another tour of asia week (well... mostly)

gluten free banana bread muffins

i love travelling through asia. there are many places i love. rich experiences. but if i had to choose my top 3 places in asia...well, that's easy for me...

1. chiang mai - northern thailand - i studied here, i travelled here, i learned enough basics to buy things and count and order off a menu and say please and thank you.  kop kuhn ka, chiang mai - far in distance, but near in thoughts.
2. hong kong - love hong kong. love the dirt and the smells and the chaos and the tai chi and the ferry rides and kowloon and lantau island and the gold coast. so much love can only be expressed in a run-on sentence, and there is so much substance to the place...more than i can write in that same long sentence.
3. yangshuo, china. so relaxed, such an expected rest stop in a country that is challenging to travel - from west peace (xi'an) to a 30hr train ride to yangshuo, surrounded by karst hills - my peace.

and now food, photos and recipes...

featured snack - banana bread muffins - gluten free (but could be made with regular flour
1.5c demerara sugar (or brown sugar
6tbsp butter
--- cream these
1 egg
3 mashed bananas
dash of cinnamon
1c sour cream (i used fat free
1 tsp vanilla extract
dash of salt
1.5tsp baking soda
1c rice flour
1.25c sorghum flour
3/4c oats (optional
---all of these mixed until fairly smooth
---300 oven for about 45min
makes about 18 muffins
(i added a few dark chocolate chips on top of each to make it look more treat like for the boys
---seriously yum and lots of great flavour and texture especially considering it is gluten free.


breakfast
omelette- cheese
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad
rotate

snacks/lunch
cantaloupe
blackberries
blueberries
bananas
coconut rice crackers
veggies and dip
leftovers - lots and lots of leftovers
salads

suppers

coconut/tomato curry chicken with rice - i did this in the slow cooker this time, and didn't change a thing and it turned out great.

• chicken nuggets with peanut sauce in lettuce (for the boys
• non asian - butternut squash soup and gluten free bread from the market
 



some asian herbs - grass like blade on right is culantro



• squid, green peppers, and baby bok choy with rice noodles in black bean sauce
  1/4c water / black bean sauce / squeeze of hoisin sauce / 2 tbsp rice vinegar / 2/3 lb squid / 3c baby bok choy / 1 green pepper chopped / 2 spring onions chopped / 1tsp minced garlic / 2 tbsp turbinado sugar / 1c bean sprouts / 3tbsp chopped culantro (vietnamese looks like a thick blade of grass - can use a bit more cilantro instead
  - quickly whip up in the wok or a pan
  - quick, easy and tasty - reheats pretty well for squid
• chili and rice

i share my weekly meal plans at orgjunkie.com - you can find hundreds of meal plans on menu planning mondays there...helped me get back into meal planning.

2010/2011 week

i did take christmas week off from meal planning - well sort of.
it was a short week at home
a long drive to my parents
and quick visits - too quick
so little time for some of the most important people in my life...sigh

also, the week got a bit complicated
the tummy bug turned the home part into an all soup kind of week
little down, much up
good times

so this past week was clearly an improvement. used up the last of the freezer stash from 2010, and threw together a few recipes to round out the week.

happy new year! a photo reflection of 1/1/11 to come.

now onto pics and recipes...

new year's eve snacks
champagne and snacks including potatoes done 2 ways

breakfast
cereal with soy/rice milk
yoghurt and fruit
eggs with pesto, salsa and cheese

snacks/lunch
cherries
canteloupe
rice cakes with hummus
apples
bananas
pears
gluten free crackers with hummus
veggies and dip
sour cream and onion chips
frozen yoghurt with kit kat pieces

suppers
- chili over rice - mashed down a bit for the boys - i think we are finally done with the freezer stash on this one
- leftover tomato coconut curry
- fish in phyllo with pico de gallo topping (i went without the phyllo for me gluten free - made a rub out of mexican chili spice, garlic powder, cumin and turmeric)
- potatoes in spaghetti sauce
- pizza quesadillas - i had spaghetti sauce and rice pasta
- butternut squash soup with gluten free biscuits

i share my weekly meal plans at orgjunkie.com - you can find hundreds of meal plans on menu planning mondays there...helped me get back into meal planning.

twas the week before christmas (week)...

...and all through my kitchen, a mama who didn't feel like blogging all week was scouring through the freezer, looking at leftovers with hopes of reinventing them into totally new meals to use up before heading out of town for christmas.

i just like the idea of using up those freezer leftovers, and the produce before we bundle up, pack up, and head down to my parents' place for a quick few days over christmas.

so mostly leftovers, and items from the last big grocery shop 2wks ago...

my list of dishes with recipes and pics in the links...and some on here - adding pics as they differ from the links...(yeah that didn't make much sense, but here is the food...




breakfast
omelette- cheese and pesto
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad
breakfast muffins/cakes

snacks/lunch
watermelon
canteloupe
rice cakes with hummus
apples
bananas
pears
gluten free crackers with hummus
veggies and dip
doritos - cheeseburger flavour
salads

suppers
- for the bubs - another rice variation - a few tbsp pasta sauce, tsp curry powder, tsp of cumin (started with one cup of uncooked basmati rice)
- chili over rice - another week with chili from the freezer (mashed down a bit for the boys
- acorn squash and potato soup (this lasted for several meals for all 4 of us - except i subbed with a butternut squash and added 3 sweet potatoes - so adjusted some of the spices for the additions
- supper at our friends - soup and salad

- slow cooker beef leftovers and leftover peanut sauce and added rice noodles and cilantro and a bit of soy sauce

- same slow cooker beef leftovers and made a quick fried rice with 3c cooked basmati rice, 3tbsp each of soy sauce, fish sauce, chopped green onions, cilantro and a tablespoon of sugar.
- leftover tomato coconut curry

- yellow bell peppers stuffed with chili over rice - and added layers of shredded cheese and jalapeno slices quick and easy chili rellenos in a 375 oven for about 20mins.









i share my weekly meal plans at orgjunkie.com - you can find hundreds of meal plans on menu planning mondays there...helped me get back into meal planning.

soup and rice week

easy and delicious - one pre-made sheet of butter puff pastry, 2 ripe pears and one apple peeled and sliced fairly thin, 1 tsp sugar, .5tsp cinnamon, 1tbsp lemon juice --- preheat oven to 375 --- in a bowl, toss pear, apple, lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon --- place mixture in centre of puff pastry, leaving about an inch free all around so that you can now pull up the sides and make it kind of like a packet with a slight opening --- a little bit of cooking spray on the cookie sheet and a bit on top then into the oven for about 20min and done!

it ended out being a very soup and rice filled week. hmmm, stick to your gut and hearty, wholesome, slurp-worthy food - yep christmas is coming...
- not an exclusively gluten-free week (for me...mostly yes, but i did have a few bites of a pear apple galette i made - and had the heartburn and bloating to prove it).
my list of dishes with recipes and pics in the links...

breakfast
omelette- cheese and more cheese
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad
breakfast muffins/cakes

snacks/lunch
breakfast muffins/cakes
canteloupe
rice cakes with hummus
apples
bananas
pears
gluten free crackers with hummus
veggies and dip
leftovers - one of the scores from the freezer was finding some sancocho (fish stew) that i forgot i had frozen
salads
apple-pear galette (see the top of the post)
suppers
phyllo nights - leftovers from last week - phyllo for everyone...but me
for the bubs - rice with carrots-peas
for the bubs - another rice variation - a few tbsp pasta sauce, tsp curry powder, tsp of cumin (started with one cup of uncooked basmati rice)
chili over rice
acorn squash and potato soup \(this lasted for several meals for all 4 of us)
christmas party for dh's work - kids included - we brought a big salad for the buffet of food going on

i share my weekly meal plans at orgjunkie.com - you can find hundreds of meal plans on menu planning mondays there...helped me get back into meal planning.

Phyllo and Rice Week

sugar cookies made with the boys

i know i speak a lot about using what i already have. it is true though as i often buy things in bulk, or i will think i have time to try out some decadent recipe...and then it does not happen.
this is how phyllo and puff pastry ended up in my freezer. so i built a few meals around that...not gluten free so i had a lot of leftovers this week...but the boys all seemed to enjoy the phyllo surprises.
plus - made lots of cookies with the boys this week...my 3.5yr old proudly rolled dough and cut out shapes and letters.

my list of dishes with recipes and pics in the links...

breakfast
omelette- cheese and more cheese
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad
breakfast muffins/cakes

snacks/lunch
cookies with frosting (recipe at the bottom
breakfast muffins/cakes
canteloupe
rice cakes
apples
bananas
pears
gluten free crackers
veggies and dip
leftovers
salads

suppers
phyllo nights - phyllo for everyone...but me
lemon chicken over rice
for the bubs - rice with carrots-peas
chili over rice
from the freezer - spaghetti sauce and rice pasta
leftovers and salad

i share my weekly meal plans at orgjunkie.com - you can find hundreds of meal plans on menu planning mondays there...helped me get back into meal planning.

cold weather food week

was a bit of a busy week - am just home from a weekend of doing a fantastic course so am posting like mad to get my weekly menu up. this one was kind of a take on comfort food - a few items with a twist - an asian style fish stew and a shepherd's pie done a bit differently.

my list of dishes with recipes and pics in the links...

breakfast

omelette- pesto cheese
hard boiled eggs and toast
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad
breakfast muffins/cakes

snacks/lunch

breakfast muffins/cakes

watermelon
rice cakes
apples
bananas
coconut rice crackers
veggies and dip
leftovers - lots and lots of leftovers
salads

suppers

thai/vietnamese - inspired fish stew
almost shepherd's pie with salad
bbq chicken and sweet potatoes
chili over rice
from the freezer - spaghetti sauce and rice pasta
takeout pizza - donair, bacon and tomato for the guys, salad and leftovers for me
leftovers and salad

i share my weekly meal plans at orgjunkie.com - you can find hundreds of meal plans on menu planning mondays there...helped me get back into meal planning.

a few family faves and kid-friendly recipes week

the past week just flew by
i've taken on the task of finally editing some of my family photos - from january onwards (yes, i did fall desperately behind on this one), so given the nostalgia of looking at photos from the newborn stage, i relied on some family favourites and wanted to post some of my go-to recipes/simple modifications for the boys
now...
my list of dishes with recipes and pics in the links...

breakfast
omelette- pesto cheese
hard boiled eggs and toast
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad

kid-friendly recipes - breakfast and snack ideas
snacks/lunch
a lot of cantaloupe and watermelon
apples
bananas
coconut rice crackers
veggies and dip
leftovers - lots and lots of leftovers
salads
sorbet

kid - friendly meals

suppers
easy oven chicken and sweet potatoes
pad thai noodles
bbq chicken and sweet potatoes
from the freezer - slow cooker tostada lasagna 
from the freezer - chili over rice
from the freezer - spaghetti sauce and rice pasta

i'm in the unusual position of needing to use up some of the extra meals i have in the freezer - a freezer full of meals - never thought THAT would be an issue!
i share my weekly meal plans at orgjunkie.com - you can find hundreds of meal plans on menu planning mondays there...helped me get back into meal planning.

a lot of beef week

the nachos with leftover brisket, pico de gallo and leftover chili listed below

it ended up being a beefy week - wasn't feeling super creative so i used up what i had. and i had a roast and lots of ground beef - so all but one supper had beef - that is a first. am definitely going with chicken and fish next week ;)

my list of dishes with recipes and pics in the links...

breakfast
omelette- pesto and cheese
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad
rotate

snacks/lunch
cantaloupe
pears
bananas
coconut rice crackers
veggies and dip
leftovers - lots and lots of leftovers
salads
apple slices with caramel sauce
maltesers ice cream
kale chips
sushi lunch for my birthday

suppers

• burgers and salad
•  slow cooker chili
• baked brie with apple slices and salad
• slow cooked texas style brisket - i pretty much stuck to the recipe and made

1. brisket tacos with pico de gallo,
2. then had brisket in a salad,
3. and finally nachos with leftover chili, brisket and pico de gallo

i share my weekly meal plans at orgjunkie.com - you can find hundreds of meal plans on menu planning mondays there...helped me get back into meal planning.

a little tour of asia week

pad thai from this week

i love travelling through asia. i've studied in northern thailand (nuad bo rarn - chiang mai thai yoga massage, and reflexology),
i've gotten sick in india (the formidable delhi belly beat my pants off...quite literally),
i've marvelled at the karst hills in southern china
visited sacred sites - as in yogyakarta - places i didn't know about
and several other asian countries.
oh the food - to be able to make food that was so simple in execution and rich in flavour.
am constantly striving to get there...

cooking a few meals at once

my list of dishes with recipes and pics in the links...

breakfast
omelette- pesto and cheese
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad
rotate

snacks/lunch
cantaloupe
pears
bananas
coconut rice crackers
veggies and dip
leftovers - lots and lots of leftovers
salads
sorbet
apple slices with caramel sauce

suppers

• pad thai
• peanut/cashew beef lemongrass noodles - from leftover pulled bbq beef
• coconut/tomato curry chicken with rice
• chicken nuggets with peanut sauce in lettuce (for the boys
• lettuce wraps with lemongrass meatballs and peanut sauce
• non thai recipe - homemade hamburger helper style beef - 1lb lean ground beef (browned), 1.5 cans of condensed tomato soup, 1 onion chopped, 1/2 packet of taco mix - add these to ground beef and serve over pasta of your choice (i use rice pasta mini shells) serve with shredded cheese

i share my weekly meal plans at orgjunkie.com - you can find hundreds of meal plans on menu planning mondays there...helped me get back into meal planning.

slow cooker beef x 4 meals, and freezer leftovers week

just didn't want to go shopping this week so used what we had in the freezer - both leftovers and the ingredients for the slow cooker beef meals

now...
my list of dishes with recipes and pics in the links...

breakfast
omelette- salsa cheese
fried eggs and beans
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad
rotate

snacks/lunch
a lot of cantaloupe
pears
bananas
coconut rice crackers
veggies and dip
leftovers - lots and lots of leftovers
salads
sorbet
pulled beef open faced sandwiches
suppers
from the freezer - slow cooker tostada lasagna 
from the freezer slow cooker tamale pie
from the freezer - dumplings and more dumplings and rice asian rolls (like spring rolls but rice-wrapped)
takeout night - cheap pizza (and as leftover lunches)
pulled beef - slowcooker as 3 suppers...

•  topping a caesar salad
• on nachos (fried up with black beans and with cheese and salsa on nachos
• asian style lemongrass beef in a peanut sauce topped with toasted cashews on vermicelli

and the non-food related recipe - deodorant recipe
i share my weekly meal plans at orgjunkie.com - you can find hundreds of meal plans on menu planning mondays there...helped me get back into meal planning.

thanksgiving week meal plan with lots of leftover re-interpretations

one of the views from our 2nd floor deck - we live downtown and this is the trees in the backyard, the river and the hills, and it was a beautiful day for thanksgiving

the desserts i made - and the one i bought (pumpkin pie)

last week was thanksgiving. beautiful, colourful thanksgiving. it wasn't blazing hot, but the autumn wind held off and we were able to feast outdoors. our 2nd floor deck is covered and we love sitting out - we have table and chairs and the all essential slide, water table and cars and trucks present so dh and i could enjoy meal and wine.

...sigh...i really do love thanksgiving, am just not thrilled with the end of a perfect summer.
(note this meal plan is not completely gluten free this week)
breakfast
omelette -  cheese and pico de gallo
yoghurt and fruit
zucchini breakfast slices
leftover jam pie
leftover apple cinnamon caramel muffins
cereal
snacks/lunch
watermelon
pears
apples
bananas
veggies and dip
leftovers...
spaghetti sauce over rice pasta shells
leftover slow cooker chili from the freezer, with rice
chicken breast pieces
salads
raspberry sorbet - made in the ice cream maker

suppers
thanksgiving dinner
-meatballs and dipping sauces
-salad - caesar salad
-sides/main - turkey and stuffing (the only time of year i must have turkey)
- roast potatoes
- mac and ch-easy bake
-dessert - raspberry sorbet, chocolate chocolate chip and mini marshmallow ice cream (both in the ice cream maker), jam pie, apple cinnamon apple muffins

and...a week's worth of leftovers (all in this post)
- mac and ch-easy bake with spaghetti sauce in a skillet
- mexican flavours for turkey with chicken bacon and mayo with habernero on pico de gallo and lettuce
- turkey quesadillas
- turkey nachos (chopped turkey - in a skillet with black beans and green bell pepper cooked in mexican chili spice and the juice of 2 large hothouse tomatoes) then put that on tortilla chips, covered with cheese and served with sour cream and pico de gallo
- butter chicken (turkey) on rice

i share my weekly meal plans at orgjunkie.com - you can find hundreds of meal plans on menu planning mondays there...helped me get back into meal planning.

enjoyed by all!

3 meals = a week + of suppers/lunches

peach sorbet

this past week did not begin with the intention of making something new out of recipes, but this is exactly how it evolved. 3 recipes - 2 of them altered a bit made 6 unique meals, plus a hearty pasta sauce and breakfast squares and peach sorbet...made for a surprisingly easy week of meals. next week's will feature thanksgiving pics and fixings.

happy thanksgiving to all my friends and family in canada. was a beautiful weekend/day for it...and now the meal plan...

breakfast
omelette -  cheese and chicken bacon
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad
zucchini breakfast slices

snacks/lunch
cantaloupe
pears
apples
bananas
sour cream and onion popcorn
veggies and dip
leftovers
salads
peach sorbet - made in the ice cream maker

suppers
 spaghetti sauce (my dad made it and sent it up with my mom when she visited) over rice pasta shells
easy baked cod with salad
fish chowder (made from above)
lemongrass pulled beef in rice wrappers with peanut sauce 
pulled beef pho
beef pho with rice noodles
salad with pulled beef and peanut sauce

i share my weekly meal plans at orgjunkie.com - you can find hundreds of meal plans on menu planning mondays there...helped me get back into meal planning.

all easy week - meal plan

oh my i had a lazy week in terms of planning meals

maybe it was researching a new car (which we bought - first in 12yrs - a fuel-efficient hatchback - ends our 10mths of car-free living)
maybe it was an evening play date while dh went test-driving the cars i researched
maybe it was the mid-week play date for my eldest
i don't know, but it meant for a simple meal plan this week.

breakfast
omelette -  cheese and pico de gallo
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad
rotate

snacks/lunch
cantaloupe
pears
apples
bananas
coconut rice crackers
three lentil and cranberry salad (store bought)
veggies and dip
leftovers
salads
chocolate peanut butter ice cream with a bit of caramel - made in the ice cream maker

suppers
steak (for the marinade i used) and potatoes on the grill
leftover acorn squash soup
chicken strips and sweet potato fries (these came out of a box/bag = no recipe)
easy pesto cream sauce over rice pasta shells
spaghetti sauce (my dad made it and sent it up with my mom when she visited) over rice pasta shells
leftover slow cooker chili from the freezer, with rice

i share my weekly meal plans at orgjunkie.com - you can find hundreds of meal plans on menu planning mondays there...helped me get back into meal planning.

cold and comfort week

re-used this meal plan. after the usual winter illnesses, and a few weeks of vacation, was hardly feeling inspired to create a new meal plan. so i returned to this one. lots of soup...good for the soul!

my youngest turned one this past week - in the sleepy wrap at a few weeks old - children are such a strong representation of the quick passage of time...

it was a sniffly start to fall - ugh already my first cold of the season. i was all scratchy-throat and puffy-eyed and fuzzy-feeling and it just wasn't a way to feel inspired in the kitchen. so more soup and food comforts for the week. am feeling clear and sniffle-free, but reflecting back on the week, really not bad for an under-the-weather kind of week.

breakfast
omelette - easy - cheese and pico de gallo
fried eggs and pico de gallo on homemade corn tortillas
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad
rotate

snacks/lunch
a lot of cantaloupe
pears
nectarines
bananas
coconut rice crackers
veggies and dip
leftovers
salads
sorbet - i made a pear sorbet caramel vanilla ice cream - made in the ice cream maker
chocolate peanut butter ice cream with a bit of caramel - made in the ice cream maker

suppers
butternut squash soup (a bit of curry flavour)
steak (for the marinade i used - were t-bone steaks this time) and potatoes on the grill
acorn squash soup (same as butternut but with a different type of squash, vietnamese fish bouillon, and 1 tbsp of lemongrass - i keep frozen shredded lemongrass in the freezer...tasty!)
slow cooker beef with tomatoes and green pepper
chinese takeout - was bub's 1st birthday so we went to one of our local faves - was 2 nights worth
leftover slow cooker chili from the freezer, with rice

i share my weekly meal plans at orgjunkie.com - you can find hundreds of meal plans on menu planning mondays there...helped me get back into meal planning.

mexican-inspired week

i love mexico.
it's a quick flight.
dh and i have been several times.
i love speaking in spanish in a real way (at home it is english and french and not many people speak spanish) i love the food and the weather and the taxistas.
the taxistas who tell it like it is - who groan about the economy and the traffic and wonder how the gringos in his cab can speak spanish
the gringos from the far north where it always is cold ;)
and i love all of that (especially la zona romantica in puerto vallarta - crowded, colonial and long walks along the malecon)

now...
my list of dishes with recipes and pics in the links...

breakfast
omelette- leftover fajita meat/veg and cheese
fried eggs and salsa on homemade corn tortillas
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad
rotate

snacks/lunch
a lot of cantaloupe
pears
nectarines
bananas
coconut rice crackers
veggies and dip
leftovers - lots and lots of leftovers
salads
sorbet
caramel vanilla ice cream - made in the ice cream maker
chocolate peanut butter ice cream - made in the ice cream maker


suppers
slow cooker tostada lasagna 
slow cooker tamale pie
mexican rice with chorizo and shrimp
pico de gallo with mexican rice
slow cooker fajita mix made into mini mexican pizzas (yeah, not a very succinct title but this is what it was)
lot of leftovers! some of the fajita mix went into omelettes and quick nachos and as opened face sandwiches

and the non-food related recipe - deodorant recipe

shopping list (i had the staples - spices, rice)
this is what i had to buy for the week...
salmon
shrimp
chorizo
stir fry beef
tomato sauce
5.5 cups chicken broth
fajita seasoning mix
1 can peeled and diced tomatoes
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can sliced olives - 1/2c
2 cans black beans
corn tortillas
tomatoes
spanish onion
cooking onions
3 bell peppers
cilantro
cup milk
shredded cheese
sour cream

see orgjunkie.com for hundreds of meal plans every week!

slow cooker and prepare ahead week

it was a mostly overcast and rainy labour day last week. it's the first rain we had seen in a long time and it kind of made me want to prep what i could for the week. i work online, but being labour day, was unwilling to even check my work email. prepping ahead means my time with the boys during the day is just easier
slowing down
taking time to listen
do work during nap time
fill the rest with time together
...i've crossed the line - it's sounding sappy...time for the make ahead meal plan (well mostly).

my list of dishes with recipes and pics in the links...

breakfast
omelette with leftover salmon, and green onion
fried eggs with leftover chili (blended)
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad
rotate

snacks/lunch
a lot of cantaloupe and watermelon
pears
nectarines
coconut rice crackers
veggies and dip
leftovers - lots and lots of leftovers
salads
sorbet
roasted banana ice cream - made in the ice cream maker
chocolate ice cream with minstrels and rolo - made in the ice cream maker

suppers

• steak and potatoes - we did steak and potatoes with sweet potato fries and garlic aioli (basically mayo blended with a bit of minced garlic, salt and lemon juice).
• SLOW COOKER chili
• hot steak salad
• SLOW COOKER moroccan inspired lentil stew - vegetarian 
• thai-inspired fried rice - vegetarian
• baked salmon with salad
• leftover chili

(put slow cooker meals in caps because these produce at least 6-10 adult portions

...for hundreds of weekly meal plans visit orgjunkie.com

bbq and asian week - meal planning

inspiration this week is in a few parts.
it was incredibly hot, and there was not going to be a lot of oven use. bbq was a natural choice, and asian came out of necessity. i actually think i got a bit of heat exhaustion after i did nearly 4.5hrs of walking while wearing the bub and acting as tour guide to a dear cousin on a quick visit from ireland.

bbq - my fondest memories of food on the bbq isn't from home, but rather my childhood best friend's home. her dad could seemingly do anything on the bbq and it tasted great.
that smoky corn on the cob, the perfect steak, even pork chops on the bbq (and i am not a huge fan of pork so this is an accomplishment ;)
her dad had a talent with the bbq that in my childhood mind is unrivaled in any of my adult experiences in terms of home cooking.

my list of dishes with recipes and pics in the links...

breakfast
omelette with cheese, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes
fried eggs with leftover potatoes
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad
rotate

snacks/lunch
a lot of cantaloupe and watermelon
blue, seedless grapes
coconut rice crackers
rice crackers and hummus
veggies and dip
leftovers
salads
sorbet

suppers

• takeout vietnamese for 2 suppers (when i wasn't feeling so great it was all about soup) so i had pho, and both the 3yr old and the bub enjoy pho and vermicelli. i did post my simple recipe for strawberry sinh to and avocado sinh to - sinh to being that fancy, vietnamese version of a shake...yum
• steak and potatoes - we did steak and potatoes twice. once with top sirloin, white potatoes and salad, the other time with t-bone, white and sweet potatoes, corn and salad.
• indian night - this was a last minute inspiration/addition - brown rice with tomato dal, tofu curry, and a refreshing drink...mango lassi.
• freezer meal night was tostada lasagna, and veggie burgers
• hot steak salad

i share my meal plans at orgjunkie.com

quick and easy week - meal planning - menu planning monday

i share my meal plans at orgjunkie.com

breakfast
omelette with cheese, red peppers, garlic and onions
fried eggs with leftover potatoes
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad
rotate

snacks/lunch
a lot of cantaloupe
coconut rice crackers
rice crackers and hummus
veggies and dip
leftovers
salads
sorbet
aji and cheese buns

suppers

• takeout chinese (we had friends in town and this did us for 2 nights - we live steps away from chinatown so lots of good stuff...singapore fried vermicelli, squid in black bean sauce, rice noodles with beef and chinese greens, crispy beef, cantonese vermicelli)

• nachos - quick and easy - with homemade salsa and guacamole

• steak and potatoes

• pulled bbq pork and potatoes in pasta sauce - pulled bbq pork was a pork tenderloin in the crockpot from frozen with 1c water on high for 2hrs, then added 1c bbq sauce, a few drops of liquid smoke, and another 1hr on high. then pulled the pork apart with two forks

• using up stuff - casserole/pie

italian/comfort food week - meal planning

the intention this week was to go all italian, and talk about some of the food memories i have from travel in italy. that's not quite what happened with the meal plan.

instead it ended up being a bit of italian, a bit of bbq, easy meals, and food for comfort.

what is great about meal planning is even with going off course, i had lots of ingredients that went well together. so when i whipped up meals together that weren't in the original plan...they worked. and some of the joy of cooking is throwing together a bunch of ingredients and seeing what happens - how the flavours blend, how they bring out something new in each other.

and that is part of what i love about leftovers...the challenge of making them into something new. the reward for being creative. the surprise in making simple food with full flavours.

joy.

and now the meal plan we just ate in the past week...

breakfast
omelette pizza - omelette topped with pizza sauce, garlic and mozzarella
fried eggs with italian sausage
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad
rotate

snacks/lunch
a lot of cantaloupe - we went through 3 jumbo sized
coconut rice crackers
rice crackers and hummus
chips (mmmm!)
veggies and dip
leftovers
salads

suppers
simple crockpot pasta/sauce with garlic pita
italian nachos
shrimp and leftovers pesto pasta
steak, salad and oven baked potato wedges
bbq lamb chops, potatoes and salad
crustless potato/leftover quiche/casserole
potatoes in pasta sauce and leftover lamb chops

thanks to i'm an organizing junkie, i got myself in gear, photographed it and wrote it down...