This Week’s Menu Plan

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To mention my recent absence, or not to mention??  Truth is, blogging is not a business for me.  Just a fun hobby.  And as just about everyone in the entire world knows, there are seasons when hobbies cannot take a front seat.  Or even a back seat.  Or even a sidecar.

This, for me, has been one of those seasons.  Is she pregnant, AGAIN?!?!?  That will probably be the first question many of you will think to ask :).  The answer is, right now, no.  The Lord has seen it fit to keep me plenty busy with my current role of wife and mother to five.  I am content with that!

My husband’s business has kept our family extremely busy lately, and it seems that any time we have him to ourselves, I just don’t feel like sneaking away to blog.  I just want to enjoy our togetherness.

But, we are still eating.  So, at the very least, I can share with you what we have on the menu for this week!

Gluten-free was a short-lived experiment for us.  We just didn’t see any differences – good or bad.  Still very thankful that we do not need to be gluten-free.  I am still making a conscious effort to limit our wheat, though.  Mostly because I just don’t feel comfortable eating any food several times a day, every day of the week.

BREAKFASTS:

Chocolate Banana Smoothies

Oatmeal

Granola

Yogurt

Granola bars

Honey Nut O’s from Trader Joe’s (my kids thought I deserved Mother of the Year for this one)

LUNCHES:

Baked Potatoes, steamed broccoli, cheese

Bean Bowls (refried beans with fixin’s), corn chips

Turkey Sandwiches, fresh veggies

Pancakes, sausage, maple icing

Leftovers x 3

DINNERS:

Taco Joes (like sloppy joes, but taco-y and eaten with chips), shredded cheese, tomato, sour cream, corn chips

Roasted Potatoes and Sausage, green beans

Chicken Spaghetti, steamed peas, carrot sticks

Tuna, Spinach and Rice, oranges

Beef and Black Bean Stew, fruit

Pizza, fresh veggies

Church Pot Luck – breakfast theme this week . . . Still not sure about this one . . .

So, that’s the plan!  Are you in a busy season right now?  What are you doing to stay sane?

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This Week’s Menu Plan

Continuing with the gluten-free experiment this week.  I am still avoiding most baking and definitely avoiding all weird ingredients (gums, starches, garbanzo bean flour, etc.) just because I do not want to incur the expense or invest my time learning a bunch of new skills if this isn’t a permanent way of life for us.

So, I haven’t really answered the “Why gluten-free?” question.  Mostly because the post would actually turn into a rambling series that would induce sleep in most readers.  Basically, I have had digestive issues since I was old enough to remember constant stomach aches when I was little.  And headaches.  I also weigh less than I would like – I know, terrible, right?  But, it does both concern and annoy me that I cannot seem to look like a grown-up.  There are other little things that seem to possibly be gluten sensitivity related.

And, my middle daughter (who turns five today!!) also has several issues that could be gluten related.  So, why not try?  See if we feel better.  See if we look better.

I have found several great blogs that have some amazing gluten or grain free recipes.  And, with a little creativity, but not too much effort, avoiding gluten has been pretty pain-free.

So, here is this week’s plan:

BREAKFASTS:

Still in a healing phase from “Breakfast Burnout”.  This choose-your-own-adventure thing is a little more work, but a lot less complaining.  I’ll take that trade.

• Eggs
• Smoothie
• Oatmeal
• Granola
• Apples and PB
• Cheese
• Fresh Fruit

LUNCH:

• Lettuce Wraps (PB & J or veggies and hummus), fresh veggies
• Sloppy Joes (no buns for the gf gals), steamed corn
• White Bean Chicken Chili, green beans
• Bean Bowls (Refried beans with fixin’s), corn chips
• Egg salad, fresh veggies
• Leftovers x 2

DINNER:

• Coconut Flour Waffles, scrambled eggs
• Green Rice, green beans
• Scalloped Potatoes, peas
• Calico Beans (these are amazing!), fresh fruit
• Cottage Mac and Cheese and Movie Night
• Leftovers x 2

Have you tried any new recipes that you loved lately?  Calico Beans are definitely one for me! Have a yummy week :)!

Join me at Menu Plan Monday for more inspiration!

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This Week’s Menu Plan – Gluten Free!

Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins (gluten-free and dairy-free)

I survived “eat from the pantry” week!!  Do they have t-shirts for that?  Am I the only one who does not enjoy a break from grocery shopping?

Anyway, I took my usual trip to Costco and Trader Joe’s today instead of tomorrow.  Some of the kids are a little sick, and I am not sure if my sidekick (she does not prefer the title “mother’s helper” :)) is coming tomorrow.  And I do not want to go one more day without grocery shopping.

Always a problem when I go to the store hungry.  Even bigger problem when I am hungry and I have been eating from the pantry all week.  Needless to say, we have plenty of food in the house now!  And those treasured Trader Joe dark chocolate PB cups are mine again.

My middle child and I are still avoiding wheat for now, so all of our meals are gluten-free this week.  And I don’t want to buy a bunch of weird new ingredients, so this is gluten-free with plain old food.  Not too hard actually, if you are used to making many things from scratch anyway.  And you don’t mind eating a hot dog without a bun :).

BREAKFASTS:

– Still letting kids choose from a list of options until we get over the breakfast burnout phase:

Eggs

Smoothie (GF girl and I have been enjoying one of these almost every morning – YUM!!)

Oatmeal

Granola

Apples and PB

Leftover GF muffins (Orange Coconut or Banana Nut Chocolate Chip)

Yogurt (plain, sweetened with berries or maple syrup)

LUNCH:

– Still going with my “big meal of the day at noon” plan.  Works well for Jason’s schedule and managing the dishes.

PB & J Lettuce Wraps (I know this sounds so weird, but all of the kids like them!  Try it.  I swear.), cheese, veggies and hummus

Hot Dogs (the no nitrate/nitrite version), steamed green beans, apples (we GF gals will just go without the bun.  No biggie for us.)

Chicken Divan, oranges

Deviled Eggs (otherwise known as “egg boats” around here), fresh veggies and hummus, apples and PB

Split Pea Soup, apples

Leftovers x 2

DINNER:

Lemon Tuna and Rice, steamed peas

Baked Potatoes, steamed broccoli, cheese

Bean Bowls, oranges

Pizza Spaghetti and Movie Night (This is my GF substitute for pizza and movie night this week:  Rice spaghetti, topped with shredded Italian cheeses, spaghetti sauce with more “pizza-y” seasonings, sautéed mushrooms and sausage, and parmesan cheese on top.  Who is going to miss pizza?), oranges

Chili Burgers with lettuce, avocado and tomato, corn chips, apples (bun-less for the GF gals) This is my soon to be five-year-old’s favorite meal for her birthday :)!!  Ice cream sundaes for dessert since I will not be attempting a GF cake at this point.

Leftovers x 2

That is my week!  What do you have planned?

Check out other menu plans for the week at Menu Plan Monday!

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