Meal Plan - 5/13/13

Monday - Paleo Chicken Fajitas in the crockpot *
Tuesday -  Paleo Tropical Turkey Meatballs *
Wednesday - Lasagna Soup
Thursday - Giada's Ravioli with Balsamic Brown Butter Sauce
Friday - leftovers
Saturday - Tastefully Simple Honey Apple Pulled Pork
Sunday - Tastefully Simple Savory Grilled Chicken, green beans

Also trying these recipes:
Green Smoothie *
Sweet Potato Paleo Brownies *

Meal Plan 5/6/13 - Mostly "Clean Eating", some Paleo

This is a week of trying new recipes. I've been collecting new ideas in my Pinterest boards and it's time to actually make them! It's a quiet-ish week around here (no more football) so I will have some extra time in the kitchen. Not all of these recipes are Paleo this week, but they're pretty clean. Going back to Paleo next week. (fell off the wagon during my getaway this weekend!)

Breakfast:
Paleo Pancakes - (2 eggs + 1 banana) I tried these last week and they were way too mushy. I wonder if the bananas are NOT supposed to be ripe?
The Biggest Loser Pancakes - OHMYGOSH these things are so good. And filling!!!
Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies *
Paleo Blueberry Pecan Breakfast Cookies *

Lunch:
Paleo Avocado Chicken Salad *
The Biggest Loser White House Salad *

Dinner:
Monday - Meatloaf and green beans
Tuesday - Greek Pizza on Pitas *
Wednesday - Quinoa Black Bean Burrito Bowls *
Thursday - Skinny Chicken Broccoli Alfredo *
Friday - Burgers on the grill with homemade ketchup *

Desserts:
Clean Eating Brownies (I made these last week and they were delicious, but they separated into two weird layers. I don't think Ryan whisked the ingredients enough, so this week I'm going to try again)
Avocado Chocolate Mousse - Avocado's are 3/$1 this week, so this is a must. It's very rich, so I actually use only 1 T. honey, but Mike thinks he can taste the avocado. I can't. It's the perfect chocolate fix for this sweets-deprived girl!

Meal Plan - 4/1/13 (part Paleo, part Clean Eating, and this is no joke!)

I'm getting serious about my diet again. Somewhere after failing my "no sugar" challenge for Lent and getting an assessment at the gym last week that showed me that my body fat % is higher than it should be, I decided to get back on the wagon. 

I need to cut out white sugar and flour, that's for sure, but I'm not certain if I'm going to go full-out Paleo or just follow the Clean Eating plan (minus the pasta). So this week's menu is a combination of both.

Monday - leftovers

Tuesday - Ham, Cheese and Spinach Crustless Quiche

Wednesday - Paleo Turkey Pot Pie *

Thursday - Creamy Ham and Sweet Potato Soup *

Friday - Chocolate Chili *

Saturday - Breakfast for dinner...Healthy Protein Pancakes *

Sunday - Primal Chicken Tortilla Soup *

Lunch Idea (with leftover Easter eggs):

Pesto Egg Salad Wraps

Snacks and Desserts:

Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Dough Balls (I made these last week and they were delicious)
Clean Banana breakfast muffins *
Clean Frozen Banana Cream Pie (leftover from Easter - didn't go over with my in laws)
Clean Pumpkin Pie (Ditto above, but my kids actually loved it. Mike didn't.)

* New recipe - will review next week

Meal Plan - 2/11/13

Monday - Bean and Spinach Soup * with Whole Wheat Bread
Tuesday - Happy 13th Anniversary to us - dinner out and a movie.
Wednesday - Elk Roast with potatoes and carrots (a gift from my cousin's hunter husband)
Thursday - Happy Valentine's Day!  Past with RED sauce and Chocolate Fondue dessert with dippers like bananas, strawberries, pound cake, Rice Krispie Treats and brownies.
Friday - Kaylin's 1/2 birthday - her choice (which probably means pizza)
Saturday - Steak on the grill with baked potatoes and salad
Sunday - Pioneer Woman's Beef Stew

Meal Plan - 1/21/13

Monday - Pioneer Woman's Sunday Night Stew *
Tuesday - Rice, Bean and Cheese Casserole
Wednesday - Bowties with Sausage and Broccoli
Thursday - Tastefully Simple's Brown Sugar Chicken with veggies and rice
Friday - leftovers
Saturday - Rachael Ray's Meatloaf Roll Up
Sunday - Burgers on the grill

Last week's review: the Turkey Minestrone Soup that I made last week was delicious. Surprisingly delicious!!!  I used leftover Christmas turkey meat that I'd frozen and added lentils and omitted the crushed tomatoes (because I didn't have any) but everyone LOVED it.
 

Meal Plan - 1/14/13

My kids helped me with this week's menu because I was feeling fairly uncreative. The only new recipe this week is the soup tonight. I'm still catching back up from our trip to San Diego last weekend.

Monday - Turkey Minestrone Soup * with Whole Wheat French Bread Rolls
Tuesday - Chili with Cornbread with Cranberries and Pecans
Wednesday - Healthy Turkey Pot Pie
Thursday - leftovers
Friday - Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
Saturday - Pizza and salad
Sunday - Chicken on the grill with baked potatoes and broccoli

New recipe reviews from the last couple of weeks:

Shrimp Pasta with Tomatoes, Lemon and Spinach - I was so proud of myself for remembering this recipe from Pinterest. I used leftover shrimp from Christmas Eve shrimp cocktail, leftover tomatoes from the veggie tray that night, plus all other ingredients that we already had on hand. I added feta cheese and capers to mine which really pushed the whole dish over the top for me. Kaylin sat at the table sobbing because she refused to taste the shrimp. As soon as Mike convinced her to try just a bite, her face lit up and she devoured her bowl. We all gave this a thumb up or two.

Leftover Turkey and Swiss Panini - Oh. My. Heavens. Again, I was proud to use the cheese from our cheese-and-crackers plate from Christmas Eve and leftover turkey breast from Christmas Day. I also used some homemade cranberry sauce my mom made (and am willing to admit that I didn't try it that night, but it was a DELICIOUS addition to the panini!) and I grilled the outside of the bread with the leftover herb butter from Christmas day, too. This was truly a leftover sandwich and it was awesome. I savored every bite.

Cheesy Beef Enchilada Casserole - I intended to use leftover turkey for this recipe, but it ended up requiring ground beef, so I made it as directed. This recipe was great - I layered the mixture between tortillas and cheese, like lasagna, and it was much easier to prep and serve than rolling everything inside the tortillas. Plus, I think we ate less tortillas this way. 

Ham and Spinach Quiche - I made this crustless with some leftover Christmas Eve ham and it was great! One of my kids didn't like it, but I can't remember who or why. It just tasted like a scrambled egg bake to me...easy, quick and good.

Healthy Krispie Treats - I used Brown Rice Krispies and honey for this recipe. They were a little too good because I ate most of them...I will not be making them again for that reason. I was able to justify the sweet treat (again and again) because they were healthy-er.

No-Bake Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies - Do you like chocolate?  Do yourself a favor and make these. Immediately. I don't like anything coffee flavored, not even mocha ice cream, but the instant coffee in these little guys just punches up the flavor of the chocolate. One word: wow. Mike and I decided not to share these little gems with the kids. Yes, we're selfish.

Chia Cranberry Apple Crisp - I used leftover whole cranberries in this recipe from Christmas and it was a bit tart. My family doesn't love cranberries, so I'm ashamed to say that I consumed most of this. In less than 24 hours. Warmed and topped with Blue Bell Vanilla Bean ice cream. Because I didn't want my family to suffer. :)

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls - I've seen these in Christmas cookie tins, but was never a huge fan until recently. They're pretty good! I can see why they're so popular.

 

Meal Plan 12/27/12 - 1/5/13

This is my leftover-Christmas-food meal plan. LOTS of repurposing! There are so many leftovers in my fridge that I need to spend some time this weekend assembling and freezing some of the recipes below so the meat won't go bad. Several of these are easy to prepare ahead.

Thursday - Creamy Turkey Noodle Soup (add carrots and broccoli)
Friday - Shrimp Pasta with Tomatoes, Lemon and Spinach *
Saturday - Healthy Turkey Pot Pie
Sunday - The Pioneer Woman's Leftover Turkey and Cheese Panini *
Monday - New Year's Eve fiesta: Ham and Spinach Quiche *, Goat Cheese Sun Dried Tomato Party Dip * and Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls *
Tuesday - Cheese and Turkey Enchilada Casserole *
Wednesday - Cheap and Easy Korean Beef
Thursday - Lasagna Soup
Friday - leftovers or eat out
Saturday - Turkey Tetrazzini
Sunday - chicken on the grill with rice and salad

Sweet Treats
Chia Cranberry Apple Crisp *
No-Bake Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies *
 

Meal Plan - 12/10/12 (Christmas party inspired!)

Last week's meal plan was another success! I'll review the new recipes at the end of this post...

Monday - Bowties with Sausage and Broccoli (with a new Chicken and Apple sausage that they were sampling at Costco - holy YUM)
Tuesday - Skinny Chicken Enchiladas * with Healthy Krispie Treats *
Wednesday - Crock Pot Greek Chicken *
Thursday - Crock Pot Broccoli and Chicken Noodle Soup
Friday - Clean Eating Southwest Quinoa Salad * (note to self: make ahead and keep in fridge)
Saturday - leftovers with Santa Hat Pretzels
Sunday - Hosting a Christmas party for my amazing Tastefully Simple team...I'm making a few Tastefully Simple dinner recipes plus some Pinterest inspired Christmas fun:
- Christmas Tree Veggie Tray * (with one of our veggie dips, I'm sure)
- Buffalo Chicken Bites * (with our Bold Buffalo Blue Cheese Dip Mix)
- Santa Hat Brownies * (using our Truffle Fudge Brownies)
- Hot Chocolate Cupcakes * (using our Classy Chocolate Pound Cake)
- Almond Toffee Bites *
- Peppermint Popcorn *
- Crock Pot Hot Cocoa *
- Healthy Apple Cider *
- labeling the food with these adorable Candy Cane Label Holders

* new recipes will be reviewed next week

New Recipe Review from last week: 
- Beef Carnitas Tacos - Oh. My. So good, I reposted it on my blog. We will be making these again and again! 5 thumbs up from my fam.

- Parmesan Chicken - This was also very good. Not amazing, but definitely a new, different way to serve boring chicken in our house. I'd make it again for sure.

- Cheesy Zucchini Rice - A big hit with my family! We rarely add cheese to stuff, so having a warm, gooey version of our typical brown rice was a fun surprise at the table. Ryan was suspicious of the shredded zucchini pieces, but once he tried it, he realized they were tasteless because they were so small.

- Lasagna Soup - This was the biggest hit of the week! I need to play around with this recipe before reposting it because it was WAY too spicy for me and the kids, but that didn't stop us from going back for seconds. Ryan said his mouth felt like "1,000 volcanos were erupting" but he couldn't stop eating it. I felt the exact same way...the pain was SO worth it. I'm not sure if I bought sausage that was too spicy or if I need to replace the fire-roasted tomatoes next time, but this was OUTSTANDING. Everyone loved it!

- Clean Eating Chocolate Mug Cake - I've seen cake-box versions of mug cakes and wanted to try this "clean" version. It was fine, but I used as many ingredients to make five of them for all of us as I would have to make a whole cake, so this wasn't worth it for me. It was fairly dry and needed whipped cream on practically every bite.

 

Meal Plan - 12/3/12

Monday - Slow Cooker Beef Carnitas Tacos * with Chipotle's Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Bean Brownies for dessert
Tuesday - Parmesan Chicken * with Cheesy Zucchini Rice * with Healthy Krispie Treats * for dessert
Wednesday - Lasagna Soup * with Clean Eating Chocolate Mug Cake *
Thursday - Crock Pot White Chicken Chili
Friday - Crock Pot Chicken Burritos
Saturday - bringing Martha Stewart's Chocolate Crackle Cookies to Hunko Bunko pot luck
Sunday - leftovers

Meal Plan - 11/26/12

My fridge overfloweth. This week's meal plan isn't even worth posting, except that I need to have it in writing for my own reference. We'll be eating lots of leftovers this week. Lots.

Monday - leftover Thanksgiving dinner
Tuesday - leftover Turkey Tetrazzini
Wednesday - leftover Chili 
Thursday - anything else that's leftover from the leftovers
Friday - Chicken, Cheese and Bean Quesadillas
Saturday - Giada's Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce
Sunday - out to eat with Mike's parents

Dessert
Pioneer Woman's Monster Cookies
Pecan-Date Bars*

Review of last week's new recipes:
* Chicken with Quinoa and Veggies - thumbs up from the whole family. I cut up the chicken and made this into more of a casserole-on-the-stove dish, but everyone ate it. Kaylin wasn't a fan of the feta, but she'll learn.
* Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce - this should have been amazing, but I didn't make her pesto from scratch...I used my own, which wasn't saucy enough. I'll try it again using ALL of her instructions to give it a proper review.
* Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup - this was very good, but very coconut-y. The coconut milk was too strong for my family. We all ate it, but I won't make this again unless I substitute the milk.
* Healthy Chocolate Chip Deep Dish Pie - if you're cutting sugar or flour out of your diet, you HAVE TO try this recipe. If you're used to full fat, full sugar, gooey chocolatey chip goodness from your cookies, the texture of this pie will probably bug you. But for my family and our guests that tasted it, it was devoured. Especially topped with full fat, full sugar ice cream.  :)

I didn't make the new cornbread recipe or the Beef Carnitas Tacos...those will have to wait for next week when I have more time and less leftovers in my fridge!
 

11/14/12 Meal Plan

Wednesday - Chicken with Quinoa and Veggies *
Thursday - Chicken Fingers, brown rice, green beans
Friday - date night!
Saturday - Tilapia, Pioneer Woman's Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce, salad
Sunday - Pioneer Woman's Steak Bites, baked potatoes, broccoli
Monday -  Chili with Pioneer Woman's Cornbread with Pecans and Cranberries * and Healthy Chocolate Chip Deep Dish Pie* for dessert
Tuesday - Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup *
Wednesday - Tastefully Simple's Artichoke and Spinach Chicken
Thursday - Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday - leftovers
Saturday - Giada's Turkey Tetrazzini
Sunday - Slow Cooker Beef Carnitas Tacos * with Chipotle's Cilantro Lime Rice

* These are new recipes - I'll give my reviews next week

Meal Plan 7/23/12

Monday - {Rachael Ray's} Meatloaf Roll Up 

Tuesday - Mango Cucumber Rice Salad* (with shredded chicken)

Wednesday - Salmon in a Bag (tin foil, lemon, salmon, butter – Wrap it up tightly and bake for 25 minutes at 300 °)

Thursday - Chicken Enchilada Quiche

Friday - Parmesan Crusted Herb Chicken* and Quinoa with Veggies.

Saturday - Peachy Chicken Salad with Cumin over greens*

Sunday - Steak and potatoes on the grill

* Indicates new recipe - will review on a future Meal Plan

Gluten Free Meal Plan - 7/2/12

Monday - Crock pot BBQ Chicken* with brown rice
Tuesday - {Crock Pot} Minestrone Soup
Wednesday - going to a pot luck...bringing Red, White and Blueberry Cheesecake Cupcakes*
Thursday - Homemade Chipotle Bowls
Friday - Cheap and Easy Korean Beef* with brown rice and broccoli
Saturday - out to eat
Sunday - Savory Grilled Chicken on the grill with red potatoes and salad

Dessert:
Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie Parfaits*
Frozen S'Mores Cups* (for the kids - minus the Cool Whip)

* I'm feeling adventurous this week, so I'm trying lots of new recipes.  I'll repost them if they're good!

Meal Plan - 4/30/12

Monday - Black Bean Chicken Chili
Tuesday - Beef Stir Fry
Wednesday - {Slow Cooker} Chicken Taco Stew

Thursday - Southwest Quinoa Casserole
Friday - Ravioli with Balsalmic Brown Butter Sauce
Saturday - leftovers
Sunday - Chicken on the grill, salad and rice

Meal Plan - 4/9/12

Last week's reviews: 

- Easy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars - These were SO EASY to make, but I would like to mess with the recipe a little.  They were a bit sweet for my taste and they didn't hold together well until they were refrigerated, but my family loved them. When I mess with the recipe, I'll repost it. I need another binder other than honey...stay tuned.

- Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash and Quinoa - My family doesn't "do" butternut squash, so this was a risk. I generally have to sneak it into sauces and casseroles, but the author of this recipe raved so much, I wanted to give it a try.  The first couple of bites indicated that it wasn't going to be popular, but the taste seemed to grow on everyone, including me!  It was the weirdest thing...I think we all just got used to the taste and the better of the flavors became more prominent.  I made some Beer Bread and enticed the kids to finish their bowls to earn a slice.  I told them that they'd get ice cream if they ate a 2nd bowl (their bowls are teeny) and the big kids both did. (they rarely do this if they hate a meal) I probably won't make this again, but if your family likes butternut squash, you'll probably have better luck.

This week's menu...
Monday - {Vegetarian} Southwestern Quinoa Casserole
Tuesday - {Healthy} Cream of Potato Soup and salad
Wednesday - {Slow Cooker} Chicken Taco Stew
Thursday - {Rachael Ray's} Meatloaf Roll Up with potatoes and carrots
Friday - Pretzel Crusted Chicken Fingers with veggies
Saturday - Crust-less Quiche with sausage, broccoli and cheese
Sunday - Marinaded chicken on the grill, veggies and rice

Meal Plan - 4/1/12

Monday - Rice, Bean and Cheese Casserole
Tuesday - Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash and Quinoa *
Wednesday - Pot Roast, potatoes and carrots in the crock pot
Thursday - Pesto Halibut, green beans and Olive Oil Bread
Friday - Chicken Enchilada Quiche
Saturday - leftovers
Sunday - Chicken Pesto Pizza

Other stuff:Easy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars *
Homemade Pretzels *

* These are new recipes that I will review next week!

Meal Plan 1/30/12

Monday - Ravioli with Balsalmic Brown Butter Sauce
Tuesday - Salmon with quinoa and veggies
Wednesday - Tacos
Thursday - Spaghetti Carbonara
Friday - Beef Stir Fry
Saturday - Crock Pot Chicken Burritos
Sunday - Rice, Bean and Cheese Casserole

Meal Plan 1/16/11

Monday - Chicken Enchilada Quiche
Tuesday - {Crock Pot} Minestrone Soup
Wednesday - Turkey Tetrazzini
Thursday - leftovers
Friday - {Crock Pot} White Chicken Chili
Saturday - Chicken Parmesan

Meal Plan 1/9/12

Monday - {Vegetarian} Southwestern Quinoa Casserole
Tuesday - Combo of this and this recipe for Turkey Noodle Soup
Wednesday - Bowties with Broccoli & Sausage
Thursday - Pesto Halibut, green beans and Olive Oil Bread
Friday - Mike on his own with the kids
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Vegetable Penne with Pesto

Meal Plan 1/2/12

I am so ready to get back into meal planning! So far, I'm off to a good start this year...!

Monday - Chicken on the grill and salad.
Tuesday - {Healthy} Cream of Potato Soup with Whole Wheat Bread
Wednesday - Beef Stir Fry
Thursday - Salmon with Balsalmic Quinoa Salad
Friday - Ravioli with Balsalmic Brown Butter Sauce
Saturday - Spaghetti and meatballs
Sunday - Turkey Pot Pie