Menu 2022: October 2-29

It's been real busy here with alterations projects going out, school, work, and soccer/volleyball games.  Here's what we have planned. I will fill in the "??" as I go.

Menu 2022: September 4-17

Next week is the first full week of school and the kids already have games and tournaments for sports. I am in the thick of wedding season with bridal and suit alterations besides my regular job so I'm am really looking forward to having the long weekend to catch up on stuff at home. 🙌 Here's what we're planning...

Menu 2022: August 28-September 3

It's been an incredibly busy summer between work, church, and home, which means that I have gotten off track with my weight, spending, and meal planning. We are all getting ready to head back to school (including my husband who has 16 more weeks of classes till he finishes his Master's). I am hoping that the meal planning will aid in saving money and helping me get back to dropping weight. So, here we go...

July 10-16

Sunday - Salsa verde pork, pinto beans, and rice bowls

Monday - Personal pizzas on the Ooni (cheeseburger pizza, all meat pizza, pepperoni pizza, caprese pizza, etc.)

Tuesday - Beef Ramen Ended up having regular and eggplant lasagna and a side salad

Wednesday - Burritos

Thursday - Breakfast for Supper (pancakes, eggs, and bacon)

Friday - Pretzel coated walleye, fries, and mixed vegetables

Saturday - Brats and chips

Gluten-Free [Dairy-Free] Devil's Food Cake

I have a dear friend (and fellow pastor's wife) who has recently found out that she can't have gluten or dairy. So when my youngest had to make an angel food cake for her English class report and I had 12 egg yolks leftover, I decided to find something gluten and dairy free to use them in. I give you gluten and dairy free devil's food cake.

Dairy Free Dark Chocolate Orange Fudge Drizzle

I love to drizzle fudge sauce over a bundt cake right before serving it and this dairy free version with a hint of orange has been a big hit.

Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated orange sugar (recipe here)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
• 3/4-1 cup extra creamy oat milk (add as you go based on your desired consistency)
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• pinch of salt

Directions

1. Combine everything in a glass 4 cup measuring cup with a mini whisk or fork. Pop in the microwave for 30 second increments, stirring in between each, for 1 1/2-2 minutes. If you want it thinner, add more oat milk and pop in the microwave for another 30 seconds. 
2. Drizzle over cake, ice cream, fruit, etc. Or simply eat it by the spoonful. :)

Dehydrated [Orange] Zest and Orange Sugar

 I used orange peels but you could really use any citrus fruit peels (lemons, limes, etc.).

1 - Wash, dry, and peel zest layer off the fruit with a potato peeler.

2 - Layer zest peels on dehydrator trays with screens.

3 - Set dehydrator to 145 degrees F and leave for 4-6 hours.

4 - In a food processor of smoothie blender, grind the peel until it is between the size of sugar granules and poppy seeds. Save the container to make orange sugar (see below).

5 - Pour dehydrated zest into a small jar or container and store in a cool, dry place. (I keep mine in my freezer.)

To make the orange sugar, add sugar to the food processor/blender cup and shake, shake, shake. Empty sugar into a storage container or mason jar. Store in a cool, dry place. Enjoy!

Dairy-Free Chocolate Buttercream

Buttercream and Dark Chocolate Orange Drizzle

Everyone knows that I have a baking addiction. It relieves stress and brings me joy. I have also always struggled with a weight problem that has a negative effect on my health. I haven't done much baking in the last year for that very reason and have worked to develop other ways to relieve stress (walking and running being a couple of them). 

But, my youngest daughter had to make an angel food cake as part of her English class (they had to write and give a report on how to do something and bring in a sample of what they had done), which meant that I had 12 egg yolks that needed to be used up. Naturally, I experimented with making a gluten-free, dairy-free devil's food cake that needed to be frosted. Thus, this recipe was born. I couldn't find a highly rated dairy-free chocolate buttercream so I took a regular buttercream recipe and adjusted it to be dairy free (5-minute chocolate buttercream).

Menu 2021: July 11-31

I took a couple of months off of menu planning as we've had a ton of summer stuff going on including a two week vacation. We spent a week in Wisconsin Dells with my sister's family where we rented a house at one of the resorts. Then we went to my parents' for a few days. Finally, we spent a couple of days camping up in Door County. I am trying to get back into routine with planning meals before the craziness of preseason practices and school begin again.

Without any further adieu, here is the menu through the end of July...

Menu 2021: May 2-29

This year seems to have flown by in so many ways. But then I think anything could feel like it is flying by in comparison to how slowly last year seemed to go. 

Tomorrow is Mother's Day (I know, the menu is late again). We have a week and a half left of school for the year and summer activities are looming ever closer. 

When your kids are little and days seem to last forever, people tell you to savor them because they are fleeting. You think to yourself that they're crazy and just don't remember that a day with toddlers and preschoolers is 72 hours long. But then you become the parent of your first teenager and the years seem to last a month and the days five minutes. (Yes, with my second child becoming a teenager next week I am a bit nostalgic and sentimental.) I say all this to remind you to live where you are. Don't long for the past and don't wish for the future, or you'll miss what you have right now in the present.

Before I get much more emotional, here is May's menu...

Menu 2021: April 4-May 1

The last year has been challenging for pretty much everyone. Last year we spent Easter apart - the kids and I home on the couch watching services and my hubby teaching adult Sunday school livestream with no one in the pews. I was such a blessing this year to be in-person for services rejoicing with my church family that Christ has conquered death and is alive forevermore. It made for an emotional day. We did our usual tradition of hiding gifts for the kids and picking up a Hughes dark chocolate Easter basket. It was a good day, but now for April's menu...

April 4-10

• Happy Easter / Resurrection Sunday! Deli wraps, veggie tray, fruit salad, and chips
• Smoked beef sirloin tip roast, Brussels sprouts, roasted baby reds, steamed asparagus, a veggie tray, dinner rolls, and individual cheesecakes with fresh blueberries
• Leftovers :)
• Philly cheesesteak pizza and veggies
• Garlic chicken and pasta with veggies
• A friend and I have birthdays a week and a half apart so we're going out while my hubby and kiddos hold down the fort. 

April 11-17

• Pulled pork and slaw
• Grilled Mahi Mahi with brown rice quinoa medley and steamed asparagus
• Southwest chicken salad
• Chicken and rice casserole 
• Pork Roulade, creamy polenta, roasted asparagus, and a side salad (we had friends over and the husband is a chef so he cooked 🥳)
• Leftovers

April 18-24

• Beef tenderloin (we got a great deal at New Year's and I've been saving them in the freezer), roasted baby reds, and whole green beans
• Chick-fil-A 😁
• Baked cod, quinoa and rice, and wsteamed green beans 
• Bacon cheese burgers, roasted potatoes, and mixed veggies
• Pizza

April 25-May 1

• Chicken taco soup
• Lo Mein (pork or chicken)
• Brats, waffle fries, and mixed veggies
  
• Chili
• Spaghetti, mixed veggies, and side salad