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

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

• lettuce
• broccoli
• eggplant
• red onions
• bananas
• peaches
• plums
• green grapes
• mangoes
• watermelon
• pineapple

We also got the Juice Pack add-on:

• celery
• carrots
• golden delicious apples
• kale
• spinach
• pineapple
• parsley
• oranges
• limes
• ginger

Our raspberries, kale, spinach and peas are coming on in the garden and I also have potatoes and fresh corn for the family.

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

Sunday: 

• 1st breakfast (5am): nothing, I'm sleeping in :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am):  nothing, I'm fasting as part of my religion
• morning snack (9am): fasting
• lunch (11am-12pm): fasting
• afternoon snack (3pm): fasting
• dinner (5-6pm):
• Grilled Chicken
• baked potatoes
• steamed broccoli
• corn on the cob (for the family)
• watermelon slices

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): 
• brat burgers and hot dogs
• grilled eggplant
• corn on the cob for the fam
• chips
• fruit salad

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): 
• tamales (for the family)
• rice and beans
• green salad
• nachos

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: 
• chili
• baked potatoes
• pineapple
• carrots and celery sticks

Thursday: 

• 1st breakfast (5am): peach
• 2nd breakfast (7am): green smoothie
• morning snack (9am): fresh peas 
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers or a lettuce wrap
• afternoon snack (3pm): celery sticks and almond butter
• dinner: 
• One-eyed sandwiches
• bacon
• hashbrowns
• pineapple

Friday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): peach
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): fresh peas
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): celery sticks and almond butter
• 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:
• spaghetti
• green salad

Ice Cream for those HOT days

So, I've had a very eventful last few days, which has left me exhausted and without a recipe to post.  I'm sorry.  But, I thought in the meantime I would give you a round up of dairy-free (gluten and soy-free, too) ice cream recipes to keep you cool in this heat (it's been 100F or close to it for several days here).

Homemade Coconut Milk Ice Cream (without an Ice Cream Maker)

Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Caramel Cashew Ice Cream

Cardamom Plum Ice Cream

Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

Banana 'Ice Cream'

Lemon Custard Ice Cream

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

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!