Menu Plan Week of July 5th

We just returned from the cabin after a wonderful 4th of July holiday weekend!  Back to business on the home front - I'll be grocery shopping tomorrow.  Now that my family has shifted our menus to focus on organic produce and higher quality meats, it is imperative that I menu plan to keep our food budget on track!  More to come on this topic - I have some great tips to share and money-savings discoveries that I have made over the past few weeks. 

My husband will be on a golf trip this weekend so the slow cooker will be my best friend to get dinner on the table for my little guy and I!!!

Wednesday - Chicken quesadillas
**I will use leftover chicken from the roasted crock pot chicken last week, which I shredded and stuck in the freezer.  I will simmer the chicken with stock, salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder until the liquid is absorbed.  Use your favorite tortillas and fixings and you have a meal!

Thursday - Italian Beef sandwiches (crock pot, from my menu mailer) and green beans.  Google "Crock Pot Italian Beef" for lots of great recipes!

Friday - Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts and rice (leftovers for lunch this weekend!)

Saturday - Hot Dogs, pasta and veggies

Sunday - Slow Cooker Pork Chops with sides to be determined!  (I never got to these last week!)

Menu Plan Monday Week of June 27th

With summer in full-swing, I realized I skipped my menu plan post last week when Wednesday came around - oops!  Back on track this week! 

Check out my post below about making water kefir - it's really fun to make and has been a great success so far!  It's a great substitute for plain fruit juice or soda.  I plan to mix it in with smoothies for my little guy, too!
For more menu planning ideas, check out a site I recently discovered - Once a Month Mom - for some great batch cooking/freezing ideas!
Onto my menu this week...

Monday:  Mom's group get together - hot dogs, chips, fruit, veggies, etc.

Tuesday - Crock Pot Roast Chicken with honeyed carrots (from my traditional foods menu mailer)
**I will be using the crock pot again to make chicken broth with the bones from my roast chicken....  stay tuned for more details.
**I highly recommend roasting a whole chicken in the crock pot - very economical and some of the best chicken you will ever eat!!
Wednesday - Mexican Sloppy Joe's and green beans (I will be pulling this out of the freezer, I made a double batch a couple of weeks ago)

Thursday - Crock pot pork chops (I'll use this recipe but sub in the chops - they were on sale this week)

Friday - Date night...  Twins/Brewers Game!

Saturday - Headed to the cabin!  I will be making Grilled Honey Lime Chicken from my traditional foods menu mailer)

From Healthy to Nourishing

As I continue to tackle some new cooking and diet techniques, I want to share with you a little bit about what I am doing for my family.  Thanks to Nourishing Our Children (see their Facebook page here) for putting together this "checklist" of ways in which you can start implementing traditional foods and traditional cooking techniques into your family's diet! 

Buy a copy of the book Nourishing Traditions
**this is an extremely interesting book - I just started digging in.  Although some of their techniques appear extreme to the everyday American, it is FULL of information regarding traditional cooking methods, some of which are very easy to integrate into your repertoire.

Join your local community: http://www.westonaprice.org/find-a-local-chapter
...
We encourage you to start with a single item from the list below and create changes one step at a time.

Eliminate all industrially processed soy foods from your household.

Replace sugar with natural sweeteners in moderation, such as raw local honey, grade B maple syrup, pure maple sugar, molasses, dehydrated coconut nectar, coconut palm sugar, green powder stevia, rapadura and sucanat.

Replace fruit juices with lacto-fermented beverages, such as kombucha, traditionally made ginger ale and beet kvass.
**I am making my first batch of water kefir this week - stay tuned!

Replace poly-unsaturated vegetable oils and trans fats with traditional fats such as raw and cultured butter, olive oil, sesame seed oil, coconut oil, lard, chicken fat, tallow, etc.
**I just started using coconut oil for cooking and baking the past couple of weeks - it is so tasty.  We even melt some in our oatmeal in the morning - YUM.  You can fry meat, veggies, etc. in it.  You can find it at your local co-op or Whole Foods possibly even Trader Joe's?  I need to check on that...)

Replace industrially produced breakfast cereals with nutrient dense eggs from hens on pasture, non-nitrate bacon, homemade kefir, whole milk yogurt, and soaked oatmeal.
**Who doesn't love bacon?!  :)  Try Beeler's or Applegate - easy to find.

Replace pasteurized dairy products with raw and cultured dairy.

Replace processed, convenience foods (boxed, packaged, prepared and canned food items) with fresh, organic, whole foods.
**Of course, fruits and veggies are a given.  But, I am starting to think beyond that and looking at all of the other processed snacks we eat.  My family eats a lot of breakfast and granola bars.  This seemed like a natural first thing to move away from when it comes to the boxes in my cupboard.  I made my own granola "bars" this week (it came out more like bites than bars - but it was SO yummy - between the three of us it is already almost gone!)  Check out my menu plan post from last week for the link!)

Take your daily dose of high vitamin cod liver oil – with no synthetics added, along with high vitamin butter oil.
**My little guy and I are now taking cod liver oil daily - I mix his with some of his Barlean's Fish Oil (as mentioned in this post).  Again, this is a little "extreme" (it's not the most pleasant stuff) but take a look at some of the history and health benefits, it may motivate you to give it a try!

Check out Nourishing Our Children on Facebook for a wealth of information!!! 

Menu Plan Monday Week of June 13th

Per my posts last week, I am going through another shift in my cooking repertoire to meet the needs of my little guy as we work to heal his gut and reduce overall inflammation inside his little body with the ultimate goal of eliminating some of the medication that he has been prescribed year-round for asthma.  If we stick to this, we know the results can be awesome (i.e. little to no symptoms of asthma during peak allergy season, the ability to layer some of the foods that have been eliminated back into his diet, etc.)  Currently, we are on a complete elimination diet of all of the top allergens and trying to increase essential fats and good bacteria in his diet wherever we can.  When it comes down to it, this leads me to take a very traditional approach to cooking.  I am an all or nothing kind of person, so I am taking on this challenge with everything I've got. 

Despite all of the menu planning I have done, I decided this new step required some utside assistance.  So, timing could not have been better for me to discover the blog site called Cooking Traditional Foods.  KerryAnn, who runs this site, has weekly menu plans that you can subscribe to that provide grocery lists, the daily plan for cooking meals AND recipes. What I love most is that her recipes are quick and easy (with a little planning and preparation) and very kid-friendly.  I subscribed for 8 weeks in order to kick-start this new approach and provide the guidance and techniques needed to follow this plan.

So, for the next 8 weeks, I will be highlighting some of the dishes from KerryAnn's menu plan (without recipes, but just to give you a sense of her plans in case you are interested!) and recipe links as normal on the days I do not use her recipes.  I will also discuss techniques that, no matter what approach you have to cooking and food, I hope you will find to be healthy, easy options for your family (and maybe some new ideas, too).

Thank you so much for continuing to read my blog and for following me on this journey.  In the meantime, please check out my past posts for great dinner recipes and head to Orgjunkie's blog for more menu planning inspiration!

Menu Plan

Monday:  Mexican Sloppy Joe's

Tuesday:  Leftovers

Wednesday:  Corn and Black Bean Salad on Tortillas
Thursday:  Beef tips with rice

Friday:  Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs with grilled veggies

Saturday:  BBQ

Sunday:  Father's Day!  Turkey Burgers and farmer's market veggies (I'll be trying a variation on this burger recipe - YUM)

I'll be making these very yummy looking oat bars this week!  Lots of opportunity for variation and according to the recipe, they store well in the freezer.  I'll let you know how they turn out!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of May 15th

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!  I started my weekend off with a kidless (unfortunately rainy) visit to the Mill City Farmers Market.  It was my first time to this market (I have always been a fan of the Minneapolis Farmers Market) and I am glad I visited.  It is much more intimate with a  lot of really cool, unique vendors.  Plenty of undercover area to tuck into on rainy days like Saturday, too!  The highlight was the asparagus - oh my gosh it looked so good!  I bought a pound and we had it for dinner tonight (Sunday) - so yummy.  It makes me excited for all the local, fresh veggies to come!  

I am excited about my menu this week - some new flavors mixed in with some "old reliables" and of course all of the upcoming in-season produce at the farmer's market - yay! 

If you did not give the slow cooker Mexican lasagna a try in March when I originally posted it, I HIGHLY recommend it. It is meatless - the cauliflower gives it a meaty texture though.  Hubby and my little guy loved it.  For more menu inspiration check out Orgjunkie's menu plan post!

Monday:  A "reinvented" kid classic - Mac and Cheese (Annie GF Mac and Cheese - allergy-friendly (unless dairy is on your list) with no artificial colors and GF noodles!) :), green beans and  leftover burgers

Tuesday:  Poached Ginger Chicken with rice, salad/green beans (I will make this with changes to the oils - no peanut or sesame oil.  I'll sub in olive oil.  Despite the substitute, I still think this will be tasty!  Poaching is a great way to prep meat for kids, too - it turns out tender and soft.)
tip:  prepare ginger/shallot "dressing" the night before

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday:  Slow Cooker Mexican Lasagna
tip:  prepare pot the night before; buy pre-cut, pre-washed cauliflower

Friday:  Leftovers again! (love that!)

Saturday:  Grilled Pork Tenderloin (sub veg oil for canola oil in marinade) with fresh farmer's market sides (most likely the amazing asparagus that is in season right now!)
tip:  marinate on Friday night, the more time int he marinade, the better!

Sunday:  Burger Night!  Spinach Artichoke Turkey Burgers, Grilled Potato Chips (thinly slice large potatoes the long way, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper, grill!)

Meal Plan Monday - Week of May 2nd

After a wonderful week with my family in Milwaukee, I am back to menu planning this week!  I am excited to try some new recipes (using my slow cooker twice!  yay!) while trying to keep it simple.  It does not feel like May here in Minnesota, but I am cautiously optimistic that next weekend will bring us some grilling-friendly weather and a lovely Sunday for Mother's Day cook-outs!

Keep an eye out for another post this week with some new, allergy-friendly tips and links for you and/or loved ones who are challenged by food allergies and intolerances or are just looking to educate yourself on our food system and what you can do to keep your family healthy!.  New resources are always helpful and motivating as you continue along this journey! 

Monday:  Pizza Night

Tuesday:  Whole Roasted Chicken (slow cooker!), mashed potatoes and carrots
Tip:  Prep the chicken the night before

Wednesday:  Leftovers

Thursday:  Cinco de Mayo! (Vegetarian) Mexican Quinoa (I will serve this with cheese, corn tortillas, salsa and guac to make hearty tacos!)
Tip:  This could be made the night before and put into 9x13 baking dish - warm in the oven with cheese on top to make a yummy casserole!

Friday:  Crock Pot BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Green Beans and/or Green Salad
Tip:  Add all ingredients to crock pot the night before, plug it in in the morning!  LOVE that!

Saturday:  Easy Grilled Lamb Chops with grilled asparagus and rice (I found out at Easter that my little guy LOVES lamb chops - you can buy them at Costco and they are delicious!)

Sunday:  It's Mother's Day!  Hoping to take a break! :)

P.S.  Check out Orgjunkie's blog for more menu inspiration!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of April 11th

Happy Monday!  We had a great week last week, the weather was beautiful so all of our grilling plans worked out perfectly!  It is so nice to simplify meals in the spring and summer months - I cannot wait for the farmers market to open so I can integrate more fresh, locals fruits and veggies into my menu plans!  It won't be long now...

I have a few vegetarian meals on the menu this week - if there are any vegetarian favorites that you would like to share, please comment to this post with a recipe or recipe link!  I am looking to add more variety to my vegetarian recipe selection!

Monday:  Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas with Black Beans

*tip:  This is easy to put together the morning of or the night before!  Keep the fixings simple!

Tuesday:  Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas (link to a past blog post with recipe link) with Quinoa

Wednesday:  Leftovers

Thursday:  Vegetarian Pasta Bake (recipe below)

Friday:  Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

Saturday:  Out!

Sunday:  Grilled Mini Meat Loaves (sub in GF breadcrumbs) with Grilled Veggies

Vegetarian Pasta Bake Recipe:

Mix one can cannelini beans (drained and rinsed), 2 cups cooked pasta (brown rice pasta in our house), zucchini, carrots, peppers (or whatever you have on hand or whatever your kids like!) with your favorite tomato sauce.

Add mixture to a baking dish, bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, sprinkle with Parmesan and bake an additional 3-5 minutes. 

Easy and kid-friendly (not as messy as noodles with sauce over the top!)  Put this together the night before and bake when you get home.  Also freezer-friendly, so great to make this the weekend before - just bake it a little longer before serving!  Add some Italian sausage or chicken sausage if desired.

Start Your Day Right!

I have always been a breakfast lover, and so has my husband.  We very rarely leave our house without sitting down for a quick bowl of cereal or a piece of toast.  Since becoming a Mommy, I am even more aware of how important it is to have a healthy, hearty breakfast.  Especially when we are talking about my energetic 18 month old!  As we began to suspect that our little one may have food sensitivities, I had the opportunity to meet with Taiha Wagner of Just One Bite (read her profile here; "Like" Just One Bite on Facebook).  She was an awesome resource for us when it came to dietary suggestions, not just for kids with food sensitivities but for all of us.  Her suggestions for breakfast (and all meals!) helped to boost our immune systems and keep us functioning at our best. 

On top of the breakfast suggestions below, Taiha also recommended that we give our little guy a fish oil supplement in the morning or mid-day.  I tell EVERY mom I can about this - I cannot tell you how strongly I believe in providing this supplement to your children - not only for immunity, but for brain development, skin health, etc. (do your research, you will be a believer!)  You can buy Barlean's Omega Swirl at any health food store - take two teaspoons per day.  They have wonderful flavors - our little guy loves it and we have seen such positive results from it!

The biggest thing I have learned from Taiha and my own "mommy research" is that boxed cereal and toast are not going to cut it - my son burned through that type of breakfast way too quickly, and so do I!

Breakfast ideas for your kids (and for you!):

• Plain oatmeal mixed with milk instead of water (for a fast breakfast, we microwave milk and instant oatmeal and mix a tsp. of agave nectar into it, then I add frozen blueberries or raspberries to cool it down and add more flavor - a huge hit with my little guy!)  tip:  for an extra affordable route, you can buy the plain oatmeal in bulk and separate it into individual servings, add a 1/2 tablespoon of brown sugar and some raisins to each serving and it will be ready to go when you need it!
• Lean turkey roll-ups and cheese with whole grain or gluten free/allergen free crackers (it sounds a little weird, but kids don't know the difference between breakfast and lunch - if they like it, they'll eat it!  Spread a little hummus on the turkey before you roll it for extra protein and fiber!)
• Super Smoothie - when we are trying to get out the door to work and day care, we use our personal blender (this is the one that we have - love it!) to make our little one a "super smoothie."  Recipe:  One-half of a banana, 1/4 cup of frozen blueberries (if you choose to, you can add 1/4 cup of another frozen fruit (mango, peaches, etc.), 3/4 cup of baby spinach leaves (I pull the little stems off), 2 tsp. Omega Swirl Fish Oil and a blend of whole milk and water (enough liquid to blend, I eyeball it).  Put it in a no leak straw sippee cup - our little guy LOVES them!  (He actually drinks one of these every day!)  Make one for yourself while you are at it! :)
• Another on-the go idea:  Cut up grapes or a half of a banana, string cheese and a few crackers (you can't go wrong!)
• Pancakes made with quinoa flour and fresh berries:  A weekend treat.  Sub in quinoa flour for great, nutty flavor and an awesome punch of protein and fiber.  Totally guilt free!

I would LOVE to hear some of your healthy breakfast ideas - send them my way via email or the comments!

Menu Plan - Week of February 14th

Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope everyone is looking forward to a little bit of time with loved ones tomorrow, hopefully with a special breakfast, lunch and/or dinner planned!  At my house, I have prepared the dry ingredients for pancakes tomorrow morning!  Just add the wet ingredients to the bowl, whisk in the milk, add some blueberries and my little guy (and my hubby!) get a special breakfast before sending them on their way to work and day care!  (Another example of how taking a few minutes to prepare can make a once impossible cooking task pretty simple!) 

Speaking of simple, I am digging the crock pot this week and have found two great recipes on my favorite slow cooking website.  The salsa chicken is a variation of the very basic two ingredient recipe I have used many times - dump a bunch of salsa in a crock pot with chicken, slow cook it all day and shred it for fajitas, quesadillas, etc.  (Awesome as leftovers, too).

Here's our plan for the week!  As always, check out Orgjunkie's MPM post for more menu inspiration and let me know if you have any questions or menu suggestions! 

Monday:  For the little guy - Burger, roasted potatoes and green beans
Valentines dinner for my husband and I - Grilled Beef tenderloin with shallot butter (butter inspired by this recipe), asparagus and roasted potatoes

Tuesday: Soup/Salad/Sandwich

Wednesday:  Salsa Chicken with Rice and roasted carrots

Thursday:  Slow Cooker Loose Meat Sandwiches (I will sub turkey for the beef) with roasted vegetables

Friday:  Leftover sandwiches with Trader Joe's butternut squash soup (one of our favorites!)

Saturday: Date Night!

Sunday:  Prosciutto and mozzarella stuffed chicken breasts, Pasta with Cauliflower and Spinach (sub in brown rice pasta)

Menu Plan - January 31

Last week I did not have a chance to post after my menu plan!  It was a busy week and we have yet another one ahead.  I am keeping my menu simple this week but with lots of variety - it is amazing how easy preparing dinner can be when you plan ahead!  Below I have added some tips to help you get an idea for how I get these dinners done despite a busy work week. 

Highlights from last weeks menu plan:  I roasted my first whole chicken and it was INCREDIBLY easy (I cannot believe it took me that long to try doing this)!  I purchased a whole Smart Chicken from Cub which was already tied with kitchen twine and ready to go.  I followed the recipe to the letter and the chicken and potatoes turned out perfect.  I had almost enough chicken left over for the white chicken chili, which we had tonight and was SO flavorful and took only about 30 minutes to prepare (and was ready 30 minutes after that, although it tasted like it had been simmering all day long.  I also switched the beef kabobs from last week to this week - we had plenty of leftover soup from Wednesday to eat on Thursday!

Please let me know if you have any questions, suggestions or ideas.  It's fun to hear from you about the recipes you have tried from my menus - thank you for all of your feedback!  Check out orgjunkie's post for lots of other great recipes!

Monday:  Salsa Meat Loaves (sub 1.5 tbsp olive oil for eggs) with roasted squash and green beans
tips:  prepare meat loaves the evening before, wrap in plastic wrap; roast squash evening before and heat up before dinner

Tuesday:  Pennsylvania Pot Roast (I'll add potatoes and parsnips to the crock pot)
tip:  prepare crock pot the evening before and pop it in the fridge, plug it in the next morning!

Wednesday:  Leftovers with green salad

Thursday:  Enchilada Bake (from my freezer)
tip:  when making a casserole or soup/chili, freeze leftovers or double the recipe to freeze so you can incorporate these meals into future weekly plans!

Friday:  Date night!

Saturday:  Grilled beef and veggie kabobs with rice 

Sunday:  GO PACK!    Beer Brats (Thousand Hills grass-fed beef hot dog for the little guy), sweet potato fries and green salad

Menu Plan: Week of January 24th

Happy Monday!  Last week flew by!  It was so nice having my mom in town - she left today and I already miss her!  Looking forward to trying a couple of new recipes this week and falling back on some old standbys.  On Wednesday, I will be making some beef kabobs from Von Hanson's, a great little meat shop (many locations in the Twin Cities).  I made my beef stew with their kabob meat (already cubed which makes it extra easy) and it turned out so tender.  I recommend checking out this great little shop for quick and easy dinner options (they have pre-marinated kabobs and free range chicken breasts, too!)

Please let me know if you have any feedback or questions!  I am so excited to hear that many of you are trying some of the recipes from my menu and that it is making your lives a little easier and adding some variety to your week!  Check out Orgunkie's Menu Plan Monday post for more recipe inspiration!

Monday:  Friends over - Pizza dinner
Tuesday:  Banana Pancakes, Sausage and Easy Homemade Apple Sauce (I will triple this recipe!)
Wednesday:  Crock Pot Minestrone with noodles
Thursday:  Beef Kabobs with green salad and Roasted Root Vegetables *toss veggies with appox. two tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp maple syrup and 2 tbsp olive oil
Friday:  Roasted Chicken with Carrots and Potatoes
Saturday:  Leftovers
Sunday:  White Chicken Chili (FYI, takes a few seconds for this link to load sometimes!)

Menu Plan Monday - January 17 (with chili recipe!)

With another busy week ahead, it feels so great to have my meals planned and grocery list made!  We actually followed our plan without any variation last week.  All of the meals turned out great, but I was most impressed with the Sweet Potato Chili.  It was a wonderful vegetarian variation and it was a huge hit with my little guy!  My mom will be visiting this week starting on Wednesday, which will relieve a bit of our day to day grind.  Looking forward to some great meals and a Saturday night out with my hubby!  As always, check out many menu ideas via Org Junkie's MPM posting.  Let me know if you have any questions or feedback! 

Monday - Homemade Pizzas
Tuesday - Coconut Curry Chicken with Rice and green beans
Wednesday - Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Thursday - Turkey Burgers (edit: NO soy sauce) with sweet potato fries and salad
Friday - Leftovers or take-out
Saturday - Night out!
Sunday - Crock Pot Chili (Football Sunday!  GO PACKERS!  See recipe below, this is a family favorite!)


Recipe for Crock Pot Chili:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped sweet yellow onion
1-2 jalapenos, seeds removed, diced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 to 3 teaspoons ground cumin
2 lbs. lean ground beef or turkey
1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
2 bay leaves
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes in juice (note: I prefer fire roasted tomatoes)
1 1/2 cups water
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 can (16 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (16 ounces each) garbanzo beans (or other favorite bean), drained and rinsed
grated cheese, sour cream, chopped parsley, diced avocado, green onion, or other garnishes

PREPARATION:
Heat the oil in a large, non-stick skillet and saute the onions, garlic and jalapeno. Cook 1 minute, then add chili powder and cumin and cook 2 minutes, stirring. Add this mixture to the crockpot. Brown the beef in the same skillet, drain and add to crock pot.

Add all remaining ingredients except canned beans and garnishes to the crock pot, stir well.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Add beans 1 hour or so before serving. Serve with garnishes.

Menu Planning Monday

As I mentioned in a past post, I have become a meal planner in the past few months.  With my son's allergies/intolerances and our busy schedule, well-planned dinners are the only way for my family to sit down to a nutritious, allergy-friendly meal by 6:00 p.m. (which is the latest my little guy can wait for his dinner and the exact time my husband can make it home from work)!

I was excited to find that the one of my new favorite (aforementioned) blogs, I'm an Organizing Junkie, also has a passion for meal planning.  So, I am joining the ranks of her blog readers as part of Menu Plan Monday (or MPM).  Check out her blog on Mondays for her meal plan and hundreds of others for some dinner inspiration!  This is my first week taking part, but I have been using some of the recipes I have found via her blog for a couple of weeks - LOVE it! 

Menu planning also allows me to take a look at what is on special at the grocery store and work meals around that, saving me quite a bit of money.

Hopefully, my menu plan (and others!) will give you some motivation to give this a try!  (You will also note that the two linked recipes come from a great crock pot recipe website called One Year of Slow Cooking, all gluten free!)

Week of January 10th

Monday: Pork Carnitas leftovers from Sunday
Tuesday:  Yellow Chicken and Rice with green beans (from one of our Kid-Friendly Allergy Cookbooks)
Wednesday: Hamburgers, baked squash and salad
Thursday:  Crock Pot Sweet Potato Chili
Friday:  Pasta cu Sugo with meatballs (my Nanny's recipe, waiting in my freezer to be defrosted!); spinach salad
Saturday:  Out for dinner
Sunday:  Enchiladas (recipe care of my sister-in-law, Lindsey Tibesar!)

Quinoa in Your Pancakes!

Since my little guy has a wheat intolerance, we have had to explore new flours for baking.  One of our favorite weekend treats is quinoa pancakes.  (This morning I made a double batch and individually wrapped about 10 of them to stick in the toaster for weekday breakfasts).  Quinoa flour is rich is protein, calcium and iron (we use Bob's Red Mill Quinoa Flour, easy to find at most grocery stores).  Next time you are making pancakes, substitute this nutritious flour for your traditional white or wheat flour to give your pancakes a nutrition boost and a really yummy, nutty taste.  Since eggs are off limits in my house, as well, we substitute each egg in our pancake recipe for 1 tbsp. flax seed meal combined with three tbsp water (Bob's Red Mill also sells flax seed meal, and this three to one ratio is noted on the back of the packaging).  You can barely taste the flax seed and it gives the pancakes another nutritional boost (fiber and Omega-3's)!  We add some fruit puree to add sweetness and yet another layer of nutrition - no guilt in eating these!  Leave a comment or email me if you have any questions about how to make these substitutions.

Make Ahead Dinner with Moroccan Flair

About four months ago, when my little guy starting eating dinner with us, it was important to me to plan healthy, nutritious meals for our family to sit down and eat together.  Since we found out about Ben's food intolerances, meal planning has become critical.  I will be spending more time on meal planning in future posts.  Today, I want to share with you an awesome make-ahead meal that all three of us love.  If you and/or your kids are a fan of beans - garbanzo beans in particular, you will love Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas!  This one-pot dish is featured in November's Cooking Light magazine! 

Some changes I made to the recipe:

• Substituted 1 tbsp. of curry for the Ras al Hanout (a Moroccan spice blend) - they are very similar and I had curry on hand!
• Substituted chopped spinach for the escarole
• Eliminated almonds to make the recipe allergen friendly
• I did not have cilantro or mint on hand, but it turned out wonderful without it!
• Another allergen-friendly change - substitute brown rice for couscous

I made this the night before, but it in a Pyrex dish and warmed it for 30 minutes at 350 degrees when I got home from work!  Easy clean up and so delicious!  Enjoy!