Menu Plan Monday 6/10/13

So, the gluten eating I mentioned in my last post, yeah, that didn't go so well.  Denial and all that, so we are back to gluten-free after almost a year of eating gluten.  I have been gluten-free again for four days, and I am hoping to start feeling better very soon.

Monday-
Buffalo Rubbed Delmonico Steaks on the grill with baked potatoes

Tuesday -
Nachos

Wednesday-
Oven baked fish with rice and broccoli

Thursday-
Chicken and Veg Pot Pie

Friday -
Pizza

Saturday-
Grilled Pork Chops with Grilled vegetables

Sunday -
Cheeseburgers with Potato Salad

Menu Plan Monday 3/26/12

Last week went well.  We veered off track a little, but not too much.  Everything was a big hit.  We did change it up, and on Wednesday, instead of trying the Tempura batter, my husband made cheeseburgers on the grill and french fries.  I wasn't feeling too well, so I said go for it!

For this week, I am trying a new recipe, and am looking forward to it.  I just love trying new recipes (though I do admit, my family gets a little scared sometimes!).

Sunday - Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
I love Chicken Cordon Bleu!  When I saw this recipe, I was like, YES!  Chicken Cordon Bleu, as a casserole!! Heaven!  If you haven't guessed by now, I love casseroles! :)  I might be slightly addicted to casseroles.  So for this one, I am going to be boiling a small chicken, and will also make some homemade chicken stock (which I have never done before!).  This does call for panko bread crumbs, so I will be using some store bought Gluten Free breadcrumbs instead.

Monday - Hearty Pork Stew
This is a recipe out of a Taste of Home cookbook - Casseroles, Slow Cooker & Soup.   (See, my love of casseroles is showing again!  This is actually a slow cooker stew, it will be served over gluten free pasta.  I have made it before, and my husband loved it.

Tuesday - Nachos
Oh yes, you read right.  Nachos, again!  The kids have told me they want nachos every night, forever, lol.  I told them we can have nachos until I run out of nacho cheese sauce in the freezer!  I am missing my taco salads, lol. :)

Wednesday - Buffalo Chicken Casserole
 Another week with the Buffalo Chicken Casserole.  My husband is truely addicted to buffalo chicken.  He would have this every night (he's like the kids are with their nachos!).  He's lucky it is really good, and it's a casserole!!

Thursday - Chili & Garlic Bread
 Another meal that my husband requested for this week.  The temperatures have dropped back down to seasonal normals from the 80F weather we had last week, the furnace is running again, so Chili is a great comfort meal on a cold day.

Friday - Cheddar Brats & Grandma's Mashed Potatoes
 Even if it's cold, we will be grilling some Brats.  And probably hot dogs for the kids because they don't care for Brats.  Grandma's Mashed Potatoes is a recipe that my husband's grandmother gave to me years ago.  My husband loves them, and now that Grandma is no longer with us, he is always telling me he is so glad I can carry on making these wonderful potatoes.

Saturday - Pizza & Wings
If I didn't have pizza on the menu this week, I would have one upset little boy.  He is so much like his mama, lol.  I could eat pizza all day long, and so could he. :)


Don't forget to check out the Gluten Free Menu Swap, hosted by Heather at Celiac Family this week for some great gluten free menu ideas. 

The theme this weeks is artichokes, yummy!!  I didn't have any artichoke recipes this week, but I do love artichokes!  Next week's theme is Easter!  Also stop over to OrgJunkie and see the Menu Plan Monday line-up!!  I always seem to find some great ideas between these two places!!

Menu Plan Monday - 3/19/12

Last week was very successful.  The menu plan was followed about 99%.  My Seafood Alfredo was so very good.  My daughter loved it, my son decided he liked bay scallops but not the crab or lobster, and my husband decided he doesn't like shellfish and will just stick with regular fish. :)  So, I won't be making it too often.

The Herbed Pork Roast was a huge hit as always.  There was no pork leftovers!   On Taco Tuesday, my son decided we should have Nachos instead, so we did.  He is now calling Tuesday, "Nacho Tuesday"!!

I never ended up making the potato salad, I wasn't feeling so good, having a lot of issues with my blood pressure, so my husband took over and grilled the cheeseburgers and made some french fries.  My son wanted another burger!  He loves cheeseburgers.

On Thursday, we had the Fire Grilled Cod from Schwans.  It was a little bit disappointing.  They so over-seasoned, it was hard to eat.  We won't be getting that again, for the price of it, it wasn't worth it.

We swapped out Friday and Saturday.  My son won out with having pancakes and sausage links for dinner.  So, we each had a giant pancake and some maple flavored sausage links.  Saturday, I made my Chicken Noodle soup.  It was so good!  I did have a little oopsie though, I opened the wrong side on the salt container, and instead of sprinkling in some salt, I dumped in some salt.  Thankfully, there was a lot of water in there, so it wasn't too bad.  Next time, I will be more watchful!

So, onto this weeks menu.

Sunday - Chicken Stroganoff
This is a staple in our home.  It's been a long time since we had this on the menu, so it needs to make an appearance.

Monday - Cheeseburger Macaroni
Another recipe that has become a staple here.  I am so glad that I found this one.  Everyone loves it, and it makes up for the lack of Hamburger Helper here.  We were all Hamburger Helper addicts before I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  I don't buy it anymore, so this one is always a hit.  (There seems to be an error at the website where I got this recipe.  My old links to it aren't working anymore either, so I am sorry about that.)

Tuesday - Nachos
When put to a vote, either Tacos or Nachos, this week Nachos won!  I think my family is becoming Nacho addicts.  And this is so simple to make, so I am all for it!  All we do is take some tortilla chips, top them with some taco seasoned meat, and then top it with Nacho cheese sauce.  Easy Peasy!  We will probably have some corn and tossed salad as well.

Wednesday - Tempura Battered Fish, Mushroom Rice
I found some gluten free tempura batter mix at Hannaford last week, so I thought I would give it a try.  I also bought some Flounder, Cod and Tilapia fillets, so I will use one of those.  And of course, we have to have mushroom rice!  That stuff is addicting!

Thursday - Creamy Penne & Ham
I am not sure where I originally found this recipe, I am thinking maybe Walmart's Facebook page?  Anyway, I haven't made it in awhile, and it was really good the last time I made it.

Friday - Pizza & Wings
I am satisfying my son's craving for pizza this week.  He's been asking when we are going to have pizza again.  The family will be eating frozen pizza, I will be making my pizza on an Udi's crust.  The wings are Schwans boneless buffalo wings, so I don't eat those, but the rest of the family will be.  I will be having a salad instead.

Saturday - Shepherd's Pie
Simple and comforting.  I make mine very simply, just ground beef, corn, mushrooms and mashed potatoes.  That is how I grew up eating it, when I see it made with other veggies or with gravy, it seems strange to me. 


This week for the Gluten Free Menu Swap, the theme is cookbook inspiration.  I didn't use a cookbook to plan this week's menu, but I do have a slight obsession/addiction with cookbooks.  I only own two gluten free cookbooks though.  I have only made one recipe from one of them (Risotto with Mushrooms and Herbs from Wheat-Free Recipes & Menus by Carol Fenster, Ph.D.)  It was amazing though, I have actually made it twice.  My first risotto too!  I honestly still use all my old cookbooks and just convert the recipes to be gluten free friendly.

Be sure to check out the Gluten Free Menu Swap this week over at Celiacs In The House.

And don't forget about the Menu Plan line up over at Orgjunkie.com!  Not all the menus are gluten free, but you can get some great ideas!

Menu Plan Monday 3/12/12

Sunday - Seafood Alfredo over Tinkyada GF Fettuccine noodles
This is going to a fun experiment!  I found some imitation crab meat and lobster meat that has no gluten in it!  So, this Alfredo will be full of crab and lobster meat, as well as some bay scallops.  I really hope this is one the kids will love.  If it is successful, I will try to keep track of the ingredients and post the recipe.

Monday - Herbed Pork Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
Since I didn't get to make this on the 3rd like I had planned, we are going to try it this week!  I will be sure to post the recipe soon.  I want to get a photo first.  The gravy that I make from this one is amazing!  DH said it is the best gravy ever!

Tuesday - Tacos or Nachos
Tuesday is always "Taco Tuesday" here.  I think the kids (and DH too!) would really go crazy if we did not have tacos on Tuesday.  But, they decided they like Nachos as well.  So, it will depend on what the kids want for this night.

Wednesday - Cheeseburgers (on GF Chebe rolls), Potato Salad
I have made these rolls....oh my, I have no idea how many times, let's just say I love them!!  I have tried Udi's Hotdog and Hamburger buns, not impressed.  So, instead of wrapping my burger in a big piece of lettuce (which is good by the way), I will be making the Chebe rolls for this one.  My potato salad is just a throw together thing, I have no recipe for it.  DH says I use too much mustard.  I tell DH that I love mustard, lol.

Thursday - Fire Grilled Italian Cod, Rice, Broccoli

Fire Grilled Italian Cod.  Photo from Schwans.com

A new thing from Schwans!  I love cod, so am very excited to try this.  DH and the kids love fish as well, so I have high hopes for this one!  This one also meets their "LiveSmart" guidelines.  I am working on incorporating fish into our meals more often, and eating less red meat.  So far the idea actually got smiles from the family.

Friday -Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
This one is going to be another experiment.  I have never made homemade Chicken Noodle soup before.  I am still debating on which kind of noodles to use.  I really wish I could find GF egg noddles!!

Saturday - Breakfast for Dinner
My 7 year old son, Hunter, requested this one.  He was so excited when I made pancakes for dinner a few weeks ago.  He's been asking for them ever since!!  I use Pamela's Baking Mix for my pancakes, delicious!  So, I am thinking we will be having pancakes and sausage links or bacon, maybe some eggs.  Time will tell!

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Be sure to check out the Gluten Free Menu Swap for more Gluten Free menu ideas!

Also, check out the Menu Plan Monday blog over at Organizing Junkie, not all the menus are gluten free, but there are some.  And, if you see something you like, convert it to gluten free!! :)

Menu Plan Monday - 3/5/12

Last week was great.  Everything went pretty much as planned, and very little complaints.  I did a lot of cooking and baking and have learned more about gluten free cooking.

The only change was on Saturday.  Instead of cooking the pork roast, I made Cheesy Chicken & Artichoke Lasagna.  Oh my, this was so good!  It was a recipe my friend showed me on Pinterest.  The only problem with it was my box of lasagna noodles says not to precook them.  I have never precooked them when I make my regular lasagna.  Well, for this new lasagna, they are going to have to be precooked, we ended up taking the top layer of noodles off, and even the rest of the noodles weren't cooked all the way.  I will be making it again sometime, I will make sure I post my results.  But, the filling was amazing.  My friend and I both agreed it would also make a delicious hot dip for tortillas!

 So, for this week.....

Sunday - Pizza & Wings
Monday - Parmesan Fried Chicken, Garlic Noodles
Tuesday - Tacos
Wednesday - Brats/Hot Dogs, French Fries
Thursday - Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Friday - Oven Baked Chicken, Mushroom Rice
Saturday - Southwest Cheese Soup, Tossed Salad, Turkey Sandwiches

Check out other Gluten Free menus at the Gluten Free Menu Swap!

Menu Plan Monday - 2/27/12

I am slowly getting back on the ball with my menu planning.  I have been doing good, just not good at blogging.  I haven't blogged in weeks!  On either this blog, or my other blog.  My mind has been elsewhere I guess.  Anyway, here is our menu for the week...

Saturday - Cheesy Chicken Chowder, Cornbread Muffins
Sunday - Pizza Casserole, Tossed Salad
Monday - Buffalo Chicken Chili, Tossed Salad
Tuesday - Nachos
Wednesday - Three Cheese Penne & Sausage, Tossed Salad
Thursday - Hamburger Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Tossed Salad
Friday - Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Saturday - Herbed Pork Roast, Mashed Potatoes, French Style Green Beans

My cornbread muffin recipe is one that I converted to be gluten free.  I have made these muffins numerous times in the past, but since being gluten free I haven't made them until now.  They turned out wonderful!

My husband requested the buffalo chicken chili again, I think it's turning into his favorite!

If anyone happens to try one of my recipes, or one that I link to, I would love to hear your thoughts on it. :)

I already have next weeks menu ready as well, made grocery shopping really easy this past week.  The only thing I have left to get is some fresh vegetables.

Be sure to check out other Gluten Free Menus and recipes at the Gluten Free Menu Swap!

Menu Plan Monday - 2/6/12

Last week's Buffalo chicken theme was a tremendous hit!  I have been asked to make some of the dishes again and again, lol.  We shall see. :)

This weeks menu doesn't really have a theme, just things that popped into my head.  And there were a couple things I didn't end up cooking, so they made the menu this week.

Sunday - Cheeseburgers on the grill, fries
Monday - Southwest Cheese Soup, turkey sandwiches
Tuesday - Tacos
Wednesday - Parmesan crusted chicken, mushroom rice
Thursday - Hot Dogs on the grill, potato salad
Friday - Oven baked Tilapia, seasoned rice
Saturday - Cheeseburger Macaroni


We went to BJs and bought  two huge bags of charcoal.  So, even though it's hovering around 10F, BBQ still tastes delicious!!

Menu Plan Monday - 1/30/12

Last week went pretty good.  I am getting back into the swing of things, and it feels good too!!!

So, this week is our week of experiments! I am making a few dishes I have never made before, so we shall see how it goes.

I like to start my menus on Sunday, it's easier for me to do my planning that way.  Sometimes I will even start on Saturdays, just because of the shopping planning.  Anyway, on to our menu for this week!

Sunday - Chicken and Veggie Pot Pie (this is always a big hit!)

Monday - Buffalo Chicken Chili - Slow cooker, tossed salad

Tuesday - Tacos

Wednesday - Cheeseburger Macaroni

Thursday - Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

Friday - Southwest Cheese Soup, Tossed Salad, Turkey Sandwiches

Saturday - Buffalo Chicken & Potato Casserole


A little about our choices this week (DH and I always plan the meals together).  We love Buffalo chicken wings, if you haven't guessed by now!  So, anything to do with Buffalo chicken, we are willing to give it a try.  We even had Buffalo chicken dip this past weekend for snack!  The chili is going to be different for me to make.  I have never strayed from my traditional chili before, I am even thinking of calling it something other than chili just so it doesn't affect my thoughts on chili, lol.

I have seen the Cheeseburger Macaroni recipe on a few Gluten Free blogs over the last few months, so thought I would give it a try.  I love one dish dinners, they are so easy!  The family love them too.

The Southwest Cheese Soup appealed to DH because it uses Velveeta cheese, lol.  He loves his Velveeta!!

And of course, another Buffalo chicken recipe.  This one calls for a can of cream of celery soup, which you know if you are gluten free, you can can't have it.  I actually did buy a can, and was going to just risk the side effects, but then found a great recipe for making your own!!!!  Check it out, I really hope it helps. :)  So, instead of using that can of soup I bought, I am going to try to make my own cream of celery soup.  That recipe is equivalent to one can of condensed soup.  I am pretty excited to try to make my own Cream of Something soups!!

I have to go back to the store sometime this week though.  I forgot the buy the chicken breast for the casserole (totally did not put it on my list!) and I got the wrong kind of potatoes.  I got shredded hashbrowns instead of the cubed hashbrowns.  I may just use the shredded though.  But, I have to go get chicken anyway, so...we will see.

Menu Plan Monday - 1/23/12

Big lack in posting menus.  There is a reason behind that (besides being a slacker!).  I had surgery on Halloween, and my menus have pretty much gone out the window since then, along with my ambition.  But, I made a menu this morning and went to town and got a few groceries.  So, here it is, starting with Sunday (today) because I like it that way, lol.

Sunday -  Nachos

Monday - Chili

Tuesday - Tacos

Wednesday - Brats, Garlic Noodles

Thursday - Chicken & Rice Casserole

Friday - Pizza, Chicken Wings

That's as far as I got this week.  Saturday will have to wait. :)  Lets try again for next week!

Menu Plan Monday - 10/24/11

Last week went perfectly!!!  Everything on the menu was made and eaten with great enthusiasm except for Saturday.  Saturday the kids went to their grandparent's to spend the night, and DH went out hunting.  Soooo, I had ice cream for dinner, hehehe.

The theme for the Gluten Free Menu Swap is Spooky Delights.  I really don't have anything spooky to meet the theme, but I am planning to experiment this week.  I am going to try to convert a recipe I got in my email the other day for Spider Cookies.  Peanut Butter Cookies with a Mini Reese's peanut butter cup, Reese's Pieces eyes and licorice legs.  I hope I can find gluten free licorice, if not I will have to think of something else.  If they are successful, I will send them in for my 6 year old's Halloween party at school, since it's his turn for snack day. :)  Once I get it figured out, I will post the recipe for it.

This week is pretty simple, not too involved.

Monday - Pork Chops, Mashed potatoes & Gravy, Broccoli and tossed salad

Tuesday - Tacos, corn

Wednesday - We were supposed to be going to the city so I didn't plan on anything.  Now we will be home, so I need to think of something.  Time to raid the cupboards!

Thursday - Baked Potato Soup,  BLTs

Friday - Pizza (I used Bob's Red Mill crust mix), Tossed Salad

Saturday - Hot Dogs, French Fries, Potato Salad (longing for summer BBQs!)

Sunday - Chicken Stroganoff, Tossed Salad

Another case of the "I can't remember where to find it" on the Baked Potato Soup.  I thought I got it out of the Taste of Home book I have, but it's not in there, I double checked.  I will post the recipe, and if anyone recognizes it, let me know! :)

***Edited - I found the recipe.  It is Stephanie O'Dea's, (from A Year of Slow Cooking), recipe.  I linked it to her recipe. :)***

My month long menu is finished, so sometime this week I will be preparing next months menus.  And I WILL remember to note sources!! :)

Menu Plan Monday - 10/17/11

Clicking on either of the pictures above will take you to other wonderful Menu plans you can read about.  They are both great places for helping to revamp your weekly menus!!

Last week was pretty spot on, and saved me a lot of head aches in the kitchen!  Hoping for the same this week!

So, without further ado and blathering, here is the plan for this week:

Monday - Eating with friends

Tuesday - Tacos & All the fixings

Wednesday - Cheesy Chicken Casserole, Tossed Salad

Thursday - Cheesy Sausage Penne, Tossed Salad, Garlic Bread

Friday - Cheeseburgers, French Fries

Saturday - Chicken Stroganoff

Sunday - Homemade GF Tomato Soup, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Tossed Salad

A little note about the recipes:

The Cheesy Chicken Casserole is a recipe I got from GlutenFreely.com (a Betty Crocker run webiste). I have made it before and it was really good.  I can not remember where I got the Cheesy Sausage Penne recipe to be completely honest. **Edit - I found the recipe! It's from Taste of Home!  I will be using Sam Mills Corn Penne** This was one of those "I forgot to note where it came from and I have learned my lesson".  Since this menu was planned up for a month at a time, I didn't write the sources down.  Starting on the 30th, when I start the next month's menu plan, I will make a point to notate where the recipe came from!  The tomato soup recipe is from the same Taste of Home slow cooker recipe book I got the pork stew recipe from last week (which was yumm!).

Menu Plan Monday - 10/10/11

Last week was a bust.  I think we ate maybe one thing on the list.  I never got a chance to go grocery shopping, so it was an empty the freezer and pantry week, lol.

I am happy to report I already did my grocery shopping, and here is the plan!

Monday - Day trip to Burlington, dinner out

Tuesday - Tacos & Corn

Wednesday - Buffalo Chicken Rolls, Celery Sticks, Tossed Salad & Bleu Cheese Dressing

Thursday - Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Corn, Tossed Salad

Friday - Pizza, Tossed Salad

Saturday - Spaghetti & Meat Sauce, Garlic Bread, Tossed Salad

Sunday - Hearty Pork Stew over Pasta

Most of the meals are simple, no recipe needed type of meals.  The Buffalo Chicken Rolls recipe I am adapting from a recipe from a Saving Dinner Menu Mailer.  The Hearty Pork Stew I found in a Taste of Home slow cooker cookbook.  I will post my adaptations after I prepare them.  I will be changing a few things on both recipes.

Menu Plan Monday 10/3/11

This week I am going to try something new to us, but the rest of the week I have made before, so I know I will have happy campers!

Monday - Chicken Stroganoff, Rice, Tossed Salad

Tuesday - Cheeseburgers, French Fries

Wednesday - Pepper-Crusted Pork Roast, Sesame Asparagus, Mashed Potatoes (probably instant)

Thursday - Oven Baked Chicken, Mushroom Rice, Broccoli

Friday - Pizza, Tossed Salad

Saturday - Goulash, Tossed Salad, Garlic Bread

Sunday - Shepard's Pie, Tossed Salad

Pepper-Crusted Pork Roast and the Sesame Asparagus are both new to us and I am excited to try them.  I found the Asparagus recipe in the Betty Crocker cookbook, and the Pork Roast recipe I got from Taste Of Home (I did have to search for it because I forgot where I got it).  I should have wrote down the source when I wrote the recipe in my meal plan notebook.  Now I will remember for the future.  Oh, and the Mushroom Rice recipe is coming from Food On The Table.  The rest of the recipes are mine unless otherwise noted.

If there is something up there that peaks your interest and you would like to see the recipe for, let me know.  Somethings I probably won't add a recipe on here because it might be a more generic recipe.

Menu Plan Monday - 9/26/11

I am trying really hard to get back on track planning our meals.  I have discovered I spend countless hours a day trying to decide what to make for dinner.  Even with cupboards full, I can never find something to make. Not anymore!  I actually sat down last week and made a menu plan for the whole month, including recipes.

Since this is my first post on my new blog, I have no recipes yet! **Edited to add: they are slowly coming!*** I will be slowly adding them as I go along.  Some are my own, some are out of cookbooks, and some I have found online.  I do have some recipes and Menu plans on my main blog, Come Stitch With Me, but I decided my cooking needed it's own blog.  I don't really think my Cross Stitching friends are too interested in seeing my menus, and vice versa!  I will try to add photos as I go, but warning, I am not the world's best food photographer!  Other photography I can do pretty well though.  I just need practice!

I downloaded some menu lists online, one for the month, then I printed out several weekly lists and put them all in a small 3-ring binder.  The monthly menu is in front with a quick glimpse of meals to come.  The next page is the first weeks menus (which was this past week) followed by a loose leaf page with any recipes I will need for that week.  The following page is the next week, followed by a page of recipes and so on and so forth.  I found all the lists at Organized Home.  This link takes you right to the Menu planning section with all sort of tips to help make menu planning less stressful.  There are links to downloadable documents on the bottom of the page.  I think the whole website is pretty neat, and I even took advantage of downloading to-do lists, diet trackers and even a blood pressure tracker.

99.9% of the time, my menu and recipes are going to be Gluten Free.  I have Celiac Disease, and therefore can not eat anything containing gluten.  Which means no wheat, barley or rye for me.  The rest of my family is not affected by gluten, so they get regular bread and some other things now and then, but I only make Gluten Free dinners because I don't want to make 2 dinners!

So, for this week:

Monday: Pot Roast in the CrockPot, Mashed Potatoes (Courtesy of The Pioneer Woman)

Tuesday: Cheesy Penne and Ham, Tossed Salad

Wednesday: Cheeseburgers, Garlic Noodles, Mixed Vegetables

Thursday: Tacos, Corn, Rice

Friday: Vegetable Soup (Progresso Garden Vegetable), Ham Sandwiches (I use Udi's or Rudi's Gluten Free bread), Tossed Salad (Maybe, trip to the City and we may not be home for dinner)

Saturday: Delmonico Steaks on the grill, Baked Potatoes with Sour Cream, Tossed Salad

Sunday: Hot Dogs (simple and easy! I use Udi's Gluten Free Hot Dog Buns), French Fries, Tossed Salad