Meal Plans!

I said I'd post my meal plan, so here's Week 1. 

Meatloaf "Cake"

I haven't experimented too much with my own concoctions yet. I've just been taking a recipe here, one there, until I get enough to fill up a week. 

I've done a little bit with meal plans in the past, but never quite had enough recipes to last so we'd end up substituting with something not-so-great or we'd just go out to eat. Another problem I've had in the past was choosing a ton of crock pot recipes. These are fabulous ... when you're prepared for them. But when it's 4 PM and you're starting to figure out what you'll need to get the meal prepared, there just isn't enough time at that point. Some of the meals I was able to convert to stove-top recipes, but others were just not going to happen. So that would kind of throw everything out of balance and I'd fall back into old habits of last minute planning and eating bad foods. 

So this time I am prepared!

I am searching for simple recipes that do not include a bunch of ingredients that I would never have on hand. I am looking for quick recipes for days when we don't have much time. I also have a few crock pot recipes, but they aren't the bulk anymore and I try to write down on the previous day that I need to get that ready in the morning. One thing I do love about crock pot meals, though, is that you can prepare them the night before and just pull them out and plug them in the next day. So easy! 

My process:

First, it really helps that I am organized, probably more so than I need to be, but I like it, lol. I keep tabs at the top of my Mozilla window. As you can see, I have one for my blog, one for random weight loss resources, and a quick link to the Fitness Blender page (it's my favorite). Then I have a tab for Meal Planning. I have sub-categories in this tab. The first one is a tab dedicated to recipes. And, as you can see, I have them organized into different categories based on what they are. I may be slightly OCD, but it helps so much! I promise! 

Under the recipes folder, there is a folder for sources of recipes. These would be places like Nom Nom Paleo, Paleo On A Budget, Whole Family Strong, etc. That way I can just go to these places quickly and search for something if I need another recipe. 

There is a folder dedicated to the Whole30 process as well. Just quick links to pages in case I need some motivation or a reminder on what the rules are, etc. 

Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Sawsage N Peppas mixed together

And the bottom two folders are links to holiday foods, for when Thanksgiving rolls around, and then some local farms and farmer's markets in our area so I don't forget. Like I said, maybe a bit OCD. 

So, I add these recipes as I find them ... or I just go out and actively search for recipes. Then I start organizing them into the next folders "W:1" and "W:2" for each week. I label them according to which day we will be having them and what we are making with them. To be organized, you know. And then I just have to do a quick look to see what the day's meal is and what I will need. I usually write out the recipe on an index card and use that while I'm cooking. Then if I really love the recipe, I save the index card and put it in a photo album. I'd like to take pictures and print them some day of each of the recipes and include them in the album with the recipe, but I haven't gotten there yet. 

"Spaghetti" and Mamma's Meatballs & Marinara

Whole30 Week 1 Meal Plan

Breakfasts: Lagniappe Casserole (WFS)

Lunches: leftovers

Snack/filler: Paleo Crock Pot Turkey Chili (WFS)

Monday: Salmon Cakes (WFS) with baked sweet potato and

               mixed veggies

Tuesday: Beef Stir Fry (POAB)

Wednesday: Sawsage-n-Peppas (WFS) with Roasted Sweet

                    Potatoes (POAB) and veggies

Thursday: Spaghetti (squash) with Mamma's Meatballs and

                 Marinara Sauce (SLE)

Friday: Meatloaf "Cake" (WFS) with veggies and spaghetti

             squash

Saturday: Spicy Shred (WFS) with veggies

Sunday: Slow Cooker Jambalaya (ELGP)

So there you have it! 

Our first week on the Whole30 program. The breakfast casserole only lasted us about 4 or 5 days, but I was able to get up and cook on the weekend so it wasn't an issue. There was also plenty of leftover food for lunches and to add to a meal if we wanted. I don't think the Turkey Chili was really my favorite, but I'm not a huge fan of tomatoes and there are a lot in that recipe, so that's just my preference. I did really enjoy all the other recipes except for the salmon (I don't really care for it). But I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Jambalaya recipe. It's my favorite and I'll probably be doing a blog post on that one soon just to give it the spotlight. But the link is there if you'd like to try it.

I hope I gave you some good meal planning ideas or maybe just some good recipe ideas. There really isn't a wrong way to meal plan as long as it works for you and your family. So have fun with it, try new things. And keep it healthy! Or, as I like to say, Get Real! : )

Remember the abominable snowman from Bugs Bunny?

I had a not so happy time making dinner last night. 

It has nothing to do with the way the food turned out; it was delicious! It was just the process of making it, mostly due to my own lack of observation, left me a bit frazzled.


I made the Mamma's Meatballs and Marinara Sauce from SleepLoveEat.com. I had all of the ingredients, I got everything out, started chopping and dicing. Part of the directions say to put the tomatoes, including juice, in the food processor with some basil. I did that, but did not pay attention to capacity and overfilled it. Next thing I know, I have tomato juice leaking all over my counter. So I hurry and try to clean it up, leaving the water running (oops), which quickly fills the pan sitting in it and starts to overflow ... all over the other counter. So as I'm cleaning up these two messes, I turn around and see that the sauce, which is now on the stove, is boiling and popping up and out and all over onto everything in reach. It was just one of those moments where there is some disaster (slightly dramatic, I know) waiting every time you turn around. Whew!

Did I also mention that it was during the "Kill All Things" part of the Whole30 Challenge that I thought I had managed to avoid? So, I was a bit on edge already, lol.

As I was telling my friend about all of this, she told me I should have just gone and cuddled with our bunny, Gus, for a while. Instantly, Bugs Bunny popped into my head:

credit: peliculas.film-cine.com

"Just what I always wanted. My own little bunny rabbit. I will name him George, and I will hug him and pet him and squeeze him..."

Anyone remember that? In case you don't, or never saw it, or want to see it again... here's the link to the video courtesy of Todd S. on YouTube.

I'm pretty sure my little Gus-bunny would not appreciate that kind of handling, lol. Probably best to just simmer down on my own. Hubby did come in and give me a hug though and helped me take a breath and start again.

From there, things went much more smoothly. Today is the last day of the "Kill All Things" stage and then I get to move on to Days 6-7: "I just want a nap!" ... At least that one is over the weekend, and I don't really have much to do, so it might be a little easier for me. We'll see and I'll let you know!

Now for the recipe!

This recipe just sounded delicious from the moment I laid eyes on it. I always loved pasta and all of the creamy sauces that it comes with. So to find a way to get to eat "spaghetti" again, it's great! I did use spaghetti squash instead of actual spaghetti, by the way.

Marinara Sauce Ingredients (recipe inspired by Giada De Laurentiis, but tweaked a bit)

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion-diced
• 4 cloves garlic-crushed, diced, chopped…however you like it
• Bunch of basil
• 2 28 0z. cans of whole organic tomatoes with their juice
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

credit: sleeploveeat.com

1. Combine both cans of whole tomatoes with their juice and the bunch of basil in a food processor or blender.
2. Pulse until smooth and set aside.  Place olive oil, onions and garlic in a saute pan and cook over medium heat until translucent and soft…about 10 minutes….
3. Add tomato sauce, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil over medium high heat. 
4. Once boiling, let the sauce simmer on low  for about an hour.

I find the longer you simmer, the better it tastes…if I am home I will just let it sit for a couple hours on low, stirring occasionally.  If you don’t have time, it’s still delicious after 30 minutes! It makes a lot.

Meatball Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 lb. ground pork (feel free to use ground turkey or chicken…whatever you feel like I am sure will work)
• 1/2 onion – diced
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 cup parsley
• 1 cup loose-leaf spinach
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup tomato/marinara sauce
• 4 cloves crushed garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

credit: sleeploveeat.com

1. Place basil, parsley, and spinach in food processor…give it a couple pulses to chop and mix it up…
2. Place all ingredients in mixing bowl and mix together…I use my hands…I find it is the best way to get everything mixed evenly. 
3. Next I use my scoop to make golf ball sized meatballs. 
4. Cook at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  I then place them in the sauce for another 30-60 minutes, but if you don’t want to do that, cook them for 25 minutes.

This recipe makes about 3 dozen.

It took me a little while to make, probably mostly because of all of my bloopers, but I just baked a spaghetti squash while I was cooking up the sauce and meatballs. The sauce and meatballs are to die for and the spaghetti squash is a great substitute for real spaghetti pasta. You won't be disappointed! I hope you have a better time cooking it than I did, lol.