November Menu

I haven't had the opportunity to try many new recipes lately, so most of this is just same ol' same ol'. But hopefully it'll still get you going on your own menu :)

Thai Coconut Curry (plus chicken)
Pot Roast (large roast, use leftovers for Taquitos later in the week)
Pesto Chicken Wraps and raw veggies
Taquitos with Spanish rice
French Dip sandwiches with chips and fruit (use a large roast and use leftovers for BBQ beef later in the week or vise versa)
Lasagna with green salad
Chocolate Chili and Sweet Cornbread
Pasta Fagioli with garlic bread
Cordon Blue with green beans and mashed potatoes
Broiled Tilapia with brussel sprouts and dinner rolls
Pot Pie
Peach Whiskey BBQ chicken (I use 3/4 C Whiskey, 2/3 jar peaches, 16oz BBQ sauce) with broccoli and mashed potatoes
Sweet n Sour chicken (stay tuned for my paleo version!!) with rice and steamed broccoli
Tortellini Soup
Basil Lime Chicken with green salad and corn
Pistolettes and fruit
Egg Salad Sandwiches and raw veggies
Breakfast
Fajitas with chips and fresh salsa
BBQ beef over sweet potatoes
Turkey Noodle Soup (A VERY rough recipe: chicken broth, shredded, cooked turkey, chopped carrots and celery par boiled, dry Italian dressing packet, bay leaves, cooked noodles...you can't really get it wrong ;))

Paleo Sweet Potato Soufflé

So, my husband and I have been experimenting with a Paleo diet lately (we aren't perfect by any means!) and we are both liking the results! I have this killer Sweet Potato Soufflé recipe that we'll make a few times a year, not just at Thanksgiving, because it's just too good. I experimented tonight to turn it into a Paleo recipe and it turned out awesome!! Hope you like it :)

3 C cooked/mashed sweet potatoes (about 2 large potatoes)

3/4 C real maple syrup

1/2 C raw honey

1/4 C coconut oil

1/3 C coconut flour

3 eggs

1 Tbsp tapioca flour

1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything, minus potatoes, then add potatoes and mix (I like mine a little chunky) pour into medium greased casserole dish

Topping:

Mix together

1/3 C soft butter

1/3 C almond flour

1/3 c chopped pecans

1 Tbs real maple syrup

Dash cinnamon

Put in even "glops" on top of potato mixture

Bake in a preheated oven at 350* for about 45-60 min, or until it sets up and topping is lightly brown 

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)