It’s the middle of May, and my furnace just kicked on.  Although the flowers and tender asparagus shoots assure me that winter is over, I’m  not planning meals that go from grill to patio table yet!   But, I did grab the grocery circular and plan great dinners that fit into our budget, and a few that can be grilled if the weather changes.

Angel Hair Pasta with Italian Sausage and Herbs, Caesar salad.    I like to use crimini mushrooms because we like their more intense flavor, but will buy whatever is on sale! 

Nachos Supreme and fresh pineapple.  Sometimes I give everyone a pie plate and have them assemble their own nachos; everyone likes to get into the act on nacho night!  The real magic is getting them to help clean…

Barbecue Bacon Cheese Burgers, Baked Garlic Fries, and apples.  The beef is on sale, so I’ll buy extra, season it, and shape it into patties for future grilling.  Although the fries call for a package of seasoning, I’ll replace that with garlic powder, salt, and dried parsley from the spice rack.

Stuffed Pork Chops, buttered noodles, steamed broccoli.  I can’t remember the last time I made stuffed chops, so I’ll try this new recipe and see how the family likes them!

Tuscan Roast Chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, and whatever fresh fruits and vegetables look good.  I’ll butterfly the chicken and rub in the seasonings early in the day so they have a chance to really flavor the meat. 

The boys have various things going on so I know we’ll have plenty of leftovers if they’re even home to eat this weekend.

Now that I’ve planned meals that fit my time, diet, and budget I have more time to tackle other things.

This  week is all about easy.  Maybe you’re doing some spring cleaning, maybe some shoveling, maybe you just need to take it easy.   Gluten free meal planning isn’t always easy, we know!

Breakfast

Cereal with raspberries, hard boiled eggs.  I like to boil and peel eggs and keep them in the fridge.  They’re a great high-protein but still quick breakfast.  Raspberries have been pretty reasonably priced lately and make breakfast cereal seem special.

Lunch

Walking Tacos and pineapple.   Taco fillings in a bag of crushed corn chips.  It doesn’t get much easier.  IF you don’t like the cheese and sour cream substitutes – omit them!  Guacamole usually makes up for the loss of the dairy.  We usually only use 1/2 lb of beef for our tacos, so I freeze the other half and it makes the next taco night that much faster!

Dinner

Apricot – Wasabi Pork Tenderloin, garlic rice, steamed broccoli, mandarin oranges.  This meal is pretty and tasty.  This version of the pork is our extremely streamlined version – you can check the community recipe box for the original.  You’ll need some wheat free soy sauce – but this is not to be missed.  If you have big eaters, doubling the recipe might be a good idea.

MealMixer helps people with food allergies and intolerances plan complete, healthy  meal plans while avoiding the foods that make them ill. 

1. Your Health!  Sure, you might be in the mood for a burger, but at least at home you can put it on a whole wheat bun and use lower fat beef. Plus you can add worthwhile lettuce like romaine (or spinach!), and use more than a paper thin slice of tomato
2. Your Time!  It’s a great feeling to know that you have a plan, and have everything you need to execute that plan. By the time you pick up drive-through, or the pizza guy comes, you could have make a pot of whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce, and dressed up a salad.  It's faster, healthier AND cheaper.
3. Your Money!   Everyone knows it’s less expensive to eat at home, but the real money monster is repeat trips to the store. The grocer knows our weaknesses, and entices us with loss leaders and 2 for 1 offers.  Shop once--eat 21 times.