Meal Plan April 14 -20

The home stretch! It seems crazy, but this is the last meal plan for eating clean! Sunday is Easter. Time flies.


Monday April 14 (This one seems like a lot of work, but looks really yummy too)
Artichoke and Mushroom Lasagna (Vegetarian, PG 166- With some modification)

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Onions, Coarsely chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1/4 cup walnuts
2 1/2 lbs mixed mushrooms, coarsely chopped
8 cherry tomatoes
4 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup Wheat Flour
4 1/2 Cups Milk
2 Bay leaves
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
8 oz prepared whole wheat noodles
1 (14 oz) can artichokes hearts in water, drained and halved (Hoping I can find these clean, because starting with fresh artichokes looks hard)
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Fresh oregano

Preheat the oven to 400. (Or you can do all the prep work and store in the fridge for up to 3 hours.  Remove from fridge 30 minutes before time to bake)

Mushroom Mixture:
Heat the oil in a large skillet and sauté the onions gently for 10 minutes, until soft.
Add garlic and walnuts and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until pale golden.
Stir in the mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes.
Simmer Briskly for another 10 minutes or until all liquid is evaporated.
Add tomatoes to the Skillet and then remove from the heat and set aside.

Sauce:
Melt the butter in a sauce pan, add flour and stir over gentle heat for 1 minute.
Slowly whisk in the milk until you have a smooth mixture.
Bring to a boil, add the bay leaves, and then stir over gentle heat for 10 minutes or until thickened and smooth.
Add the Lemon Juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Discard the bay leaves.

Grease a shallow Ovenproof dish and layer lasagna noodles over the bottom.
Spoon half of the Mushroom mixture over the noodles, and then half of the artichokes.
Cover with a layer of noodles and half the sauce.
Spoon remaining mushroom mixture over the top and add remaining artichokes.
Top with remaining noodles
Stir the Parmesan cheese into the remaining sauce and spoon evenly over the top of the lasagna

Bake in oven for 40-50 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling.  Garnish with oregano sprigs, and serve.

Tuesday April 15- Left overs

Wednesday April 16

Pear and Sage stuffed Pork chops

Ingredients:

4 thick, boneless pork chops

1/4 c whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 c yellow onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, minced

1 slice whole wheat bread, cubed

1 pear, cored and diced

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely minced

Cooking spray 

Directions:

Trim away fat and cut a pocket into each chop.

Combine flour, salt and pepper on a plate and dredge chops in flour mixture.

Sear chops to brown in a skillet sprayed with cooking oil, about 5 minutes on each side. Add some water to pan to deglaze and pull up any brown bits. Remove chops from the pan and set aside.

Add oil to pan and saute onion and celery. Add bread cubes, pear, sage and rosemary. Moisten with 2 tablespoons of water, or more if needed.

Stuff chops with cooked mixture. Place a toothpick in each cop to hold together.

Place in a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour any residual liquid over chops, cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, until center is no longer pink and internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. Serve.

Serve with Rice and steamed broccoli

Thursday April 17:

We LOVE salsa chicken and Barbacoa so when I found this italian style take on the same concept, I had to try it. I halved the recipe because I don't need nearly as much!

Italian Stallion Crock pot chicken 

FROM He and She eat clean

Ingredients:

2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 Large tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped onion (we use Vidalia/Sweet)

1 1/2  Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1Tbsp olive oil

1/2 Tbsp honey

Dry Ingredients/Spices:

1/2 Tbsp basil

1/2 Tbsp thyme

1/2 Tbsp red pepper flakes

1/2 Tbsp oregano

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/2 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp bay leaves

Directions:

Mix all ingredients (not including the chicken breasts) together in a blender/food processor and blend for about 30 seconds until ingredients are mixed well.

Place blended pasta sauce in sauce pan and simmer on low/medium heat for about 10-15 minutes until sauce takes on a thicker consistency and a dark shade of red.

Mix chicken breasts and pasta sauce in crock pot and cook on low heat for at least 7 hours.

After 7 hours, you will notice the sauce looks very runny, this is normal.  Remove crock pot from heating base, shred chicken with a wooden spoon or spatula and as it cools, the shredded chicken will absorb the juices from the pasta sauce.

Friday April 18:

Sole Florentine, Prevention Pg 165 I wanted to make this last year during lent and could not find SOle anywhere. I noticed last week they now have it at Giant eagle! SO yay, I get it about 1 year later! Good things come to those who wait.  

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Olive oil

1 cup diced red bell peppers

2 garlic cloves minced

4 cups loosely packed spinach

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 lbs sole (4 filets)

1/4 cup bread crumbs (I am using the corn flake cereal I used for a recipe Here- buffalo chicken tenders recipe)

1 large egg white

2 Tbsp Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3 Tbsp Chicken broth

Fresh thyme sprigs

Preheat oven to 425.  Spray a 11X7 inch baking dish with olive oil spray

In a large, heavy, non-stick skillet, warm oil over medium high heat until hot but not smoking.  Add bell peppers and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes until peppers are tender. Transfer 1/4 cup of the pepper mixture to a small bowl and set aside. 

Stir in Spinach, thyme, salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring continually, for about 1 minute or until spinach is wilted. Drain the spinach in a strainer, pressing down lightly to remove any excess moisture. Transfer Spinach/pepper mixture to a medium bowl.

Cut Sole filets in half length-wise, removing any bones near the top of the filet.  

Add the breadcrumbs, egg white and Parmesan to the spinach and toss well. Spoon to Rounded Tbsp of the mixture onto the wide end of each piece of sole. Roll up the fillet toward the narrow end. Place the rolls seam side down in the prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle the rolls with the reserved pepper mixture, then drizzle with broth. Cover the baking dish with foil and bale for 10-12 minutes or until fish just flakes when tested with a fork.  and filling is heated through.

Transfer 2 fish rolls with the bell pepper topping to each plate. Discard pan juices, and garnish with fresh thyme springs. 

Serve with Rice or Quinoa 

Saturday April 19

We are going to be working on our Spring Cleaning this week, so here is an easy favorite from the past weeks.

Beef and Walnut Stir Fry (Eat clean, Pg 260)

Ingredients:

2 tsp coconut oil or sesame oil

1 lbs Lean beef tenderloin chopped into 1 inch pieces

1 bunch asparagus, washed, trimmed and chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsley chopped

1.5 cups green beans trimmed and chopped into 1 inch pieces

1 clove Garlic, minced

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

1 tsp sea salt

Ground black pepper

Juice of 1 freshly squeezed orange

1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinger mixed with a pinch of salt and pinch of garlic powder

1- Heat Oil over med-high heat in skillet

2- Add beef and cook until well done on all sides. Add vegetables and garlic. Stir fry until tender

3- Add Walnuts and toss to heat through. Season with Salt and pepper. Makes 4 servings.  Place serving on serving of rice.

4- Deglaze Pan (this means to add liquid to a pan that food has been cooked in, to dissolve the remains of roasted or sautéed food that sticks to the bottom) with juice.  Add Balsamic mixture and stir well. cook over med-low until mixture is reduced by half. Pour over each plate and serve.

Sunday April 20, EASTER Sunday! Going to the In-laws house for all the DELICIOUS things we have not been able to eat over lent. My mother-in-law has promised me cake with LOTS of icing and I could not be happier! 

CHECK YOUR KITCHEN

Olive Oil

coconut oil or sesame oil

Garlic

Wheat Flour

whole wheat pastry flour

Butter

Bay Leaves

Basil

Black pepper

Oregano

Parsley

Rosemary

Red pepper Flakes

Sage

Thyme

Salt

Honey

1/4 cup bread crumbs (I am using the corn flake cereal I used for a recipe Here- buffalo chicken tenders recipe)

GROCERY LIST

3 Onions
1 yellow onion
3 Red bell peppers
1 green bell pepper
1.5 cups green beans
1 bunch asparagus
Celery
Brocoli

2 1/2 lbs mixed mushrooms
cherry tomatoes
2 Large tomatoes
4 cups spinach

1 lemons or Lemon Juice
Orange
Pear
Fresh oregano

Fresh thyme sprigs

walnuts

whole wheat Lasagna noodles
Rice

1 (14 oz) can artichokes hearts in water
tomato paste

whole milk
1 egg white
Parmsean cheese (1 Cup)
Ezekiel Bread

4 thick, boneless pork chops

2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 lbs sole (4 filets)

1 lbs Lean beef tenderloin

What this Mom learned from the theater

I just want to be the kind of mom who cooks for her kids delicious and nutritious foods; teaches them a healthy body image and respect for others; nourishes their minds, and encourages their physical abilities. A mom who does all kinds of really fun stuff everyday; makes rainy day crafts; goes to every kids ice show, circus, and dinosaur event in Pittsburgh and Cleveland.  I want to hand make birthday invitations, decorations and favor bags.  I want to give them every toy they could possibly want before they even want it, and dress them in cute coordinating fashionable outfits. I want to teach them the value of money, and also to love people and not things.  I want to teach them about God, and about loving their neighbors.  I want to teach them to give back to their community. I want them to learn to do things for themselves, but I never want them to struggle. In the mean time, I want to work within a tight budget, create a huge nest egg (Just in case), have a clean home, grow a garden, maintain my relationship with my fabulous husband, increase my relationship with Jesus, stay physically fit, and continue to stimulate my own brain. I want do fun stuff with my friends and family. All the while, it would be nice to cherish every moment. AND go to Disney at least once a year. I mean is that too much to ask for?

The answer is obviously yes, it is too much to ask for. I know this logically, and yet the desires are still there. How do I reconcile the fact that my desires are impossible, and often times completely contradictory to each other? Parents can make themselves crazy trying to be perfect.  We can torture ourselves over every detail. Things we did, things we should have done, things we were too tired to do.  "Did I yell when Andy tried to leave the library ALONE, or did I just use my stern voice?" "Why didn't I drop everything I was doing to fix Colin's Pirate pig attack game the forth time it broke?" "Why didn't I have a more balanced meal in mind for the boy's dinner?" "Did I handle that fit as effectively as possible to teach Andy not to throw toys and chairs without damaging his since of love and security?" And that was just Monday evening. It is enough to drive a person insane.

And yet, I am not insane.  I am thriving. I am having the best years of my life. So how do I explain this? (Aside from the simple fact that kids are an amazing blessing from God.) I think it is because I am Theater people. Theater people are a different breed.  Beyond that, I am a backstage superstar. Here is how it applies.

In theater, every show you begin (every script you read even) is full of grand ideas and huge expectations. You want it to be a work of art.  You want to tell the story in a clear and unique voice. You want to transport the audience to the setting of your design. You want the lines to be perfect. You want the scene changes flawless. You want the props to be authentic and well organized. No popping microphones; no missed light cues; no wardrobe malfunctions. You want your efforts to be met by thunderous applause as the audience burst from their seats with out a moments hesitation. You want them to not only enjoy the performance, but you want them to be moved; to be transformed. You want this magic to be repeated for every performance of the run of the show.  It is also nice if you can pack the house, start on time, and run a perfect intermission. Of course it is all about the art, but it would be best if you can make a ton of money too. These, like a mothers desires, are impossible. Knowing how impossible it is, does not change your continued effort to strive for that perfection. Every sub-par prop you create, every dropped line or missed cue, every empty seat is a small blow to your ego. However, you learn to understand in small 1-6 month increments (depending on your rehearsal period) it is important to have these hopes and dreams of perfection and beauty, but it is also okay to only achieve a small portion of them. They keep you striving for the best.  When you try so hard to be the best, even in the spots you fall short you are still amazing.

Awesome Halloween Float

There are a ton of practical skills I learned from theater which translate perfectly to parenting. To name a few, the ability to quickly fix items which you have no experience fixing. An actor runs off stage and hands you a broken prop/costume piece which needs to go on stage in 1-2 minutes. You can figure it out, and repair it in a matter of moments.  This comes in handy when I am handed a transformer to fix before the oven timer goes off and I need to get the food out for dinner. The ability to see in the dark backstage and move silently translates perfectly to sneaking out of the children's room while they are sleeping. "Disciplining" actors who won't stop eating props, who won't be quite back stage, who want to play with the cool props which don't belong to them, who bicker amongst each other, who do stupid dangerous things is not unlike dealing with children on a play date. The patience you need to cope with your children and your children's care givers can be learned through managing the egos of actors, directors, and a team of designers. Time management skills are a must for a stage manager. I give as much attention to each area of the show that I can, and then I move on. I can work until the job is done, and have an ability to see what needs cut, and what is indispensable. The same goes for parenting. I can focus on making sure I read to the boys regularly, but I know that if I need to put that on the side burner one day to finish their awesome halloween float it is OK! ALSO, The ability and know how to create their awesome halloween float (See picture), comes directly from prop and set building. Reacting quickly to injuries is just as often used backstage as it is in my house with my two boys.  The list could go on and on. I am constantly thinking, "Why do I know how to do this? Oh that is right, I do this in the theater."

Theater is fleeting and impermanent. You work so hard for each show.  You lose sleep. You put your heart into every show.  However long the rehearsal process, you put in a ton of work. Then you spend an in-human amount of time working out the details during tech week. During that week it is pretty much your only thought morning noon and middle of the night. You see it come together with sound, costumes, props, set and that last darn actor who is finally off book. Then you have the run of the show.  The work pays off in a dramatic and beautiful series of performances.  Then it is over. Just as quick as you can blink an eye. The show you slaved over and loved is done.  You will never have that show back because even if you do that same title again you will have a different cast. Even if you had the same cast you have different context of time, life experiences, etc. Maybe you have a video of the performance, but you may as well not watch it because it will not do it justice. After 3 or 4 shows you learn that you should enjoy the moments you can because they are there to be enjoyed.  You learn the hard times are just as impermanent and will be forgotten more quickly. Some shows are not so great.  Others are amazing. The not so great ones don't make you not love theater. You learn that each experience has it's own set of great moments and you are excited to discover them. I feel this way with my kids. Every age, every season is full of good and bad.  Some weeks are like tech week (a lot of hard work and little to no sleep), and some weeks are performances (rewarding and magical). I cherish the moments worth cherishing and move past the rough moments knowing that they lead to something amazing.

Perhaps the most useful theater lesson which I apply to parenting, is a faith in knowing that somehow it will all work out.  There is a magic in the theater. No mater how impossible it seems right up until the open of the show, things fall together.  You think there is no way the set will be even close to done, you think the lines are not there, you think that the second act is not blocked (staged), and then somehow it comes together.  Somehow against the odds, it just works.  You feel stressed and you feel like it is impossible and you feel like failure is inevitable, but then you quickly see you are wrong.  Everything is fine. You find that groove, you get things done and you feel that since of satisfaction. You learn stress comes from focusing on all these tiny details which in the long run no one notices or remembers.  The satisfaction comes from the big picture.  The big picture is worth so much more than the individual brush strokes. If you care, you try your best, and you get done the things you can get done then your product will be great. I care. I love my kids with all my heart. Everyday I do my best and get done what I can, and my kids are amazing, and I know that they will continue to get better and more beautiful everyday. The hours are not all perfect memories, but the days are filled with perfect pieces which are building amazing people.  I cherish that. I cherish them.

Is it perfect? No. Is it the magical and beautiful and most excellent product of the labor of love and faith? Absolutely.

One month and counting! Eating clean review

It has been one month since my husband and I started eating clean.  33 days to be exact.  It has been extremely difficult and extremely simple. Which pretty much describes my thoughts on changing my entire diet over the last year.  The change for us is much more subtle this year than it would have been had we attempted this last year for lent.  I already cook a lot of our meals. We rarely have fast food, and we only eat out occasionally. If a person were to want to switch to eating clean when they are eating a great deal of processed foods, it would be a great deal more difficult. I am going to look at three areas in our experience so far: physical, finical and psychological. 

Physical: I feel great. I am sleeping better, and I have a lot of energy. Not having caffeine has been a real struggle. Especially since Andy's sleeping has been inconsistent over the entire month. Normally I would just load up on Diet Dr. pepper in the morning and make it through. However, Instead I have been compensating by going to bed earlier.  This is likely a much healthier choice. My skin looks better.  I have never really had issues with my skin so it took me by surprise when I noticed my skin looking brighter and younger.  I have also found that I have only had one head ache since we started eating clean.   Not that I have a lot regularly, but I would say one in a month is a little on the low end.  From a weight loss stand point, it has not done much for me, but my husband has reaped the benefits there. Now if you want to skip to the next paragraph feel free because I am going to say a word on poop.  I see a difference here.  It is solid and healthy and very regular. Makes me feel like the system is cleaning out well! 

Finical: Last month, I spent double what I normally spend on groceries. It is more expensive. I think I may see that start to even out a bit as I adjust.  I think I need to eat less meat for one thing.  There were also a number of ingredients I had to buy up front, but make many recipes. I feel really good about buying my groceries though. So many fresh healthy ingredients. Hoping I can get this cut down over the next couple of weeks.

Psychological: This is a two sided struggle.  One side is the internal struggle with food cravings and the desire to just grab a quick bite.  On the other side is the external struggle of what everyone else thinks and expects from you. With the food cravings, I have found that most things have a clean counter part I can make to satisfy the craving.  For example, we were craving soda with dinner so we started making lemonade sweetened with honey.  I wanted pancakes so I found a wheat buttermilk pancake recipe, and it is AMAZING! John was struggling with ice cream cravings, and I got an ice cream maker and made ice cream sweetened with maple syrup. Pretty much everything you could want is available. It just takes some figuring out and some extra effort. 

I can say I have a new found sympathy for people with major food allergies. While I have always tried to make sure I remember allergies my friends have, and then try to prepare food accordingly, I have never truly understood the uncomfortable and awkward issues arise. Feeding my sons pizza, cake and other yummy treats while not eating them myself has reinforced to me that I have a great deal of will power.  I have not eaten at parties.  I have had it announced loudly and multiple times to everyone in the room "She gave up EVERYTHING for Lent." I have tried unsuccessfully to explain that "Eating Clean" is not the same as a fad diet or a cleanse. I have been stuck at things which I thought would only last until lunch, and then, when they go much longer, I have starved because I did not pack anything and there is is not anything for me to eat.  Those experiences have been frustrating. I have also found support from friends and family who have made adjustments to our meals together to accommodate me. I have been given advise on places to shop and how to save some money on what I need to buy. Those moments have been really special, and I appreciate those people. 

Overall, the external struggle has been the most difficult. It keeps it constantly in my mind, which makes it the perfect lenten sacrifice. It makes me truly consider everything I put in my body, and it has been a rewarding experience so far.  I know we will not follow a clean diet as strictly as we have been the last month, but I do believe we are picking up some concepts and recipes  we will continue using forever. 

This is post is sort of in lieu of my meal plan this week.  I picked up some things at the store and have some ideas for the week, but nothing is structured. I am going to wing it for a week.  Next week the plan will be back on the blog.  

Meal Plan: March 31- April 6

We are about half way through lent, and really getting the hang of this eating clean.  A couple of repeats again this week, and I am super excited about them. The new things sound yummy too. I put the nut bar recipe on here again as it has become a family favorite.  We are also going to try tot make roasted red pepper hummus this week, and a guacamole for Sunday viewing of Wrestlemania.  (Will get those recipes up asap)

Monday,  March 31: Roasting Chicken for Sunday Dinner (Eating Clean Pg 263)
Ingredients:
1/2 Turnip, peeled and diced
2 Parsnips, peeled and diced
2 cooking potatoes, un-peeled, scrubbed and diced
4 stalks of celery, trimmed and chopped, leaves included
1 Large Sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 Large Carrots, peeled and diced
2 Large yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 Tbsp fresh sage chopped
3 Tbsp fresh Rosemary, chopped
1 good-sized Roasting chicken (free-range, hormone free) washed drained and dried
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp sea salt

1- Pre heat oven to 400
2- Toss all chopped and diced vegetables and olive oil in a large roasting pan.
3- In a small bowl place coconut oil, garlic, and fresh chopped herbs, mix into a paste.
4- Set chicken into the roasting pan on top of the veggies
5- Using clean hands scoop the herb mixture up and rub it onto the chicken.  Coat the bird completely.  6- Season with Salt and paprika.
7- Place roasting pan in hot oven and let roast at 400 for 15 minutes. reduce heat to 350 and continue roasting for 1 hour to 1.5 hours.  Check with meat thermometer in thigh, when it reaches 165 the chicken is properly roasted.
8- Remove from heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes.  Carve and serve.

Tuesday April 1: Leftovers

Wednesday April 2

Baked Buffalo Chicken tenders with Blue Cheese and carrot sticks

(Did not get to make these Last Saturday, can't wait to try them!!)

Serves: 4 Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes (plus marinating time)

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 1/2-inch (1 oz) chunks

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 Tbsp plus 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice, divided

2 Tbsp cup hot pepper sauce

Olive oil cooking spray

2 1/2 tbsp whole-wheat flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour

1 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1 3/4 cups corn flakes cereal, finely crushed in a food processor (TRY: Erewhon 100% Whole Grain Corn Flakes Cereal)

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

1 Tbsp minced scallions

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400F. Place chicken in a large resealable bag. In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, 2 tbsp lemon juice and hot sauce. Pour into bag with chicken. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Place a wire rack over a large, rimmed baking sheet lined with foil and mist with cooking spray. In a separate large resealable bag, combine flour and cayenne and shake to combine. Place cereal in a small bowl. Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off any excess, and transfer to bag with flour. Shake until chicken is well coated. Transfer to remaining marinade to a small bowl. Working in batches, remove chicken from bag, dip in marinade, then roll in cereal. Transfer to rack and mist chicken with cooking spray. Bake for about 22 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink in center.

Meanwhile, prepare yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, combine yogurt, remaining 1 tsp lemon juice, blue cheese, scallions, salt and black pepper and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (MAKE AHEAD: Yogurt sauce can be prepared up to a day in advance; cover and refrigerate.)

Thursday April 5: Leftovers

Friday April 4

Blackened Cumin-cayenne Tilapia with Roasted red potatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika 

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 Preheat broiler.

 Rub oil evenly over fish.

Combine cumin, salt, garlic powder, and peppers; sprinkle over fish.

Arrange fish on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or desired degree of doneness.

Cooking Light 
SEPTEMBER 2009

Roasted red potatoes

ingredients:

1 lbs Red potatoes (Quartered)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Ground Black paper

1/2 tsp Dried Rosemary

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (250 degrees C).

Place potatoes in a large roasting pan and toss with oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary until evenly coated. Spread out potatoes in a single layer.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately. 

  

Saturday April 5- Bust day from start to finish, Going to get some chipolte!  

Sunday April 6

Slow cooker Balsamic Chicken

Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken, with Quinoa

Yields 6

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (about 16-22 ounces)

1 diced tomato

¼ cup Vegetable broth

1 Small onion thinly sliced (Not chopped)

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 Tbsp olive oil

½ tsp each: dried oregano, basil, and rosemary

¼ tsp thyme

ground black pepper and salt to taste

Pour the olive oil on bottom of slow cooker, add chicken breasts, salt and pepper each breast, put sliced onion on top of chicken then put in all the dried herbs and garlic cloves. Pour in vinegar and top with tomatoes.

Cook on high 4 hours, serve over Quinoa

MORE    NUT BARS Again- Love these!!

Ingredients:

½ cup Cashews

1 ½ Cup Pumpkin seeds

1 ¼ Almonds

1 Cup raisins or chopped dates

½ tsp salt

1 tsp Cinnamon

½ cup Honey

¼ cup Coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease (with coconut oil) a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Grind the following nuts into a coarse nut flour. Don’t let it turn into nut butter!

1/2 cup cashews

1 cup of pumpkin seeds

1 cup of almonds

Put into a medium size bowl and stir in the following.

1/2 cup of sunflower seeds

¼ Cup Almonds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup raisins or chopped dates

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Melt in a small saucepan:

1/2 cup of honey

1/4 cup high quality coconut oil

Pour honey/oil over the nut mixture and stir until everything is evenly coated with it. Press evenly into the prepared casserole dish and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until it is lightly browned on top.

Allow to cool for 20 minutes, then very gently cut and remove bars and allow to cool on a plate. They will be crumbly at this stage, but I found that if they started to fall apart, I could gently mold them back together (the honey acts like a glue). As they cool they will harden. Once cool, place in an airtight container and enjoy!

Check your kitchen

• olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Paprika
• Basil
• Cayenne pepper
• Cumin
• Cinnimon
• Garlic powder
• Ground Black pepper
• Orgeno
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Salt
• Hot sauce
• Whole wheat flour
• Erewhon 100% Whole Grain Corn Flakes Cereal
• ¼ cup Vegetable broth
•  balsamic vinegar
• Honey

Grocery list

1 Turnip
2 Parsnips
2 cooking potatoes
4 stalks of celery
1 Large Sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 lbs Red potatoes
5 Large Carrots
1 tomato2 Large yellow onions
1 small onion
scallionsLemon
Garlic
Fresh sage
Fresh Rosemary

1 good-sized Roasting chicken (free-range, hormone free)
2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets

buttermilk

Plain Greek yogurt

Crumbled blue cheese (YOU MAY HAVE THIS FROM LAST WEEK)

½ cup Cashews

1 ½ Cup Pumpkin seeds

1 ¼ Almonds

1 Cup raisins or chopped dates