Menu Plan 3/31 - 4/5

Kids choice this week!

Now that the girls and I are back on the road to recovery ( Chris is still hanging in there), and with one "normal" week of meals under our belt, we are starting back with our kids choice options. Every Monday night Paige gets to choose the dinner, and on Thursday nights Ashley gets to choose.

Not only do they choose the entrees, but they also prep the meal, set the table and help clean up. So far they love it and look forward to doing to again this week. Sometimes their selections are a bit weird or humorous, but I try to go with the flow. This week Ashley has opted to make and plan dinner on Tuesday, April Fools Day. She says she can't wait to "trick" us. Should I be worried?

Any yummy recipes I come up with, I will post and link to my family blog.

Monday ( Paige's cooking day):
chocolate chip pancakes
turkey bacon
watermelon
white grape peach juice

Tuesday( Ashley's cooking day):
A "mixed up dinner" to be revealed at a later date

Wednesday:
Jambalaya w/ chicken
greens & spinach salad w/ homemade croutons

Thursday:
Shrimp cabobs
garlic noodles
steamed broccoli

Friday:
Stuffed peppers (click for recipe)
cheesy biscuits

Saturday:
No cooking! We are going to a wedding where dinner will be served

Baked goods: chocolate chip cookies, applesauce bread( click for recipe),

Items I need to buy:
produce: watermelon, green peppers, red pepper, lettuce, corn
dry goods: organic rice, gluten free salad dressing, GF flour
Meat/Dairy: shrimp, ground beef, cheddar cheese

Menu Plan 3/24- 3/29

I am excited for this week- it shows the promise of an actual, normal week with spring peeking around the corner. I almost forgot what that feels like! This week will feature some family favorites as well as some new dishes.

Monday 3/24:
Dinner at Wegmans cafe w/ the fam thanks to a 6:30 house showing

Tuesday 3/25:
Crunchy Tacos w/ lettuce, tomatoes & avocado
spanish rice

Wednesday 3/26:
Creamy Chicken Pasta
garlic onion bread sticks
spinach salad
steamed broccoli

Thursday 3/27:
Pepper Steak
sour cream mashed potatoes
green beans

Friday 3/28:
Tender Chicken w/ tomato and mushroom
hot cooked rice
chive & garlic corn

Saturday 3/29:
Grilled Panini
chips & salsa
fruit salad

Baked Goods: banana bread

Groceries I need:
produce: avocado, spinach, mushroom, apple, banana
dry goods: taco shells, tortilla chips, penne, salsa, tuscan bread
refrig/frozen: heavy cream, parmesan, butter

Menu Plan 3/17-3/23

This week is a short week! We are headed to VA on Thursday for Easter, so I won't have an Easter menu planned.. It will be a busy week, but here it is:

Monday: Green fettuccine Alfredo- Happy St. Patty's day!
Steamed broccoli, garden salad, garlic bread sticks

Tuesday: Sweet & Spicy BBQ Chicken
herbed oven potatoes, corn on the cob

Wednesday: Chicken rice soup, french bread

Thursday: Boxed dinners for the ride to Richmond!
Ham and cheese subs, fruit salad, sun chips, chocolate chip cookies

Friday- Sunday- Virginia!

Baked goods: apple cinnamon muffins, chocolate chip cookies

Ingredients needed:
produce: lettuce, cucumber, tomato, corn on the cob, banana, grapes
breads/chips: chebe breadstick mix, sandwich rolls, sun chips
Misc.: chocolate chips,

Getting Organized

On my family blog, I have a feature called the Dish of the Week- a yummy recipe I want to share with friends and family, and more often than not, it is gluten free. In an effort to get more organized and prepare healthier and tastier meals, I wanted to start a blog featuring my weekly meal menus and favorite weekly recipes. I am excited to have a simple resource for myself- and maybe others- to have an answer when my family asks " Hey, what's for dinner?" I also think it would be great to have a few months of recipes recorded to ensure I don't get into a rut of making the same handful of dishes week after week. My girls are super picky, and if I don't offer a variety of dishes, I noticed their pickiness gets even worse. Not a good thing.

I have also found in the past I waste less food when my menu plan is organized. Our fresh produce and meat is eaten at it's peak, instead of ending up in the trash. There is nothing worse than cleaning out my fridge and realizing I never even opened the overwrap of a head of lettuce, or realizing my peppers are too soft to eat. I hate wasting resources and money.

It will also chronicle my efforts to blend a gluten free and gluten consuming kitchen. At this point I still won't make my family eat everything gluten free. They love Papa Johns pizza too much!

So stay tuned, we'll see what's cooking for the next week.