Menu January 25-31

Breakfasts: Scrambles, Paleo Pancakes, Breakfast Carnitas (with leftover pulled pork)

Lunches: You guess.... Of course, leftovers! This may sound dull or unappetizing, but I find it much more appealing than eating the same quick lunchmeat/tuna salad day after day. This is where you've got to make it fit your own preferences.

Dinners:

M - Paleo Pizza

T - Taco Salad (didn't eat it because Drew got sick, so I ate a lot of left-overs)

W - Pulled Pork with Guacamole (never ate it last week, mostly due to illness)

Th - Turkey Carrot Quiche, except I'll use ground beef, since I already have it
F - Out of town at a women's retreat - I'll eat as well as I can.

Sa - Out of town at a women's retreat - I'll eat as well as I can.

Su - Might get barbeque at Whitt's (meat only, no sides) and steam some frozen veggies. I've got a feeling we'll all be spent when I get home.

Snacks: Fruit, Nuts, Left-over Paleo-Granola, Smoothies (I've been thinking of throwing veggies in with some frozen strawberries to add one more way to get us all, especially Sam, to eat more veggies.)

So Drew got strep throat Friday afternoon, so date night never materialized. However, I did have a very nasty cheat that I've been dreading to post about. It's funny how this blog gives me accountability even if no one ever reads it. My confession: Sonic cheeseburger, cheese tots and a vanilla Dr Pepper, followed by a Snickers bar. I think two junk food triggers for me are (1) exhaustion and (2) eating alone, or without another adult, I should say. Sam would prefer a corn dog any old day! To battle the exhaustion of taking care of Drew, Sam & Lucy I tried Diet Dr Pepper today, but quickly remembered that I just don't like it. About 5-8oz in, I got a terrible metallic taste in my mouth that lasted until dinner. I think that if I'm not going to have the real deal, I'm not going to have it at all.

So here's to a new week. Cheers!

Menu January 18-24

I just want to say that all the recipes found on this blog are not original (unless I specifically say so). Many many thanks to those of you out there blogging away with your Paleo eating adventures. I am indebted to your generosity in sharing the recipes you've worked hard to adapt or create. Check out the "Connections" Corner if you want to find more ideas than you see here.

Breakfasts: Scrambles, Pumpkin Cranberry and/or Coconut Muffins, Breakfast Carnitas (with leftover pulled pork)

Lunches: Leftovers like always. If the leftovers run out we eat Boar's Head or other good deli lunch meat with a piece of fruit and a handful of almonds, cashews or pecans.

Dinners:

M - Fish Tacos with (not Paleo) Wickedly Good Fish Taco Sauce

T - Mediterranean Chicken (see below) with Bacon Brussels Sprouts

W - Earl's Stew (see below)

Th - Pulled Pork with Guacamole

F - Apple Glazed Turkey Breast with Steamed (& Buttered?) Broccoli

Sa - Date Night! I'll post afterward with details of what we eat.

Su - Taco Salad

Snacks: Fruit, Nuts, Paleo-Granola, Smoothies (I've been thinking of throwing veggies in with some frozen strawberries to add one more way to get us all, especially Sam, to eat more veggies.)

Mediterranean Chicken

Ingredients:

·        4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (trimmed, cut in half and pounded)

·        dried parsley flakes

·        14 oz can quartered artichokes

·        14 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes

·        1 cup chicken broth

·        2 tsp olive oil

·        2-3 T fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. After pounding chicken breasts, sprinkle both sides of chicken breasts with parsley. Heat olive oil in a skillet, and in batches, brown chicken breasts on both sides, about 3 minutes each side. Add to baking dish when finished. After all 8 chicken breasts are browned... add chicken broth to skillet and deglaze pan. Add all other ingredients to pan, and bring to a quick low boil, then pour over chicken. Sprinkle top with fresh Italian parsley and bake for about 30 minutes.

Earl’s Stew

Ingredients:

·        6 pieces bacon

·        3 chicken breasts

·        1 large can of tomatoes in processor

·        1 package of frozen green beans

·        1 package of frozen onions

·        Garlic salt

·        2 bay leaves

·        1 link sausage

Boil chicken in small amounts of water,  pull chicken out and add the rest of the ingredients.  Dice chicken and add back.  Add the bacon at the end.  Boil for a while.

NOTE: I will probably cook the chicken breast in the crock pot for 2-3 hours in the afternoon. This makes the chicken simply fall apart & is one less step I have to do when I'm hungry and the kids are needy (inevitably at dinner-prep time).

Menu January 11-17

Crud. I just typed a great post with our menu from the whole week and it fell into the abyss. I hate it when you write something on the computer and -blip- it's just gone for some reason. I'll try to give at least a brief repost.

There will eventually be links to recipes but if I don't just get started, the details of getting it perfect are going to keep me from ever getting started. So here goes...

Breakfasts: Egg Scrambles with some combination of pears, bell peppers, onion, sausage, or bacon, Egg Torte on Sunday

Lunches: Leftovers from dinner meals. Saves time in the kitchen with little ones.

Dinners:
M - Burgers with Spinach, Egg & Feta* cooked in, no bun, dipped in Brianna's New American Dressing with Sweet Potato Fries
T - Vegetable Chicken Soup
W - Shrimp Stir Fry
Th - Chicken Spaghetti (made with Spaghetti Squash)
F - Ladies Night at Newk's for me (Newk's Favorite Salad**), Drew had BBQ pork from Whitt's and leftover spaghetti squash
Sa - Tri Tip Steak with Roasted Butternut Squash
Su - Random Cut of Pork with Fennel/Anise and Baked Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon

Accidental cheat at Around the Way Dog on Saturday at lunch: I was ordering and got distracted with the kids and forgot to ask them to hold the brown sugar on the sweet potato fries. They were great, but by no means paleo. Ah well!

Snacks this week: pears, bananas, almonds, pecans, coconut bliss "ice cream", almond butter, apples

* Not Paleo but eating it out of the pantry/fridge
** Salad had some likely not-Paleo items: Sherry Viniagrette, dried cranberries, Gorgonzola cheese. I opted out of croutons. Next time I'll get 1/2 dressing and cranberries. With all the other tasty things in it, I'll never miss it.

I've been going to bed between 9 and 10pm most nights and I'm feeling good and energized. Good sleep is helping SO much with curbing my Dr Pepper cravings. I even drove right by a Sonic at 3pm (the middle of happy hour) without feeling the need to pull in. That's saying something!