloaded the Cooks Illustrated app for my phone, and when I searched for cauliflower, this came up. We'll try it and see how it goes. It certainly sounds delicious!

Friday: Beef Enchiladas, Spanish Rice, Salad

The purpose of these is to use up the pot roast leftovers, since my usual leftover eater is certain not to touch them with a ten foot pole. He loves these enchiladas, however, so it's a win-win!

Saturday: Chicago Style Pizza, Antipasta, Fruit Platter

Lately I have been dreaming of the pizza I ate at Pizza Due in Chicago last year, once during each of my two Chicago trips, and I decided it's high time to try to make something similar at home. Now, I just need to find a good recipe.

Toddler Lunch Ideas
Due to aforementioned crappy eating this weekend, Gabbie is restricted to healthy choices (aka no treats or ice cream), with her only sweet choices being yogurt and fruit. Not that this makes a big difference to what she eats for lunch, since we don't usually serve up treats at lunch time. We've decided that the best we can do is offer her a variety of healthy choices and hopefully she'll learn that if she's hungry she has to eat what's available to her, and also that there aren't rewards for eating your dinner except that you are full.

Monday: Soy Dog, Broccoli, Cheese, Banana
Tuesday: Bean and Cheese Quesadilla, Carrot Sticks, Mandarin Oranges
Wednesday: Cheese, Crackers, Raisins, Kiwi
Thursday: English Muffin Pizza, Broccoli, Yogurt
Friday: Pot Roast Leftovers, Roll, Kiwi

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