Week 97

It is a lovely 2 degrees outside. Sweet Moses. And we are all a bit under-the-weather, including the saddest Mr. Elliott, who has his first cold. I thought it might be in the cards as Ari has been coughing and had a runny nose since November...

So this meal plan has quite a bit of comforty type food. And a lot of slow-cooked meat. It must be the meat time of the year!

Slow-cooker Chicken Tikka Masala + Naan + Salted cucumbers - the boys are very into these right now.

Slow-cooker Roast Beef Sandwiches - balsamic roast beef french dip Ingredients 1 3-4 pound boneless roast beef (chuck or round roast) 1 cup beef broth ½ cup balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon honey ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes 4 cloves garlic, chopped - throw it all in a crockpot & cook. Reduce gravy and serve on buns) + Spinach Salad

Goat Cheese Asparagus Pasta + Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Salmon + Broccoli

Sesame-crusted Tofu Nuoc Cham + Rice + Cukes

Slow-cooker Beef Stew + Bread (No Knead)

Sugar Cookies

Week 96

Whew.  We are currently in newborn mode. Baby Elliott is pretty awesome though, and has been very nice about being a newborn for the most part. But babies need to eat, and that has been the hard part. Because of latching issues, I now pump and bottle-feed. This makes night feedings a lot harder, but overall he only wakes up once or twice a night. Also Josh has been amazing and taking over the night feeding when he is off. So I don't have too much to complain about.  We are keeping it easy street here though.

Sausage and Mustardy Potatoes

Burritos

Cashew Curry Soup

Goat Cheese Asparagus Pasta + Sweet Potato Fries

Baked Chicken Meatballs + Spinach Salad

Salmon + Broccoli

Week 95

I am in the middle of a nap hangover. So this won't be too flowery. Biggest even of this week (minus a potential birth of the baby) is that Josh will turn 40. Given that he turns 40 right around the time we are getting ready for the BB - whose due date is Oct. 7 - we won't be doing much. I know - and he will be 40! But he isn't one for festivities anyway. So I do plan on making a cheesecake for the man. It is a pretty big one. Hope he likes it, I have never made one of this magnitude before!

Menu -

Tomato tart + Spinach Salad

Salmon + Acorn Squash

Cheddar Corn Chowder + Bread + Cheesecake

Burrito Night

Chicken and Rice + Sweet Potato Fries

Salad Pizza

So many repeats. Henry cried when we ate burritos the other day. I just don't have the mind for too much creativity at the moment.  Sorry, H.

Week 94

Soo tired, but quite excited about the chill of fall in the air! I have been sweating through clothes that were way too hot, denying eighty degree weather... Now, by golly, I can wear a long-sleeve without regret!

Okay, onto food -

Salmon + Acorn Squash

Tomato Tart + Spinach Salad

Cauliflower Soup + Rosemary Garlic Bread

Burrito night

Salad Pizza

Chicken + Rice + Roasted Sweet Potato fries

Week 93

Holy guacamole! That Cafe Rio dinner lasted forever, so basically this is all repeats. Lo siento, gueros.

Menu:

Burrito Night

Salad Pizza

Chicken and Rice + Roasted Cauliflower

Salmon + Broccoli

Sweet Potato Chili + Cornbread - Finally cold enough!

Week 92

Cafe Rio Night

Burrito Night

Salmon + Broccoli

Farmer's Market Pasta + Acorn Squash + Green Beans

Salad Pizza

Chicken + Rice + Roasted Cauli

Week 91

This week may be a bit too ambitious. I am having a rare moment of energy this morning and it is coinciding with list-making. Could be bad. Anyway, Henry has requested drumsticks. So we will be adding that into the mix. I remember liking the old drumstick when I was a kid, so I get it. Plus, if I remember right, they are pretty cheap. Also, the first foray into pumpkin. It is the first day that  feels a bit more like the fall. It makes me happy. This summer has just felt long, could have something to do with being pregnant during it, ha ha.

Menu

Burritos

Salad Pizza

Famer's Market Pasta

Flank Steak

Drumsticks - chicken with almonds and green olives + Broccoli

Pumpkin Sage Canneloni (p. 201 from WS One Pot Meals) + Garlicky Spinach

Week 90

Oh man, don't fall asleep reading this meal plan. It is getting pretty boring, I am tired and not overly interested in getting gourmet at the moment. I am, however, very interested in feeding my family in an easy manner. And so here it is, easy-manner feeding.

Burritos

Salad Pizza

Talapia + Broccoli

Farmer's Market Pasta

One-pot Pasta + Roasted Cauli

Hawaiian Flank Steak + Crispy Potatoes Strips (ha - meat and potatoes - how American!)

Week 89

I am running pretty late -

Menu -

Burrito Night

Salad Pizza

Famer's Market Pasta and Veg

Salmon + Roasted Cauliflower

Quinoa Salad + Melon

BLT + 3 Bean Salad

Week 88

It's official, Mr. Henry is now a first grader!! Ahhh. And Ari gets to stay home and be king of the castle for at least a bit longer until his preschool starts.  And then, I will get a month of a few days a week with alone time (what is this? Alone time?) and then the new little mister will be here in October.  Whew!

So, third trimester fatigue is here. I am tired, a bit grumpy, and not all that hungry (it's hard to be hungry when a baby is taking up most of the room down there...), so needless to say, I feel quite uninspired at the moment. But people must be fed.

Menu:
Salmon and Broccoli

Chicken + Rice and Roasted Cauliflower

Salad Pizza

BLTs + 3 Bean Salad

Farmer's Market Pasta

Shrimp Salad + Melon + Sweet potato fries

Burrito Night

Also, it is Henry's 7th (!) birthday this week - he wants chicken and rice for dinner, roasted cauliflower, and a vanilla, vanilla cake.

So - I am going to use SK's yellow cake recipe and Martha's cream cheese frosting. Hopefully, this cake doesn't overflow like Ari's disasterous affair.

Week 87

We are closing in on the fantastic Bjork Boys birthday week!  Ari's is coming up first, much to Henry's sadness, so I am going with a pink theme, since that is Mr. Ari's favorite color. We are also gearing up for school to start for H in about a week, which is a mix of emotions. Mr. H is sad, excited, and nervous - basically, a hot mess. I can't wait until it starts, so that he can move on from the anticipation.

Other than that, baby is growing! Only nine more weeks left! I can't wait to tie my shoes again, ha ha. This week, we have a bunch of repeats, but oh well. We got to see friends and catch up a lot last week, which is totally worth falling off the dinner wagon!

Menu:

Salad Pizza

Okonomiyaki

Ari's Birthday Dinner:
Slow-roasted salmon
Raspberries
Edamame (I know, not pink, but he loves it)
and

Mud cake - for Mr. Chocolate Chocolate

Flank Steak + Spinach

Quinoa Salad + Melon

Grilled Chicken + Kale Salad

Week 86

I am a super tired mama this morning, so I will keep it short.

Menu -

Salad Pizza

Japanese Pancakes

Chicken and Rice

Famer's Market Pasta

Quinoa Caprese Bake + Salad and Homemade Ranch

MacNCheese + Apple Yogurt Coleslaw

Slow-Cooked Salmon+ Sauteed Spinach

Week 85

Summer is winding down the long and winding road. We are trying to get the playtime in, the grill time in, and not curse at mosquitos. The weather will be awesome the next few days, so I expect there will be picnics and outdoor eating. Hooray! The garden is slowly turning out tomatoes, but has been very generous with the kale, which has been nice. We are trying to keep it easy and light this week.

Menu -

Salad pizza

Chicken Sausage + Melon + Three Bean Salad

Japanese Pancakes + Sweet Potatoes

Farmer's Market Pasta

Shrimp Pasta Salad + Hotdogs + Melon

Chicken and Rice + Broccoli

Salmon Onigiri + Kale Salad

Week 84

Henry is at his first all-day camp this week, which makes it a bit easier to go grocery shopping. One-kid-grocery-shopping= tolerable. Two-kid-grocery-shopping= Stuff of nightmares. I have been trying to eat at home more, so I am planning more meals. Which means more dishes and more cleaning, but after so much eating out, I am actually totally fine with that! Plus, I have a new, wonderful floor to slide around on, ha ha.

Menu:

Slow-Cooked Teriyaki Chicken - p.90 of The Art of the Slow Cooker

Goat Cheese Asparagus Pasta + Kale Salad

Salad Pizza + Melon

Chicken Sausages + Watermelon + Couscous curried salad

Famer's Market Pasta + Salad

Hot dogs + Kale, Pickled onion, avocado Salad

Japanese Pancakes + Daigakuimo

Week 83

I can't believe summer is winding down. We have been out-of-town for most of June, a combination of Josh redoing the floors sent us to TN for two weeks, and then we hit our 2013 family reunion in Michingan! Good times were had. I am trying to type this while two chatty boys are at the table, so I think I ought to just get to it.

Menu

Goat cheese, asparagus pasta + Tomato Caprese Salad

Falafal, Tzitiki, naan, couscous salad

Salad Pizza

Shrimp Rolls + Zuchini Fries

Farmer's Market Pasta

BLTs + Kale Salad

Chicken Sausage + Watermelon

Week 82

Last week's grill adventure went really terribly, but it has only summoned my courage to once again persevere and try again. So this week, grilled salmon patties.  The weather has called me outside, I still don't have everything planted, but we are getting there. We are finding out the gender of the little bean tomorrow - hooray! So I am a bit distracted at the moment.

And with such distraction, I will present our menu:

Buttermilk Chicken + Potatoes

Shrimp Rolls + Wheat Berry Salad (using barley instead)

Salmon burgers + Cous Cous Salad

TJ's Indian Food

Japanese Pancakes + Sweet Potatoes

Beans and Bacon + Cornbread

Week 81

Ari has had about six tantrums already and it is only 10am. I am in for a fun, fun day!  I am still crazy tired, between pregnancy and Ari, I am surprised I can function. But I am - and I have grocery list. 

And here it is:

BLAT + Potatoes au Gratin - (Henry told me at school he eats something called "rotten" potatoes - I finally figured out that he meant au gratin.  And he LOVES them. So I thought it would be fun to make them at home.

Goat Cheese Asparagus Pasta + Spinach Salad

Speghetti and Meatballs + Spinach Salad

TJs Indian Food night

Yogurt marinated grilled chicken + Melon (is it time for watermelons yet?) + Ina's cous cous salad

Lunch - Wheat Berry Salad

BF - Avo toast

Week 80

Okay, now I am getting boring. But this is what I got this week, y'all. A boring preggo lady who makes dinner half the time, and mopes about the rest. Well, not really mopes, just naps.

So same as last week, with a few newbies:

Slow-cooker chili and cornbread

Slow-cooker chicken tikka masala - for Josh's Lunch

Week 79

It's finally a beautiful day today and the rest of the week looks pretty nice as well. So I don't know how much time I really want to spend in the kitchen. There are a lot of repeats, I didn't get around to some of the meals, so we'll try again! Josh is getting ready to refinish the floors (sweet Moses, I am not excited for this streak of home improvement by my husband) and also I have been painting H's room to get it ready for Ari to move in. So these projects have overtaken my energy and have led to some eating out. Hopefully, we can slow down this summer.

So here goes:

Chicken Colorado Burritos

Huevos Rancheros

Beans and Bacon

Cauliflower Soup and Bread

Shrimp Rolls and Spinach Salad

Speghetti and Meatballs - sort of been obsessed with this meal lately.

Ginger Apple Smoothies

Week 78

I am one very tired pregnant lady. So sad. I am going to try and keep these meals simple.

Chile Colorado Burritos - subbed out with chicken + Salad - can't really think of a great healthy side with this one.

Huevos Rancheros

Beans'n'Bacon and Cornbread

Mushroom Burgers + Broccoli Salad

Speghetti and meatballs + Salad

Lunch - Brown Rice Salad - swap out peas for edamame

Week 77

After many weeks of morning sickness, I think I can finally cook again! This is great news. I still feel pretty wiped out in the evenings, so I am attempting to make this easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Speghetti+Meatballs, spinach salad

Lemon, Rosemary Risotto+Roasted Asparagus

Salmon+Broccoli

Shrimp Rolls+Spinach Salad, Lemonade

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala+Naan+Cooked Carrots

Orange Cake

Baked Oatmeal

Week 76

Still gray, gray days. We had a peak of sunshine tomorrow, which was quite appreciated by my old, craggy brain. But the kitchen is currently abuzz, since we just bought a Vitamix!  That stalwart, dependable kitchen appliance that has so much promise!  So, we are on a smoothie march, I also hope to make some soup, some ice cream. Maybe blend an ipod. You know. Whatevs.

So, the plan:

Stromboli + Spinach Salad - will I ever actually make this?!

Pumpkin, Curry Soup + Bread - will sub out pumpkin for an ancient butternut squash that really ought to be used up already.

Salmon Burgers + Winter Salad with Miso Dressing

Pork in Milk + Veg  (will I ever actually make this one?!, the whole defrosting business really throws me)

Lemon, Rosemary Risotto + Roasted Asparagus

Egg Rolls + Miso Soup

Also, attempting some wheat bread using the Vitamix to knead it. Gulp.

Week 75

Quick meal plan -

Coconut shrimp + Steamed Broccoli

Sushi Night + Miso soup

Pork in Milk + Potatoes + Brussels

Lemon, Asparagus Pasta + Veg.

Sausage Lentil Soup + Bread

Stromboli

Week 74

It's really grossly cold.  I try to be nice to January.  I buy flowers, I bake treats, I play music, but no.  January is still an A-hole.  With temps in the single digits, and let's not discuss the wind chill factor, I am done with it all.  Ready for April to come along.  And the longer I wait, the crazier my garden plans are getting.  As in an onion patch.  A whole separate section for gourds and melons!  I don't think I will have a backyard left...

But back to eating, and specifically eating this week.  Mr. Bjork triumphantly returned from his work in St. Louis.  I kept asking him if he visited the zoo.  No, he didn't visit the zoo.  I am kind of jealous of a business trip, hotels, restaurants.  I would totally have visited the zoo. 

So here is the plan:

Coconut Chicken tenders + Steamed broccoli - I have been steaming it in the micro with a bit of water and some ponzu, and the boys have been all over it.

Burritos - still haven't made them.  I may just need to come to terms with the fact that burritos are boring.

Chicken Tikka Masala + Naan + Veg of some sort - this is the recipe from the great Bombay House in Provo, UT - my favorite Indian food ever.

Shrimp night + Spinach Salad - Henry is BFF with shrimp.  We've got panko and coconut.  It will be an easy night.  Spinach salad = spinach, clementines diced, sliced toasted almonds, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and a bit of sea salt. 

Cauliflower Soup + Bread

Stromboli + Spinach Salad

Week 73

Josh is in St. Louis for the week, so I thought I would make dinner easy.  I also realize that we will have a lot more leftovers around.  So, I am thinking there will definitely be some carry over.  Also, I am in a bit of a food rut - breakfast and lunch, specifically, so I am going to add some ideas this week to remember what the halibut I am going to eat.

And now I present, the menu:

Sushi night + Miso Soup - it makes Henry and Ari so happy, and really isn't too difficult.

Lemon Asparagus Goat Cheese Pasta + Brussels - I know, we have this every week.  It's so easy and again, boys enjoy it.

Rice and Beans with Garlic Sauce

Red Lentil Soup + Bread

Coconut Chicken Tenders + Broccoli

Burritos, another repeat

Lunch -

Quinoa Salad

Breakfast -
Deb's big cluster granola - I have made this twice, it's non-demanding but yummy and not too sweet.  All good things for this gal.

Week 73

New year.  NEW YEAR.  I don't really have any resolutions as of this publication.  All I can say is that I hope to continue being the fabulous human that I already am.  Not really, I am not to that level of self-acceptance (and I don't know that one should be at that level of self-acceptance).  But here is the first menu of the year.  I have been scrap-appling all around and finally, I think I am ready to go grocery shopping again.  I think I can bring myself to that.  Also, I got the flu shot, so there's that.

Lemon, asparagus pasta + Brussels

Brrrritos (cause it's cold out there, ha ha!)

Tilapia + Broccoli

Sushi night + Miso

Thai Chicken Curry

Pasta with Cabbage + Mixed greens