Meal Plan April 23

Today is the first day back to school after spring break. If anything ever makes me contemplate homeschooling its this day. I miss my big sassy, little sas misses her, life is not as silly or unpredictable when she is gone.

This weeks menu is using 90% foods already in our home. Chicken was on crazy sale last week and so were a lot of other odds and ends. And since Mr.Sassy was shopping with me, we stocked up, he loves a good deal and doesn't feel like he fully takes advantage of it unless the pantry and freezer is full!

Has anyone made any whole food eating changes this month? I feel like a failure but am trying to bolster my spirits, the whole 30 did not go well for us. I blame Mr.Sassy, he always manages to talk me into dessert. FAIL, majorly on my part since my 2 worst eating times are after noon after big sassy is home from school and after the girls are in bed. I cannot resist Ben or Jerry, its just not possible. Thankfully it was not everyday only occasionally. I feel more involved in my choices though and I am definitely trying to make them consciously. If I am going to eat a dessert I want it to be the best, most delicious dessert. Not just an Oreo cookie, that is NOT worth it anymore.

This week I am trying Bulletproof Coffee for breakfast so we shall see how that goes. (check it out here) Its the big thing right now in primal eating and since I am looking for some change I'm all in. Today is so far so good, the girls had breakfast and I abstained and after dropping big sas at school I came home and whipped up my first batch. Since I usually add sugar to my coffee I did add in a bit of maple syrup and honey I probably always will. So breakfast today is bulletproof coffee for mommy, we shall see how this goes over. I am hoping to last through the week but if all doesn't go well I have no problem jumping ship. It tastes amazing so why not?

Monday
B-Sunny Eggs
L-Leftover tuna and sweet potatoes (quite the combo right?)
D-Pulled pork, Broccoli, pineapple coleslaw

Tuesday
B-Pizza Eggs (this is the girls new absolute favorite)
L-Pulled pork salad
D-BBQ roasted Chicken (bone in skin on), oven potato fries

Wednesday
B-Scrambled eggs and cheese
L-Leftovers and salad
D-Creamy Chicken and Ham Soup

Thursday
B-Fried eggs
L-Leftovers and salad
D-Brats, BBQ carrots

Friday
B-Fried eggs
L-Leftovers and salad
D-Grilled chicken legs, some veggie (not really sure what yet)

Saturday
B-Coconut Flour Pancakes
L-Leftovers and Salad
D-Steak, Potato and veggies

Sunday
B-Crispy potatoes, veggies and eggs (skillet)
L-Leftovers
D-Mr. Sassy pick, sometimes I just have no creativity. Plus usually once a week we don't have whats planned and I have the extra fixings for a full meal.

Alright people, plan a meal this week. Maybe just plan a dinner or plan dinners for the whole week, even if that means you write it down on a napkin and plan in eating out, just DO IT. Make conscious decisions, over 1/3 of all food Americans buy is wasted. If you spend $200 a week on groceries that means every week you throw out $60 in food. It seems like a lot of work (it is) and a hassle (it is) but once you have all the things planned and the food bought it is such a relief to not have to worry every day about what to do.

Meal Plan Monday and a Challenge

Ahhh the life of the slacker blogger. I spent last week, I mean literally almost every waking moment, out of doors. It was amazing, over 70 almost every day, temp today? 30, with a windchill of absurd. So back to the grind ;). Of course its Monday and that generally means I should plans some meals. I am also instating a full 30 Day Challenge, based on the Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson.

Mr. Sassy and I have been super slackers when it comes to our diet, not our main meals mind you, but eating out crap, snacking on dessert treats after the sassy girls are in bed and all manners of badly influencing each other.So that means today starts day 1 of the 30 day challenge, if you want to join let me know, either leave a comment below or go to the blogs face book page HERE and leave a comment.

Not willing to go all out primal yet, or ever? I challenge you to a 30 day eat better challenge. Close off your pantry, no processed foods (that means ingredient lists), eat whole foods, butter not margarine, fresh or frozen vegetables and fruit not canned. Cut out your sugar and grain intake, SERIOUSLY, cut it out. If you need to sweeten your coffee or tea use the bare minimum you can. The longer you refrain from white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, honey, syrups, etc the more you will realize how fruits and vegetables are naturally sweet and your desire will change to eating less sugar. The last part of the challenge is to see how you feel. Really think about it after you eat a meal, pay attention how hungry are you at the start of the meal, halfway through and when your done. Give it a solid week if you cannot commit to 30 days. Most people experience withdrawals when they cut out sugars and processed foods. Your body has to adjust to not just burning sugars and carbs as quick fuel and start depending on the fats, proteins and fresh produce.

A little musical inspiration, (from back in my good ol' days!)

Monday
B-Oatmeal
L-Chicken and Salad
D-Crock pot Pulled Pork, Apple Coleslaw
Tuesday
B-Scramble eggs and cheese
L-Chicken and Salad
D-Leftovers
Wednesday
B-Yogurt with Toasted Nuts
L-Chicken and Salad
D-BBQ Burgers, grilled vegetables
Thursday
B-Paleo Pizza Muffins (lazy mom moment, will be replacing the tomato step with pizza sauce)
L-Leftovers from dinner
D-Sausages, roasted root veggies
Friday
B-Leftover Pizza Muffins
L-Haddock and Salad
D-Crock Pot Paleo Pineapple Pork Ribs,
Saturday
B-Crispy Potato Skillet
L-Leftover Pork Ribs
D-BBQ Rotisserie chicken,
Sunday
B-Coconut Flour Pancakes
L-Leftover Chicken and Salad
D-Weekly Fridge Clean/Leftover Night

phew! Thats always such an ordeal...I really need to get better at this for some reason its really time consuming for me lately meal planning. I am excited to start my 30 day primal challenge, I really need to get back on the boat.

Meal Plan Monday

After a lovely weekend of sickness we are back, and almost better then ever. Now to figure out some way to guarantee that no one else gets sick!

When I look at this blank menu, at times, it makes my headache. What a pain, it really is a hassle sometimes. I know its worth it and helps to budget but it seriously feels overwhelming when its empty.

A friend suggested last week to do more crockpot meals, and she right. I used to do more and drifted out of the habit but I do have some ol' faithfuls that I will start incorporating. Especially for Fridays since that is big sassy's gymnastics day. Due to the timing of it all we never seem to get dinner started and end up with pizza or drive thru dinner which is a huge budget blower since it wasn't planned for.

Nice spring days like this make me want to JUMP,JUMP!
Monday
B-Fried egg
L-Toast and leftovers (I am still recovering so gentle foods!)
D-Leftover boiled dinner (nom nom nom)
Tuesday
B-Squash and apples with bacon
L-Clean the Fridge
D-Ham and Potato soup
Wednesday
B-Coconut Flour Pancakes (gluten free)
L-Soup and Salad
D-Roasted BBQ Chicken (bone in skin on), Roasted Broccoli
Thursday
B-Ham and Egg cups
L-Chicken and Salad
D-Primal Pizza (gluten free)
Friday
B-Leftover Coconut pancakes (reheat in toaster)
L-Chicken and Salad
D-Crockpot Pulled Pork, crunchy apple slaw (with honey not sugar)
Saturday
B-Crispy Potatoes and Eggs
L-Leftover Pulled Pork
D-Having company so not sure
Sunday
B-Kids request day
L-Leftovers
D-Mr.Sassy makes dinner

Mr.Sassy has been requesting pre made breakfast so I guess I should really step up my game with the whole Mason Jar Meals. Also I know I need to get more seafood in our diet but with sensitive tummies this week it ain't happening. Really struggling with ideas in that sense. It seems most people get their kids to eat them in "stick" version but since we are not eating grains that makes this hard.

Tardy for Monday Meal Plan

UGH MEAL PLAN. For Monday, so late that its Tuesday, pretty sweet huh? Yeah i'm just cool like that. Now last week I purposefully did NOT plan anything for the weekend since I knew Mr.Sassy was off and that means that its just food craziness in my house. Plus lots of traveling so its eating with friends (love) or grabbing something drive Thur (hate).

This week I am taking it easy, we are trying to do a spend less challenge so that means that I have to step up and find a way to primally eat cheaper. Good times right? Sure......OOOH plus fun times of fun times big sassy is off school from Wednesday through the weekend. Plus its ST.PATRICKS DAY WOOHOO.

In honor of the concert Mr.Sassy failed to properly predict, doesn't it Feel So Good, to be wrong?

Monday
Tuesday
B-Scrambled eggs with cheese
L-Salad
D-Chicken soup
Wednesday
B-Sausage and eggs
L-Leftover soup and salad
D-Shepard's pie with Cauliflower top. This was an amazing dish we didn't even miss the mashed potatoes.
Thursday
B-Veggie and egg scramble
L-Leftovers and salad
D-Man Chili
Friday
B-Squash and apple breakfast add bacon (always add bacon.)
L-Leftovers
D-Paleo Pizza
Saturday
B-Green Coconut flour pumpkin pancakes
L-Salads and ham wraps for the girls
D-St Patrick's Day boiled cabbage dinner
Sunday
B-Scramble eggs with cheese and ham
L-Leftovers
D-baked pesto chicken, roasted broccoli, crash hot potatoes

I am having a new evil idea as well. I am going to start making some type of seafood once a week.Try to get big sas to expand her horizons when it comes to food, she eats a lot compared to a lot of kids but I want her to be exposed to it all. To be able to find a food she likes in all types of cuisine. Five is a hard age for food man.

Dr Seuss Monday Meal Plan

Today you are you, that is truer then true. There is no one alive who is youer then you!
-Dr. Seuss

It's Monday, and I really need a plan! We have been busy youtubing Dr. Seuss fun this week, theres some seusstastic stuff out there. Especially the Lorax previews.

Also it is Dr.Seuss week at big sassy's school. So lots of fun activities and food thoughts coming to you based on the lovely and zany Dr. Seuss. And I really need a plan!

We did not make two of the meals last week so they are cycling back on (chili, shepherd's pie.)
I will be making a mason jar meal this week. Actually cooking IN the jar as well as some salads. I am having a hard time being accountable with eating healthy and getting enough vegetables in, so I think if I mason jar salads for myself it will help.

We made roasted broccoli this weekend with dinner and it was delicious. Mr. Sassy's cousin was here this weekend an he and his wife agree that it was better then the steak we ate.
This week we might or might not be here from Thursday morning on, so I am planning a menu based on things we already have in the house with the most perishable being used at the beginning of the week, this weekend we have lots of out of the house stuff planed so no food needed.

Monday
B- Bacon and Eggs
L-Eat out lunch
D-Leftovers/empty the fridge night
Tuesday
B- Green eggs and ham cups
L-Salad
D-Shepard's Pie
Wednesday
B- Green Egg, ham and cheese scramble
L-Leftovers and salad
D-Roast chicken, roast broccoli, squash (probably butternut)
Thursday
B-Oatmeal
L-Leftovers and salad
D-Chicken soup
Friday
B-Green Egg, ham and cheese scramble
L-Leftovers and salad
D-Man Chili

Here are my Dr.Seuss ideas for this week. Over at Simply Mommies this week they made a cute little Seuss themed play table.
Seusstastic Classroom Ideas



Seusstastic Muffin Tin Lunch



Diy Seuss Hat Snack



Lorax How I Would Help



Goldfish Counting



And Finally The LARGEST collection of amazing ideas. I think there are at least 250, go HERE.

Sicky Sassy Baby Weekly Meal Plan

I have a feeling its going to be a long week since baby sassy is already sick and knowing our luck, big sas will soon follow. Thankfully knowing this I can plan simple meals that can be made while holding baby sassy or while she is sleeping. Or even when big sassy is whining, quick and simple are the keys here. We are also planning for company this weekend so I am trying to figure out some ideas that are a little more fancy then normal. I like spending time with my company though so I will probably find something simple that comes out amazing. 

On a side note all of the Mason Jar Meals (inspiration and original aha moment from Robin at Big Red Kitchen.) were mind blowing. Mr. Sassy loved them, they stayed fresh even on Monday after making them late Thursday night. I would 100% recommend making these on a Sunday night for a work week. There are some fantastic ideas on Robin's blog for a million things NOT salads! Ingenious. I will be trying a ton of these in the coming weeks for big sassy and Mr.Sassy. Chicken cordon blue, Kids Quiche, Peanut Butter Pie, and some Sliders.

Mr. Sassy's song pick for this meal plan, Chickenfoot . Yeah they do rock.
Monday
B- Oatmeal with dried fruit (we do old fashioned oats, put the dry fruit in while the water is boiling so its nice and soft by the time the oatmeal is cooked.)
L-Salads with mixed greens, craisins, nuts, oranges, peppers, frozen blueberries and balsamic vinegar
D-Chicken Legs and Thighs in oven with BBQ, Crash Hot sweet potatoes, frozen veggies
Tuesday
B-Scrambled eggs and cheese
L-Leftovers
D-Shepard's pie with cauliflower "top" instead of mashed potatoes
Wednesday
B-Eggs and Sausage
L-Leftover shepherd's pie
D-Chicken soup
Thursday
B-Eggs scrambled with ham, veggies and cheese
L-Soup and Salad
D-Ground beef tacos
Friday
B-Scrambled eggs with veggies, ham and cheese
L-Taco salad
D-Chili, salad
Saturday
B-Crispy Potatoes and Eggs (this is so good, we tried it for the first time last week very much a skillet.)
L- Leftovers, salad
D-Steaks on the grill, carrots and broccoli on the grill, grilled potatoes
Sunday
B-Big breakfast, eggs, bacon, potatoes,
L-Salad, leftovers
D-Mr.Sassy's choice, he wins the cook for the night award.

There you have it, a voyeuristic sneak peak into what the Sassy Family is eating this week. Remember a meal plan does not have to be complicated. Plan one day, or maybe plan one meal a day, it doesn't have to be crazy. The key to a good meal plan is to be honest and to make food you love and your sassy kids love. If that means you plan Kraft mac and cheese and hamburger helper then so be it. If that's what you eat, be honest with yourself and write it down, the ingredients you need and plan it. Some times I mix it up, I make Mondays meals on Thursday cause I don't want what I planned. But its OK, since I already did the shopping and have the ingredients I can do that, if I don't make a meal one day I can make it next week.

Sunday (getting ready for Monday) Meal Plan

Sunday's are usually my day to hang around being so happy my little sassies wake up at 6am, every day, especially on the weekends. Someday I will figure out how to make that stop, for now I don't have any energy for any kind of planning but meal planning.

I usually plan a weekly menu on Sunday so I can do my shopping with only one little sweet sassy thing Monday while big sas is in school. This week is vacation, so I have the joyful experience of bringing two energy laden Sassy Sisters into the stores. People here love me.

Meal planning is annoying sometimes, but since it helps to keep our weekly budget around $80-$120 I will do it. I usually spend around $90 initally and then spend a little more later on in the week. If we have company the weeks budget usually looks like $140. I am trying to come up with some good ideas, I am sick of the "old faithfuls" and we are re challenging ourselves to eat more primal/paleo. 

So the menu for this week is pretty choppy since we are gone Friday, Saturday and Sunday to go visiting the inlaws. Also Big Sas is home this week so I will be trying to make meals that make good amounts of leftovers so that she will have enough to eat with little sas and me for leftover lunch. School lunches for her are different since she has this thing about hot food and cold food.

Mr.Sassy thinks we need some "Billie Jean" to get us through this so rock out and read on.

Monday

B-Baked egg ham cup usually takes 15-20 min depending on how long the oven takes to heat.
L-Salad bar from the grocery store (ending our shopping trip with this is the sassies fav treat)
D-Man Chili and salad will post this recipe when we make it.
Tuesday
B-Eggs scrambled with veggies and ham.
L-Leftover Man Chili, salad.
D-Pulled Pork, Roasted Broccoli, acorn squash and coleslaw (a must for all good pulled pork)

Wednesday

B-Crispy Potatoes and Eggs. Adding in zucchini and pepper and bacon.(always bacon.)

L-Leftover Pulled Pork and veg.

D-Roast Chicken, Baked Sweet Potatoes,

Thursday
B-Banana Crepes and Sausage
L-Leftovers, Salad
D-Primal Shepard's Pie (hopefully using leftover chicken, otherwise ground beef) use cauliflower instead of potatoes.

I do not plan snacks each day, I generally buy enough to be 1x a day for little sassy. Big sassy takes a Stoneyfield yogurt tube or Cheese string to school for her snack, then she has a snack with little sas after school. This week will be mangoes, grapes, frozen berries, slice of chunky cheese (from a block, yes we call it chunky cheese), pears, and yogurt dip. Plus I'm sure we will see something truly awesome and awe inspiring in the store that the sasters HAVE TO HAVE. Hopefully it will be so phenomenol it bring a stunned silence in its wake.

And then because I am a lovely, amazing Wifey, I will be leaving Mr. Sassy these mason jar meals. He is working otherwise he would be coming with.  Don't tell him though, he gets all excited about this kind of thing and will bug me and bug me and annoy the shit out of me until he knows all the details. And then talks me out of doing it. He will love it though so better to surprise the man. Also I am using alot of items in these that will be leftover from our weekly menu plan! Score 2 for planning. Find HERE.
Two will be the following (layer from bottom to top) Chicken salad
Dressing, chicken, coleslaw (plain), dry cherries, almonds, Mandarin oranges.
one other will be this
Vinaigrette, chicken, hard boil egg, bacon, tomatoes, mixed greens.
one will be
Vinaigrette, roasted green beans, olives, potatoes, egg, tomato, ham.

All of these recipes are from Big Red Kitchen the last two did not have recipe links but if you click HERE it will take you to the directions, straight from Robins mouth.
Each will be put with a cheese string, a yogurt (plain yogurt, spoonful of maple syrup, cinnamon, nuts sprinkled on top) and a layered awesome looking mason jar fruit. (bottom shelf of picture in the link) with whatever fruit looks best and isn't a fortune! Also going to make some homemade Lara bars this week for a nice treat.