July Menu

Just a quick re-cap on how I menu plan: Write out your menu and make a shopping list with all your pantry and freezer items for the month and the produce broken into weeks. Shop at the beginning of the month for all your pantry/freezer items and your week 1 produce. Shop each Monday for produce and other fresh necessities. Shop the sales mid-month and stock up as much as your budget and storage space will allow. Ideally, you want to be using meats and pantry items that you bought on sale the previous month(s) in your menus.

You can find the detailed blog here


BBQ chicken, corn on the cob, fruit salad
Thai Meatballs
Gyros (with chicken), Greek salad
Taco Shells, chips and guac
Grilled cheese, pineapple, and ham sandwiches
Philly Cheesesteaks
Sweet and Sour Chicken (we like double sauce!), Rice, Steamed broccoli
Chicken Berry Salad, dinner rolls
Lasagna, garlic bread, salad
Broiled fish and steamed veggies
Cheeseburger Salads (we use ground turkey and double the sauce), sweet potato fries
Enchiladas, cilantro lime rice
Beef and Snow peas
Pesto Wraps, raw veggies and dip
Homemade Mac n Cheese (made casserole style)
Fish Tacos
Meatball Sandwiches (I half the recipe and use ground turkey, 1/4 C breadcrumbs and omit the onion soup...serve on crusty rolls with cheese, olives, red onion, or whatever else you like)
Lettuce Wraps
Honey Pork Chops
Cordon Bleu, mashed potatoes, green beans
Homemade Pizzas
Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
Crepes and eggs

Banana Berry Oat Muffins

2 Cups quick oats
1 1/2 Cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 Cups white flour
1/2 Cup flax meal
1/2 C sugar plus 2 Tbs
1/2 Cup honey
3-4 ripe bananas
2/3 Cup milk
1 Cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
12 oz berries (I have used blueberry and sliced strawberry OR chocolate chips)

Mix all ingredients minus berries in a high capacity mixer or mix wet ingredients and then add dry and mix well, folding in berries last.

Use an ice cream scoop (or about 1/3 C) to fill well greased muffin pans. Sprinkle all muffins with a bit of sugar. Bake in a preheated oven at 350* for about 20 min, or when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Makes 2 dozen

We like to eat them fresh out of the oven or chilled in the fridge

Easy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

I got this recipe from my dear friend, Sarah. It's super simple and very yummy!! Makes 4 servings

1 box Uncle Bens Wild Rice, Original Recipe
Water per box instructions
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken, drained (Costco)
1 C sour cream
1/4 C white cooking wine

Simmer all ingredients about 25 min or until rice is tender.

I'm baaaack!! (and Jan/Feb menus)

Well, for those who don't know me personally, I apologize for being MIA for such a long time; I found out in Aug that I'm pregnant and I have been sick, sick, sick. From Aug to Dec with pregnancy sickness and then for a whole month with pneumonia. But I have my January and February menu for you! Just don't count on anything regular with a new baby coming ;) Sorry, it's the truth.

Pork Sandwiches with Cilantro Lime Slaw (I use slaw mix)
Asian BBQ Chicken with Cilantro Lime Pineapple Rice
Steaks and creamy mashed potatoes
Chicken Spaghetti (this made 2 batches for my family so I froze one)
Broiled fish and Barley and Asparagus
Homemade Pizzas
White Chili (I'll have to post my recipe soon!)
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Pesto Wraps (this time I just threw some chicken breasts in the crockpot in the am, then shredded and added pesto before serving!)
White Chicken and rice (another one I need to post)
Tortellini Soup (I threw everything in the crockpot with some frozen tortellini, cooked on low for about 5 hours, YUM)
Cube Steak Sandwiches
Cheeseburger Salads (I use ground turkey and double the sauce, also for the croutons I melt the butter and toss with the buns, then bake at 350, turning every 8 min or so until golden brown..this is easier for me)
Butternut Squash Soup and Homemade Croutons (I omit celery and use 1 tsp celery salt, bake my squash instead of peeling {pain!} and top with sour cream and Sriracha {a must!!} make croutons, LOTS of croutons!)
Pot Roast
Chicken Cordon Blue (this is a diff recipe than I normally use and we LOVED it!! KEEPER!!)
Meatball Sandwiches (half this recipe, I use ground turkey so use less breadcrumbs or they'll be dry, bake as directed and serve on crusty rolls with cheese, olives and whatever else you like)
Peach Whiskey BBQ Chicken and Mashed Potatoes (I use 3/4 C whiskey, 16 oz BBQ and 2/3 jar peach jam)
Thai Coconut Curry Noodles (I add chicken)
Chocolate Chili
Beef with Mushroom Sauce (roast with 1 pkg onion soup mix, 2 cans cream of mush-in the crockpot, serve over rice)
Fish Tacos
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Lasagna
Chicken Rolls
Tortellina Pasta Salad (I omit tomatoes and add red bell pepper. I also add spinach)
Sweet Pork Salads
Stuffed Pistolettes
Ham steaks and funeral potatoes
Ginger Steak Salads
Riobollitta
French Dip Sandwiches

Homemade Wheat Bread

For this recipe you will need a wheat grinder and a high capacity mixer (like a Bosch or Blendtec). If you don't have these, you can use store-bought wheat flour (4 Cups) and a KitchenAid, but make only 1/3 the recipe...


Grind 7 1/2 cups hard wheat (I use 5 cups white and 2 1/2 cups red)

Mix with beaters until well blended:
6 C very warm water
2/3 C canola oil
2/3 C honey
6 C fresh flour
3 Tbs Vital wheat gluten
3 Tbs dough enhancer
2 Tbs salt

Switch to dough hooks:
Add the rest of your fresh flour
3 Tbs yeast on top of flour

Turn on the mixer and add high gluten flour (about 3-4 C) slowly until dough starts to pull away from the bowl. Allow to mix 10 min and check elasticity. If additional mixing is needed check every 2-3 min. (Video 1) and (Video 2)

Oil your hands and your countertop and remove dough from bowl. Knead it a few times by hand and then divide into 6 equal parts. Form into 6 loaves and set in oiled loaf pans. (Video 3). Cover with a lightweight towel and allow to rise until about 1-1 1/2 in above pan. (Dough will continue to rise in the oven.)

Preheat your oven to 425* Immediately after putting your bread in lower temp to 325*. Bake for 15 min and then insert a temp probe. Bake until temp reads 185*. Remove immediately from pans and cool completely on a cooling rack before bagging

(refer to Ezekial Bread post for pics and details)

Protein Waffles

It's always a good idea to get some form of protein in the morning. "Eating protein in the morning is essential because it creates energy that outlasts carbohydrates. A boost of protein in the morning will help prevent your body from burning muscle fiber for energy. Breaking down muscle for energy actually slows the metabolism, so it is crucial that you prevent this from happening." (street directory.com)

For a change from meat and eggs, I came up with this recipe. I hope you like it!!

2 C whole wheat flour
3/4 C flax meal
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
3/4 C canola oil (or try splitting it up with applesauce)
2 C milk
2 eggs
4 tsp baking powder
Dash of salt
1/8 tsp almond extract (optional but very yummy)

Mix everything well and pour into preheated waffle iron. Warning, these are FILLING!!

Side dishes

Since the question was posed, I figured I would dedicate a post about side dishes. Yes, several meals that I make are all-encompassing dishes. However, there are others that do require a side dish. We tend to keep it simple around here, and yes, my kids do eat vegetables. Here are a few examples:

Pasta dishes:
boiled artichoke
steamed broccoli
steamed green beans
green salad
garlic bread
breaksticks
dinner rolls

Mexican dishes:
Mexican rice
Black beans
Cilantro lime rice
Chips and salsa/guacamole
green salad

Sandwiches:
Raw veggies and dip
Fresh fruit
Chips
Sweet potato fries
Corn on the cob
Pasta salad

Asian food:
Rice
green salad
Crab rangoons (recipe halved)

Soups:
Green salad
garlic bread
dinner rolls

Meat:
Steamed veggies (broccoli, corn, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, asparagus, squash etc.)
Corn on the cob
Barley and asparagus
Rice pilaf
fruit
green salad
corn muffins
mashed/baked potatoes
White bean salad (white beans, cucumber, red onion, red pepper, oil and vinegar, salt and pepper)
Pasta Salad
Dinner rolls

Some of the green salad variations I make are:

Green leaf lettuce, cucumber, broccoli, carrots, crumbled bacon and shredded yellow cheese. Serve with ranch or balsamic dressing (or whatever you like)

Spinach, feta, candied pecans, strawberries. Serve with poppyseed dressing

Green leaf lettuce or spinach or a combination, apples, Craisins, crumbled bacon, feta. Serve with poppyseed dressing

For my steamed veggies I usually sprinkle with chicken boullion granules and garlic powder before steaming.