Menu Plan Monday, Week of August 10

I usually have the same breakfasts and lunches every week. Of course there is something different each day, but we usually do the same 5 meals each week. I also get fresh organic produce delivered weekly so I have plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables to have with our meals. I am slowing transitioning into a new way of thinking. I try to keep staples on hand and have a list of meals that I can cook with the staples I have on hand. Also, I am using up the last of our meat that we order in bulk from a local farmer that offers grass fed beef. We are ordering more that should be ready in September.

Breakfast meals:

Yogurt and peanut butter toast (I usually mix in a banana or blueberries in our plain yogurt)
Homemade whole wheat waffles (from the Betty Crocker cookbook)
Amish Baked oatmeal
Eggs and toast (I usually put carrots, green pepper and onion in my mini food processor and saute them in butter and then stir in my eggs)
Freezer Smoothies

Lunch meals:

English muffin pizzas, carrots
Peanut butter and jelly and apples
Chicken Nuggets and a simple salad
Sandwiches and carrots
Cheese quesadillas with some veggies mixed in

Supper:

Freezer meal - stuffed green peppers
Steaks, mashed baked potatoes, fresh green beans
Chicken Alfredo pizza (I used to this pizza crust recipe with 1 cup of extra flour. I made my Alfredo sauce. I cooked chicken and cut it into pieces, shredded cheese and bake at 350 until done) and a salad
Wendy's quick lentil and pasta
Slow cooked short ribs, mashed potatoes and corn

Snacks:

I am going to try making these two snacks this week. I got the recipes from Miss Sonshine. Check out all her other snack ideas!

Chewy Granola Bars

3 cups oats
1 cup flour
1 t. baking soda
2 t. vanilla
2/3 cup butter, softened
½ cup honey
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup mini chocolate chips or M&Ms
Optional: raisins, dried fruit, sunflower seeds, chopped nuts

In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, and baking soda. In another bowl, combine vanilla, butter, honey, and brown sugar; add to oat mixture and stir until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Lightly press mixture into the pan with the back of your spoon. Bake at 325 for 22 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes then cut into bars. Let bars cool completely in pan before removing or serving.

Banana Pops (I found this one at Living On A Dime a while ago, and I don't remember exactly but I think it was in one of their e-books or newsletters that I received.)

Slice bananas into disks

Roll banana discs into PLAIN yogurt (you can use vanilla yogurt, but I used plain because that's what the recipe said, and that was back in my super healthy days)

Add any kind of topping you wish. We rolled our disks in chopped pecans. I know that's expensive, but we love pecans so much. After freezing these we ate them AND YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE THE TASTE! It was like eating a frozen candy bar. Okay, maybe not that good, but they were sweet and refreshing, and I didn't have to put a limit on how many the kids could eat.

Other toppings that work well: chopped raisins, granola, any kind of nut (cashew, peanuts, almonds), peanut butter (this would be without the yogurt), and of course, melted chocolate or chocolate chips.

For many more menu ideas, visit Orgjunkie.com.