Menu Planning on Monday

Somehow I got on a email list for Stephanie at the Ultimate Meal Planning Bundle. Earlier this week she began a series of emails with free daily tips for bootcamp menu planning. Her most recent idea inspired me to look inside my pantry and freezer and take inventory of what I have. I plan to create my weekly supper menu and grocery list based on what I found.

Here is what I have to work with:
Freezer

• small pan of lasagna
• 1 container of chicken broth
• about half of a spiral sliced ham
• ham bone with ham attached (for soup)
• small bag of spaghetti
• 2 bags of onions and peppers blend
• 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 1 container of beef broth
• 5 bags of mixed vegetables
• 1 bag of corn
• 1/4 of a pork tenderloin
• 1 bag of green beans
• 2 bags of lima beans
• grilled chicken strips
• 1 bag of hash browns
• 6 containers of mystery soup (I can't tell what kind of soup it is)
• 1 container of a brown mystery soup or something? lentils maybe?
• 1 container of red mystery sauce--pasta sauce?

Pantry

• 1 large jar of pasta sauce
• 5 cans of tuna
• rotin
• pinto beans
• kidney beans
• chickpeas
• cream of chicken soup
• rotel
• baked beans
• chicken broth
• vegetable broth

I think we will take a chance and defrost the mystery soups for one or two meals. I plan to make some chicken fajitas with the shredded chicken and onion/pepper blend. We can eat the lasagna one night for supper, and the spaghetti one day for lunch. With the remaining frozen vegetables, pork tenderloin, and one of the broths, I can make a vegetable soup. (I'll buy some canned tomatoes to add to the soup.) One more meal idea is to serve the ham with the baked beans and make some potato salad to go along with that.

What's in your pantry and freezer that you can menu plan with?

Menu Plan Monday

Before I begin my post about What's For Dinner?, let me first say Thank You, dear readers! Between your comments on this blog and on my Facebook page, I am now so motivated to keep blogging. I appreciate your kind words so much! I am about to write down every single suggestion that you made, and I will attempt to address each one over time. Thank you for all the great ideas!  :)

This week begins the first days of our new normal. We are now a family of four here at home. (I spent last week in Florida getting Clay settled in at college.) Leah and I have chosen new seats at our kitchen table so that the four of us are sitting close together on our big table for 10. We are sitting in the middle. It is also an adjustment in cooking. Most of the summer we had 8 people here eating lots of food! I am now buying less groceries and cooking in smaller quantities. I hope to someday get my freezer stocked with some meals to pull out on busy days. 

Baby steps. Adjusting a little at a time.

After a LONG hiatus, I am back to sharing my weekly menu on Menu Monday over at Org.Junkie.

I made a weekly menu that actually began Saturday.  I am sharing some of the recipes so I can access them easily when I want to cook these dishes again. I am trying several new recipes this week that were all found on Pinterest. Each meal is either a one pan meal (with a side of rice, salad, and/or steamed broccoli) or a crock pot meal. Since we begin XC practice this week on Tuesdays and Thursdays,  I am trying some new crock pot recipes so we will have supper ready when we get home. 

Saturday:

Roasted Parmesan Garlic Chicken and Vegetables

Sunday:

crock pot Italian chicken spaghetti

Monday:

Italian sausage and vegetables

brown rice

Tuesday:

crock pot honey mustard pork chops

brown rice

green beans

Wednesday:

pasta salad

fruit salad

Thursday:

crock pot honey sesame chicken

steamed broccoli

brown rice

Roasted Parmesan Chicken and Vegetables

(adapted from a Pinterest recipe)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in half

6 Tbs. melted butter

1/2 tsp. garlic salt, divided

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

20 new potatoes, quartered

1 yellow squash, cut into small chunks

1 zucchini, cut into small chunks

2 Tbs. olive oil

Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Place melted butter with 1/4 tsp. garlic salt in one shallow bowl. Mix the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and 1/4 tsp. garlic salt in another shallow bowl. Spray a large baking sheet with sides with non-stick spray or line with a non-stick mat. Dip each piece of chicken into the melted butter and then coat on both sides with the bread crumb mixture. Place coated chicken in the pan.

Toss the vegetables with the olive oil, and season with a little garlic salt. (I just sprinkled some on them.) Also add any of the melted butter and bread crumb mixture that you had left from the chicken. Spread the vegetables on another large baking pan that has either been sprayed with non-stick spray or lined with a non-stick mat. 

Bake both pans at 375 degrees for 45 minutes -1 hour or until the chicken is done. (I cooked this on the convection setting for about 40 minutes.)

***I bought my non-stick mats from Amazon (This is what they are actually called....I cannot make a direct link work...AmazonBasics Silicone Baking Mat 2 Pack)

 few months ago, and they have changed my cooking!  I cannot believe how easy the clean-up is when using these mats.

Italian Chicken

INGREDIENTS
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4oz fresh baby spinach (about 2 handfuls)
• 28oz can of tomato sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasonings
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
MA TERIALS
• 1 gallon-sized plastic freezer bag
PREP
1. Label your freezer bag.
2. To your freezer bag, add all ingredients.
3. Remove as much air from the freezer bag as possible, seal, and lay flat in your freezer.
COOK
1. The night before cooking, move frozen bag to your refrigerator to thaw. 2. The morning of cooking, pour contents of freezer bag into your crockpot. 3. Cook on “low” setting for 4-6 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.
Serve with spaghetti and a salad. 
(from New Leaf Wellness)


Italian Sausage and Vegetables

Ingredients

• 2 large carrots ~2 cups
• 2 red potatoes ~2 cups
• 1 small-medium zucchini ~2 and 1/3 cups
• 2 red peppers ~2 cups
• 1 head broccoli ~1 and 1/2 cups
• 16 ounces Smoked Italian Turkey or Chicken Sausage

Seasonings

• 1/2 tablespoon EACH: dried basil, dried oregano, dried parsley, garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon EACH: onion powder, dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated, optional
• 4 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• Optional: fresh parsley, salt and pepper

 Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or foil (easy clean-up) and set aside.
2. Prep the veggies: *It is important to prep the veggies according to directions to ensure they all cook at the same time*
3. Peel and very thinly slice the carrots.  Wash and (if desired peel, we love the peel on) chop the red potatoes. You want the pieces quite small here. (I halve the potatoes and then cut each half into 10-12 pieces)
4. Halve the zucchini and then cut *thick* coins of zucchini. Coarsely chop the broccoli. Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers and chop into medium-sized pieces. Chop the sausage into thick coins.
5. Pour all the veggies and sausage on the sheet pan.
6. In a small bowl combine all of the seasonings and salt and pepper if desired (I use about 1/8 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt) with the olive oil. Stir to combine.
7. Pour the seasoning & oil mixture on top of the veggies and sausage and thoroughly toss to coat.
8. Place in the heated oven for 15 minutes. Remove and toss around the veggies + sausage and return to the oven for another 10-20 minutes or until veggies are crisp tender.
9. Remove and top, if desired, with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

Serve on top of rice or quinoa if desired. (Also great plain!)

(from Chelsea's Messy Apron)

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken

• 1 small onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1/2 cup soy sauce

• 1/4 cup ketchup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs • 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper 

Place chicken in crock pot. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over the top. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-7. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and serve with brown rice and steamed broccoli.

(from New Leaf Wellness)

Honey Mustard Pork Chops

1 pound boneless pork chops

1 pound frozen green beans

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (I'm using yellow mustard.)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

1/2 cup water 

Place pork chops and green beans in crock pot. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over. Cook on low 4-6 hours. 

(from New Leaf Wellness)

***Remember to visit Org.Junkie for more menu inspiration.

Menu and Miles Monday

It's been a long time since I shared my weekly menu.  However, we are still eating!  Kroger recently finished its rearranging of the store (still don't know why they did it), and I finalized my new shopping list while I was there on Saturday.  I had to completely redo my list.  I list items in the order that I see them as I go up and down the aisles.  I brought a new store directory home, color coded it, and created my new list.  I tweaked it while I was there, and now it's good to go.  I shrunk the font size so that I was able to put my monthly Walmart and Sam's list all on the same page as my Kroger list. I keep a list hanging inside our pantry door for people to highlight items as we run out of them.

We are adding a little bit of wild caught fish and organic chicken and turkey to our menu.  I am serving these foods 2-4 times a week. I am always trying to eliminate more and more processed foods in our diet. It's hard!  Cooking from scratch takes so much time.

Menu:

• spaghetti, salad, bread
• great northern beans (cooked in crock pot), cornbread
• large green salad, baked sweet and/or white potatoes (potatoes in crock pot)
• honey garlic chicken, brown rice, green beans (I am doubling this recipe and taking some to a friend of mine who has cancer.  Our church family is providing meals for her and her husband 3 times a week.  What a blessing).
• hummus chicken, roasted vegetables, salad

I got the recipe for the hummus chicken from Leanna.  Here is my modified version:

Hummus Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

10-12 organic chicken strips (you can cut up breasts or buy the strips)

1 cup hummus (store bought, or make your own)

3 zucchini, sliced thickly

3 squash, slicked thickly

2 onions, cut into chunks

2-3 sweet potatoes, cut into small chunks

2 lemons 

salt, pepper, paprika

Spray two shallow baking pans with non-stick cooking spray.  Arrange the cut vegetables on the pans.  Season with salt and pepper. Spray the vegetables with non-stick spray, or drizzle a little olive oil on top. Layer the chicken on top. Carefully spread the hummus on top of each piece of chicken.  Squeeze the lemons over the chicken and vegetables.  Season with salt, pepper, and paprika.

Bake at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes--until chicken and vegetables are tender.

I am serving this chicken dish for supper the night Olivia comes home from college for spring break (this Friday!).

Miles:

I am not current training for any race, so I am just trying to maintain my fitness.  It is SO COLD here, and I have not been able to run outside in about 2 weeks.  Last week I did my 10 mile run on my treadmill!  That is as much of a mental challenge as it is a physical one!  Leanna and I have a 10 mile run planned for Friday morning, but the temperature is predicted to be low 20s or upper teens at 6:00AM that morning.  I am not sure I am that brave!  It may be another treadmill week.

I ran 3.25 miles this morning.  I am trying to get a total of 20-25 miles each week.  I guess my next race is the Coke 10k on May 2.  I plan to run this race with Sam.

I am still sticking to my plan of no marathons for 2015!

Have a happy Monday!

"Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it;"

Psalm 127:1

Visit OrgJunkie for more menus.

Menu, Miles, MSU, and More

Menu:
stir fry vegetables
brown rice
homemade egg rolls

penne pasta with zucchini and red sauce
salad

homemade chicken noodle soup
homemade bread
salad

baked potatoes
salad

sauteed vegetable and hummus wraps
sweet and spicy sweet potato rounds

chili

You can visit OrgJunkie for more menu ideas.

Sweet and Spicy Sweet Potato Rounds

4 sweet potatoes

2 Tbs. brown sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. ground cumin

3/4 tsp. paprika

3/4 tsp. chili powder

2 Tbs. olive oil

Peel and slice potatoes thinly. Pour olive oil over potatoes in a large bowl, and stir to coat.  Sprinkle spices and brown sugar over potatoes, and stir again until all potatoes are covered.

Place on a greased or foil-covered and sprayed baking sheet, in a single layer.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until potatoes are tender or slightly crunchy.

Miles:

This is the peak mileage week of our marathon training.  I ran 11 miles this morning, and I have 36 miles left.  One run will be my long run of 22 miles.  I am planning on meeting Leanna and Stacee for that run on Friday.  The rest of the week I will run 6, 4, and 4.  I think that adds up to 47!

MSU:

Sadly, Mississippi State could not pull off a win against Alabama.  However, we had lots of fun watching the game----good food, good friends, good fellowship.  We had four couples and 17 children at Leanna's house for the game.  It was a fun afternoon.

More:

My dryer stopped working on Friday, and so I spent Friday night at the laundrymat.  Fun!  I do love those huge washers and dryers though.  I got all of my laundry done in 1.5 hours.  Folded too.  The repairman is here this morning, and I will be washing, drying, and folding for the rest of today when he gets it up and running!  I am so appreciative for modern conveniences!

We plan to get our Christmas tree at the beginning of next week.  That is if the nursery where I buy my tree from each year has them.  I plan to get a SMALL tree this year.  Last year's tree grew on the way home from the nursery.  It was SO LARGE last year…..and a little bit lopsided.  It did not look like that at the nursery! So, I will be looking for a smallish tree--9 feet tall, max.

Happy Monday to you!

Menu and Miles

Hello!

I got home last Thursday night just in time to attend our gospel meeting at our church. (I spent a little bit of extra time at the Memphis airport visiting newsstands until I found Sports Illustrated--the issue with MSU and Ole Miss on the cover--I found them!) I was weary from traveling, but it had been so, so good to visit with Olivia, even though the visit was brief.

Friday I began my day with a 16 mile run.  Not the best idea! I ran two runs of 6 miles and 4 miles on our vacation to Utah, and none, not one mile, until Friday of last week.  It had been two weeks since my last long run, and attempting that distance after that long of a break was unwise!  I made it fine (just a little bit tired) until mile 10.  It was a struggle after that.  Leanna and I had planned to run 17, but I could not make it another step.  She finished without me.  I was sore all Friday and Saturday, but I am feeling much better today.

Here is this week's plan, and I am going to follow it!

Monday:  6 or 9 (depends on how late I stay up tonight catching up on bills, mail, etc.)
Tuesday:  6 or 9 (whichever I don't do on Monday)
Wednesday:  6
Thursday:  rest
Friday:  18
Saturday:  rest
Total:  39

I took Sam and Leah to a 2 hour birthday party this afternoon, and while they were there I shopped at Bath and Body Works, Walmart (monthly shopping), Kroger (weekly shopping), and Sam's (just a few things I did not pick up last week during my monthly shopping just a couple of hours before I left on my road trip). I was flying through those stores!

Here is the menu for the week:

Monday:  veggie burgers, slaw, baked beans
Tuesday:  rice and beans buffet
Wednesday:  Julie cooks (I think it's an Indian dish)
Thursday:  turkey meatloaves, mashed potatoes, green peas, rolls
Friday:  stir fry, rice, spring rolls
Saturday:  taco soup
Sunday:  pasta salad and fruit salad

Visit OrgJunkie.com for more menu ideas.

One more thing:

What an exciting weekend for the Bulldogs!

Menu and Miles

Hello there!

I am planning only four meals right now.  This weekend I plan to do my major once a month shopping at Sam's and Walmart, and I will also plan the rest of my meals (loosely) for October.  

Menu

Meal 1:  salad, oven baked sweet potato and regular potato fries

Meal 2:  pasta salad, green salad, fruit

Meal 3:  taco soup (crock pot)

Meal 4:  stir fry vegetables, brown rice, baked spring rolls

I know that I list salad a lot on my menus, and sometimes with not much else, so I guess some of you are thinking, "How do they get full on salad?"  Well, my salads are more than lettuce and tomatoes.  

When I buy groceries each week, my girls and I usually chop up the broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, ice berg lettuce, and sometimes bell peppers and green onions too.  I store these in the refrigerator, and it is so easy to add them to a green salad, a bowl of rice and beans, or to our pasta salad.

Here is what we choose from when making a salad each day:

iceberg lettuce

spinach

spring mix

romaine

shredded cabbage

tomatoes

carrots

broccoli

cauliflower

bell peppers

green onions

sunflower seeds

pumpkin seeds

slivered almonds

pecans

walnuts

dried craisins

golden raisins

strawberries

blueberries

oranges

chickpeas

black beans

corn

So, you can get a variety of nutrition from the above ingredients, mixed and matched in different ways. I always have homemade bread (made by my resident chef, Julie!) to accompany the meal.  I also always have on hand brown rice, potatoes, or quinoa to round out the meal.

Be sure to visit OrgJunkie.com for more menu inspiration.

Miles

Well I am beginning Week 5 of 14 of my current marathon training.  I did not do my long run last week because of traveling, but I plan to get my miles in this week.  :) Here they are--

9, 17, 6, 5, for a total of 37.  

Have a happy day, and let's all think before we speak today.  :)

"Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so."

James 3:10

Menu, Miles, and More

We spent last week hosting four young men, who along with Clay, attended Preacher Training Classes all week.  The boys at my housed renamed it "Preacher Camp".  Counting Clay, we had three 15 year olds, a 19 year old, and a 20 year all, from the previous Saturday until this past Friday.

Fun.  Food.  Fellowship.

They left each morning at 7:30, and they returned around 6:30 each night.  I only had to feed them breakfast and a nighttime snack each day, because ladies from our congregation took turns providing the 20 men lunch and supper each day.

When they got home each evening, they spent an hour of two unwinding before studying and doing their homework (for hours!  some nights until 2 A.M) before going to bed.  I let them use the schoolroom in our basement for their work, and when it came time for sleep, I had each boy in a separate room.  It really worked out well.

But I had no time to blog.  :)  And that's ok.

Yesterday was Julie's 17th birthday.  Happy Day.  I will post pictures and share about the big day another day.  (The pictures are still in the camera.)

Menu This Week:
Monday:  refried beans, Spanish rice, green chili white bean dip
Tuesday:  curried cauliflower and couscous
Wednesday:  cilantro lime quinoa with black beans
Thursday:  roasted sweet potato and quinoa salad
Friday:  BBQ bean wraps

Miles This Week:
I ran zero miles last week.  ZERO.
I was somewhat overwhelmed with the house guests and the cooking (I also helped to feed the men for lunch and supper Thursday), and the laundry, and I tried to do some school planning….so I never ran last week!  However, I have a 32 mile week planned for this week.  I have got to do 30+ miles the next 3-4 weeks in order to be ready to begin my marathon training.  (Which I said I was NOT running last week……)

Monday:  7
Tuesday:  6
Wednesday:  9
Thursday:  rest
Friday:  5
Saturday:  5

Be sure to check out OrgJunkie.com beginning Monday for some menu inspiration.

I finished Little Women and I also read Fahrenheit 451 in just two days over the weekend.  I'll blog my thoughts about both books later.

Menu and Miles Monday

I have been cleaning out and cleaning my house for 2 weeks now!  My schoolroom is my last place to clean out, and it will be a big job!  Right now, my schoolroom rug is covered and piled high with all of the stuff that I need to get rid of.  Bags and boxes of things from all over my house.  I even got my storage room (connected to my schoolroom and also includes my craft/sewing/gift wrapping area) cleaned out and organized.  What a job!

We have having a Gospel Meeting this week, and I am "feeding the preacher" tomorrow night.  You know what that means, right?  Clean the entire house from top to bottom, baseboards included.  Some years I even clean out and scrub my garage (not this year), because you know the preacher or his wife might want to inspect my garage.  :)  My basement, with the exception of my storage room will not be ready to receive company tomorrow, because I ran out of time.

Here's the menu and the miles for this week:

Menu:

• Sunday:  potluck--quinoa salad, green salad, pound cake, sweet tea
• Monday:  Julie cooks--vegetable chowder, salad
• Tuesday:  Company's Coming!--and I am tripling everything to share with two other families (delivering to them).  pasta salad, chicken salad, green salad, fruit salad, rolls, chocolate layered dessert
• Wednesday:  bean and rice buffet, salad
• Thursday: Southwestern bean burgers, oven fries, chips
• Friday:  stir fry vegetables and rice

Miles:

• Monday:  7
• Tuesday:  9
• Wednesday:  rest
• Thursday:  6
• Friday:  5
• Saturday:  Running With the King (Elvis) 5K, 5 miles total with warm-up. 

You can visit www.orgjunkie.com for more menu ideas. 

Menu and Miles

Here is this week's menu:
Monday:  supper at Kelly and Lynn's for a Memorial Day Celebration--I'm taking pasta salad and fruit salad.
Tuesday:  baked eggplant over whole wheat pasta, salad
Wednesday:  bean tacos
Thursday:  coconut curry rice, baked potatoes (in case some people don't like the rice!), salad
Friday:  homemade chicken noodle soup, homemade bread, salad
Saturday:  new potatoes (hopefully from our garden), other roasted vegetables, green beans, salad

This week's miles:
Monday:  9 (done!)
Tuesday:  6
Wednesday:  off
Thursday:  6
Friday:  5
Saturday:  4

I didn't do my last 6 mile run last week.  :(  I plan to get all my miles run this week!  :)

I think I have decided on a marathon plan.  It will begin in 11 weeks.  I considered doing a plan that has you running 6 days a week, but I wisely decided that running 6 days a week might push me over the edge of insanity!  So I am taking a 6 day a week plan that includes a speed work day and a "race pace" day in addition to the long run, but I am going to drop one of the short miles days so the plan will just be 5 days.  That I can handle.  I think.
I signed up for the Rocket City Marathon today!  (Registration opened this morning).

You can visit OrgJunkie.com for more menu ideas.

Menu, Miles, and Overwhelmed!

I have faced reality that my fabulous vacation is over.  I spent yesterday afternoon between church services making a menu, going through a huge stack of mail, shopping at Kroger and Sam's and tidying up the house.  Two more weeks of school.  I think we can make it!  I have so many summer projects planned (sewing, cleaning out, organizing, cleaning, school planning, just to name a few), and I hope that I can squeeze them all in in just two months.

I have decided to run the Rocket City Marathon on December 13.  That is 30 weeks away, so I have 12 weeks to increase my mileage to be ready to tackle an 18 week marathon plan.  I am still unsure about which marathon plan to use.  I have used my same marathon plan for 5 marathons, and I want to do something different this time.  I also have to set a realistic time goal.  I am not sure what that will be.

Here are this week's miles.  I have already run the 8 miler this morning.

Monday:  8
Tuesday:  5
Wednesday:  4
Thursday:  rest
Friday:  6
Saturday:  5

Here is this week's menu.  I will serve a green salad with each meal.  We enjoyed so much seafood and some delicious but not so healthy meals while we were on vacation.  I plan to serve lots of vegetables this week.

Monday:  stir fry vegetables, rice
Tuesday:  Caribbean black beans with mango salsa, rice
Wednesday:  roasted asparagus, potatoes (sweet and Yukon gold) and squash
Thursday:  eating out
Friday:  Southwestern bean burgers, chips and salsa
Saturday:  baked beans, corn on cob, slaw
Sunday:  refried beans taco bar

Please click here to visit Org.Junkie for more menu ideas.

Menu and Miles

Miles:
I am following a Marathon Build-up Plan.  I began it last week.  It is a 18 week running plan that slowly builds up your mileage to 35 miles/week.  And then you are ready to begin a marathon plan.   I don't have a marathon scheduled.  I actually don't have any race scheduled, but I needed to begin somewhere.  This week's miles are:  4,4,4,3.  Plus I plan to do a T25 workout two days this week too.

Menu:
I am not assigning days to the meals, but I have all the ingredients on hand to make the following suppers.

• hummus and vegetable pizza on homemade pizza crust.  Recipe here.
• black-eyed pea cakes, mashed potatoes, raw veggies and homemade dip.  Recipe here.
• quinoa salad and pasta salad (not everyone in my family likes quinoa salad, but I love it!)  Recipe here.
• minestrone.  Recipe here.
• taco soup
• baked fish, roasted potatoes (golden and sweet), salad
• stir fry vegetables and brown rice

Be sure to visit OrgJunkie for more menu inspiration. 

Menu and Miles

Menu:

Monday:  tilapia with spinach, salad

Tuesday:  rice and bean buffet --I cook a pot of rice, and then I set up a buffet of toppings:  various peas and beans, corn, chopped tomatoes and onions, and various sauces.

Wednesday:  BBQ chicken, baked beans, slaw, rolls

Thursday:  roasted red pepper rice and lentils

Miles:

I exercised 5 days last week--2 days of T25 and 3 days of running (3 miles, 3 miles, and 6 miles).  This week I plan to do 2-3 days of T25 and run 3 days again (3 miles, 4 miles, and 7 miles).

I really like the T25 workouts.  I cannot keep up with the people on the DVD…yet!  I hope to be able to after a few weeks.

This and That:

1. Julie got her driver's license a couple of weeks ago. Yay!
2. I sewed some doll clothes before we started back to school, and I hope to sew either an apron for Olivia or a cute peasant dress for Julie.  I also have a pants outfit cut out for Leah, but I cut it out so long ago, that it may be too small for her now.  My secret to sewing is 30 minutes at a time.  Actually, 25 minutes.  I use the last 5 minutes to tidy up my sewing area.  But, it all adds up, and 30 minutes is not enough time for me to get overwhelmed or frustrated while sewing.
3. I recently decided to follow the teacher's guide for Leah and Sam's Apologia elementary science course (it's the ocean animals one, I can't remember the exact name).  What a great idea!  I had been following my own plan which meant that we sporadically completed the lessons….. and since we started back to school in January, I have followed the lesson plans provided.  Guess what?  It works!  Their plan is so much better than mine!  And it saves me time.  If we keep on track, we will finish the course in April.  Leah and Sam have already decided which course they want to do next--Botany.  I have already done that course twice (with Olivia, Julie, and Clay), so I hope I can do it again.  I will!

Happy Monday!

Visit Orgjunkie.com for more menu ideas.

Menu and Miles

Well, it's not Monday, but I normally plan my menus on the weekends.  Our menu weeks usually run from Saturday-Friday, so I am just going to go ahead and post today and link up to Menu Plan Monday on Monday.

I have been married for almost 23 years, and I still have to motivate myself to plan a menu and create a grocery list each week.  It takes me about 10-30 minutes, depending on how involved our upcoming week is and whether or not I want to try out any new recipes.  But, like most tasks, the anticipation of the task is worse than actually doing it!  You would not believe how many menus I have typed and saved on my computer and of course there are all of those on this blog as well.  Anyway, weekly menu planning, for me, has benefits that far outweigh the sometimes unpleasantness of doing it.

For a refresher course, this is the simplest way to make a weekly menu plan.

1. Use your computer or a piece of paper to create a grid for the meals you need to plan for for a week.  I create a simple table in my word processing program--well, actually, I just use the same one each week, but I delete the previous weeks' menu and start over.
2. Look at your calendar and see if you are going to be out for any of your meals.  That's easy.  Just mark that block off!  Also make note of any meals you need to take to people or any potlucks, etc., you will be participating in.  Write (or type) it all on the grid.
3. Fill in the blanks with meals.  I rarely fill in breakfast or lunch because we usually have the same things.  If I need a special breakfast or lunch, I type it in.  
4. As you list a meal, highlight on your master grocery list or write on your grocery list all ingredients you will need to prepare that meal.  Don't forget to shop your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer first.
5. Ask your family members if there is anything that they need from the grocery store.  Remind them that you won't be going again for a week.
6. Check the list that you (hopefully) keep on your refrigerator or pantry door where people can list items as you run out of them--like ketchup, grits, etc.
7. Check your inventory of staple items to see what you need to stock up on.  For instance, I keep a certain amount of each type of non-dairy milk we drink each week, so I check to see how much of each kind we need.
8. Fill in your grocery list, check over it one more time, and then you are ready to go to the store!
9. Post your menu in your kitchen so that your family knows what's for supper.  I also make a note on the menu if I need to do something the night before like soak beans.

Menu This Week:

Saturday:  Bible study--taking quinoa salad and black beans

Sunday:  Leah's Birthday!  Breakfast:  hash brown casserole,  Lunch:  restaurant

Monday:  chili

Tuesday:  refried beans tacos

Wednesday:  roasted cauliflower, asparagus, sweet potatoes, green beans, mashed potatoes

Thursday:  black-eyed pea cakes, leftover mashed potatoes, salad

Friday:  pizza

Miles This Week:

Since I had the flu, I did only one workout this week (while I was sick!--I was in denial that I was sick.)  Beginning Monday, I hope to resume my workout plan that I began the week before last.

Alternate three days of running (3 miles, 4 miles, 10 miles) and three days of T25 workouts.  Rest on Sunday.

Beginning Monday, you can visit Org.Junkie for more menus.

Friday

Olivia is home!

She got home about 10:20 last night.  Jimmy drove to the airport to pick her up, and we all stayed up watching Les Mis (the concert DVD, not the movie) and shelling pecans while waiting for them to arrive.  Speaking of pecans--we are almost through shelling them.  What a project!  Jimmy's dad brought us a very large box FULL of cracked pecans.  We will finish them today, and I should have enough pecan halves in my freezer to last me a year!

Today's plans include my weekly grocery shopping, wrapping some presents, keeping the laundry going, beginning our holiday baking and working a new Christmas puzzle.  It is 1000 pieces!  I set up a card table in my kitchen earlier this month just for puzzles.  Jimmy and the children have already worked two puzzles, but this new one will be the biggest challenge of all!

Olivia was sad that she has missed 12 days of Christmas, but I assured her that we would be celebrating in full force the entire time she is home.  As soon as she wakes up (and I'm sure I will be back from Kroger before she awakens) we will begin the holiday fun!

Here is my upcoming menu.  I tried to plan as healthy meals as possible since we are baking Christmas goodies.  I am sure there will be lots of sampling going on!

Friday: roasted new potatoes, broccoli, asparagus

green beans, bread

Saturday: lunch--enchilada bake, supper--quinoa salad,

oven fries, green salad

Sunday: rice and beans, salad

Monday: lentil and chickpea curry

Tuesday: pesto pasta, salad

Wednesday: Julie cooks

Thursday: skillet refried beans, taco fixings

A Running Update:

I have rested since last Satuday's marathon fiasco.  I am still unsure of my upcoming running plans, but I will begin something on Monday.

Menu and Miles

First of all, the menu.

Over the years, my cooking has changed.  There was a time when I subscribed to Southern Living, and at least once a week I would try a new recipe from the current issue.  A few years ago I gradually moved away from using a lot of processed foods.  About two or three years ago I began buying organic foods when possible, and I eliminated even more processed foods from our diet.

Then, about 18 months ago, I made the most significant change to our family's eating habits.  We adopted a plant-strong diet.  No dairy, no meat, no eggs.  I began making almost everything we ate from scratch, and let me say that it was a challenge at first!  We have now evolved into our current way of eating, which is mostly plants.  I never buy any dairy products.  I occasionally buy eggs from my neighbor's chickens (about once a month or so), and I still have a few chickens left that I bought from my friend, Heather (raised and processed by her).  In our home, I cook from scratch as much as possible, but we still eat some processed foods--things like pita chips, flour tortillas, tortilla chips, pretzels, graham crackers, and a variety of granola/fruit type bars.  Mostly we eat a ton of fresh fruits and vegetables, and lots of homemade hummus.

I serve a mostly plant-based menu.  I cook a meal that includes meat about once every one or two weeks, but I also include non-meat items on the menu as well for the members of my family who choose to eat no meat at all.

I have spent many, many hours the last year and a half trying out all kinds of new recipes.  However, the season I am in right now calls for simplicity, and I have decided not to try any new kitchen adventures for a while.  I thought of seven categories of foods that we eat on a regular basis, and I just plan to rotate those meals.  So, I will not be posting a new menu each Monday for the time being.  We are just going to eat the meals on my chart below over and over again!  Until I have time for creativity in the kitchen again.

Our breakfasts are mostly self serve (oatmeal, fruit smoothies, cereal, toast, etc.) or sometimes Julie will prepare pancakes, waffles, or muffins.

Lunches are either leftovers, PB&J sandwiches, carrots, broccoli and hummus, salads, etc.

Here is the supper menu chart.  I printed this out and hung it inside my pantry door.  Having a master plan for simple meals will cut down on my grocery list making time  each week.  When we tire of these meals, I will redo the list, but I am hoping this menu will last us a while.

pasta	pasta salad, fresh fruit penne with zucchini, salad
wraps, chips and salsa	BBQ bean wraps sauteed veggie wraps
soups	chili taco soup red beans and rice white bean soup vegetable soup
Mexican	refried beans, corn, rice, shells, wraps, chips
salad	quinoa salad, oven fries Mexican salad, oven fries regular salad, baked potatoes
vegetables	mashed potatoes, green vegetables, baked beans
meat	fish, roasted potatoes, roasted asparagus roast, carrots, potatoes, green beans chicken noodle soup

Miles
Last week I was sick, so I did not complete my miles!  I ran my 8 and a 4, and that is all! I had a cold, cough, sore throat, and I ran a fever.  I have not been sick enough to not get my training runs ever, as far as I can remember, but I really felt badly last week.  Leah got sick too, and she had strep throat!

This week's plan is 17, 9, 6, and 5.  I hope I can get them all in!

You can visit OrgJunkie.com for more menu inspiration.

Menu and Miles

Well, even though I have not posted my weekly menu or miles for quite some time, we have still been eating, and I have still been running!

Here is the plan for this week:

Monday:

8 miles

Mexican meal (prepared by sweet Julie for my birthday!)

Tuesday:

no miles (rest day!)

baked beans, yellow rice, salad

Wednesday:

16 miles

Maryland's Kale (this is a new recipe), baked potatoes, fresh fruit salad

Thursday:

no miles (another rest day)

Caribbean sweet potatoes, garlic new potatoes, salad

Friday:

4 miles

penne pasta with sauteed zucchini and marinara sauce, salad

Saturday:

5 miles

grocery shopping

Please visit Org.Junkie for more menu ideas.

Menu and Miles

I am so glad to be home!  Two weeks ago we were on vacation for a week, and then all last week we were at Rustic Youth Camp (RYC).  We had a fabulous week, but I am so happy to be home!  I made a super long grocery list early Saturday morning, and then I shopped at both Sam's and Kroger.

Here is what's on the menu this week:

Sunday:  Potluck--quinoa salad, pasta salad, green salad, banana pudding
Monday:  baked potatoes, green salad
Tuesday:  homemade veggie burritos, chips and salsa
Wednesday:  roasted asparagus, green beans, crock pot lima beans, carrots, corn on cob
Thursday:  Mexican green salad
Friday:  eating out
Saturday:  taco bar

Miles this week:

With all of my traveling, I have not run much at all lately.  I ran 3 miles Saturday morning, and I was stiff!  Last Monday I ran 2.3 miles with a friend from camp.  That was a lot of fun!  This week I have 34 miles planned.  I think this will be the schedule.

Monday:  5
Tuesday:  10 or 7
Wednesday:  6
Thursday:  rest
Friday:  10 or 7
Saturday:  6
Sunday:  rest

You can visit orgjunkie.com for more menus and recipes.

I'm still working on my Homemaking Binder.  Actually I have not done much work on it, I am still thinking about it, and I have not had much time to work on it.  My goal is to have a finished product by the end of this week!  Thanks to Kari, who left me a comment with a link to MomsToolBelt.com, I think I have a plan on how to accomplish this.

Menu and Miles

This week's menu features several salads....it has gotten hot here, and I am craving cooler foods---no crock pot meals or soups anytime soon!

Suppers:

• black eyed pea brown rice salad
• pasta salad
• black bean quinoa mango salad
• Thai noodle salad
• veggie burritos (freeze extras for future lunches)
• spaghetti, salad, bread

Breakfasts:

• smoothies
• cereal/oatmeal
• toast
• muffins
• pancakes/waffles

Lunches:

• leftovers
• veggie burritos
• bean burgers
• salad

Thai Noodle Salad (adapted from The McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook)

12 oz. Thai red or brown rice noodles (or a little of both)

1/3 cup rice vinegar

3 Tbs. soy sauce

3 Tbs. fresh lime juice

3 Tbs. organic sugar

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/2-1 tsp. Sriracha hot chili sauce

1 12 oz. bag broccoli slaw

Cook noodles according to package instructions.  Combine remaining ingredients except for broccoli slaw.  After noodles are cool, stir in broccoli slaw, and then add the sauce.  Serve immediately.  

I found a new peanut butter cookie recipe that I want to try this week.  If it turns out well, I will share the recipe!

Miles This Week:

I am on week 2 of my Tupelo 14.2 Miler plan.  I got off the plan a little bit last week because I went out of town for a couple of days.  I did run while there, but Saturday we got home so late, and I wanted to visit with my family instead of run 8 miles, so I didn't get my long run in until yesterday afternoon....which means that today, day 1 of week 2, I am going to rest when I really need to be running!  

And, I am going to see an endodontist this morning for a root canal consult. Yuck.  So having a root canal one day this week may also interfere with my running plans.  So I will just do what I can!

Here is the plan--I am not sure which days I will do each run.

5, 5, 6 on a hilly route, 4, and 10.  

I found the perfect "hilly route".  Our trails!  Once a week for the first few weeks of the this training plan, my speedwork workout for the week is to run 6 or 7 miles on a hilly route.  Jimmy suggested I run our trails.  Trail running is tough!  I warmed up one mile on our driveway, and then I hit the trails.  Wow!  It was definitely a hilly workout.  Up hills, down hills.  Not much of it is flat, and I think it was harder going down than up.  I was afraid that I was going to fall.  I ran about 2 miles in the woods, and then a little bit on the paved driveway, and then back into the woods.  6 miles.  Brutal.  And then I jumped in the pool--clothes and all!

You can check out OrgJunkie for more menu ideas.

Menu and Miles

On the Menu This Week

• pasta salad
• Southwestern green salad, homemade bread
• roasted vegetables with a sweet balsamic sauce, brown rice, spinach
• spaghetti, salad, bread
• baked potatoes, salad

This recipe is from last week's menu.

Quinoa Salad
***recipe adapted from a Fatfree Vegan Kitchen recipe***
(This blog has lots of yummy recipes!)

Quinoa:
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed
3 cups water
1 Tsp. minced garlic (from a jar)
1/2 tsp. salt

Cook quinoa in water with garlic and salt, following package directions.  Fluff quinoa and allow to cool.

Vegetables:
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 large tomatoes, diced
kernels of 2 ears of cooked corn on the cob (I microwave mine in the husks for 4-5 minutes.  Let cool and then peel and cut corn off the cob.)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 green green onions, chopped (if desired)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 avocado, chopped
salt, pepper, cumin (about 1/2 tsp.) to taste

2 limes, squeezed

Combine all veggies in a large bowl.  Add quinoa and mix well.  Squeeze lime juice over salad and add salt, pepper, and cumin to taste.  Stir to combine.

Enjoy!

Miles This Week

This week marks week one of my half marathon training (well, actually the race is 14.2 miles, which is 1.1 miles longer than a regular half marathon).
The miles:  5, 4, 6 (including hills), 5, 8.  Total 28

Be sure to visit OrgJunkie for more menu ideas.