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  1. <?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><rss xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:openSearch="http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/" xmlns:blogger="http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008" xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:gd="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005" xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0" version="2.0"><channel><atom:id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929</atom:id><lastBuildDate>Wed, 13 Mar 2024 02:04:56 +0000</lastBuildDate><category>Weekly meal plan</category><category>recipe suggestions</category><category>healthy eating</category><category>kid-friendly food</category><category>freezable foods</category><category>crock pot recipes</category><category>grilling</category><category>menu plan monday</category><category>nutrition</category><category>holidays</category><category>lunch ideas</category><category>Freezer challenge</category><category>Services</category><category>articles</category><category>budget cooking</category><category>homemade gift ideas</category><category>july 4th</category><category>vegetarian</category><category>Whole Foods Market</category><category>freezer meals</category><category>holiday baked items</category><category>holiday baking</category><category>once a month cooking</category><category>organic produce</category><category>time management</category><category>to do list</category><category>Memorial Day food</category><category>Mexican</category><category>Red Mango love</category><category>Sunday ramblings</category><category>Thanksgiving</category><category>breakfast</category><category>business</category><category>cinco de mayo</category><category>grilling pizza</category><category>personal chef service</category><category>recipe testing</category><category>vegetables</category><title>e-mealplanning.com</title><description>Recipes, cooking tips, articles and information to help you plan your meals.&#xa;Get the answer to &quot;What&#39;s for dinner?&quot;</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/</link><managingEditor>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</managingEditor><generator>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>104</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-2134382180467151765</guid><pubDate>Fri, 20 Jun 2014 17:29:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2014-06-20T10:29:57.516-07:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">personal chef service</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Services</category><title>Personal Chef Services- Summer Specials!</title><description>Happy Summer!&amp;nbsp; Every year I always have this feeling like summer is over before it&#39;s barely begun and I think it stems from having so much of it planned in advance.&amp;nbsp; I try to remind myself to just stop for a moment, and just enjoy the sunshine and longer days.&amp;nbsp; That said, I think that the busy summer months is the perfect time to have meals prepped and ready so you can simply come home and have dinner ready with very little effort.&amp;nbsp; I&#39;m offering two different summer specials to make that easy for you or for someone you know.&lt;br /&gt;
  2. &lt;br /&gt;
  3. &lt;br /&gt;
  4. &lt;b&gt;Previous Customers:&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp; I miss you!&amp;nbsp; Book me again and get $25 off the price of the service you book.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  5. &lt;br /&gt;
  6. &lt;b&gt;Current Customers:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt; Share the love!&amp;nbsp; I would love your referrals to new customers.&amp;nbsp; If your friend books me, they will get $25 off their first service and you will get $25 off your next service.&amp;nbsp; Win-win!!&lt;br /&gt;
  7. &lt;br /&gt;
  8. &lt;b&gt;Refer a Friend:&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/b&gt;Maybe you don&#39;t need my services, but you can still spread the word to your friends.&amp;nbsp; If you have a friend who books me, I&#39;ll send you $25 Amazon gift card and they will also receive $25 their first service.&lt;br /&gt;
  9. &lt;br /&gt;
  10. Don&#39;t forget that my services make a useful and unique gift!&amp;nbsp; Maybe your child is moving out and living on their own, get them started with healthy meals in their friend.&amp;nbsp; Or a family with a new baby.&amp;nbsp; I can create a gift certificate and make a menu plan for them!&lt;br /&gt;
  11. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  12. &lt;/div&gt;
  13. &lt;br /&gt;
  14. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Service Options&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  15. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;Custom service is $35 per hour, which can be useful for just wanting a couple meals per week or every other week.&amp;nbsp; It includes the food, my time and disposable containers.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  16. &lt;br /&gt;
  17. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;10 meal Package is $350, there is a large list of meals to choose from and some substitutions/changes can be made to accommodate allergies and dietary needs.&amp;nbsp; You can also choose 5 meals for $200.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  18. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  19. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;Here is a list of some of my popular meals-&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  20. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;Chipotle Chicken Tacos&lt;br /&gt;
  21. Chicken Parmesan&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  22. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;Healthy Orange Chicken&lt;br /&gt;
  23. Cheesy Beef Noodle Casserole (it’s lean and low fat) &lt;br /&gt;
  24. Turkey or Beef Burgers (prepped but uncooked) &lt;br /&gt;
  25. Beef and Broccoli &lt;br /&gt;
  26. Chicken or Beef enchiladas&lt;br /&gt;
  27. Baked Ziti&lt;br /&gt;
  28. Chicken Fajitas&lt;br /&gt;
  29. Mini Turkey Meatloaves&lt;br /&gt;
  30. Roasted chicken with potatoes and vegetables&lt;br /&gt;
  31. Grilled Pork Chops with balsamic apple glaze&lt;br /&gt;
  32. Honey Chipotle Glazed Turkey Meatballs&lt;br /&gt;
  33. Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  34. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  35. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;I have vegetarian and vegan options too!&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  36. &lt;br /&gt;
  37. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  38. &lt;/div&gt;
  39. &lt;br /&gt;
  40. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  41. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCtoEEnjv6XW3oltii2CPKydRskb0N6UbfUur7ofwyY2bxl_bjEMwIuUITMWrM1iYqWJxDXfy351aoMl6PvPhUNf3LVxcGU-xNCbdDW45xmofFGpZtwsHaAbkfCMCUdZe7RPYZkpQYjwZG/s1600/grilled+pork+chops.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCtoEEnjv6XW3oltii2CPKydRskb0N6UbfUur7ofwyY2bxl_bjEMwIuUITMWrM1iYqWJxDXfy351aoMl6PvPhUNf3LVxcGU-xNCbdDW45xmofFGpZtwsHaAbkfCMCUdZe7RPYZkpQYjwZG/s1600/grilled+pork+chops.JPG&quot; height=&quot;200&quot; width=&quot;150&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  42. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Grilled Pork Chops&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  43. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  44. &lt;br /&gt;
  45. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  46. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SzMIaiaWfCzOr1qGtI5In4Skg_tm4PNGQGzW-b_CkKYl_SOQhDY5BzyaFUUT1cgate4XfUvtubdPEMzqAuP6lmcxAwXo57aVz9mrk3CvDN5wawaEf8OZxVPuMyNypskHwFAHqJdsC_bR/s1600/orange+chicken.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SzMIaiaWfCzOr1qGtI5In4Skg_tm4PNGQGzW-b_CkKYl_SOQhDY5BzyaFUUT1cgate4XfUvtubdPEMzqAuP6lmcxAwXo57aVz9mrk3CvDN5wawaEf8OZxVPuMyNypskHwFAHqJdsC_bR/s1600/orange+chicken.JPG&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; width=&quot;240&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  47. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Healthy Orange Chicken&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  48. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  49. &lt;br /&gt;
  50. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  51. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqORX8IBtdN6L8cyoQv19ZsYMB-TZ72y99KliXLIG-slUtmzV-G5Bq_9VKQdAqiimS3bq93e-kKZn1cKG9OBLUA6ruznOePBd6X6KJq-l8dlF0JrgtO8VejOQqThtTBtRBPiSxDQXGCt9s/s1600/beef+and+broccoli.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqORX8IBtdN6L8cyoQv19ZsYMB-TZ72y99KliXLIG-slUtmzV-G5Bq_9VKQdAqiimS3bq93e-kKZn1cKG9OBLUA6ruznOePBd6X6KJq-l8dlF0JrgtO8VejOQqThtTBtRBPiSxDQXGCt9s/s1600/beef+and+broccoli.JPG&quot; height=&quot;200&quot; width=&quot;200&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  52. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Beef and Broccoli&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  53. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  54. &lt;br /&gt;
  55. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  56. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDk7wghU8VGKe074UgBIu4J11I1Ej2G_TQKS-wfJAt75VWOWgpQ04ciy6KscnENAljQLcKHkgpavZ1rdYG45qTWZBRbZH3SY9xfTi3VvRAsZZWTAokfeq8d-qRZKSqc_NmuYWafTcnz-e/s1600/photo+1.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDk7wghU8VGKe074UgBIu4J11I1Ej2G_TQKS-wfJAt75VWOWgpQ04ciy6KscnENAljQLcKHkgpavZ1rdYG45qTWZBRbZH3SY9xfTi3VvRAsZZWTAokfeq8d-qRZKSqc_NmuYWafTcnz-e/s1600/photo+1.JPG&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; width=&quot;240&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  57. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Grilled Vegetables&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  58. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  59. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  60. &lt;/div&gt;
  61. &lt;br /&gt;</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2014/06/personal-chef-services-summer-specials.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCtoEEnjv6XW3oltii2CPKydRskb0N6UbfUur7ofwyY2bxl_bjEMwIuUITMWrM1iYqWJxDXfy351aoMl6PvPhUNf3LVxcGU-xNCbdDW45xmofFGpZtwsHaAbkfCMCUdZe7RPYZkpQYjwZG/s72-c/grilled+pork+chops.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-971660238029897667</guid><pubDate>Tue, 29 Apr 2014 05:39:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2014-04-28T22:39:03.984-07:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">articles</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">healthy eating</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">vegetables</category><title>All About Artichokes</title><description>&lt;i&gt;This post comes from my archives, I had previously posted it on my email newsletter and discovered I never posted it on the blog.  It was written by my very talented sister.  Chef Elisa is based in Denver, CO and is a caterer and personal chef.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  62. &lt;br /&gt;
  63. I enjoyed my first artichoke of the Spring recently,and it got me thinking.&amp;nbsp; I grew up eating artichokes and I have fond memories of this unique little piece of produce, which is actually a thistle.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; I remember savoring the ritual of dipping each leaf into Best Foods mayonnaise, scraping my teeth across it to enjoy that small bite of unique flavor.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; And most importantly, the delicious heart that lies inside, a prize awarded for your patience in deconstructing the little globe one piece at a time.&lt;br /&gt;
  64. &lt;br /&gt;
  65. I’ve encountered a lot of people who have never eaten a whole, fresh artichoke.&amp;nbsp; Many people have only eaten the hearts (usually from a can) in pasta and pizza.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; But I think everyone should enjoy an artichoke, especially when they are at their peak in Spring.&amp;nbsp; If you have never tried one and are a little put off at the idea of having to pull your food apart leaf by leaf and scrape the “meat” off of it, you may be encouraged by the artichoke’s health properties.&amp;nbsp; In researching this article, I was pleasantly surprised to find that artichokes contain cynarin, which is a “phenolic acid compound… that stimulates digestion, protects the liver, and lowers triglycerides and cholesterol.”&amp;nbsp; So you can feel better about slathering those leaves with butter, mayonnaise or aioli knowing that the artichoke can naturally help your HDL/LDL ratio!&lt;br /&gt;
  66. &lt;br /&gt;
  67. I think the artichoke is best simply steamed, but boiling also works well.&amp;nbsp; Wash it well, trim the end of the stem and snip off any thorny points on the leaves if you like.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Put a few inches of water in the bottom of your pot, put the artichokes in the steamer basket and in about 30 minutes (depending on the size and toughness of your artichoke) you will be ready to enjoy Spring’s bounty!&amp;nbsp; To determine if it is cooked, simply poke a fork into the stem at the base of the artichoke, it should be able to slide in and be removed easily.&lt;br /&gt;
  68. &lt;br /&gt;
  69. Every once in a while I like to relive my childhood memories by enjoying an artichoke with just plain old mayonnaise.&amp;nbsp; It was good enough for me at 10 years old, and it is good enough now!&amp;nbsp; However, the chef in me really can’t be satisfied with plain mayo all the time.&amp;nbsp; Usually I like to dress up my mayo with some crushed fresh garlic and lots of lemon juice, usually called an aioli but I take a shortcut and use prepared mayo instead of making my own!&amp;nbsp; You could put practically anything into your mayo – how about some pesto to pay homage to the artichoke’s Italian roots, or some chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for a little spice.&amp;nbsp; If you’re ever feeling ambitious, try making a stuffing with breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and herbs, spoon a little between each leaf and then steam the artichoke until cooked through.&amp;nbsp; There are a number of simple recipes available on the website for the California Artichoke Advisory Board.&lt;br /&gt;
  70. &lt;br /&gt;
  71. So the next time you’re perusing the produce at your grocery store, don’t be afraid to reach for one of those thistles and try something new.  They’re delicious AND nutritious, and you might even get your little ones to eat them on account of how fun it is to play with your food!&lt;br /&gt;
  72. &lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  73. &lt;a href=&quot;http://artichokes.org/recipes-and-such&quot;&gt;Artichoke Recipes from the California Artichoke Advisory Board&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  74. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/baked-artichokes-stuffed-red-quinoa&quot;&gt;Baked Artichokes Stuffed with Red Quinoa&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2014/04/all-about-artichokes.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-8032513634627111705</guid><pubDate>Sun, 09 Feb 2014 07:24:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2014-02-08T23:24:09.363-08:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">breakfast</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">freezable foods</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">healthy eating</category><title>Breakfast</title><description>&lt;table cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  75. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrhAU4Rl74qg_Bn6ydCmRp1dCSRYJScn06veQ78vFiP6bidl9YR-9yAwUVwvc5eojxFKR_BU8l_1moU6nzRrp049IzJhR_RrhyphenhyphenkuwMXkqAhUXv17d9_8mQl1P3-ai351hogLCy1aufJQv/s1600/photo+2.PNG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrhAU4Rl74qg_Bn6ydCmRp1dCSRYJScn06veQ78vFiP6bidl9YR-9yAwUVwvc5eojxFKR_BU8l_1moU6nzRrp049IzJhR_RrhyphenhyphenkuwMXkqAhUXv17d9_8mQl1P3-ai351hogLCy1aufJQv/s1600/photo+2.PNG&quot; height=&quot;200&quot; width=&quot;199&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  76. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Homemade Honey Nut Granola&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  77. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  78. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  79. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-jyAJXxLGGeri9h2mbHESTafkr8QLnwNi72WIsbf-iYwAhJ5JXCUzsJ9u7wa78Xq5UPtWdloL_DxzpLD1OI0pPrq1cU1u-Q22OE-h2pQ7sL3yC-2MzhAiDLQ5V0pkNIITW_Bb3aRcyav/s1600/photo+3.PNG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-jyAJXxLGGeri9h2mbHESTafkr8QLnwNi72WIsbf-iYwAhJ5JXCUzsJ9u7wa78Xq5UPtWdloL_DxzpLD1OI0pPrq1cU1u-Q22OE-h2pQ7sL3yC-2MzhAiDLQ5V0pkNIITW_Bb3aRcyav/s1600/photo+3.PNG&quot; height=&quot;200&quot; width=&quot;197&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  80. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Potato and Vegetable Hash&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  81. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  82. &lt;br /&gt;
  83. I&#39;ve been busily posting each week over at &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mamabootcampblog.blogspot.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mama Bootcamp&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and decided this week to post here with a longer post devoted to a topic I don&#39;t think I&#39;ve written about very much, breakfast.&amp;nbsp; Since lately my posts have been handy lists of recipes for you to reference, it was about time I compiled some breakfast recipes.&amp;nbsp; My focus is usually on what can be made ahead and easy for a grab and go breakfast on busy mornings.&lt;br /&gt;
  84. &lt;br /&gt;
  85. &lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/12/breakfast-burritos.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Breakfast Burritos&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- I make these on a regular basis, usually like 15-20 of them and they last us for a few weeks because in my house everyone needs variety and so they don&#39;t get eaten every day.&amp;nbsp; Burritos are a great vehicle for veggies in the morning, the possibilities for the fillings are endless.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  86. &lt;br /&gt;
  87. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.getnatured.com/2010/03/best-banana-muffins-in-history-of-all.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Banana Muffins&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is a healthy muffin that includes extra protein and fiber and it&#39;s vegan.&amp;nbsp; But it&#39;s sweet and moist and delicious.&amp;nbsp; Sometimes I make them in my mini muffin pan as that size it more realistic for my younger ones to eat.&lt;br /&gt;
  88. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/11/morning-maple-cranberry-pecan-oat-bars.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  89. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/11/morning-maple-cranberry-pecan-oat-bars.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Morning Maple Cranberry Pecan Oat Bars&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This fantastic bar is full of great things for you to start your day; a wonderful combination of protein and whole grains.&amp;nbsp; Super easy to make and they can be frozen too.&lt;br /&gt;
  90. &lt;br /&gt;
  91. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.deliciouseveryday.com/honey-nut-granola/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Honey Nut Granola&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- After many attempts to make granola and not really loving the results, I found a recipe that was very simple, low fat and delicious.&amp;nbsp; I love it on yogurt, or eaten like cereal with milk.&lt;br /&gt;
  92. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.food.com/recipe/applesauce-oatmeal-muffins-153070&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  93. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.food.com/recipe/applesauce-oatmeal-muffins-153070&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is a good low fat muffin.&amp;nbsp; It&#39;s also very simple to make, you could easily make them on a weekend morning, enjoy one and have the rest throughout the week.&lt;br /&gt;
  94. &lt;br /&gt;
  95. &lt;a href=&quot;http://acozykitchen.com/strawberry-baked-oatmeal/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Strawberry Baked Oatmeal&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Another recipe where you can easily adapt it for other fruits or flavorings.&amp;nbsp; Baked oatmeal re-heats wonderfully. &lt;br /&gt;
  96. &lt;br /&gt;
  97. &lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/11/potato-and-vegetable-hash.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Potato and Vegetable Hash&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- And here is a recipe for when you have a little time to cook.&amp;nbsp; But you could actually make a large pan of the hash and reheat leftovers.&amp;nbsp; Or use this as burrito fillings.&lt;br /&gt;
  98. &lt;br /&gt;
  99. Give these recipes a try and let me know what you think.&amp;nbsp; They are all great options for starting out your day.&amp;nbsp; I&#39;m sure I will add more recipes to this list in the future.&lt;br /&gt;
  100. &lt;br /&gt;</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2014/02/breakfast.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrhAU4Rl74qg_Bn6ydCmRp1dCSRYJScn06veQ78vFiP6bidl9YR-9yAwUVwvc5eojxFKR_BU8l_1moU6nzRrp049IzJhR_RrhyphenhyphenkuwMXkqAhUXv17d9_8mQl1P3-ai351hogLCy1aufJQv/s72-c/photo+2.PNG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-8793887130847389530</guid><pubDate>Fri, 03 Jan 2014 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2014-01-03T07:00:01.852-08:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">healthy eating</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">recipe suggestions</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Weekly meal plan</category><title>Happy New Year</title><description>&lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  101. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03VJNIWxwzJeCOH83YITpGConqwy6CQmI0L0E4nxoB1XSrJBnJI0t4JysEsQt6aEG6mYpJuV8uWeUXqj5IudQw40eUokpNH0tfyS-n_r5WnvBQFzBk9Dxo1vvI0wSqeWqCVVhvvEiUlFA/s1600/christmas+card+2013+v3.jpg&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;266&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03VJNIWxwzJeCOH83YITpGConqwy6CQmI0L0E4nxoB1XSrJBnJI0t4JysEsQt6aEG6mYpJuV8uWeUXqj5IudQw40eUokpNH0tfyS-n_r5WnvBQFzBk9Dxo1vvI0wSqeWqCVVhvvEiUlFA/s400/christmas+card+2013+v3.jpg&quot; width=&quot;400&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  102. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Happy New Year from me and my family!&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  103. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  104. &lt;br /&gt;
  105. I feel like we just celebrated Y2K, how is it 2014 already?&amp;nbsp; We had a low key holiday; I baked, but not on the large scale that I have done in the past.&amp;nbsp; I made some home made gifts like hot chocolate, &lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2013/04/baking-bread-at-home.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;homemade bread&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, cinnamon rolls, granola and a few candies.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
  106. &lt;br /&gt;
  107. With the new year always comes the time to make changes.&amp;nbsp; Setting goals and resolutions is what we do at the start of a new year and so I thought I would write this quick post to not only say Happy New Year, but include a few things that you may find helpful.&amp;nbsp; Maybe you are going to &lt;b&gt;eat healthier&lt;/b&gt;, or plan your meals and get more organized in the kitchen.&amp;nbsp; Maybe you just need to get some new recipes to start off the year.&amp;nbsp; I&#39;m here for you!&lt;br /&gt;
  108. &lt;br /&gt;
  109. I have my &lt;a href=&quot;http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/03/healthy-meals-list.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Healthy Meals List&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; which has a lot of my favorites and go-to suggestions for people when they are looking for new recipes.&amp;nbsp; It links to my &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.pinterest.com/emealplanning/healthy-eats/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Healthy Eats Pinterest board&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, which has not only dinners, but recipes for &lt;b&gt;smoothies, snacks and treats&lt;/b&gt;.&amp;nbsp; You may also want to get ahead of the game and do some cooking for future busy nights.&amp;nbsp; I have a great list of &lt;a href=&quot;http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/03/freezer-friendly-meals.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Freezer Friendly Meals&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
  110. &lt;br /&gt;
  111. As I mentioned in my last post, I intend to have a plan for changes to this blog, with regular posts.&amp;nbsp; I will also be blogging over at &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mamabootcampblog.blogspot.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mama Bootcamp&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; where I help out with food coaching and cooking classes.&amp;nbsp; I&#39;ll have regular posts over there each week with a recipe or healthy cooking tip.&lt;br /&gt;
  112. &lt;br /&gt;
  113. So here&#39;s to a fantastic 2014!</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2014/01/happy-new-year.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03VJNIWxwzJeCOH83YITpGConqwy6CQmI0L0E4nxoB1XSrJBnJI0t4JysEsQt6aEG6mYpJuV8uWeUXqj5IudQw40eUokpNH0tfyS-n_r5WnvBQFzBk9Dxo1vvI0wSqeWqCVVhvvEiUlFA/s72-c/christmas+card+2013+v3.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-7978017168492958968</guid><pubDate>Tue, 10 Dec 2013 17:58:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-12-10T09:58:46.393-08:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">budget cooking</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">holiday baked items</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">holidays</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">recipe suggestions</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Weekly meal plan</category><title>Winter Cooking</title><description>&lt;br /&gt;
  114. &lt;br /&gt;
  115. &lt;br /&gt;
  116. &lt;br /&gt;
  117. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  118. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://picasaweb.google.com/106078109158615020050/EMealplanningCom?authkey=Gv1sRgCNnS4e2hsLO91QE#5955061660772894082&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;400&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhlbemuC0mgM0vtTclrifU1BimNNodSVL4j1T8Bdaix0CnEzsVNIRmJPLu87IZYZ9wiCQlIfTJkDpPHH3p3d7kS5kqWjjP86Bs-0EAEDVALFRzEIP4tvVmIrvCIwIfdGis46YnsP8sCUWC/s288/iphone_photo.jpg&quot; style=&quot;margin: 5px;&quot; width=&quot;400&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  119. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Butternut squash soup that I recently made for a client and for myself!&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  120. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  121. &lt;br /&gt;
  122. Well Hello.&amp;nbsp; I know, it&#39;s been ages.&amp;nbsp; Why do I always do this?&amp;nbsp; Always meaning to write, say that I&#39;ll write, but yet don&#39;t.&amp;nbsp; Here it is December and the last post I wrote was in May!&amp;nbsp; And then I think to myself, &quot;why can&#39;t I get my blog more page views?&quot;&amp;nbsp; Actually, I don&#39;t really think about that because I know that I don&#39;t put the effort in and so therefore this blog doesn&#39;t get seen.&amp;nbsp; So I&#39;m going to try and set some realistic goals and plan out some topics so that come January, I will have A Plan.&lt;br /&gt;
  123. &lt;br /&gt;
  124. But right now, let&#39;s talk about winter.&amp;nbsp; We are in the middle of a cold snap here; for this part of California that means it&#39;s under 40 degrees which feels freaking freezing to me and farther north it&#39;s below 20 degrees and there&#39;s snow.&amp;nbsp; I&#39;m all about cooking foods that are appropriate for the weather.&amp;nbsp; I&#39;ve made soup twice last week.&amp;nbsp; I also &lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2013/04/baking-bread-at-home.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;baked bread&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, which as you know if you read my recipe blog, I do regularly but I actually had not done as much lately because we had a rather warm fall, so I wasn&#39;t turning on the oven so much.&lt;br /&gt;
  125. &lt;br /&gt;
  126. So I&#39;m using this post to link up some previous posts that may be useful for you at this time of year and I&#39;ve also got a short list of recipes that are easy, great for the cold weather and also budget friendly so you can spend less money on food and more on your holiday celebrations.&lt;br /&gt;
  127. &lt;br /&gt;
  128. I created a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.pinterest.com/emealplanning/december-9-recipes/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;December 9th Recipes Board&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; on my Pinterest, so you can view that and pin to your hearts content.&lt;br /&gt;
  129. &lt;br /&gt;
  130. Last year I posted some &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/11/holiday-ideas.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Holiday Food Gift Ideas&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/b&gt;It has a good variety of types of gifts; sweet, savory, healthy, and one body scrub not meant to be eaten.&amp;nbsp; Check that out if you need some ideas for inexpensive but thoughtful gifts.&lt;br /&gt;
  131. &lt;br /&gt;
  132. &lt;br /&gt;
  133. &lt;a href=&quot;http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/11/holiday-ideas.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  134. &lt;b&gt;Meals for December 9, 2013&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  135. &lt;br /&gt;
  136. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.plainchicken.com/2011/07/taco-cupcakes.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Taco Cupcakes&lt;/a&gt;- Kids love these, they re-heat well and you can serve with a salad for a quick dinner.  You can also easily make these with spaghetti sauce and cheese for mini lasagna cupcakes.&lt;br /&gt;
  137. &lt;br /&gt;
  138. &lt;a href=&quot;http://savour-fare.com/2010/01/29/the-one-ive-been-waiting-for-easy-slow-cooker-chili/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Crock Pot Chili&lt;/a&gt;- I love my friend Kate&#39;s recipe for chili in the crock pot, I have listed it here in my blog many times.&lt;br /&gt;
  139. &lt;br /&gt;
  140. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.heatovento350.com/2011/05/spin-art-pasta.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Spinach, Artichoke and Chicken Pasta&lt;/a&gt;- If you love spinach and artichoke dip, this pasta is similar, cheesy, but not overly cheesy, so it&#39;s healthy.&lt;br /&gt;
  141. &lt;br /&gt;
  142. &lt;a href=&quot;http://ifoodreal.com/30-minute-clean-thai-turkey-zucchini-meatballs/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Thai Turkey Zucchini Meatballs&lt;/a&gt;- These are gluten free, Paleo friendly, easy to make ahead and re-heat and is a nice change from the usual marinara and meatballs.&lt;br /&gt;
  143. &lt;br /&gt;
  144. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/cheeseburger-macaroni.html?_szp=240490&amp;amp;_szi=179&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Cheeseburger Macaroni&lt;/a&gt;-No processed box mix here!  Simple, clean eating, easy to make and kid-friendly.&lt;br /&gt;
  145. &lt;br /&gt;
  146. &lt;a href=&quot;http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.ca/2010/10/quinoa-salad-with-pears-and-baby.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Quinoa Salad with Pears and Baby Greens&lt;/a&gt;- this can certainly be a side dish but it&#39;s protein packed with quinoa and since it also has veggies, it&#39;s an easy one-dish meal.&lt;br /&gt;
  147. &lt;br /&gt;
  148. &lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/09/budget-beef-and-broccoli.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Budget Beef and Broccoli&lt;/a&gt;- This is my own recipe for an easy and cheap version of beef and broccoli using lean ground beef.  I sometimes make this with the frozen French style green beans from Trader Joes that I also have in my freezer.&lt;br /&gt;
  149. &lt;br /&gt;
  150. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/2012/09/slow-cooker-recipe-for-easy-thai.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Cock Pot Thai Chicken Soup&lt;/a&gt;- Delicious coconut Thai curry soup made with little effort in the crock pot.&lt;br /&gt;
  151. &lt;br /&gt;</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2013/12/winter-cooking.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhlbemuC0mgM0vtTclrifU1BimNNodSVL4j1T8Bdaix0CnEzsVNIRmJPLu87IZYZ9wiCQlIfTJkDpPHH3p3d7kS5kqWjjP86Bs-0EAEDVALFRzEIP4tvVmIrvCIwIfdGis46YnsP8sCUWC/s72-c/iphone_photo.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-5629366308156871513</guid><pubDate>Fri, 24 May 2013 19:11:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-05-24T16:11:43.334-07:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">grilling</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">healthy eating</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Memorial Day food</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">recipe suggestions</category><title>Get Grilling!</title><description>So it&#39;s Memorial Day weekend.&amp;nbsp; It&#39;s actually a time that we remember those who died serving our country.&amp;nbsp; It&#39;s a very important time to honor them.&amp;nbsp; It also seems to be a time that people get together and barbecue.&lt;br /&gt;
  152. &lt;br /&gt;
  153. Here is a previous post I had just before July 4th, there&#39;s some great grilling recipes and side dishes listed there- &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/06/meals-for-week-of-june-25-2012.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;June 25, 2012 Post&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  154. &lt;br /&gt;
  155. And you know that of course I have a &lt;a href=&quot;http://pinterest.com/emealplanning/grilling/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pinterest board&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; with grilling recipes.&amp;nbsp; :)&lt;br /&gt;
  156. &lt;br /&gt;
  157. In addition, here are a few other grilling recipes that I think are great.&amp;nbsp; They are healthy and a change from just burgers and hot dogs.&lt;br /&gt;
  158. &lt;br /&gt;
  159. &lt;a href=&quot;http://savingslifestyle.com/2012/03/copy-cat-recipe-chipotles-adobo-marinated-chicken/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chipotle’s Adobo Marinated Chicken&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- I just shared this recipe for Cinco de Mayo but I think it’s great for a party and I generally have a couple of extra marinating or already grilled in my freezer.&amp;nbsp; Perfect to pull out for a quick meal.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  160. &lt;br /&gt;
  161. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.marthastewart.com/318079/buttermilk-and-herb-marinated-chicken?center=276943&amp;amp;gallery=275423&amp;amp;slide=262268&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Buttermilk and Herb Marinated Chicken&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- This is an outstanding way to grill chicken breasts.&amp;nbsp; Keeps them moist and flavorful.&lt;br /&gt;
  162. &lt;br /&gt;
  163. &lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/06/simple-grilled-tilapia.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Simple Grilled Tilapia&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Very easy method for grilling fish, this is really healthy and so great with fresh veggies.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  164. &lt;br /&gt;
  165. &lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/08/grilled-chicken-with-balsamic-glaze-and.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Glaze&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Instead of bbq sauce, try making this sweet and tangy glaze with balsamic vinegar and a touch of honey.&lt;br /&gt;
  166. &lt;br /&gt;
  167. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://sweettreatsmore.com/2012/08/grilled-cilantro-lime-sweet-potatoes/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Grilled Cilantro Lime Sweet Potatoes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- Sweet potatoes (yams) with cilantro and lime, a &lt;br /&gt;
  168. fantastic flavor combination.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  169. &lt;br /&gt;
  170. &lt;br /&gt;
  171. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; </description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2013/05/get-grilling.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-3561713574867685768</guid><pubDate>Thu, 16 May 2013 00:46:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-05-15T23:40:53.551-07:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">budget cooking</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">crock pot recipes</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">recipe suggestions</category><title>Slow Cooking- A list of meals for your slow cooker (Crock Pot)</title><description>Some people just love their &lt;b&gt;slow cooker (Crock Pot)&lt;/b&gt; and can&#39;t live without it.&amp;nbsp; I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with mine.&amp;nbsp; I do love the convenience it can provide and I have a few standard things I use it for.&amp;nbsp; But I also think it&#39;s not always as simple as it seems to cook with it.&amp;nbsp; Well, it&#39;s simple to just dump ingredients in and turn it on, but it doesn&#39;t always yield great results.&amp;nbsp; I think it&#39;s a bit of a science to fill the pot with the right amount and combination of ingredients for the size of the pot.&amp;nbsp; And sometimes you have a slow cooker that cooks faster than a recipe says it will and you&#39;ve got burnt food.&amp;nbsp; So it&#39;s frustrating when you want so much to cook a meal with very little effort while you&#39;re away from home and yet it doesn&#39;t turn out.&amp;nbsp; My advice is to try to use recipes that tell you the size of the slow cooker and if you have the same size, then the quantities of the ingredients will work. When in doubt, you can double a small recipe for your big slow cooker. Many recipes want you to brown the meat or poultry on the stove before it goes in.&amp;nbsp; This can be a step that seems like a pain and defeats the ease of a slow cooker, but if the dish is supposed to have the meat still mostly intact, browning or searing it seals in the juices and the flavor.&lt;br /&gt;
  172. &lt;br /&gt;
  173. Now, I know there are a billion blogs and cook books out there devoted entirely to cooking with a &lt;b&gt;Crock Pot&lt;/b&gt;.&amp;nbsp; Some of the recipes I&#39;m sharing are from those sources, but I wanted to put together a list of good recipes that are rather easy, yield good results and aren&#39;t filled with processed ingredients.&amp;nbsp; A bonus is that many of them are very economical and budget friendly.&amp;nbsp; It&#39;s not super long; you could use them all in one month and since several make a good quantity of food, you would have quite a few meals taken care of for a whole month. But even if you just tried several, you will probably find yourself with new favorites to add to your slow cooker arsenal.&lt;br /&gt;
  174. &lt;br /&gt;
  175. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  176. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Crock Pot Recipes&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  177. &lt;a href=&quot;http://octobersmorning.blogspot.com/2012/10/freezer-meal-exchange.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  178. &lt;/a&gt; &amp;nbsp;I have a Pinterest Board that contains other links besides what is listed here:&lt;b&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;a href=&quot;http://pinterest.com/emealplanning/crock-pot/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Crock Pot Board&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  179. &lt;br /&gt;
  180. &lt;a href=&quot;http://octobersmorning.blogspot.com/2012/10/freezer-meal-exchange.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Cilantro Lime Chicken&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This one is super easy to prep in advance in a freeze bag, then thaw and put in your slow cooker in the morning.&amp;nbsp; After 6 hours you have something you can eat in tortillas or over rice.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  181. &lt;br /&gt;
  182. &lt;a href=&quot;http://savour-fare.com/2009/03/19/carolina-barbecue-pulled-pork/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Carolina Barbecue Pulled Pork&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is the perfect thing to make in your slow cooker.&amp;nbsp; It’s great to serve a crowd or to provide you with more than one meal. I have many friends who make this pulled pork on a regular basis.&amp;nbsp; It&#39;s really good!&lt;br /&gt;
  183. &lt;br /&gt;
  184. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://savour-fare.com/2010/01/29/the-one-ive-been-waiting-for-easy-slow-cooker-chili/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Slow Cooker Chili&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- I don’t always make chili using the slow cooker, but when I do this is the recipe I use.&amp;nbsp; It calls for beer in the recipe, which I have used if we have it, or left it out and it’s still good. &lt;br /&gt;
  185. &lt;br /&gt;
  186. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.marthastewart.com/314995/slow-cooker-sausage-lasagna&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Slow Cooker Lasagna&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- You can have lasagna on a weeknight!&amp;nbsp; This recipe just has meat, sauce, noodles and cheese, it doesn’t have a ricotta and egg layer.&amp;nbsp; It’s simple to assemble; you can just break noodles to fit them in the pot.&amp;nbsp; The recipe includes instructions for making the sauce.&amp;nbsp; You can always use y our own sauce or use my &lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/10/easy-marinara-sauce.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;marinara sauce recipe&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  187. &lt;br /&gt;
  188. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/07/crockpot-thai-curry-recipe.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Crock Pot Thai Curry&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- You may have most of these ingredients on hand and simply need coconut milk and chili paste.&amp;nbsp; Feel free to substitute the eggplant for another squash or use whatever combination of vegetables you like.&amp;nbsp; Make it healthier by serving with brown rice, I happen to love brown jasmine rice.&lt;br /&gt;
  189. &lt;br /&gt;
  190. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/02/crock-pot-sesame-honey-chicken.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Crock Pot Sesame Honey Chicken&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Sweet and spicy chicken you can eat over rice or in lettuce wraps.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  191. &lt;br /&gt;
  192. &lt;a href=&quot;http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/day-305.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pasta Fagioli&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is a hearty pasta soup, which is the perfect sort of thing for a slow cooker.&amp;nbsp; Maybe not ideal in warmer weather, but awesome for the fall and winter.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  193. &lt;br /&gt;
  194. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/crockpot-rotisserie-style-chicken.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Crock Pot Rotisserie Style Chicken&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- A great way to roast a whole chicken that you can then use in a variety of ways just like when you get a rotisserie chicken at the store.&lt;br /&gt;
  195. &lt;br /&gt;
  196. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.cookingclassy.com/2012/01/shredded-beef-tacos/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Shredded Beef Tacos&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- A very inexpensive chuck roast can give you several meals.&amp;nbsp; You can use the beef for more than just tacos too.&amp;nbsp; I love recipes like this.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  197. &lt;br /&gt;
  198. &lt;a href=&quot;http://redsie05.blogspot.com/2010/10/ww-crock-pot-chicken-taco-chili.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chicken Taco Chili&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Taco seasonings plus chili powder with shredded chicken, beans, corn, tomatoes and green chilies.&amp;nbsp; A delicious low calorie chili.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  199. &lt;br /&gt;
  200. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/06/crock-pot-hawaiian-bbq-chicken.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Crock Pot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- If you really want to keep it simple, this has three ingredients.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  201. &lt;br /&gt;
  202. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-crock-pot-pineapple-chicken/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Clean Eating Crock Pot Pineapple Chicken&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Another very simple recipe- it’s just chicken and salsa in the crock pot and then you serve it with pineapple and zucchini.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  203. &lt;br /&gt;
  204. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.getnatured.com/2011/06/june-uary-crockpot-polenta-lasagna.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Vegan Crock Pot Lasagna&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is such a great recipe using lots of veggies plus polenta instead of pasta (which I love) and again, it&#39;s easy to have lasagna on a weeknight.&lt;br /&gt;
  205. &lt;br /&gt;
  206. &lt;iframe frameborder=&quot;0&quot; marginheight=&quot;0&quot; marginwidth=&quot;0&quot; scrolling=&quot;no&quot; src=&quot;http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=emealplanning-20&amp;amp;o=1&amp;amp;p=8&amp;amp;l=as1&amp;amp;asins=B007K9OI52&amp;amp;ref=tf_til&amp;amp;fc1=000000&amp;amp;IS2=1&amp;amp;lt1=_blank&amp;amp;m=amazon&amp;amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;amp;bc1=000000&amp;amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;amp;f=ifr&quot; style=&quot;height: 240px; width: 120px;&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  207. &lt;br /&gt;
  208. &lt;br /&gt;
  209. &lt;iframe frameborder=&quot;0&quot; marginheight=&quot;0&quot; marginwidth=&quot;0&quot; scrolling=&quot;no&quot; src=&quot;http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=emealplanning-20&amp;amp;o=1&amp;amp;p=8&amp;amp;l=as1&amp;amp;asins=B00578EKRY&amp;amp;ref=tf_til&amp;amp;fc1=000000&amp;amp;IS2=1&amp;amp;lt1=_blank&amp;amp;m=amazon&amp;amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;amp;bc1=000000&amp;amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;amp;f=ifr&quot; style=&quot;height: 240px; width: 120px;&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;br /&gt;</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2013/05/slow-cooking-list-of-meals-for-your.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-4809224613054434737</guid><pubDate>Sat, 04 May 2013 02:51:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-05-03T19:55:53.480-07:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">cinco de mayo</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">holidays</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Mexican</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">recipe suggestions</category><title>Cinco de Mayo Food</title><description>I really don&#39;t need a pseudo holiday as an excuse to enjoy &lt;b&gt;Mexican food&lt;/b&gt;.&amp;nbsp; I enjoy it anytime.&amp;nbsp; Some version of tacos or burritos are a regular occurrence in our house.&amp;nbsp; So I figured I&#39;d jump on the bandwagon and give you a quick list of links of my own recipes as well as some favorites.&amp;nbsp; Enjoy them on Sunday or any random day you like.&lt;br /&gt;
  210. &lt;br /&gt;
  211. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/06/tomato-avocado-and-corn-salsa.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Tomato, Avocado and Corn Salsa&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- Not really authentic, but that doesn&#39;t stop it from being good.&amp;nbsp; I&#39;m actually starting to see fresh corn in the store.&amp;nbsp; However, both kinds of frozen corn sold at Trader Joe&#39;s taste great in this too.&amp;nbsp; Eat it with chips or spoon some on your taco.&lt;br /&gt;
  212. &lt;br /&gt;
  213. &lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/02/three-methods-for-chicken-tacos.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Three Methods for Chicken Tacos&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- There are far more than three methods for making chicken tacos, but here are the three different ways that I typically make them.&lt;br /&gt;
  214. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_homemade_tortilla_chips/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  215. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_homemade_tortilla_chips/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;How to Make Homemade Tortilla Chips&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;-&amp;nbsp; I love to make homemade chips when I have the time.&amp;nbsp; They are so good!&amp;nbsp; The fabulous blog Simply Recipes recently posted a great tutorial on several ways to make tortilla chips.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  216. &lt;br /&gt;
  217. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/refried_beans/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Refried Beans&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- I stopped buying canned refried beans awhile ago and make my own.&amp;nbsp; This is the recipe I use.&amp;nbsp; Sometimes I put a smoked turkey wing in with the beans when they are boiling, which adds delicious flavor.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  218. &lt;br /&gt;
  219. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.annies-eats.com/2010/03/04/homemade-taco-seasoning/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Homemade Taco Seasoning&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- No starch or fillers, just spices.&amp;nbsp; I stopped buying taco seasoning in packets ages ago but did use the Pampered Chef Southwest Seasoning for years. Then I started just &quot;manually&quot; seasoning taco meat with chili powder, cumin, garlic, etc.&amp;nbsp; Now I just mix this up a batch of this and keep it in a container.&lt;br /&gt;
  220. &lt;br /&gt;
  221. &lt;a href=&quot;http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mexican-Rice-II/Detail.aspx&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mexican Rice&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- In college, a friend taught me how to make her mom&#39;s Mexican rice.&amp;nbsp; I&#39;ve made it that way for years and only recently changed it up a bit.&amp;nbsp; This recipe follows the same method of cooking, just slightly different ingredients than what I do.&amp;nbsp; I season my rice with a spoonful of the taco seasoning. &amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  222. &lt;br /&gt;
  223. &lt;a href=&quot;http://theurbanspork.com/2010/05/flour-tortillas/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Flour Tortillas&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Very easy to make, just a little learning curve with rolling them out.&amp;nbsp; Super yum to eat.&lt;br /&gt;
  224. &lt;br /&gt;
  225. &lt;a href=&quot;http://savingslifestyle.com/2012/03/copy-cat-recipe-chipotles-adobo-marinated-chicken/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chipotle&#39;s Adobo Marinated Chicken&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Love this, I&#39;ve made it a lot recently.&amp;nbsp; It&#39;s supposed to be a copycat recipe for Chipotle the restaurant.&amp;nbsp; I can&#39;t say if it is exactly like it, but it tastes good, so who cares?&lt;br /&gt;
  226. &lt;br /&gt;
  227. &lt;a href=&quot;http://fabtasticeats.com/2012/03/08/fire-roasted-tomato-lime-salsa/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Fire Toasted Tomato Lime Salsa&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Fresh salsa is awesome, but this salsa made with canned fire roasted tomatoes and chilies is really very good.&amp;nbsp; And so easy to make too! &lt;br /&gt;
  228. &lt;br /&gt;
  229. Here&#39;s a little bonus right here on the page- my recipe for guacamole.&amp;nbsp; Around here, every Mexican food place has guacamole that is full of chopped raw onion and it makes me so frustrated.&amp;nbsp; It totally overpowers everything and you can only taste the strong onion.&amp;nbsp; I used to hate onions, now I wouldn&#39;t say I hate them, but I use them in cooking just like I would use garlic, it adds flavor, but I really don&#39;t care to actually eat onions and certainly not raw ones.&amp;nbsp; Anyway, all that to say I don&#39;t use raw onions in mine except for what might be in the bit of fresh salsa you mix in.&amp;nbsp; Again, it adds a bit of flavor, but it&#39;s all about the awesome avocado.&lt;br /&gt;
  230. &lt;br /&gt;
  231. &lt;b&gt;Guacamole&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  232. 2 or 3 medium sized ripe avocados (if avocados are from Costco, 2 makes a lot)&lt;br /&gt;
  233. Juice from 1 lime or 2 tsp of lime juice&lt;br /&gt;
  234. 2 TBL fresh style salsa or pico de gallo (Casa Sanchez brand is our favorite)&lt;br /&gt;
  235. Chopped fresh cilantro, about 1 tablespoon&lt;br /&gt;
  236. Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and garlic powder- season to taste&lt;br /&gt;
  237. &lt;br /&gt;
  238. Remove avocado flesh from the skin and in a medium size bowl mash slightly with a fork, but leave it a bit chunky.&amp;nbsp; Mix in lime juice, salsa and cilantro.&amp;nbsp; Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.&amp;nbsp; Taste and add more of anything you want more of.&amp;nbsp; You can add more heat with a dash of hot sauce (like Frank’s or Crystal brand) or a dash of cayenne pepper.&lt;br /&gt;
  239. &lt;br /&gt;
  240. &lt;br /&gt;</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2013/05/cinco-de-mayo-food.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-4010920924964919581</guid><pubDate>Thu, 04 Apr 2013 18:55:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-04-04T11:55:30.474-07:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">crock pot recipes</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">freezable foods</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">recipe suggestions</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Weekly meal plan</category><title>Meals for the Week of April 8, 2013</title><description>Well I finally dusted off this blog and have written something after 4 months.&amp;nbsp; And looking back, even though I&#39;d written several theme related posts I noticed that the last time I&#39;d written a weekly meal plan post was in August!&amp;nbsp; So, my apologies for being so absent.&amp;nbsp; I&#39;ve certainly been cooking a lot, I&#39;ve been working with &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mamabootcamp.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mama Bootcamp&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, helping clients with finding new healthy recipes and making meal plans, facilitating cooking sessions for freezer meals and cooking for clients and my own family.&amp;nbsp; But I really don&#39;t want to neglect my blog and I&#39;ve probably written that statement here before and yet I still neglect it.&amp;nbsp; So here it is, Spring as arrived, and so I should re-commit myself to making more of an effort.&amp;nbsp; I have been trying new recipes and I have ideas for things to write about so it&#39;s time to actually put them on the blog.&lt;br /&gt;
  241. &lt;br /&gt;
  242. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  243. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLDbTt4cQ6-1l5LiqcWDi41rvJKEsoyvOnQJvuiNPyhGN99Dfhj9jBFOsccNsObYN0CojKScyrJQv5qRyowxOu_WrMSIH7JisepxCEIDCXHf4qU4dABWpIbrQZBOoCTy1B0GCycelnIwQ/s1600/april+8+blog+post+photo.jpg&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;247&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLDbTt4cQ6-1l5LiqcWDi41rvJKEsoyvOnQJvuiNPyhGN99Dfhj9jBFOsccNsObYN0CojKScyrJQv5qRyowxOu_WrMSIH7JisepxCEIDCXHf4qU4dABWpIbrQZBOoCTy1B0GCycelnIwQ/s320/april+8+blog+post+photo.jpg&quot; width=&quot;320&quot; /&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  244. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Some of my recent Instagram photos- home made bread, beef and broccoli for a client, homemade salsa, roasted veggies for soup, fruit and peanut butter dip, kale salad&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  245. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  246. So I have a great set of recipes for you to try.&amp;nbsp; My intention with these was how busy spring time can be for families.&amp;nbsp; Baseball or softball practices and weeknight games, swim team, and dance rehearsals.&amp;nbsp; Lots of evenings where you get home late or need to get dinner on the table quickly.&amp;nbsp; There&#39;s several crock pot recipes that will yield leftovers, some quick cooking meals and meals you can make ahead of time and re-heat.&amp;nbsp; I also tried to have some things that would use some of the same ingredients to help your grocery shopping budget.&amp;nbsp; Give them a try and let me know how they are!&lt;br /&gt;
  247. &lt;br /&gt;
  248. Need to see them?&amp;nbsp; Here&#39;s the Pinterest Board- &lt;a href=&quot;http://pinterest.com/emealplanning/april-8-recipes/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;April 8 Recipes &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  249. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  250. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  251. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  252. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;Meals for the Week of April 8, 2013&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  253. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  254. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  255. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  256. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.annies-eats.com/2012/07/09/grilled-salmon-salad-with-fresh-strawberries/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Grilled Salmon Salad with Fresh Strawberries&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This main dish salad is perfect for Spring.&amp;nbsp; It’s light but with a good source of protein.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  257. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  258. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.thelovelycupboard.com/2011/12/recipe-link-party-pork-sliders.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Asian Pulled Pork Sliders&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- You may already make pulled pork using your crock pot, this recipe is change in the flavors and although in this blog post she made them for a party (which would be great!) it’s an easy weeknight dinner for you and plenty of leftovers for lunches or another dinner.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  259. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  260. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/09/chili-taco-casserole.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chili Taco Casserole&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is my recipe that I adapted to make it a little healthier and made from scratch.&amp;nbsp; The original recipe used canned chili, but if you already make your own chili, then you can either make it using leftover chili or just follow the recipe because it is still very easy.&amp;nbsp; This is a good meal to make in advance and re-heat or double it so you can have it again another night.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  261. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  262. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.cookingclassy.com/2012/01/shredded-beef-tacos/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Shredded Beef Tacos&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Another crock pot meal for you that will most likely provide two dinners.&amp;nbsp; Simple shredded beef that you can use for tacos, which I love instead of ground beef now and then.&amp;nbsp; But you could also make burritos, or make enchiladas, eat it over a salad, there are lots of options.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  263. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  264. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/10/easy-marinara-sauce.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Easy Marinara Sauce&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is my recipe for marinara sauce.&amp;nbsp; I’ve started make a large batch (this recipe is easy to double) at the start of the month and then having spaghetti twice and plus using some sauce for something else like a lasagna or &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;C&lt;/span&gt;hicken &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;Parmesan&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  265. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  266. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.marthastewart.com/872905/honey-chipotle-turkey-meatballs&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Honey Chipotle Turkey Meatballs&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is a very simple recipe, you could make the meatballs in advance and freeze them, then use them either with the honey chipotle sauce or some other sauce you might want.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  267. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  268. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  269. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  270. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://octobersmorning.blogspot.com/2012/10/freezer-meal-exchange.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Cilantro Lime Chicken&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;-&amp;nbsp; This is a crock pot meal that you can prep the entire thing in advance in a bag and then just put it in the crock pot in the morning.&amp;nbsp; Then you can serve it with tortillas or over rice for a burrito bowl.&amp;nbsp; Easy!&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  271. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  272. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.pbs.org/parents/kitchenexplorers/2012/08/30/orange-chicken-vegetable-stir-fry/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Orange Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- No need for take out!&amp;nbsp; This is delicious and I really like the suggestion that you cook some of the vegetables in advance by steaming or boiling them making them crisp tender for the stir fry.&amp;nbsp; She also has suggestions for making it sweeter or spicier if you like it that way.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  273. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  274. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/cheeseburger-macaroni.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Cheeseburger Macaroni&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is like one of those boxed meal helpers, except from scratch and it’s not processed.&amp;nbsp; It’s uses taco seasoning, but you could also make it with just seasoning the meat with garlic and onions and using plain diced tomatoes if you don’t want the taco flavo&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;r, or skip using a taco seasoning mix and just season with chili powder, cumin&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;, garlic and onion.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  275. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  276. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  277. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  278. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://pinnedbydani.com/2012/04/02/lime-and-coconut-chicken/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.blogger.com/null&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Lime and Coconut Chicken&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- This is a lime and coconut milk curry that is very easy to make and very tasty.&amp;nbsp; The longer you can marinate it, the better.&amp;nbsp; And then you take the marinade and boil it to be a sauce you pour over the chicken.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; I suggest grilling the chicken if you can.&amp;nbsp; I then chop it up and put over rice, then pour over the sauce.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  279. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  280. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/03/cheeseburger-casserole.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Cheeseburger Casserole&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- A very kid-friendly meal that could be made ahead if you want to.&amp;nbsp; This is a light version that’s 261 calories in a 1 cup serving.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  281. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  282. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  283. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  284. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/01/broccoli-and-cheese-twice-baked-potatoes.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Broccoli and Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- This can certainly be a meatless meal or a side dish with some grilled chicken.&amp;nbsp; It’s a lower calorie recipe and a great meal with some good vitamins and minerals.&amp;nbsp; And you actually mix cooked cauliflower into the potato mixture that you then put back into the baked potatoes.&amp;nbsp; So it’s more veggies than just the broccoli on top! &lt;/span&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  285. &lt;br /&gt;</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2013/04/meals-for-week-of-april-8-2013.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLDbTt4cQ6-1l5LiqcWDi41rvJKEsoyvOnQJvuiNPyhGN99Dfhj9jBFOsccNsObYN0CojKScyrJQv5qRyowxOu_WrMSIH7JisepxCEIDCXHf4qU4dABWpIbrQZBOoCTy1B0GCycelnIwQ/s72-c/april+8+blog+post+photo.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-35605962018156558</guid><pubDate>Thu, 29 Nov 2012 19:25:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-11-29T11:25:07.452-08:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">holiday baking</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">holidays</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">homemade gift ideas</category><title>Holiday Ideas</title><description>&lt;br /&gt;
  286. &lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  287. &lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ui8BJS9x_Ua-yfwwUH3EAnYyVp2zsp_J0Vqw1tYdMzHYCGkc7keyjZLNbW86sQRFz7yOm_eagyDvptSrK6MnpyJ2EnUyo2ZFF9VXtXiNRZqmh2uiZNBwzqLaQPshxnqHUL8Kytkd_n6K/s1600/holiday+collage.jpg&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ui8BJS9x_Ua-yfwwUH3EAnYyVp2zsp_J0Vqw1tYdMzHYCGkc7keyjZLNbW86sQRFz7yOm_eagyDvptSrK6MnpyJ2EnUyo2ZFF9VXtXiNRZqmh2uiZNBwzqLaQPshxnqHUL8Kytkd_n6K/s320/holiday+collage.jpg&quot; width=&quot;320&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  288. It&#39;s nearly December and gift-giving as well as holiday cooking is on my mind.&amp;nbsp; I updated a post I wrote a couple years ago with homemade holiday gifts from the kitchen.&amp;nbsp; I added a few new items to the list.&lt;br /&gt;
  289. I also have a &lt;a href=&quot;http://pinterest.com/emealplanning/holiday-foods-and-treats/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pinterest Board &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;with some additional ideas.&lt;br /&gt;
  290. &lt;br /&gt;
  291. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #38761d;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2010/12/homemade-holiday-gift-ideas.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Holiday Homemade Gift Ideas&lt;/b&gt; &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  292. &lt;br /&gt;
  293. And don&#39;t forget- if you are local to me, I am available to do baking for you.&lt;br /&gt;
  294. &lt;a href=&quot;http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2010/12/holiday-pies-and-cheesecakes.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Holiday Pies and Cheesecakes&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  295. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #cc0000;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  296. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #cc0000;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Have a wonderful holiday season!&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  297. &lt;br /&gt;</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/11/holiday-ideas.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ui8BJS9x_Ua-yfwwUH3EAnYyVp2zsp_J0Vqw1tYdMzHYCGkc7keyjZLNbW86sQRFz7yOm_eagyDvptSrK6MnpyJ2EnUyo2ZFF9VXtXiNRZqmh2uiZNBwzqLaQPshxnqHUL8Kytkd_n6K/s72-c/holiday+collage.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-2590659155195914897</guid><pubDate>Fri, 09 Nov 2012 03:55:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2014-01-02T22:56:16.080-08:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">crock pot recipes</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">healthy eating</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">recipe suggestions</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Weekly meal plan</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Whole Foods Market</category><title>Fall Flavors</title><description>&lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  298. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-TwM9QQ6CbiWJvedtDo8juHQSlN_tfNWJS-N6m8jDH71JGMEwaDndpNuSYKJqje64kwj2JnGVmrbmprIN1ETrzCZoKTnDwV-QTlF2aVbRfqGpMu-3tABWgEDYeQ4B2BLJuaDL7UJ-NCD/s1600/IMG_2129.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-TwM9QQ6CbiWJvedtDo8juHQSlN_tfNWJS-N6m8jDH71JGMEwaDndpNuSYKJqje64kwj2JnGVmrbmprIN1ETrzCZoKTnDwV-QTlF2aVbRfqGpMu-3tABWgEDYeQ4B2BLJuaDL7UJ-NCD/s320/IMG_2129.JPG&quot; width=&quot;320&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  299. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;I love fall! &lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  300. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  301. &lt;br /&gt;
  302. I intend to post a collection of &lt;b&gt;Thanksgiving recipes&lt;/b&gt;, but before I do that, I had this post of recipes the reflect fall with the use of seasonal ingredients or just food that makes me thing of cooler days and nights.&amp;nbsp; I also intended to do some reading on nutrition related to some fall ingredients, but that didn&#39;t happen.&amp;nbsp; Sorry.&amp;nbsp; Just trust me, especially since I&#39;ve probably written or shared articles about leafy greens like kale and winter squash like butternut and pumpkin before.&amp;nbsp; They are nutrient dense and therefore good for you.&lt;br /&gt;
  303. I&#39;ve been busy doing a lot of work with &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mamabootcamp.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mama Bootcamp&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and it&#39;s been very rewarding.&amp;nbsp; I&#39;ve facilitated Make Ahead Meal Nights, which has been a lot of fun.&amp;nbsp; I also got to come along for the fun and appear on TV.&amp;nbsp; The clip of the segment can be found &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kcra.com/KCRA-3-Kitchen-Spaghetti-Squash-Lasagna/-/11798090/17145696/-/m3l5mi/-/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt; preserved for eternity.&amp;nbsp; We demonstrated making this great spaghetti squash lasagna, which is a fantastic low carb and low calorie meal.&amp;nbsp; It freezes well and makes quite a bit.&amp;nbsp; I also made my own &lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/10/easy-marinara-sauce.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Marinara Sauce&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; to use in the lasagna and have taught quite a few of the Mama Bootcampers to make too.&lt;br /&gt;
  304. OK, enough of that business, let&#39;s get to the &lt;b&gt;Flavors of Fall&lt;/b&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
  305. &lt;br /&gt;
  306. Here&#39;s the Pinterest Board- &lt;a href=&quot;http://pinterest.com/emealplanning/fall-flavors/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Fall Flavors &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  307. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.getnatured.com/2011/10/butternut-squash-or-pumpkin-chili.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  308. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.getnatured.com/2011/10/butternut-squash-or-pumpkin-chili.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Butternut Squash (or pumpkin) Chili&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Packed with veggies, this chili is perfect for a cool fall evening.&amp;nbsp; You can make this on the stove or use your slow cooker.&lt;br /&gt;
  309. &lt;br /&gt;
  310. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/467&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Turkey Pumpkin Chili&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- A really unique twist on chili, but pumpkin pairs well with chili spices to create a sweet and smoky chili.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  311. &lt;br /&gt;
  312. &lt;a href=&quot;http://relish.com/recipes/rigatoni-with-sausage-butternut-squash-and-kale/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Baked Rigatoni with Sausage, Butternut Squash and Kale&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Make it healthier by looking for a nitrite-free sausage, but this is a complete meal with vitamin rich squash and kale.&lt;br /&gt;
  313. &lt;br /&gt;
  314. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/butternut-squash-and-sage-lasagna&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagna&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- The combination of sage and butternut squash are so good!&amp;nbsp; Definitely use fresh or cooked store-bought noodles, don’t use the no-boil noodles.&amp;nbsp; Cut your prep time with using pre-cut squash.&lt;br /&gt;
  315. &lt;br /&gt;
  316. &lt;a href=&quot;http://alifeinpie.blogspot.com/2011/09/easy-as-chicken-pie.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chicken Pot Pie&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is a rich and delicious comfort food recipe.&amp;nbsp; Not low calorie.&amp;nbsp; But very yummy.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  317. &lt;br /&gt;
  318. &lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/10/turkey-meatball-and-tortelini-soup.html#&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Turkey Meatball and Tortellini Soup&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;-&amp;nbsp; I came up with this soup&amp;nbsp; just staring into my freezer.&amp;nbsp; I had ground turkey and a package of tortellini, some Trader Joe’s frozen green beans, a few other veggies and canned diced tomatoes.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; My family loved it because it was actually a soup that was filling as a meal all on its own.&amp;nbsp; And every time I’ve made it, it’s been a little different just based on what vegetables I have.&lt;br /&gt;
  319. &amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  320. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/10/crockpot-turkey-white-bean-pumpkin.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Crock Pot Turkey, White Bean and Pumpkin Chili&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Perfect for fall and so easy to make in the slow cooker.&amp;nbsp; It’s made with green chilies which goes so well with the pumpkin and turkey. This version has a different set of flavors than the other chili above.&lt;br /&gt;
  321. &lt;br /&gt;
  322. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2333&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchilada&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- Regular readers to this blog have seen me list this recipe more than once before.&amp;nbsp; Sweet potatoes and yams are plentiful and this recipe is such a great combination of flavors.&amp;nbsp; And the green sauce recipe included with this recipe really is easy to make.&amp;nbsp; But you can easily use a canned green sauce too.&lt;br /&gt;
  323. &amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  324. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/broccoli-crunch-recipe.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Broccoli Crunch&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Instead of a mayonnaise based dressing for the usual broccoli salad this one uses almond butter and the addition of apples and candied nuts make it the perfect fall weather salad.&lt;br /&gt;
  325. &lt;br /&gt;
  326. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2349&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Butternut Squash and Macaroni Casserole&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- Delicious meatless fall casserole that uses coconut milk instead of any heavy cream or cheese.&lt;br /&gt;
  327. &lt;br /&gt;
  328. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.ca/2010/10/quinoa-salad-with-pears-and-baby.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Quinoa Salad with Pears, Baby Spinach and Chick Peas with Maple Vinaigrette&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- A protein rich salad for the fall.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  329. &lt;br /&gt;
  330. &lt;a href=&quot;http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-apple-streusel-muffins/detail.aspx&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffin&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- The flavors of fall in a muffin.&amp;nbsp; YUM.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  331. &lt;br /&gt;
  332. &lt;a href=&quot;http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-bread/detail.aspx&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pumpkin Bread&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is the recipe I have used for years.&amp;nbsp; It’s very cake-like, but it’s a simple, moist pumpkin bread.&amp;nbsp; It makes A LOT.&amp;nbsp; I have the Pampered Chef stoneware loaf pan which is pretty big and then the rest of the batter goes into muffins.&amp;nbsp; You can split the sugar to be half white sugar, half brown sugar.&amp;nbsp; You can also reduce the oil to use applesauce if you want.&amp;nbsp; It’s also very easy to make for gifts using mini foil loaf pans.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  333. &lt;br /&gt;
  334. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2012/02/crock-pot-apple-butter/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Crock Pot Apple Butter&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- I made this when I got a big box of Fuji apples.&amp;nbsp; It&#39;s delicious and so much easier than making it on the stove.&lt;br /&gt;
  335. &amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  336. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.getnatured.com/2010/09/kid-tested-pumpkin-muffins_10.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Kid Tested Pumpkin Muffins&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- These are vegan and healthy for you, but taste great!&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; They are packed with protein as well as iron.&amp;nbsp; Give them a try.&amp;nbsp; Easy to make on the weekend and then eat them all week for a quick but healthy breakfast.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  337. &lt;br /&gt;
  338. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.food.com/recipe/light-and-fluffy-pumpkin-pancakes-187362&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pumpkin Pancakes&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This recipe is perfect for if you purchased the large can of pumpkin and didn’t use it all as it only requires 6 tablespoons of pumpkin.&amp;nbsp; Or, just purchase a smaller 15oz can and then keep the extra in the fridge or freezer to make more another day.&amp;nbsp; Keep in mind with the pumpkin that if frozen or refrigerated a lot of moisture comes out and that’s ok, you should just squeeze the water out of it.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  339. &lt;br /&gt;
  340. &lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/10/pumpkin-frozen-yogurt.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- If&amp;nbsp; you have an ice cream maker, this is so easy, just a couple of ingredients and low calorie; made with fat free Greek yogurt!&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  341. &lt;br /&gt;
  342. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.pbs.org/parents/kitchenexplorers/2012/11/08/pumpkin-pie-wontons/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pumpkin Pie Wontons&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Fun to make with kids, except for the frying part, you do that part, but let them assemble them.&amp;nbsp; </description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/11/fall-flavors.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-TwM9QQ6CbiWJvedtDo8juHQSlN_tfNWJS-N6m8jDH71JGMEwaDndpNuSYKJqje64kwj2JnGVmrbmprIN1ETrzCZoKTnDwV-QTlF2aVbRfqGpMu-3tABWgEDYeQ4B2BLJuaDL7UJ-NCD/s72-c/IMG_2129.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-1410564816183184869</guid><pubDate>Thu, 18 Oct 2012 16:03:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-10-18T09:03:38.070-07:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">healthy eating</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">nutrition</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">recipe suggestions</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">vegetarian</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Weekly meal plan</category><title>Vegetarian Meals</title><description>So I&#39;ve been on a theme-posting kick lately.&amp;nbsp; This week I wanted to bring you two articles I have on cooking vegetarian/vegan and why you might consider eating vegetarian or vegan.&amp;nbsp; I also wanted to provide a list of meatless meals so if you are vegetarian and looking for some recipes or looking to reduce your consumption of meat/animal products and want some ideas, this list of recipes and links to resources is for you.&amp;nbsp; October 1st was World Vegetarian Day, which also kicks off Vegetarian Awareness Month, I&#39;m glad I thought to do this post in October.&amp;nbsp; :)&lt;br /&gt;
  343. &lt;br /&gt;
  344. &lt;a href=&quot;http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/10/why-vegetarian.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Why Vegetarian?&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  345. &lt;a href=&quot;http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/10/basics-of-vegetarian-cooking.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Basics of Vegetarian Cooking&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  346. &lt;br /&gt;
  347. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.getnatured.com/2010/03/best-banana-muffins-in-history-of-all.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Banana Muffins&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- A vegan muffin that is moist and delicious.&amp;nbsp; Sometimes when I make these I use brown sugar instead of regular white sugar.&lt;br /&gt;
  348. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.food.com/recipe/tortellini-tomato-spinach-soup-35988&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Tortellini, Tomato and Spinach Soup&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- A hearty meatless soup that you can pack with nutrient rich veggies.&amp;nbsp; Try using whole wheat pasta that has more protein as well as other green veggies like broccoli and kale.&lt;br /&gt;
  349. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=2333&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; -&lt;b&gt; &lt;/b&gt;This is a great recipe, you can make your own green sauce as written in the recipe or look for a green sauce made without chicken broth and added preservatives.&amp;nbsp; I also suggest doubling this recipe as it only makes 8 as written.&lt;br /&gt;
  350. &lt;br /&gt;
  351. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.getnatured.com/2011/06/june-uary-crockpot-polenta-lasagna.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Vegan Crockpot Lasagna&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- A rich and hearty lasagna you can easily have on a busy weeknight because you made it in the crockpot.&lt;br /&gt;
  352. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.food.com/recipe/healthy-bean-soup-with-kale-55796&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Healthy Bean Soup with Kale&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Good fiber, good green kale and protein in this hearty soup.&lt;br /&gt;
  353. &lt;br /&gt;
  354. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/ten-minute-tasty-asparagus-and-brown-rice-recipe.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;10 Minute Tasty Asparagus and Brown Rice&lt;/a&gt;-&lt;/b&gt; This is an excellent side dish, but it can also be a filling main dish served with a salad or a saute of veggies.&lt;br /&gt;
  355. &lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/brown-rice-salad-with-spinach-and-tomatoes&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Brown Rice Salad with Spinach and Tomatoes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;-&lt;b&gt; &lt;/b&gt;Another great side dish, but also a good option if you need some meatless options for a dinner or potluck.&lt;br /&gt;
  356. &lt;br /&gt;
  357. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=2553&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Three Bean Salad with Quinoa&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;-A great dish packed with protein and fiber.&lt;br /&gt;
  358. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/ravioli_vegetable_soup.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Ravioli and Vegetable Soup&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;-&lt;b&gt; &lt;/b&gt;A good hearty soup.&amp;nbsp; Try to use a whole wheat pasta to add more protein.&lt;br /&gt;
  359. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/summer_squash_white_bean_saut.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Summer Squash and White Bean Sauté&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This summer dish can be tossed w/ pasta or served over rice or quinoa.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  360. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.getnatured.com/2011/09/bulgar-taco-salad-with-cilantro-lime.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Bulgar Taco Salad with Cilantro and Lime&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Bulgar makes this a hearty meatless salad that is a great complete meal with good sources of protein plus fiber and iron.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  361. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/veggie_tacos/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Veggie Tacos&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This recipe is so adaptable.&amp;nbsp; Use whatever fresh vegetables you like then just follow the instructions for seasoning and preparing the tortillas.&lt;br /&gt;
  362. &lt;br /&gt;
  363. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.marthastewart.com/313662/roasted-fall-vegetable-and-ricotta-pizza&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Roasted Fall Vegetable and Ricotta Pizza&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- A hearty meatless pizza with great roasted vegetables like butternut squash, potatoes, carrots and plenty of garlic.&lt;br /&gt;
  364. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2349&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Butternut Squash and Macaroni Casserole&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Delicious meatless fall casserole that uses coconut milk instead of any heavy cream or cheese.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
  365. &lt;br /&gt;
  366. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/butternut-squash-and-sage-lasagna&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagna&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- The combination of sage and butternut squash are so good!&amp;nbsp; Definitely use fresh or cooked store-bought noodles, don’t use the no-boil noodles&lt;b&gt; &lt;/b&gt;with this recipe.&amp;nbsp; Cut your prep time with using pre-cut squash.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  367. &lt;br /&gt;
  368. &lt;b&gt;A few websites with good vegetarian recipes&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  369. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.101cookbooks.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;101 Cookbooks&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  370. &lt;a href=&quot;http://ohsheglows.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Oh She Glows&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  371. &lt;a href=&quot;http://fatfreevegan.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Fat Free Vegan&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  372. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Skinny Taste&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/10/vegetarian-meals.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-2163543943147685478</guid><pubDate>Thu, 18 Oct 2012 04:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-10-17T21:00:07.240-07:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">articles</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">healthy eating</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">nutrition</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">vegetarian</category><title>Why Vegetarian?</title><description>&lt;i&gt;&amp;nbsp;Another article from my friend Allison that provides some information and resources about eating vegetarian and/or vegan.&amp;nbsp; Even if you are just interested in reducing the amount of meat or animal products that you consume, she provides some very interesting statistics.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  373. &lt;br /&gt;
  374. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&amp;nbsp;Why Vegetarian&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  375. &lt;i&gt;&amp;nbsp;By Allison Brewer, &lt;/i&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://getnatured.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;www.getnatured.com&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  376. &lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  377. There are probably as many reasons that people choose to be vegetarian as there are recipes for vegan mac and cheese. Whatever your reason for making the switch, you will reduce your carbon footprint, lower your cholesterol, increase your life expectancy, and stop participating in the business of factory farming of animals and animal products.&lt;br /&gt;
  378. Whether you have chosen to transition to a plant-based diet or simply wish to reduce your intake of animal products, your choice to do so is a personal one. Regardless of others’ opinions, only you know what works for you, your family and your values.&lt;br /&gt;
  379. Here are a few reasons why others have made this choice.&lt;br /&gt;
  380. &lt;br /&gt;
  381. &lt;b&gt;For Health&lt;br /&gt;
  382. &lt;/b&gt;Switching to a vegetarian diet will lower your cholesterol and blood pressure and reduce your risk for type-2 diabetes and cancer. The top two causes of death for Americans are heart disease and cancer. Following a vegetarian diet will help to protect your body from both. Vegetarians are less likely to be obese than the general population. Vegans also eliminate their exposure to the antibiotics and hormones used in farm animals.&lt;br /&gt;
  383. &lt;br /&gt;
  384. &lt;b&gt;For the Animals&lt;br /&gt;
  385. &lt;/b&gt;Farms aren’t what they used to be. The idyllic barnyard scenes in children’s books couldn’t be further from reality. Do you know how a cow on a farm became the burger that you ate for lunch or how the eggs in your refrigerator got to your grocery store? By purchasing those products, you are likely participating, as a consumer, in the business of factory farming. Factory farming processes are extremely cruel to animals (and, in some cases, farm employees).&lt;br /&gt;
  386. For more information on the issue of animal cruelty in farming, watch this video (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.goveg.com/factoryFarming.asp&quot;&gt;http://www.goveg.com/factoryFarming.asp&lt;/a&gt;).&amp;nbsp; (WARNING: use discretion when viewing this website and video as they include graphic images).&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
  387. &lt;br /&gt;
  388. &lt;b&gt;For the Environment&lt;br /&gt;
  389. &lt;/b&gt;Going vegetarian is the single most effective thing that you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. In fact, moving to a vegetarian diet will reduce your impact by about 1 ton (2 tons for a vegan diet). Here are some other facts to consider:&lt;br /&gt;
  390. &lt;ul&gt;
  391. &lt;li&gt;According to the Environmental Defense Fund, if every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and substituted vegetarian foods instead, the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than a half-million cars off U.S. road.&lt;/li&gt;
  392. &lt;li&gt;A 2006 United Nations report found that the meat industry produces more greenhouse gasses than all the SUVs, cars, trucks, planes, and ships in the world combined.&lt;/li&gt;
  393. &lt;li&gt;The production of one pound of meat releases the same amount of greenhouse gasses as driving an SUV 40 miles.&lt;/li&gt;
  394. &lt;li&gt;Going vegan is 50% more effective at reducing greenhouse gas emissions than driving a hybrid car.&lt;/li&gt;
  395. &lt;li&gt;Factory farms contribute to pollution, soil erosion, and wasted resources such as water and fossil fuels.&lt;/li&gt;
  396. &lt;/ul&gt;
  397. In addition to eliminating the animal products from your diet, it is important to consider the impact of the non-animal foods as well. The average food product travels about 1500 miles to get to your grocery store and the transporting of food accounts for 30,800 tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year (source &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.foodincmovie.com/about-the-issues.php&quot;&gt;http://www.foodincmovie.com/about-the-issues.php&lt;/a&gt;). What should an environmentally conscious vegetarian do about this? Shop for local fruits and veggies at farmers’ markets (&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.localharvest.org/&quot;&gt;http://www.localharvest.org/&lt;/a&gt;) when you can and consider joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), if available, in your area.&lt;br /&gt;
  398. &lt;br /&gt;
  399. &lt;b&gt;Resources&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  400. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.thechinastudy.com/about.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The China Study&lt;/a&gt; - A book containing research results demonstrating the link between consumption of animal proteins and cancer and heart disease.&lt;br /&gt;
  401. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.foodincmovie.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Food Inc.&lt;/a&gt;- A movie about the business of food in the US.&lt;br /&gt;
  402. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.goveg.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;GoVeg&lt;/a&gt;- PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) website for new vegetarians/vegans.&lt;br /&gt;
  403. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.localharvest.org/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Local Harvest &lt;/a&gt;- Locate farmers’ markets near your home.&lt;br /&gt;
  404. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wcrf-uk.org/preventing_cancer/recommendations.php&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;World Cancer Research Fund&lt;/a&gt;- Recommendations for preventing cancer.&lt;br /&gt;
  405. </description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/10/why-vegetarian.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-4203133662034910996</guid><pubDate>Thu, 18 Oct 2012 03:40:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-10-18T08:48:54.085-07:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">articles</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">healthy eating</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">nutrition</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">vegetarian</category><title>Basics of Vegetarian Cooking</title><description>&lt;i&gt;Before I was writing in this blog on a semi-regular basis, I had a email newsletter people subscribed too.&amp;nbsp; I realized that some of the articles I had in the newsletter have not be added to the blog.&amp;nbsp; I have two about eating vegetarian and vegan and wanted to be sure and post them here as it&#39;s long overdue.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  406. &lt;br /&gt;
  407. &lt;b&gt;Basics of Vegetarian Cooking&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  408. By Allison Brewer, read&amp;nbsp;more from Allison at &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.getnatured.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Get Natured&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
  409. &lt;br /&gt;
  410. Imagine this scenario:&amp;nbsp; your college roommate is in town and you haven’t seen her for years.&amp;nbsp; You have invited her and her family to dinner at your house and, after agreeing to come, she shares with you that she and her family are vegetarian*.&lt;br /&gt;
  411. What do you do?&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  412. &lt;br /&gt;
  413. First, don’t panic!&amp;nbsp; While you may not be able to serve your signature crowd-pleasing spaghetti Bolognese, there are a variety of delicious and easy-to-make vegetarian options.&lt;br /&gt;
  414. So, where do you start?&lt;br /&gt;
  415. You might begin by browsing recipes online or consider modifying one of your favorite dishes.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  416. &lt;br /&gt;
  417. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #33cc33;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Modifying or “vegan-izing” meat-based dishes &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  418. &lt;br /&gt;
  419. &lt;b&gt;Modifying a meat-based meal to be vegetarian&lt;/b&gt; doesn’t always mean simply removing the meat from the dish.&amp;nbsp; In the case of the Bolognese sauce, that might work (using marinara instead) but you may also choose to add a meat substitute in place of the meat.&amp;nbsp; For vegans**, there are non-dairy “cheeses” available (make sure that what you use doesn’t contain casein- a common milk-based ingredient found in many non-dairy cheeses).&amp;nbsp; Here are a few vegetarian versions of common meals:&lt;br /&gt;
  420. &lt;ul&gt;
  421. &lt;li&gt;Vegetable pizza (use vegan or no cheese for vegans):&amp;nbsp; Try bell peppers, onions and mushrooms for toppings or get fancy with roasted fennel and caramelized shallots.&amp;nbsp; You may consider adding vegetarian sausage, pepperoni, or soy crumbles to make the pizza heartier.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;
  422. &lt;li&gt;Pasta primavera:&amp;nbsp; Toss your favorite al dente pasta with sautéed broccoli, garlic, onions, spinach, and sundried tomatoes.&amp;nbsp; Use marinara or alfredo (use a non-dairy version for vegans) sauce or toss the pasta with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.&amp;nbsp; You may add vegetarian “meatballs” or crumbles (ala ground beef) if you wish.&lt;/li&gt;
  423. &lt;li&gt;Enchiladas (use vegan or no cheese for vegans):&amp;nbsp; Vegetarian enchiladas can be made using your favorite traditional recipe as long as the sauce is vegetarian (not made with chicken broth).&amp;nbsp; For filling, try spinach, zucchini, corn, and onions.&amp;nbsp; You may add beans for extra protein, iron, and fiber.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;
  424. &lt;li&gt;Macaroni and cheese:&amp;nbsp; Homemade macaroni and cheese is delicious and, usually, vegetarian.&amp;nbsp; For vegans, there are recipes available online that use sauces made with nutritional yeast or raw cashews.&amp;nbsp; The vegan versions don’t taste exactly like traditional macaroni and cheese, but they are delicious in their own way.&lt;/li&gt;
  425. &lt;/ul&gt;
  426. *Vegetarians do not eat meat but do include dairy products and eggs in their diet (lacto-ovo vegetarians).&amp;nbsp; Some people who only eat seafood and fish, but no other meat, may refer to themselves as pescetarians or pesco-vegetarians.&lt;br /&gt;
  427. **Vegans (or strict vegetarians) do not consume any animal products (meat, dairy products, eggs, or honey).&lt;br /&gt;
  428. &lt;br /&gt;
  429. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #33cc33;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Substitutes for common ingredients &lt;br /&gt;
  430. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  431. &lt;b&gt;Meat:&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  432. A variety of soy-based meat substitutes are available to replace sliced lunch meats, sausage, ground meat, hot dogs, burgers, and more.&amp;nbsp; An alternative to soy is seitan (or “wheat meat”) made from high gluten flour.&amp;nbsp; Both the soy products and seitan contain a considerable amount of protein and they make for good substitutes for those who desire the heartiness and/or texture of meat in their meals.&amp;nbsp; Other protein sources, such as legumes or nuts, may be used in place of these meat-like substitutes as well.&lt;br /&gt;
  433. &lt;br /&gt;
  434. &lt;b&gt;Cheese:&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  435. &lt;/b&gt;There are many non-dairy cheeses available that are made from soy, rice, or nut milks.&amp;nbsp; They can be purchased in blocks, as slices, or pre-grated and come in a variety of flavors to simulate the flavor of dairy-based cheeses.&lt;br /&gt;
  436. &lt;br /&gt;
  437. &lt;b&gt;Milk:&lt;br /&gt;
  438. &lt;/b&gt;Beyond soymilk, you can find milks made from rice, almonds, oats, hazelnuts, hemp seeds, and more.&amp;nbsp; Many of these milks come in flavored versions such as chocolate, vanilla, or even “nog” during the winter holidays.&amp;nbsp; Soy creamer is also available for adding to coffee or tea or for replacing cream in recipes.&amp;nbsp; Unsweetened versions are available for some of these milks.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Soymilk is the highest in protein, followed by hemp milk.&amp;nbsp; Look for milk that is fortified (i.e. calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 have been added).&lt;br /&gt;
  439. &lt;br /&gt;
  440. &lt;b&gt;Other dairy products:&lt;br /&gt;
  441. &lt;/b&gt;Creamy sauces can be made using nutritional yeast, silken tofu, or raw cashews.&amp;nbsp; Raw cashews are a terrific way to create a cream-like texture- they can even be used to make vegan “ice cream”.&amp;nbsp; Tofu can be used in place of ricotta cheese.&amp;nbsp; Vegan yogurt and ice cream (usually made from soy, rice, or coconut milk) are delicious alternatives to the dairy versions.&lt;br /&gt;
  442. &lt;br /&gt;
  443. &lt;b&gt;Eggs:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  444. Firm tofu can be used to make a tasty scramble.&amp;nbsp; For recipes where egg is not center-stage (e.g. for baked goods) there are a few different options including using silken tofu, flax seeds, or non-dairy yogurt.&amp;nbsp; See the resources section below (under “Other resources”) for a link to instructions for using these substitutes.&lt;br /&gt;
  445. &lt;br /&gt;
  446. &lt;b&gt;Honey:&lt;br /&gt;
  447. &lt;/b&gt;Agave nectar is a great alternative to honey.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  448. &lt;br /&gt;
  449. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #33cc33;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Resources&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  450. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #000099;&quot;&gt;Cookbooks:&lt;br /&gt;
  451. &lt;/span&gt;•&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Cooking-Everyone-Deborah-Madison/dp/0767927478/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;s=books&amp;amp;qid=1246397655&amp;amp;sr=8-1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone by Deborah Madison&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  452. •&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Vengeance-Delicious-Animal-Free-Recipes/dp/1569243581/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_4&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Vegan With a Vengeance and any other books by Isa Chandra Moskowitz&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  453. •&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Planet-Irresistible-Recipes-Fantastic/dp/1558322116/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;s=books&amp;amp;qid=1246397800&amp;amp;sr=1-1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Vegan Planet and other books by Robin Robertson&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  454. •&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.com/Joy-Vegan-Baking-Compassionate-Traditional/dp/1592332803/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;s=books&amp;amp;qid=1246397839&amp;amp;sr=1-1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;The Joy of Vegan Baking and other books by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  455. •&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Drink-Be-Vegan-Celebrations/dp/1551522241/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;s=books&amp;amp;qid=1246397891&amp;amp;sr=1-1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan and other books by Dreena Burton&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  456. •&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.com/Super-Natural-Cooking-Delicious-Incorporate/dp/1587612755/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;s=books&amp;amp;qid=1246398288&amp;amp;sr=8-1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  457. •&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Lunch-Box-Animal-Free-Grown-Ups/dp/1600940722/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;s=books&amp;amp;qid=1246398988&amp;amp;sr=8-1&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Vegan Lunch Box by Jennifer McCann&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  458. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #000099;&quot;&gt;Magazines:&lt;br /&gt;
  459. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.vegetariantimes.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Vegetarian Times&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  460. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.vegnews.com/web/home.do&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;VegNews&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  461. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #000099;&quot;&gt;Recipe websites:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  462. &lt;a href=&quot;http://vegweb.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;VegWeb&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  463. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.101cookbooks.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;101 Cookbooks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  464. &lt;a href=&quot;http://fatfreevegan.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Fat Free Vegan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  465. &lt;a href=&quot;http://veganyumyum.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Vegan Yum Yum&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  466. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #000099;&quot;&gt;A few recipes to start with:&lt;br /&gt;
  467. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=110&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Tofu scramble&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  468. &lt;a href=&quot;http://veganyumyum.com/2008/03/gnocchi-with-thyme-vinaigrette-and-lemon-cashew-cream/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Gnocchi with Thyme Vinaigrette and Lemon Cashew Cream&lt;/a&gt; (vegan)&lt;br /&gt;
  469. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.vegnews.com/web/articles/page.do?pageId=40&amp;amp;catId=10&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Mac ‘n’ Cheese&lt;/a&gt; (vegan)&lt;br /&gt;
  470. &lt;a href=&quot;http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=5980.0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Enchiladas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  471. &lt;span style=&quot;color: #000099;&quot;&gt;Other resources:&lt;br /&gt;
  472. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.theppk.com/veganbaking.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Egg substitutes for vegan baking&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  473. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.foodrevolution.org/what_about_soy.htm&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;What about soy?&amp;nbsp; Is it safe?&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;or &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2003issue3/vj2003issue3hotline.htm&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;What’s going on with soy?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  474. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Where do you get your protein?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  475. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.vrg.org/family/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Raising a vegetarian or vegan family&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  476. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Vegetarian nutrition&lt;/a&gt;</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/10/basics-of-vegetarian-cooking.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-4642787860209056913</guid><pubDate>Sat, 29 Sep 2012 03:33:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-09-28T20:34:23.801-07:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">budget cooking</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">healthy eating</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">organic produce</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Weekly meal plan</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Whole Foods Market</category><title>Budget Cooking and a Tour of Whole Foods Market</title><description>&lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  477. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FYaBSunoZ8yXKzDZwGB9Y1pK1z1ub4qIEupLcS72KvWzp2_uIpT7sP8P0dOcKteruRHbivZIOXZ3MsCajkY4Cj_yDcSr9HyBM4_Ahdw2yaD-IKMuYRonZEAhth2GOYxM-c062L1I0uM8/s1600/IMG_1694.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;239&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FYaBSunoZ8yXKzDZwGB9Y1pK1z1ub4qIEupLcS72KvWzp2_uIpT7sP8P0dOcKteruRHbivZIOXZ3MsCajkY4Cj_yDcSr9HyBM4_Ahdw2yaD-IKMuYRonZEAhth2GOYxM-c062L1I0uM8/s320/IMG_1694.JPG&quot; width=&quot;320&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  478. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Awesome insulated bag I received at the tour full of great information!&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  479. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  480. The title of this post may be confusing to some.&amp;nbsp; How can &lt;b&gt;budget cooking&lt;/b&gt; and &lt;b&gt;Whole (aka Whole Paycheck) Foods Market&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp; be together?&amp;nbsp; Well my friends, I recently learned some tips to make that possible.&lt;br /&gt;
  481. &lt;br /&gt;
  482. This post has been a long time in the making.&amp;nbsp; OK, technically what I have wanted to write/do has been bouncing around in my brain for weeks and the actual writing and doing has taken place over the last few days, but I wanted to write a post focused on &lt;b&gt;budget cooking&lt;/b&gt; for awhile so let’s pretend it’s been a long arduous process, K?&amp;nbsp; There are a lot of blogs out there devote to being frugal, using coupons and shopping for deals.&amp;nbsp; A LOT.&amp;nbsp; But it was perfect timing that a couple weeks ago my &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/roseville&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;local Whole Foods&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; posted on Facebook that they were offering a tour on how to value shop in their store.&amp;nbsp; I immediately responded and made a reservation to attend.&amp;nbsp; It was going to conflict with the soccer (such is how it goes in my life), but I was determined to go see what they had to say because in an effort to do my grocery shopping on a tighter budget, I had not been to &lt;b&gt;Whole Foods&lt;/b&gt; for any shopping in a couple of months.&amp;nbsp; I took notes on my phone notepad hoping the team members giving the tour didn’t think I was texting someone the entire time.&amp;nbsp; The notes really helped me to remember important tips so I can plan future shopping trips and I wanted to share with you my notes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  483. &lt;br /&gt;
  484. &lt;a name=&#39;more&#39;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;First stop, &lt;b&gt;The Bakery Department &lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  485. In the bakery department, my store happens to bake their breads, muffins, cakes and cookies in-house.&amp;nbsp; This is not the case in all stores, but mine has a fantastic bakery.&amp;nbsp; A little tip I learned was that they will slice baguettes/loaves at no charge.&amp;nbsp; Whole Food&#39;s private label, called 365, has organic breads on the shelf for $2.99, which for the quality of bread that it is, it’s a great price.&amp;nbsp; Can you get a cheaper loaf of bread in a supermarket or Costco?&amp;nbsp; Maybe so, but the value is found in comparing their bread to a “higher end” bread at a supermarket.&amp;nbsp; Right next to them are equivalent breads from different companies for $2 or $3 more. They also have a variety of things like cakes or pies sold by the slice or a half, which when you just need a little and don’t want to waste something, there is a savings there.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In their &lt;b&gt;Prepared Foods Department&lt;/b&gt; they feature their amazing salad bar; everything is sold at a flat $7.99 per pound price.&amp;nbsp; For myself, I know I can always make myself a great tasting and filling salad in the smallest container for under $5 for lunch.&amp;nbsp; At the deli counter they offer a punch card for frequent buyers.&amp;nbsp; I learned about a new smart phone app call &lt;a href=&quot;http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stampt-loyalty-cards/id447857032?mt=8&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Stampt&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, which offers a lot of punch cards for participating businesses, &lt;b&gt;Whole Foods&lt;/b&gt; being one, where your cards are digital in the app instead of stuffed in your wallet.&amp;nbsp; I love that!&amp;nbsp; They also offer $9.99 pizza night every Wednesday.&amp;nbsp; Their take and bake pizzas are $9.99 every day.&amp;nbsp; Something else they offer are complete meals for 4 such as meatloaf or roasted chicken with potatoes and roasted veggies for $19.99. You can maybe eat out with your family for cheaper than $19.99 but is it a high quality free-range chicken plus side dishes?&amp;nbsp; I think it’s more like McNuggets.&amp;nbsp; I would even bet you could place those meals in the freezer and pull it out when you have a busy night.&lt;br /&gt;The same dough they use for the cooked pizzas is available to purchase at $1.29, it comes in regular and whole wheat.&amp;nbsp; It makes a good sized, large pizza.&amp;nbsp; They offer several soups also sold by the pound and they are freezable.&amp;nbsp; That is something that may work for you to buy some to freeze for busy nights or to use for lunches.&amp;nbsp; Also in the &lt;b&gt;Prepared Foods Department&lt;/b&gt; is a section of value priced wines, all bottles are $3.99 or less.&amp;nbsp; This was a surprise to me as I had stood looking at the deli counter many times with my back to those wines and never bothered to look at them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Coupons&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Coupons can be used on top of a sale item and a manufacturer coupon can be used in combination with a Whole Foods coupon.&amp;nbsp; In the store, the end caps are sale or Everyday Deal items.&amp;nbsp; If an item is an Everyday Deal you cannot use a coupon with it as they have already priced it at the lowest possible price.&amp;nbsp; Interesting item to note- they have at least 1700 items all over the store on sale at any time. They do not give rain checks on sold out items.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Something else I learned is that you can special order items by the case.&amp;nbsp; Ordering by the case saves them the labor of putting it on the shelf, so that savings is passed along to you at 10% off.&amp;nbsp; But the nice thing is that many times a case is maybe 6 or 12, not something large like 24 or 48 like you may find in a warehouse store.&amp;nbsp; This is especially nice for perishable items with a short shelf life.&amp;nbsp; I intend to take advantage of that with yogurt.&amp;nbsp; In my house sometimes buying something like that in too large of quantity doesn’t turn into a money savings, but a loss with the wasted items that aren’t consumed in time.&amp;nbsp; For example, we like &lt;b&gt;Chobani&lt;/b&gt; brand yogurt, but no one will eat one every single day, we all seem to like variety.&amp;nbsp; They are $1.49 each on the shelf, but are available in a case of 12.&amp;nbsp; At 10% off, that’s basically getting one free or bringing the cost down to $1.34 each.&amp;nbsp; Now and then you can find that brand on sale at other supermarkets 10 for $10, but they are regularly not found for less than that.&amp;nbsp; Speaking of Chobani, here&#39;s a link for a &lt;a href=&quot;http://chobani.com/coupons&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;coupon&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
  486. &lt;br /&gt;In other dairy notes- another interesting fact I learned is that their own label, 365, the milks are supplied by &lt;a href=&quot;http://cloverstornetta.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Clover Stornetta Farms&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp; The store brand is considerably less than buying the actual Clover label.&amp;nbsp; They offer both an organic and non-organic milks, but if you like Clover brand milks, you can get them cheaper buying the 365 brand.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I often buy &lt;b&gt;dried herbs and spices in bulk&lt;/b&gt;, usually because it’s cheaper, but also because I can get the amount I want, especially if it’s something expensive that I need for one recipe.&amp;nbsp; Their bulk containers are not huge barrels, they are moving through their spices constantly so they are super fresh.&amp;nbsp; In the bulk coffee, you can save a little as the coffees packaged on the shelf are just under a pound, but buy a pound bulk of comparable house brand and you can save $2.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In their &lt;b&gt;Meat Department&lt;/b&gt;, they have a very easy to understand labeling system for how the animal was raised and that quality of the meat.&amp;nbsp; The team members in the department can trim, slice, cut, season or marinate at no extra charge.&amp;nbsp; This can save you the time and the money of buying additional ingredients to make the seasonings or the marinade. They also have value packages in the refrigerator case that are priced at a savings vs. purchasing at the meat counter.&lt;br /&gt;
  487. &lt;br /&gt;In the &lt;b&gt;Seafood Department&lt;/b&gt;, it’s the same thing; they can crack and clean, season, marinade, bread fish/shellfish at no extra charge.&amp;nbsp; The bottom line for the Meat and Seafood Departments is that what they sell there has to fit a certain standard.&amp;nbsp; It’s sustainable, raised humanely, transported, stored and packaged differently than what you find in many other grocery stores.&amp;nbsp; There is a higher cost for the quality, but the point in the tour was to point out where you can save a little money and to illustrate the value in purchasing products of that caliber.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In the &lt;b&gt;Cheese Department&lt;/b&gt;, don’t be afraid to ask for a smaller piece than what is packaged, they will unwrap and cut it smaller for you.&amp;nbsp; I find this very useful if you don’t know how others will like it or if you are creating a cheese platter and want a wide variety, but don’t want it to cost as much.&amp;nbsp; You can also taste anything and they will write down what you like and don’t like and keep it on file in the department for you. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Wines- 6 or more bottles is 10% off, unless it&#39;s an Everyday Value, then that is the lowest price.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;Produce&lt;/b&gt;:&amp;nbsp; They sell precut onion and garlic which can be very affordable- its only what you use, not what you throw out, so when you are buying something by weight and there’s a certain amount of it that will be wasted, you may find the pre-cut is a better value to you.&amp;nbsp; You can get 1/3 lb for about $2.50.&amp;nbsp; I never considered this before and most of the time just cooking at home, I have an onion, I cut up some, I wrap it up to use a little more later, it can last in the fridge for a few days.&amp;nbsp; Already cut will not last long, but place in an airtight container it can be frozen.&amp;nbsp; I cook with onions to add flavor to a dish like an herb, no one in my house eats onions because we don&#39;t like them as a food.&amp;nbsp; I think having chopped onion on hand in my freezer might work great for me.&lt;br /&gt;As far as other produce; local and in season is usually the best value.&amp;nbsp; It’s often what you’ll see on a special sale too.&amp;nbsp; At my local store they have a &lt;b&gt;Floral Department&lt;/b&gt; and I was excited to learn that they do custom work- no charge for labor, just the price of the flowers used. They also sell Whole Trade Roses one dozen is $19.99 and percentage of that retail price helps to pay for a child from where the roses came from to go to school.&amp;nbsp; The &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/mission-values/whole-trade-program&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Whole Trade program&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; is all about obtaining products with high standards but they are made/grown in places around the world where the people who do the work are paid fairly and have better working conditions.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now, some of the most interesting information I learned is not actually related to food, but to their &lt;b&gt;Whole Body department&lt;/b&gt;.&amp;nbsp; It’s a section that I’ve walked through, but never really shopped.&amp;nbsp; They have a bulk section made up of body washes, bath salts, soaps, lotions, shampoos, and conditioners.&amp;nbsp; You can buy an inexpensive (like $1.50) container and then fill it.&amp;nbsp; Then you just bring it back each time you need more.&amp;nbsp; Customer service can weigh the empty container and write that down so it can be removed from the weight after it’s filled.&amp;nbsp; (You can actually do that in the bulk food department too.) There is a big value in these products sold in bulk.&amp;nbsp; They offer &lt;b&gt;Alba brand lotion&lt;/b&gt; at .63 per ounce, compared to $1.25 per ounce of the same lotion sold in a 20oz container on the shelf.&amp;nbsp; And just like food, body products have to live up to the same standards so everything is free of harsh chemicals and uses natural ingredients.&amp;nbsp; The 365 brand is also available in that department, I picked up shampoo and conditioner for $3.99 each.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Couple other tid bits I learned:&amp;nbsp; My store, (and many others) have a &lt;b&gt;Conceriege&lt;/b&gt; will make gift baskets for you.&amp;nbsp; There is no cost for the service, just a cost for the basket and the items in the basket.&amp;nbsp; The &lt;b&gt;Conceriege&lt;/b&gt; also does personal shopping which costs 5% of bill, and it’s a $50 min.&amp;nbsp; I think the personal shopping is awesome if you are busy and can afford it, but would also make a great gift for someone if they are sick, just had a baby or just a unique gift for someone who has everything.&lt;br /&gt;
  488. &lt;br /&gt;
  489. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  490. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6NaKbAHmkkZYm-Ob53OC0hzMRqfGdfN-xni8iWOSQe14Y96Hah9iEK4KT6OFm-bzCZzGEBVjWmNuD7TVgVolQqjThGD0XiHYQ65w8QoEB0rNue_n6WxhdehOa45BGiPSyDMgUunTbjrY/s1600/WF+gift+basket.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC6NaKbAHmkkZYm-Ob53OC0hzMRqfGdfN-xni8iWOSQe14Y96Hah9iEK4KT6OFm-bzCZzGEBVjWmNuD7TVgVolQqjThGD0XiHYQ65w8QoEB0rNue_n6WxhdehOa45BGiPSyDMgUunTbjrY/s320/WF+gift+basket.JPG&quot; width=&quot;239&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  491. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Gift basket I had made for the 4 teacher&#39;s in my son&#39;s daycare classroom- $32&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  492. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  493. The bottom line for me with this tour was that I already liked shopping &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Whole Foods Market&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, but I didn’t devote that much of my monthly grocery shopping budget to shopping there.&amp;nbsp; There are items I liked to get there, I would sometimes go for certain things on sale or I’d get lunch in the prepared foods and pick up a few items.&amp;nbsp; What this tour did was give me a better understanding of their products and make me realize that it wasn’t about discount shopping there, but if you are making an effort to eat foods that are cleaner and closer to their natural state, minimally processed and prepared more naturally, there are some ways to save money.&amp;nbsp; In addition, sometimes saving your time is valuable to you and so the convenience of some of the prepared foods or the services available for prepping your meals is a great value.&amp;nbsp; I feel like I can probably increase my Whole Foods shopping budget by just a small amount but come away with more food or with items that will save me time and/or money in other ways. &lt;br /&gt;
  494. &lt;br /&gt;So…onto my list of recipes for this week.&amp;nbsp; Keeping budget cooking in mind, I tried to find recipes that were not filled with processed convenience items, but were still very inexpensive to make from scratch as well as quick and easy to make.&lt;br /&gt;
  495. &amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  496. &lt;br /&gt;
  497. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Meals for the Week of October 1, 2012&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  498. Here is the &lt;a href=&quot;http://pinterest.com/emealplanning/budget-cooking/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pinterest Board&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; for this post.&amp;nbsp; It includes a few pins for other budget cooking websites besides the recipes here.&lt;br /&gt;
  499. &lt;br /&gt;
  500. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/3323&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Mini Turkey Meatloaf and Maple Green Beans Sheet Pan Dinner&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- Whole Foods lists this at $3.03 per serving.&lt;br /&gt;
  501. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/08/cheap-and-easy-turkey-stir-fry.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Cheap and Easy Turkey Stir Fry&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is an old standby for me.&amp;nbsp; Awesome if you have fresh produce, but perfect when all you have is frozen green beans.&lt;br /&gt;
  502. &amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2675&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chicken Taco Pizza&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- A fun twist on regular pizza and there are not that many ingredients and the quantity of each is not a lot either, making it very inexpensive.&amp;nbsp; You can easily customize this and make it vegetarian if you wanted.&lt;br /&gt;
  503. &amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/08/spaghetti-with-sauteed-chicken-and.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Spaghetti with Sautéed Chicken&amp;nbsp; and Tomatoes&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Quick and easy and uses just a few ingredients.&amp;nbsp; Kid friendly too.&amp;nbsp; Make it even cheaper- no chicken and substitute a can of cannelini (aka white kidney) beans.&lt;br /&gt;
  504. &amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/09/chili-taco-casserole.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chili Taco Casserole&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Lean ground beef or even ground turkey and beans are very inexpensive.&amp;nbsp; This is freezable and it’s the kind of thing that can be made with pantry/freezer staples.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
  505. &lt;br /&gt;
  506. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2919&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Bison Chili&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- These ingredients can be found at Whole Foods for less than $20.&amp;nbsp; Ground bison is very similar to beef in flavor but leaner.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  507. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/3325&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sausage and Quinoa One-Pot Supper&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;-&amp;nbsp; This is listed at $3.73 per serving.&amp;nbsp; The meat in the sausage is raised with very strict standards and there is no nitrates, nitrites or preservatives.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; This is a super easy meal for a weeknight and as a one-pot meal it’s got everything you need in one dish.&lt;br /&gt;
  508. &amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-rice-casserole-10000002001932/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chicken and Rice Casserole&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is a low calorie and inexpensive dish that isn’t just chicken and rice, but includes zucchini and yellow squash.&amp;nbsp; It calls for long grain white rice, I suggest brown Jasmine rice, better for you, and if you don’t love brown rice, you may find you like Jasmine&amp;nbsp; as it has a bit of a sweeter taste.&amp;nbsp; Another great one-pan meal with everything you need in it.&lt;br /&gt;
  509. &amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/mushroom-sausage-rag-with-polenta-10000002012806/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mushroom and Sausage Ragu with Polenta&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- I love polenta and you can buy it in bulk for just pennies per serving.&amp;nbsp; If you have leftover polenta, you can transfer it to a dish and when it’s cold and firm, slice it up and pan fry with a little olive oil, then top with marinara sauce.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; This mushroom ragu is hearty and simple, with just a few ingredients, many which you may already have in your pantry.&lt;br /&gt;
  510. &amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fried-Rice-354350&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Fried Rice&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- The possibilities are endless!&amp;nbsp; Perfect for a Friday night; use up your leftovers from the past week.&lt;br /&gt;
  511. &amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/09/budget-beef-and-broccoli.html#&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Budget Beef and Broccoli&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Yet another one-pan dish that is also inexpensive and quick to make on a weeknight.&amp;nbsp; It uses lean ground beef instead of sliced steak.&lt;br /&gt;
  512. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2333&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know this is not the first time I have listed this recipe.&amp;nbsp; It’s a favorite of mine and it just happens to be inexpensive to make.&amp;nbsp; You can make the green chili sauce as directed in the recipe or find a good ready-made sauce.&amp;nbsp; Plus, eating one meatless meal per week can help reduce your food bill.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/09/budget-cooking-and-tour-of-whole-foods.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FYaBSunoZ8yXKzDZwGB9Y1pK1z1ub4qIEupLcS72KvWzp2_uIpT7sP8P0dOcKteruRHbivZIOXZ3MsCajkY4Cj_yDcSr9HyBM4_Ahdw2yaD-IKMuYRonZEAhth2GOYxM-c062L1I0uM8/s72-c/IMG_1694.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-1972814485206791634</guid><pubDate>Fri, 17 Aug 2012 16:59:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-08-19T11:27:15.312-07:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">freezer meals</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">once a month cooking</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">recipe suggestions</category><title>Meals for the Week of August 20, 2012</title><description>This week I have decided to devote this post entirely to getting ahead of the game with &lt;a href=&quot;http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/03/freezer-friendly-meals.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;freezer meals&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;b&gt;once a month cooking&lt;/b&gt;.&amp;nbsp; With school started for some or starting soon for others, let&#39;s turn over a new leaf and get organized shall we? (I don&#39;t know about you, but things really go off the rails during the summer in our house, so for me, I have to get back to doing what I know I should be doing, but don&#39;t always stick to it.)&lt;br /&gt;
  513. &lt;br /&gt;
  514. First I want to re-visit a previous post that I created with a list of &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/03/freezer-friendly-meals.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Freezer Meals&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;.&amp;nbsp; I have gone back and added more recipes to the list.&amp;nbsp; You could cook the whole list and have enough meals for half the month and maybe more depending on the size of your family and leftovers.&lt;br /&gt;
  515. &lt;br /&gt;
  516. Other foods you may want to make ahead to freeze-&lt;br /&gt;
  517. &lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/12/breakfast-burritos.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Breakfast Burritos&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Doesn&#39;t take a whole lot to make a dozen or so of these.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  518. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.getnatured.com/2010/03/best-banana-muffins-in-history-of-all.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Banana Muffins&lt;/a&gt;- &lt;/b&gt;Healthy and delicious, they freeze well.&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  519. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://joythebaker.com/2009/05/raspberry-and-jam-muffins/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Raspberry and Jam Muffins&lt;/a&gt;- &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/b&gt;These are super easy and actually can be anything you want, it&#39;s a basic muffin batter that you fold in any kind of jam you happen to have and a bit of frozen fruit.&lt;b&gt;&lt;b&gt; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  520. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.injennieskitchen.com/2009/05/buttermilk-pan.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Pancakes&lt;/a&gt;- &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/b&gt;Either make the mix you always use or this recipe I have linked (which I love), keep them separated with plastic wrap or waxed paper so they don&#39;t stick together in the freezer. You could do the same thing with&lt;b&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.injennieskitchen.com/2009/09/sunday-best-homemade-waffles.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;waffles&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
  521. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.simplebites.net/balanced-school-lunches-for-picky-eaters/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Smoothies&lt;/a&gt;- &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/b&gt;I make a big smoothie, then divide it between these great &lt;a href=&quot;http://astore.amazon.com/emealplanning-20/detail/B000SN0WH0&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;freezer jars&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp; You can always pop one in the fridge at night so it&#39;s still frozen but slushy in the morning or put it frozen in lunches and they are melted by lunch time.&lt;br /&gt;
  522. &lt;br /&gt;
  523. These are some great items to have if you are freezing meals on a regular basis.&lt;br /&gt;
  524. &lt;br /&gt;
  525. &lt;script charset=&quot;utf-8&quot; src=&quot;http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?rt=ss_mfw&amp;amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;amp;ID=V20070822/US/emealplanning-20/8001/49acaaa6-19c4-49a5-8927-5c4956b8257b&quot; type=&quot;text/javascript&quot;&gt; &lt;/script&gt; &lt;noscript&gt;&lt;a HREF=&quot;http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?rt=ss_mfw&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Femealplanning-20%2F8001%2F49acaaa6-19c4-49a5-8927-5c4956b8257b&amp;Operation=NoScript&quot;&gt;Amazon.com Widgets&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/noscript&gt;
  526. &lt;br /&gt;
  527. I have a&lt;b&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;http://pinterest.com/emealplanning/freezer-cooking/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Pinterest&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/b&gt;board (of course!) with some other freezer meals recipes or other lists of freezer recipes.&lt;br /&gt;
  528. &lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;
  529. &lt;br /&gt;
  530. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  531. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhog9_JWBJZ-GfPPbAoxcBSx-7zmTvYoXOQpfd_Lg9lATuI-8jjHvKqWElw8oSUXQ8mi1mMpa1S5QTE_3xi-UFU1CO-sv6vKYB14CGwaa89oqxz8HtINTJDnJLSMW07fF_BcsHLDsbraTz8/s1600/freezer+pic.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhog9_JWBJZ-GfPPbAoxcBSx-7zmTvYoXOQpfd_Lg9lATuI-8jjHvKqWElw8oSUXQ8mi1mMpa1S5QTE_3xi-UFU1CO-sv6vKYB14CGwaa89oqxz8HtINTJDnJLSMW07fF_BcsHLDsbraTz8/s320/freezer+pic.JPG&quot; width=&quot;239&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  532. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;My freezer stocked with marinara sauce, smoothies and breakfast burritos&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  533. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  534. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  535. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh018bgUilsr4rNXe3KlWTlcD1q4t5AUFCMaiG3kbTYJxpIm7co6xkXQ1_zgZEZw_nDC7UHghRW_rG4HgHFmxo5toU1IwWyJRNyW9q_swL_Wtu-dXpVjJUbk5lzfSqp96eoCK3SPsudFAZV/s1600/frozen+smoothies.jpg&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh018bgUilsr4rNXe3KlWTlcD1q4t5AUFCMaiG3kbTYJxpIm7co6xkXQ1_zgZEZw_nDC7UHghRW_rG4HgHFmxo5toU1IwWyJRNyW9q_swL_Wtu-dXpVjJUbk5lzfSqp96eoCK3SPsudFAZV/s320/frozen+smoothies.jpg&quot; width=&quot;239&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  536. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Smoothies ready for lunches!&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  537. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  538. &lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  539. &lt;b&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  540. &lt;b&gt;
  541. &lt;br /&gt;
  542. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  543. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  544. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFnVImdvj34Bb1cl04wVNfEp-TTme0mWhyphenhyphen49EiMVqN8-lM2tepsDUSt_nefahwCpIsXQ-Rsn3RZZq29cb1KvXShSYq4NRwiHP0NbwPzFepRAyxhQ6eZ8IHMc3LneT-mHwNkf_uwlYx7HLR/s1600/meals+ready+for+the+freezer.jpg&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;239&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFnVImdvj34Bb1cl04wVNfEp-TTme0mWhyphenhyphen49EiMVqN8-lM2tepsDUSt_nefahwCpIsXQ-Rsn3RZZq29cb1KvXShSYq4NRwiHP0NbwPzFepRAyxhQ6eZ8IHMc3LneT-mHwNkf_uwlYx7HLR/s320/meals+ready+for+the+freezer.jpg&quot; width=&quot;320&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  545. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Freezer meals all packed and ready for a client!&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  546. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  547. &lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  548. &lt;b&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  549. &lt;b&gt;
  550. &lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/b&gt;</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/08/meals-for-week-of-august-20-2012.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhog9_JWBJZ-GfPPbAoxcBSx-7zmTvYoXOQpfd_Lg9lATuI-8jjHvKqWElw8oSUXQ8mi1mMpa1S5QTE_3xi-UFU1CO-sv6vKYB14CGwaa89oqxz8HtINTJDnJLSMW07fF_BcsHLDsbraTz8/s72-c/freezer+pic.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-5616612698146366754</guid><pubDate>Fri, 10 Aug 2012 23:41:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-08-10T16:41:04.877-07:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">kid-friendly food</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">lunch ideas</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Weekly meal plan</category><title>Meals for the Week of August 13, 2012</title><description>I&#39;m keeping it short and sweet this week.&amp;nbsp; It&#39;s back to school.&amp;nbsp; I think parents mostly rejoice in having kids back to the routine, busy for most of the day and the end of what can sometimes be a costly time of year with summer camps and trips all leading up to the frenzy of back to school shopping.&amp;nbsp; I know I do.&amp;nbsp; I&#39;ve spent some time over the past week building a new board on my Pinterest with ideas for packing lunch for school.&amp;nbsp; I also mentioned in my last post that I had cooked some meals to help with busy school nights and some food like calzones (aka pizza pockets) that can be packed in lunches or for after school snack.&amp;nbsp; I&#39;m making more of those this week since everyone in my house felt they should eat what I made now and not wait for school.&amp;nbsp; :)&lt;br /&gt;
  551. I also made this &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/03/buttermilk-banana-bread.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Buttermilk Banana Bread&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; this week.&amp;nbsp; It&#39;s really good.&amp;nbsp; I actually followed the advice of one of the comments on the recipe and made a glaze that I poured all over it when it was still warm.&amp;nbsp; I&#39;ve had a different banana bread recipe that I&#39;ve used for years and a different and healthier &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.getnatured.com/2010/03/best-banana-muffins-in-history-of-all.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;banana muffin&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/b&gt;that I most often make.&amp;nbsp; But this one might be my new go-to for banana bread.&amp;nbsp; Just like chocolate chip cookies, banana bread recipes are very personal and highly subjective, you may have one you like and won&#39;t be trying another.&amp;nbsp; But if you want to try or haven&#39;t tried before, this one is very easy.&amp;nbsp; My 6 year old helped me.&lt;br /&gt;
  552. &lt;br /&gt;
  553. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  554. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_ZdlYPrEV7V1oMTXk-WVKW5cBAvNceebluiCo0HbFszTKwN27EUiaiKER9sTkyPV_uvFG0wm4OE8D69_ohJn98qqLfFws1GmZYwQuURYllmGk0MilNRt_2OXVMMABmUYjR9Lg4542DzH/s1600/IMG_1448.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_ZdlYPrEV7V1oMTXk-WVKW5cBAvNceebluiCo0HbFszTKwN27EUiaiKER9sTkyPV_uvFG0wm4OE8D69_ohJn98qqLfFws1GmZYwQuURYllmGk0MilNRt_2OXVMMABmUYjR9Lg4542DzH/s320/IMG_1448.JPG&quot; width=&quot;239&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  555. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Bad iPhone photo, I know.&amp;nbsp; But cute!&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  556. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  557. &lt;br /&gt;
  558. &lt;br /&gt;
  559. The list of dinner meals is short- just a few ideas to try this week since I was spending time looking at lunch ideas.&lt;br /&gt;
  560. &lt;br /&gt;
  561. &lt;a href=&quot;http://pinterest.com/emealplanning/packing-lunch/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pinterest- Packing Lunch&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br /&gt;
  562. &lt;br /&gt;
  563. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  564. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Meals for the Week of August 13, 2012&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  565. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  566. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  567. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  568. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://pinterest.com/emealplanning/august-13-recipes/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;Pinterest Board- August 13 Recipes&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  569. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  570. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.blogger.com/goog_1144558977&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  571. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  572. &lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/08/grilled-chicken-with-balsamic-glaze-and.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Glaze and Stir Fried Vegetables&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Very easy, low fat grilled chicken getting it&#39;s flavor from the grill and a sweet reduction of balsamic vinegar.&amp;nbsp; You can also easy stir fry some veggies with the glaze in a pan on your grill.&lt;/div&gt;
  573. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  574. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  575. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  576. &lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/09/chili-taco-casserole.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chili Taco Casserole&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- My kids love this and it&#39;s easy to assemble ahead of time and freeze to bake when you want to serve it.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/div&gt;
  577. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  578. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.blogger.com/goog_1144558985&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  579. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  580. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/04/classic-baked-ziti.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Classic Baked Ziti&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Another recipe you could assemble and freeze to bake later.&amp;nbsp; Simple and easy.&amp;nbsp; This recipe includes making the tomato sauce portion, which if you like to use a jarred marinara sauce and want to skip that part of the cooking, feel free to do that.&lt;/div&gt;
  581. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  582. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.blogger.com/goog_1144558990&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  583. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  584. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2010/08/recipe-for-grilled-zucchini-pizza.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Grilled Zucchini Pizza Slices&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Need zucchini ideas?&amp;nbsp; Here you go.&amp;nbsp; Maybe this will get your kids to eat zucchini if they don&#39;t already.&lt;/div&gt;
  585. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  586. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  587. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  588. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/01/chicken-thighs-with-artichoke-hearts.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chicken Thighs with Artichoke Hearts&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- We eat dark meat in my house.&amp;nbsp; Actually, I tend to keep both boneless breasts and thighs in my freezer.&amp;nbsp; Thighs are cheaper, they are tasty but I do feel like I buy them more frequently because they are smaller and therefore when I cook some, I&#39;m having to make a lot since everyone tends to eat more than one.&amp;nbsp; Anyway...this is a great combination of chicken and artichoke hearts with feta cheese.&lt;/div&gt;
  589. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  590. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  591. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  592. &lt;a href=&quot;http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/05/easy-green-chile-enchiladas/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Easy Green Chili Enchiladas&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Open faced enchiladas.&amp;nbsp; Leave it to The Pioneer Woman to share an easy and no-fuss way to enjoy enchiladas.&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/08/meals-for-week-of-august-13-2012.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_ZdlYPrEV7V1oMTXk-WVKW5cBAvNceebluiCo0HbFszTKwN27EUiaiKER9sTkyPV_uvFG0wm4OE8D69_ohJn98qqLfFws1GmZYwQuURYllmGk0MilNRt_2OXVMMABmUYjR9Lg4542DzH/s72-c/IMG_1448.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-7959703846616669259</guid><pubDate>Fri, 03 Aug 2012 18:36:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-08-03T23:23:15.480-07:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">crock pot recipes</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">freezable foods</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">kid-friendly food</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Weekly meal plan</category><title>Meals for the Week of August 6, 2012</title><description>Why does summer have to fly by so quickly?&amp;nbsp; Didn&#39;t I just write a post about making summer-time snacks/lunches for when the kids are home?&amp;nbsp; Oh yes, I did, it&#39;s one of the last times I actually posted something here.&amp;nbsp; :/&amp;nbsp; What happens every summer is the my dear hubby works in education and is off during the month of July, so then everyone&amp;nbsp; in our house is home and my ability to just sit for hours at the computer researching and writing is limited.&amp;nbsp; I do cook, and this summer I&#39;ve spent plenty of time on &lt;a href=&quot;http://pinterest.com/emealplanning&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pinterest&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; courtesy of my iPhone app.&amp;nbsp; But the other day, I treated my family like a client and spent about 5 hours prepping and cooking some breakfast, snacks and meals because they are heading back to work and school and I wanted to get ahead of the game.&amp;nbsp; I made some &lt;a href=&quot;http://tammycirceo.typepad.com/tammy_circeo_musings_on_l/2012/03/homemade-granola.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;granola&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/12/breakfast-burritos.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;breakfast burritos&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;,&amp;nbsp; more calzones like I mentioned in a &lt;a href=&quot;http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/06/meals-for-week-of-june-18-2012.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;previous post&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.plainchicken.com/2012/03/white-chicken-enchiladas.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;white chicken enchiladas&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (on the list this week), a big batch of spaghetti sauce, and I prepped some thin carne asada style steak (except I marinated &lt;a href=&quot;http://burntlumpia.typepad.com/burnt_lumpia/2008/10/filipino-bistek.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Filipino style&lt;/a&gt;) and put a pork tenderloin in a honey Dijon mustard marinade.&amp;nbsp; In two short weeks my life returns to controlled chaos of driving to school, Daisy Scouts and soccer practice, plus regular &lt;a href=&quot;http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/p/e-mealpalnning-personal-chef-services.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Personal Chef&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; sessions.&amp;nbsp; Not to mention I must take time to get myself back to attending regular &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mamabootcamp.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mama Bootcamp&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; sessions to keep myself healthy and sane.&amp;nbsp; The added layer to this is my oldest starts high school, so I&#39;m no longer just rushing to get to one school, but two kids to two different schools.&amp;nbsp; And they are not close to each other.&amp;nbsp; So I have to get my act together and not just take care of clients, but take some time to plan and cook ahead for us.&lt;br /&gt;
  593. &lt;br /&gt;
  594. I figured I should share some of the kitchen fun I have had this summer.&amp;nbsp; You can follow me on &lt;a href=&quot;http://instagram.com/p/NjanlKDcJt/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Instagram&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, elh1015, to see not just kitchen fun.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  595. &lt;br /&gt;
  596. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  597. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-o-Gzol1n7lFMlxjP7E6V20QlWmCM96gATtN1B6zWEmoGI3qyr_2pAgo4itoDNMHaHU84e7Q9k-Gl-moG1IdWKySx4DFupIZ_RLVWZHqdwVVQjdzGg6KFfpOTmAFNn1N_PD2p8dsNAhSS/s1600/Efa+cake+collage.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-o-Gzol1n7lFMlxjP7E6V20QlWmCM96gATtN1B6zWEmoGI3qyr_2pAgo4itoDNMHaHU84e7Q9k-Gl-moG1IdWKySx4DFupIZ_RLVWZHqdwVVQjdzGg6KFfpOTmAFNn1N_PD2p8dsNAhSS/s320/Efa+cake+collage.JPG&quot; width=&quot;320&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  598. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;My husband&#39;s birthday cake, inspired by Pinterest- chocolate cake, peanut butter buttercream frosting, chopped Reese&#39;s peanut butter cups.&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  599. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  600. &lt;br /&gt;
  601. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  602. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluRRrHAp1PinkiqzIiv-WMh0MSpT0iwGhnJpP-paCkfTfqOEYhtwrJGNcUQYxO2bGQrK5vuWth8aCn5ierB1gr9sBGOuK7XBE4xF3x6h7fvNnIK4WPBXMX2-BwmITdcWOfuq5mvhqQ8RI/s1600/cinnamon+raisin+bread.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluRRrHAp1PinkiqzIiv-WMh0MSpT0iwGhnJpP-paCkfTfqOEYhtwrJGNcUQYxO2bGQrK5vuWth8aCn5ierB1gr9sBGOuK7XBE4xF3x6h7fvNnIK4WPBXMX2-BwmITdcWOfuq5mvhqQ8RI/s320/cinnamon+raisin+bread.JPG&quot; width=&quot;320&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  603. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Home made cinnamon raisin bread, recipe from &lt;a href=&quot;http://astore.amazon.com/emealplanning-20/detail/0312362919&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  604. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  605. &lt;br /&gt;
  606. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  607. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSr-YEpdB0ckdfeYAR6AYP5HV3g3AA28kb0eh0SYXYKsv7rgMKfmpVXnhA6oxhe68uvJiBCz7vTwyzO0LyBRmDkLRl7VzxBM7xqG8Bvn-ze1cUb-56m58uetiSHHThIvXvTsaE0m_ub-YS/s1600/homemade+tortillas.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSr-YEpdB0ckdfeYAR6AYP5HV3g3AA28kb0eh0SYXYKsv7rgMKfmpVXnhA6oxhe68uvJiBCz7vTwyzO0LyBRmDkLRl7VzxBM7xqG8Bvn-ze1cUb-56m58uetiSHHThIvXvTsaE0m_ub-YS/s320/homemade+tortillas.JPG&quot; width=&quot;320&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  608. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Homemade Tortillas that my oldest and I made.&amp;nbsp; I&#39;m going to use this recipe in my kid&#39;s cooking class this year.&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  609. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  610. &lt;br /&gt;
  611. This week I came up with some recipes that are seasonal using veggies that you may find on sale or be enjoying in large quantities from your (or your friend&#39;s) garden.&amp;nbsp; I also have some crock pot recipes that can keep you out of the kitchen as well as keep the house cool.&lt;br /&gt;
  612. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  613. &lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  614. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  615. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Meals for the Week of August 6, 2012&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  616. &lt;br /&gt;
  617. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  618. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://pinterest.com/emealplanning/august-6-recipes/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;Pinterest Board for this week- August 6&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  619. &lt;/div&gt;
  620. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  621. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.blogger.com/goog_1300472465&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  622. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  623. &lt;a href=&quot;http://chinese.food.com/recipe/cold-sesame-noodles-with-shredded-chicken-164139?scaleto=4&amp;amp;mode=null&amp;amp;st=true&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Cold Sesame Noodles with Shredded Chicken&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- We all liked this in my house and I liked that it was quick to fix and didn&#39;t heat up the kitchen too much.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  624. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  625. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  626. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  627. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/04/healthy-baked-chicken-nuggets.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Healthy baked Chicken Nuggets&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- I make these for a client on a regular basis; the adults and kids like them.&amp;nbsp; I always just make a much larger amount than the recipe calls for, after they bake and cool I place them on a plate or sheet pan in the freezer, then after they are frozen, transfer them to a zipper storage bag.&amp;nbsp; You can just re-heat as needed.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  628. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  629. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  630. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  631. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.blogger.com/%20http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-grilled-tri-tip/detail.aspx#&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Easy Grilled Tri Tip&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- It’s been awhile I think since I shared this recipe, which is my own that was published on All Recipes.&amp;nbsp; The purpose of this recipe was a quick method for grilling tri tip since it’s sliced and marinated, then grilled.&amp;nbsp; You could use the marinade on any cut of steak you want.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  632. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  633. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  634. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  635. &lt;/div&gt;
  636. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  637. &lt;/div&gt;
  638. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  639. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/07/sausage-stuffed-zucchini-boats.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;-Need recipes for using your bounty of garden zucchini?&amp;nbsp; Here’s a great one.&amp;nbsp; Lean sausage and part skim mozzarella cheese, filling, but not too fat and heavy.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/div&gt;
  640. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  641. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/grilled-steak-with-tomatoes-and-scallions&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Grilled Steak with Tomatoes and Scallions&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Simple and easy steak recipe, grilling the tomatoes slightly just to warm and give them a little smoky flavor. &lt;/div&gt;
  642. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  643. &lt;br /&gt;
  644. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000283.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Heirloom Tomato Tart in Parmesan Crust&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- A lovely way to use the abundance of tomatoes ripening in your garden.&amp;nbsp; If you wanted this as a side dish to grilled chicken or fish, that would work nicely.&amp;nbsp; But it can be a main dish with a salad on the side.&amp;nbsp; You can cut some corners using a pre-made crust if you want and follow the recipe directions for baking it and sprinkling with parmesan cheese.&amp;nbsp; I highly recommend Trader Joe’s brand, it’s in their freezer section.&amp;nbsp; But the extra step in the recipe that has you remove some of the tomato juice really helps keep this from being soggy. &lt;/div&gt;
  645. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  646. &lt;br /&gt;
  647. &lt;a href=&quot;http://savour-fare.com/2009/07/02/consider-the-crockpot-thai-pork-with-peanut-sauce/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Crock Pot Thai Pork with Peanut Sauce&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- I love that she makes a case for why you should consider the crock pot more when cooking in the summer.&amp;nbsp; And it’s true, it certainly is easier than heating up the oven or stove or standing over a hot grill.&amp;nbsp; And this is a delicious shredded pork to serve over rice and with some steamed broccoli.&amp;nbsp; Perfect.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  648. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  649. &lt;br /&gt;
  650. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.food.com/recipe/Easy-Skillet-Cheese-Topped-Chili-Macaroni-96431&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Easy Skillet Topped Chili Macaroni&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Much better than from a box, this is an easy from scratch recipe for a great kid-friendly meal.&amp;nbsp; You can use lean beef or ground turkey and whole grain pasta to make it a little lower in fat and higher in fiber.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/div&gt;
  651. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  652. &lt;br /&gt;
  653. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/10/slow-cooker-cashew-chicken.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is not one of those crock pot recipes where you leave it all day while at work, but its the sort of thing you could do on a weekend; get it all prepped, set it to cook and come back to it a few hours later.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/div&gt;
  654. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  655. &lt;br /&gt;
  656. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.plainchicken.com/2012/03/white-chicken-enchiladas.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;White Chicken Enchiladas&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Really easy to make, doesn’t use a canned cream of chicken soup and you can freeze either baked to reheat or put in the freezer unbaked and then defrost and bake when you want to eat it.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/div&gt;
  657. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  658. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  659. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  660. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/recipe_view/honey_balsamic_green_beans/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Honey Balsamic Green Beans&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- And here&#39;s a side dish for you this week.&amp;nbsp; I’ve used this combination on other veggies and never thought to use it with green beans.&amp;nbsp; It’s great!&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  661. &lt;br /&gt;
  662. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/08/meals-for-week-of-august-6-2012.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-o-Gzol1n7lFMlxjP7E6V20QlWmCM96gATtN1B6zWEmoGI3qyr_2pAgo4itoDNMHaHU84e7Q9k-Gl-moG1IdWKySx4DFupIZ_RLVWZHqdwVVQjdzGg6KFfpOTmAFNn1N_PD2p8dsNAhSS/s72-c/Efa+cake+collage.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-269315751116331624</guid><pubDate>Wed, 27 Jun 2012 20:43:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-06-27T13:43:57.877-07:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">crock pot recipes</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">grilling</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">july 4th</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">recipe suggestions</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Weekly meal plan</category><title>Meals for the Week of June 25, 2012</title><description>Last year around this time, I chose to not focus my post on the July 4th holiday.&amp;nbsp; This year I decided that I will provide some recipes that I think would be great for the holiday, but mixed in with other everyday recipes you might like for this season.&lt;br /&gt;
  663. So I&#39;m keeping this post short and sweet and getting down to the business at hand with the list of recipes for this week.&amp;nbsp; You can view the Pinterest board for these recipes &lt;a href=&quot;http://pinterest.com/emealplanning/june-25-recipes/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;here&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp; Have a fun and safe July 4th!&lt;br /&gt;
  664. &lt;br /&gt;
  665. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  666. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Meals for the Week of June 25, 2012&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt;
  667. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.blogger.com/goog_1418788518&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  668. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chicken_sun_dried_tomato_orzo.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chicken and Sun Dried Tomato Orzo&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Orzo is like rice in shape, but pasta that is very quick cooking so this is a good meal you can have ready in 30 minutes.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  669. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.food.com/recipe/grilled-lime-shrimp-43737&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Grilled Lime Shrimp&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Simple and delicious.&amp;nbsp; Use them as a basis for tacos or in a salad.&amp;nbsp; Eat them with brown rice and grilled veggies.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  670. &lt;a href=&quot;http://onceamonthmom.com/southwest-flank-steak-pinwheels/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Southwest Flank Steak Pinwheels&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is something you can make ahead; assemble and then freeze until you are ready to cook it.&amp;nbsp; The recipe provides instructions for cooking in a crock pot.&amp;nbsp; I have also grilled stuffed flank steaks before if you wanted to try that.&lt;br /&gt;
  671. &lt;br /&gt;
  672. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/hawaiian_pork_burger/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Hawaiian Pork Burger&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- A yummy change of pace from a beef burger. Topped with a pineapple ring and a slice of ham; such a great flavor combination.&lt;br /&gt;
  673. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://stylishcuisine.com/?p=1813&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Spinach and Chicken Tortilla Bake&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is spicy; it has salsa verde in it, but you can use less than it calls for if you need to.&amp;nbsp; It’s a quick and easy meal for a weeknight and leftovers are good for packing in your lunch.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  674. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://simplylovefood.blog.com/2012/02/25/southwestern-stuffed-peppers/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Southwestern Stuffed Peppers&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Very easy and adaptable recipe for stuffed peppers.&amp;nbsp; A good thing you can bake ahead and re-heat if you need to.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  675. &lt;br /&gt;
  676. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://onceamonthmom.com/crunchy-coconut-chicken/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Crunchy Coconut Chicken&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- I have another recipe for coconut chicken tenders that I almost chose instead of this one, as it’s delicious.&amp;nbsp; But it’s fried, not baked like this one and the coating has a lot more fat and sugar in it.&amp;nbsp; So, this version is far better for something you can make on a more regular basis and it requires less active work to prepare.&lt;br /&gt;
  677. &lt;br /&gt;
  678. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/1831&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Grilled Veggie Tostadas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- This is great if you are going to have a taco bar for the holiday.&amp;nbsp; Grill up some chicken and veggies and then set it all out for everyone to build their own tacos or tostadas.&lt;br /&gt;
  679. &amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/05/turkey-burgers-with-zucchini.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Turkey Burgers with Zucchini&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Healthy burgers with some added nutrition with finely grated zucchini mixed in.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  680. &lt;br /&gt;
  681. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kitchenmeetsgirl.com/uncategorized/honey-lime-chicken-skewers/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Honey Lime Chicken Skewers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- These grilled chicken skewers are sweet and spicy and are great to prep and marinate ahead of time.&amp;nbsp; Then all you do is thread them on skewers and grill.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  682. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.cookscountry.com/recipes/Peanut-Noodle-Salad/24913/?Extcode=N1NSPFA00&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Peanut Noodle Salad&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- You can use a whole grain or brown rice pasta if you want, you could also add julienne carrot and chopped broccoli to increase the veggies.&amp;nbsp; A great side dish with grilled chicken.&amp;nbsp; Bring this to a bbq.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  683. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/1920&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pasta Salad with Grilled Summer Vegetables&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Take this healthy option to a bbq party or make this for a weeknight dinner when you want to keep things cool.&amp;nbsp; You can grill the veggies ahead of time, or use leftovers from a previous meal.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  684. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/06/red-white-and-blueberry-trifle.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Red, White and Blueberry Trifle&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is a festive lower fat and lower sugar dessert for the July 4th holiday.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  685. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.marthastewart.com/343258/vanilla-raspberry-sundaes-with-spoon-sha&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Vanilla Raspberry Sundaes&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Most of this recipe is for making the spoon-shaped cookies you can top the sundae with, so if you want to skip that, it’s simply a recipe to give you inspiration for making a patriotic sundae.&amp;nbsp; I love the combo of vanilla ice cream with the tangy raspberry sorbet.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/06/meals-for-week-of-june-25-2012.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-6130612324829866322</guid><pubDate>Fri, 15 Jun 2012 08:19:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-06-20T09:18:29.776-07:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">kid-friendly food</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">lunch ideas</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">recipe suggestions</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Weekly meal plan</category><title>Meals for the Week of June 18, 2012</title><description>&lt;br /&gt;
  686. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  687. Another
  688. school year has come to an end.&amp;nbsp; For some reason I always think that
  689. it&#39;s easier when we&#39;re out of school to manage breakfast and lunches; in
  690. our house there&#39;s not the constant rush in the morning and having
  691. breakfast meals that is fast and portable and I don&#39;t have to pack
  692. lunches.&amp;nbsp; That means needing less food.&amp;nbsp; WRONG.&amp;nbsp; Finally, this summer, I
  693. feel like I&#39;ve got a handle on stocking my kitchen for the summer.&amp;nbsp;
  694. It&#39;s early so I could still face some challenges, but I thought I would
  695. share what I&#39;ve got started along with some ideas I found and hope to
  696. try. &lt;/div&gt;
  697. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  698. If
  699. you are now faced with children at home all day or more often, get
  700. organized with snacks and lunch food and make it fun for them.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  701. &lt;ul&gt;
  702. &lt;li&gt;If they are old enough, get sandwich thins bread or bagel thins and use those for making their own toaster oven pizzas.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;
  703. &lt;li&gt;Quesadillas are so quick and versatile.&amp;nbsp; Keep tortillas and cheese stocked in the fridge.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;
  704. &lt;li&gt;Grill or poach chicken that can be used for topping pizza or in quesadillas or just for eating with some fruit and cheese.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;
  705. &lt;li&gt;We also love to make nachos for lunch.&amp;nbsp; It’s the perfect use
  706. for leftovers from a taco dinner.&amp;nbsp; Layer the chips and shredded cheese,
  707. add leftover meat, beans and rice, more cheese and pop it in the
  708. microwave for a few minutes.&amp;nbsp; It’s nice to take a break from working to
  709. sit at the table with the kids sharing a big pile of nachos.&lt;/li&gt;
  710. &lt;li&gt;Make or have older kids make &lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/10/no-bake-peanut-butter-chocolate-chip.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp; A protein packed snack that satisfies the sweet tooth but also provides energy, perfect for late afternoon or before sports. &lt;/li&gt;
  711. &lt;li&gt;Make the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2690&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Double Grape Slushies&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp; Or come up with your own slushies.&lt;/li&gt;
  712. &lt;li&gt;Make popsicles- simply puree fruit and juice together.&amp;nbsp; Save
  713. your 8oz yogurt containers to use as popsicle molds.&amp;nbsp; Pour in the puree,
  714. cover with plastic wrap or foil, then poke popsicle sticks through and
  715. freeze.&lt;/li&gt;
  716. &lt;/ul&gt;
  717. &lt;br /&gt;
  718. &lt;a name=&#39;more&#39;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  719. My &lt;a href=&quot;http://alifeinpie.blogspot.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;sister&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  720. came to visit!&amp;nbsp; Yeah! My oldest child made a list of meals she wanted
  721. us to make.&amp;nbsp; She consulted her little sister too.&amp;nbsp; We didn&#39;t make
  722. everything, but I wanted to share with&amp;nbsp; you what we accomplished so
  723. far.&amp;nbsp; I&#39;m also not totally wild about what she wanted, but we made these
  724. things instead of buying frozen boxed processed versions.&lt;br /&gt;
  725. &lt;br /&gt;
  726. &lt;table cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  727. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQM99-eHlByaCuyWsp0BSFIFO91FOSZFx0st83W_QjOXM6imrAz8Ma0vledZzYIsZC0Qoz-igsseFFHvafMXuN6Xvg58u6NN5T1IlGHWV_6-F4zBKYGGcdRv_Fq8oPIXH65rUUgiVjUo/s1600/IMG_1118.JPG&quot; style=&quot;clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQM99-eHlByaCuyWsp0BSFIFO91FOSZFx0st83W_QjOXM6imrAz8Ma0vledZzYIsZC0Qoz-igsseFFHvafMXuN6Xvg58u6NN5T1IlGHWV_6-F4zBKYGGcdRv_Fq8oPIXH65rUUgiVjUo/s320/IMG_1118.JPG&quot; width=&quot;320&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  728. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;h4&gt;
  729.  
  730.  
  731.  
  732. &lt;b&gt;Mini Calzones and Strawberry &quot;pop tarts&quot;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
  733. &lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  734. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  735. &lt;table cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  736. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjjtvY3OFOa8wj4v0Qjmlot0ZXP-Y261_SVCSuiyPUFf43EIilvaZxwK5klHOy_tzfJh5gnVMIAso1oLR3jmBrdCCfiqcvXBNUTpupaSutp0eVMPJjWIEhx1NNknB9G1Ttb5-BLuDCyo/s1600/IMG_1145.JPG&quot; style=&quot;clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjjtvY3OFOa8wj4v0Qjmlot0ZXP-Y261_SVCSuiyPUFf43EIilvaZxwK5klHOy_tzfJh5gnVMIAso1oLR3jmBrdCCfiqcvXBNUTpupaSutp0eVMPJjWIEhx1NNknB9G1Ttb5-BLuDCyo/s320/IMG_1145.JPG&quot; width=&quot;320&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  737. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;The List&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  738. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  739. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  740. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  741. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;
  742. &lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  743. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  744. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkXINXsBaoXjsfXzgnagmXt0kd3GSgOa5pNQlmja0Do3qBa77LSS2RpIsiG6yCT6CxwOHFyQh7SUW0nLrqe35_Xffd92gNZbJ7KeNi6YYw8vkTs2unQkGvapwchSAw2qJN1oinederaY/s1600/IMG_1144.JPG&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkXINXsBaoXjsfXzgnagmXt0kd3GSgOa5pNQlmja0Do3qBa77LSS2RpIsiG6yCT6CxwOHFyQh7SUW0nLrqe35_Xffd92gNZbJ7KeNi6YYw8vkTs2unQkGvapwchSAw2qJN1oinederaY/s320/IMG_1144.JPG&quot; width=&quot;320&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  745. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mini Aussie Meat Pies&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  746. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  747. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  748. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.blogger.com/goog_151830100&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  749. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  750. &lt;a href=&quot;http://alifeinpie.blogspot.com/2011/07/gday-aussie-meat-pies.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Aussie Meat Pies&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;-&amp;nbsp;
  751. The recipe is actually more like a pot pie, but I used the same method
  752. as a pot tart and cut rounds from pie crust, spooned a bit of filling
  753. and the added a top crust.&amp;nbsp; I also decided to use ground turkey instead
  754. of beef, just to keep it a bit leaner.&amp;nbsp; Although lean beef works great.&amp;nbsp;
  755. I put them in the freezer and have re-heated one in the microwave for
  756. about 45 seconds.&amp;nbsp; I haven&#39;t tried the toaster oven yet, but I am
  757. betting that works good too.&lt;/div&gt;
  758. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  759. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  760. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  761. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/04/homemade-pop-tarts/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Homemade “Pop Tarts”&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;-
  762. Elisa made ours using Trader Joe’s pie dough and strawberry jam.&amp;nbsp; She
  763. used a large circle cookie/biscuit cutter since the dough is already
  764. rolled in a circle; it’s easier to utilize it all instead of trying to
  765. make the rectangles.&amp;nbsp; I made a simple glaze of powdered sugar with a
  766. drizzle (maybe 1 tbl total) of heavy cream whisked together and then
  767. spread over the cooled tarts.&amp;nbsp; The link I provided is a great set of
  768. instructions and options for other fillings.&lt;/div&gt;
  769. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  770. &lt;br /&gt;
  771. &lt;b&gt;Mini Calzones&lt;/b&gt;-&amp;nbsp;
  772. So easy!&amp;nbsp; Take your favorite pizza dough (either store bought or
  773. homemade), pizza sauce and toppings.&amp;nbsp; Divide up the dough into small
  774. balls, then roll into rounds, spoon a bit of sauce, cheese and
  775. toppings.&amp;nbsp; Fold over the dough fold the edges and pinch to be sure it’s
  776. closed.&amp;nbsp; Bake them at 375 for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown.&amp;nbsp;
  777. Here is a recipe for regular calzones if you need it.&amp;nbsp; &lt;a href=&quot;http://allrecipes.com/recipe/real-italian-calzones/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Real Italian Calzones&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  778. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  779. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  780. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  781. I
  782. also made strawberry popsicles, I simply pureed strawberries purchased
  783. from a roadside stand (FAR sweeter than store bought) with about a cup
  784. of apple juice.&lt;b&gt; &lt;/b&gt;I have been collecting other popsicle ideas, and included them on this week&#39;s &lt;a href=&quot;http://pinterest.com/emealplanning/june-18-recipes/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pinterest&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; board.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
  785. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  786. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  787. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;&quot;&gt;
  788. And now, onto some dinner ideas for you...&lt;/div&gt;
  789. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  790. &lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  791. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  792. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Meals for the Week of June 18, 2012&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  793. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  794. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  795. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  796. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://onceamonthmom.com/slow-cooker-pineapple-pepper-chicken-stew-recipe/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Slow Cooker Pineapple Pepper Chicken Stew&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;-
  797. A good slow cooker recipe to keep things cool in the kitchen and it
  798. includes instructions for prepping and freezing then all you have to put
  799. it in your slow cooker the day you need it.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  800. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  801. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_grilled_salmon/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Easy Grilled Salmon&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is a great recipe for learning the basics of grilled salmon and it includes several marinade options.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  802. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  803. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.marthastewart.com/318079/buttermilk-and-herb-marinated-chicken&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Buttermilk and Herb Marinated Chicken&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- Buttermilk makes the chicken moist and tender and combined with rosemary, it’s got a great flavor.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  804. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  805. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  806. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  807. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/shrimp-tomato-and-basil-pasta&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Shrimp, Tomato and Basil Pasta&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- quick, easy, and very light for a hot summer evening.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  808. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  809. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://family.go.com/food/recipe-790972-tortellini-with-edamame-and-smoked-sausage-t/#&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Tortellini with Edamame and Smoked Sausage&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- Super fast and easy to throw together.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  810. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  811. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://mamachronicles.typepad.com/in_jennies_kitchen/2009/09/coconut_peanut_sauce_beef.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Coconut Peanut Sauce Beef&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This sauce is so good and you don’t have to use a London Broil cut; flank or sirloin would work fine. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=1104&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Quick Chicken Tostadas&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;-
  812. These are incredibly quick.&amp;nbsp; Pre-cook your chicken or use a leftover
  813. roasted chicken.&amp;nbsp; You can use tostadas sold in the store as listed in
  814. the recipe or make your own.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  815. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  816. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/2008/08/filipino-bbq-skewers-3-ww-pts.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Filipino BBQ Skewers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;-
  817. This is slightly different than my own marinade that I make on a
  818. regular basis as it includes 7 Up soda and chili pepper flakes.&amp;nbsp; It’s
  819. got a sweet and spicy kick.&amp;nbsp; YUM!&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/ultra-thin-crust_pizza_with_onions_mushrooms_and_ricotta/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Ultra Thin Crust Pizza&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;-
  820. A pizza using tortilla as the base.&amp;nbsp; It’s great!&amp;nbsp; You can change up the
  821. toppings to suit your tastes, but they do need to be light to keep from
  822. making the tortilla soggy or pre-cook them so you can then top the
  823. pizza and just bake to melt the cheese.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  824. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  825. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/05/broccoli-slaw/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Broccoli Slaw&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;-
  826. I love a cold veggie side dish in the summer and this is a nice change
  827. from salad.&amp;nbsp; And the dressing uses buttermilk, so you have another use
  828. for the buttermilk you may have bought for the chicken.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  829. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  830. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;Here is the Pinterest board for this week- &lt;a href=&quot;http://pinterest.com/emealplanning/june-18-recipes/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;June 18&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://pinterest.com/emealplanning/june-18-recipes/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt; &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/06/meals-for-week-of-june-18-2012.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQM99-eHlByaCuyWsp0BSFIFO91FOSZFx0st83W_QjOXM6imrAz8Ma0vledZzYIsZC0Qoz-igsseFFHvafMXuN6Xvg58u6NN5T1IlGHWV_6-F4zBKYGGcdRv_Fq8oPIXH65rUUgiVjUo/s72-c/IMG_1118.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-1569577983495058228</guid><pubDate>Thu, 07 Jun 2012 23:59:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-06-07T16:59:10.142-07:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">grilling</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">healthy eating</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">recipe suggestions</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Weekly meal plan</category><title>Meals for the Week of June 11, 2012</title><description>Hello!&amp;nbsp; I know, long time since I posted.&amp;nbsp; It&#39;s amazing how the time flies, blah, blah.&amp;nbsp; Anyway, I&#39;m here and posting and I have a couple things to share.&lt;br /&gt;
  831. &lt;br /&gt;
  832. &lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  833. &lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8B2flDxFOFsbCtWzZTUGu_z2ycBWeQPqbLSoX-y82yLHtMe1DnKqMkeTPRboYWx-yO3GSXukGuVt_M7xXp1j2pAd_H7LNSP62lA-g0vcLf1_1kOnks2h8VFUcNyqLBv5duAJqHl_kRcLK/s1600/tri+collage.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8B2flDxFOFsbCtWzZTUGu_z2ycBWeQPqbLSoX-y82yLHtMe1DnKqMkeTPRboYWx-yO3GSXukGuVt_M7xXp1j2pAd_H7LNSP62lA-g0vcLf1_1kOnks2h8VFUcNyqLBv5duAJqHl_kRcLK/s320/tri+collage.JPG&quot; width=&quot;320&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  834. &lt;br /&gt;
  835. Awhile ago I shared that I planned to train with &lt;a href=&quot;http://mamabootcampblog.blogspot.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mama Bootcamp&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; to participate in a &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tbfracing.com/events/tri4fun1.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;sprint distance triathlon&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp; This past weekend, I completed the triathlon.&amp;nbsp; I won&#39;t lie, it was really, really hard.&amp;nbsp; I&#39;m proud to have gone through the training and to have finished the race and I&#39;m alive to tell the tale.&amp;nbsp; I waver back and forth between thinking that I never want to do the swim portion ever again and wanting to enter another race and improve my time.&amp;nbsp; So I&#39;m semi-crazy at this point. But there is something very satisfying to have completed a big goal like that.&amp;nbsp; In a life where I&#39;m operating in organized chaos; children, dogs, constant driving all over the place, the stress of everyday life, I had something that was for me.&amp;nbsp; Training with a wonderful group of women, fantastic coaches, but also the quiet time of running or biking outdoors, somewhat alone with my thoughts has been so important to not only my physical but my mental health.&amp;nbsp; I&#39;ve formed ideas for this blog, and for growing my business, as any busy mom knows, just the opportunity to have time for yourself is invaluable.&amp;nbsp; So I am VERY grateful to have the experience.&lt;br /&gt;
  836. &lt;br /&gt;
  837. Now- onward and upward!&amp;nbsp; Finally a new set of recipes for you to use for planning your next meals.&amp;nbsp; The list is varied between some seasonal recipes perfect for summer grilling and easy meals to make ahead for the weeknight.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
  838. &lt;br /&gt;
  839. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  840. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;Meals for the Week of June 11, 2012&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  841. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  842. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  843. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  844. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;b style=&quot;color: red;&quot;&gt;*NEW* &lt;/b&gt;I decided I should utilize &lt;a href=&quot;http://pinterest.com/emealplanning&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pinterest&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; to create a visual of the recipes each week.&amp;nbsp; So below is my usual list with my comments/tips and the link to the recipe, but then I have a board too so you can have a visual with the link and can easily re-pin for your own board or add to your Ziplist shopping list.&amp;nbsp; &lt;a href=&quot;http://pinterest.com/emealplanning/june-11-recipes/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;June 11 Board&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/09/cheesy-skillet-chicken-and-rice-with-green-beans.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Cheesy Skillet Chicken and Rice with Green Beans&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- This is a great one-pot meal.&amp;nbsp; It does instruct you to leave the chicken whole for serving, but I like slicing it up and mixing it back into the rice just before serving.&amp;nbsp; I think you stretch it to serve more people that way too.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.onceuponachef.com/2010/03/cashew-chicken.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Cashew Chicken&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Cheaper and faster than take out.&amp;nbsp; This is a great recipe that uses some very standard ingredients you don’t have to go to a special market for.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://nutmegnotebook.com/2011/06/chipotle-chicken-taco-salad-2/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- A copy cat recipe that is filling, but also fairly low calorie and low fat.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  845. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  846. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/penne-with-roasted-asparagus-and-balsamic-butter&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- Enjoy asparagus while it’s in season!&amp;nbsp; This can be a great side dish with grilled or roasted chicken or a meatless meal.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2006/01/sausage-beans-and-greensarf5-day.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Crock Pot Sausage, Beans and Greens&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- I know this seems odd for the summer, but the crock pot keeps the kitchen cool.&amp;nbsp; There is some initial prep on the stove for this recipe, but then you can get it the crock pot and get on with you day!&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  847. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  848. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/12/serious-eats-halal-cart-style-chicken-and-rice-white-sauce-recipe.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Halal Cart-Style Chicken and Rice&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- This recipe is a replica of what popular Halal food carts found in Manhattan serve.&amp;nbsp; It’s a delicious comfort food and something you can make ahead and re-heat.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/01/asian-chicken-lettuce-wraps.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- If you have a food processor, it’s easy to take boneless chicken and grind it up. If you need to cut the prep time, use ground turkey.&amp;nbsp; As the recipe suggests, make this a more filling meal with rice and combine the chicken with rice in your wrap.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/07/thai-style-chicken-legs&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Thai Style Chicken Leg&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;s- Great recipe for grilled chicken.&amp;nbsp; Use a food processor or a chopper to blend up the marinade; it might be easier than pulling out your blender.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  849. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  850. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: small;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.artsy-foodie.com/2008/09/wonderful-tasting-chicken-breast-recipe.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Cilantro Thai Grilled Chicken Breasts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- Here is another option for a Thai-style chicken using lean breasts.&amp;nbsp; The marinade imparts a lot of flavor and moisture.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/03/blood-orange-and-baby-greens.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Blood Orange Salad with Pecans, Gorgonzola and Baby Greens&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is actually a spring salad, but you can use naval oranges if you no longer have blood oranges in your market.&amp;nbsp; I love salads like these, and it includes a delicious dressing made with orange juice.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://savorysweetlife.com/2011/04/grilled-asparagus-with-balsamic-syrup/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Grilled Asparagus with Balsamic Syrup&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- I just love asparagus and just like she mentions in this recipe, I love the tips the most.&amp;nbsp; I especially love when they are slightly grilled and have the sweet tang of balsamic vinegar. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  851. &lt;br /&gt;</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/06/meals-for-week-of-june-11-2012.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8B2flDxFOFsbCtWzZTUGu_z2ycBWeQPqbLSoX-y82yLHtMe1DnKqMkeTPRboYWx-yO3GSXukGuVt_M7xXp1j2pAd_H7LNSP62lA-g0vcLf1_1kOnks2h8VFUcNyqLBv5duAJqHl_kRcLK/s72-c/tri+collage.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-8422813572038489556</guid><pubDate>Sun, 18 Mar 2012 03:15:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-08-17T11:30:42.435-07:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">healthy eating</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">recipe suggestions</category><title>Healthy Meals List</title><description>So last week I posted a list I started with &lt;a href=&quot;http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/03/freezer-friendly-meals.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;freezer friendly meals&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and this week I decided that since I have been working with &lt;a href=&quot;http://mamabootcampblog.blogspot.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mama Bootcamp&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and helping the clients with meal plans and recipe lists, I should take that list of recipes and share it here.&amp;nbsp; And just like with the other list, I&#39;ll add to it as I find other recipes to add.&amp;nbsp; I am also building a Healthy Meals board on &lt;b&gt;Pinterest&lt;/b&gt;, which you can follow here- &lt;a href=&quot;http://pinterest.com/emealplanning/healthy-eats/&quot;&gt;http://pinterest.com/emealplanning/healthy-eats/&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
  852. The recipes on this list basically are somewhat low calorie or low fat, and they are that way naturally with lean meats or meatless, there&#39;s nothing too processed to achieve being low fat.&amp;nbsp; But things like fat free or low fat dairy or fat free broth may be used to lighten up a traditionally high-calorie dish.&amp;nbsp; Some of the recipes contain nutrient-packed ingredients and are just plain good for you.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  853. &lt;br /&gt;
  854. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/03/shepards-pie-lightened-up.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Shepard’s Pie Lightened Up&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- The great thing about a dish like this is how you can pack it full of veggies.&amp;nbsp; And this recipe lightened up the fat in the mashed potatoes and in the filling. Use lean ground beef or try using ground turkey.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  855. &lt;br /&gt;
  856. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/paprika_shrimp_green_bean_saute.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Paprika Shrimp Green Bean Saute&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Super easy to throw together on a weeknight since all of it cooks quickly. &lt;br /&gt;
  857. &lt;br /&gt;
  858. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chicken-fajitas-recipe/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chicken Fajitas&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- The longer you can marinate this the more flavorful it will be.&amp;nbsp; The recipe includes a spicy cream sauce to garnish them with that is made with fat free Greek yogurt.&lt;br /&gt;
  859. &lt;br /&gt;
  860. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.food.com/recipe/tortellini-tomato-spinach-soup-35988&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Tortellini, Tomato and Spinach Soup&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;-Tortellini make this soup be more filling as a one-pot meal and you can pack full of other veggies in addition to the spinach.&lt;br /&gt;
  861. &lt;br /&gt;
  862. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=2333&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt; -&amp;nbsp; It’s meatless, it’s vegan-ish with just a small amount of cheese and if you aren’t up for making the enchilada sauce as provided in the recipe, you can just get a good canned green enchilada sauce.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  863. &lt;br /&gt;
  864. &lt;a href=&quot;http://nutmegnotebook.com/2011/06/chipotle-chicken-taco-salad-2/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chipotle Chicken Salad&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Love this salad!&amp;nbsp; Prep all the elements ahead of time so all you have to do is assemble your salad.&lt;br /&gt;
  865. &lt;br /&gt;
  866. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Salsa-Chicken-Soup&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Salsa Chicken Soup&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- A spicy twist on chicken soup.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  867. &lt;br /&gt;
  868. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/minestrone-soup-recipe/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Minestrone Soup&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Plenty of filling veggies and beans full of fiber and protein.&lt;br /&gt;
  869. &lt;br /&gt;
  870. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.getnatured.com/2011/06/june-uary-crockpot-polenta-lasagna.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Vegan Crockpot Lasagna&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- Love lasagna in the crock pot!&amp;nbsp; What is traditionally a time consuming meal can be made on a weekday with less effort.&amp;nbsp; And this one uses delicious polenta instead of pasta.&lt;br /&gt;
  871. &lt;br /&gt;
  872. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.food.com/recipe/healthy-bean-soup-with-kale-55796&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Healthy Bean Soup with Kale&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- Make a big pot of this and you can have plenty for lunch every day.&lt;br /&gt;
  873. &lt;br /&gt;
  874. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/fish-tacos-with-chipotle-cream-recipe/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream Sauce&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- Love this recipe.&amp;nbsp; The sauce is great.&amp;nbsp; It uses chipotle chilis, which you can use as little or as much as you want depending on how hot you want.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  875. &lt;br /&gt;
  876. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=1587&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Baked Southwest Tilapia&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- This is very easy to put together.&amp;nbsp; I also think you could cut it into smaller pieces before cooking and then use the fish for tacos.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  877. &lt;br /&gt;
  878. &lt;a href=&quot;http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/cheesy-chicken-and-rice-bake/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is a good cheesy and filling casserole, but it uses pre cooked brown rice and Greek yogurt.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  879. &lt;br /&gt;
  880. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.shape.com/dinner/pan-sauteed-salmon-over-mediterranean-vegetables&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Pan Sauteed Salmon over Mediterranean Vegetables&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- A great, heart-healthy dish.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  881. &lt;br /&gt;
  882. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/beef-cheese-noodle-bake-10000001141964/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Beef, Cheese and Noodle Bake&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- Substitute with ground turkey and use whole grain elbow macaroni to lower the fat and increase the healthy carbs. &lt;br /&gt;
  883. &lt;br /&gt;
  884. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/08/cheap-and-easy-turkey-stir-fry.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Cheap &amp;amp; Easy Turkey Stir Fry&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- Using lean turkey that is quick cooking, you can whip this up using whatever fresh or frozen veggies you have.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  885. &lt;br /&gt;
  886. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/1510&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Grilled Salmon with Basil Lemon Butter&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Very simple and delicious way to fix salmon.&amp;nbsp; It uses just a little European style butter, which adds some delicious richness, but it’s still very low calorie.&lt;br /&gt;
  887. &lt;br /&gt;
  888. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipes/NU00532&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pineapple Chicken Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- If you like a main dish salad for dinner, try this one.&amp;nbsp; It’s very easy to prep the parts in advance to put together when it’s time to eat.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  889. &lt;br /&gt;
  890. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/12/crock-pot-chicken-enchilada-soup.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chicken Enchilada Soup&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- The flavor of enchilada in the form of a soup.&amp;nbsp; Great for making ahead and re-heating during the week.&lt;br /&gt;
  891. &lt;br /&gt;
  892. &lt;a href=&quot;http://onceamonthmom.com/white-chicken-chili/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;White Chicken Chili&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Using lean chicken, white beans and green chili, this is perfect to make ahead and freeze, garnish with a little cheese if you want or none to keep the fat and calories lower.&lt;br /&gt;
  893. &amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  894. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/ravioli_vegetable_soup.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Ravioli and Vegetable Soup&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- The pasta makes this meatless soup more of a meal and what’s great about it is how you can add any veggies you want or have on hand.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  895. &lt;br /&gt;
  896. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.marthastewart.com/341533/light-turkey-meatballs&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Light Turkey Meatballs&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is a great basic recipe that you can do almost anything with.&amp;nbsp; I made them and froze them uncooked, which is why they are also on my &lt;a href=&quot;http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/03/freezer-friendly-meals.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Freezer Friendly List&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; I later cooked them in marinara sauce.&amp;nbsp; But you could also cook them with stir fry style with veggies and terriyaki sauce.&amp;nbsp; Or cook them with bbq sauce and serve with steamed broccoli.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  897. &lt;br /&gt;
  898. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.marthastewart.com/338192/stir-fried-turkey-in-lettuce-wraps&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Stir Fried Turkey in Lettuce Wraps&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- I like this because you can set all the elements out on the table and sit down together and have fun and conversation while assembling your wraps.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  899. &lt;br /&gt;
  900. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chopped_greek_salad_with_chicken.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chopped Greek Salad with Chicken&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Another good main dish salad or you may prefer to fix this to pack for lunches.&lt;br /&gt;
  901. &amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  902. &lt;br /&gt;
  903. &lt;br /&gt;
  904. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  905. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Side Dishes&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  906. &lt;br /&gt;
  907. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/ten-minute-tasty-asparagus-and-brown-rice-recipe.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;10 Minute Tasty Asparagus and Brown Rice&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is a fantastic side dish and it’s so quick to make if you use leftover brown rice from another meal.&amp;nbsp; Or if you want, both Trader Joes and Whole Foods sell cooked brown rice.&lt;br /&gt;
  908. &lt;br /&gt;
  909. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/brown-rice-salad-with-spinach-and-tomatoes&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Brown Rice Salad with Spinach and Tomatoes&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;-&amp;nbsp; Another great side dish and something you can pack for lunch as well.&amp;nbsp; It goes great with grilled fish or chicken.&lt;br /&gt;
  910. &lt;br /&gt;
  911. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=2553&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Three Bean Salad with Quinoa&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is probably better for the summer as it’s a great side dish for grilled chicken or fish and it calls for fresh green beans.&amp;nbsp; If you don’t find good green beans to use, skip them.&amp;nbsp; You could always add chopped broccoli or double the amount of&amp;nbsp; one of the other beans.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  912. &lt;br /&gt;
  913. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.getnatured.com/2010/03/best-banana-muffins-in-history-of-all.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Banana Muffins&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- These are a staple in my house and a special recipe I only make with my younger daughter.&amp;nbsp; I often substitute the sugar with brown sugar, the caramel/molasses flavor is perfect with the bannanas. &lt;br /&gt;
  914. &lt;br /&gt;
  915. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.getnatured.com/2010/09/kid-tested-pumpkin-muffins_10.html%20&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pumpkin Muffins&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Another great muffin recipe from Get Natured, tasty as well as packed with nutrition.&lt;br /&gt;
  916. &amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  917. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2670&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pineapple Breakfast Sandwich&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- A nice combination of whole grain carbs and protein to start your day.&lt;b&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  918. &lt;br /&gt;
  919. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.chiquitabananas.com/Banana-Recipes/Banana-Oatmeal-Smoothie-recipe.aspx&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Banana Oatmeal Smoothie&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- It seems strange, but I really love this smoothie.&amp;nbsp; You blend cooked oatmeal with frozen banana, almonds, Greek Yogurt and ice.&amp;nbsp; For me, this is a good way to fuel my morning for a workout.</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/03/healthy-meals-list.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><thr:total>2</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-3659575166440633418</guid><pubDate>Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-04-23T13:17:56.390-07:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">freezable foods</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">freezer meals</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">once a month cooking</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">recipe suggestions</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">time management</category><title>Freezer Friendly Meals</title><description>I had a few requests for some ideas on meals to make ahead and freeze.&amp;nbsp; I often try to to include recipes that are freezer friendly on my weekly recipe lists and so it occurred to me that I should pull a list together and put it on the blog.&amp;nbsp; And as I come across others that I like, I&#39;ll just add them to this list.&amp;nbsp; If you are someone who is preparing for a new baby, a busy month or you just prefer to cook just a couple times in a month you could bookmark this page and come back to it when you are looking for inspiration.&amp;nbsp; I find that even though I love to make a scratch meal and serve it up fresh each night, the reality of my family&#39;s schedule is that I can&#39;t do that and remain sane.&amp;nbsp; Maybe 2 or 3 nights in a week there is time, but if I were to take the time to cook each night, I would be taking away time from something else that needs attention.&amp;nbsp; Like a baby.&amp;nbsp; Or children who need help with homework.&amp;nbsp; Or showering.&amp;nbsp; :-)&lt;br /&gt;
  920. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;
  921. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  922. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;
  923. So here&#39;s my list that I will consider a work in progress.&amp;nbsp; Leave me comments if you have any recipes you would love to recommend.&amp;nbsp; And here is a handy template for labels for your meals.&amp;nbsp; You can print them on plain paper and just cut and tape them to containers or print on &lt;b&gt;Avery labels 5164&lt;/b&gt;.&amp;nbsp; &lt;a href=&quot;https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2O-lRjrI2ZaYzIwZTA5OTYtZjRiNC00YmFmLWI5MTUtOWU2NzA0MjMyNmQy/edit?usp=sharing&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;FREEZER LABELS&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  924. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  925. &lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  926. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  927. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Freezer Friendly Meals&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  928. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;
  929. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  930. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;
  931. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.marthastewart.com/341533/light-turkey-meatballs%20&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Light Turkey Meatballs&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- You can either cook these and then freeze
  932. these on a sheet pan, then transfer to a freezer bag or container.&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Or leave them uncooked and freeze them so you
  933. can cook them when you want.&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;If you
  934. freeze them unbaked, my suggestion is to cook them by simmering in marinara
  935. sauce, it’s really flavorful that way.&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  936. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;
  937. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  938. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;
  939. &lt;a href=&quot;http://ovenlove.blogspot.com/2012/01/freezer-friendly-chicken-enchiladas.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Freezer Friendly Chicken Enchiladas&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Easy enchiladas that
  940. doesn’t use a canned sauce, it’s fairly easy to make the sauce from
  941. scratch.&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Includes instructions for
  942. freezing unbaked and then how to bake them after freezing. &lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  943. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;
  944. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  945. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;
  946. &lt;a href=&quot;http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/baked-polenta-pie/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Baked Polenta Pie&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Assemble this in advance in a
  947. disposable foil pan, put in the freezer and save it for a busy night, just bake
  948. and eat.&amp;nbsp; Feel free to change up the sausages/meats to use whatever you
  949. prefer.&lt;/div&gt;
  950. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;
  951. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  952. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;
  953. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/beef-cheese-noodle-bake-10000001141964/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Beef, Cheese and Noodle Bake&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Substitute with ground
  954. turkey and use whole grain elbow macaroni to lower the fat and increase the
  955. healthy carbs.&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;I suggest that you not
  956. let the sauce cook down as the recipe instructs, but keep it saucy since the
  957. noodles will absorb moisture.&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;You could
  958. freeze unbaked or completely baked.&lt;/div&gt;
  959. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;
  960. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  961. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;
  962. &lt;a href=&quot;http://joelens.blogspot.com/2010/05/cilantro-lime-chicken-tacos.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- A bunch of cilantro is so inexpensive and this dish
  963. is easy.&amp;nbsp; She also provides instructions for making it as a freezer meal.&lt;br /&gt;
  964. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  965. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.blogger.com/goog_1144558985&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  966. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;
  967. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/04/classic-baked-ziti.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Classic Baked Ziti&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;-
  968. Simple and
  969. easy.&amp;nbsp; This recipe includes making the tomato sauce portion, which if
  970. you like to use a jarred marinara sauce and want to skip that part of
  971. the cooking, feel free to do that.&amp;nbsp; Just assemble this as listed in the recipe, then freeze with a note on the baking instructions.&amp;nbsp; You could also bake it ahead of time and freeze after it cools so that all you have to do is thaw and re-heat servings.&lt;/div&gt;
  972. &lt;/div&gt;
  973. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;
  974. &lt;br /&gt;
  975. &lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/10/turkey-meatball-and-tortelini-soup.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Turkey Meatball and Tortellini Soup&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- With big meatballs and tortellini, this
  976. soup can be a meal.&amp;nbsp; I consider it a pantry/freezer meal, the ingredients
  977. are always available in my house and if something isn’t, I just
  978. improvise.&amp;nbsp; Great meal to make ahead or makes a lot for multiple meals.&lt;/div&gt;
  979. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;
  980. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  981. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;
  982. &lt;a href=&quot;http://onceamonthmom.com/easy-ranch-chicken/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Easy Ranch Chicke&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;n- This one is suggested to prep ahead and
  983. freeze uncooked.&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  984. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;
  985. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  986. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;
  987. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/07/taco-pasta.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Taco Pasta&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Cook as directed, once it’s cool, portion into
  988. freezer bags or containers and then freeze.&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;
  989. &lt;/span&gt;Re-heat in microwave or on stove top.&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  990. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;
  991. &amp;nbsp;
  992. &lt;/div&gt;
  993. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;
  994. &lt;a href=&quot;http://joelens.blogspot.com/2010/06/chicken-parmesan-meatloaf.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Sort of the flavors of chicken
  995. parmesan but a meatloaf instead.&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;
  996. &lt;/span&gt;Includes directions and options for freezing.&lt;span style=&quot;mso-spacerun: yes;&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  997. &lt;div class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;
  998. &lt;br /&gt;
  999. &lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/09/chili-taco-casserole.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chili Taco Casserole&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Prepare this and then transfer to either a foil or freezer/oven safe pan with a note on the baking directions.&amp;nbsp; Then defrost and bake as directed.&amp;nbsp; Alternatively you could follow all the directions and after cooled, freeze and then defrost and re-heat as needed.&lt;br /&gt;
  1000. &lt;br /&gt;
  1001. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.jamiecooksitup.net/2010/09/flavorful-and-fabulous-sloppy-joes.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sloppy Joes&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is a good recipe that doesn&#39;t use a seasoning packet, but the meat and veggies are cooked down with barbecue sauce and other spices.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Make a big batch and portion it out to freeze.&lt;br /&gt;
  1002. &lt;br /&gt;
  1003. &lt;a href=&quot;http://savour-fare.com/2009/03/19/carolina-barbecue-pulled-pork/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Crock Pot Carolina Pulled Pork&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is a Carolina style (meaning vinegar based) barbecue pulled pork you make in the crock pot.&amp;nbsp; You can make this and freeze it for later, or make a really big roast and freeze leftovers. &lt;br /&gt;
  1004. &lt;br /&gt;
  1005. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.plainchicken.com/2012/03/white-chicken-enchiladas.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;White Chicken Enchiladas&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;-
  1006. Really easy to make, doesn’t use a canned cream of chicken soup and you
  1007. can freeze either baked to reheat or put in the freezer unbaked and
  1008. then defrost and bake when you want to eat it. One change I made when I make this- I use 1/2 can green enchilada sauce instead of diced green chilies.&amp;nbsp; Then I freeze the rest of the sauce to save for the next time I make it.&lt;br /&gt;
  1009. &lt;br /&gt;
  1010. &lt;a href=&quot;http://emealplanningrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/01/chicken-parmesan-with-easy-marinara.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chicken Parmesan with Easy Marinara Sauce&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is my own recipe for Chicken Parmesan and a very quick homemade marinara sauce.&amp;nbsp; It&#39;s far from totally authentic, the origin of making it this way was to have a low carb version, so it&#39;s not breaded, it&#39;s just coated&amp;nbsp; in seasonings and grated Parmesan cheese.&amp;nbsp; For a freezer meal, I fully cook it, then when it&#39;s cooled it can be transferred to a freezer container for storage.&amp;nbsp; Then you just defrost and re-heat in the microwave.&amp;nbsp; You could also cook the chicken completely without sauce, freeze and then when you want to have it, cover the chicken with sauce and cheese and then bake.&lt;br /&gt;
  1011. &lt;br /&gt;
  1012. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/09/spaghetti-squash-lasagna.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Spaghetti Squash Lasagna&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- You can use my marinara sauce recipe above as it will make extra sauce to use in this recipe.&amp;nbsp; This is a great, healthy recipe you can portion into serving sizes or make one big one.&lt;/div&gt;
  1013. </description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/03/freezer-friendly-meals.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><thr:total>1</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-323753500541706410</guid><pubDate>Sat, 03 Mar 2012 22:45:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-03-04T11:04:13.360-08:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">crock pot recipes</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">healthy eating</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Weekly meal plan</category><title>Meals for Week of March 5, 2012</title><description>So I&#39;m making this short and sweet.&amp;nbsp; This week&#39;s list has several crock pot recipes and I have 2 recipes for shrimp, both with coconut, but yet they&#39;re not really the same.&amp;nbsp; The recipes this week are healthy and either easy for a weeknight or something you can make ahead and re-heat leftovers.&lt;br /&gt;
  1014. &lt;br /&gt;
  1015. &lt;br /&gt;
  1016. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  1017. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2WlFm3qPz1TJLHF4_HT3gR_Fhkr3zseEyiAKYOitK-_EsD1ApDVAxWJaEvHEOD6iem5n8km0Fzu_bglb5ak2C-DwBwTjO0mJXzpV0YhIbLXPUeRgJXOaLuFWAjkBQISpwpO51qSwurIK/s1600/coconut+shrimp+collage.jpg&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;295&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2WlFm3qPz1TJLHF4_HT3gR_Fhkr3zseEyiAKYOitK-_EsD1ApDVAxWJaEvHEOD6iem5n8km0Fzu_bglb5ak2C-DwBwTjO0mJXzpV0YhIbLXPUeRgJXOaLuFWAjkBQISpwpO51qSwurIK/s320/coconut+shrimp+collage.jpg&quot; width=&quot;320&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1018. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;We had this in my house and loved it!&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1019. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  1020. &lt;br /&gt;
  1021. &lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  1022. &lt;span style=&quot;font-size: large;&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Meals for Week of March 5, 2012&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1023. &lt;br /&gt;
  1024. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/03/thai-coconut-curry-shrimp.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Using light coconut milk still provides that great flavor combination with red chili paste, but reduces the calories and fat.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  1025. &lt;br /&gt;
  1026. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-slowcooker-lemon-garlic-47100&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- This is recipe requires browning the chicken on the stove first, which really helps to sear in the flavor and keeps the chicken from cooking down into nothing.&amp;nbsp; It also is best cooked on high for 4 hours, so it’s not the sort of slow cooker recipe that you put out in the morning and leave all day.&amp;nbsp; But it is useful for a busy weekend where you can get it assembled and then leave it.&amp;nbsp; Or make it in advance and then just re-heat for another night.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  1027. &lt;br /&gt;
  1028. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/12/skinny-coconut-shrimp.html#more&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Skinny Coconut Shrimp&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- These are great as an appetizer with a dipping sauce or for a meal you can serve them with rice and a big vegetable stir fry.&amp;nbsp; I made one change to the recipe; I added the juice of one orange to the beaten egg.&lt;br /&gt;
  1029. &lt;br /&gt;
  1030. &lt;a href=&quot;http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/quick-easy-zesty-sausage-pasta/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Quick and Easy Zesty Sausage Pasta&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;-&amp;nbsp; A fantastic sauce you can put over pasta, gnocchi, soft polenta or even over roasted vegetables for a low carb meal.&amp;nbsp; It’s quick to cook, but full of flavor.&lt;br /&gt;
  1031. &lt;br /&gt;
  1032. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipes/NU00366&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Balsamic Roast Chicken&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Delicious low fat method for roasting a chicken.&amp;nbsp; This recipe uses a whole chicken, but you could apply the same method to chicken parts.&amp;nbsp; Add sliced onions to the pan for caramelized onions to go with the chicken.&lt;br /&gt;
  1033. &lt;br /&gt;
  1034. &lt;a href=&quot;http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2010/01/enchilada-chicken-chili.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Slow Cooker Enchilada Chicken Chili&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- A slightly different flavor than your usual chili.&amp;nbsp; Really good!&amp;nbsp; The recipe suggests controlling the heat by cutting back on the chili powder if you’re using a spicy enchilada sauce.&lt;br /&gt;
  1035. &lt;br /&gt;
  1036. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/3176&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Vegetable Bean Soup&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- Here is a meatless but filling soup that has many options for you to change it to suit your tastes.&lt;br /&gt;
  1037. &lt;br /&gt;
  1038. &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/day-305.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Crock Pot Pasta Fagioli Soup&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;- This is a beef, vegetable and pasta soup that is filling and you can make a large amount to eat all week or to feed a crowd.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
  1039. &lt;br /&gt;
  1040. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/peanut-butter-granola-balls&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Peanut Butter Granola Balls&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;- Really easy, a great snack for kids or to pack in their lunch.</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/03/meals-for-week-of-march-5-2012.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM2WlFm3qPz1TJLHF4_HT3gR_Fhkr3zseEyiAKYOitK-_EsD1ApDVAxWJaEvHEOD6iem5n8km0Fzu_bglb5ak2C-DwBwTjO0mJXzpV0YhIbLXPUeRgJXOaLuFWAjkBQISpwpO51qSwurIK/s72-c/coconut+shrimp+collage.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5001924621792109929.post-3264828776151198097</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 Mar 2012 08:31:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-03-02T08:41:39.126-08:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">recipe suggestions</category><title>Photo Shoot with His Life Magazine</title><description>&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  1041. &lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtq9D06vHRdxS9Md7PwE6XgQdgCBgpgGLXcL3yRBigWnqscb0bS8Pn3cSMIv5pXINBdRGbWeBkiBJVw81bIdFSHSgi_b89tU2LD_aLHk4X8oUyA4Uz3OGsurQJIhY_q22WXqab2SA0-lNh/s1600/IMG_0177.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtq9D06vHRdxS9Md7PwE6XgQdgCBgpgGLXcL3yRBigWnqscb0bS8Pn3cSMIv5pXINBdRGbWeBkiBJVw81bIdFSHSgi_b89tU2LD_aLHk4X8oUyA4Uz3OGsurQJIhY_q22WXqab2SA0-lNh/s320/IMG_0177.JPG&quot; width=&quot;239&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1042. &lt;br /&gt;
  1043. We interrupt our usual programming to bring you some recipes and photos from our photo shoot with &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.hislifemag.blogspot.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;His Life Magazine&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp; This blog and my family are featured in the Spring issue and I wanted to share the recipes I made for the photo shoot. I also took some photos with my iPhone camera and with the Instagram app, so I&#39;m sprinkling in a few of those here.&lt;br /&gt;
  1044. &lt;br /&gt;
  1045. Photographer Tanea Devriend is the creative force behind &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.hislifemag.blogspot.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;His Life Magazine&lt;/a&gt; and she happens to take &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.171999252824701.39574.138365382854755&amp;amp;type=3&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;beautiful family photos&lt;/a&gt; of my family.&amp;nbsp; When she was looking to add blogs to partner with her magazine, I jumped at the chance and together she and I collaborated on a feature for the spring issue.&amp;nbsp; I put together a four course meal using the theme of love as inspiration.&amp;nbsp; The plan was that I would make a meal, with the help of my daughters for my husband.&amp;nbsp; It would be foods he loves, made by us, with love.&lt;br /&gt;
  1046. &lt;br /&gt;
  1047. Link to download the magazine- &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/349848&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;His Life Magazine Spring 2012 Issue&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1048. &lt;br /&gt;
  1049. &lt;b&gt;First Course- Stuffed Mushrooms&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1050. There&#39;s a lot of great recipes for stuffed mushrooms out there.&amp;nbsp; My husband loves mushrooms, and the ones that I make are super simple.&lt;br /&gt;
  1051. &lt;br /&gt;
  1052. &lt;b&gt;Stuffed Mushrooms&lt;br /&gt;From e-mealplanning.com&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1053. &lt;br /&gt;
  1054. 1 doz mushrooms- large sized for stuffing, some stores sell pre-packaged &quot;stuffers&quot; &lt;br /&gt;
  1055. 2-3 tbl. olive oil&lt;br /&gt;
  1056. 2-3 small mushrooms, finely chopped&lt;br /&gt;
  1057. 1 1/4 c. mozzarella cheese&lt;br /&gt;
  1058. 1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese&lt;br /&gt;
  1059. 2 tbl. mayonnaise&lt;br /&gt;
  1060. 3 tbl. butter&lt;br /&gt;
  1061. 2 cloves garlic- crushed&lt;br /&gt;
  1062. 1 tsp. cajun seasoning or Emeril&#39;s Essence&lt;br /&gt;
  1063. salt, pepper to taste&lt;br /&gt;
  1064. Pre-heat oven to 350&lt;br /&gt;
  1065. Wash stuffing mushrooms, remove stems and chop, then hollow them out a little (if possible) and save those bits to mix into the stuffing. Brush the insides and outsides with olive oil.&lt;br /&gt;
  1066. Melt butter in medium sauté pan, add garlic and begin to sauté, add chopped stems and insides. Cook for just a few minutes to soften mushrooms. &lt;br /&gt;
  1067. Mix together cheeses and mayo. Add the cooked garlic and mushrooms. Season with Cajun seasoning or Essence. OR experiment with other seasonings- herbs or more garlic, whatever you like. Add salt and pepper to your taste and mix this all together.&lt;br /&gt;
  1068. Place spoonfuls of the filling into the mushroom caps.&lt;br /&gt;
  1069. If your baking dish needs it, brush some olive oil or butter on the pan. Place the mushrooms on the pan and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Then turn the temp to BROIL and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely.&lt;br /&gt;
  1070. A note about the cooking time: Larger mushrooms are going to need more time to get the stuffing heated and melted and the mushroom soft. So, cooking time will vary.&lt;br /&gt;
  1071. &lt;br /&gt;
  1072. &lt;br /&gt;
  1073. Here&#39;s &lt;a href=&quot;http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/08/stuffed-mushrooms-baby/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;another recipe&lt;/a&gt;, somewhat the same technique, little different flavors, but from one of my favorites, &lt;a href=&quot;http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/08/stuffed-mushrooms-baby/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;The Pioneer Woman&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
  1074. &lt;br /&gt;
  1075. &lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  1076. &lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWqTzKlSNAuqZ10hYv1wErpSeoZRKSTbOiLsrmrgIf71IcQkXqecfoh50B3ik8FIXaftos6ntrJiayuLvHxN0r89bBP5Z-PbOq9K-3BBVJ9Oo4sgw3U9et9hRXj9m0IpdyD0UCMLEvGqn/s1600/IMG_0184.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWqTzKlSNAuqZ10hYv1wErpSeoZRKSTbOiLsrmrgIf71IcQkXqecfoh50B3ik8FIXaftos6ntrJiayuLvHxN0r89bBP5Z-PbOq9K-3BBVJ9Oo4sgw3U9et9hRXj9m0IpdyD0UCMLEvGqn/s320/IMG_0184.JPG&quot; width=&quot;320&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1077. &lt;br /&gt;
  1078. &lt;b&gt;Second Course- Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Balsamic Dressing&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1079. My husband is not a big salad eater, but he does love a good spinach salad.&amp;nbsp; This one is very easy.&amp;nbsp; I left it simple but like with any salad you can add anything you like.&lt;br /&gt;
  1080. &lt;br /&gt;
  1081. 1 bag baby spinach&lt;br /&gt;
  1082. 2-3 slices of bacon&lt;br /&gt;
  1083. 3 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar (I get mine in the bulk section at Whole Foods, it&#39;s a Fig Balsamic Vinegar)&lt;br /&gt;
  1084. Dried cranberries and sliced almonds (use however much you want)&lt;br /&gt;
  1085. &lt;br /&gt;
  1086. In a small pan fry the bacon slices until crisp, then set aside on a plate and crumble them.&amp;nbsp; Then using the same pan, remove some of the bacon grease leaving about a tablespoon or so.&amp;nbsp; Put the pan on medium/high heat and then slowly pour in the vinegar.&amp;nbsp; Be careful as it can splatter, but you want it to bubble and boil so it can combine and reduce a little.&amp;nbsp; Prepare the salad; place spinach in desired serving dish, add the cranberries and almonds, pour the warm dressing over, gently toss everything together.&amp;nbsp; Serve immediately with some crumbled bacon on top.&lt;br /&gt;
  1087. &lt;br /&gt;
  1088. &lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  1089. &lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQhs4L4_-nzN5nqin7knVI4IymmtGJxqSNKsLGcwgeSGJNZ8IhLVA7VQPed-xG1M7PXi01BLJcyLGdxVmVW4yFWe5tU_7xkJaweJ7vcjKZG9v1_i1KO5uyIHsFShXrYeujGcDE11YCegr/s1600/IMG_0182.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;200&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQhs4L4_-nzN5nqin7knVI4IymmtGJxqSNKsLGcwgeSGJNZ8IhLVA7VQPed-xG1M7PXi01BLJcyLGdxVmVW4yFWe5tU_7xkJaweJ7vcjKZG9v1_i1KO5uyIHsFShXrYeujGcDE11YCegr/s200/IMG_0182.JPG&quot; width=&quot;149&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1090. &lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  1091. &lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3_oX30gpB-t6dKKf6Aq7sQtHZZ5rOjTOrrUHkE465MebKs6iNRD4fnbly0W_ON1euERkK_0kq5cwVJKeb5OSQkMDHy6hmxC-TP-uEy9HVR1GwBtOqIGCLNgWUR7FlVqwOLfDGbvr66B2/s1600/IMG_0183.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF3_oX30gpB-t6dKKf6Aq7sQtHZZ5rOjTOrrUHkE465MebKs6iNRD4fnbly0W_ON1euERkK_0kq5cwVJKeb5OSQkMDHy6hmxC-TP-uEy9HVR1GwBtOqIGCLNgWUR7FlVqwOLfDGbvr66B2/s320/IMG_0183.JPG&quot; width=&quot;320&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1092. &lt;br /&gt;
  1093. &lt;b&gt;Third Course- Buttermilk Roast Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Collard Greens&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1094. My husband loves chicken prepared all sorts of ways.&amp;nbsp; I chose this recipe from the fabulous Deb of Smitten Kitchen because I felt like it was easy for everyday cooking, but yet also worthy of being served for a dinner party.&amp;nbsp; Delicious and yet inexpensive.&lt;br /&gt;
  1095. &lt;a href=&quot;http://smittenkitchen.com/2012/01/buttermilk-roast-chicken/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Smitten Kitchen Buttermilk Roast Chicken&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1096. As far as the mashed potatoes, you may have your own favorite method, on this day I did a basic version using red potatoes that the girls then smashed with a bit of butter, milk and salt.&amp;nbsp; But here&#39;s a fantastic version that I LOVE, it&#39;s what I consider &quot;special occasion&quot; mashed potatoes.&lt;br /&gt;
  1097. &lt;a href=&quot;http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/mashed_potatoes_with_brown_butter_goat_cheese_and_sage/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mashed Potatoes with Browned Butter, Goat Cheese and Sage&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1098. For the collard greens, something my husband grew up eating and loves to have with chicken or ribs, I use a recipe from &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/collard-greens-recipe/index.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Paula Deen&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp; I just happen to omit the hot sauce and drizzle in a bit of balsamic vinegar toward the end of cooking, so it&#39;s got a smokey yet sweet and tangy taste to them.&lt;br /&gt;
  1099. &lt;br /&gt;
  1100. &lt;br /&gt;
  1101. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  1102. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazoS8mr8wBRTJY2Xs5VfoB_m2YVBNQXSvN9hlR2055FUaw7kM3nIx9hJ9ujreYtCIYBvFoBl-z-lf6gB102SGYvdaO03rrymfPyrIK44v-2kAdtjr4mCUxTzKvn2VrDFUS4QiBv8NMnyy/s1600/IMG_0180.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazoS8mr8wBRTJY2Xs5VfoB_m2YVBNQXSvN9hlR2055FUaw7kM3nIx9hJ9ujreYtCIYBvFoBl-z-lf6gB102SGYvdaO03rrymfPyrIK44v-2kAdtjr4mCUxTzKvn2VrDFUS4QiBv8NMnyy/s320/IMG_0180.JPG&quot; width=&quot;239&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1103. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;It was really hard to wait for the ice cream to finish!&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1104. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  1105. &lt;br /&gt;
  1106. &lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
  1107. &lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1WLUNJzODzopt1-OZaoVzKxdPqnquU46pQLZoCXyoTBqb3pZdkYGwl1-nEeTvszPV-lIITe6k9OIy2blAh70qSnij28pybbrYbHwI3oYtQp-td2gXqsGrLVWZW0MlB5iM0o0nA6VY3OP/s1600/IMG_0185.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1WLUNJzODzopt1-OZaoVzKxdPqnquU46pQLZoCXyoTBqb3pZdkYGwl1-nEeTvszPV-lIITe6k9OIy2blAh70qSnij28pybbrYbHwI3oYtQp-td2gXqsGrLVWZW0MlB5iM0o0nA6VY3OP/s320/IMG_0185.JPG&quot; width=&quot;239&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  1108. &lt;br /&gt;
  1109. &lt;b&gt;Fourth Course- Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Hot Fudge Sauce and Chocolate Brownies&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1110. Homemade ice cream is fun and it&#39;s delicious and the recipe I used is featured in the magazine.&amp;nbsp; It&#39;s from Mark Bittman who writes for the New York Times, has published several books and has an iPhone app, which I happen to use quite a bit. &lt;br /&gt;
  1111. &lt;b&gt;Peanut Butter Hot Fudge Sauce&amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1112. Using this &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.marthastewart.com/342172/chocolate-sauce&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Chocolate Sauce&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/b&gt;recipe from Martha Stewart, I adapt it to just make it in the microwave, heating it in 30 second intervals and stirring until it&#39;s all smooth and combined.&amp;nbsp; I added to that, 2 heaping tablespoons of smooth peanut butter, stirring and using the heat of the sauce to melt the peanut butter and if you need to, put it back in the microwave for 10 or so seconds.&lt;br /&gt;
  1113. For the brownies, I again use a simple recipe from Martha Stewart that I love and I haven&#39;t made brownies from a box mix ever since I discovered this recipe-&amp;nbsp; &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.marthastewart.com/341199/fudgy-brownies&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Fudgy Brownies&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1114. &lt;br /&gt;
  1115. You can make a sundae with a brownie on the bottom, a scoop (or two) of ice cream, top it with the peanut butter hot fudge sauce and then whipped cream and chopped peanuts.&amp;nbsp; Or, what I did that day, I topped it with tiny chocolate peanut butter cups.&lt;br /&gt;
  1116. &lt;br /&gt;
  1117. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  1118. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0KT__MM8cDIAjPxKFyB8JgNxygdKBMOls2DClNgXOw3XqOHHWJlJ51JSUn2cNA8xeaFVo6iERo62Zqhi3QJSchA7L9vIqauYQTT0apKZuyKfKh8VsMoPvqxOmq3LlKruh3liMNAtyJ-7s/s1600/IMG_0187.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0KT__MM8cDIAjPxKFyB8JgNxygdKBMOls2DClNgXOw3XqOHHWJlJ51JSUn2cNA8xeaFVo6iERo62Zqhi3QJSchA7L9vIqauYQTT0apKZuyKfKh8VsMoPvqxOmq3LlKruh3liMNAtyJ-7s/s320/IMG_0187.JPG&quot; width=&quot;239&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1119. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;Sharing the ice cream sundae with Daddy&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1120. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  1121. &lt;br /&gt;
  1122. &lt;table align=&quot;center&quot; cellpadding=&quot;0&quot; cellspacing=&quot;0&quot; class=&quot;tr-caption-container&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  1123. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0sEu1dDOoDpnsyF-pYmuqhqp3gvamc9ObMQCY2_eRx3K9pvNEIniZ-_LSr-T6nS7Ll5l697e1jCcC4Dv9LGvqKEn_JaKrf4cgVAuW82cHaR7rr1mThFiP8CQ4RV7JJhLp8MlV1ruMm0k/s1600/IMG_0188.JPG&quot; imageanchor=&quot;1&quot; style=&quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;&quot;&gt;&lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;320&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0sEu1dDOoDpnsyF-pYmuqhqp3gvamc9ObMQCY2_eRx3K9pvNEIniZ-_LSr-T6nS7Ll5l697e1jCcC4Dv9LGvqKEn_JaKrf4cgVAuW82cHaR7rr1mThFiP8CQ4RV7JJhLp8MlV1ruMm0k/s320/IMG_0188.JPG&quot; width=&quot;320&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1124. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class=&quot;tr-caption&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;The aftermath!!&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  1125. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;
  1126. &lt;br /&gt;</description><link>http://e-mealplanning.blogspot.com/2012/03/photo-shoot-with-his-life-magazine.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Erika)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtq9D06vHRdxS9Md7PwE6XgQdgCBgpgGLXcL3yRBigWnqscb0bS8Pn3cSMIv5pXINBdRGbWeBkiBJVw81bIdFSHSgi_b89tU2LD_aLHk4X8oUyA4Uz3OGsurQJIhY_q22WXqab2SA0-lNh/s72-c/IMG_0177.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item></channel></rss>

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