Menu Plan Monday

The last two weeks I've been winging it, off the cuff menu planning.  Guess what?  It's getting easier!  Still resulted in a few last minute grocery runs though, which is not the most effective use of my time or my budget... so.  Here is this week's plan to keep me on track.

Monday (vegan)
Breakfast: roasted sweet potatoes and turkey sausage
Lunch: beans and weenies
Dinner: black bean enchilada casserole

Tuesday (beef)
Breakfast: sweet potato muffins
Lunch: sunbutter and apples
Dinner: beef stew over cauliflower rice

Wednesday (pork)
Breakfast: waffles
Lunch: beef stew
Dinner: eggplant lasagna, green beans

Thursday (fish)
Breakfast: pork sausage, potatoes obrien
Lunch: ham roll up
Dinner: with Dad

Friday (turkey)
Breakfast: quinoa cranberry porridge
Lunch: hummus and veggies
Dinner: crock pot turkey "roast"

Saturday (vegan)
Breakfast: pancakes
Lunch: turkey roast
Dinner: pizza

Sunday (beef)
Breakfast: cinnamon rolls
Lunch: with Dad
Dinner: with Dad

Menu Plan Monday

Here is my plan for the week, short and sweet!

Monday (fish)
Breakfast: english muffins, pork sausage
Lunch: pepperoni
Dinner: salmon melt, green beans, pear slices

Tuesday (turkey)
Breakfast: quinoa granola and dairy free yogurt
Lunch: sunbutter and jelly
Dinner: crockpot turkey veg soup

Wednesday (vegan)
Breakfast: sweet potato hash, turkey bacon
Lunch: turkey veg soup
Dinner: veg burgers on bun, fries

Thursday (beef)
Breakfast: blueberry muffins
Lunch: veg chili
Dinner: with Dad

Friday (pork)
Breakfast: waffles
Lunch: beans and weenies
Dinner: pork chops, mixed veg, cherries

Saturday (fish)
Breakfast: bacon cheddar muffins
Lunch: pulled pork
Dinner: fish sticks, lemon pepper pasta, peas

Sunday (turkey)
Breakfast: oatmeal
Lunch: with Dad
Dinner: white bean turkey chili, kale salad

Menu Plan Monday

Falling into a bit of a menu rut over here, as is typical for most families.  I shall have to work harder to find some new breakfast ideas especially!  It may be time to go back to non-traditional breakfasts, and see if I can sell the kiddos on them.

Here is the plan for the week.

Monday (beef)
Breakfast: pumpkin bread pudding
Lunch: sunbutter and jelly
Dinner: shephard's pie

Tuesday (pork)
Breakfast: breakfast hash
Lunch: leftover shephard's pie
Dinner: cider pulled pork roast, mashed potatoes, roasted carrots

Wednesday (fish)
Breakfast: bacon, sauteed veggies
Lunch: pulled pork
Dinner: fish sticks, peas, raspberry applesauce

Thursday (turkey)
Breakfast: zucchini muffins
Lunch: veg chili
Dinner: with dad

Friday (vegan)
Breakfast: turkey sausage and biscuits
Lunch: turkey meatballs
Dinner: eggplant ragu over quinoa pasta

Saturday (beef)
Breakfast: waffles, berry syrup
Lunch: mango, black bean, quinoa salad
Dinner: burgers, roasted beets, peaches

Sunday (pork)
Breakfast: oatmeal
Lunch: with dad
Dinner: dijon pork chops, green beans, cherries

Menu Plan Monday

I know it's a day early.  I have been menu planning on Monday and grocery shopping on Tuesday for years.  I love having the store to myself.  Now, being a working mama, I am back to shopping on the weekend with the rest of the world.  Which means the menu plan must be done in time to hit the grocery on Sunday.  And I have to share the isles again...

So here it is, my plan for preserving some degree of sanity during the coming week.

Monday (turkey)
Breakfast:  quinoa berry breakfast porridge
Lunch: fish sticks
Dinner: chili bake

Tuesday (vegan)
Breakfast: turkey sausage, potatoes obrien
Lunch: mulligatawny soup
Dinner: crockpot squash soup, kale salad with apples and pomegranate

Wednesday (beef)
Breakfast: blondies, green smoothie
Lunch: sunbutter and jelly
Dinner: chipotle shephard's pie

Thursday (pork)
Breakfast: quinoa granola with coconut milk yogurt
Lunch: beans and weenies
Dinner: sausage spinach and tomato soup

Friday (fish)
Breakfast: breakfast sandwich
Lunch: ham "lunchable"
Dinner: shrimp stir fry

Saturday (turkey)
Breakfast: waffles with berry syrup (These are seriously no fail waffles- I love the tutorial.)
Lunch: salmon melt
Dinner: meatballs, green beans, spiced peaches

Sunday (vegan)
Breakfast: turkey bacon, bagels
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: two bean chili, cornbread

As always, the links are to the original recipe as often as possible and do not reflect the changes I make to fit our dietary restrictions.

Menu Plan Monday

First week on the new job this week, and something on the calendar for every night!  This kind of crazy is what meal plans are made for.  Shop ahead of time so all of the ingredients are ready, and then no thinking about what to to make- just throw together what's on the plan.  It helps bring a little calm to the crazy. The goal with this week's plan was to keep it fast and easy.

Monday (pork)
Breakfast: orange muffins
Lunch: beef stew
Dinner: crock pot cranberry pork, peas

Tuesday (fish)
Breakfast: pork sausage and choice of frozen muffins
Lunch: leftover pork OR pepperoni lunchables
Dinner: fish sticks, mixed veggies, raspberry applesauce

Wednesday (turkey)
Breakfast: pumpkin muffins
Lunch: sunbutter and jelly
Dinner: mulligatawny soup, cornbread

Thursday (vegan)
Breakfast: turkey sausage, sweet potato hash
Lunch: beans and weenies
Dinner: black bean enchiladas

Friday (beef)
Breakfast: "nothing beets cherry" muffins
Lunch: hummus wraps OR leftover enchiladas
Dinner: crockpot mongolian beef, cauliflower rice

Saturday (pork)
Breakfast: waffles with three berry syrup
Lunch: leftover mongolian beef
Dinner: orange ginger pork chops

Sunday (fish)
Breakfast: bacon cheddar muffins
Lunch: on your own
Dinner: baked tuna biscuit melts, green beans

Meal Plan Monday

I've been so busy surviving the tumultuous change over here, that I haven't been posting.  Still meal planning (usually) though, because it really does reduce the stress in my life.  No staring into the cabinet at hungry o'clock trying to decide what to make.  Is it just my brain that shuts down when hungry?

So, time to start sharing again.  Here's this week's plan:

Monday (vegan)
Breakfast: turkey sausage, Nothing Beets Cherry muffins
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: eggplant ragu, quinoa pasta, spiced peaches

Tuesday (beef)
Breakfast: raspberry ginger muffins
Lunch: sunbutter and jelly
Dinner: beef stew, green beans

Wednesday (pork)
Breakfast: pineapple muffins
Lunch: beef stew OR beans and weenies
Dinner: pork basil burgers, roasted beets, mango applesauce

Thursday (fish)
Breakfast: bacon, potatoes o'brien
Lunch: pepperoni "lunchables"
Dinner: shrimp stir fry over cauliflower rice, brown sugar bourbon cherries

Friday (turkey)
Breakfast: zucchini muffins
Lunch: hummus wrap
Dinner: meatballs, fries, peas

Saturday (vegan)
Breakfast: sweet potato hash
Lunch: meatballs
Dinner: pizza

Sunday (beef)
Breakfast: waffles
Lunch: sniffle soup, salad
Dinner: tacos

As always, links are to original recipes, and may not reflect changes I make to allow for dietary restrictions.

Food Free Rewards for Middle School

My daughter survived her first year of middle school.  Truthfully, it was not as food filled and harrowing as elementary school was.  And, we had a very supportive guidance counselor to help us navigate the challenges, 98% of which stemmed from her allergies.

At her school they have a rewards/recognition program whereby every student in the school has the opportunity to earn points, and those with enough accumulated points participate in an special event each quarter.  Points are earned through academic achievements as well as citizenship in the school and community.  The number of students that participate is quite large!  They throw an event for about 200 students!

Of course, when rewarding that many students, budget is a key consideration.  Pizza was often part of the reward... Pizza means I drop what I am doing that day, and make a pizza to run over to her.  There were a few other foods as well, but pizza is the most time consuming endeavor for me.  And I like to deliver it warm, it's better that way.

Last year I did ask if we could have more rewards where the focus was not on food.  The guidance councilor advised that he would gladly consider that, and asked if I would compile a list of suggestions.  I did!  I included all ranges of budget, and included a separate list of local vendors that are able to provide allergy friendly treats if desired.

I thought I would share that list with you, in case you need inspiration for activities for your middle school kiddo.  These are all activities for large groups, but most could be scaled down to be for one classroom.  Feel free to add to the list- the more ideas the better!

Food Free Celebrations for middle school

• Trip to Rave Cinema (or other)- fountain drink for all, plus a movie
• Climbing wall at facility or on location- many bounce house rental places will set one up
• Face/hand/arm painting and/or henna tattoos
• Hire local performance artist: magician, band, comedian, etc
• Dave and Buster’s
• Sky Zone
• Skate Zone 71
• The Chiller
• Teacher dunking booth, pie in face stand- students stop by during SSR/lunch/study hall, or do festival style with multiple booths available to all students at the same time- including a booth to honor teachers in some way
• Highlands swimming or Rec Center swimming (the local pools)
• Zip Zone or similar (local zip line)
• Bowling
• Lazer Craze
• Putt-putt golf, glo-putt
• Radio station broadcast from school grounds, Ren students can make requests, dance, and convene in area near DJ, station is played over school PA system between classes
• Life size foosball and hungry hippos (google this- hilarious fun for all!!)
• Decorate the office staff’s/leadership’s  cars- decorations to remain on for specified amount of time (24-72 hours): supply decorations and split the Ren students into teams to decorate cars- you may need to do more staff cars in order to allow everyone the opportunity to decorate
• Ren students released 5 minutes early from each class for one day
• Create a flash mob video for you-tube
• Stairway pass- earn a pass to use the stairway of your choice for one day/one week
• Eat lunch outside- combine SSR and lunch for an extended lunch period outdoors
• Book of homework passes- earn a book of 2,3,or 5 homework passes based on Ren points earned
• Designate a Ren Room- students can stop by the room on their lunch/study hall/ SSR to play video games on the chrome books, listen to music, socialize, etc
• Graffiti wall- large sheet of plywood/drywall painted white, students can decorate with paint/sharpies
• Life size maze set up in field next to school
• Go- carting
• Pass to skip a period (could be used to go to the Ren Room)
• Mammoth water gun fight

Hopefully something above will spark a creative idea in you!  Tell me what you thought of!