Meals at a glance...

We survived the first week back to school.  I think it was harder for me then the for the kids!
Lots of paper work for me to read, sign and return and lots of checks to write and turn in....never ending!

We all have our organizers and systems to help us keep our lives and families' activities together.  I'm still working on some kind of file system for all the school handouts!  But what I do have worked out is my grocery list and meals for the week.  Some people may think I'm crazy, but I find that planning ahead saves me time from returning to the market every few days and it saves me money.  It also allows me to spend time with my  kids when they get home from school.  They look forward to their night when they can help make the meal they have chosen.   I have collected (and continue to search for ) healthy & family friendly cookbooks.  My newest favorite is Power Foods.   It has great recipes and indexes to help you stock your kitchen with essentials.  Please share some of your favorite cook books!

Meals chosen for this week...

Monday-Labor Day parade and neighborhood party- making a quinoa, black bean salad with avocados, red onion, pepper and lime vinegarette dressing

Tuesday: skirt steak with roasted Brussels sprouts, pear and shallots

Wednesday:  quinoa and turkey patties in pita with tahini sauce

Thursday:  soba noodle, tofu and vegetable stir fry

Friday:  homemade pizzas

Saturday:  fish tacos

Sunday:  vegetable lasagna with mixed green salad

Hope this helps anyone looking for some new ideas to try in your kitchen.  If you'd like the full recipe please contact me and I'll be happy to send it to you.

Enjoy your Labor Day weekend:)


Donna

Meals at a glance...

I'm feeling a little bit of denial that this is our last weekend before school begins!  I'm not ready for back packs and lunches, homework and early morning craze!  The kids chose their favorite meals for the first week of school.  You'll definitely see many repeats!  Ellie and I went to the market yesterday and did a super shop for back to school breakfasts and lunches.  I found a hot cereal made with quinoa & flax that can be used to make muffins as well.  We are going to make them Monday morning so everyone can enjoy healthy muffins before school in the morning.  We also stocked up on Greek yogurts for a healthy treat.  We bought many bags of nuts and some whole grain crackers and cheeses for snacks too.  Popcorn is a favorite to have after school and so are cheese quesadillas.  Feeling good that both indoor and outdoor fridges are stocked well!

This weeks meals are easy to prepare so I can be all ears when everyone arrives home from school.

Monday:  pulled barbecue chicken on rolls with kale slaw

Tuesday: beef and broccoli stir fry with red quinoa

Wednesday:  homemade chicken noodle soup served in individual bread bowls with a side salad

Thursday:  shrimp, scallion and zucchini risotto

Friday:  homemade rosemary, potato, bacon pizza and a mixed green salad

Saturday and Sunday are Labor Day weekend so lots of  picnic food to bring on the boat.

As always I'd love to hear what others are making in their kitchens!  Please share your ideas and be in touch if you'd like any recipes of mine.

Wishing everyone a happy and smooth transition back to school.

Donna

Meals at a glance...

Summer is winding down for my family.  Mixed emotions for all...this is the last full week of relaxing evenings before the craziness begins.  Playing around with some new recipes from a cookbook I treated myself to for my birthday.  It's called Power Foods and is a compilation of recipes from one of my favorite magazines, Whole Living.  It has nutritional info, great ideas on how to stock your pantry, and lots of family friendly recipes.  I"m trying hard to incorporate more vegetables into our meals and have them be a main dish rather than a side.

Our week looks like this...

Sunday:  Grass fed skirt steak, mashed cauliflower & potatoes, sauteed chick peas & green beans

Monday:  Soba noodles, tofu & veggie stir fry

Tuesday:  Roasted salmon & parsnips with ginger

Wednesday:  Kale slaw with peanut dressing & grilled chicken

Thursday:  Pork tenderloin with sauteed beet greens & roasted beets

Friday:  Grilled fish tacos with all the fixins'

Saturday:  Grilled portabello mushrooms & grass fed burgers, corn on the cob,  and zucchini


With each meal is a green salad just in case the veggies being prepared are not a big hit!  I do make it a point to have everyone have a helping of everything that is made.  However, i want meal time to be enjoyable, so if something is not a favorite there is salad for a veggie as well.  Hopefully the more kids are introduced to healthy meals the more adventurous they become at trying new things.

If any meals seem interesting to you, please contact me and I'll be happy to send you the recipes.  Happy, healthy summer days!

Donna

Meals at a glance...

This is our last family hurrah before school begins the end of August.  Vacationing in Maine with family and friends is always a favorite.   Many meals are planned together with various families so there is minimal prepping and cooking to be done, just lots of relaxing!

This week's meals have some local sea food and some items that can only be found in Down East Maine- red- hot hot dogs!  Not my favorite, but some of the kids love them.

Sunday:  Tonight is family night supper and is centered around a theme of dress up as your favorite book character.  Dinner will be a buffet with lots of salads, pastas, and sauces.

Monday:  Mexican night- chicken tacos and quesadillas with lots of fixings!

Tuesday:  lasagna and salad

Wednesday: burgers and red-hots and fresh corn and local veggies

Thursday :  lobster, steamers, red potatoes and Caesar salad

Friday: picnic on the rocks so lots of finger foods and appetizers like cheeses and crackers, hummus and veggies, pasta salads, chicken wings, etc.

Saturday:  lobster festival parade and pot luck dinner - my birthday too so I'm definitely not cooking:)

Sunday: grilled veggies and chicken and rice

Trying to share the cooking and enjoy the last vacation of the summer.  Happy week all.

Donna