Meal Plan Monday - June 3rd, 2013

Pin It Its official!  We have completed our homeschool year and are ready to enjoy the summer break.  In fact, our good friends have also finished homeschooling for the year, so we are having an end of year party together to celebrate.  There will be field games, homemade (dairy-free) ice cream, fruit salad and burgers on the grill.  There was even talk of a piñata.  Now if we can just hold off the rain!

So here's our meal plan for the first week of summer vacation . . .

MONDAY - Burgers on the grill with fruit salad and french fries

TUESDAY - At the request of my daughter, I'm going to try my hand at gluten-free chicken crepes!  I plan on using the filling from creamy chicken pie as the crepe filling.

WEDNESDAY - Grilled Sausages with Mushrooms, Onions, Peppers with Rice

THURSDAY - Honey Mustard Chicken Salad  My daughter and I are going to make dinner together!

FRIDAY - Tacos (always a favorite on summer evenings)

SATURDAY - Grilled Chicken Drumsticks with Oven Fries and Salad

SUNDAY - Crockpot Chili for a meal to share at church (I just realized I haven't shared this recipe yet!  I'll try to remedy that shortly.)

I'd love to hear some of your hot weather dinner ideas!  Please share!

This plan is being shared at Menu Plan Monday, Gluten Free Menu Swap, Musings of a Housewife

Meal Plan Monday - April 8, 2013

Pin It Its been a while since I've shared my weekly meal plan.  Its not that I haven't been planning our meals, 'cause I have.  I really can't function without a plan!  But I do like the idea of sharing meal plans.  I am often inspired to try something new or reminded of an old favorite when I read other people's plans, especially gluten, dairy and egg-free meal plans.  So in the hopes that someone (anyone) might be inspired, here's our plan for the week.

MONDAY - My favorite Java Crockpot Roast minus the cream cheese with mashed potatoes and a veggie

TUESDAY - Crockpot Salsa Bean Chicken I'm really giving my crockpot a workout this week - two dinners in a row!

WEDNESDAY - Pizza  It's my boy's 9th birthday so we'll be having his requested dinner

THURSDAY - Mongolian Beef and Broccoli

FRIDAY - Sausages with peppers, onions, and mushrooms over rice

SATURDAY - My 11 year old and I will be going to the annual Mother & Daughter Banquet hosted by her Faith Girls group.  Not sure what my hubby's going to feed the rest of the family, but I know he'll do a fine job!

SUNDAY - Hamburgers on the grill!  I'm so excited that its getting to be grilling weather!

So what's on your plan this week?

This plan is being shared on Gluten Free Menu Plan, Menu Monday, Musings of a Housewife and Menu Plan Monday

Meal Plan Monday - January 14, 2013

Pin It Happy Monday!  Time for a fresh new outlook on the week ahead with plenty of good foods on the menu.  We had two great things to celebrate this weekend -  my husband's birthday and the filling of our freezer!  My husband's brother raises a couple of cows a year and we were able to buy half of one this year.  And let me tell you, last night's dinner was THE BEST SIRLOIN I have ever eaten!  Wow - fresh and natural makes all the difference.  We were also able to get some soup bones, so if anyone has advice on making bone broth, please share!

So here's our plan for this week:

MONDAY - Spaghetti and Meatballs 

TUESDAY - Oven Baked Chicken Cacciatore

WEDNESDAY - Leftover Ham with Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes and Green Beans

THURSDAY - Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

FRIDAY - BBQ Shredded Chicken and Rice

SATURDAY - Seasoned Ground Beef and Rice

SUNDAY - Salad Dressing Chicken and Rice





This post is being shared at Gluten-Free Menu Swap, Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday, Menu Monday and Musings of a Housewife

Meal Plan Monday - December 3, 2012

Pin It Its December and really starting to feel like Christmas around here!  My family went out and cut down our Christmas tree on Saturday.  We had a great time together!  Now the tree is decorated and all the festive Christmas treasures are displayed through the house (actually, I only really decorate two rooms, but still, its warm and cozy feeling!).  Then we (read "my husband") made a turkey and mashed potatoes dinner which we shared with friends on Sunday afternoon.  Now I finally get to enjoy turkey leftovers!  So here's our gluten, dairy and egg-free meal plan for this week . . .

MONDAY - Homemade Turkey Noodle Soup and Biscuits - Not only did my husband make turkey this weekend, but he also made his wonderful broth with the turkey carcass so we get to enjoy nourishing and delicious soup tonight.  I'll be using our favorite gluten-free noodles.

TUESDAY - Gina Chicken with Broccoli over Rice 

WEDNESDAY - Shrimp Scampi

THURSDAY - Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

FRIDAY - The kids will have Skillet Fiesta which is already prepared in the freezer.  The babysitter will just have to heat and serve.  Me and Hubby will be going out Christmas shopping!

SATURDAY - Sausages with Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms and Rice

SUNDAY - Turkey Gone-Gone - This is just turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy mixed together but my daughter loves it so much she named it Turkey Gone-Gone because it's always eaten until its all gone.

What's on your plan?

For more ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday, Gluten Free Menu Swap, Menu Monday

Meal Plan Monday - November 26, 2012

Pin It I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I sure did!  I loved spending the day with my family and friends and really enjoyed having my hubby home for a nice long four-day weekend!  We even got some projects done!  I cleaned out a few of those unruly drawers in my kitchen, weeded out my recipe book, washed the kitchen floor and deep-cleaned my dust-coated bedroom.  My hubby did some clearing out in the basement and got our Christmas lights up (yaah!), plus some other stuff.

Since we ate dinner at our friend's home, we don't have much in the way of leftovers, so this week's meal plan doesn't include recipes using turkey or mashed potatoes, but I'd love to hear some of the creative ways you have found for using Thanksgiving leftovers.

MONDAY - Java Crockpot Roast - This is my new favorite way to cook a roast.  The flavor is sooooo good.  I just leave out the cream cheese that's mentioned in the recipe.

TUESDAY - Oven Baked Chicken Cacciatore - I've been enjoying dicing up fresh tomatoes instead of canned, but either works great!

WEDNESDAY - Experimental Creamy Burger and Potatoes - I'll be using the creamy sauce from my Creamy Chicken Pie, but using ground beef and cubed potatoes instead of chicken.  I'll let you know if it turns out yummy.

THURSDAY - Beef and Sorghum Stew and Biscuits - I'll be using the planned-over beef from Monday's dinner in my new favorite stew recipe which I hope to share soon.

FRIDAY - Roaster Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Peas - Since we didn't have Thanksgiving leftovers, I'm still craving all that goodness.

SATURDAY - Take-Out from Pei Wei Asian Diner.  This has become our Christmas-Tree-Getting-Day traditional dinner.  They have a reasonable gluten free menu and my whole family likes it.

SUNDAY - Salad Dressing Chicken and Rice

What's on your plan?

This plan is being shared at Menu Plan Monday, Menu Monday, Gluten Free Menu Swap

Meal Plan Monday - November 12, 2012

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We just returned from a wonderful weekend with family.  Now back to reality with a whole new, fresh week ahead.  This week we hope to paint the living room so we won't have to look at the sheetrock wall for the holidays (yah!).  Speaking of holidays,  I've got a great allergy-friendly pumpkin pie recipe I've just shared so please check it out.  But for this week, here's our plan to enjoy some tasty, healthy and easy family dinners.  Here's our plan . . .

MONDAY - Mini-Meatloaves with Oven Fried Potatoes and Salad

TUESDAY - Honey Mustard Chicken with Potatoes and Garlic Green Beans - I was making this as a salad in the summertime, but the crisp coldness of a salad for dinner just doesn't do it for me when its wintertime.  So this week I'll be replacing the salad with warm and cozy potatoes and green beans. 

WEDNESDAY - Red Curry Chicken - This is a new recipe I picked up from a friend.  I'll be sharing the recipe soon.

THURSDAY - Seasoned Ground Beef and Rice - Supper easy dinner that everyone likes.  I plan to make a double batch and add to my freezer stash.

FRIDAY - Taco Super Skillet

SATURDAY - Leftovers

SUNDAY - Hummmm . . . haven't figured this one out yet but I'm sure it will come to me.

This recipe is being shared at Gluten Free Menu Swap, Menu Monday, Menu Plan Monday, and Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan

Meal Plan Monday - Nov 5, 2012

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As part of my meal plan this week, I have a recipe highlight and a story to share.  My husband grew up on a dairy farm in Maryland and has fond childhood memories of chicken corn soup suppers.  The tradition started when his family would have lots of help from extended family and friends to bring in the corn crop at harvest time.  On that day, the women would prepare a huge pot of chicken corn soup, cooked in iron kettles over an open fire, and everyone would eat till they were warm and full.  Although his family no longer operates the farm, the family has maintained the chicken corn soup supper and we'll be taking part this coming weekend.  The actual soup they make contains lots of milk, cream and gluten-filled dough balls, so I will be making a dairy and gluten-free version to take along.  Who says you can't be part of the party when you have food allergies?  It just takes some creativity and preparation.  So here's a peek at our plan for the week.

MONDAY - Chicken Corn Soup - This recipe can be made as Cream of Potato soup or can be magically transformed into chicken corn soup by adding corn and chicken (hold the bacon).  I'll make extra to bring along on our trip this weekend.

TUESDAY - Oven Baked Chicken Cacciatore - A quick and easy, satisfying dish.

WEDNESDAY - Pizza - My kids have been asking for pizza for weeks now!  Guess I'll put it on the plan.

THURSDAY - Gina Chicken over Rice - I'll be making this with broccoli instead of mushrooms and peppers.

FRIDAY - Crockpot Beef Stroganoff - I bought extra stew meat so I can make a double batch, as I'm hoping to beef up my freezer meals.  (Get it? Beef up.)

SATURDAY - We'll be in Maryland enjoying Chicken Corn Soup

SUNDAY - Skillet Fiesta - I have a batch in the freezer which I'll bring on our trip.

For more meal ideas, check out Gluten Free Menu Swap, Menu Monday, Menu Plan Monday, Gluten Free Weekly Meal Plan

Meal Plan Monday - October 22, 2012

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Good morning! Waking up to a beautiful autumn-blue sky and sunshine does something wonderful for the spirit.   Its time to prepare for a new week.  Actually, I think the time to prepare has past, since the week has already started - I seem to be working a bit behind.  Anyway, here's what I have on our plan for the week.  What's on your plan?

MONDAY - Spaghetti and Meatballs

TUESDAY - Waikiki Chicken and Rice (a nice throw-in-the-oven dish)  I'll share the recipe soon.

WEDNESDAY - Sausage with Peppers, Onions and Mushrooms over Rice

THURSDAY - Fried Potatoes and Ham (still never got around to serving this - but this will be the week.)

FRIDAY - Skillet Fiesta I'll be making a double batch of this so that I can share one with a friend who recently had a baby.  Our church has this wonderful tradition of providing dinners for at least two weeks for a family after the birth of a baby.

SATURDAY - Crockpot Chili and Baked Potatoes - I'll be making a large batch to feed the volunteers at our church Fall Work Day, a day each year when we all get together to take care of the church property before winter.

SUNDAY - We'll be having a meal at church, but I haven't seen the sign-up yet so I don't know what I'll be making.

For more tasty inspiration, check out Menu Plan Monday and Gluten Free Menu Swap.

Meal Plan Monday - Oct 8, 2012

Pin It Happy Monday!  Before I share our menu plan for the week, can I ask a favor of you?  My little cooking blog is in the running for the Circle of Mom's Top 25 Food Allergy Blogs.  I realize I am waaaayyy down on the list, but it's fun to pull for the underdog, right?  Anyway, I'd appreciate your vote!  Even if you've already voted, you can vote again, once every 24 hours.  Just click on this Circle of Moms link, scroll down to "Not Missing a Thing!" and click "vote".  Quick and easy.  Thanks in advance for your support!

Now on to menu planning . . .  Last week, after I had written my meal plan, I found that roasts were 50% off at the grocery store.  I couldn't resist so I bought three, two for the freezer and one for the week.  Then I completely changed our meal plan - and it was worth it!  So this week I'll mix in some of the things I skipped from last week.  Even with such a fluid plan, having a plan makes all the difference for me.

MONDAY - Shrimp Scampi - A while back during a big sale, I bought several bags of frozen shrimp.  Now I'm enjoying using them bit by bit.

TUESDAY - Skillet Fiesta - This is a new recipe I've been making and I'll be sharing it with you soon. Its a wonderful mix of ground beef, quinoa and diced tomatoes.

WEDNESDAY - Sausage with Peppers, Mushrooms and Onions over Rice - Was planning to make this last week, but replaced it with a roast.

THURSDAY - Chili in the Crockpot with Cornbread - Its just that time of the year!

FRIDAY - Mini-Meatloaves with Roast Potatoes and Salad

SATURDAY - We'll be at our annual church picnic on Saturday.  I haven't checked the sign-up so I'm not sure what I'll be bringing.

SUNDAY - Fried Potatoes and Ham - This one was on the plan for last week but got bumped, so we'll have it this week.

What's on your plan?  For more inspiration, check out Menu Plan Monday and Gluten Free Menu Swap

Meal Plan Monday - October 1, 2012

Pin It Welcome to a new week.  Now that the cooler weather has set in, I find meal planning a bit easier.  In the coming weeks I'm looking forward to double-batching some casseroles and soups to stock the freezer.  Here's what on the plan for my family.

MONDAY - Tacos - For whatever reason my son has been asking for tacos and I've been craving them too!

TUESDAY - Sausage with Peppers, Mushrooms and Onions over Rice

WEDNESDAY - Mrs. Jolly's Chicken Casserole - I love this casserole!  It has sort of a Chicken Divan flavor to it.   It makes a nice size casserole and is great for double-batching for the freezer, which I plan to do.

THURSDAY - Spaghetti and Meat Sauce with a Salad - I've gotten a bit lazy lately and haven't made meatballs for a while, opting instead to just add ground beef to the sauce.  I haven't gotten too many complaints, though I know my son really likes meatballs.  I'll do that soon.

FRIDAY - Oven-Baked Drumsticks, Roast Potatoes and Salad  -  This is another meal my son has been requesting lately.  Glad to oblige.

SATURDAY - Ham Steak and Fried Potatoes  -  This is such a simple dinner but we never have leftovers when I make it 'cause everyone likes it.

SUNDAY - Hamburgers  -  I'm hoping my hubby will grill these for us, but we can make them indoors if the weather doesn't cooperate.

What cooler weather dishes will you be making this week?

For more inspiration, check out Gluten Free Menu Swap and Menu Plan Monday.

Meal Plan Monday - September 3, 2012

Pin It I've been living in barely-pulling-it-together mode this past week and I expect it will continue into this week.  We started our homeschool year last week.  We are preparing for a beach trip next week.  And we're at the very end of converting out screened-in porch into a four-season school room.   That renovation has been a long road.  My husband is extremely talented in home repair and renovation so he does all the work himself.  But he also has a full-time job.  That means projects like these take longer than hiring a crew to come do it.  But it's almost finished. (yaahh!)  So I've been spending time shopping for curtains, picking out carpet, and shopping on-line at Ikea for desks and bookcases.  In the mean time, my bookshelves are overflowing onto the floor as I've ordered our new homeschool curriculum for this year and have no place to put it (until we get that schoolroom finished!).

Anyway, because of all that, I didn't get a meal plan written last week - and let me just say, that didn't help anything!  I really don't function well without a meal plan, so I've determined to pull one together for this week, even if its not so perfect.  Oh yeah, and then I've got to get to the grocery store 'cause my freezer stash of chicken and ground turkey is almost gone.  Anyway, here's what I've pulled together for this week.

MONDAY - Creamy Chicken and Rice  - This will be an experiment (my family loves when I say that).  I'm thinking of making the filling from Creamy Chicken Pie, but serving it over rice instead of making pie crust.  Think it'll work?

TUESDAY - Gina Chicken over Rice - I have several bags in my freezer of the pre-cut marinated chicken so this one is super quick and easy.

WEDNESDAY - Oven Baked Chicken Cacciatore  This will be a run-around evening as two of my children have evening appointments.  This recipe is perfect for evenings like that because I can prepare it all, pop it in the oven with the timer set and come home to dinner.

THURSDAY - I'm thinking Chicken Drumsticks and Oven Fries.  We start back at our homeschool co-op classes and I expect we will come home late afternoon feeling a bit worn out.  This meal won't require much brain power to prepare.

FRIDAY - Hummm . . . Evening dance class followed by a birthday party . . . Hamburgers?

SATURDAY - We'll be eating dinner at the beach so I haven't quite figured out the beach meal plan yet, but maybe Sausage with Mushrooms, Peppers and Onions.

That's a lot of chicken - oh well.  Every week doesn't have to be perfect and balanced, does it?

For more inspiration, check out Menu Plan Monday and Gluten Free Menu Swap.

Meal Plan Monday - August 20, 2012

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Happy Monday!  We had a very fun family weekend.  Friday evening, we attempted our Second Annual Backyard Campout.  We cooked hamburgers on the grill for dinner.  We set up a borrowed tent, which proved to be a great team building project for us.  We also borrowed a neighbor's fire pit and roasted hotdogs and marshmallows.  We of course ate s'mores (made with Kinnikinnick S'moreables and Enjoy Life's allergy-free chocolate bars).  After all the fun roasting and eating time, we carried our bedding out to the tent and then . . . it started to lightening and thunder and rain!  My husband and I looked at each other, trying to decide if we should continue our adventure or call it quits.  Our 4 year old helped us decide by covering her ears and screaming "take me inside!".  She has a real fear of storms.  So we grabbed our stuff and continued the family campout in the living room.  We still had a fun time and the storm gave us the opportunity to talk to our disappointed children about how God is in charge of everything and His plans are better than ours, even when it doesn't seem like the best at the time.  That's a good lesson for us grownups too!  So we hope to try our campout again this Friday - we'll hope for good weather.

Anyway, here is our gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free dinner plan for the week.

MONDAY - Tacos!

TUESDAY - Mini-Meatloaves with Sweet Potato French Fries

WEDNESDAY - Summertime Chicken Salad (I plan to cook the chicken on Tuesday night while the meatloaves cook.)

THURSDAY - Chicken Waikiki and Quinoa (This is a simple dish I'll share soon, but basically it involves chicken and pineapples - yum!)

FRIDAY - Hamburgers on the grill,  Hotdogs over the open fire, s'mores for dessert (family backyard campout!)

SATURDAY - Honey Mustard Chicken Salad

SUNDAY - Spaghetti 


Be sure to check out more ideas at Menu Plan Monday and Gluten Free Menu Swap.







Disclaimer:  This post contains affiliate links.  These may or may not be the best purchasing option for individual items.  Sometimes I just include them so you can see the products I'm recommending or referring to.

Meal Plan Monday - August 6, 2012

Pin It The extreme heat and humidity has returned!  I actually love the hot summer weather (as long as I can escape now and then to the air conditioning) but it definitely makes me cook differently.  You know, using the oven as little as possible, grilling more, and eating lighter, cooler foods.  We have even been known to eat ice cream for dinner on really hot evenings.  But of course I would never actually write down "ice cream" on my meal plan (gasp!) - those are just the spur of the moment fun times that kids love and remember.
On to the plan . . .

MONDAY - Fish Tacos

TUESDAY - Grilled Chicken Drumsticks and Broccoli Salad (recipe coming soon)

WEDNESDAY - Pasta Salad

THURSDAY - Family Pleasing Mini-Meatloaves with Sweet Potato French Fries (not exactly summertime food, but I miss meatloaf)

FRIDAY - Summertime Chicken Salad

SATURDAY - Gluten and Dairy-Free Pizza (its been a while since we had pizza!)

SUNDAY - hummm . . . maybe Spaghetti and Meatsauce

Look for more ideas at Menu Plan Monday and Gluten Free Menu Swap

Meal Plan Monday - July 23, 2012

Pin It Hay, Hay!  Happy Monday!  Our summer is just chugging right along with another action-packed week ahead.  This week I'll be volunteering at our church's Vacation Bible School.  My children and I will be there each day from 9am-noon participating in high-energy games, crafts, songs, bible stories and who knows what else.  It will be loads of fun and I will most definitely be worn out come dinner-making time.  So to be kind to myself, I'm planning easy gluten-free dinners that don't require a lot of thought or energy.

MONDAY - Mini-Meatloaves with Oven Fries and Salad

TUESDAY - Salad Dressing Chicken and Quinoa

WEDNESDAY - Chicken Drumsticks on the Grill (Hubby just got a new grill and is looking forward to trying it out!  Last week he tried grilling drumsticks on our old grill and ended up with blackened (read "burnt") skins and pink (read "undercooked") meat.  It really wasn't his fault - the old grill decided to give up the ghost mid cooking, but not before nearly setting our dinner on fire.)

THURSDAY - Gina Chicken with Broccoli and Cashews over Rice

FRIDAY - Slow Cooker Basil Chicken - With the hot summer weather, I've neglected my crockpot.  I went looking for a summery crockpot dish and found this one at my first stop Stephanie O'Dea's Crockpot 365.  She calls for feta but I'll just leave that out.

SATURDAY - Neighborhood Party (Hope they'll have something allergy-friendly to eat!  If not, we live across the street so I'll just pop home and grab something for my daughter.)

SUNDAY - Fellowship Meal at Church - I'll be bringing Pasta Salad

Be sure to look for more dinner ideas at Gluten Free Menu Swap (Angela's Kitchen) and OrgJunkie's Menu Plan Monday.

Meal Plan Monday - July 16, 2012

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I'm loving this hot summer weather!  How 'bout you?  We've been having fun but haven't made use of our pool membership quite as much as usual since my daughter (my 10 year old) broke her arm! But now that she's out of the temporary splint and into a very cool tie-dye waterproof cast, we can again enjoy some swimming.  This week both my daughters will be going to Praise Dance Camp.  My 4 year old will be there in the mornings and my 10 year old in the afternoons.  Thankfully, the dance school is right up the road so the driving back and forth won't be too bad. Just have to make some fun plans for my son who most definitely did not want to go to dance camp. 

Well anyway, here's our allergy-friendly meal plan for this week.  As always, everything listed is free of gluten, dairy and eggs.

MONDAY - Grilled Chicken Drumsticks and Oven Fries

TUESDAY - Gluten and Dairy-Free Chicken Scampi  (I was going to make Shrimp Scampi, but decided while grocery shopping that the shrimp was pricey and I already had some chicken breasts in the freezer so I'll opt for the more economical option this week.)

WEDNESDAY - Oven Baked Chicken Cacciatore  (My son has a vision therapy appointment at 5:30 so I'll make this dish ahead of time and set the oven timer so dinner will be ready when we get home.)

THURSDAY - Tacos!  

FRIDAY (my birthday!) - Grilled Steak and Sweet Potato French Fries (I've tried making sweet potato fries from scratch but I can never get them to turn out right.  (Anyone know the secret?)   As an alternative to homemade, we enjoy Alexia brand since they are gluten-free and yummy.)

SATURDAY - Pasta Salad

SUNDAY - Hamburgers


Check back later this week - I'll be sharing my Spiced Zucchini Bread recipe.

For more menu inspiration, please check out Menu Plan Monday and Gluten Free Menu Swap.

Beach Vacation Meal Plan: What To Eat While Traveling - July 9, 2012

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As anyone with food allergies knows, travel can be a challenge.  But as with most things, it can be done!  It does take some prep-work and advanced planning so I thought I'd share how my family handled food on our recent week-long trip to the beach. 

The first thing we always do is rent a condo or house that has a kitchen.  That way we can be in control of our meals and do much of the food prep ourselves. 

The second thing we do is a little internet research to see if there are any allergy-friendly restaurants in the area we'll be visiting.  One helpful site is AllergyEats.com.  Visit the site, choose the foods you avoid and the location you'll be visiting and it will give you a list of restaurants with links to menus as well as reviews.  Other helpful sites include Find Me Gluten Free, Life Without Gluten's Restaurant Finder, Gluten Free Registry and Celiac Restaurant Guide.  (I'm sure there are others.)  Finding a restaurant that is conscious of gluten intolerance is at least a start to finding one that accommodates other allergies.

Third, we make a detailed meal plan including what we'll eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.  On this list, we'll include at least a few meals that we'll eat out at a restaurant (provided we found some leads on the above mentioned websites.)  Since no one wants to spend much time in the kitchen while one vacation, we make sure our meals are quick, easy and mostly prepped ahead of time.  Dinners such as Mrs. Jolly's Chicken Casserole, Creamy Chicken Pie, Seasoned Ground Beef and Rice, Italian Sausage Rice Bowl, Pulled BBQ Chicken or even Homemade Allergy-Friendly Pizza can be fully prepared at home, frozen in a baking dish or zip-close bag and taken along in your cooler to your destination.  During your vacation, its quick and easy to let one of those ready-made meals bake in the oven while you shower off the sand and, voila!, dinner's ready. (Just make sure you plan out your meals so there's time to defrost things in the fridge before cooking time.) Other ideas include meals that require few ingredients and little time in the kitchen such as spaghetti and meat sauce, hamburgers or taco salad.

You may also want to prep some take-along lunches so everyone doesn't get burnt out on sandwiches.  I'll give you a few ideas below.  Speaking of sandwiches, now might be a good time to buy store-bought GF bread instead of making your own Awesome Sandwich Bread.  You don't want vacation prep to wear you out completely.

Lastly, we make a grocery list of things to buy when we get there.  I prefer to do most of my shopping at home and bring it along. (Who wants to do a full-out grocery run while on vacation!)  But there do seem to be those last minute or freezer items that are just better purchased close to your destination.  But I do recommend bringing from home those specialty items like soy yogurt or gluten-free bread that may be hard to find at a standard grocery store.

So here's the actual plan we followed for our recent beach trip. 


Monday

• Breakfast on the road:  Banana Oat Breakfast Bars
• Lunch on the road:  Cold Cut Sandwiches plus snacks
• Dinner:   Buckwheat Waffles and Sausage

Tuesday

• Breakfast: Gluten-Free English Muffins (I adapted this recipe from Tessa the Domestic Diva, made them at home and froze them for easy toasting later.)
• Lunch:  Cold Cut Sandwiches, grapes and potato chips
• Dinner:  Out at a restaurant

Wednesday

• Breakfast:  Homemade GF Granola Cereal similar to this recipe found at Crockpot 365
• Lunch:  Taco Burger (Ahead of time, brown some ground beef with taco seasoning. Serve on the beach in sandwich bags with a spoon.) and Fritos and apples
• Dinner:  Salad Dressing Chicken, Ore-Ida Fries (label states "gluten-free") and Salad

Thursday

• Breakfast:  Gluten-Free English Muffins
• Lunch:  Chef Salads (Served on the beach in individual take-n-toss containers. Don't forget the forks!)
• Dinner:  Out at a restaurant

Friday

• Breakfast:  Banana Bread (I made 2 loaves at home, sliced and froze for easy toasting.)
• Lunch:  Summertime Chicken Salad, fruit cups and chips/crackers
• Dinner:  Pulled BBQ Chicken (We made this in the crockpot while we swam in the sea, but this is also an easy one to make at home, freeze and take along.)

Saturday

• Breakfast:  Cinnamon Toast
• Lunch on the road:  Cold Cut Sandwiches and snacks
• Dinner on the road:  Restaurant  

So that's it. That's how we do it.  I'd love to hear how others handle meals while traveling so please share your ideas with us.  


Check out more meal plan ideas at Menu Plan Monday and Gluten Free Menu Swap.

Meal Plan Monday - July 2, 2012

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Its officially summer - hot weather in the upper 90's - which means summertime recipes  will be the theme of this week's meal plan.  Its always a bit of a challenge for me to switch from casseroles and crockpots to lighter and cooler fare, but it sure is fun to resurrect and/or create recipes requiring limited oven time.  Have any summer favorites?  Please share!  Here's what we'll be eating this week.

MONDAY - Garden Salad with Diced Chicken and Raspberry Dressing  (Time Saving Strategy:  I'll be cooking chicken for this dish, Tuesday's dinner and Saturday's dinner all on Monday so I won't have to use the oven much later in the week!)

TUESDAY - Summertime Chicken Salad (recipe coming soon!)

WEDNESDAY - 4th of July Cookout!  Burgers and Hot dogs on the grill.  I'll be making a crisp broccoli salad (recipe coming soon!)

THURSDAY - Sausage with Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms and Rice

FRIDAY - Gluten-Free Pasta Salad (recipe coming soon!)

SATURDAY - Jambalaya

SUNDAY - Steak on the Grill with Sweet Potato French Fries

Sorry for all the "recipe coming soon" notes.  I just haven't gotten my summertime recipes up yet.  But I will!

Look for more ideas at Menu Plan Monday and Gluten Free Menu Swap.

Meal Plan Monday - June 11, 2012

Pin It Happy Monday!  Can I just say that I have an awesome husband!  He has done all our meal planning and grocery shopping this month.  Its been such a refreshing treat!  But I do have to admit that it has revealed a deeper level of control-freak in myself.  Can you believe I've struggled, just a bit, with relinquishing control of dinner planning.  But mostly, it's just been wonderful!  So here's what's on our plan this week.  I hope it will inspire you (or possibly your husband).

MONDAY - Create-Your-Own Mini Pizzas

TUESDAY - Crock Pot Chili, Salad and Corn Bread

WEDNESDAY - Portabella Burgers - Grilled Burgers with Portabella Mushroom Buns

THURSDAY - Balsamic Glazed Fish and Asparagus (definitely out of our ordinary)

FRIDAY - Planned-Over Chili and Baked Potatoes

SATURDAY - Fish Tacos 

SUNDAY - Steak on the Grill with Baked Sweet Potatoes and Edamame

Be sure to look for more inspiration at Menu Plan Monday and Gluten Free Menu Swap.

Meal Plan Monday - May 28, 2012

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I have been meal planning ever since I got married 14 years ago.  Its the only way I know how to do it.  Without a meal plan, I don't know what to buy at the grocery store or what to prepare come dinner time.  But last week was a little different.  For whatever reason,  I never got around to writing a meal plan so when Monday arrived I was unprepared.  But instead of panicking (as I normally would), I remained calm and decided to wing it.  What followed was a most refreshing break from "the schedule" and a chance to get a little creative.  Without a meal plan, I still succeeded in serving a nice dinner to my family each night, cooking almost solely with ingredients I had on hand.  Now mind you, I don't recommend giving up on meal planning, and I will be sure to have a plan for this week, but sometimes its good, now and then, to just wing it.

So instead of sharing my meal plan for this week, I'm sharing what I came up with each night this past week.

MONDAY - Salad Dressing Chicken and Rice

TUESDAY - A slightly altered version of this Dairy Free Hamburger Helper, replacing the non-dairy milk with beef broth and using sorghum instead of rice flour.

WEDNESDAY - I was stumped on Wednesday so I sought inspiration from my friend Michelle who directed me to this recipe for Alice Springs Chicken. I was missing several ingredients so what I ended up making was basically Honey Mustard Chicken, but it was still good.

THURSDAY - My old standby Gina Chicken Over Rice - I love being able to pull from my freezer cubed and marinated chicken pieces, just waiting to be cooked.  My new favorite version of this replaces the peppers and mushrooms with broccoli and cashews.

FRIDAY - Oven Baked Chicken Cacciatore with Quinoa - A quick and easy family-pleasing dinner.

SATURDAY - Wanting to use up the leftover quinoa in the fridge, I mixed up some Egg-Free Shrimp Fried Rice Quinoa.  It turned out pretty good, but I didn't write down exactly what or how much of things I put in (i.e. no recipe to share).

SUNDAY - Hamburgers on the Grill

For more inspiration, be sure to check out Menu Plan Monday and Gluten Free Menu Swap

Meal Plan Monday - May 14, 2012

Pin It Did everyone have a lovely Mother's Day?  I sure did!  Here's what my hubby made for our dinner - grilled steak with sauted mushrooms, onions and peppers alongside sweet potatoes and salad.  He threw together an amazing marinade which we'll probably never be able to replicate, but it was hands-down THE BEST STEAK I'VE EVER HAD!  (thank you, honey!).

Now for this week's menu . . .

MONDAY - Fried Potatoes, Ham and Corn - This is a simple skillet dinner that everyone enjoys, great for a weeknight.  Just dice up some potatoes and cook them in a little oil till tender.  Add in the cubed ham steak and some corn and continue cooking till it's all heated through.  See, gluten-free doesn't have to be complicated.

TUESDAY - It's my youngest daughter's birthday!  She's turning 4 and requested Clams and Pizza.  Its an interesting combo, but youngest children rarely get first choice so we'll go with it. 

WEDNESDAY - Chili in the Crockpot and Cornbread - The weather's been a little warm for chili, but its such a great dinner because I can count on leftovers.

THURSDAY - Gina Chicken with Broccoli and Cashews - My favorite old standby!

FRIDAY - Baked Potatoes topped with Planned-Over Chili - We've got baseball and dance this Friday so EASY is what I need.

SATURDAY and SUNDAY - We'll be away visitng family, so these days are up in the air.  I'll probably bring along a dinner from the freezer to ensure that my allergic daughter won't starve.

Browse through the endless tempting menu ideas at  Gluten Free Menu Swap and Menu Plan Monday.