Meal Planing Monday January 7, 2013

Happy 2013!!  Hope you all rang in the New Year with friends and loved ones and that your 2013 is off to a happy and healthy start.  We are doing pretty well with our healthy eating plan so far, now to just get more movement time in...one step at a time :)

This week I go back to work after a a very restful and fun filled 2 week winter break, so there will be plenty of easy prep, slow cooker meals this week.

Monday: Ground Turkey Soup (sub quinoa for barley) with pita bread (4 Points+)

Tuesday: Bunless Turkey Burgers (thinking I may use my Italian Turkey Meatloaf recipe - 4 Points+) using the George Foreman grill and oven roasted broccoli

Wednesday: Slow Cooker Beer Chicken (3 Points+)

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Cauliflower Pizza 5 Points+ depending on toppings (didn't make this last week, so it is on the plan again because I really want to try it!)

Saturday: Eat Out

Sunday: Cocoa Crusted Pork Tenderloin (5 Points+)

Breakfasts: Individual Baked Oatmeal Cups (4 Points+)

Lunches: Weight Watchers Taco Soup (3 Points +)

Dessert: Weight Watchers Berry Cobbler (4 Points +)

Kid Friendly Korner: Gluten Free Tortilla Pizzas

Happy Eating! :)

Linked Up At:
I Should Be Mopping The Floor
A Dose of Dannie 

Meal Planning Monday December 10, 2012

Hi all!  This week's post is using up a lot of what is in my freezer and pantry because there was no time to shop this weekend, so please excuse any repeats :)

Monday:  Catalina Chicken

Tuesday: Crock Pot Turkey Meatballs (using Jennie-O Italian Seasoned Ground Turkey)

Wednesday: Slow Cooker Turkey Taco Stew (new recipe)

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Pizza at my Parents house

Saturday: Little A's Christmas Party for Daycare making one of my favorite cookie recipes to take :)

Sunday: Slow Cooker Chicken and Dressing

Breakfast: Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oats

Dessert: Fudge Babies (changes/additions: walnuts=almonds, add .5c peppermint chips) I am in LOVE with this recipe and this blog Chocolate Covered Katie!

Kid Friendly Korner: Burger "Tacos"

Happy Eating! :)

Meal Planning Monday December 3, 2012

Happy December all!  It certainly does not feel like winter here though, it was 60 degrees in Chicago today.  I am  definitely not complaining about the temps as I am very much a warm weather girl, but it is quite strange to not be freezing and breaking out the thermals yet haha!

This week meal plan has a few new items and a few old faves.  There is also a SUPER yummy zucchini cookie recipe inspired by our box from Door to Door Organics.  I am in love with this service!  Great produce on my doorstep when I get home, what more could a girl need :)

Oh, if you have any great kid friendly dinner ideas, feel free to share in the comments as we are kind of in a kid food rut at our house right now.

Monday: Leftover Cinnamon Chicken

Tuesday: Catalina Chicken

Wednesday: Italian Turkey Meatloaf with Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Pizza at my parents

Saturday: Eat out

Sunday: Family Party

Breakfast: Pumpkin Pie Spice Baked Oatmeal (see below for recipe)

Dessert:  Zucchini Cookies (with a few changes: 1c sugar=1/4c sugar, 1/2 banana, butter=coconut oil, add 1/2tsp vanilla)

Kid Friendly Korner: Corn Dog Muffins

Happy Eating! :)

Baked Pumpkin Pie Spice Oatmeal:

Ingredients:

2c oats

2c fat free milk

1/2c unsweetened applesauce

1/4c almonds

1/2c dried cranberries

1tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2tsp salt

Topping options: maple syrup, honey, whipped cream, milk, brown sugar, fruit etc…

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  Pour into sprayed 9x13 baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for ~30 minutes (if uncovered the surface will get very crunchy). 

*There is no sugar added to this recipe.  If you are looking for sweet oatmeal you can add 2Tbs maple syrup or honey to the ingredients or top with a sweet topping.*

Meal Planning Monday November 5, 2012

Hi all!  Hope everyone survived the crazy week of candy and chaos, we barely did!  I am just hoping to make the candy "disappear" tonight so Little A stops wanting to eat nothing but candy!

Here is this week's meal plan:    

Monday: Catalina Chicken (here is a link to a Take 5 Recipe post using this recipe to create 5 meals if you are interested in ways to not waste the leftovers)

Tuesday: Crock Pot Chicken Tacos (half a batch is frozen in the freezer from 2 weeks ago and we are using it this week, another great way to use leftovers from slow cooker meals)

Wednesday: Italian Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

Thursday: Catalina Chicken Baked Potatoes (oven baked potatoes with a scoop of Catalina Chicken and shredded cheddar cheese served on top)

Friday: Pizza

Saturday: Jewelry Party at my cousin's so dinner will be a variety of yummy appetizers

Sunday: Burgers on the grill because I just can't let go of warm weather yet :)

Lunches: Lemon Dill Salmon for salads

Breakfasts: Slow Cooker Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Kid Friendly Corner: Whole Wheat Pancakes

Dessert: Skinny No Bake Cookies from Skinnytaste (I cut the sugar to 1/2c and could probably go a little less).

Happy Eating! :)

Meal Planning Monday

Trying out a few new recipes this week, let's hope they are good!

Monday: Lemon Dill Salmon

Tuesday: Cheeseburger Pie (made with ground turkey)

Wednesday: Fajita Beef Stew (slow cooker) *New

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Pizza (I'm chaperoning the homecoming football game so this will be dinner without me!)

Saturday: Visiting Great Aunt so we will be eating out

Sunday: Apricot Ribs (slow cooker) *New

Breakfast: Chunky Monkey Pancakes

Dessert: Spice Cake made with applesauce instead of eggs/oil

Kid Friendly Corner: English Muffin Pizzas (To make ahead bake until cheese melts slightly to hold toppings, wrap in freezer paper and place in a freezer bag.  Then when you want to serve remove from freezer, unwrap and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.)

Recipe Review: Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato "Frosting"

Oh.My.Goodness.  Dinner was so good!  Everyone loved it, even little A ate it!  This is a definite new recipe in the rotation.  It is only 4 Weight Watchers Points+, perfectly portioned and can be frozen and reheated for lunches or made ahead for a weeknight dinner when you know you will be in a hurry (can anyone say the night of karate class?)

I used my regular Italian Turkey Meatloaf recipe and instead of making a loaf, I used lined muffin tins.  I would suggest either silicon reusable liners or the foil ones because the paper ones will not stand up to the meat.  My regular recipe made 10 "cupcakes" but I am planning to double it and freeze them this weekend so I have ready-to-go lunches for when I go back to work...next week yikes!!

This really is so simple and so quick.  I made the meatloaf mixture, placed it in the muffin tins (filling about 2/3 full) and baked at 350 for 30 minutes (or until cooked through).  Then you "frost" them using a piping bag, Ziploc bag with the corner cut off (my method of choice) or an ice cream scooper.

How cute are these? 

(Images are being really weird in Blogger tonight so this isn't the best picture I can get to load, but you get the idea right?)

I used a very simple mashed potato recipe.

Mashed Potato "Frosting"
Ingredients:
1 pound yukon gold potatoes
1T Smart Balance Light
.25c Fat Free Half and Half

Directions:
Wash and quarter potatoes.  Place in a pot filled with water and lightly salt water.
Bring water to a boil and boil until potatoes are fork tender.
Drain potatoes and place them in a mixing bowl.
Add butter and stir until melted.
Pour in half and half and mix well with a electric hand mixer or stand mixer.  (You can also use a hand masher, but you want to potatoes to be very creamy so the pipe well as "frosting'.)


And that's it!  So simple and so fun for kids who think they are getting cupcakes for dinner.

Happy Eating! :)

Italian Turkey Meatloaf

Tonight's dinner was inspired by this recipe found on Skinnytaste.  Skinnytaste is one of my favorite sites to use for inspiration and ideas when I am trying to keep meals exciting.  You should definitely check it out!

For tonight's dinner I decided to use my Italian Turkey Meatloaf recipe instead of the one listed on the site.  We are not huge fans of traditional ketchup topped meatloaf in out house, so I gave it a bit of a spin and now everyone gobbles it up!  This is not a recipe review of tonight's dinner, just a posting of one of my favorite easy weeknight/make ahead recipes.  I will include the mashed potato "frosting" recipe and a review of tonight's dinner in tomorrow's post.

Italian Turkey Meatloaf:

1lb ground turkey                                            Image Credit: dishbase.com           
.5c whole wheat bread crumbs
1 egg
1 packet Italian salad dressing mix
.25c shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350.
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.  (Easiest to do with your hands, so get messy!)
Form into a loaf.
Line a baking sheet with heavy duty foil and spray liberally with cooking spray.
Place loaf on foil lined baking sheet.
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until cooked through

Happy Eating! :)