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Meal Plans Week of 4-27-14

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How is it possible that this is the last week of April already? I feel like the weeks are flying by right now. I guess that’s what happens when you are busy and productive.

Last week I had fun meeting up with some fellow Michigan bloggers. I got a really fun book that I’ll be telling you about later this week. My daughter had her six-year check up. She’s doing great!

One of the best parts of last week was my son’s allergy test. After just six months of being careful about how we feed him and focusing on getting him to consume broth and gelatin whenever possible he has dropped several of his allergies! Over the last few days he’s been devouring eggs. This mama has been so overjoyed to see her little guy eating and thoroughly enjoying such a nourishing food again. So far he seems to be tolerating them well. We have yet to try wheat, peas, turkey and nuts. I think we’ll hold off on the nuts for a while still. I feel like I have so many more meal options now! Best of all I have a very happy little boy now that we have reassessed what’s bothering him and cut it out. No more rice or avocado for six months (in addition to dairy, tuna, grapes, bananas and pears).

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This week will be pretty busy again. But I will also have to be busy in the house. I continue to tackle my house organizing and cleaning project. Little by little I’m getting through it. I spent 3 1/2 hours organizing and cleaning yesterday. There is still so much work to be done. But I have to put my schedule on overdrive since I want the house clean for my son’s birthday party in less than two weeks.

I also need to start baking this week in preparation for my son’s party. I want to get a few things prepared in advance. I’m holding off on the cake until we introduce wheat and see how it goes. If he tolerates wheat I’ll use that for the cake. I’m not going to jump to giving him wheat all the time even if he does tolerate it. But it will be a nice treat to have a “regular” cake.

In addition to our regular activities my daughter has a dentist appointment, a psychologist appointment and we have another MomBreak meeting.

As usual I’m going for simple meals this week. It’s such a treat to be able to use eggs when I cook again. What’s on your menu? Eet smakelijk!

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**********MENU**********

S (church)
L – chicken meatballs, noodles, broccoli
D – grilled chicken breasts, squash, chips

M (dentist)
D – baked cod, french fries, beans

T (AKM, RKM, make broth)
D – (prep ahead) – cp roast chicken w/ vegetables

W ()
D – hot taco rice/quinoa

Th (Dr. M., dance)
D – (early/separate) – cp corn chowder, bread

F (MB)
D – mini bacon quiches, caramel apple salad, roasted brussels sprouts and cualiflower

S (clean)
D – TBD w/ bacon

Butternut Squash Quinoa Risotto (gluten free, dairy free)

butternut squash quinoa risotto

I LOVE risotto. I also LOVE anything with squash. Unfortunately my son is allergic to rice (yes, really). So I never make risotto anymore.

My son is also fairly picky. But I was craving risotto the other day. So I crossed my fingers and made a quinoa version that we could all eat.

The verdict? Amazing! Three of us dug right in and even had seconds.

My son, however, ran from the table screaming at the word risotto. He didn’t come back until dinner was over and I was cleaning the table. He finally agreed to try a bite. When he did his reaction was, “This is so good!” He proceeded to clear his plate.

I’ll consider it a great dinner success!

One of the best parts about the this risotto is that it is so easy to make. I cooked the quinoa earlier in the day when I had a few spare minutes. Then at dinner time it only took about 15 minutes to make the risotto.

I also love this recipe because it’s a simple way to get my kids to eat quality vegetables and bone broth without them realizing it. Easy, healthy and delicious…my favorite kind of recipe.

Give this risotto a try. Your whole family will love it.

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Butternut Squash Quinoa Risotto (gluten free, dairy free)
Serves 4
A simple main dish or side dish filled with vegetables and bone broth that the whole family will love.
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Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup quinoa - soaked for at least 7 hours and then drained
  2. 1 cup water or bone broth
  3. 1 cup pureed butternut squash (you can replace this with any pureed vegetable you like)
  4. 1 Tbsp. coconut oil (or butter)
  5. 1/2 - 3/4 cups bone broth
  6. seasoning - sea salt, garlic powder, pepper - seasoning of your choice
  7. grated parmesan cheese (optional if tolerant of dairy)
Instructions
  1. Bring one cup of water and/or broth to a boil. Add the drained/rinsed quinoa. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 12 minutes.
  2. Remove the pan from the heat. Leave the pan covered for 15 minutes. At this point you can make the risotto or refrigerate the quinoa until you are ready to make the risotto.
  3. In a pot, heat the quinoa, squash, coconut oil, seasoning and 1/2 cup broth. Stir until well combined. Simmer the mixture until the broth has cooked down, stirring occasionally. Add more broth if desired/if the mixture is too dry. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
  4. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Add cheese directly to the pan or grate on top of individual servings if desired.
Just Take A Bite https://justtakeabite.com/

 

Meal Plans Week of 4-20-14

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Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Happy Easter!!

Last week we had so much fun celebrating my daughter’s 6th birthday. She enjoyed all of her special treats and presents. It sure kept me busy, but it’s worth the effort. We also went to an Easter egg hunt. The kids had fun finding the eggs. The tough part is telling them they can’t have the candy inside. But we compensate at home 🙂

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We were also blessed with a wonderful ultrasound last week!! God is good. We are so thankful for this little miracle.

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This week will be even crazier than last week. Last week I was busy around the house (which I don’t mind). This week we’ll hardly be at home (which I don’t like). I have a chiro appointment. We have our usual Kindermusik. I also have a blogger meeting. My daughter has her 6-year check up. My son has an allergy re-test. We also have MomBreak. Somehow in there I need to at least do a quick trip to the grocery store. We’re almost out of some staples.

My son’s birthday party is in 3 weeks. I was hoping to get started on a few items for it this week. But I’m not sure I’ll have time. Which means next week will be back to crazy busy in the house with cleaning and baking.

This week’s menu has to be quick prep foods. Hopefully I can keep everyone decently fed. I was so focused on birthday stuff last week that I totally forgot to get anything special for Easter dinner. I thought I had some ham in the freezer…but no. Bummer. What’s on your menu? Eet smakelijk! Happy Easter!

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 **********MENU**********

S (church, make chocolates?)
L – cp honey mustard chicken, cheesy mashed potatoes, green beans, applesauce
D – leftover homemade pizza, roasted cauliflower

M (chiro, groceries)
D – hamburgers, french fries, peas

T (bake muffins, AKM, RKM, WMB?)
D – (prep ahead) – cp chili w/ TBD (for the family), me – at the meeting

W (Dr. S., co-op)
D – (separate) – cp sweet mustard roast w/ vegetables

Th (Dr. B., dance)
D – (early/separate) – hot taco rice

F (MB)
D – scones, sausage, roasted vegetables, fruit salad

S (groceries)
D – baked cod, TBD

Meal Plans Week of 4-13-14

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April showers bring May flowers. I hope that’s what all this rain will do! After such a long winter it feels very strange to have rain and thunderstorms.

It’s hard to believe it’s mid-April already!! I feel like I missed half of it because we were on vacation for a week. It’s good to be back home now.

Now that vacation is over it’s time to get to work. I’ve already been working on lots of cleaning over the weekend. I need to keep at it. There is so much more to do. We also have quite a few events this week. We’re back to our usual activities like Kindermusik and dance. My husband has worship team rehearsal and is playing for our Maundy Thursday service. I have a steering team meeting.

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Our little animal lover is turning 6!

There are two big events this week. First I have my ultrasound!!!! In case you were wondering…no, we are not finding out the gender. We also don’t share names before the baby is born. We like surprises. The second exciting thing is that my little girl is turning 6!! I can’t believe my baby is going to be that old.

That being said, I have a lot to do in the kitchen this week. We are not having a birthday party. But that doesn’t mean we won’t celebrate. I will be working on the birthday cake all week (I really need to get started with the planning/details!). In addition to the cake, my daughter wants me to make soft serve ice cream. My daughter has also requested decorated cookies to bring for a school snack. That plus our usual meals, etc. should keep me plenty busy.

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I’m starting to feel more and more like myself again. Today is 21 weeks. Aside from airplane-induced nausea I think that symptom is gone. I am still battling the cold we all picked up on our trip. But I’m trying to keep going since I have so much to get done.

The most exciting thing for me over the last week has been feeling a lot more baby kicks. Even better is that my husband has been able to feel them. But the best of all is that my daughter got to feel a big kick! She’s been waiting so long to feel the baby move. It’s so exciting to get to share this with her.

Here is our menu for the week. Hopefully I can keep up with the cooking and the baking and the activities. What are you eating this week? Eet smakelijk!

**********MENU**********

S (church, make gummies?, make ice cream?, chop fruits and vegetables)
L – cp beef roast with vegetables
D – TBD w/ leftover honey herb chicken breasts

M (bake cake)
D – butternut squash quinoa risotto, roasted asparagus, home-canned peaches

T (AKM, RKM, soak flour)
D – (prep ahead) – cp pork chops w/ fruit, potatoes, salad

W (Dr. E.!!!, make/decorate cookies, WT)
D – soaked cheeseburger cups, roasted squash, home-canned peaches

Th (make cake decoration, dance, church, Rebecca’s birthday)
D – (early) – goulash, corn, garlic toast

F (MBST, make frosting, decorate cake, make soft serve ice cream)
D – grilled steak, grilled asparagus, baked or roasted potatoes (Rebecca’s requested birthday dinner – we’re celebrating a day later since we won’t all be together on Thursday evening)

S (clean)
D – TBD pot pie (gluten/dairy free), roasted cualiflower, applesauce

Meal Plans Week of 4-6-14

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It’s April! I only have one more week with a five-year old girl. At least I get to spend lots of time with her since it’s spring break. That means none of our usual activities. We’ll do lots of fun stuff together instead.

Since it is spring break I’m taking a break from my usual to-do’s as well. I’m just spending time with my family and relaxing.

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Last week we celebrated my husband’s birthday. As usual the kids enjoyed  helping him open his gifts.

I’m making the final plans for my daughter’s birthday cake. We’re just celebrating as a family, but I still always try to do a fun cake. I’ll be working on that next week. I’m also planning my son’s cake and party.

Today is a pretty exciting day…I’m half way through this pregnancy!!! It’s crazy to be at 20 weeks.

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19 Weeks

Since I’m not 100% sure what our activities will be this week my menu will be pretty flexible. I am the kind of person that loves to be organized and prepared. But this week I’m going to just see what happens. I’m trying to stretch myself a bit. I’m just going to list meal options and pick and choose as we go. Maybe we’ll even go out to eat for a treat.

What are you eating this week? Eet smakelijk!

 **********MENU**********

hot dogs, chips, vegetable

waffles, sausage, fruit salad, vegetable

honey herb chicken breasts, baked potatoes, vegetable

chicken noodle soup, bread

cp beef roast w/ vegetables

soaked cheeseburger cups, vegetable

Gluten Free Dairy Free Orange Cranberry Scones (egg free, nut free, rice free)

orange cranberry scones

Almost every Friday we have breakfast for dinner. It gets hard to come up with a variety of hearty breakfast food when you can’t serve eggs, dairy or wheat. Recently I decided to make one of my favorite breakfast foods as a component of our meal – scones!

Instead of finding a recipe I wanted to try making something new. I decided on orange cranberry scones.

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I had a great little helper in the kitchen to run the food processor for me. He sampled the dough as well to make sure it was just right. Then he did his best to wait patiently while they baked.

In the end we had delicious, slightly sweet scones that the whole family thoroughly enjoyed. For a special touch I sprinkled homemade powdered sugar on top. You could also make a simple glaze with powdered sugar and orange juice or any type of milk. Or they are great as-is.

These would pair very well with quiche (if you tolerate eggs). I served them with bacon, roasted asparagus and fruit salad.

If you don’t like orange and/or cranberry you can substitute your favorite flavors. Lemon and blueberry would taste great. You could simply swap cranberries for another dried fruit. Or you could add nuts. I can’t wait to have them again!

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Gluten Free Dairy Free Orange Cranberry Scones
Yields 8
A mildly sweet scone that is gluten, dairy, egg, nut and rice free.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 cups any combination of gluten free flours (I use amaranth, sorghum, teff and tapioca)
  2. 1/3 cup organic cane sugar or coconut sugar
  3. 1 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
  4. 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  5. 1/2 tsp. unrefined sea salt
  6. 3/4 cups organic palm shortening (you can substitute butter if you tolerate dairy)
  7. 1/4 cup orange juice
  8. 3 Tbsp. maple syrup or honey
  9. 1 tsp. ground flaxseed (optional - this helps bind them)
  10. 1 Tbsp. orange zest
  11. 1/2 cup cranberries (or other dried fruit or nut)
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 350*F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a food processor or mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, flaxseed and orange zest. Pulse or stir until combined.
  3. Add half of the palm shortening. Pulse or blend. Add the other half of the shortening. Pulse or blend until the mixture is slightly crumbly.
  4. Add the juice and syrup. Mix until a sticky dough forms.
  5. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl (if using a food processor). Add the cranberries and mix well.
  6. Drop the dough by large mounds onto the prepared baking sheet. Press the dough down slightly and form scones into desired shape.
  7. At this point you may bake the scones immediately, cover them and refrigerate or freeze to bake later.
  8. When ready to bake, place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 35 minutes. Allow the scones to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing them from the pan.
  9. Dust the scones with powdered sugar if desired.
Just Take A Bite https://justtakeabite.com/

Meal Plans Week of 3-30-14

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Good morning. March is almost done…and hopefully the really cold weather is too. I hope the 60* forecast for tomorrow is true!!

We don’t have a whole lot going on this week aside from the usual activities like school and Kindermusik. That means it’s time to work on cleaning! At least that’s my plan for now. We’ll see how my body and my kids feel about the idea. My husband’s birthday is Saturday. So we’ll be going out for dinner.

I would also like to get a few things done in the kitchen. Last week I made ice cream, muffins, scones (recipe coming this week!) and graham crackers. This week I want make gummies and “cheese” crackers. If time allows my kids would like me to make chocolates.

My kids’ birthdays are quickly approaching as well. That means it’s time to plan cakes. I also have to plan my little guy’s party (he can’t be turning 3 already!!).

Here is our menu for the week. Simple but nutritious. What’s on your menu? Eet smakelijk!

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**********MENU**********

S (church, nursery, make gummies, make broth)
L – cp chicken legs, potatoes, carrots
D – bacon mac ‘n’ cheese, sauteed zucchini and spinach

M (make “cheese” crackers)
D – tacos

T (AKM, RKM)
D – (prep ahead) – crockpot gumbo

W ()
D – salmon cakes, baked potatoes, squash

Th ()
D – hamburgers, fries, broccoli

F ()
D – TBD chicken, salad

S (Justin’s birthday)
D – out to eat

Fudge Caramel Cone Swirl Ice Cream

Fudge Caramel Cone Swirl Ice Cream

Ice cream has to be my absolute favorite food. I love to make homemade ice cream so that it is nutrient-dense and does not contain any chemicals. As an added bonus, when you make your own ice cream you can create any flavor you like!

We generally don’t have much cream all winter since our milk share goes down. But I recently found some good cream at a local farm store. I jumped at the chance to have good ice cream in the house again.

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My daughter and I brainstormed flavors and came up with fudge caramel cone swirl. This flavor does take a little work up front since you have to make the fudge and the caramel. You could also make the cones (I happened to have some gluten free store-bought cones that I needed to use up). But it is well worth the time and effort.

Do you make your own ice cream? What is your favorite flavor?

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Fudge Caramel Cone Swirl Ice Cream
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Ingredients
  1. 3 cups heavy cream (raw if available)
  2. 1/2 - 3/4 cups any combination of sweetener (cane sugar, maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar)
  3. 1-4 egg yolks (optional)
  4. 1/2 tsp. unrefined sea salt
  5. 1 Tbsp. organic vanilla
  6. 1/4 cup caramel sauce
  7. 1/4 cup fudge sauce
  8. 1/4 cup ice cream cone pieces
Instructions
  1. Prepare the caramel sauce and fudge sauce. Allow the sauces to cool completely.
  2. Combine the cream, yolks, sweetener, salt and vanilla in a blender. Blend until smooth. Adjust the sweetness to taste.*
  3. Prepare the ice cream in an ice cream maker (this usually takes 15 - 20 minutes with a Kitchen Aide ice cream maker attachement).
  4. Transfer the ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Mix the cone pieces into the ice cream. Drop spoonfuls of the fudge and caramel into the ice cream and gently swirl.
  5. Place the ice cream in the freezer until firm.
Notes
  1. *The ice cream batter should be slightly sweeter than you want the ice cream to taste. The sweetness will decrease as it freezes.
Just Take A Bite https://justtakeabite.com/

Meal Plans Week of 3-23-14

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It’s hard to believe this is the last full week of March already! I’m thankful that it is ending better than it started. At the beginning of the month I was still taking my anti-nausea meds some days, and I could only manage a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Today I had salmon and roasted beets as part of my breakfast. My husband’s birthday is two weeks away, and I already have his gift bought. This is also the first time in about four months that I have my meals planned before Sunday morning! I’d say things are improving.

This week will be fairly busy. Today is church. I have a chiropractor appointment tomorrow (finally!!!)  I should also get to a local meat market since we hardly have any meat in the house. Both kids have Kindermusik. I have to get groceries. My mom’s group is having a mom’s night out that I’m hoping to go to.

I hope I have time this week to continue to organize and clean the house. Right now I’m working on my daughter’s room.

I really need to get going in the kitchen as well. It’s hard to find snacks for myself since I haven’t done much baking in so long. So I would like to make muffins, scones and graham crackers this week. I want to make gummies for the kids as well.

Now it’s time to get on with my busy week. Here’s what’s on our menu. Eet smakelijk!

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**********MENU**********

S (church, puree vegetables, make gummies, bake muffins)
L – cp ham steak, cheesy mashed potatoes, peas
D – squash and sausage soup, TBD muffins

M (chiro, Heffron Farms)
D – sloppy joes, beans, french fries

T (AKM, RKM)
D – (prep ahead) – cp 7 layer dinner

W (groceries, MNO)
D – chicken and broccoli w/ quinoa, applesauce

Th (make graham crackers, dance, soak flour)
D – (early) – crockpot sausage and vegetable medley

F (make scones)
D – soaked date scones (trying a gluten free version), bacon, omelette, fruit salad, roasted asparagus

S ()
D – fish sticks, french fries, roasted cauliflower

Meal Plans Week of 3-16-14

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Everybody enjoyed the blueberry pie.

Good morning. We’re half way through March already! Time sure goes faster when you don’t spend all of your time on the couch. It also helps that the weather is finally changing. It looks like more 40’s this week!

Last week we kept plenty busy. My husband and I even got to go out sans kids for the first time in about six months!! That was a nice treat. I went shopping for spring/summer maternity clothes. My generous family gave me money for Christmas and my birthday so I could enjoy picking out some new clothes. Now I need nice weather so I can wear them. We also had a fun family celebration for my birthday. I did end up making pie. I’m glad I did. We’ve all really enjoyed it.

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This week is pretty busy. We have milk pick up. I have a psychologist appointment. I have a prayer friend event with church. We have co-op pick up. I also have a MomBreak meeting.

I *think* I’m finally feeling somewhat normal. Not 100%, but close. 17 weeks was the magic number with my other kids. Today is 17 weeks!! I’m starting to have a bigger appetite finally. In spite of that, I still weigh 2.5 pounds less than when I got pregnant. So I’m doing my best to keep eating. At least I’ve gained 5 pounds back that I had lost. I’m trying to make sure I get enough protein and calcium as the baby’s bones are being formed.

I’m not sure about kitchen projects this week. I have a running list of things I’d like to make when I feel up for it. Maybe I’ll try to cross one or two off this week.

Now on to the menu. We hardly have any meat in the house right now. So it’s hard to plan meals. I’m glad we have co-op pick up this week. I know we’ll get some meat in that order. I need to figure out where we want to order some beef and pork from! I miss having my freezer stocked.

What’s on your menu this week? Eet smakelijk!

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**********MENU**********

S (church)
L – cp chicken breasts w/ vegetables
D – misc./leftovers

M (milk, Dr. V.)
D – (prep ahead) – goulash, corn

T (AKM, RKM, bowling)
D – (prep ahead) – cp split pea soup, TBD

W (co-op, WT)
D – (separate) – crockpot pork and beans, corn muffins

Th (dance)
D – (early) – crockpot meatballs, vegetables, rice

F (MB)
D – pancakes, sausage, fruit salad, roasted asparagus

S ()
D – pan-seared salmon, roasted potatoes, roasted cauliflower