Between the holidays, being sick, and Chase getting two more teeth, I haven't had the time (or inclination) to type up another meal plan. I did write it down for planning purposes, but yep...that's about as far as I got.
Without further adieu, here's another week for you lovely people.
Day 1
Breakfast: Sweet potato hash w/ sausage stirred in and fried egg on top
Dinner: Bison burgers w/ roasted asparagus
*Notes: I loosely followed the breakfast recipe. I use this nitrite free sausage from Publix and they have a decent selection of different "flavors." Dinner is easy peasy, I don't follow the roasted asparagus recipe, but wanted to give you something to get an idea of what to do.
Day 2
Breakfast: Frittata
Dinner: Maple pecan encrusted chicken w/ steamed broccoli and beets
*Notes: Frittata is really easy and simple to make it how you like it. Just follow the recipe and switch out the veggie/protein for things that you like. I exchanged sausage for bacon (gotta cook it and break it apart first) and kept the sweet potato and added kale (you can add ANY green or veggie though).
For dinner, I stuck a handful or walnuts and pecans in the food processor and chopped up fine enough for it to dress the chicken. I followed the recipe loosely, but kind of went rogue and did my own thing. It turned out really well though and I thought it was pretty darned delish.
Day 3
Breakfast: Scrambled egg and sautéed apples w/ cinnamon
Dinner: Pesto cheesy chicken w/ roasted carrots and steamed rainbow chard
*Notes: When I make apple for breakfast, I don't add honey or maple syrup. If it was a dessert, I would. I followed the chicken recipe pretty closely and it turned out well. Keep an eye on the time, it didn't take 45 minutes to bake in my oven.
Day 4
Breakfast: Sprouted flour pancakes and bacon (I throw a fruit or veggie in the mix for Chase, whatever is available. Not literally in the mix...on the side of the plate. Don't be absurd. Ha!)
Dinner: Chopped broccoli salad w/ protein of choice
*Notes: I figure most people aren't going to buy sprouted flour, but I promise it's way better for you then general flour. Just google it. :-) Also, try, try, try to buy nitrite free bacon. Applegate farms has a huge line of good products.
Day 5
Breakfast: Scrambled egg, Ezekiel toast, and fruit
Dinner: Pizza (see previous meal plan)
Day 6
Breakfast: Ezekiel bread french toast w/ sausage and fruit
Dinner: Crockpot apricot chicken w/ whatever green AND veggie you have available or are in the mood for.
*Notes: I used chicken breast, not thighs. I have a weird thing about bones...or do I...Haha!
Nag of the week:
While greens are a veggie, I try to eat a green PLUS a veggie. Try a new green once a week/every other week. Some ideas of greens: collards, swiss/green/rainbow/red chard, kale/dino kale, mustard, spinach, beet greens (yes, you can eat the greens that come on the top of the beets!), and dandelion. I've experimented with and like those. Honestly, they all pretty much taste the same and when cooked in bacon grease or butter...can't really go wrong there.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Butternut squash cookies
Last night I made chocolate chip cookies for Steve and me and I wouldn't let poor Chase have any. It got me thinking that I need an alternative recipe so that he could have cookies with us and well...I think I may have successfully made some baby/kid friendly cookies.
Let me say that these are NOT as sweet as "normal" cookies. I mean, there isn't any sugar in them, so what do you expect? Butternut squash is naturally sweet and maple syrup rounds it out. This is also the very first thing I've ever made without following a recipe and I'm really proud of myself. It does need a little tweaking, but for the most part I'm happy with it. More importantly, Chase seemed to like them. Then again, that kid likes almost everything.
Butternut squash cookies
2 cups sprouted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 cup cubed and cooked butternut squash
1 egg (I use eggs from a local farmer's market, but do what you do)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp real vanilla extract
1/2 c real maple syrup
Preheat oven to 350.
In a small(ish) bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Melt butter (makes it easier if you melt it in a medium bowl that you can also use a blender with - less dishes).
Add vanilla, egg, and maple syrup to butter. Blend.
Add butternut squash to wet mixture and blend.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while blending.
Drop just over a tsp and a half on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes give or take.
Notes:
*Next time I will add a few liberal drizzles of honey for additional sweetness. I was out of honey, so I had to work with what I had.
*The cookies do not spread out like other cookies do, so however you place them onto the cookie sheet is how they will remain. That's why doing smaller cookies is important - to ensure that they cook through.
*You could also add chocolate chips (the darker, the better) or cocoa nibs if you wanted to add a little more sweetness (for yourself or if you're ok with giving it to your kids). I think I'll try cocoa nibs in the future.
*Adding nuts is also an option. When Chase is a tad bit older, I'll add nuts. I'm thinking pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts. Just throw them in the food processor first to get them in smaller pieces.
And that's it! It was actually really easy and quick. Well, quick for cookies. The worst part about making cookies is having to reload the cookie sheet every time. Hope you try 'em and like 'em! Let me know what you think!
XOXO
Let me say that these are NOT as sweet as "normal" cookies. I mean, there isn't any sugar in them, so what do you expect? Butternut squash is naturally sweet and maple syrup rounds it out. This is also the very first thing I've ever made without following a recipe and I'm really proud of myself. It does need a little tweaking, but for the most part I'm happy with it. More importantly, Chase seemed to like them. Then again, that kid likes almost everything.
Butternut squash cookies
2 cups sprouted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 cup cubed and cooked butternut squash
1 egg (I use eggs from a local farmer's market, but do what you do)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp real vanilla extract
1/2 c real maple syrup
Preheat oven to 350.
In a small(ish) bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Melt butter (makes it easier if you melt it in a medium bowl that you can also use a blender with - less dishes).
Add vanilla, egg, and maple syrup to butter. Blend.
Add butternut squash to wet mixture and blend.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while blending.
Drop just over a tsp and a half on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes give or take.
Notes:
*Next time I will add a few liberal drizzles of honey for additional sweetness. I was out of honey, so I had to work with what I had.
*The cookies do not spread out like other cookies do, so however you place them onto the cookie sheet is how they will remain. That's why doing smaller cookies is important - to ensure that they cook through.
*You could also add chocolate chips (the darker, the better) or cocoa nibs if you wanted to add a little more sweetness (for yourself or if you're ok with giving it to your kids). I think I'll try cocoa nibs in the future.
*Adding nuts is also an option. When Chase is a tad bit older, I'll add nuts. I'm thinking pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts. Just throw them in the food processor first to get them in smaller pieces.
And that's it! It was actually really easy and quick. Well, quick for cookies. The worst part about making cookies is having to reload the cookie sheet every time. Hope you try 'em and like 'em! Let me know what you think!
XOXO
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Six day meal plan
Most of you know how crazy I am about the food my family eats daily. I'm somewhat neurotic about it, but that's another story. Food plays such a huge role in how we feel about ourselves, inside and out. Without a weekly plan, it's easy to become overwhelmed and find comfort in the drive thru. And you know what? The drive thru is ok too. I love some Chic-Fil-A; I'll be the first to tell you. If I could marry it, I would. But that's just weird and creepy...so let's change the subject back to good food. The point is, live your life. Eat junk, but eat it moderately. Don't get frustrated if you have a bad food day or meal, it's really no big deal. Eating healthy shouldn't be a DIET, it should just simply be eating.
So, for my dear friends, I'll post my dinner menus weekly for you to take a gander at and use what you want. Feel free to skip over anything crazy that you're not into or not willing to try (yet...because you'll eventually try it. LOL! Or I'll find you!) I'll try to also post snack/treat ideas too, but most of my recipes for that require what some people would consider obscure ingredients and don't have on hand regularly. My pantry/fridge is always stocked with weirdness, so I have the ability to whip anything up when I get a hankering for something. Did I really just say hankering? Who am I??
Ok, ok. Here's your six day forecast - my personal menu may change, dependent on whether I have time to cook that night's meal/Chase's crazy 'tude...I may switch days around, switch sides around with other things if a veggie is about to go bad, or not cook it at all. However, I always make a plan, otherwise I just wander around the kitchen aimlessly.
Day 1
Salmon patties with homemade mayo/mustard sauce
Maple Brussels sprouts and apples
Mashed potatoes (I generally do sweet, but used regular ones here)
*Notes: Salmon patties were ordered from US Wellness Meats, I'm sure you can get them from a regular 'ol market, but I like knowing my meat is GMO/crap free/raised humanely/and wild/pastured.
You can just mix store bought mayo and dijon mustard to make sauce or use whatever you want.
I omitted cranberries in the sprouts/apples. I didn't have any on hand, but I bet it would have been delish!
When I mash my regular potatoes, I mix in butter, a bit of raw milk, and sour cream.
Day 2
Skirt steak with chive butter
Sautéed kale in butter
Mashed parsnip and carrots
*Notes: I pretty much did everything that the person did with the skirt steak. I didn't have a butternut squash on hand, so I made mashed parsnip and carrots instead.
I don't follow the kale recipe linked, I just make it up as I go. However, this will give you a starting idea of how to cook it and you can deviate as you see fit.
Day 3
Lemon chicken
Crockpot broccoli
*Notes: I use chicken breast instead of thighs. Know that if you chose breast over thighs (or any other bone in cut) that you have to pay attention to cook time as your meat will dry out. I also use dried herbs/spices versus fresh.
Day 4
We typically do a pizza night in our house on Friday nights. So, for the sake of keeping up with that, I'm going to throw in a pizza date here. I use store bought dough (yup, I sure do!) and I make pizza sauce from organic ingredients.
You can also buy pizza sauce, Muir Glen makes a delish organic pizza sauce and their cans are now BPA free. Wooo!! Go crazy with whatever you want on your pizza.
I generally throw whatever leafy green we have in the fridge (kale, spinach, chard) on it, with cheese and pepperoni. I buy Hormel nitrite free pepperoni and Organic Valley Italian blend cheese for this.
I know, I know. I use a crappy, grain filled pizza crust with all these awesome things. I have zero desire to make a crust myself and almond flour crusts don't do it for me. Enough rambling.
Day 5
Taco scramble
*Notes: You can always use a tortilla shell, but we'll opt out. Well, I'll opt out. Steve will probably use a shell.
Also, you can buy the packet of taco seasoning, BUT it probably has junk in it to preserve it. Read the ingredients, but I'm sure it's crap. I make my own seasoning. Using THIS recipe. It's easy to double or triple and just keep it in an air tight container for later use.
Day 6
Bacon apple crockpot chicken
Steamed broccolini (baby broccoli)
*Notes: You can either use jarred BBQ sauce of your choice (read the ingredients) or make your own. I've done both with this recipe and I can say I prefer making my own using THIS recipe. There is no recipe really for steaming broccolini. Throw it in the steamer, squeeze a little lemon over it, steam until desired tenderness.
Sweet Treats
I try to always make one or two sweets a week, because I. LOVE. TREATS. A lot. I may not always make them, but I like to have a couple in mind, so if I'm missing any ingredients I can get them on my weekly market trip.
Pumpkin Ice Cream
Chocolate Bark
*Notes: I've never made the chocolate bark before, so I can't give much info on it. Let's just hope for the best.
*FINAL NOTES: Next week's plan won't be this intricate or long. I promise. I just felt the need to ramble and over explain. I won't continue to do that - unless requested. Also, I know that it's not possible to always use the absolute best ingredients, but please make an effort to just READ the ingredients you're using. I make every effort to limit my use of canned/jarred/boxed/etc items. In fact, I rarely shot in the center of the market...except the baking aisle. Gets me every time. Be aware of GMOs in your food (which if it's boxed, it has GMOs) and stay away from high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and other artificial sweeteners. Contrary to the popular American diets, fat is good for you, so you will see me using FULL fat milk, sour cream, cheese, etc. However, they will be quality, full fats. Also, stay away from canola and vegetable oil, stuff will kill you. Here's a list of safe oils to cook with.
If you're interested in the diet that I LOOSELY follow, you can google Weston A Price or Primal/Paleo diets.
Ok, that's it! I swear. Did you even read this far? If you did, you're dedicated and you're my new BFF. Once again, next week's plan will not be this long. I'll stop over explaining. If you would like for me to include a grocery list, I can do that too. Just let me know!
XOXO
So, for my dear friends, I'll post my dinner menus weekly for you to take a gander at and use what you want. Feel free to skip over anything crazy that you're not into or not willing to try (yet...because you'll eventually try it. LOL! Or I'll find you!) I'll try to also post snack/treat ideas too, but most of my recipes for that require what some people would consider obscure ingredients and don't have on hand regularly. My pantry/fridge is always stocked with weirdness, so I have the ability to whip anything up when I get a hankering for something. Did I really just say hankering? Who am I??
Ok, ok. Here's your six day forecast - my personal menu may change, dependent on whether I have time to cook that night's meal/Chase's crazy 'tude...I may switch days around, switch sides around with other things if a veggie is about to go bad, or not cook it at all. However, I always make a plan, otherwise I just wander around the kitchen aimlessly.
Day 1
Salmon patties with homemade mayo/mustard sauce
Maple Brussels sprouts and apples
Mashed potatoes (I generally do sweet, but used regular ones here)
*Notes: Salmon patties were ordered from US Wellness Meats, I'm sure you can get them from a regular 'ol market, but I like knowing my meat is GMO/crap free/raised humanely/and wild/pastured.
You can just mix store bought mayo and dijon mustard to make sauce or use whatever you want.
I omitted cranberries in the sprouts/apples. I didn't have any on hand, but I bet it would have been delish!
When I mash my regular potatoes, I mix in butter, a bit of raw milk, and sour cream.
Day 2
Skirt steak with chive butter
Sautéed kale in butter
Mashed parsnip and carrots
*Notes: I pretty much did everything that the person did with the skirt steak. I didn't have a butternut squash on hand, so I made mashed parsnip and carrots instead.
I don't follow the kale recipe linked, I just make it up as I go. However, this will give you a starting idea of how to cook it and you can deviate as you see fit.
Day 3
Lemon chicken
Crockpot broccoli
*Notes: I use chicken breast instead of thighs. Know that if you chose breast over thighs (or any other bone in cut) that you have to pay attention to cook time as your meat will dry out. I also use dried herbs/spices versus fresh.
Day 4
We typically do a pizza night in our house on Friday nights. So, for the sake of keeping up with that, I'm going to throw in a pizza date here. I use store bought dough (yup, I sure do!) and I make pizza sauce from organic ingredients.
You can also buy pizza sauce, Muir Glen makes a delish organic pizza sauce and their cans are now BPA free. Wooo!! Go crazy with whatever you want on your pizza.
I generally throw whatever leafy green we have in the fridge (kale, spinach, chard) on it, with cheese and pepperoni. I buy Hormel nitrite free pepperoni and Organic Valley Italian blend cheese for this.
I know, I know. I use a crappy, grain filled pizza crust with all these awesome things. I have zero desire to make a crust myself and almond flour crusts don't do it for me. Enough rambling.
Day 5
Taco scramble
*Notes: You can always use a tortilla shell, but we'll opt out. Well, I'll opt out. Steve will probably use a shell.
Also, you can buy the packet of taco seasoning, BUT it probably has junk in it to preserve it. Read the ingredients, but I'm sure it's crap. I make my own seasoning. Using THIS recipe. It's easy to double or triple and just keep it in an air tight container for later use.
Day 6
Bacon apple crockpot chicken
Steamed broccolini (baby broccoli)
*Notes: You can either use jarred BBQ sauce of your choice (read the ingredients) or make your own. I've done both with this recipe and I can say I prefer making my own using THIS recipe. There is no recipe really for steaming broccolini. Throw it in the steamer, squeeze a little lemon over it, steam until desired tenderness.
Sweet Treats
I try to always make one or two sweets a week, because I. LOVE. TREATS. A lot. I may not always make them, but I like to have a couple in mind, so if I'm missing any ingredients I can get them on my weekly market trip.
Pumpkin Ice Cream
Chocolate Bark
*Notes: I've never made the chocolate bark before, so I can't give much info on it. Let's just hope for the best.
*FINAL NOTES: Next week's plan won't be this intricate or long. I promise. I just felt the need to ramble and over explain. I won't continue to do that - unless requested. Also, I know that it's not possible to always use the absolute best ingredients, but please make an effort to just READ the ingredients you're using. I make every effort to limit my use of canned/jarred/boxed/etc items. In fact, I rarely shot in the center of the market...except the baking aisle. Gets me every time. Be aware of GMOs in your food (which if it's boxed, it has GMOs) and stay away from high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and other artificial sweeteners. Contrary to the popular American diets, fat is good for you, so you will see me using FULL fat milk, sour cream, cheese, etc. However, they will be quality, full fats. Also, stay away from canola and vegetable oil, stuff will kill you. Here's a list of safe oils to cook with.
If you're interested in the diet that I LOOSELY follow, you can google Weston A Price or Primal/Paleo diets.
Ok, that's it! I swear. Did you even read this far? If you did, you're dedicated and you're my new BFF. Once again, next week's plan will not be this long. I'll stop over explaining. If you would like for me to include a grocery list, I can do that too. Just let me know!
XOXO
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