Jessica's Meal Plan, week 8/19

I took a summer hiatus from posting here. It was just too darn hot to cook anything interesting and the sweltering summer made me pretty lethargic as far as writing anything. I didnt even meal plan, and we definitely suffered for it. I cant tell you how many nights we had hamburgers or spaghetti because I couldnt think of anything else to make.

I still dont know how often I'll post here, but at the very least, I'm meal planning. Its starting to cool down again and my creativity is coming back so I think we're ready for some new meals. And I DEFINITELY need to know whats on my shopping list each week. So here we go:

Sunday: roasted chicken, swiss, green apple & dijon paninis with corn on the cob

Monday: I have to eat Qdoba for a work training. DAMN. The boys will have leftover chicken.

Tuesday: home made pizza with fresh tomato sauce, parmesan, and baby spinach with sliced apples

Wednesday: sweet & spicy chicken & veggie stir-fry over brown rice with sliced fresh peaches

Thursday: pork chops with roasted apples and green beans in mustard vinaigrette

Friday: thai chicken noodle bowl with steamed veggies

Saturday: home made chicken nuggets with whipped maple bacon sweet potatoes

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies of All Time

I haven't felt much like cooking.  It's been in the 90's and humid, work has been nuts, and William is a busy guy at summer camp!  But tonight, The Boys wanted chocolate chip cookies and Steve goes, "NOT healthy ones!"  I decided I'd make them as healthy as could...unbeknownst to Steve. So, basically, they are whole wheat and have less sugar in them - and I used Earth Balance instead of butter, of course! Steve ate one and proclaimed them the best chocolate chip cookies of all time.  Mission: Accomplished!  They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  The perfect cookie.

1 cup spelt flour (you could use whole wheat, if you don't have spelt)
1 cup whole wheat white flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup Earth Balance "butter" - melted
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
scant 1/2 cup white sugar
1 TBS vanilla
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325.  Stir together melted butter and sugars.  Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.  Stir until creamy.  Sprinkle in baking soda and salt.  Slowly add in flours. Mix just until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips. Bake for 17-20 minutes.  Let rest for 5 minutes before removing from baking pan and cooling on rack.

And now, this week's (late) meal plan - we have been flying by the seat of our pants.  Last week, we had deli turkey (deli meat is NOT my favorite thing) in pita pockets for dinner one night. Things got that bad.

Monday: I had a friend over for dinner, so I just set out all the taco salad fixin's and let everyone make what they wanted.
Tuesday: chicken nachos (SUPER good) -  I just threw a couple chicken breasts into the crockpot with a can of salsa and a packet of taco seasoning.  Then shredded it over nachos with melted cheese and sour cream.  You could add whatever you wanted: black olives, peppers, tomatoes, onions, lettuce...
Wednesday: salmon on the grill
Thursday: out
Friday: brown butter chicken, mushrooms and caramelized onions over angel hair pasta (a Steve fav)
Saturday: Drew, Jess, and Griffin are here!!!!!

Jessica's Meal Plan, week 6/17

I didn't have many exciting recipes from last week to share! The ham and pineapple skewers I made turned out amazing, but I forgot to take any pictures to show you. The ham & pea soup was pretty good too, but I just sort of threw random things in the crock pot that day & didn't write down any measurements. Oh, well.

I probably wont post any recipes this week either. We're having lots of family around and those days when we're not visiting, we're trying to keep things super simple! So here is the plan:

Sunday: brats on the grill with sliced fruit
Monday: spaghetti & garlic bread (though I may be talked out of that since it's supposed to be 95 degrees today)
Tuesday: my cousin, Sean, will be here from Cleveland! We'll be meeting my parents in Denver to take him out to dinner. So fun!
Wednesday: taco casserole with fruit gazpacho
Thursday: grilled mango chicken with grilled potato packets
Friday: sandwiches on the way to the airport. WOO!
Saturday: whatever deliciousness our Columbus family decides on. CANT WAIT!

Jessica's Meal Plan, week of 6/10

We have been a BUSY family lately and I am beat!! Because of that, the meal plan this week leans toward the easy side. Should still be yummy though!

Sunday- grilled pineapple & ham skewers with steamed asparagus
Monday- spinach & bean quesadillas with chips & salsa
Tuesday- roasted chicken breast with mashed cauliflower
Wednesday- ham & pea soup with cornbread
Thursday- Big Salad with roasted beets, kale, apples, raisins, feta & pecans
Friday- garlic pasta primavera
Saturday- Father's Day dinner at my parents' house

Enjoy your week!

Greek quinoa burgers (a Jess post)

Dude... DUDE. I'm not even kidding you, this recipe was GOOD. Like, creepily excited for leftovers good. And, as a bonus, crazy healthy!! Bless the Pinterest for yet another amazing idea.

My recipe was adapted from this one in Whole Living a few years back. Makes sense- I adore that magazine too. I just made a few tweaks to suit our particular tastes/ eating styles and you can too! Here's what I did...

Ingredients:

for the burgers-
1/2 c quinoa
3/4 c water
1 carrot, cut into large chunks
1 clove garlic, peeled
12 oz (about 3/4 of a can) cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
1/4 c Panko breadcrumbs
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 tsp dried onion flakes
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp cumin
salt & pepper to taste
2 T olive oil
4 whole wheat pitas
1/4 cucumber, peeled & sliced

for the yogurt sauce-
1/2 c plain Greek yogurt
the juice from 1/2 lemon (apprx. 1 T)
2 T feta cheese crumbles
pepper to taste

In a small saucepan, bring the water and quinoa to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 12 minutes or until tender and water is absorbed. Meanwhile, in a food processor pulse together the carrot and garlic. Add the beans and whir together until it becomes a thick paste. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, bean mixture, breadcrumbs, egg, and spices. Form into 4 patties, approximately 3/4 inch thick. If the mixture is too sticky, you can either wet your hands before you form the patties, or you can put the bowl in the fridge for a few minutes to thicken it up. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the patties and cook, untouched, 8 minutes per side or until cooked through and crispy and golden brown on the outside. While the patties are cooking, combine all of the yogurt sauce ingredients. Serve the burgers stuffed inside a pita half, topped with yogurt sauce and cucumber slices.

These really were extraordinarily delicious. Even Drew loved them (and he hates most things, but especially beans)! And they were pretty easy to make too! They reminded me a lot of falafel, only much healthier. Go forth and create quinoa burgers!

Picnic Platter

One of our favorite things to do is just set a giant platter of good stuff on the dining room table and have everyone go it.  It's fast, easy, and always delicious.  Here's what we had on it this time:

From left to right on red board:

roasted chicken (not pictured - it was still cooling), cauliflower, broccoli, sharp cheddar shards, strawberries, carrots, and different crackers.

Small plate at bottom: herbed soft cheese surrounded by apple slices

And this is what the platter looked like 20 minutes later (you can see Steve is not done quite yet!):

We took it DOWN.

Grilled Garlic Herb Salmon (a Jess post)

I happened upon this recipe while surfing Pinterest and it looked really simple and summery so I thought I'd give it a try. It was DELICIOUS, really healthy, and is my favorite way of cooking salmon so far.

Ingredients:
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp herbs de Province
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
2 T Dijon mustard
2-4 6 oz salmon fillets
salt & pepper

Heat your charcoal or gas grill and coat the grate with oil or cooking spray. In a food processor, combine the garlic, herbs de Province, vinegar, oil & mustard until it forms a thick sauce or paste and set aside. Sprinkle the salmon with salt & pepper to taste and then place on the grill skin side up, cover the grill, and cook for 5 minutes. Turn and spoon the mustard sauce onto the salmon. Cover the grill and cook another 3-4 minutes. Turn again, spoon more sauce on top and cook a minute longer.

I served this with grilled asparagus and a tossed salad out on the back patio. Ahhh, summer. And both of the boys really liked it too! Score!

my tiny food critic

my taller dining partner. he was happy, I swear!

Cory's Meal Plan

I have been super lazy recently.  I have not had the desire (or time!) to cook much.  And, when I have, it's been a horrendous failure.  Rachel Ray screwed me last night.  I found a recipe of hers for turkey sloppy joes that sounded good.  Not so much.  Neither Steve nor I could stomach bringing in the leftovers for lunch and just pitched them.  Frozen burritos sounded better.  That bad.  I have high hopes for this week, though!  I'm going easy, fast, and yummy.  And cheap.  Hopefully. I have been spending way to much on food recently!

Sunday: disgusting turkey sloppy joes of horror
Monday: brinner! (pancakes, turkey bacon, and fruit salad) We skipped this last week, so it's reappearing
Tuesday: vegan mushroom stroganoff.  Will keep you posted - it's a new recipe.
Wednesday: picnic platter.  This is one of our favorite meals.  I set out a giant platter that has veggies, fruit, crackers, cheeses, and broiled chicken shreds.  Everyone just picks off it and eats what they want.
Thursday: out
Friday: salmon burgers and oven fries
Saturday: Cory Pockets.  I am going to take all the leftovers from picnic platter and stuff them into a puff pastry.  Should be fast and easy - and a good way to use up leftover cut-up veggies, cheese, and chicken! Hopefully they are nothing like Hot Pockets.  Oh, Hot Pockets, you were so awesome in college - the Dinner of Champions.  I am old and you now disgust me.  What was I thinking?

Jessica's Meal Plan, week of 6/3

This is the first time it's supposed to be in the mid to upper 80s all week so I wanted to plan accordingly. This time of year I like to use the oven as infrequently as possible and keep things fairly light. By the time August rolls around I'd usually be fine eating nothing but cold watermelon, but I've got these boys to worry about...

Sunday- leftovers
Monday- grilled garlic salmon with steamed asparagus
Tuesday- chicken nachos with grapes and strawberries
Wednesday- Greek quinoa burgers with chips & mini Greek salads
Thursday- Picnic! grilled ham & pineapple skewers with cheddar jalapeno corn bread
Friday- peach balsamic chicken breasts with snap peas & salad

I've also got some new breakfast recipes I'll be checking out this week. I'll share if any of them are good!

Maple Dijon Chicken and Parmesan Snap Peas (a Jess post)

Last night's dinner was SO EASY. And by so easy, I'm talking I thought I must have missed a step or 3.  The best part is, it tasted like I had slaved away. So, of course, I pretended I did. :)

For the maple Dijon chicken:
1 lb. chicken thighs
1/2 c Dijon mustard
1/4 c good quality maple syrup
1 T rice vinegar
salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 and line a baking dish with aluminum foil. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt & pepper and arrange in the lined dish. Mix together the mustard, syrup and vinegar. Pour the mustard mixture on top of the chicken, turning to coat. Bake for 40 minutes, or until cooked through and starting to brown, basting once after 20 minutes.

For the Parmesan snap peas:
1/2 lb. snap peas, strings removed
1 T olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 T shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450. Toss the peas with the olive oil and garlic salt and place on a baking sheet. Bake approximately 10 minutes, or until they begin to soften and slightly brown. Sprinkle with cheese and bake an additional 1-2 minutes or until cheese melts.

Drew actually said "this dinner is delicious!" Which comes VERY rarely from Drew and is therefore not something I take lightly! Looks like I found a new regular!

Cory's Meal Plan

Nothing exciting has happened in the kitchen this week.  I made a homemade chex mix that no one likes. So, I have a giant container of gross chex mix.  Good times.  But, I have high hopes for this week. Here's the meal plan...

Sunday: western omelets
Monday: cook out!  We're having turkey burgers, corn on the cob, chips, and fruit
Tuesday: quinoa with shrimp and veggies
Wednesday: spaghetti...not special in any way.  (The last time I put mashed sardines in the sauce and William and I ate it all up, but Steve threw a temper tantrum of massive proportions and has since taken to rooting around in everything I serve him looking for sardines. And has made me promise at least a dozen times to never put sardines in anything he eats again.)
Thursday: out
Friday: Steve's fav taco salad
Saturday: turkey sloppy joes

Jessica's Meal Plan, week of 5/27

Two posts in one day? A meal plan before Sunday evening? What the what?

I'm taking advantage of some much needed downtime and also anticipating that this weekend will be pretty busy. Fun, but busy. And since I'm going grocery shopping first thing tomorrow morning, I figured I'd go ahead and post my meal plan now.

Sunday: my parents are coming over for a Memorial Day BBQ. We'll have burgers, dogs, corn on the cob, my grandma's famous baked beans, fruit salad, and whatever awesome dessert my mom brings with her.
Monday: maple dijon chicken with parmesan snap peas
Tuesday: this will be our first weekly picnic of the season! I'm thinking turkey sandwiches, chips & sliced fruit with a stop for frozen yogurt afterwards
Wednesday: garlic herb salmon with steamed artichokes & salad
Thursday: spinach quesadillas with spanish rice
Friday: dinner from one of the vendors at First Friday downtown!

Spanish Meatballs (a Jess post)

I'm always looking for fast & easy yet delicious recipes. I think we all are, actually. Well, this is one of those. It takes about 25 minutes total and it's a nice change from traditional spaghetti & meatballs.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground meat of your choosing (I used turkey)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 T panko breadcrumbs
1 & 1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried onion flakes
1/2 tsp dried parsley
2 T olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced into thick pieces
1 14 oz can tomato sauce
salt & pepper to taste

In a large bowl, mix the meat, egg, breadcrumbs, 1/2 tsp of the paprika, cumin, onion flakes, and parsley. Form into approximately 15 meatballs. Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the meatballs, browning on all sides until cooked through. Meanwhile, combine the tomato sauce, remaining paprika, and salt & pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. When meatballs are cooked, transfer them to the tomato sauce, stir and cover, allowing them to simmer. In the same skillet that you cooked the meatballs in, add the onion and cook until translucent and browning around the edges. Stir the cooked onions into the sauce and meatballs and allow to simmer another 5 minutes or so. Serve over hot rice or egg noodles.

This was a HUGE hit with the boys and would be one of those perfect cool weather weeknight meals.

The Perfect Tuna Cakes

I have found that the best dinners I make are the ones I have no recipe for.  They usually come out of some other recipe that I follow and then think, "that was kinda gross...I wouldn't have added the xyz." I think, for most folks, the best food is always the food that they tweak to fit their own tastes - since everyone is different.  If you recall, I made all kinds of fish cake recipes looking for a winner, never found it, and gave up.  So then I thought, "screw this...I'm making Fish Cakes a la Cory."  I measured nothing, but I'll tell you what went in them - and you can decide what to put in yours!  Steve proclaimed them "the perfect fish cakes."

First, I really finely diced just a little onion and red pepper.  Then I sauteed them in some oil.  I like my veggies soft, no bite to them at all, so I added this first sauteeing to get 'em extra soft.  While they were cooking, I added a giant can of albacore tuna, an egg, a healthy glop of mayo, lots 'o salt (mmmm, yeah), garlic powder, some Old Bay seasoning, a giant handful of panko breadcrumbs, and grated zucchini to a bowl.  Then, I stirred in the onion and red pepper and formed them into cakes.  I fried them up in some olive oil and served them on a bed of greens.  SO GOOD.  

A doctor has proclaimed Steve "SO SKINNY" so he is taking this as "doctor's orders" to eat as much as possible.  He made his way through an entire Ben & Jerry's last night. He is actually the perfect weight for his height - and I told him this doctor is used to seeing old, overweight people.  So a healthy 35 year old man probably looks like a god to him and he cannot be trusted.  I suggested that, perhaaaaaps, he should concentrate on why he has to see a doctor used to seeing old, overweight people - and maybe take better care of himself!  Needless to say...that was not a popular opinion. 

Creamy Shrimp Pasta & Stuff

I have neglected posting, so this is a catch-all!  First, creamy shrimp pasta...

It was good, and REALLY simple.  

Ingredients

• 3/4 pounds Penne Pasta
• 1 pound Shrimp
• A couple nubs of Butter (I used Earth Balance)
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Onion (small)
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1/2 cup White Wine
• 1 can Tomato Sauce (8 Oz)
• 1 cup Heavy Cream (I used 1/2 cup, and you could easily sub in coconut milk here for a dairy-free version)
• Fresh Parsley, to taste
• Fresh Basil - To Taste
• Salt To Taste
• Pepper To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Cook the penne pasta.
Peel, devein and rinse (under cool water) 1 pound of extra large shrimp. Heat a bit of butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple minutes until just opaque. Do not overcook them. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Now, put the cooked shrimp on the cutting board and pull off the tails. Chop the shrimp into bite –sized pieces and set aside.
Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves of garlic.
In a large skillet heat a nub of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit add, your white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
Now add an 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Stir well until combined. Then add 1 cup of heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn heat down to low and let simmer.
Now chop your herbs, about a tablespoon of chopped parsley and about the same amount of chopped basil.
Now add your chopped shrimp back into the tomato cream sauce. Give it a stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Throw in your herbs and stir until combined. Finally add your cooked penne pasta and give it a good stir.

Next, William's bento for this week.  Next week will actually be the last bento of the school year.  After that, William has a week off and then heads to summer camp - where lunches and snacks are provided. William isn't sure how he feels about this turn of events! He loves packing.

Front left: pita triangles with slices of chicken breast

Front right: banana chips

Back left: whole wheat mini chocolate mint cupcake

Back middle: super crackers

Back right: corn

William says this week's lunch is his all time favorite.  But, he has been eating really well - and saying that every week!  For instance, this morning for breakfast he had: a Clif bar, an apple, a handful of sesame sticks, and a lactose-free yogurt.  Every scrap of it went down his tiny gullet.  I don't know where he's storing it!

Lastly, here is the meal plan for this week...

Sunday: salmon out on the grill, strawberries from our garden, and green salad

Monday: black bean tacos, corn

Tuesday: brinner!  I will be making my oat-y pancakes (SO GOOD), scrambled eggs, and fruit salad

Wednesday: Steve has surgery, so I'm picking up whatever he wants for dinner - he says pizza

Thursday: brined chicken breasts, oven fries, green salad

Friday: tuna cakes

Saturday: baked tofu fried rice

Best Pancakes EVER. and a meal plan. (a Jess post)

So I know I posted about pancakes before. And I really did think that recipe was a winner. But I didn't have any buttermilk in the house today so I went searching for other options. And Oh. My. God. This is it. They were, literally, the best pancakes I ever had. And we ate them- ALL OF THEM- so fast that I don't even have a picture! And they were pretty! Here is the recipe so you can find out for yourself:

Ingredients:
1 c white all purpose flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 T sugar
1 1/4 c milk
1 egg
3 T butter, melted

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and then add the remaining ingredients. Stir until thoroughly incorporated. Heat oiled griddle over medium heat and ladle approximately 1/4 of batter onto griddle for each pancake. Brown on both sides.

The recipe was also extremely easy. AND it was the first time I got to use the built-in griddle on my new stove! And let me tell you... it was AWESOME! This was definitely an indulgence for me since I'm not supposed to be eating much "white" sugars and carbs, but since I mixed in some whole wheat, I didn't feel AS bad about it.

So here is my meal plan for this week:

Today (Sunday)- garlic lime roasted turkey and orange sweet potato chips, recipe to follow!
Monday- toasted black bean burritos with avocado sauce
Tuesday- (leftover) turkey noodle casserole, salad & sliced fruit
Wednesday- Big Salad with spinach, apples, raisins, roasted beets & toasted pecans
Thursday- slow cooker Spanish meatballs over brown rice
Friday- out
Saturday- Greek turkey burger pitas & zucchini parmesan hummus

Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Curry (a Jess post)

I have only recently found out that I love Indian food. I know, I know... I can't believe it took me so long either. But now that I know, I crave it CONSTANTLY. I've tried to make a few dishes at home with decent success, so when I was looking for a way to use my red lentils I immediately thought curry. The awesome thing about this recipe is that you can tweak the spice a lot to suit you. Plus, it's SUPER healthy!

Ingredients:
1 c dried red lentils
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
water to cover
1 T grapeseed oil
1 onion, diced
1 T plus 1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 14 oz can tomato sauce

Rinse the lentils until water runs clear. Put them in a pot with the sweet potato and cover with water. Allow the mixture to simmer, covered, until lentils and sweet potato soften- about 15 minutes. While the lentils are cooking, heat the oil in a frying pan and add onion. Cook until onion caramelizes. While onion is cooking, combine the curry powder, garam masala, cumin, chili powder, salt and sugar.

I think spices are so beautiful

Add the spice mixture to the cooked onion and stir constantly, approximately 2 minutes, over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook while stirring another minute longer. Add tomato sauce. Stir and allow mixture to come to a simmer. Once lentil mixture is ready, drain if necessary and add to the curry base. Combine thoroughly and serve over hot rice.

I adored this. It was so satisfying & made me feel like I had gotten authentic Indian takeout. Drew was not as big of a fan, but at least he ate it. We have massive amounts of leftovers and they're all for me!

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes & Bento

I made mint chocolate cupcakes for William's lunch treat this week.  They are really good!!  And William LOVES them.  I made a bunch of mini cupcakes to go in his bento and then I made 6 regular sized cupcakes to frost at some point (they are currently hanging out in the freezer waiting for a reason to be frosted and enjoyed.  William and I LOVE all things mint chocolate, so these are a big hit!

William said, "you know, I eat those cupcakes before any of my healthy food at lunch!" and I was all, "I do not blame you, man." And, secretly, these aren't too terrible for you!  

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder 
• 1 cup flour (I used white-whole-wheat)
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 and 1/2 T cornstarch
• 1 and 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp pure peppermint extract (or 1/2 tsp, if you only want a very-slight mint taste)
• 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (I used a lactose-free yogurt that is super good!)
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 3 T canola oil
• optional: add a few handfuls chocolate chips to the batter!
• 1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients, then add wet. Don’t overmix. Pour into cupcake liners or tins, and bake for 18-20 minutes. 

Per regular sized cupcake there are only 130 calories and three grams of fat (depending on what yogurt you use)!!  The mini cupcakes are only about 55 calories - so eat up!!

And here is William's bento this week:

Back left: super crackers

Back middle: mint chocolate cupcake

Back right: baby carrots

Front left: turkey wraps in whole wheat tortillas

Front right: strawberries (some right from our garden!)

This is a very popular lunch.  Today, the only thing that came home was about 3 bites of wrap and 2 baby carrots.  And crumbs.

No-Bake Granola Bars

The quest for the perfect granola bar may be over!  These are GOOD.  They taste like buckeyes to me.  It's like a snack/dessert.  Yum!!

I am going to try one thing this weekend and then, if it doesn't work, I will declare this the winner!  

2 and 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal, uncooked
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1/4 cup flax meal
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup roasted almond slivers
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Line a square baking pan lined with foil; spray with nonstick cooking spray. 

In a medium bowl mix the oatmeal, wheat germ, flax, chips and nuts; set aside.

Melt peanut butter, honey, and molasses together in the microwave. Stir in vanilla and salt. 

Pour into dry ingredients and mix until well blended. Press into baking pan. Refrigerate until hardened.  Cut into squares and store into fridge until right before eating.

This weekend, I am going to try to use mashed dates as both a binder and a sweetener so I can make a no-sweetner added version! If it doesn't taste right, I'm going back to Old Faithful.  

 

Jessica's Meal Plan, week of 5/13

Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas out there! I actually had time to relax, meal plan & post because my lovely husband is taking care of my lovely son... ahhhh, quiet.

You'd think that because of that I'd have this super creative meal plan, but alas, I do not. I decided to keep it really simple this week so I would be sure to stick to it! I hate deviating from the plan- makes me feel icky.

So, here we are:

Sunday: I'm taking my homemade sausage and roasted veggie lasagna to my parent's house for Mother's Day
Monday: tofu stir fry with brown rice and sliced fruit
Tuesday: leftovers (I have a feeling there will be a LOT of lasagna...)
Wednesday: red lentil curry with raw veggies & dip (I REALLY hope Drew likes this!)
Thursday: chicken, broccoli & barley casserole with salad
Friday: soy tacos with chips & salsa
Saturday: garlic lime turkey breast with orange sweet potato chips (I didn't get to it last week)