Meal plan Monday- Dairy and almost Soy free

So, as advised by Nolen's doctors, I am trying a Dairy Free (and added Soy free myself) diet in the hopes that it will rule out a milk and soy allergy as the cause of his constant diarrhea since his admitance to the hospital. With that said...Milk and Soy are in virtually everything, so this first menu is kinda my first attempt.

Today- I made my base for two (maybe three meals) using left over roast veggies and turkey from thanksgiving. It's basically Chicken Stock, Chicken Breast, Roast Veggies, Seasoning, Celery and Potatos. I ate it as Chicken Soup for lunch (the girls had a sandwich with cheese and bread that has whey in it).

Dinner- Individual Chicken Pot Pies. I'm taking my Chicken Base and mashing the potatos for thickness, filling pie crusts (milk free/soy free) and baking until crust is done since the base is already cooked

Tuesday-
Lunch- Leftover Pizza for the kids, a Salad with my homemade dressing (Most dressings on the shelf use Vegetable oil, which has soy in it).

Dinner- Roast made in the crockpot with lots of veggies (I'll be using an onion soup packet mix...which has trace amounts of soy...but I don't think it should count because when listing allergies it doesn't include Soy, it only says that it's made in a factory that uses soy).


Wednesday-
Lunch-Roast Sandwich (using the bread I found that is milk free!)
Dinner- Pan fried Tilapia, Fresh Veggies, Garlic bread

Thursday-
We will be gone for all meals (which means I will have to be googling things that are milk free for me to eat or packing lunch/dinner)

Friday-
Lunch-Dirty Rice (left over Tilapia, onions, bell pepper, celery and beans)
Dinner-I'll be Christmas Shopping while the girls eat dinner at Parent's night out.

Saturday-
Lunch-Might be out...We have the Christmas party that morning
Dinner-Chicken Base with beans and rice added to make it a hearty soup for the girls, with Grilled cheese!

Sunday-
Leftovers????

More Meals at Meal Planning Monday!

Meal Plan Monday

Sorry I've been absent guys, we are fighting contractions and colds here at my house...and those are two very vicious things especially when a new enemy has reared it's ugly head....not only is Ryan gone BUT it's looking like our two girls are now adding some stomach irritation going on! So, if I don't post, just know that I'm really working on getting people healthy!

Monday- Leftovers
Tuesday- Lunch-Leftovers
               Dinner-General Tao's Chicken and fortune cookies
Wednesday-Lunch- Sandwiches, Fruit and Yogurt
               Dinner-Aunt Brittany's Pork chops, Garlic Butter Rolls, Green Bean Casserole, Brownies (making double and           delivering the second dinner to our friend who just had a child!)
Thursday-Lunch-Leftovers
               Dinner- Tilapia with Fresh veggies!
Friday-Lunch-Might be ate out
           Dinner- At a group camp out with friends! We are SOO EXCITED! You have no idea!

for more menus go here!

BTW the only things I'm having to purchase for this weeks meals (aside from Friday night camp out items) are...
eggs/milk/bread/orange juice/brownie mix/those crunch onions for the casseroles and porkchops!

Meal Plan Monday- Viva la Mexico

Or atleast some decently priced easy to make at home Mexican food!

I came in under budget AGAIN this week ($95 total), and that even included a splurge on last nights Luau Themed Birthday dinner for the Husband (Macadamia and Coconut encrusted Salmon with fresh veggies and fresh fruit salad)! He turned 30 yesterday, and I spent the week doing tons of sweet little gifts/thoughtful things (atleast three a day) to mark the occasion. Some examples of these little gifts were to buy some of his favorite magazines, leave him love notes, take a few small items off his honey-do list (a new showerhead, shelves, and caulking), finding two sisters, 14 and 15, who live in our neighborhood who did an AMAZING job babysitting our girls for $30 (for five hours...and two babysitters....I felt like we robbed them) and a lovely date night. The girls really got into coming up with three things for Daddy as well as enjoying his new fire pit.

So this week's menu is yet another Money Saving Meals with Sandra Lee!

Monday- Lunch- Ballet Class Play Date
               Dinner- BBQ Chicken (left over from last week) with corn on the cob

Tuesday-Lunch- Leftover (Chicken on top of salad, Salmon on top of salad, you get the idea)
              Dinner-Out in Philly for my Sister-in-Law's Birthday...she's turning 25 and spending the day  
traveling across the country to come help out while Ryan is gone...what can I say...she's pretty awesome!

Wednesday-Lunch-Leftovers/Sandwiches
                    Dinner-Fish Tacos with homemade Guacamole (the add the packet to mushed avacado kind)!

Thursday- Lunch- Leftovers or Corndogs
                 Dinner-Bean and Cheese Tamales although I forgot to purchase parchment paper...hope I remember, with Cinnamon Churros!

Friday- Lunch- Tuna Fish Salad with crackers and fresh fruit on the way home from the Y (since Aunt Brittany will be able to take the girls to their swim lessons)
             Dinner: Squadron Picnic... I must find a good side recipe for this!

Saturday-Lunch-Chuckie Cheese...it's Kaelyn's 4th Birthday Party (two days early!)
               Dinner- Ceviche

Sunday-Lunch-Bean and Cheese Chalupas
             Dinner-Breakfast for dinner...complete with Pumpkin Waffles!

So that's our week in a nutshell for more menus go here!


Any BBQ friendly side suggestions for a large group? I was thinking a 7-layer salad....suggestions???

Meal Plan Monday-April 12-19

So, I'm going for quick, easy and out of my cabinet since I spent last weekend in the hospital for preterm labor. Grocery shopping and cooking long elaborate meals is not an option.

Monday- Lunch at Chic fil la with the ladies of Ballet
               Dinner Chicken (leftover) Nachos with Guacomole and Salsa!

Tuesday-Lunch will be ate out again due to Mops, or possible a picnic at the playground
               Dinner: Pan Fried Tilapia (from last week, it never happened!) with Corn Pudding (a left over recipe from last week)

Wednesday-Lunch- Sandwiches
                   Dinner-Indian food with homemade Naan from a box with the kids being offered Corn Dogs should they choose it (only because Indian food can be hot, we generally do NOT offer options to our children)

Thursday-Lunch-Salad topped with leftover Tilapia
                Dinner- Spaghetti with Salad and Garlic Bread

Friday-Lunch-is pita and fresh veggies with White Bean Hummus (here's the recipe! it turned out delicious and I am actually making it again with Black Beans!) And just for you information, the Corn Salad from last week was DIVINE! And the Blueberry Scones were equally divine and EASY! I will be making them again...and trust me when I say EASY...this chicka can't even bake cookies properly!
           Dinner: Dirty Rice with Trinity vegetables and Red Kidney beans


Saturday is a BIG QUESTION MARK because it's my husband's 30th Birthday and I'd like to have friends over (pending the behavior of my uterus), or perhaps have friends over on Sunday and let him use his new grill to entertain (that is if I can steal his car for an evening without him catching on! no way a grill is going to fit in my tiny hybrid trunk!).

So for now, let's assume that Saturday will be date night and that I will be hunting up an easy Cheesecake Recipe (to triple) to take to Ryan's work on Sunday for his Birthday followed by hopefully an impromptu BBQ Sunday night with a few friends and neighbors. That way Ryan can show off  his new Fire Pit and Grill (you only turn thirty once!).

For more Lovely Recipes/Menus go to  Meal Plan Monday

Meal Plan Monday-Envelope budget week 1

Well, I didn't make it to the store (yet), must be the weather but the girls (and I don't just mean my two, I mean our two ballet buddies and their younger sibilings) all suffered from a serious case of Meltdown Monday, that means that until nap is done...we WON'T be venturing out in public again for fear of bodily harm or loss of sanity...or both...Meltdown Monday is a SERIOUS ailment. But, when I do, I hope to show you all how I'm doing on my "envelope budget". I'm going to do weekly amounts for groceries...so this week it's  $100. Luckily, we have almost all our meals in our freezer/pantry and will hopefully roll some money over or throw it into savings! I'm also going to plan out lunches for once...because Ryan is taking his lunch and I've fallen into the "pregnancy trap" of being hungry and seeing a commercial  which makes me hungry for fastfood way tooo often!

So here is our Meal Plan Monday

Monday-            Ate Lunch out with our Ballet Buddies- $9.00
                         Lamb and Asparagus with a risotto for the adults/Pizza for the kiddos ( In the interest of being honest, this was written before I actually went to the grocery store and the girls ended up eating Ice Cream, Cheese Strings, Chicken strips, and a bannana because they did an EXCEPTIONAL job at the store despite it being REALLY late and I didn't feel like cooking. Ryan and I ate leftovers from his breakfast that he provided for his flight this morning).

Tuesday-       Eating breakfast out (we are going to be at the car dealership for maintenence and recall stuff ALL DAY)
                      Sandwiches/Lunchables for Lunch...hopefully at home, but may also be at the dealership
                      Ryan will have leftover lamb   sandwich?
                     Crockpot Meal for Dinner- Confetti Chicken over Rice (thank you MOPS)
(four frozen chicken breast, jar of salsa, can of black beans, can of corn, and 8 oz cream cheese....put the first four ingredients in the crockpot for four hours on high. 30 mins prior to serving plop on the cream cheese! Serve over rice!)

Wednesday-
                     Lunch at the Daycare, I have a meeting, Ryan has Leftovers
                     Dinner at a Friends for St Patty's Day, making some yummy chocolate cupcakes!
Thursday-    
                     Sandwiches For All
                     Lamb
Friday-     
                    Hot Dogs and sweet potato fries
                    Tilapia and Rice
Saturday-
                    Leftover Beans from the Freezer in Bean tacos/burritos
                    Breakfast for dinner (biscuits, sausage, gravey, pancakes, fruit, yogurt)
Sunday-       Shrimp Pasta/something (it was a great deal 1 lb for $4.95)
                    Date night for dinner (free...won a gift card!) Friends will babysit and feed youngun's

Just got back from the store and from the Grocery Budget I spent...$100.28
BUT- From that I have Bacon/OJ/Bread/Chicken breast/Salad/Cheese/Eggs/Cereal for next week...all of which are staples in our home, bought weekly/bi-weekly. I also spent $12 on a large thing of trashbags...which shouldn't count as groceries, but I'm letting it!
And here is what we have for next week's Grocery budget! $99.72


                  

Meal Planning Monday

How can I forget? It's Monday already, which means it's time for Meal Planning Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Today- Leftovers from superbowl (hotdogs, frozen veggies, and dip)
Tuesday- Fully loaded baked potatos with Chili...who knows, maybe I'll do twice baked. These are also leftovers from Super bowl
Wednesday-BBQ Chicken with Grilled Squash from last week


Thursday-Sandra's Round Two recipe BBQ Chicken Salad
Friday-Gyoza and Edname from my Freezer
Saturday- Corn Chowder from two weeks ago from my freezer
Sunday-Vegetable Minestrone from my freezer with grilled cheese

We are expecting EVEN more snow to top off our standing 12-18inches....as in an additional 12-18 in! So, the soups may move to Wednesday...who knows!
I'm also planning on joining in on the 28 Day organizing challenge...all this snow is making me itchy to do some minor repairs I've been planning since we moved in! I have the space picked out and I know the problems...now to figure out the solutions!

Meal Plan Monday

I'm sorry this one is so brief, but here it goes! I've decided to let Sandra Lee plan my meals this week due to my crazy accident that has left me one handed...so here is the link for ALL the recipes I am using, along with the grocery list!

Tuesday:
Grilled Brisket with Tangy Mop Sauce and Pickled cucumber (we will also be having corn on the cob)
Wed:
Using leftover we will have Mediterranean Pockets (plus a side!)
Thursday
BBQ Chicken with Grilled Squash
Friday
BBQ Chicken Salad
Sat/Sun will be leftovers and easy meals!

MAN I'm exhausted after all that thought of what to do with my leftovers and what I need to buy....*wipes sweat from brow*

THANK YOU SANDRA! And, perhaps if I'm able, I'll post my $$ cost.  If you would like to see what others are enjoying this week, jump on over to Menu Planning Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie! To those who are interested, I'm promising a non-meal planning/homeschooling post soon!

Meal Planning Monday!

Sooo....I went and visited a few of the other blogs and I have found a couple of GREAT crockpot recipes to try! I generally avoid the crockpot (Shocking I know), but I've never really had any great meals out of it aside from Roast or Stews.  I'm trying something new and giving it a go! If you'd like to participate or see what other ladies are making here is the link for Meal Planning Monday!

Monday
(From my Freezer and Pantry!!! This meal requires NO SHOPPING!) Honey Mustard and Lime Chicken Legs

Tuesday
Crockpot Corn Chowder

Wednesday
5 Bean Chili (I've made this before and LOVE IT)

Thursday
Baked Potatos topped with leftover Chili or Chili Dogs for the girls with homemade Sweet Potato Fries
(slice sweet potatos to desired thickness, we prefer thinly slices, and toss in EVOO then sprinkle with season all)

Friday
Left over night!

Saturday
Tomato and Grilled cheese! We ADORE the V8 soups (and I'm not a tomato person).
Taco Night

Sunday
I take left over taco meat, add a can of cream of mushroom, fresh or canned mushrooms and serve it all over egg noodles with a salad! Leftovers turned Beef Stroganoff!! It's actually really delicious!