Weekly Menu Plan for March 29 to April 4, 2020

Out like a lamb, right??  At least weather-wise it seems that way!  Today, the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, the trees are budding, and there are signs of life everywhere!  God is awesome!

I sat down last night to type out my week's menu on powerpoint, and found out that my new laptop doesn't have Microsoft Office on it.  My husband didn't think I needed it!  That is how I always made my menu plan printables.  So, I gave up and went to bed.  This morning I had some things I needed to get done, so I decided that I would do my plan on the blog the easy way this week.  I need to dig deeper into Google Docs and see if I can figure out how to do them there.  But this week I will just list the days and links, and hope that is okay with you all!  Old dog, new tricks, but I will get it figured out somehow!

As I said, I am big right now on NOT wasting food.  If I make it, we eat it until it is gone.  Since I am not taking things over to my daughter's house right now, I am making less desserts.  My goal is to make one regular dessert and one gluten free dessert each week.  I can always freeze the leftovers, if there are any.  That seems to be working for us for now.

So here is this week's menu plan:

Sunday:
B:  Oatmeal, Banana, Coffee
D:  Hamburger Casserole, Toast  (This is an easy casserole to throw together, and I make it in a 9X13 casserole dish.  I use gluten free egg noodles or gluten free rotini pasta.  I usually top it with slices of Velveeta cheese before I bake it.  A favorite of kids.)
Dessert:  Chocolate Brownie Cake  (this is NOT gluten free)

Monday:
B:  Fried eggs, English muffins, Orange slices
D.  Grilled Hamburgers with cheese, onions, and tomatoes, Baked French Fries, Frozen Corn

Tuesday:
B:  Gluten Free Waffles (recipe on Gluten Free Bisquick box), Sliced apples
D:  Italian Sausages on Hoagie Buns with sautéed onions and green pepper slices, Tater Tots, Green Beans

Wednesday:
B:  Gluten Free Blueberry Coffee Cake, Canned peaches and pineapple cups, Orange Juice
D:  Crockpot Swedish Meatballs over Mashed Potatoes, Peas  (we love this dish)
Dessert:  Gluten Free Apple Crisp

Thursday:
B:  Cold Cereal, Banana, Leftover Gluten Free Coffee Cake from Wednesday
D:  Tuna Salad Sandwiches, Chips, Pickles, Cole Slaw

Friday:
B:  Amish Baked Oatmeal,  Banana, Coffee/Juice  
D:  Melt In Your Mouth Chicken, Buttered Rice, Broccoli

Saturday:
B:  Scrambled Eggs, Sausage Patties, Toast
D:  Fathead Pizza  (This is really good! And gluten free!   I make the crust, bake it for about 10 minutes, put on our toppings which usually are Italian sausage, pepperoni, and bacon, then drizzle pizza sauce over that, then top with mozzarella cheese, and bake it for another 10-20 minutes.  I keep checking it after 10 minutes because you don't want it to burn.  It kind of firms up after it cools a few minutes.)

That's the plan for this week!  I hope you can find an idea or two here, and it helps you plan one or more of all the meals we are eating at home now!  Please share how you are doing in the comment section, and let's keep praying for one another!  Have a great week!

We Shall Now Return to Our Normal Programming

I decided to come back to the blog, after a little inspiration from reading other blogs.

I never dreamed our country, our world, would be in the situation we are in today.  But here we are!  And now, more than ever, we need each other, and we need God in our lives.

I just listened to a sermon online, and the pastor was incredibly comforting and inspiring.  He said we all need to pray - repent, pray for forgiveness, ask for healing, and give thanks for the many blessings we are receiving during this time, and pray with a fervor!  And I think he is right!  I know I will be praying, and I ask all of you to join me every day, as often as you can!

I haven't looked at this blog in awhile.  Life got in the way - too much to do, too many things going on, and I just got sidetracked.  Sound familiar??  But when I looked at the blog today, I was shocked to see how many people were looking at my blog, trying to find recipes, menu plans, and links.  Now I feel like I let y'all down!  But I promise I will do better, seeing as how I have more time on my hands these days.

I am working right now at adding this coming week's menu plan, but let me tell you things are different now!  I realize we all have limited supplies of items, so I am trying to conserve as well as use food items that are not difficult to get.  I buy what is available, as most of you do now.  I did have a pretty well-stocked freezer, or so I thought.  When I really went through it, I realized I had a lot of junk that wasn't meal-worthy.  We are working on using that stuff up as snacks or mini-meals. Lunches continue to be leftovers or a sandwich, so I don't plan a lunch menu.  We are eating breakfast a bit later these days, and I find that often neither one of us is very hungry at lunch time.  On those days, we just have a little snack.

 I am trying to keep busy by spring cleaning, sewing, crafting, watching television, and using Skype to keep in touch with the family.  They only live 5 minutes away, but it seems like thousands of miles when you can't go see them!  I will share some of the projects I am working on as I get used to blogging again!

I will get to work on this week's menu plan right now, and post it as soon as I can!  I will try and link up with some of the parties I was participating in, so you know I am back!  If any of you wants anything specific, please let me know in the comments, and I will be happy to provide you with what I can!

Looking forward to seeing you all again soon, and may God bless you and keep you safe and healthy!

Weekly Menu Plan for August 11-17, 2019

Here we are in the middle of August already, with the kids all back in school, and summer still in full bloom!  I wish the kids didn't go back so early.  There is still so much swimming to do!

Here is my meal plan for this week.  It's filled with low carb, gluten free meals that I will enjoy all week long!

For a printable menu, please click HERE.
For recipe links and notes, please see below.

Sunday:
Refreshing Fruity Shake is from Darcie's Dish - this was SO GOOD!  I made it this morning, and we drank all of it!  Refreshing is right!

Creamy Ham and Broccoli Low Carb Casserole is from My Montana Kitchen

Gluten Free Pineapple Upside Down Cake is from Noshtastic - can't wait to try this, it smells and looks so good!

Monday:
Chocolate Hazelnut Shake is from T J's Taste - I found the hazelnut extract at Menard's, of all places!  They have a huge selection of Watkins spices and extracts!  WHO KNEW???

Grilled Herb Butter Steak is from Seeking Good Eats - we are actually grilling this out tonight (Sunday) and doing the Creamy Ham and Broccoli Casserole tomorrow night - Meijers had top sirloin steaks on sale for about $4.00 a pound.

Tuesday:
No Bake Breakfast Cookie Oatmeal is from T J's Taste

Meat Roma Pie is from A Home With Purpose

Pumpkin Pecan Cake is from My Montana Kitchen

Wednesday:
Low Carb Waffles are from Joy Filled Eats

Taco Stack Ups are from The Well Planned Kitchen

Gluten Free French Silk Pie is from Now Find Gluten Free

Thursday:
Loaded Buffalo Chicken Casserole is from Nana's Little Kitchen

Friday:
Pizza Omelet is from The Moments At Home

Crockpot BBQ Ribs are from The Rising Spoon

Saturday:
Cinnamon Roll Protein Smoothie is from My Montana Kitchen

And there you have it!  That's what we will be eating all week.  Hope you can find an idea or a menu you like here!  Take care care, and have a wonderful week!

Menu Plan for Week of July 21-27, 2019

Hot enough for you?  I think most of us would say, "YES!"  Definitely ice cream weather!

This summer has flown by, I just cannot believe we are in the last full week of July!  My daughter goes back to work teaching TOMORROW already!  The grandkids go back in 2 weeks, so I will be heading over there to supervise them during the day.  I have a feeling grandpa will be taking the little one to the pool most days.  The older two are in marching band at the high school, and have practice most days all day long.  We may find some time for a little back to school shopping, too!  I always love shopping for new school supplies and clothes!  This year we have a senior in high school, a sophomore, and a third grader.  Unbelievable!

This week's menu continues to focus on not heating up the kitchen.  Although we are in for a short cool down, it only lasts a couple days and then back up to the upper 80's.  Since I'll be watching the kids for a couple weeks, I also need quick to fix meals, or foods I can prep early in the morning and finish quickly when I get home.

One thing you may notice is that I went back to breakfasts.  I am still eating a lot of fruit in the morning, but we were getting a little bored with just fruit.  So I kicked it up a little to break the monotony.

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

Sunday:
Pork Chops with Parmesan Sauce is from Taste of Home - these are skillet pork chops, no oven required.  I usually make 8 pork chops so we can have leftovers for lunch.  I double the sauce.  To make the sauce gluten free, I heat the milk in the skillet, and then whisk in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in some water and cook until it thickens.  This is in place of the flour.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie is from Recipes Simple - I made this yesterday afternoon, and tweaked it so it is gluten free.  I made a Cinnamon Chex crust that is no bake, and the rest was gluten free. I sliced the strawberries instead of putting whole strawberries into the pie.  Last night I wanted to try it, but it was still pretty soft and didn't want to cut.  It wound up being a scoop of pie.  I will try it today and see if it slices better.

Monday:
Chicken Fried Rice is from Mantitlement - this is so good, and there are quite a few fried rice recipes on this site that sound so good!

No Bake Lemon Cheesecake is from Together As Family - another cold, creamy dessert that I will tweak to make gluten free.

Tuesday:
Gluten Free Biscuits and Gravy is from Hello Gluten Free - gluten free sausage gravy doesn't have to be complicated.  This recipe is just perfect for me.  And full disclosure, I probably won't make the biscuits but will serve the gravy over toast.  I will try the biscuits when the weather cools!

Thursday:
Creamy Pea Salad is from The Recipe Critic

Gluten Free Banana Pudding is from Let Them Eat Gluten Free Cake - I wasn't able to find the Schar gluten free shortbread cookies when I went shopping, so I am subbing gluten free vanilla wafers from Kinnikinnick

Saturday:
Oatmeal Cookie Baked Oatmeal is from Budget Bytes - I know, I caved and will use the oven!

Easy Tiramisu is from Kitchen Nostalgia - I couldn't find gluten free ladyfingers anywhere, or a reasonable substitute, so I might just make this regular and not gluten free.

So that is a wrap for this week!  I hope you find a recipe or two to use for your dinners this week!  Have a wonderful week!

Weekly Menu Plan Week of July 14-20, 2019

Remember when I used to post menus for every week?

It seems like a long time since I've been here! It's so nice to be back and getting back into my routine again.

We are definitely into summer now.  The forecast is for the 90's all week, and it is a dry heat here.  I can't believe I am actually saying we need rain, after all the rain we had this spring!  But it is pretty dry out there right now.

In the summer, I like to keep my house, including the kitchen, cool.  That means minimal baking for me.  I try to keep meals simple, and desserts cold.  I use the grill a lot, and I love stovetop cooking for the summer months.

This week, I have an easy menu plan that features very little oven time.  When I do bake in the summer, I usually get it done early in the morning.  There are a couple new recipes for me to try here, especially the shrimp boil.  I have been wanting to try one, so this week I will give it go!

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

Sunday:
For dinner, I make this sandwich just like a BLT but add turkey lunchmeat.  For my sandwich, I use gluten free bread.

Monday:
Sausage, Broccoli, and Rice Skillet is from Mom on Timeout

Apple Crumble Pie is from Joy Food Sunshine

Tuesday:
Seafood Pasta Salad is from Food.com - glad Food.com is back!  I didn't really understand the whole Genius Kitchen thing, but glad they have gone back to what works.

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake is from Bonitappetit

Thursday:
Classic Chicken Salad is from Dinner Then Dessert

No Bake Cherry Yum Yum is from The Country Cook

Friday:
Keto Instant Pot BBQ Ribs are from Beauty and the Foodie

Saturday:
Country Shrimp Boil is from Lady Behind the Curtain

And that's it for this week!  Easy and cool!  I hope you can find an idea or recipe here that you like! Have a great mid-July week!

Long Time No See

Did you notice I haven't been here in weeks??  I was away from home and my computer, watching grandkids while their parents were away on a dream vacation.

But I'm back home again, and I can say that everyone had a great time, including myself!  Although, it is good to be back home and back to my old routine!

While I was away, I didn't blog, for a number of reasons.  I needed a little break--and I sure got one!  During that time, I decided I wanted to change my blog, but couldn't decide how to do that.

So, I started a new one!  It is called Grammy's Apple Pie Cottage, and it is brand spanking new!  It is going to be the where I share a daily devotion, recipes, and my sewing projects.

This blog, The Spirited Life of Grammy, is going to be only for my menu plans, which will resume this weekend.  I will continue to post them as I have for the past year or so.  

For my new blog, I was wanting a place like Grandma's kitchen or front porch.  A place where you could visit and take away a recipe or a good, comfy feeling.  This world is a crazy place, and more and more I think we all need a place to go that gives us some light, some comfort, some relaxation, and some refreshment.  And something good.  Something that gives us the feeling we had when grandma wrapped her chubby arms around us and hugged us close.  A cookie jar kind of blog.

So that is what I aim to make it.  Unapologetically Christian and wholesome.  Something for your mind, your heart, your mouth, and your hands.  And hopefully you will find something there that will bring you a smile!

Here is the link to take you to my new blog:  Grammy's Apple Pie Cottage    

Drop by and visit soon!  There's not much there now, but I will be adding posts regularly!

And I will see you back here this weekend with my menu plan for next week!

Menu for Week of June 2-8, 2019

Almost halfway through the year already - unbelievable!!

This week's menu plan is a little different, because I am not at home on my computer.  I am staying with the granddaughters for a bit, and I'm using their computer and don't want to start saving a bunch of my stuff on it!  So this week, no pretty picture to go with the menu, I'm down to the basics!  

Here we go!  All meal plans are gluten free!!

Breakfast all week is Fruit Salad

Dinner and Dessert are as follows:

Sunday, 6-2:  

Tacos

Spanish Rice

Corn

Orange Creamsicle Cake

Monday 6-3:

Crockpot Sausage, Potatoes, and Green Beans   

Dinner Rolls

Ice Cream Sundaes

Tuesday 6-4:

Turkey Sandwich

Tomato Basil Soup

Crackers

Chocolate Pudding

Wednesday 6-5:

Sloppy Joe Sandwiches

French Fries

Pickles

Carrots with Ranch Dip

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

  

Thursday 6-6:

Potsticker Noodle Bowls  

Egg Rolls

Tossed Salad

Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits  

Friday 6-7:

Gluten Free Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza

Tossed Salad

Gluten Free Hershey's Brownies  

Saturday 6-8:

Slow Cooker Taco Chicken Bowls  

Rice

Tortilla Chips

Leftover Desserts

Sorry it's not prettier this week!  But that's a wrap for the coming week!  Hope you can find a meal or two that sounds good for your family!  Have a wonderful week!

Joansy