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Plan to Eat is saving my marriage

Anyone who knows me from the BC (Before Charter) days knows that I used to LOVE to cook.  Truly, I love the whole planning, family management cooking gig.  Then we opened the school and all hell broke loose as far as structure and planning is concerned. As much as I know how great our school is for my kids, I have to admit a wee (OK, huge) bit of mommy guilt with the horrible amounts of take out, pizza, and teriyaki chicken bowl nights my family has had to endure these past two years.

Like many of you, I planned some 2012 strategies (the word "resolution" seems doomed to failure).  The Plan to Eat website is a fantastic tool in helping me accomplish my family meal planning, recipe archives, and shopping lists.  I love it!  I began with a 30 day trial and now I'm hooked.  I'm leaving my FamBam this week to hit the Sundance Film Festival and I have all of the menus planned, ingredients stocked, and recipes printed.  If I were superwife, I'd have the meals pre-cooked and labeled in the fridge, but let's not get crazy here...

 

Menu Plan Monday

Nothing new or very imaginative this week...I have been been digging through my own archives for inspiration.  I'm looking forward to some old favorites.

Monday
Grilled veggie panini with homemade pesto on GF bread
sweet potato oven fries

Tuesday
Italian turkey portabello burgers (open face on GF bread)
Salt & Vinegar kettle chips or Brown Rice, Seaweed & Sesame chips (these are fantastic)
carrot sticks and dip

Wednesday
Homemade turkey chili
Baked potatoes with sour cream and cheddar toppings

Thursday
Fresh Cream of Asparagus Soup
Watercress & Romaine Salad with Balsamic Vinagrette (CPK recipe)

Friday
Corn Chowder with Grilled Shrimp Skewers (Williams Sonoma recipe)

Saturday
Leftovers or take out.  I really can't think that far ahead right now.

Menu Plan Monday

I'm totally excited that this menu planning challenge has now found its way to a Gluten-Free exchange.  Yay!  If you would like to see or share your GF menu,, please to to Gluten Free Mommy's GF Menu Swap page ,

Here is mine for this week:

Sunday--I cooked up the following to make lunches and recipes later in the week easier:

Vegetable Lasagna (GF lasagna noodles and clean-out-the-fridge veggies: zucchini, Indian mini eggplant, crookneck squash and chopped tomatoes and basil)

Roasted a small turkey in the Showtime for sandwiches, quiche and stew later this week.

Turkey, Cabbage and tomato soup--super easy with ground turkey, onions, organic tomato juice, tomato soup, cabbage and chicken stock.  Crumble some tortilla chips on top and the kids eat it like crazy.

Monday
Grilled Sirloin Kebobs
Veggie kebobs (zuccini, tomatoes)
brown rice

Tuesday
Turkey meatloaf (w/GF breadcrumbs & Italian seasoning)
mashed cauliflower
sliced avocados & tomatoes drizzled w/ balsamic vinegar

Wednesday
Butternut and Ham Bisque
Fresh GF bread

Thursday
Peanut Butter Noodles (w/GF Tinkyada noodles)
Waldorf Cabbage Salad

Friday
White Turkey & Corn Stew
Corn tortilla chips and guacomole and salsa

Saturday
Leftovers or takeout

Monday Menu Plan

While surfing GF blogs I stumbled across this clever button and concept: Weekly menu plans.  I have to give credit to Organizing Junkie.  She sounds like a planner after my own heart.

So here goes my first shared plan for this week:

    

Sunday (only b/c leftovers will flow into Monday)

• Roasted Lemon Herb chicken
• mashed potatoes (for kids)
• green beans
• Quinoa salad with Shitake mushrooms and leeks (Pampered Chef recipe)   

Monday

• Grilled Georgia Peach and Chicken Salad (Pampered Chef recipe)
• Roasted butternut squash soup

   

Tuesday

• Spaghetti Squash w/mushrooms, peas & pancetta in light cream sauce
• Mixed greens with tomatoes & mozarella and balsamic bleu vinegrette

   

Wednesday

• Vegetable Panini (Japanese eggplant, yellow & green squash, roasted red peppers & portobellos) on GF bread
• Sweet Potato oven fries

Thursday

• Turkey tacos for the kids (with fixings bar: tomato, avocado, lettuce, cheese)
• Vegetable Tortilla Soup (Vitamix recipe with: tomato,carrot,celery,onion,garlic,yellow squash,red bell pepper,cabbage,mushrooms,black beans,corn and tortilla chips--super fast and AMAZING!)

   

Friday

• Jerk Shrimp Mango & Avocado Salad- Pampered Chef recipe
• Veggie fried rice

   

Saturday

• Take out Sushi or pizza night