Meal Planning Link Love

It's hard to believe this is the last week of the Plan It, Don't Panic meal planning challenge!


It's been a great 6 weeks! I've gathered and tried lots of new recipes, learned how to save more on our food budget and stuck it through with my plan (*most* of the time) when the temptation came to just throw in the towel and eat out!

I've found some amazing recipes (and bloggers!) through this challenge, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to share some of my great finds before delving in to this week's meal plan!


Recipes I Found, Tried and LOVED
Breakfast:

• green smoothie @Live Renewed
• egg, gluten, dairy-free breakfast bars @Frugal Food Allergies
• baked, soaked oatmeal @Vail Family Blog
• pumpkin-pear muffins @Day2Day Joys
• and I modified an old favorite Costa Rican breakfast: Gallo Pinto

Lunch:

• tuna salmon pasta salad @Quick and Easy, Cheap and Healthy

Dinner:

• Chicken Chili Mac @Picky Palate
• Chicken, Spinach & Bean Quesadillas @Other Side of 50
• Slow-Cooker Chicken and Quinoa @Christian Mommy Blogger
• Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore @Linda's Lunacy
• Italian Cream Cheese Chicken Casserole @Naturally Knocked Up
• Cooking a Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot @Live Renewed
• Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers @Stacy Makes Cents

Snacks:

• allergen-free pumpkin rice krispie treats @Fresh4Five
• no bake energy bites @Smashed Peas & Carrots

During this challenge, I've also been able to make friends with some other amazing bloggers who participated in the link-up: Nikki @Christian Mommy Blogger, Stacy @Stacy Makes Cents, Rachel @Day2Day Joys, Anne @Quick & Easy, Cheap & Healthy, LeighAnn @Intentional by Grace and Mindy @The Purposed Heart!

Five of us even decided to host a Flu-Fighting Foods series and link-up together!

If you can't tell already--let me just say: I had a BLAST during this challenge!

And without further ado, here's this week's meal plan!

Monday:
Breakfast-honestly? We ate leftover apple/pear crisp and some rice cakes!
Lunch-homemade chicken noodle soup
Dinner-Lemon Greek Chicken, squash, mushrooms, mashed potatoes

Tuesday:
Breakfast-egg/dairy/GF breakfast bars
Lunch-salmon pasta salad
Dinner- Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers

Wednesday:
Breakfast-egg/dairy/GF breakfast bars
Lunch-leftovers 
Dinner-rotisserie-style chicken in the crock pot, oven-roasted potatoes, sauteed or boiled green beans 
Thursday:
Breakfast-Bob's Red Mill GF pancakes w/ blueberries
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-chicken tortilla soup (I throw in whatever I have on hand. This week, I'll probably use leftover chicken from Wednesday, black beans,homemade rotel and/or salsa, chicken stock and homemade taco seasoning.)

Friday: 

Breakfast-Gallo Pinto
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore w/ homemade marinara sauce 

Saturday: 

Breakfast-pumkin-pear muffins (modified to be GF/egg free)
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-hmmmmm? It's my bday. Think hubby will cook? ;) 

Sunday:

Breakfast-muffins
Lunch-creamy potato soup w/ veggies
Dinner-leftovers

What's on your menu this week? Any links you'd like to share?

Have you entered the great giveaways going on right now? Check it out:

• Lexie: Naturals (ends 11/08)

I'm linking up with Plan It, Don't Panic, Menu Plan Monday.

Almost-Fried Chicken Tenders and Plan It, Don't Panic!

This week's recipe is one of my hubby's absolute favorites. He's a Mississippi boy and grew up on his mama's fried chicken.

Well, this isn't it. But it's...um...probably as close as I'll ever get! 

You see, when he married me, my poor hubby could actually cook better than I could. I had no.clue. Really. The only things I knew how to cook were: chicken pot pie, spaghetti pie and taco pie. 

If it didn't have pie in the name, I couldn't make it. 

I digress. 

Anyway, I still am not great at frying. I always seem to burn things when I try that particular method of cooking.

But almost-fried (using the oven?!)? Now that's something I can do!

Without further ado, check out this week's recipe for Almost-Fried Chicken Tenders--and scroll down for this week's meal plan!

Image by nosheep

Almost-Fried Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips/tenders*
• 1/2 cup whole wheat (or GF) bread crumbs (watch for recipe next week!)
• 1/8-1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
• 1/2 clove chopped garlic
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/8 tsp. dried thyme
• pinch of black pepper
• 1/8 cup olive oil 

 Method

Place oil in one medium bowl and mix all seasonings, cheese and bread crumbs in another medium bowl. Dip chicken into oil, then coat it with the bread crumb/seasonings mixture. 

Bake for 25 minutes on 400 F or until no longer pink in the middle.

*There is no reason why you can't use bone-in chicken breasts or even thighs, legs, etc.

GF: Use GF bread crumbs and spices.
DF: Leave out cheese.

I adapted this recipe from this recipe. 

Image by sontran

Meal Plan for 10/31-11/6

Monday:
Breakfast-pancakes
Lunch-salmon pasta salad
Dinner-Modern Alternative Mama's sausage & peppers from Against the Grain

Tuesday:
Breakfast-Gallo Pinto-a traditional Costa Rican breakfast (recipe coming Wednesday!)
Lunch-leftovers/salmon pasta salad
Dinner-almost-fried chicken tenders (recipe above), mashed potatoes, green beans

Wednesday:
Breakfast-Gallo Pinto
Lunch-Kitchen Stewarship's black bean soup
Dinner-baked spaghetti

Thursday:
Breakfast-breakfast bars
Lunch-black bean soup
Dinner-rotisserie-style chicken in the crock pot, easy oven-roasted potatoes, broccoli or salad


Friday:  
Breakfast-bacon (eggs for me)
Lunch-leftovers 
Dinner-Slow-Cooker Lentil Rice Casserole

Saturday:  
Breakfast-pancakes and green smoothies
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-leftovers


Sunday: 
Breakfast-pancakes
Lunch-chicken taco soup
Dinner-leftover soup
  
What's on your menu this week?  




Did you hear about the sale on The Everything Beans book?! Get it for $3 off, using code:FALL4BEANS! I will get a small percentage if you use my affiliate code, here. And THANK YOU if you do! I love this book!
 
Did you hear about the great sale over at Keeper of the Home for the remainder of the Plan It, Don't Panic challenge? Stephanie's selling her Real Food on a Real Budget ebook for 50% off! I own and LOVE this book! Use code MEALPLAN50! Get the book here. (This is my affiliate link.)

Do you enjoy reading The Humbled Homemaker?  Subscribe to receive posts:

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 I'm linking up with Plan It, Don't Panic, Menu Plan Monday, Good Cheap Eats, Make Your Own Monday

Pasta with Spinach and Mushrooms and Plan It, Don't Panic

This week's recipe is for tonight's dinner: Pasta with Spinach and Mushrooms. 


This meal is easy, filling and you can make it with either chicken, shrimp or even sausage if you want.


Without further ado, here's today's recipe. Scroll down for the week's meal plan!

Image by sh0dan (

Pasta with Spinach and Mushrooms


Ingredients:

• 1 lb. pasta (whole wheat or brown rice/GF)--I normally use spaghetti 
• 1 lb. chopped spinach (or other green veggie)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or even chopped if you're in a hurry!
• parsley, to taste
• basil, to taste
• oregano, to taste
• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 1/3 c. olive oil
• shredded parmesan or romano cheese, to taste
• 1 lb. your chosen meat (cubed chicken is my favorite)

Method:


Boil pasta. Cook spinach until still crispy. Pour oil into frying pan, add garlic, basil, oregano and parsley and begin sauteing. Add meat, browning quickly. Add spinach and mushrooms, lower flame and saute for 8-10 minutes. 


Drain pasta. Pour meat and veggie mixture in the oil over the pasta and mix well. Grate plenty of cheese on top and mix well. 


GF: Use GF pasta 
GAPS: Use spaghetti squash for noodles
DF: leave out cheese

Image by sh0dan 

Meal Plan for 10/24-10/30

Monday:
Breakfast-green smoothies and pancakes
Lunch-salmon pasta salad
Dinner-pasta w/ spinach and mushrooms (see recipe above)

Tuesday:
Breakfast-green smoothies and egg/dairy/GF breakfast bars (sub pumpkin for applesauce)
Lunch-leftovers/salmon pasta salad
Dinner-Creamy Potato Soup w/ Veggies

Wednesday:
Breakfast-green smoothies and egg/dairy/GF breakfast bars (sub pumpkin for applesauce)
Lunch-leftover soup
Dinner-leftover soup


Thursday:
Breakfast-green smoothies and pancakes
Lunch-leftover soup
Dinner-Modern Alternative Mama's sausage & peppers w/ spaghetti from Against the Grain 


Friday:  
Breakfast-bacon (eggs for me)
Lunch-leftovers 
Dinner-rotisserie-style chicken in the crock pot, easy oven-roasted potatoes, green beans

Saturday:  
Breakfast-omelettes (and pancakes for Little Girl)
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-Crock Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup


Sunday: 
Breakfast-?
Lunch-leftover soup
Dinner-leftover soup
  
What's on your menu this week?  


Did you hear about the great sale over at Keeper of the Home for the remainder of the Plan It, Don't Panic challenge? Stephanie's selling her Real Food on a Real Budget ebook for 50% off! I own and LOVE this book! Use code MEALPLAN50! Get the book here. (This is my affiliate link.)

Do you enjoy reading The Humbled Homemaker?  Subscribe to receive posts:

• via RSS (like Google Reader/Google Friends Connect) here 
• Subscribe to receive every post (3-4 times/week) via e-mail  here
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 I'm linking up with Plan It, Don't Panic, Menu Plan Monday, Good Cheap Eats, 

Lemon Greek Chicken and Plan It-Don't Panic

This week, I'm sharing a recipe for one of my favorite dinners. It's healthy, delicious--and super easy! 

Without further ado, check out this recipe for Lemon Greek Chicken, and scroll down for this week's meal plan!

Lemon Greek Chicken

Ingredients: 
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 garlic cloves, pressed
2-3 tsp. dried oregano leaves
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
4 chicken breasts
veggies of your choice: I usually use squash, zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, etc., but potatoes and onions would also be good choices. 


Method:
Preheat oven to 400. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper; set aside. Cut veggies however you like and place in a 9x13 in. baking dish. Toss the veggies with half the lemon juice mixture. Place chicken on top of veggies and pour rest of juice on top. Bake 1 hour or until chicken is done. 


*I modified this recipe from one given to me by my amazing friend Beth Moore (not the Bible study teacher--just my friend--but an amazing friend who serves the Lord!).*

Image by http://pixaio.blogspot.com

Meal Plan for 10/17-10/23

Monday:
Breakfast-green smoothies and pancakes
Lunch-shredded chicken, beans, veggies
Dinner-baked spaghetti with homemade marinara sauce 
Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers

Tuesday:
Breakfast-green smoothies and egg/dairy/GF breakfast bars
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-Lemon Greek Chicken w/ squash, mushrooms and peppers


Wednesday:
Breakfast-egg/dairy/GF breakfast bars
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-salmon patties over rice


Thursday:
Breakfast-egg/dairy/GF breakfast bars
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-Crock Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup


Friday:  
Breakfast-green smoothies and pancakes
Lunch-leftover soup
Dinner-leftover soup

Saturday:  
Breakfast-eggs and pancakes for Little Girl (breakfasts are STILL rough--no variety w/ Little Girl's diet!)
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-spinach, chicken and white bean quesadillas


Sunday: (BABY GIRL'S 1st BIRTHDAY!)
Breakfast-eggs and bacon
Lunch-leftover quesadillas
Dinner-breakfast for dinner
  What's on your menu this week?  

Congrats to Heather, winner of the Milkin' Cookies giveaway and Kimberly, winner of the Milkmakers giveaway! Thank you to all who entered! I wish everyone could have won!!


Have you entered the great giveaway going on right now? Check it out:

• Healthy Snacks to Go (ends 10/18)

Or, get Healthy Snacks to Go for 25% off through 10/19 with code: HUMBLE25!


Did you hear about the great sale over at Keeper of the Home for the remainder of the Plan It, Don't Panic challenge? Stephanie's selling her Real Food on a Real Budget ebook for 50% off! I own and LOVE this book! Use code MEALPLAN50! Get the book here. (This is my affiliate link.)

Do you enjoy reading The Humbled Homemaker?  Subscribe to receive posts:

• via RSS (like Google Reader/Google Friends Connect) here 
• Subscribe to receive every post (3-4 times/week) via e-mail  here
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 I'm linking up with Plan It, Don't Panic, Menu Plan Monday.

Easy Oven-Roasted Potatoes and Plan It-Don't Panic

The Plan It-Don't Panic challenge is really helping me to stretch our resources and discover new recipes. 


I cooked a whole chicken for the first time last week--yes--the first time EVER! I used my crock pot, and I could not BELIEVE how incredibly easy (and economical) it was! 


I got 3 whole meals out of that chicken!


Without further ado, here's a recipe for Wednesday's side dish--easy oven-roasted potatoes--and this week's meal plan!

Image by desrever 

Easy Oven-Roasted Potatoes


Ingredients:

• 3-4 potatoes (red is good, but I use whatever I have!)
• 1-2 Tbsp. olive or grapeseed oil
• spices: rosemary, Italian seasoning, oregano, paprika--whatever floats your boat!

Method:


Cut potatoes into wedges (leave skins on!). Place in a bowl with lid or/a glass bowl. Pour oil evenly over potatoes and sprinkle with desired amount of spices. If using bowl with lid, secure lid on and shake potatoes to coat with oil and spices. If using a glass bowl, stir everything together well to coat. 


Place potatoes in a baking dish and bake on 400 for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes skins are crispy and the insides are tender. 


Serves 4. 


These are DELICIOUS, EASY and have been one of my hubby's favorite side dishes since we got married!


Enjoy!


Meal Plan for 10/3-10/9

Monday:
Breakfast-at beach: eggs, bacon, biscuits, cinnamon rolls (bacon & GF bread for Little Girl)
Lunch-on the road, which translated to Chick-fil-A for hubby & Little Girl and a banana and nuts for me
Dinner-Italian Cream Cheese Chicken Casserole (This dish turned out amazing! It's a great alternative to creamed soup casseroles!)
Prep: thaw shrimp, mince garlic  

Tuesday:
Breakfast-Honestly? Whatever I could find this morning after our trip! It ended up being rice cakes, bananas and apples! (I know--yikes!)
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi over rice 
Prep: bake breakfast bars, thaw chicken overnight and prep./start crock pot in a.m., cut potatoes

Wednesday:
Breakfast-egg/dairy/GF breakfast bars
Lunch-leftovers for hubby; salmon with raw veggies for me & Little Girl
Dinner-rotisserie-style chicken in the crock pot, oven-roasted potatoes (recipe above), sauteed or boiled green beans 
Prep: shred remaining chicken, make stock, soak black beans, thaw homemade rotel 


Thursday:
Breakfast-Bob's Red Mill GF pancakes w/ blueberries
Lunch-pulled chicken sandwich for hubby & salmon pasta salad for me and Little Girl
Dinner-chicken tortilla soup (I throw in whatever I have on hand. This week, I'll probably use leftover chicken from Wednesday, black beans, homemade rotel and/or salsa, chicken stock and homemade taco seasoning.)
Prep: cook beans, thaw chicken, thaw homemade marinara sauce, cut veggies

Friday: Breakfast-Bob's Red Mill GF pancakes w/ blueberries
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore
Prep: none--chicken already shredded and black beans already soaked and cooked! 

Saturday: Breakfast-? may try to find a GF muffin recipe...I'm finding breakfasts to be hard w/ Little Girl's diet. 
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-chicken/black bean enchiladas w/ GF tortillas for Little Girl
Prep: thaw bacon


Sunday:Breakfast-eggs and bacon
Lunch-leftover enchiladas
Dinner-not sure yet!
Prep: ?
 
What's on your menu this week?  


Have you entered the 3 great giveaways going on right now? Check them out:

• Milkin' Cookies (ends 10/15)
• Milkmakers Cookies (ends 10/16)
• Healthy Snacks to Go (ends 10/19)

Did you hear about the great sale over at Keeper of the Home for the remainder of the Plan It, Don't Panic challenge? Stephanie's selling her Real Food on a Real Budget ebook for 50% off! I own and LOVE this book! Use code MEALPLAN50! Get the book here. (This is my affiliate link.)

Do you enjoy reading The Humbled Homemaker?  Subscribe to receive posts:

• via RSS (like Google Reader/Google Friends Connect) here 
• Subscribe to receive every post (3-4 times/week) via e-mail  here
• Subscribe for weekly e-mails here
• Find me on Facebook here 
• Follow me on Twitter here