Menu Plan Monday | 5.21.12

This will be my last "official" Menu Plan Monday (for now at least). These blog posts have forced me to be more mindful of my planning, shopping, and cooking, and I'm crossing my fingers that the habit has been cemented.

Last week, both new quinoa recipes were a success - we ate the quinoa and apple salad with curry dressing as a side for dinner, and I made a double batch of the pumpkin quinoa muffins and we gobbled them up (I subbed out the raisins and walnuts for chocolate chips...is that even a question??).

I cannot believe this weekend is Memorial Day weekend already. And the kids only have three weeks of school left. Eeek! I have a feeling this week is going to fly by. Here's what's on deck for us, menu-wise:

Monday
Open/Leftover's = Matt's working late
Lunch = Southwestern Chopped Chicken Salad

Tuesday
Old Standby = Stamp-of-Approval Spaghetti Sauce + bread maker bread

Wednesday

Something New = Golden Chicken in Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
[life happened and I didn't end up making this newby last week]

Thursday
Crockpot = Slow-Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu

Friday/Saturday
Memorial Day Weekend = belated anniversary dinner & family time

Treat

Banana oatmeal muffins

Linking up to Menu Plan Monday @ I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday | 5.14.12

Last week was ground-breaking in the menu planning arena: I set my sights on using my quinoa in a recipe and then it actually happened. I made these Spicy Quinoa Burgers on Wednesday night. {Also noteworthy: I now have an entire pinboard devoted exclusively to quinoa.}

I have never attempted making or serving a veggie burger to the fam for dinner. The kids could have cared less, but they were a big hit with the hubby. He l-o-v-e-d them. I could have gone either way...but I think it was a texture thing and I didn't let them get crispy enough because we were trying to get out the door for a baseball game. 

Verdict: give them a try. The ingredients are incredible - sweet potatoes, black beans, corn, quinoa, oats, sunflower seeds, and a slew of spices. We served them on a bun with sweet potato oven fries on the side, but I'm thinking they might good in pita bread. Or eaten plain (like Matt did with the leftovers) if you're going for GF.

It's my third week of menu planning mania, and I hope I'm hitting my stride. We have a busy week coming up (and we're starting HelloMornings tomorrow!), and I need to make sure I get my planning and my shopping in place before it begins. Here we go:

Monday

Open/Leftover's = Matt's working late

Lunch: Quinoa & Apple Salad with Curry Dressing

I figure it wouldn't be a bad idea to try a new lunch recipe every now and then. I'm not a sandwich girl and Matt almost always packs a lunch for work. This one caught my eye (turns out I happen to love the texture of quinoa) and curry is one of our favorites.

Tuesday

Old Standby = Bob's Burgers on the grill

The weather looks beautiful here this week. There is a local butcher shop in town that I love buying our meat from. It's always bustling in there, the meat tastes great and Bob himself is almost always behind the counter, cheerfully waiting on customers.

Wednesday

Something New = Golden Chicken in Sun-dried Tomato Sauce

My friend Hannah authors this blog called The Whole Kitchen. Her family enjoys a Paleo-inspired diet, and she is passionate about healthy, whole food. I've had my eye on this recipe since she first posted it a few weeks ago. (Another one worth pinning: Theresa made Hannah's Creamy Chicken Alfredo last week and said it was incredible.)

Thursday

Crock-Pot = Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos

It doesn't get any easier than this: chicken, taco seasoning, and salsa all dumped into the Crock-Pot in the afternoon. We're a soft shell kind of family, and everyone loves to build their own creations.

Friday/Saturday

The girls are heading to Chicago for an American Girl weekend! The boys are on their own.

Treat
Theresa had a great idea to add one new treat onto each week's menu as well. This week's treat = Pumpkin Quinoa Muffins.

These look easy and delicious. I love a good pumpkin muffin and the quinoa seems like a good twist. One substitution I know I'll be making: chocolate chips instead of the raisins. (Is that even a question??)

Linking up to Menu Plan Monday @ I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Happy Mother's Day week, Mamma's!

{Yes, I said week...take it if you can get it!}

Menu Plan Monday | 5.7.12

Last week's Menu Plan Monday was a success! 

I found it empowering (yes, I just said empowering) to enter the week with a solid plan. I was actually a little bit excited to grocery shop (list in hand!), and when 5 o'clock rolled around each day, I didn't feel the usual dinner time panic - or end up making everyone a round of PBJ's.

The meals I've made before - the goulash, honey sesame chicken, and pizza casserole were big hits. The new meal - the buffalo chicken lettuce wraps - tasted good to Matt and me, but they were a bit spicy for the kids. 

I did reserve some plain chicken and they all humored me and ate one small wrap each, but they didn't ask for seconds. 

Verdict: great meal for adults. Not so great for kids. (But I'm still glad we tried them.)

The show must go on. Here's Week Two of my Menu Plan Monday:

Sunday

Family Night = Chicken on the grill + sweet potato oven fries & corn on the cob.

I found a great deal on chicken last week when I made my second (oops!) trip to the grocery store for a couple of things I missed the first time around. [List or no list, our 2 1/2 year old is not exactly a pleasure to shop with.] I figure we can eat the leftovers on salads during the week.

Monday

Open/Leftovers = Matt's working late.

Tuesday

Old Standby = The Stocked Kitchen's Chicken Enchiladas.

I throw the chicken in the Crock-Pot during the day and then pull it out when it's done and cube it - add salsa, cream cheese, and a can of black beans with the chicken to a pot on the stove until it's all heated through. Wrap a little of the mixture in tortillas, line them up in a 9x13, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 350. Done. Dinner is served.

Wednesday

Something New = Spicy Quinoa Burgers.

I bought a giant bag of quinoa a couple months ago after Theresa (and just about everyone else I know raved about it). I dedicated one of my new OXO containers, created a cute chalkboard label, filled it to the brim...and there she sits. For whatever reason, I am terrified to actually make anything with it. The buck stops here. This week I'm trying these yummy sounding burgers from Theresa's own edition of Menu Plan Monday.

Thursday

Crock-Pot = Honey Curry Chicken.

Easy peasey and my family LOVES it. Mix up a little butter, honey, salt, curry, and mustard and pour it over either chicken breasts or tenderloins. I often double the amount of curry I throw in, and I don't always include the prepared mustard (or the extra salt for that matter). I used to bake this in the oven, but I've found the Crock-Pot is an even easier choice. Serve over rice.

Friday

Family Night = Pasta??

This is my last pre-25K meal! I think the eat pasta, run fasta thing is a myth, but I might make our favorite homemade spaghetti sauce anyway. Then again, I might send Matt out for Jimmy John's. Tough call. Still thinking on this one.

Saturday

Family Night (Date Night??) = Open

I've worked hard in the kitchen all week and I've (hopefully) just completed my first ever 25K. I'm not planning anything for this day...we'll just wing it.

Feeling inspired? Join in the meal planning mania @ I'm An Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday | 4.30.12

Here goes my first ever edition of Menu Plan Monday. I'm not looking to win any Creative Kitchen or Health Nut awards, I'm just a girl attempting to start the week armed with a P-L-A-N.

Monday

Open/Leftovers = Matt's working late.

Tuesday

Old Standby = Goulash + "homemade" {bread maker} bread.*

Yes, we're talking goulash like your mama used to make...elbow noodles, browned hamburger, diced tomatoes, corn, ketchup, onions, salt/pepper. One bite and I'm 10 years old again. Bonus points if served with a cold glass of milk.

*Dylan likes to point out that Mommy's bread isn't really homemade... "because the machine does most of the work."

Wednesday

New Recipe = Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps.

I pinned this recipe a couple of days ago. It looks easy enough, and we've had some success with Asian-style chicken lettuce wraps. I'm not sure how the kids will do with the buffalo taste but I figured I can modify it if needed (leave some plain chicken out and serve it differently). I've been looking for a homemade ranch recipe too, so I'm eager to give it a try.

Thursday

Crockpot = Honey Sesame Chicken.

Thursday's are always tricky because Ella has gymnastics from 5-6:30pm (i.e. the world's worst extracurricular activity time slot.) I've made this recipe a few times and the kids love it served over rice. Throw in some steamed broccoli and everybody's happy. 

Friday

The boys are on their own; the girls and I will be at a Mother/Daughter dinner with my mom.

Saturday

Family Night = Pizza Casserole.

This was one of Matt's favorites growing up: spaghetti noodles + an egg and Parmesan cheese layered with ground beef, pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni (or your favorite pizza toppings). 

Side note: Weekend nights drive me nuts because I rarely feel like cooking, but the other options (eating PBJ's, ordering pizza, grabbing fast food, going out to eat) make me bonkers for other reasons - they're boring or expensive or unhealthy or hard to pull off with a two year old. I'm hoping I can get in the habit of making dinner at least one weekend night since it's also a good time for us to be able to all sit down and enjoy a meal together.

Whatcha got cooking this week?

Our Meal Plan

Step one of our new food plan (catchy name coming soon...just as soon as I think of one) was sharing some initial thoughts and baring my food soul in a previous blog post while seeking out some accountability.

Step two is getting a weekly meal planning system in place. I do have a basic system in place right now and in a perfect world, I try to do a little planning before I go to the store. In my real, actual world, most of the time I end up winging it.

Since what I'm doing isn't working, I want to figure out how to make our plan more sustainable and enjoyable. Once that is established and we have a routine in place, I think I can work on integrating more whole foods into what we're doing through adding, substituting, replacing, etc.

I loved all the input I got from my Facebook friends on the subject. A couple of them use on-line meal planning systems like emeals and Food on the Table, some of them plan (and even cook) a week or a month in advance, and one very organized girl has created a spreadsheet for her favorite grocery store, aisle by aisle, so she can just highlight what she needs and then get in and get out. I also love all of you who admitted to simply flying by the seat of your pants!

After thinking through our individual family's needs, here's what I have come up with for us:

{Our Meal Plan}

Make a list of favorite/common meals our family enjoys.
I pulled out my recipe binder, my recipe card box, and a couple of my favorite cookbooks (including The Stocked Kitchen...I would recommend this cookbook/meal planning system for anyone who has no idea where to start) and then listed out our family favorites.

Follow this "schedule" (with a lot of room for flexibility):
Sunday: open 

Monday: new recipe   

Tuesday: old standby 
Wednesday: leftovers 
Thursday: crockpot 
Friday/Saturday: grill/pizza + open

I am only planning dinners for now because that's our biggest issue. 
Our weeknights are usually a little hectic. Matt often works late Monday and/or Wednesday nights, I sometimes run with a runners group on Tuesday night, and Ella has gymnastics on Thursday nights. 
Oh, and it's baseball season for Dylan right now too.

Create a customized, printable shopping list for our family.

I spent a cold, rainy Friday afternoon putting this list together after being inspired by a similar list that my friend Bethany shared with me.

(I know, I know, my friends are brilliant.) 

I used Excel to lay mine out and it worked well for me. I can print three lists to a sheet of paper, and I can print them two-sided. On the front is my shopping list with commonly used items already filled in and on the back are spaces for my daily meal planning.

   
Meal plan on Sunday; grocery shop on Monday. 

This will take some discipline on my part. I'm usually pretty lazy Monday morning, but I know if I get in the habit of getting my act together at the beginning of the week, I will be a happier cook in the kitchen.

Figure out a way to visually display a weekly menu in our home. 

(That's where you come in, Pinterest.) I have some ideas swirling around in my head, but nothing definite yet. To Be Determined.

Link up weekly to Menu Plan Monday
@ I'm An Organizing Junkie.
(At least until the meal planning habit has been firmly established.)

I think this will be a good way to hold myself accountable. As I found with the 40 bags process, I am much more likely to follow through when I know I will be sharing my results with my on-line community.

Share {small} steps we've taken recently towards better eating.

I'm not sure what this piece will look like yet - it will likely be a short blog post every few weeks highlighting a few of the small changes we've made, successes we've celebrated, or recipes we've liked.

That's it. Pretty simple stuff, but it feels good to have it down in writing. Now that my plan is in place, on to the next step: actually doing it.

{Linking Up}

Our Food Plan {intro}

{Image from Jones Design Company}

If you know me, it's not a secret that I don't enjoy cooking. For example, if you have a baby, while I want to be the friend who shows up at your doorstep with a freshly cooked meal, I will more likely show up with a gift card to Jimmy John's. I can cook and I've never poisoned anyone and it generally turns out pretty well, but I don't enjoy it.

I've been coasting through life up to this point, getting away with cooking once, maybe twice a week. My family doesn't bat an eye if I pull out the cereal boxes for dinner or make them a PBJ and I love them for that.

As the kids get older (and there are more of them now!), I feel like a coherent dining plan might be a good idea. Life is getting busier and when life gets busy, if I don't have a plan in place, we don't always eat the most balanced meals. (I also end up eating a lot of my meals standing up.)

Food, as a topic, seems to be popping up everywhere I turn. Specialized diets like vegetarian and gluten-free are more mainstream now. People are starting to ponder where their food is actually coming from and phrases like cage-free, grass-fed, raw, whole, clean, and organic swirl around in conversations, on packaging, and via posts on Facebook.

I have been inspired by friends and family like Theresa and her goal of once-a-month clean cooking, Amy and her quest for natural living, Kara and her desire for real, organic food, and Hannah and her passion for honest, whole food (and many others...I'm surrounded by a lot of really great, really healthy people).

As a mom and a wife (and for my own sake), I'd love to be more mindful about what we're eating, but quite frankly it gets a little overwhelming. We're not the worst fed family in America (and yay us! we do do a lot of things right) - you won't find Doritos or Twinkies in our shopping cart - but there's a lot of room for improvement.

My plan then is to come up with a plan (HA!) I am going to take baby steps towards eating healthier and with more intention. For our family, that means more whole foods (including more fruits and veggies and better meat), less sugar and processed foods, and more actual sit-down meals.

I desire for us to take good care of the bodies God has given us, enjoy and be nourished by all the good stuff he has created for us here on earth, and feel better, healthier, and more energetic. Oh, and I want skin that positively glows. (I hope that's not too much to ask.)

This is a work in progress, and I want to take it one step at a time.  Matt and I did a 10-day cleanse a few weeks ago (no processed foods, unnatural sugars, gluten, dairy, caffeine, alcohol, etc.) and I made it precisely seven days and hated every minute. I found it a little overwhelming and too much to ask of my body all at once. I would like to ease into changing some of our habits because then I believe they'll actually stick.

Eventually I'll need to understand what motivates us to eat, explore where the find the best whole foods, figure out how to save some money while doing it, discover new and tasty recipes, and unearth my inner Martha Stewart. But that will all come in time.

Here's the disclaimer: I don't have a background in nutrition. I'm not an amazing chef. I'm not worried about doing this all perfectly. I don't even actually know what I'm getting myself into. I'm just a regular mom, ready to muddle my way through the food maze. I do know this: each small change will bring me a little bit closer to our family's goals.

When I first started running, I knew next to nothing. I just laced up my shoes and hit the sidewalks, one step at a time. Every couple of runs I tried to push myself to run a little faster or a little longer. I began reading blog posts, magazine articles, and tweets about running. I asked questions. I set mini-goals. I started to hang out with other runners. They shared their knowledge with me and encouraged me to keep going.

Today, I'm not the fastest runner out there. I haven't trained for a marathon. There is a lot of room for improvement. But I'm in a better place than I was when I first started.

I feel like this is kind of going to look like that.

First things first, and for the love of accountability, this blog post is my first thing. I hope you will come along for the ride. I hope you will keep me company. I hope we can inspire each other to keep moving in the right direction.

Hold on to your fork. Things are about to get interesting.

Please feel free to send suggestions, advice, questions, etc. to me at katie {dot} terpstra {at} gmail {dot} com.