Menu Plan for May 12-18, 2019

Happy Mother's Day to all moms out there!  I am thinking of my own mom today, so many treasured memories of her!  I thank God for her!  I am one lucky lady to have had such wonderful, loving parents, and I don't forget it for a minute.

I hope you all have a wonderful day today.  We are going out to lunch today, and then attending our granddaughters' final symphony concert for the season this evening.  It is always fantastic, and a great way to spend Mother's Day!

Only 2 weeks of school left here for the grandkids!  It is chilly and rainy today, but it heats up into the 80's at the end of the week.  They are all so ready to be out for the summer!

This week, I am continuing my fruit salad breakfasts.  I absolutely love eating fruit in the morning, and I cannot imagine going back to a heavy breakfast.  It feels so good to start the day fresh and light! I think I have lost a few pounds, too, but I'm only weighing myself twice a month so we'll see!

The dinners this week are pretty easy, and I use gluten free ingredients as much as possible.  The desserts this week are not gluten free, and are mainly for sharing with the rest of the family.  They absolutely LOVE the Black Forest Poke Cake, and I haven't made it in awhile.  So they are getting some at the end of the week to kick off the last week of school!

Here is my menu plan for the week:
To get a printable copy, please click HERE.
Recipe links and notes are below.

Monday:
Spaghetti Sauce is from Taste of Home - it is one of our favorite spaghetti sauces.  I use gluten free spaghetti noodles for me, the rest of the family gets regular spaghetti.  It is a delicious sauce!

Tuesday:
Cheesy Broccoli Casserole is from Budget Savvy Diva - I will use gluten free bread crumbs and gluten free cream of mushroom soup

Pecan Cream Pie is from Together As Family

Wednesday:
Chicken Fried Rice is from Rachel Schultz on Homemaking - this is tried and true and delicious!

Pistachio Pudding Cake is from Taste of Home - my mom used to make this cake, and it is so good!  The icing is yummy!  Of course I can't eat it, but my family sure can!

Thursday:
JoJo Potatoes are from Mel's Kitchen Café - these are so yummy!

Carrot Raisin Salad is from 40 Aprons - a nice, fresh tasting salad!

Friday:
Meatloaf is from Yummy Healthy Easy - I use gluten free oats

Black Forest Poke Cake is from Served Up With Love - everyone loves this cake!  And it's so easy!

And that's a wrap for this week!  I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day, and a wonderful week ahead!  As always, I hope you can find a meal plan or a recipe or two that you want to try!  Thanks for visiting!

Menu Plan for Week of May 5-11, 2019

I love May, don't you?  Granted, it's still raining here in Indiana almost every day, but the sunny days we have in May...like today....oh, me oh, May!  Totally love it!  The smallest granddaughter was here most of the day, and she rode her scooter, and her bike, petted the horses that belong to the people behind us, ate an ice cream cone outside and got chocolate all over her face, sat with me on the swing for awhile, just the kinds of things I love about May.  Plus, (she's 8 years old) she played a Pokémon card game with her uncle and had a ball.  She loves Pokémon, and almost every time she sees him he pulls new packs of Pokémon cards out from somewhere and she goes crazy! He is taking her to see the movie Detective Pikachu when it comes out, and you would think they were going to the world premiere of Gone With The Wind.  Sweet times!

We had such a nice week last week, even though it was rainy and kind of chilly.  I have been sewing all kinds of things, but finally finishing up gifts for the granddaughter's (above) teacher and bus driver.  It's Teacher Appreciation Week, and whatever we do for the teacher we also do for the bus driver - because we love them both!  So Monday, a pot of beautiful geraniums for each.  For Tuesday, I made each one a quilted tote bag.  Still finishing the bus driver's, but the teacher's is finished.  I will post a picture later.  Wednesday gift cards to Starbucks, Thursday classroom supplies and note pads and mugs, and Friday a handwritten thank you card from the granddaughter.  A week of celebration to thank them (in a small way) for everything they do each day!
And then, the week ended with prom for the oldest granddaughter, and she looked gorgeous!  A pale lavender dress just looked beautiful on her, and her boyfriend had a white jacket with a pale lavender best and tie -- and he looked like he was made to dress up!  What a cute couple they made, and they had a ball!  Literally and figuratively!

This week, there are a few things going on.  We are going to the end of the year choir concert to see the boyfriend (above) perform.  Marching band practice begins for the high schoolers for next year's show, and I've got lots of housework to catch up on from all my sewing days this past week.  Last week's menu plan worked like a charm for me.  I love fruit for breakfast!  I make a huge bowl of fruit salad twice a week, and we eat fruit every morning.  I kind of switch my dinner and lunch, and am eating our main meal at about 1:00 for lunch, and a light meal for dinner.  It is working for me, and I am feeling great!  So we will continue that this week!

Here is this week's menu:
For a printable copy, please click HERE.
Recipe notes and links are below.

Sunday:
Fruit Salad - This week I am mixing together strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, pineapple, apples, bananas, oranges, mandarin oranges, grapes, peaches, plums, and pears.

Gluten Free Chicken Enchiladas are from My Kitchen Life - a new recipe to celebrate Cinco de Mayo

Monday:
Crockpot Mississippi Pot Roast is from The Country Cook - tried and true

Gluten Free Brownie Cheesecake is from Lazy Gluten Free - a new recipe, I don't know why she calls her blog lazy because she has some awesome recipes on there!

Tuesday:
Gluten Free Sweet-Chicken is from My Gluten-Free Kitchen - yummy over rice!  and easy!

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Pie is from Maebells - this sounds SO good!

Friday:
Cajun Halibut with Praline Sauce over Dirty Rice is from Everyday Annie - this is pretty fancy for me to make on a Friday night, but it sounds so good, and I think that it will come together quickly - planning to make the rice in the morning, so I just have to heat it up at dinner time.

Gluten Free Hershey's Brownies are from Hershey's - these are very very good!

Saturday:
Meatloaf is from The Country Cook - an excellent meatloaf and great on sandwiches the next day!

That's it for the coming week!  I sure hope you have a wonderful week, and that you can find a meal or two here that you can use for your family!  See you soon!

Weekly Menu Plan for April 28-May 4, 2019

I'm calling in.  I missed a whole week of menus!  Oops!  So sorry!

You know how sometimes life just comes at you and you get super busy?  Well, that's what happened.  I just didn't have time to blog.  Which probably, in the scheme of things, didn't matter much to anyone.  But I'm back!

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter.  We did!  But I made too much food for dinner, ate too much food for dinner, and we ate leftovers for most of last week.  I wish I had taken some pictures of some of the food!  I made a most delicious gluten free carrot cake that was out of this world good!  I think I might have taken a photo of it at some point, so I will look and share that recipe because it was wonderful!  No one even knew it was gluten free, until somebody spotted me eating it and had a panic attack that I was eating CAKE!

But now it's time to move on.  I gave the ham last rites yesterday, and it is gone today.  Anything else that was leftover had a Last Call last night and today it is out of here.  Clean fridge,  new week, back to planning and cooking.

Which reminds me, this week is a bit different.  It looks like I am going to have to change my eating habits in some ways.  A few health issues, nothing major, but of course the doctor is insisting I shed a few pounds.  Either that, or I will have to start going to Omar the Tent Maker for my clothes.

So I figured spring is a great time to lighten the meal load!  With all the fresh fruit and vegetables, I will be making less comfort food and more light meals.  So, I hope you are not disappointed to see that my carb loaded meals are fading from the scene, being replaced with some healthier options.

If you are looking for heavier meals, just use my menu plan as a springboard.  I try to include a variety of meats and veggies each week, but substitute what you or your family likes.  Add some potatoes or rice, or breads.  Use a different recipe that has more of what you like in it!  Use the plan for suggestions and run with it!

Here is my menu plan for the week:
For a printable copy, please click HERE.
Recipe links and notes are below.

Sunday:
Fruit Salad - You notice I have Fruit Salad every day for breakfast.  I am trying to get away from a high carb low health factor breakfast.  So, I am making a HUGE bowl of fresh fruit to start the day.  This week, I am using fresh pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, apples, bananas, sliced peaches, and sliced pears.  I bought a ton of fruit, used a very large bowl, and just sliced everything into the bowl and stirred it up.  I ate a good size bowl of it for breakfast, and it held me through past lunchtime.  That is how I plan to start each day for awhile.  It was quite filling and very enjoyable!

Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake is from Prepare and Nourish - I am not doing a keto or paleo diet, but many of those recipes are gluten free.  So I am trying this recipe because it sounds delicious!  I figure if I eat healthy all day, I can still have a small treat at night.  I don't know if my doctor would agree, but I'm all in!

Monday:
Gluten Free Lasagna is from Lexi's Clean Kitchen - now this has gluten free noodles, and is probably heavier than I need to be eating.  But, since I'm still transitioning to a lighter menu plan, and it has some veggies tucked into the sauce, I thought it sounded good.  I will just have to have a smaller portion than I'm used to!

Tuesday:
Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin is from Number 2 Pencil - I can't wait to try this!  It looks amazing!

Apple Broccoli Cauliflower Salad is from The Real Food Dieticians - I am wanting to try some new salads to keep things interesting!  This one looks like a winner!

Wednesday:
Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos is from The Real Food Dieticians - this is an easy-to-make and healthy dinner.  I am using gluten free Mission tortillas for the shells.

Golden Cauliflower Rice is also from The Real Food Dieticians - the recipes on this site look delicious and healthy, so I'm giving them a go!

Thursday:
Gluten Free Beef and Broccoli is from Iowa Girl Eats - a wonderful gluten free cooking blog!

Gluten Free Peach Apple Crumble is from Bless Her Heart, Y'all - looks delicious!

Saturday:
Gluten Free Chicken and Dumplings is from Mama Knows Gluten Free - I figured by Saturday I would need some comfort food as a reward!  This recipe is tried and true, and one of my favorites!

Gluten Free Apple Pie is from Lexi's Clean Kitchen - this looks delish and fits right in with my comfort food meal!

So there you have  what's cooking this week at my house!  I am looking forward to trying all these new recipes, and hopefully making some changes for the better!  I hope you all have a great week, and can find an idea or two here that you can use!

Menu Plan for Week of April 14-20, 2019

...or is it that April showers bring April flowers??  I'm loving the daffodils, tulips, and forsythia!  And I've seen grape hyacinths in bloom, along with violets and pansies.  It is just so pretty!  Every morning when we go for our walk, we see some new flowers blooming and growing!  The magnolia trees are in full bloom here, too, and they are just gorgeous!

The week before Easter is probably a busy one for all of us.  We are having the kids and grandkids over for Easter dinner, so I've got to be extra careful to get my cleaning done early in the week.  That way, I'll have lots of baking time for Easter dinner.

I will have to post my Easter dinner sometime during the week.  I haven't finalized it yet, but I bought a spiral ham today at Aldi's for $0.85 per pound, and that is fantastic!  They have the best hams!  Seriously, if you haven't tried one, you need to run to Aldi's and get one before they are all gone.

I usually have deviled eggs, baked ham, broccoli and cheese, mashed potatoes, and a couple salads I haven't decided upon yet.  Dessert will definitely be carrot cake and a lemon pie of some sort.  I have a recipe for a carrot cake that hands down beats all the other carrot cakes I've made.  If I can remember to take a picture of it, I will try and post it next week.

For this week, I have lots of goodies planned.  There are a couple new recipes for me to try, plus some tried and true oldies but goodies.  I am in the mood to bake, so there are several new gluten free recipes for breakfast I am going to try this week.

Here is my menu plan for this week:
For a printable copy, please click HERE.
Recipe links and notes are below.

**GF indicates a gluten free recipe

Sunday:
GF Cherry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake is from Eat Cake For Dinner - this recipe is not gluten free, but I am going to try and adapt it to gluten free.  Wish me luck!  If it works, I will share the recipe!

GF Chicken and Dumplings is from Mama Knows Gluten Free - this is one of my favorite comfort foods!  If you haven't visited her blog, you should!

Monday:
Ham, Swiss, and Spinach Egg Cups are from Grab A Plate - new recipe for me to try!  They sound delicious!

Hot Turkey Sandwiches are from Cincy Shopper - I am tweaking this recipe, and making gluten free turkey gravy served on gluten free bread

GF French Silk Pie is from Ehow - another new recipe for me

Tuesday:
GF Pumpkin Scones are from The Peaceful Haven

Sheet Pan Honey Balsamic Pork Chop Dinner is from Betty Crocker

GF Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake is from Gutsy Gluten Free Gal - another new recipe!

Wednesday:
Texas Hash is from A Family Feast - yummy!

Peanut Butter Cookies are from My Crazy Good Life - they are gluten free as well!

Thursday:
Chicken Salad is from Dinner Then Dessert

Lemon Cheesecake is from Taste and Tell Blog

Friday:
Where's The Crust Pizza is from Plain Chicken - a gluten free pizza that is very good

Saturday:
Meatloaf is from Taste of Home - this is my go-to recipe for meatloaf, and every time I make it everyone loves it

That's it for this week!  I know it sounds like lots of baking, but I love to bake and for some reason I am in the mood to bake bake bake!  I think I am realizing that summer is coming, and when it gets too hot to bake I really miss it!  So I better get baking while it's still cool enough. 

Have a wonderful week, and I hope you find a meal plan or two here you want to make for your family!

Weekly Menu Plan for April 7-13, 2019

I just love this little bunny family portrait!  If you can't tell, I kind of like love am addicted to graphics❣

Two weeks ago I got running behind, and last week tried to catch up.  Well, I'm not there yet!  Closer, but not there.  Everything is a scramble, it seems, and I am SO TIRED.  But I'm getting there, and hopefully this week I will not have any more last minute change of plans.

Although I had my menu for next week scribbled on a piece of notebook paper, I had to find the recipes online and make my menu to hang on the fridge.  I went to the grocery store without looking at the recipes first, so I can imagine I will be missing a few items.  I can see a run or two to the grocery store this week after I get the little one on the bus.

Here is this week's menu plan:
For a printable copy, please click HERE.
Recipe links and notes are below.

Sunday:
Teriyaki Chicken and Rice Bowls are from Cooking Classy - this recipe is easy to adapt to whatever you have on hand

Pineapple Upside Down Cake is from Betty Crocker

Tuesday:
Crockpot Ham and Potato Soup is from The Food Cafe

Swedish Apple Pie is from Hostess At Heart

Wednesday:
Breakfast Pizza is from The Gunny Sack - gluten free!

Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy is from Norine's Nest - I use gluten free cream of chicken soup from Walmart and gluten free McCormick's Chicken Gravy mix

Thursday:
Mom's Best Meat Loaf is from Taste of Home - this is one of our favorite meat loaves, I use either gluten free saltine crackers or gluten free oats.  Either way it tastes delicious!

Friday:
Creamy Lemon Pie is from Centsless Deals

That's it for this week!  Hope you find something you want to make for your family!  Have a great week!

FAL 2019 - Finish #3

My last finish for the first quarter of the Finish Along is a Dottie Angel apron I started last fall.  Although the directions are a little different than how I usually sew a garment, it turned out pretty well.  I think I will make a couple more of them in spring and summer prints.

Here is the post that shows the unfinished apron:  Unfinished Apron FAL 2019  

Here is the apron finished:  (I know it needs ironed!)

It goes on easily over the head, and has plenty of room to wear over clothes.  I made the tunic length, and will definitely make the others the same length.  Overall, it was an easy pattern to follow!  And I like having a full length apron to clean and cook in!  And I absolutely LOVE the pockets!

I am linking this post to:

Dizzy Quilts  

That is it for my three finishes this quarter!  I hope to keep it up for the rest of the year!

2019 Finish Along - Finish #2

Here I am at finish #2.  I had intended to make these little gift bags for Christmas for friends of my granddaughter's at the bus stop.  I bought little pencils and pens, little Christmas notepads, little boxes of crayons, and some candies to put in each one.

Needless to say, I didn't get them finished.  I finished 2 or 3 of them, but the granddaughter claimed the first one, and I got too busy with other projects to finish sewing the rest.

Here is the original FAL 2019 post that shows the stacks of bags ready to be sewn:
Unfinished Tote Bags  

But I finished them and they are ready for next Christmas!  I don't even have to buy little things to stuff inside them, because I have it already!  Here are the bags I finished:

They turned out so cute!  Each one has a pocket in the front for a candy cane.  And they were so easy to make!  I started an assembly line, and before I knew it they were all done.  It only took about 3 evenings.  I had everything cut out and placed in piles before I started the finish.

Here you can see them a little closer:

I am linking up my finishes here:

Dizzy Quilts  

One more finish to share after this!