Fresh & Healthy
Tuna & Spinach Salad Made with Love
A few days ago Karlie was in charge of making the family meal. She made a super delicious meal. For my meal she put together a Tuna, Spinach & Tomato Salad. When I sat down for dinner this beauty greeted me.
I love how she displayed the tomatoes around the edges of the salad and the 1 spinach leaf on the top of the tuna fish salad mix she put together on her own. It was amazing! Thankful for a thoughtful and sweet kid who made a delicious and healthy meal.
She made tuna fish sandwiches for the rest of the family, which based on their reactions turned out really tasty as well. Thanks Karlie for a great meal! Love you kiddos!
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
This week will be a little wild with some extra craziness adding into it so we are keeping the menu super simple. The girls will be assisting with a lot of the meals since we have a good bit going on with work, camp, and items that need to be accomplished at home this week. Thankful that they are getting old enough to pitch in and are a huge help around the house (and in the kitchen cooking) more all the time. We are blessed with seeing their talents and skills continue to grow. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pasta Entree): Grilled Hamburgers, Baked French Fries
- Tuesday (Seafood, Soup, Salad, or Sandwich Entree): Tuna Fish Sandwiches, Leafy Green Salad
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Chicken Fingers, Fresh Fruit Salad
- Thursday (Pork Entree or Kid‘s Night to Cook): Hotdogs, Baked Beans
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or pasta entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
SURPRISE!!! I’M BACK!!! Yes, I am still alive and kicking (in case you were wondering)! 🙂 The past few weeks (umm….months really) it has been a little wild around our house. All good stuff, but a lot of transitions, adjustments, work, school, travel, and everything else. Also, was experiencing some technical difficulties with my blog and my IT person was super busy so I didn’t want to bug the daylights out of him. Now that everything seems to be back up and running smoothly again, it is my desire to get everything back up and moving along for you. A big shout out to those who have commented, emailed, called, texted, and checked in with me to make sure I was still alive during this little blogging siesta. A huge THANK YOU for being patient and hanging in here with me as my family made some adjustments. Will have to share more about what has been going on these past few weeks….lots of good stuff and a very full calendar! It gets easier and quieter as the kids get older, right!?
It is my goal to stay on top of our dinner menu once again. We have found a good rhythm for the most part (now that school is wrapping up for the year, ha). We are finalizing several details regarding our summer schedule, but overall I hope to be available and more up to date in the blogging world.
It is nice to have people who help keep me accountable and organized throughout my week. It is encouraging to know that other Moms have to work through all the balancing fun of family, work, home, and a multitude of other activities that I seem to experience. If you have it all figured out, let me know because I would love to be able to get my ducks in order, have a positively balance life in every area plus a happy family and clean house (at least longer than 5 minutes). If you haven’t reached that level yet, no worries, I am there with you. We can do our best and I am going to give it my best shot to stay on top of everything and organized so here we go!!!! Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pasta Entree): Crockpot Roast, Mash Potatoes & Brown Gravy
- Tuesday (Seafood or Soup Entree): Tilapia Fillets, Italian Herb Bread
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Sweet & Sour Chicken, Steamed Rice
- Thursday (Pork Entree or Kid‘s Night to Cook): Mesquite BBQ Pork Tenderloin, Green Beans
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or pasta entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
- Monday (Beef or Pasta Entree): Crockpot Roast, Mash Potatoes & Brown Gravy
Recipes: Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Tops
Jake made stuffed Portobello Mushroom tops as a side dish and they were delicious! These are bite size and tasty. Some of them are topped with cheese. Both of the ones with and without cheese were very good!
Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Tops
These are bite size and tasty. Some of them are topped with cheese. Both of the ones with and without cheese were very good!Servings: 4Ingredients
- 12 oz Fresh Portobello Mushrooms
- 1/4 cup Hummus
- 1 tbsp Bacon Pieces
- 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a baking dish. Rinse the mushrooms and remove the stems. Cut up the stems into small pieces.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a pan. Add the mushroom stems and sauté for about 3 minutes. Cool the mushrooms.
- Once the mushrooms are cool mix them with the hummus and bacon. Scoop the mixture into the center of the mushrooms. Place the mushrooms in the baking dish and cook for 15 minutes. Add shredded Cheese on top (optional) and bake for additional 5 minutes.
Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms topped with cheese!
Recipes: Beef, Broccoli, and Bok Choy
A main dish with beef and two green vegetables – broccoli and bok choy. This dish is inspired from my Mom’s Beef & Broccoli recipe a few years ago. We took her Beef and Broccoli recipe, adding more ingredients, and removed other ones. The main dish includes both your meat and vegetables, yet the kids love it! You can choose whatever meat you want to use with this recipe and whatever amount of broccoli. We like this nice blend of meat and broccoli with a touch of bok choy for this recipe.
Beef, Broccoli, and Bok Choy
A main dish with beef and two green vegetables – broccoli and bok choy. This dish is inspired from my Mom’s Beef & Broccoli recipe a few years ago. The main dish includes both your meat and vegetables, yet the kids love it!Servings: 4 peopleEquipment
- Wok
Ingredients
- 1 lb Lean Beef Steak Round, Sirloin, or Flank Steak work well
- 1 head Fresh Broccoli
- 1 head Fresh Bok Choy Small
- 2 tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 clove Garlic, minced or pressed
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Water
- 1 1/2 tbsp Corn Starch
- 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 cup Beef Broth
- 1 dash Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
- Cut broccoli and bok choy into 1 inch pieces set aside. Slice the beef along the grain into 1/2 inch wide strips. In bowl mix beef, soy sauce and garlic. Let marinate 10 minutes. Mix together corn starch, ground ginger, dash of red pepper, and beef broth.
- When wok is hot add 1 tablespoon of oil, add half of the meat mixture. Stir fry until browned (about 2 to 3 minutes). Repeat with second half of meat and 1 more tablespoon of oil.
- Stir in the broccoli for about 1 minute. Add water cover and cook about 3 minutes.
- Add cooking sauce to meat and stir until the sauce has thickened. Add the bok choy and cook for about another minute or until it starts to wilt.
You can add in all kinds of other ingredients like onions, mushrooms, spinach, and more to your main dish.
Hot and ready to be eaten for dinner!
Recipes: Low Calorie & Low Carb Brownies
Low Calorie & Low Carb Brownies
The low calorie and low carb brownies in this recipe do not contain walnuts. They come out almost fudge like and taste amazing fresh out of the freezer too.
I have been using this homemade low calorie and low carb brownie recipe for several months now. This recipe makes 32 individual brownies. If you only eat 1 a day this one recipe will last you an entire month. I like to make a full batch which is a 9 x 13 baking dish and store the individual brownies in the freezer for the chocolate cravings.
These brownies are rich and filled with chocolate goodness that hit the spot, but it won’t set you back if you are keeping track of your calories and carbs. Once this recipe is baked and cool it has a similar texture of a real brownie, but without the extra calories and carbs in each bite. If you are looking for a healthy brown alternative try this recipe!
Low Calorie & Low Carb Brownies
A tasty chocolate treat without all the extra calories and carbs. This brownie is sweet and delicious.Servings: 32 PiecesCalories: 113kcalIngredients
- 1 stick Butter or Margarine Room Temperature
- 2 cups Erythritol powdered is best, but granulated will work too
- 1 tbsp Vanilla
- 4 Eggs Room Temperature
- 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 4 oz Unsweetened Chocolate melted
- 2 cups Flax Seed Meal
- 1 tbsp Baking Powder
- 1/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2/3 cup Water
- 1 cup Artificial Sweetener
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Cream butter or margarine until fluffy. Add the Erythritol and cream until fluffy (want a fluffy texture). If you use the Erythritol granulated it will not turn out as fluffy, but the brownies will still taste good (I have done it both ways).
- Add the vanilla to the butter mixture. Beat the eggs into the mixture one at a time. Add salt and cocoa powder; beat well.
- Add the melted unsweetened Chocolate and beat until fluffy.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Pour brownie batter into 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool and cut into 32 squares.
Notes
These taste delicious fresh, cooled, or even frozen! Total Calories: 113 and Total Net Carbs (which is Carbs minus the Fiber): 1.19 per individual Brownie
Baked Brownie Goodness
Bagged and ready to go into the freezer for treats throughout the month
The total calories and net carbs are based of the ingredients we used while cooking this recipe. It is good idea to calculate based of the specific brand and ingredients you are using in your recipe, but this will give you a good base guideline. As long as you use the ingredients listed above it should be fairly close.
Recipes: Easy Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles
We like asparagus in our house. When it is in season we have it more often, but loved to have it every once in awhile even out of season. This is a super Easy Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles recipe! It only requires 3 ingredients too!
If you like bacon and asparagus you will probably like this recipe! Our kids think this recipe is great. For another bacon wrapped asparagus bundles with more ingredients – Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles.
Easy Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
This is a super Easy Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles recipe! It only requires 3 ingredients too!Servings: 4 peopleIngredients
- 1 bundle Fresh Asparagus
- 12 oz Bacon Center cut is best
- 1/4 cup Italian Salad Dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Rinse and trim the ends of the asparagus. Remove any hard stems on the asparagus stalks too. Generally, the smaller the asparagus stalk the better because it is more tender.
- Divide your asparagus up into equal piles (3 to 8 stalks). Pick the number of bundles you want to do and divide it up as equal as possible.
- Lay 1 asparagus bundle in the center of a slice of bacon. Wrap the bacon around the asparagus bundle and place on a broiler pan. Repeat this step until all your asparagus bundles are wrapped. If you have extra bacon you can cook that on the pan beside the asparagus bundles if you want.
- Sprinkle each bundle equally with Italian Salad Dressing.
- Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the bacon is cooked.
Notes
GRILLING – You can also place these Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles on the grill at your next cookout! Make sure not to put it too close to a really hot spot or open flame on the grill for a long period of time. It will usually take less time on the grill to cook these bundles. Once the asparagus looks like it is starting to wilt a little and the bacon is cooked these will be done.Recipes: Cheese & Vegetable Topped Chicken
Cheese & Vegetable Topped Chicken
This recipe is an altered and lighter version of the Chicken Tomato Pasta Recipe. The Cheese & Vegetable Topped Chicken recipe is a lower carb version, but is still tasty and healthy. It is basically baked boneless skinless chicken breast topped with spinach, bok choy, mushrooms, and cheese. If you are trying to cut out dairy you can eliminate the cheese and it is still a great main dish.
Cheese & Vegetable Topped Chicken
The Cheese & Vegetable Topped Chicken recipe is a low carb, but is still tasty and healthy. It brings baked boneless skinless chicken breast together with a topping of spinach, bok choy, mushrooms, and cheese.Servings: 2 peopleIngredients
- 1 lb Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts cooked, seasoned, and drained
- 1 cup Fresh Spinach
- 1 cup Fresh Bok Choy
- 1/2 cup Fresh Mushrooms
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Minced Garlic
- Sliced or Shredded Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a broiler pan and put the chicken breast on it (this allows the extra fat and/or juices to drain down and away from the chickens). Sprinkle lightly with seasoning – salt, pepper, and/or chicken seasoning. Bake until cooked through.
- While the chicken is cooking. Slice up the vegetables into about 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces (spinach, bok choy, mushrooms). Heat 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and minced garlic in a pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook them for about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and bok choy, cooking for an additional 3 minutes or until the leaves are starting to wilt.
- Place your baked chicken breasts on the plates. Top with the vegetable mixture. Optional: Garnish tomatoes and sliced or a sprinkle of shredded cheese.
Cheese & Vegetable Topped Chicken sitting on a layer for diced tomatoes (optional)
Recipes: Campfire Toasted Portobello Mushrooms & Cinnamon Apples
Food is prepped and ready to be cooked for dinner over the campfire
First we shared our Campfire Steak & Kielbasa main dish. Last week we shared with you our Campfire Garlic Bread. Now this week we get to do another side dish – Portobello Mushrooms as well as desert – Cinnamon Apples.
Are you seeing a theme this month? Maybe I am gearing up for a another fun family camping trip!? The only probably is figuring out when to fit it in with all the other fun stuff going on! Our family really does enjoy a good camping trip or fire pit meal! It is fun to try new things or take items we used to only do on the grill and make them over a fire. By the way, all of these recipes work beautifully on a grill too so feel free to cook up these goodies on it instead.
Campfire Toasted Portobello Mushrooms & Cinnamon Apples
A campfire is not the same without desert. While we do really enjoy the sweet chocolate goodness of toasted marshmallows and s’mores this time around we tried something new. Campfire Toasted Cinnamon Apples and they turned out crispy, sweet, and delicious!Servings: 4Ingredients
- 2 Portobello Mushroom Tops
- 1 tbsp Italian Salad Dressing
- 2 Sliced Apples Granny Smith or other Baking Apple
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
- Wooden or Metal Skewers
Instructions
- Soak the wooden skewers in water for about 5 to 10 minutes. This allows them to not burn up once over the campfire. If you have metal skewers these can be used immediately.
- While the skewers are soaking in water. Drizzle a touch of the Italian Salad Dressing over the outside of the portobello mushroom and the remaining tablespoon amount on the inside of the mushroom and allow to sit inside the cap to marinate it until it goes onto the campfire.
- Stick the skewers through the portobello mushroom. Two skewers per piece works a little better when turning over the fire, but 1 will work too.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon & sugar mixture over the outside of the apple slices.
- Stick the skewers through the apple slices. We put 2 slices on each skewer.
- Place the portobello mushroom (do the top side of the mushroom first so the bowl with the extra Italian Salad Dressing is facing up and continuing to season the mushroom as it cooks) on the campfire. Cook until slight lines start appearing on the mushroom and flip once. Depending on how hot the fire is it should only take 1 to 3 minutes per side when you see the Italian Salad Dressing start to boil or bubble inside the mushroom cap it is time to flip it.
- Place the apple slices on the campfire. Cook until the apple juices start bubbling and flip once. Depending on how hot the fire is it should only take 1 to 3 minutes per side
Mushroom seasoned with Italian Salad Dressing is ready to go onto the fire
Cooking the portobello mushroom and cinnamon apple slices together
Almost done, both have been flipped and about ready to come off the fire! Smells wonderful!
Recipes: Campfire Garlic Bread
Smells really good! Starting for flip the garlic bread!
What’s better than traditional garlic bread as a side dish? Campfire Garlic Bread of course! The mixture of garlic with the hint of fire crispness makes it all the better. The fire will give it an extra flavor too. Not to mention it smells amazing as it is cooking.
Whether you planning your next camping trip or staying home. It is super easy to make and a perfect addition to your camping or backyard bonfire meal. Enjoy!
Campfire Garlic Bread
Whether you planning your next camping trip or staying home. It is super easy to make and a perfect addition to your camping or backyard bonfire meal.Servings: 4Ingredients
- 1/2 loaf French Bread Loaf
- Butter or Margarine
- Lawry's Garlic Salt (or similar)
- Wooden or Metal Skewers
Instructions
- Soak the wooden skewers in water for about 5 to 10 minutes. This allows them to not burn up once over the campfire. If you have metal skewers these can be used immediately.
- While the skewers are soaking in water. Slice one inch thick pieces off the loaf of french bread. These are pretty thick so we usually make one per person. Butter both side of the bread and sprinkle on the garlic salt.
- Stick the skewers through the bread. Two skewers per piece works a little better when turning over the fire, but 1 will work too.
- Place the garlic bread on the campfire. Cook until slight lines start appearing on the buttered bread and flip once. Depending on how hot the fire is it should only take 1 to 3 minutes per side.
Notes
Makes between 3 to 6 pieces of garlic bread based on the size and shape of your french bread.
Garlic Bread ready to go on the campfire
