Weekly Menu Plan 4-21 to 4-27, 2024

 

How are you all doing this week?  I hope you had a great week last week, I know I am looking forward to the coming week!

The trees are all leafed out here, even though we had a touch of cold this weekend.  Nothing too severe, but I am ready for those 60's and 70's again.  Tennis is going great, so far my granddaughter is undefeated this season.  We still have many matches to go yet, so we'll see how the season plays out.  Regardless, I am so proud of her!  

As the weather warms up, I'm beginning to work more salads into our meal plan.  I can make them early in the day, which I like, and it's not so heavy at dinner time.  I've just had such a taste for salads lately!  I decided every other day is the goal for salads, although right now I think I could eat one for dinner every day.  

I'm also trying a gluten free pizza out this week that has a pizza crust made with canned chicken.  I know it sounds strange, but I keep reading all these rave reviews about them online.  Extra protein, no gluten, so what's not to love?  I'll see how that goes this week - I am looking forward to trying it!

I also have several easy desserts this week, and I'm trying to go a bit lighter there as well.  I like a little treat at the end of the day, but I'm fine with something light and not too heavy.  I keep several cartons of dairy free ice cream in my fridge, because I mostly go dairy free these days.  I do use lactose pills when I eat cheese, like on pizza, and they seem to work pretty well for me.  But if I make a dessert that has too much dairy in it, I'll just have a small dish of dairy free ice cream.  Breyers makes a wonderful gluten free dairy free Oatmilk ice cream that I love.  Vanilla and chocolate chip mint are both gluten and dairy free.  And yummy!

Here's my plan for the week.  Links and notes are below:

Monday:

Banana Baked Oatmeal

Taco Salad For A Large Crowd

Gluten Free Cornbread

Gluten Free Lemon Meringue Pie

Wednesday:

Devilled Egg Chef Salad

Thursday:

Yogurt Parfaits

Gluten Free Banana Bread

Sheet Pan Nachos

Easy Pineapple Dessert

Friday:

Chopped Salad With Pasta

Gluten Free Brownies

Saturday:

Gluten Free Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Gluten Free Pizza with Chicken Crust

And now off to another busy week!  I hope you all have a wonderful week, and many happy meals with family and friends!  Take care and see you next week!

Weekly Menu Plan 10-1 to 10-6, 2023

 

Happy October!   It's hard to believe it's October already, especially since it's so hot outside here!  We have upper 80's until Wednesday, then it's supposed to rain and start to actually feel like fall.

I had a productive week last week, I hope you did too!  The highlight of my week was going up to see one of my granddaughters at her college.  I made her this little treat basket:

She's not a big candy eater, and doesn't care for chocolate (can you imagine??), so I didn't want to put a ton of chocolate in it.  So I bought a couple of her favorites - Werther's caramel apple soft caramels, and a bag of gummy bears.  I know she won't throw those away!  She needs a little something sweet now and then, don't you think?  She tries to eat pretty healthy most of the time, which she definitely didn't get from me!  I need to be more like her!

Then, I finished my Japanese Rice Bag, and I love how it turned out!  I used up leftover fabric from my table runner, and some other scraps.  It holds a ton of stuff!

I've already used it to carry my cross stitching supplies in, and I'm going to use it to hold snacks when we go on vacation.  I can fit all kinds of gluten free goodies in there!  It completely closes with the drawstring, and is really very sturdy.

Enough of that stuff, here is my menu plan for this week.  I have a bunch of stuff to do this week, so there's nothing too difficult.  Mostly I planned for quick and easy meals, or something I can make ahead.  As always, notes and recipe links are below.

Notes and Recipe Links:

Sunday:  

Gluten Free Banana Pancakes are from Meaningful Eats

Gluten Free Chicken Noodle Soup is from Gluten Free Palate - I always use rice noodles that I find in the Chinese food section of my grocery store

The Best Side Salad is from Fantabulosity - I plan on eating the salad leftovers for lunch a couple days, as it makes a lot.  Very delicious!

Chocolate Cake is from Glutenless Apron - this is a new-to-me recipe, can't wait to make it!

Monday:

Gluten Free Reuben Sandwich is from The Spruce Eats

Gluten Free Potato Salad is from One Lovely Life

Gluten Free Blueberry Pie is from Fearless Dining

Tuesday:

Gluten Free Chili is from Mama Knows Gluten Free

Gluten Free Cornbread is from All Recipes

Wednesday:

Gluten Free Sausage Gravy is from All Recipes - we like ours over gluten free toast rather than biscuits

Gluten Free Chili Dogs are from Spend With Pennies - I'm using leftover chili for these

Thursday:

Gluten Free Macaroni Salad is from Mary's Whole Life

Friday:

Gluten Free French Toast is from Gluten Free Palate

Gluten Free Oatmeal Scotchies are from Mile High Mitts

Saturday:

Gluten Free Kentucky Butter Cake is from Mama Knows Gluten Free

And that's it for this coming week!  

I hope you have a great week with your family, and lots of happy family meals!  Take care!

Weekly Menu Plan 4-16 to 4-22, 2023

 

I love spring, and all the flowers and warm temperatures!  But today, it is rainy and temps are dropping quickly.  I guess winter isn't wanting to leave just yet!  Yesterday it was 80 degrees, tonight we are looking at wet snowflakes falling!  In a few days, though, it will be back in the 70's until we get another system that tanks the temps.  Mother's Day is on the way, though, and that means there's usually no more frost until fall.  At least here in Indiana!

Last week, I ditched a menu plan in favor of taking it easy for a week.  I cooked so much for Easter, I was kind of tired of it.  We had a lot of leftovers, but not as many as I thought.  Family members took home some of them, and we ate a lot for dinner that day.  Most everything turned out great!  The pork loins were fabulous!  The only thing that didn't turn out was my gluten free carrot cake.  It was so wet, even after baking, and so sticky, that it just crumbled in a heap of wet cake.  I threw it out.  I don't know if it was my flour, or what.  So I made another carrot cake using regular flour, and that one was very good, according to everyone else.  I was a little bummed, because I love carrot cake, and I have never had one not turn out.  But I think I had enough to eat without it!  I usually use Bob's Red Mill gluten free flour, but this time I used Pamela's.  Since gluten free flours differ so greatly, I think that was my problem.  Back to Bob's Red Mill next time I make that cake!

Here is this week's menu plan.  I'm ready to start cooking again!  I've made tonight's dinner several times, and I love it.  So good!  I'm looking forward to a busy week ahead - I'm getting a new stove delivered on Wednesday, and can't wait!  I just hope the oven - which has an air fryer and convection oven which my current one does not - works well!  It will take some getting used to, I'm sure!

Notes are below.

Sunday:

Gluten Free Taco Spaghetti is from Good For You Gluten Free - I love this!  Easy, makes a big pot so we have lunch leftovers for a couple days, and it's delicious!

Monday:

Gluten Free Waffles are from Mama Knows Gluten Free - they're so good!

Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pie is from Mama Gourmand

Gluten Free Nutella Blondies is from Jackie Ourman - new recipe for me to try

Wednesday:

Maple Sausage Lentil Soup is from Haute Flavor - I love this soup!  It is so delicious.  I'm not usually a lentil fan, but I love them in this soup!

Crockpot Baked Apples are from Kleinworth - the first time I made these, I was so surprised at how delicious they are!

Thursday:

Gluten Free Peach Cobbler is from King Arthur Baking - another new dessert I'm trying this week

Friday:

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Muffins are from The Loopy Whisk - one of my favorite places for gluten free recipes

Saturday:

Gluten Free Cinnamon Crisp Coffee Cake is from King Arthur Baking

Cobb Salad is from Taste of Home - salads are starting to start really good, especially if the temps stay warm!

That's it for another week!  Have a blessed week, y'all, and enjoy meals with your family!

Weekly Menu Plan March 12-18, 2023

It's time for another week of menus!  These weeks are just flying by!  I can't keep up.

As we approach St. Patrick's Day this coming Friday, I was looking for some information about St. Patrick.  I'm neither Irish nor Catholic, and I realized I don't know much about him.  I found these words that are ascribed to him:

May the wisdom of God instruct us.

May the hand of God protect us.

May the Word of God direct us.

Wow!  That's really quite beautiful, isn't it?  I don't know if he actually said or wrote that or not, but I love it just the same!  I think I might cross stitch that one and hang it up in my house.

Here's my menu plan for the week.  I don't have much going on this week, at least not that I know of right now, so I'm planning on tackling some cooking and cleaning and becoming a domestic goddess this week.  :)  Notes for the links can be found below the menu plan.

Sunday:  Crockpot Swedish Meatballs are from Country Cook - tried and true

                Gluten Free Coconut Cake is from Chef Janet K

Monday:  Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Rice is from Maebells

Tuesday:  Gluten Free Banana Muffins are from Gluten Free Baking

                Gluten Free Key Lime Pie is from Meaningful Eats

Thursday:  Gluten Free Waffles are from Mama Knows Gluten Free - tried and true

                Gluten Free Crockpot Pork Chops are from Moms with Crock Pots

                Gluten Free Cherry Cobbler is from Dishing Delish

Friday - Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal is from Budget Bytes

                Gluten Free Turtle Cheesecake is from Wheat By The Wayside

That's it for this week!  Enjoy your week!

Gluten Free Smothered Pork Chops

 

Monday night we had Gluten Free Smothered Pork Chops for dinner.  They were delicious!  But, I have to admit, I love anything with gravy!  I don't make gluten free gravy very often, so this was definitely a treat for me.  Definitely comfort food for me.  I made mashed potatoes and peas to go with it.  There was plenty of gravy to smother the mashed potatoes, too.  

I buy most of the meat and chicken I make from Sams Club.  I used a package of 6 boneless pork chops for this recipe, and they were cut a good 1/2 inch thick.  They worked very nicely in this recipe.

The recipe I used was tweaked slightly from Mama Shire.  It is a gluten free, dairy free recipe.  Although it looks a little complicated, it really isn't.  I just broke it down into steps, and it was very easy to follow.

Gluten Free Smothered Pork Chops

6 boneless pork chops

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup gluten free all purpose flour (I used Pillsbury Gluten Free)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 medium onions, sliced thinly

1 tablespoon minced garlic (I use refrigerated minced garlic from a jar)

4 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce

1.  Pound the pork chops with a meat mallet on both sides.  Season each chop with salt and pepper.

2.  In a medium shallow bowl, mix the gluten free flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt, poultry seasoning, and pepper.  

3.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Dip both sides of each pork chop in the flour mixture.  Add the chops to the skillet, and fry on each side for 5 minutes. Then move the pork chops to a 9 X 13 baking dish.   Reserve the remaining flour mixture.

4.  While the pork chops are frying, slice the 2 onions.  After you have removed the pork chops from the skillet, add the onions to the skillet.  Cook onions over medium heat about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are wilted and transparent.  Add the minced garlic, and cook 1 more minute.

5.  Stir the reserved flour mixture into the onions, and cook for 3 minutes.  Stir often.

6.  Slowly pour in the chicken broth, and bring to a boil.  Stir in the Kitchen Bouquet.

7.  Carefully pour the onion gravy mixture over the pork chops in the baking dish.  Cover with aluminum foil.

8.  Bake the pork chops, covered, for 50 - 60 minutes, or until the pork chops are tender.

9.  Serve with mashed potatoes and peas.

This was very, very yummy!  If you try it, I hope you like it as much as we did!

Weekly Menu Plan 1-22 to 1-28, 2023

 

Hello!  

I don't know about where you are, but here it snowed today just a little bit.  Enough to make you feel like staying home and getting all cozy under a blanket.  We are supposed to get some more this week, but how much remains to be seen.

Last week was much calmer than the previous two weeks.  But I am still behind in getting recipes posted.  As usual, I forget to take pictures of what I've made, and then I get frustrated with myself.  It's a new habit I have got to work into my routine.  But it will take awhile.  Old dog, new tricks.

Here is my menu plan for the week.  Nothing too complicated.  The Sheboygan burgers we are having tonight are very easy.  It's just a hamburger patty topped with bratwurst, sauerkraut, and swiss cheese.  I will try and remember to take a picture.  I am having mine without a bun, since I'm gluten free.  I can't imagine a gluten free bun holding up to that much stuff!  Usually they crumble.  So I'm just doing without.

If you click on the bottom menu, you should get an enlarged view that is easier to read.

That's it for the menu this week!  I hope you have a nice, cozy week and nothing too crazy weather-wise!   Take care!

Gluten Free Baked Spaghetti

 

Hello!  

I just wanted to share this Baked Spaghetti recipe with you before I forget.  It is very good, and it makes a full 9X13 pan.  Plenty for a family of at least 4, so the two of us have a ton left over.  And we each had two servings!  

I don't usually like cottage cheese in a layered casserole, but honestly, this time I really liked it!  If you have a child that has texture issues, then I would substitute ricotta cheese.  But there was no lumpy texture at all, and I used a little more than the recipe called for.  I think I used 1% lowfat cottage cheese from Aldis.  It was delicious!

Here is the recipe.  It might look a little complicated, but it really isn't.  Make the spaghetti in a Dutch oven, and then use the same pan to cook the ground beef and make the sauce.  While I was browning the ground beef, I made a pineapple cream cheese pie to use up some leftover Cool Whip.  That turned out great and will be a recipe for another day!

Here is the Gluten Free Baked Spaghetti recipe:

If you're going to be feeding a family or a crowd, you might want to try this one.  It'd be a great casserole to take to a potluck!

Have a great evening!

Gluten Free Biscuits

I love my breads!  That can present a problem when you're gluten free.

I have had many failures with gluten free breads.  But not with these biscuits!  These are soft, buttery, delicious biscuits!  And so easy to make! Once you try them, you will be making them all the time!

Here is the recipe.  I get the Pancake Mix at Wal Mart.  It is the Great Value brand.  Enjoy!

Gluten Free Beef Stew

 

How are you all doing this third day of January?  It's quite warm here, about 64 degrees, and raining.  It won't last long, I'm sure!  But I am enjoying it today!

Last night for dinner we had gluten free beef stew that I made in the crockpot.  It makes a FULL crockpot, so be prepared to have plenty of leftovers --  or freeze what is left for later in the month.  It turned out really yummy, and it was a great January dinner.  I also made gluten free biscuits, which turned out great, and I will share the recipe for those tomorrow.

Here is the recipe I use for my gluten free beef stew.  I had a package of frozen peas in the freezer, and I threw the whole package in about an hour before the we ate.  Sometimes I do that, sometimes I don't.  It's good either way.

This is a super easy meal to throw together early in the morning, and makes a very delicious stew that you can enjoy for dinner - and then some!

Thanks for stopping by!  I will be back tomorrow with the gluten free biscuit recipe!

Hugs,

Weekly Menu Plan Nov 13-19, 2022

 

I wish it looked like this when I look out my window!  Instead I see snow and and the temps are barely in the 30's!  We definitely got a glimpse of winter this weekend!

I went Christmas shopping with my daughter yesterday, and it snowed the whole time we were out.  At least it put everyone in the Christmas spirit!  I can't believe a couple days ago we were out without coats, and it was actually warm!

Another week's meal plan is finished.  I am not hosting Thanksgiving, but I have several dishes I am taking over to my daughter's house.  But at least I don't have to do all that grocery shopping!  She is also hosting Christmas, so that really eases up my workload.  And I'm all for that!

Here is my menu plan for the week.  I don't have too much going on this week, so I hope to have time to stick to my plan.  

I hope you all have a great week before Thanksgiving!  I know everything seems to start getting rushed now, with the holidays fast approaching.  It's kind of nice to slow down and be able to appreciate everyone!  Blessings to you all!

Weekly Menu Plan Nov. 7-13, 2022

 

Hi there!

I hope you had a good week last week!  Mine was a bit crazy, and I got all off track with my menu plan.  

I had several days when I got called away from home for most of the day, which left me no time to prepare dinner or do any baking.  Sometimes that happens, right?  I am hoping this week slows down in that regard.  

Since I got behind on my menu plan, this week includes some of the same foods on last week's plan.  I have already grocery shopped, and I had everything I needed to make all the foods from last week's menu.  So I just slid the meals I hadn't made, over onto this menu plan.  I hope that makes sense!  

What I did get made from last week, were kind of so-so.  The Chicken Cordon Bleu was okay, but it definitely needed more seasoning.  I think that has happened to me before when I use recipes that have cream or heavy cream in them.  It was very bland, and no one really liked it very much.  It might have been my fault in how I prepared it.  But, I don't think I'll be trying that one again.

The gluten free orange chicken didn't turn out, either.  It looked like chicken in a dark brown really thick gravy.  It was very unappetizing looking, and none of us wanted to try it.  I made it yesterday, and then we went out and ate instead.  It might taste all right, but honestly it looks so unappealing I don't know if we'll eat it or not.  Again, it might have been something I did wrong while making it.  Sometimes things just don't come together as planned!  But we probably won't be trying this recipe again, either.  My husband asked me why I don't stick to the tried and true recipes!  And sometimes I do, but sometimes I like to try new things.  So this week, I am making more meals that aren't first time recipes.  Two fails in one week was enough for awhile!  Live and learn, right??

Here is this week's menu plan.  I cannot wait for the tomato soup and grilled cheese night!  Sometimes simple is just so comforting, and I'm really looking forward to it. 

This week is supposed to be in the 60's and 70's here all week, until Saturday.  Then the temps take a dive, and it will be highs in the 40's.  More like November!  Our town is having their Holiday Kick-Off sales at all the little shops downtown, so my daughter and I are heading down there to check it out next Saturday.  It's always fun to see all the Christmas decorations!  

Have a wonderful week!  I hope you can grab a couple ideas to use from this week's menu, and enjoy some meals with your family and/or friends!  Take care, and see you next week!

Weekly Menu Plan Oct. 30-Nov. 5, 2022

Happy Sunday!  It's hard to believe it's the last Sunday in October, isn't it?  I can't believe it turns into November in a couple days.  This year has rushed by!

So last week, I had a few disruptions in my days.  My daughter is having some remodeling work done in her house, so it turns out that on Wednesday and Thursday, I spent my entire day over at her house so someone could be there with the workers.  On Friday, my husband and I met some friends for lunch at Cheesecake Factory and spent most of the day out.  So my regular schedule took a hit.

I had planned on, and shopped for, all last week's meals and groceries.  But I think there are three days that I missed on my menu plan.  I just scrapped those recipes for now, and will get back to them in a week or two.

I had planned on reviewing all the meals I had made on Wednesday, and every Wednesday will be review day.  But I will have to try and start that this week, since last week got me all messed up.

Here is this week's menu plan:

About the only change I am making to the recipes with links is on Saturday.  I will use gluten free pasta in place of the regular pasta.  Everything else will be the same.

A few of the recipes this week are ones that are new to me, so I am really anxious to see how they turn out!  I have the chocolate cake from Sunday's menu in the oven as we speak, and it smells so good!  I can't wait to try it tonight!

I hope you find something you can use here, either a helpful link, a new recipe, or at least an idea of what to make for supper!  Have a wonderful week!

Weekly Menu Plan for 8-22 to 8-28, 2021

 

I don't know about you, but where I am, it is HOT HOT HOT.  It is going to be hot (90's and above) all week long this week, so not much cooking is going on in my kitchen!  I just don't want to heat up the house. It is also extremely humid here.  So I jotted down a quick menu plan for the week, got my grocery shopping done yesterday, and I'm ready for a week spent inside in the air conditioning.

Here is my menu plan for this week:

Sunday:  

Breakfast:  Scrambled eggs, Bacon, Toast, Fresh pineapple

Dinner:  Gluten Free Chicken Alfredo, Broccoli, Vanilla Pudding

Monday:

Breakfast:  Cold cereal, Yogurt, Banana

Dinner:  Instant Pot Pork Chops and Potatoes, Green Beans, Orange Sherbet

Tuesday:

Breakfast:  Oatmeal, Sliced Apples, Toast

Dinner:  Low Country Boil, *SEE NOTE,    Ice cream

(we do this outside on the grill's side burner - we do not use the crabmeat, just shrimp and sausage for the meat)  (remember this is a PER PERSON recipe, so we quadruple it for the two of us so there are a few leftovers)

Wednesday:

Breakfast:  Egg Salad Sandwich, Sausage Links, Oranges

Dinner:  Steak Salad, Breadsticks, Orange Sherbet

(I prep the salad and dressing early in the morning, then toss the steaks on the grill at dinner time, and Voila!  dinner is served!)

Thursday:

Breakfast:  Cold Cereal, String Cheese, Banana

Dinner:  Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry, Rice, Egg Rolls, Ice Cream Cones

Friday:

Breakfast:  Fried Eggs, Bacon, Toast, Cherries

Dinner:  Show Off Salad, Toast, Cookies and Milk

(I use gluten free elbow macaroni in the salad)

Saturday:

Breakfast:  Sausage and Gravy over Toast, Sliced Apples and Grapes

Dinner:  Grilled Italian Sausages with Peppers and Onions, Chips, Leftover salad from Friday, Banana Splits

So that's it for the week!   Have a great one, and stay cool and healthy!  See you next week with another menu!

Menu Plan for Aug 15-21, 2021

Today's post is going to be short and sweet.

We have had a super busy week, and I am worn out.  I'm ready for a night of watching TV and then lights out.

Here is what we'll be having this week:

I hope you all have a good week, and you find a good meal plan or two here!  See you next week!

Weekly Menu Plan Updated

Let me try this again.  Okay, here it is.  I have no idea what the problem is, but I just kept playing with it until I got something reasonable.

Please see the post below for the full post for this week.  Thanks, and sorry this is in 2 parts!

Weekly Menu Plan for August 8-14, 2021

 

Isn't it just darn sad that kids are already back in school?  Here it is, 90 degrees outside and perfect swimming weather for the kids, and they sit in a classroom looking out at the bright sunshine.  One of our middle schools is right next to a water park!  The kids can see it right outside their windows!  How hard would that be to concentrate on school stuff??

Anyway, it is going to be hot, HOT, HOT this week, so I am planning to grill out a couple times.  I also am having salad for dinner twice, because it's the kind of heat that makes you not hungry.  I don't like anything heavy when it is hot outside.  The chicken salad on Wednesday uses leftover grilled chicken from Tuesday night, so if you want to try those recipes, make some extra grilled chicken on Tuesday.  That way you just have to prep the salad on Wednesday.  I will be using gluten free pasta in my salad.

Just for fun, and because I wanted to make my air conditioning work overtime, I baked three coffee cakes this afternoon to share with the families at the bus stop tomorrow morning.  There are so many parents and grandparents at the bus stop this year!  I told my granddaughter, who is in 5th grade, that this year I would be watching her from the window or the front step (her bus stop is right across the street from her house).  But when I saw all the parents and grandparents out there, I felt guilty!  So I dragged my sorry self across the street and joined them.  I might change my mind when the weather gets cold, though!

A funny story about the coffee cake.  Right before COVID hit last year, the grandparents of a family across the street from my daughter's house moved here from Alabama.  They moved here to help their daughter and son-in-law with their three little ones.  I baked them a coffee cake to welcome them right after they moved here.  Well, Thursday morning at the bus stop the grandparents were there to see their grandkids off on the first day of school.  Right after the bus pulled away, the grandfather came up to me and said, "Well, we've lived here over 15 months now, and we love it here.  We all made it through COVID and are glad things are getting back to normal.  But.....that coffee cake you made.  I've been thinking about it for 15 months, and want to know where and when I can have another one!  Just tell me the time and place, and I'll be there!"  

Well, that made me laugh and I was quite surprised!  Last year, I drove my granddaughter to and from school, so she didn't ride the bus.  I never saw those grandparents during the school year.  And here I find out the poor guy has been craving a coffee cake for a year and a half!  So that's why I made three coffee cakes today.  One whole cake for the grandparents, and I'm cutting up the rest to give to the other parents.  I guess I forget sometimes that a lot of people don't bake!  

Now on to this week's menu plan.  Here it is in all it's glory!  It's a pretty simple week, really.  I hope you find something you'd like to try!

Well, for some reason, Google is not allowing me to embed my slide here without it being HUGE and covering the whole thing.  So for right now, I am posting a picture of it, and then after I figure out what is going wrong, I will post the slide with the active links to the recipes.  Here is the picture:

The links will not be active on this, but I will try and figure out what is going wrong and will repost it with the active links.  Sorry about that!

Have a great week, and will post as soon as I can!

Menu Plan for Aug. 1-7, 2021

 

Hi there!

I'm back by wildly popular demand!  That is, if you consider 1 person checking up on me, to be wildly popular!  🤣

Explanation of my absence:  I got lazy.  I guess I just needed a break from cooking and cleaning and blogging.  While I was gone, mostly I sewed.  Lots and lots of bags and a few other things.  I sewed and sewed, and we ate a lot of sandwiches and salads, and went out to eat a lot.  And I watched my soaps almost every. single. day.  We also took a two week vacation to Disney World, with my daughter and her family, and had the best time I've had in a long time.  But I'm behind on cooking and cleaning, and need to get back in a routine.  The granddaughter I babysit goes back to school this week on Thursday, so that should get me back in the swing of things.  And thank you Linda, for checking up on me, because that motivated me to stop sewing and looking at fabric all day, and to have more of a healthy balance.  

I am working on a cleaning schedule that will work for me.  I have tried lots of different schedules on Pinterest, as well as Fly Lady.  It all works for awhile, but then I miss a day or two and the whole thing gets thrown off.  I wind up doing way too little, while I need to do A LOT.  So, I am trying to be realistic and motivated at the same time.  I need to follow a routine, and I like to pre-plan my week ahead as much as possible.  I get so much more done that way!  I am about 1/3 of the way done figuring out a workable cleaning schedule.  Right now, I have post it notes and pieces of paper shoved in my planner, ready to organize.  My biggest schedule breaker is SEWING!  If I start feeling like chores are getting in the way of my sewing time, I always break away from cleaning and head to my sewing room.  I would rather bake and sew than do anything else!  But that is not good in the long term, nope.  I need to do better.

Menu planning for this week was actually fun.  I am cutting out so many desserts, but not all desserts.  I have to have something sweet and yummy to look forward to each day, are you feeling it, too?  It just makes the day so much brighter!  I love having a cookie, or a piece of pie or cake, or some kind of treat, in the evening after dinner.  It's just a luxury that I love!  Sometimes I sneak a little treat in during the day, too, depending on what I'm doing.  I've got a sweet tooth, that's for sure.

Here you go, take a look at this week's menu plan.  I've already got the Gluten Free Chicken Enchiladas ready for the oven tonight.  It smells pretty good - it's been making me hungry all day!  

     

It feels good to get back to menu planning!  I sure do hope you find something here you can use - either a main dish to try, or a complete menu, or even a dessert!  

Thank you for stopping by!  You know, it's a big world out there, and it's nice to know we have blog friends to share our days with.  Please come back often, as I'm planning on coming completely out of my cocoon to keep sharing!  

Have a wonderful week!

Apple Breakfast Tart

 

It's been awhile!  I had to take a little intermission while I took care of a hip and back flare-up.  I am on the road to back to normal, thanks to a good doctor and physical therapy.

So for the past month or so, we've been eating a lot of sandwiches, frozen foods, and take out.  Whatever I could throw together without too much standing and/or bending.  And although I am almost ready to start cooking again, there are a couple considerations.  

First, according to the doctor, I need to change my diet to a more healthy one.  I totally get that!  I don't like it, but I get it!  Second, I am just not quite there yet for sitting down and making a menu plan and going to several grocery stores to get everything I need.  I'm doing way better, just not there yet!

What I have done, though, is I've been looking at different ways of sharing my menu plans.  I like using Google Drive, but it's just not my favorite.  I checked out Bublup - have you heard of it?  I really like it!  It's kind of like Pinterest, in a way, but you can save files, notes, and all sorts of things in your folders.  Then, if you want them to, Bublup just takes all the stuff you've put in a folder and makes a blog post out of it somehow!  It's like magic!  

I tried one out this morning.  I made a really yummy Apple Breakfast Tart this morning, and we both loved it.  So I quick put notes and pictures in a folder, and they made it into a roll (that's what they call a blog post).  It was pretty easy and pretty darn quick to throw together!  

So....I decided to make you my guinea pigs and share the link with you all, so you can see how it looks when they mosh it all together to make a blog post.  PLEASE let me know what you think!  Because I'm thinking I may try to make my menu plans using the BublUp app, if you guys like how it looks.  If not, I can go back to the old way of using Google Drive.  It's no big deal, but I'm interested in knowing what you all think!

Here is the link to see the BublUp blog page for my Apple Breakfast Tart:

Apple Breakfast Tart

PLEASE let me know what you think!

Have a great day, and I will be back soon with a menu plan!