Meal Plans December #1

Hi Friends! You may have noticed my meals have slowly gotten easier and less time consuming.  This may or may not be…okay it is.. aligned with the fact that I am getting closer and closer to my due date.  I am 32 weeks now and I feel that way.  To be perfectly honest, I am lucky if I can stay on my feet long enough to make any type of dinner.  We eat out more times than I would like to admit because when it is time to start prepping for dinner, I am already completely wasted from the day.  I blame this on my toddler mostly.  Why don’t they ever stop moving?

I have come to terms with my current inabilities.  These things are facts: emptying the kitchen sink before bed is a thing of the past, if a task doesn’t get done before lunch time don’t count on it being completed that day, and if I have to use the restroom in even the slightest I should not attempt to hold it and/or walk anywhere simultaneously.  I will let you imagine what happens if I do.   As for meal planning I am still fully capable because that does not require movement from anything but my fingers.

Take Note

Shelf Cooking – I thoroughly enjoy meal planning  (duh read my blog) but I also believe in saving money and not wasting, so I think I’ve found the happy medium for my own family.  My invitation, and what I will be doing with my own meal planning from now on is this, whatever time period you meal plan for (two weeks, a month, whatever,) IN ADDITION to your leftover nights, plan at least one or two meals to be “Shelf Cooking”  (phrase coined by blogger Jordan Page from Fun Cheap or Free) nights.  Meaning, USE WHAT YA ALREADY GOT!  Yes you will have to get creative, but that is TWO less meals you have to buy groceries for, or eat out for. Not having to throw out wasted food is a plus as well in my book.

Sugar Substitutes – When a recipe calls for cane or brown sugar I almost ALWAYS use a stevia baking blend or just plain Stevia.  I take comfort in knowing I am feeding my family that much less sugar… plus it means I can have seconds guilt free.  Winning!

I will no longer be adding the tag “GF” to any of the meals.  Everything I make now must be gluten free so if the dish’s original recipe uses a gluten containing substance I will explain how and what I substitute to make it GF.

Snacks & Sweets – Below the dinners I hope you’ll be as thrilled as I to see a Snacks & Sweets section.  Some of the recipes in this section I already absolutely love, and some I have yet to try.  Some are guilt free and some are reserved for cheat days.  Happy snacking!

*-Tried and true family favorite.

B4D-Breakfast for Dinner (There isn’t lot of time in the mornings and we love breakfast food so we eat it for dinner instead)

YoYo- You’re on your own. (Because I don’t believe that someone should have to cook every day of the week)

Not sold on meal planning yet? Check out my crash course guide and I’ll have you convinced!

Photo Credit – Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice

Let’s Eat

YoYo x2

Shelf Cooking – see “Noted” Section for explanation

B4D – Breakfast Sandwiches / *Green Smoothies

Toast, cheese, eggs, and ham or bacon if you’d like. Sometimes we add an avocado as well, and I’ll just use my GF bread.

B4D – *Spinach Muffins / *Breakfast Ham Cups

*Costco Rotisserie Chicken / Roasted Asparagus

Pizza Friday

Papa Murphy’s here is running a special on their GF pizzas so I am taking advantage of that this weekend!

*Baked Chicken Parmesan / Gluten Free Buttered Noodles / Fried Zucchini

Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup / *Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread

GF note: substitute an all purpose gf flour or cornstarch for the flour

*Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup / Gluten Free Drop Biscuits

GF note: substitute an all purpose gf flour or cornstarch for the flour

Slow Cooker Pork Burrito Bowls

*Skinny Spaghetti Squash Alfredo / Peas

*Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli /* Roasted Sweet Potatoes

*Chef Salads

We top ours with: cut up lunch meat or leftover rotisserie chicken, shredded carrots, boiled eggs, cheese, cottage cheese, and sunflower seeds.

Photo Credit – Frugal Farm Wife

Snacks & Sweets

*Restaurant Style Baked Sweet Potato

*Gluten Free Soft Sugar Cookies

I have made these cookies multiple times and they are always a hit.  If you like them thick the trick is to remember that gluten free flour doesn’t rise nearly like wheat flour so before baking, roll them out to the thickness of the cookie you want because that is the thickness they will most likely be.

Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Bread