Weekly Menu (6/30/13-7/6/13)

This week in our Bountiful Basket we got (which I share with my brother):

• russet potatoes
• bell peppers
• swiss chard
• celery
• lettuce
• tomatoes
• saturn peaches
• plums
• apples
• mangos

We also got the Asian add-on pack which contains:

• napa cabbage
• bok choy
• celery
• basil
• ginger
• onions
• green onions
• garlic
• snow peas

And we also got the Juice Pack add-on:

• celery
• carrots
• green apples
• kale
• spinach
• beets
• parsley
• oranges
• lemons
• ginger

Our raspberries, kale, spinach and peas are coming on in the garden and I also have grapes.

The kids are now both at day care for breakfast and lunch for most of the week, when they are home they have what I'm having, or cereal, sandwiches, etc.

Sunday: 

• 1st breakfast (5am): nothing, I'm sleeping in :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am):  green smoothie (I'll be using kale, spinach, beet greens, and chard for the greens and whatever fruit I happen to throw in there)
• morning snack (9am): fresh peas
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): plum
• dinner (5-6pm):
• Teriyaki chicken
• basmati rice
• stir fried veggies (bok choy, celery, bell peppers, napa cabbage, etc)

Monday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): plum
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies (kale, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, etc)
• morning snack (9am): celery and carrots sticks with peanut butter
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): grapes
• dinner (5-6pm): 
• chicken nuggets
• I may make pesto sauce to dip them in...cause that sounds good.
• baked potatoes
• roasted beets
• green salad
• sliced apples

Tuesday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): plum
• 2nd breakfast (7am): green smoothie
• morning snack (9am): fresh peas
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): celery and carrots with peanut butter
• dinner (5-6pm): 
• tacos with homemade tortillas
• grapes
• celery and carrots sticks
• green salad

Wednesday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): plum
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): fresh peas
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): celery and peanut butter
• dinner: 
• waffles
• bacon
• hash browns
• orange slices

Thursday: Happy Independence Day!

• 1st breakfast (5am): sleeping in! :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am): green smoothie
• morning snack (9am): fresh peas 
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers or a lettuce wrap
• afternoon snack (3pm): plum
• dinner: 
• Brats/Hot Dogs
• topped with sauteed bell peppers and onions
• onion rings
• green salad
• carrots and celery sticks
• I think I may make some ginger cookies, too

Friday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): sleeping in! :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): fresh peas
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): cashews and dried cranberries
• dinner:
• pizza 
• green salad

Saturday: 

• 1st breakfast (5am): sleeping in :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am): green smoothie
• morning snack (9am): carrots
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): fresh peas
• dinner:
• Navajo Tacos
• with whatever fruit and veggies we have left.

Strawberry Cupcakes

My birthday is this weekend, so I asked my boys what type of cake I should make.  My older son immediately shouted, "Strawberry Cake!" He's since changed his mind and want me to make chocolate cake with strawberry frosting, but it got me thinking that I don't have a good strawberry cake recipe...until now.  

This cake is not you typical pink cake...it's not flavored with strawberry gelatin, so it has a more natural taste.  I absolutely love it and so does my little one.  He just told me last night that it's now his favorite type of cake.

Strawberry Cupcakes
1 cup evaporated cane juice (or white sugar)
2/3 cup agave nectar or honey
1 cup palm oil shortening
4 eggs
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups GF flour blend
1/2 cup freeze dried strawberry powder (I buy whole freeze dried strawberries and pulse them in the blender until it makes a powder)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup dairy-free milk
3/4 cup fresh strawberry puree

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease or line muffin tins and set aside.  In a large mixing bowl cream together the evaporated cane juice, agave or honey, and the palm oil shortening.  Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition, then add in the vanilla.

Combine the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.  And combine the dairy-free milk and the strawberry puree together.  Add the dry ingredients into the sugar/egg mixture in small batches, alternating with the strawberry/milk mixture, until everything it added.  Mix on medium-high for a couple of minutes to smooth the batter out.

Scoop the batter into the muffin tins and bake for ~20 minutes at 350F or until a toothpick comes out clean.

You can frost them with a strawberry buttercream or top with a chocolate ganache (sorry, forgot to take pictures of these ones, but they are good!).

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays. Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love, Gluten Free Fridays, and Whole Food Fridays.

Weekly Menu (6/23/13-6/29/13)

This week in our Bountiful Basket we got (which I share with my brother):

• russet potatoes
• asparagus
• zucchini
• celery
• lettuce
• onions
• tomatoes
• nectarines
• blueberries
• watermelon
• bananas

We also got the Tropical add-on pack which contains:

• mangos
• vanilla beans
• mint
• plantains
• limes
• coconut
• pineapple

Our strawberries, kale, spinach and peas are coming on in the garden and I also have carrots and grapes.

The kids are now both at day care for breakfast and lunch.

Sunday: 

• 1st breakfast (5am): nothing, I'm sleeping in :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am):  green smoothie (using kale and strawberries from the garden, along with mango, pineapple, homemade coconut milk, etc)
• morning snack (9am): fresh peas
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): grapes
• dinner (5-6pm):
• Grilled Flank Steak
• mashed potatoes
• roasted asparagus
• green salad

Monday: (Tee Ball and Coach's Pitch is still going, so dinners are going to be quick)

• 1st breakfast (5am): nectarine
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies (kale, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, zucchini, etc)
• morning snack (9am): fresh peas
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): grapes
• dinner (5-6pm): 
• green chili chicken with tortillas
• fried plaintains
• watermelon and pineapple

Tuesday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): nectarine
• 2nd breakfast (7am): green smoothie
• morning snack (9am): carrots wiith peanut butter
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): fresh peas
• dinner (5-6pm): 
• chili (we thicken ours with millet flour, and freeze the extras for quick dinners)
• green salad
• veggie sticks with hummus

Wednesday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): nectarine
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): fresh peas
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): celery and peanut butter
• dinner: 
• sloppy joes
• grapes
• carrot and carrot sticks

Thursday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): carrots and peanut butter
• 2nd breakfast (7am): green smoothie
• morning snack (9am): fresh peas 
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): cashews and dried cranberries
• dinner: 
• sandwiches
• pineapple
• bananas

Friday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): carrots and peanut butter
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): fresh peas
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers or a lettuce wrap with veggies and ham
• afternoon snack (3pm): cashews and dried cranberries
• dinner:
• french toast
• hash browns
• bacon
• pineapple

Saturday: It's my birthday!

• 1st breakfast (5am): sleeping in :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am): green smoothie
• morning snack (9am): carrots
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): fresh peas
• dinner:
• Pizza Pie Cafe
• And birthday cake, of course!

Deep Dish Pizza

So, we have pizza fairly often in our house.  And I have some fantastic pizza crust recipes (this one and this one), but that doesn't stop me from experimenting.  I decided to set out and make a pan style pizza, and it turned out fairly well.  My boys devoured it, so I call that a success.

Deep Dish Pizza
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon fast rising yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3 cups GF flour blend
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons gelatin
2 egg whites
toppings of choice

Directions

In a small bowl  mix together water, yeast, oil, honey, and vinegar.  Let sit for ~3-5 minutes. In a medium bowl (I used my stand mixer for this), stir together dry ingredients.  Add the yeast mixture and mix on low speed until combined, add in the egg whites and mix.  Then mix on high speed for a couple of minutes.  The dough should become very thick, but slightly sticky.

Generously coat two 9" cake pans with oil.  Divide the dough in half and place each in a cake pan.  Wet a spatula or your fingers with water and press the dough into each pan.  Cover the pans and allow them to rise for 30 minutes in a warm spot.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Uncover dough and top with your favorite toppings.  Cook for ~45 minutes at 350F, and enjoy! 

Yields: Two 9" pizzas

This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love, Gluten Free Fridays, Allergy Friendly Fridays, and Whole Food Fridays.

Weekly Menu (6/16/13-6/22/13)

This week in our Bountiful Basket we got (which I share with my brother):

• peaches
• grapes
• galia melon
• avocados
• butter lettuce
• brussel sprouts
• mushrooms

We also got the Tropical add-on pack which contains:

• mango
• vanilla beans
• mint
• plantains
• limes
• coconut (my brother got the coconut)

We also got an order of pineapple...so 4 pineapple each. :)

Our strawberries, kale, and peas are coming on in the garden and I also have plums, carrots, russet potatoes, and peppers.

The kids are now both at day care for breakfast and lunch.

Sunday: Happy Father's Day!

• 1st breakfast (5am): nothing, I'm sleeping in :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am):  green smoothie (using kale and strawberries from the garden, along with mango, pineapple, etc)
• morning snack (9am): plum
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): carrots
• dinner (5-6pm):
• Grilled Steak
• baked potatoes
• roasted brussel sprouts and mushrooms
• corn
• green salad

Monday: (Tee Ball and Coach's Pitch is still going, so dinners are going to be quick)

• 1st breakfast (5am): peach
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies (mushrooms and kale)
• morning snack (9am): carrots and peanut butter
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): grapes
• dinner (5-6pm): 
• spaghetti (I freeze our sauce, so it makes for a quick dinner)
• galia melon
• green salad

Tuesday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): plums
• 2nd breakfast (7am): green smoothie
• morning snack (9am): carrots with peanut butter
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): peach
• dinner (5-6pm): 
• pork tamales (for the family)
• southwestern quinoa for me
• grapes
• fried plantains

Wednesday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): peach
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): carrots and peanut butter
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): cashews and dried cranberries
• dinner: 
• sandwiches or lettuce wraps
• grapes
• carrot sticks

Thursday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): carrots and peanut butter
• 2nd breakfast (7am): green smoothie
• morning snack (9am): fresh peas (they are like candy to me when they are raw)
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): cashews and dried cranberries
• dinner: 
• honey oat pancakes
• hashbrowns
• bacon
• grapes

Friday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): carrots and peanut butter
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): peach
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers or a lettuce wrap with veggies and ham
• afternoon snack (3pm): cashews and dried cranberries
• dinner:
• chicken nuggets
• oven fries
• carrot sticks
• fresh peas

Saturday: 

• 1st breakfast (5am): sleeping in :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am): green smoothie
• morning snack (9am): carrots
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): fresh peas
• dinner:
• Pizza
• green salad