Menu Plan Monday

It's Menu Plan Monday. I'm trying to get back into the swing of being a "stay at home mom" (who works out all day long). So the crock pot is definitely going to be a very good friend of mine for a while. 208 days til IM-Louisville! 






Monday: Sweet & Sour Meatballs with whole wheat pasta. I've renamed Monday "Meatball Monday". It just seems we have this recipe quite often on Mondays. Now that I'm teaching ZUMBA at 4:30 on Monday nights it's a quick, easy recipe for my daughters to make and have ready by the time I get home from class.


Tuesday: Ham & Bean Soup We had a ham in the freezer from a band fundraiser last year. It was definitely time to cook it up and enjoy. I'll probably have a few recipes over the next week or two with leftover ham. 


Wednesday: Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken with rice & broccoli. ** New Recipe **


Thursday: Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas ** New Recipe **


Friday: Leftover Buffet


Saturday: Grilled Summer Sausage with sweet potato fries and baked zucchini chips. The baked zucchini chips will be a new recipe, but I'm sure I will love them. Probably not my two picky eaters. 


Sunday: Healthier General Tsao's Chicken ** New Recipe **

Healthy Eating Tips From Around the World - Balanced Living Center - Everyday Health

I love flavorful food. I want to eat healthy, but that doesn't mean it needs to be bland and boring. I love spicy food. I love food that makes your mouth go WOW!

I posted today on FACEBOOK that I love to watch the Cooking Channel, but I hate to cook. Sadly, it is very true. Half the time I make an awesome menu plan, purchase groceries and then half the produce rots because we on the run during the week and I didn't allow myself enough time to prepare and cook everything. Is it my fault? YES, but what can a mom of 3 busy daughters do? Here is my rationale for hating to cook:

‎1) I don't know how to cook. Any directions with more depth than turn the oven to 350 & throw in chicken nuggets is a problem. 
2) My mom was a fantastic cook (albeit her cooking was full of fat) and I was always in some after school sport. So why did I have to learn? 
3) I refuse to cook unhealthy meals...so I just don't cook? 
4) The family dinner table....excuse me, what is that? Rarely see that any more.

I found this article about healthy eating tips from around world. Hopefully, it will help me and you get back on track for the summer.
Healthy Eating Tips From Around the World - Balanced Living Center - Everyday Health

Plan for the week

A quick update on my plan for the week:
Monday         Trainer Workout, Adult Volleyball             Turkey Tortilla Pie for dinner
Tuesday        5:15 am Body Flow, Swim                       Luau Chicken with pineapple & carrots
Wednesday    Run plan 17-2, 5:30 pm Body Flow           Sweet & Sour Meatballs
Thursday       8:15 am Body Flow, Trainer Workout        Vegetable soup
Friday           Swim                                                  What dinner? -volleyball & basketball games
Saturday       Run Plan 17-3                                      Dinner out for speech team
Sunday         Swim                                                  Turkey filets

Menu Plan Monday: October 19th

With a few moments to spare, I'm trying plan my menus for the week. It may be called Menu Plan Monday, but I'm getting it done on Sunday! My goal for the week is use primarily what I have on hand to create meals for my family. Payday is Friday and we need to stretch those grocery dollars until then! We also have a busy week with basketball games for Sunshine on top of my kids' other activities and trying to get my workouts in.

Monday night is a low key night for us. Not too much going on so I'm going to take advantage of it and actually cook dinner that night. Tuesday & Thursday we have basketball games. So those nights will be crock pot nights. Wednesday I plan on pulling out a meal from the freezer thanks to 30 Day Gourmet. Friday will probably be leftover night because Sunshine has a late basketball practice and then she'll head straight off to the dodgeball tournament. Saturday we have three different cookouts to attend. So we'll have to take a dish to share to some or all of those. Sunday we'll have a nice family lunch after church before I head off to play volleyball and swim for the evening.

So here it is: My menu plan for the week of October 19th
Monday:       Almond-Crusted Tilapia with Crunchy Quinoa w/Almonds and Apricots
Tuesday:       Crockpot Enchiladas from 30 Day Gourmet
Wednesday:  Cashew Chicken from 30 Day Gourmet
Thursday:      Crockpot Sweet & Sour Chicken w/mango from 30 Day Gourmet
Friday:          Leftovers - Waste not Want Not!
Saturday:      Mom's Taco Salad & My World Famous Chex Mix (actually from Pampered Chef)
Sunday:        Salmon Burgers with Mediterranean Salad

That's the plan. Now I've got to stick to it!

Freezer Cooking - Menu Plan Aug 30

With the weekend fairly open, I decided to sit down with my cookbooks and favorite websites and create some menus for the upcoming weeks. I didn't have anything fancy in mind - just some meals in the fridge, some in the freezer and my mind at ease.

A few years ago I was in a freezer cooking group with some awesome cooks like Karen Riggenbach, Holly Mason and Elizabeth Baker. Karen & Holly always knew just what to do and I took advantage of the opportunity to learn how to cook under their tutelage as well as use the time to bond with some fantastic women that I love and admire. Our little group hasn't cooked together in quite some time even though I still have a tub of spices and condiments in my basement just in case the group should ever decide to cook again. Then again, maybe most of that stuff needs to be just thrown out by now.

I learned about freezer cooking when I attended Hearts at Home, a Christ-centered organization for moms. Since cooking has never been a favorite activity of mine, I decided to give it a try. I bought a book called the "Freezer Cooking Manual" from 30 day Gourmet.  I planned my first freezer cooking day and just happened to mention it to my friend, Elizabeth, who joined me on my first adventure into freezer cooking. Our group expanded to include Karen & Holly and we eventually purchased a software package from 30 day Gourmet called Advantage Cooking. The Advantage Cooking software will create various worksheets for you to use such as a grocery shopping list, recipe inventory to keep track of what you have in the freezer, and even sorts recipes by appliances used (i.e. crock pot or stove top).

On Saturday, I spent the day trolling through recipes. This is what I came up with.

Beef Entrees						Quantity			Servings
		Crock Pot Enchiladas						2	serves 8
		Make-ahead Chimichangas						2	makes 16
		Roast						2	use for French Dip Sandwiches
		Sweet & Sour Meatballs						1	serves 4-6
Breads and Breakfast						Quantity			Servings
		Breakfast Burritos						2	makes 12
		Orange Rainsin Bran Muffns						1	12
		Sausage & Cheese Breakfast Casserole						1	12
		Sweet Potato Pancakes						1	serves 4
Pork and Fish Entrees						Quantity			Servings
		English Pizzas						1	serves 6
Poultry Entrees						Quantity			Servings
		Cashew Chicken						2	serves 6
		Crockpot Sweet & Sour Chicken w/mango						2
		Grilled Sesame Chicken						2	serves 6
Sides and Salads						Quantity			Servings
		Broccoli Casserole						2	serves 4-6
		Fruit and Nut Cous Cous						1	serves 6
Snacks and Desserts						Quantity			Servings
		Good-for-You Granola						1	makes 12 cups
Soups and Sandwiches						Quantity			Servings
		Mango gazpacho w/shrimp and avocado						1	serves 2

Now, not everything got made today, but Camo-Man prepared the Sausage & Cheese Breakfast Casserole so I can just pop it in the oven in the morning. We made up 2 meals each of crock pot enchiladas, Make-ahead Chimichangas, Cashew Chicken, Grilled Sesame Chicken, and sweet & sour meatballs and proudly stored them in the freezer until they are needed. I also whipped up the Good-For-You Granola for a snack as well. Tomorrow we're going to have Crockpot Sweet & Sour Chicken with mango. I'll put one in the crock pot in the morning and one in the freezer for later. Tomorrow night and Wednesday we'll cook up the breakfast burritos (since I bought the wrong sausage anyway), orange raisin bran muffins and sweet potato pancakes.

My plan may not be perfect, but it's a start. I feel so much better knowing I have something on hand to feed my family - something nutritious and easily prepared. For some reason, I'm not one of those women who have a long list of tried and true recipe to fall back on. I rarely make the same thing twice. Why? Because I'll find some recipe, make it and then never find it again. The Advantage Cooking software has helped me plan meals and organize my recipes. I only wish I could nutritional information out of it as well, but maybe that will be in the next upgrade.

So that's my plan and I'm sticking to it. What do you have planned for dinner this week?

Working my plan

The start of the week always begins on Monday and let's face it. Mondays can be hell. So why start the week in that fashion? Am I going to do that? No, not me.  So let's start it right with a PLAN!


Monday:
Workout: Ride my bike to the pool and swim, swim, swim and interval run, and ride home
Dinner: Spicy Chicken (chicken in crock pot with taco seasoning and chicken broth)

Tuesday:

Workout: Ride my bike in the morning and swim at 11

Dinner: Sweet and sour meatballs

Wednesday:

Workout: Bike to the pool and swim, 5k run, and ride home

Dinner: Sloppy Joes

Thursday:

Workout: Ride in the morning and swim at 11

Dinner: Swim-A-Thon dinner with swim team

Friday:

Workout: Pilates and stretching

Dinner: Michelle's Signature Salmon

Saturday:

Workout: Tremont Triathlon

Dinner: Spicy Shrimp Casserole

Sunday:

Workout: Bike

Dinner: ......running out of ideas here! Any thoughts??? Maybe I can get Jeff to grill something.

Exercise & Menu Plan for week of 2/22/2010

Planning, planning, planning. It's all in the planning. And as far as menu plans, who has been doing that one lately? After looking over my budget deficit spending this week, it's time to come up with a good plan. So away we go......


Monday
D: Spicy Chicken (chicken in crock pot with taco seasoning and chicken broth)
WO: Swim (technique drills), Run 5 miles, bis & tris, volleyball


Tuesday
D: Sweet & Sour Meatballs
WO: Herrin Circuit, Legs


Wednesday
D: leftovers (Sorry, I am working day and night!)
WO: Treadmill intervals, chest & back


Thursday
D: Sloppy Joes
WO: 4 miles at moderate pace, shoulders


Friday
D: Michelle's Signature Salmon
WO: Swim for endurance


Saturday
D: dinner at brother and sister -in-laws
WO: 12 mile run, rock climbing


Sunday
D: Oh who knows?
WO: REST


What is your plan for the week?

Menu Plan Monday

Because my Diva Princess is still running a fever, I stayed home from the Super Bowl party tonight. It's all good. Probably for the best. I didn't need to go to a tempting food feast to sit there and pretend that I care about a football game where I probably couldn't name one of the players on either team.  So, instead I put my "free" time to good use. I made my world famous olive oil dressing.  HA HA! OK, maybe not, but I love it and made it anyway. I also made Apple-licious Oatmeal Bake which is in the oven right now. Oh my word! It smells so good. I am salivating. I was actually looking for some healthy muffins to make for breakfast in the morning, but found this recipe instead. I know my kiddos probably won't love it, but it smells delicious and I think Jeff & I have our breakfast set for the next few days. (I REALLY wish you could smell the cinnamon, apples and oatmeal through your computer screen.) 

So, here is my plan for the week. Who knows if it will get followed exactly. Maybe since it looks like I'll be home tomorrow with Princess, I can get some food prepped and freeze some meals. Here is the plan anyway:

Monday – Taco Soup

Tues – Chicken Fajitas in crockpot

Wed – vegetable barley soup

Thurs – Turkey Cranberry meatballs

Fri – Tequila Lime chicken

What's your plan for the week?

Exercise & Menu Plan for week of 1/11/2010

Well, it's amazing how one spontaneous day can turn into a 3 day splurge! UGH! Plans for Friday night changed 3 times! So, I wound up sharing a frozen pizza with the kids and movie theatre popcorn with the hubby.

Saturday, I didn't get 6 miles in between the 4 basketball games I had to schedule around. I did get 3.75 miles though...does that count? I missed my weekly running goal of 12 miles per week by 0.17 miles. Whatev! Dinner was LaFiesta because we bailed on our Fellowship Dinner to watch our daughter play basketball. Can you say Pacifico?

Sunday we had 2 more basketball games and I had a definite attitude problem. Dinner at Biaggi's with the in-laws. Food and wine was deliciouso!

SEE? Weekends are my biggest issue! When you are trying to lose the final 10 lbs, you can't afford to eat out three nights in a row. Believe me. I know. I stepped on the scale today. EEEEEK!

I'm heading to the store tomorrow after my run & swim. Wish me luck. I hate grocery shopping.

So, let's get real.. Plan for the week:
Monday
Dinner: Sweet & Sour Meatballs
Workout: 4 mile run on treadmill, swim, volleyball

Tuesday
Dinner: Sassy Salsa Pumpkin Soup
Workout: TBL Cardio Max & UB

Wednesday
Dinner: not quite sure yet, but I will have to meditate and pray before eating because it's going to be a LONG day
Workout: Supposed to be bike, but I haven't joined a gym yet. Good plan, huh?
Weigh In Day - HA, good luck with that one!

Thursday
Dinner: leftovers
Workout: Run 5 miles easy

Friday
Dinner: Mandarin Orange chicken (didn't get made last week!)
Workout: Swim, Back

Saturday:
Dinner: Spicy Shrimp Casserole
Workout: Run 8 miles

Sunday
Dinner:
Workout:

What's your plan?

Health & Fitness experts agree that creating a plan for your meals and workouts will help keep you accountable and on track for your New Year’s Resolutions. So, what’s your plan?


For me, I’ve found that making monthly plans are the best way for me to go. At the first of the month, I sit down with my family’s activity calendar and figure out when I am going to get my workouts done. I am trying to work out six days a week with Sunday being a rest, or possibly my 6th workout day if my schedule gets shifted during the rest of the week. I prefer to workout first thing in the morning. I feel a sense of accomplishment by getting it done early in the day, plus the boost in my metabolism helps me to burn additional calories throughout the day.

When creating my workout plan, I try to keep in mind that most days I have a maximum of 1 hour to work out. Since it is January and most of my races are still several months away, I am splitting my workouts between running, swimming and toning….with a little bit of fun fitness as well. I am alternating days between these exercises so I am not working the same muscle sets back to back. Here is my basic schedule:

Monday – swim                                                     Tuesday – aerobics & upper body

Wednesday – run or bike, if I join a gym for the spinning class

Thursday –aerobics & lower body                          Friday – swim & yoga

Saturday – long runs

Now, when it comes to the meal plans, things are a little more difficult. I know every week we have some of the same activities week after week. I try to work in crock pot meals or leftovers on those days as needed. I try to create a dinner master plan for the month, but each week that plan needs to be adjusted in order to accommodate meals I did not make or as my schedule adjusts as well. Also, most of the time, my lunch is the same day after day. My breakfast tends to change a little, but I am trying to find more healthy recipes that I can make ahead for my early morning meal.

Since I am not a cook, I have very few “favorites” or “stand bys” that I incorporate into my schedule. I am working on it though. I went through my 4 favorite cook books and created a spreadsheet full of recipes that I want to try. As I try a recipe, I’m going to ask my family if they would like to eat the meal again. If so, I will put that recipe on a separate spreadsheet for meals we would eat again.

Grocery shopping, meal planning, cooking, dinner times…the whole lot of it is enough to send me off the deep edge. It is a very stressful part of my life. Why? It all seems so overwhelming. All of the planning that goes awry. Trying to stay on a grocery budget. Picky eaters who don’t like what you cook. ALL OF IT.

BUT I will continue to work my plan. I will find the satisfactory answer that fits my family perfectly. It may take years of working it over and over again, but I am determined to not let meal planning and all of the aspects leading into it to sway me from creating healthy & enjoyable meals for my family.

Writing your plans down help you create accountability….when you realize that you skipped to workouts in a row or are making frozen pizza for the 2nd time in a week….a plan is crucial to success in your weight loss, fitness and your ability to stick to a budget.

So, what’s your plan? Is it written down?

Exercise & Menu Plan for week of 1/4/2010

Monday:
B: Vanilla creamy yogurt, scrambled eggs


L: Mediterranean Salad with ham

D: Mediterranean Meatloaf, sweet potato fries

S: apple, Nature Valley Granola bar, mixed nuts, carrots, veggie soup

W: Swim, 3.1 mile run

Tuesday:
B: Vanilla creamy yogurt, scrambled eggs

L: Mediterranean Salad with ham

D: taco salad w/beef

S: apple, Nature Valley Granola bar, mixed nuts, carrots, veggie soup

W: TBL Last Chance & UB

Wednesday:
B: Dr Phil’s Orange Raisin Muffin, scrambled eggs

L: Mediterranean Salad, shrimp

D: Crock pot venison (family), Rockin’ Tuna Melt

S: peaches, Nature Valley Granola bar, mixed nuts, carrots, veggie soup

W: Run 4 miles easy

Thursday:
B: Dr Phil’s Orange Raisin Muffin, scrambled eggs

L: Mediterranean Salad with ham

D: Mandarin Orange Chicken, broccoli

S: apple, Nature Valley Granola bar, mixed nuts, carrots, veggie soup

W: The Biggest Loser Last Chance + Lower Body

Friday:
B: Dr Phil’s Orange Raisin Muffin, scrambled eggs

L: Mediterranean Salad with ham

D: Dinner out

S: apple, Nature Valley Granola bar, mixed nuts, carrots, veggie soup

W: The Biggest Loser Last Chance + UB; Swim

Saturday:
B: Shortly Strawberry Oatmeal, Egg Beaters

L: Mediterranean Salad with ham

D: Fellowship Dinner

S: apple, Nature Valley Granola bar, mixed nuts, carrots, veggie soup

W: Run 6 miles

Sunday:
B: Shortly Strawberry Oatmeal, Egg Beaters

L: Mediterranean Salad with ham

D: Spicy Shrimp Casserole

S: apple, Nature Valley Granola bar, mixed nuts, carrots, veggie soup

W: REST

Menu Plan Monday 12/7/9

Monday - Chicken parmesean
Tuesday - spicy chicken
Wed - leftovers
Thurs - chimis (from Tuesday's leftovers)
Friday - crockpot enchilada
Sat - dinner out
Sun - grilled turkey filet mignon
- make a batch of veggie soup for the week

Menu Plan Monday

I've tried menu planning off and on through out the years of awesome marriage, but I always seem to fall off the wagon. Well, I'm trying again. Thanks to Laura at www.orgjunkie.com. Hopefully, I will actually follow the plan...so when Jeff calls at 4 and says my favorite (insert dripping sarcasm here) line "What's for dinner?" I can refer him to my blog.

SO HERE IT IS: The Leber Menu plan for the week of October 19th:

M Burritos w/Taco Rice (30 Day Gourmet)
T fiber-ific fried chicken strips (Hungry Girl p.112)
W Mexican Pasta Skillet
R Vegetable Beef Stew
F Mexican Chicken Soup & Easy Cheesy Rolls
S Homemade pizza
Su leftovers


Breakfast at our house is the same most days: waffles or cereal for the kids, Kashi or oatmeal for mom. Dad - Diet Mountain Dew (gag).

Lunch is usually a sandwich, grapes and pretzels for kids if they are a cold lunch. For mom, it's homemade vegetable soup, a salad with homemade olive oil dressing, Oiko's yogurt & a Nature Valley granola bar for a snack.

Wish us all luck for a healthy & happy dining week!