March Month of Menus Grocery Lists {Week 2}

It was a bit of a busy weekend and this post didn't get up like I'd planned.

Click for month of menus post.
Here's week #2 grocery list. Hopefully I didn't miss anything. This doesn't include any snacks; or drinks now that I think about it. You might want to add in some teas, ACV, lemons, and other things that you know you like to drink with your meals.

1 loaf of sprouted bread
5 cups oatmeal
1 1/2 cup blueberries
2 dozen eggs
2 cartons egg whites
1 container Greek yogurt (at Aldi it is a 32 oz container)
1 container low fat cottage cheese (at Aldi it is a 24 oz container)
1 lb shredded cheese
1 carton unsweetened almond milk
1 carton heavy cream
2-4 lbs ground beef
2 lbs ground lean turkey
2 lbs ground sausage
1 bag frozen chicken breasts
1 bag salmon filets
1 package lean lunch meat
1 head lettuce
1 head cabbage
2 bags spinach
1 lg, 1 sm tomato
2 bags frozen broccoli florets (or 2 fresh heads)
1 small bag carrots, or just pick a few loose
1 bag unsweetened shredded coconut
1 bag flaxseed meal (or whole to grind your own)
1 bag coconut flour
1 bag lentils
1/2 cup quinoa
1 carton chicken broth (or a few cans)
2 jars Alfredo sauce
2 cans tomatoes with green chilies (or 1 can and 1 jar salsa)

Things that you'll need but measurements?
peanut butter
jelly
coconut oil
protein powder
stevia/sweetener
spices and salt
mayo and mustard (the mayo for the cheeseburger pie is 1/2 cup)

There should be some carry-overs from week #1 grocery list. And again, just about everything is purchased from Aldi. 

March Month of Menus Grocery Lists {Week 1}

I'm going to attempt to make weekly shopping lists for the month menu plan. We'll see how it goes. The first week I noticed I forgot a few things when I went shopping and came home with a couple we didn't need yet. Eh...work in progress. Always.

Some things we had on hand and so I didn't need to purchase.

Oh, yes, this is all for a family of 3 1/2 (Hubby eats the weekly dinner and weekend meals, so much of the food is really for 3 people). I try to make larger dinners (so think for at least 5 or 6 people) so that he can take some for lunch. It doesn't always happen.

Week #1
1 package bacon (turkey bacon was almost $1 cheaper)
1 dozen eggs
4 cartons egg whites (had a partial carton at home; purchased 3)
1 carton heavy cream or 1/2 n 1/2 (chose 1/2 n 1/2 as it's twice as much for same cost)
1 container 1% cottage cheese (had already) *this was for THM Pancakes which is now in Week 4; instead here would be 1 box of cold cereal*
1 container 0% fat Greek yogurt (had already)
9 cups old fashioned oats (had already)
1 carton unsweetened almond milk (had already)
1 6-pack unsweetened applesauce
1 bag frozen blueberries (had already)
1 package low-carb tortillas (chose the 'low carb' flatbread)
3 packages lower fat cheese wedges
1 bag almond flour (put this off; will grind almonds have on hand)
1 bag coconut flour (had already)
2 jars Polaner All-Fruit (chose mostly fruit spread from Aldi's- has sugar *frown*)
4 cans beans (had already)
1 bag flaxmeal (had already)
2 bags chicken breasts (if they are very large, one bag; cut them in half)
1 bag chicken thighs
2 loaves sprouted bread
1 bag cornmeal (didn't find; will need to get)
2 cans tuna (had already)
1 head cauliflower
1 head iceburg lettuce
1 cucumber (didn't get)
2 cans black olives (had already)
2 bags prepared salad (didn't have any!)
1 lb ground lean turkey
1 package tomatoes
1 can full-fat coconut milk (didn't find)
1 package skim mozzarella slices
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 bag chicken tenderloins
2 bags salmon (1 bag if you find it in 2 lb)
1 bag spinach
1 lemon (came in four pack)
1 package sliced pepperoni (had already)
2 bags shredded cheese
4 cans tomato sauce
1 lb butter
1 bag bacon bits
1 bag carrots
1 bag celery
1 bag radishes (had already)
1 jar peanut butter

Everything was bought at Aldi, except the sprouted bread from Trader Joe's. Some things Aldi and TJ do not carry so we made due with what we can find. And some of these things will carry over to another week's menu. Oh and one more thing: We still buy 1 gallon of whole milk. That adds $2.99. I'm working on cutting that but it's tough (it's for the kids not me).
The total was just over $100 but I also bought things that weren't on the list and didn't get some. So it'll be different I'm sure for others. Here are the things I anticipate carrying over:

1 carton heavy cream or 1/2 n 1/2
1 container 1% cottage cheese
1 container 0% fat Greek yogurt
1 carton unsweetened almond milk
1 6-pack unsweetened applesauce
1 bag frozen blueberries
1 package low-carb tortillas
1 bag almond flour
1 bag coconut flour
2 jars Polaner All-Fruit
1 bag flaxmeal
1 bag cornmeal
1 package skim mozzarella slices
1 package sliced pepperoni
1 bag carrots
1 bag celery
1 bag radishes
1 jar peanut butter

I'll try to get the shopping list put together for the other weeks soon.

March Month of Menus {Menu Planning Monday}

Or something like that. I am trying to plan out the entire month's worth of menus so that I don't have to do it each week. There will need to be a weekly shopping list also so that grocery shopping isn't such a chore as well.

Having it all planned out will help us keep on plan also. E meals are the hardest for all of us to get in the day so this will hopefully help. On the list I've made, OP means off plan. It could be a crossover but it generally means I'll be using something that isn't technically on plan.

Nice that March starts on a Sunday, the first day of the week. Convenient.

I had intended to have this done on Sunday but I don't get online try to stay offline on Sundays. Here's the month's worth of meals. These are of course the planned and perhaps not actual meals. For instance on Sunday we only had enough eggs for three so Fox opted for sugar sweetened chocolate oatmeal and sugar sweetened chocolate milk... See what I mean? A work in progress...

And there are no snacks listed here but I have a short list on our fridge.

Here's the scan of the menu.

Week 1:
Breakfasts:
Eggs & Bacon {S}
Cold Cereal (on these days I'll have something else) {OP}
Baked Blueberry Oatmeal {E}
Breakfast Burritos {E}
Coffee Cake (for 1, times 3) {S}
Light Baked Custard {E/S}
Jelly Style Greek Yogurt (this honestly I think will need something more added as a breakfast; perhaps fruit) {E}

Lunches:
Warm Chicken on Sprouted Bread {E} (so simple yet so yummy!)
Tuna Sandwiches or Salad (tuna, black olives, pickles, mayo, mustard, Mrs. Dash, handful shredded cheese) {S}
Loaded Fotato Soup {S}
Bean Burgers {E}
Taste of Thailand Soup {S}
Grilled Cheese with Tomato and a Smoothie split 3 ways {S}
BLT salad {S}

Dinners:
Succulent Citrus Fish Bake {E/S}
Pizza (homemade with coconut flour flatbread, pizza sauce [tomato sauce, salt, and herbs], cheddar cheese, black olives, pepperoni) {S}
Lighter Chili with GF Cornbread (made with ground turkey and lots of beans) {E}
Baked Chicken Thighs with Veggies {S}
Boneless Wings with ? possibly Zucchini Fries {S}
Peanut Crusted Chicken with Veggies {S}
Beef Stew (with radishes, celery and one carrot) {S}

Week 2:
Breakfasts:
Sprouted French Toast with fruit (maybe the fruit) {E}
Cottage Berry Oatmeal (it's called Cottage Blueberry Oatmeal, but sometimes we use strawberries) {E}
Egg & Cheese Omeletes {S}
Biscuits & Gravy (the Country Biscuits from THM- never made them so we'll see!) {S}
Butter Pecan Breakfast Porridge {S}
Morning Coconut Bread {S} (Added 3/12/15: *We do not like this so it will not be a repeat breakfast. Dd says it tastes like the breakfast porridge in loaf form. It has no leavening agent and doesn't rise but a smidgen. It is extremely coconutty, as in the texture, not the taste. Just did not care for it.*)
Eggs & Sausage {S}

Lunches:
Chicken Broth Soup {E/S}
Lean Meat Sandwiches {E}
Savory Skillet Oatmeal {E}
Eggroll in a Bowl {E/S}
Poached Salmon with Salad {E}
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches {E/S}
Waldorf Salad {E}

Dinners:
Italian Style Crockpot Chicken {E/S} <ours will most likely be S since I use regular Italian dressing
Mini Meatloaves {S}
All Day Lentil Soup {E}
Cheeseburger Pie {S}
Alfredo Beef & Broccoli {S}
Mexican Crockpot Chicken {E}
Spinach Italiano Crockpot (chicken?) {E} (It'll be S if I use pork)

Week 3:
Breakfasts:
Chia Tapioca Pudding {E}
THM Pan Bread with Scrambled Egg Whites {E}
Crepes {S}
Banana Cream Cake {E}
Mix and Match Smoothie {E/S}
Eggs & .... some sort of meat {S}
Cold Cereal {OP}

Lunches:
Chicken Yogurt Bake {E/S}
Quesadillas {S}
Southwestern Salmon {E/S}
Salad with All the Fixins {S}
Tuna sandwiches {S}
Spaghetti Squash (with sauce and cheeses) {? depends on the cheese we use}
Corndog Pie (this has been called Chili Dog Pie but it's more like a corndog) {S}

Dinners:
Chicken Brother Soup {E/S}
Pot Roast {S}
Chili with Cornbread {E}
Pork loin with Veggies {S}
Baked Whole Chicken with Biscuits (if I can get the Country Biscuits to come out well then it will be those, otherwise it'll be the Biscuits Supreme from the red-checkered cookbook) {S}
Pizza (might be made with coconut flatbread or usual wheat flour; we'll see!) {S/OP}
Fish and Veggies {E/S}

Week 4:
Breakfasts:
Eggs
THM Pancakes {E}
Mix and Match Smoothie {E/S}
Sprouted French Toast {E}
Quinoa "Porridge" {E}
Scrambled Egg Whites with Lean Meat & Veggies (I'm looking forward to this one. I'll add mushrooms- yum!) {E}
Coconut Waffles with side of Ham {S}

Lunches: 
Tomato Soup with Wasa Crackers and Cheese Wedges {E}
Egg Salad Sandwiches {S}
Personal Pizzas {S/OP}
Eggroll in a Bowl {E/S}
Lean Meat Sandwiches {E}
Chicken Wraps {E/S}
Salmon Patties {S}

Dinners:
Fried Fish and... ? {E/S}
"Spaghetti" Pie (it will be made with spaghetti squash, I hope) {E/S}
Tuna Tortillas with Salad {S}
Hamburgers & Hotdogs {S}
Bean & Cheese Burritos {E}
Salad with All the Fixins {S}
Bean Soup {E}

Gluten Free Cornbread

I've searched and searched for a gluten-free THM E cornbread recipe {that I was completely happy with} to no avail. They just do not meet the need I have to be gluten-free and "E". I decided to take one that was good for THM E and make it gluten free. 

The one I went with and tweaked can be found at Mrs. Criddle's Kitchen, and if not for the wheat flour, I might have tried to do that one. 

Gluten-Free Cornbread {THM E}

Ingredients:

1 cup cornmeal

1/3 cup oat fiber

3/8 cup oat flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup 0% Greek yogurt

3/4 cup + 3 TBS carton egg whites

6 TBS water

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 425*F. Line a square baking pan {8x8 or 9x9} with parchment paper and lightly spray with nonstick spray. You can cut a square of parchment to fit the bottom of the pan, then use scraps to line the sides. 

In a medium bowl mix all dry ingredients. 

In a separate bowl mix all wet ingredients. Add to dry ingredients and mix well. You don't want clumps. {Well, I don't.}

After all is combined, pour into prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes. 

Let rest a few minutes after baking. Cut into 9 pieces.

Notes: It is best to use sprouted blue corn for the cornmeal, but this is technically still an "E". 

If, no scratch that- when I make this again, I will up the oat fiber and decrease the oat flour. The latter gave it a bit of a gummy texture. I make my oat flour by grinding it up in my coffee grinder. Easy peasy.

The original recipe called for Sweet Blend. I've always liked cornbread with honey and I didn't want to change that memory. I just left out any sweet this time. And I think I need more salt next time.

Everyone {but the Warden perhaps} liked the cornbread. It was nice and moist and had {almost} the right texture. We had it with chili, for a nice cold weather dinner.

Menu Plan Monday- 05.26.14

Menus are my friend. Without a menu there is chaos. Without a menu there are too man "every man for himself!" days. Here's the menu for the week, and some of my food ramblings.  

05.26 Monday 

B- Eggs & bacon with coffee or hot tea {S}

L- Lettuce wrap/meat sandwich with water or iced tea {FP or S/CO}

D- Turkey burgers and kabobs with water or tea {CO}

05.27 Tuesday

B- Savory Skillet Oatmeal with hot tea {E}

L- Quesadilla with GGMS or iced tea {S/CO}

D- Lean turkey sausage with kale over noodles with water, GGMS or iced tea {E}

05.28 Wednesday

B- Refrigerator Oatmeal {E}

L- BLT Sandwich/Salad with iced tea {CO/S}

D- Crockpot chicken- Italian with water or iced tea {E}

05.29 Thursday

B- Breakfast burrito with coffee {S/CO}

L- Sweet potato and salmon with veggies with GGMS {E}

D- Cheeseburger pie {S}

05.30 Friday

B- Cereal/ChocoMocho Shake {CO/S}

L- Leftovers 

D- Undecided BBQ OR chicken wraps {S or E/S or CO}

05.31 Saturday

B- Cereal/Eggs with coffee {CO/S}

L- Lettuce wrap/meat sandwich with water, GGMS or iced tea {FP or S/CO}

D- Undecided Something and potato salad {CO}

06.01 Sunday

B- Eggs with coffee {S}

L- Tuna tortillas with iced tea {S or CO}

D- Undecided

If you've read this far... just a clarification: some of the {designations} have more than one. If it has a "/" then it means at least one of the peoples in the family is having a crossover. And most likely it isn't going to be me. If it says "... or ..." then it means it can be either way depending on what's in it. 

Anywhere it says tortilla or something with a tortilla, that means 1/2 to 3/4 of the family will have store bought flour tortillas with who knows what in them, while 1/4 to 1/2 of the family will have a flax tortilla that I make in the microwave. Sandwiches have wheat bread for most of the family while I have lettuce to wrap mine. 

And I'm trying to make myself drink more water. Not just coffee morning, noon and night {wink}. I linked to the GGMS but I don't quite make it the same as the recipe. It's simple to make and, once you get used to it, it's quite refreshing. Here's what I do if I want it 'ginger':

• Prepare one cup of water for hot tea. Place lemon ginger tea bag in cup and let steep until the water is cold. I think the brand I have is Stash.
• Fill a tall cup with ice {I have nifty plastic cups with lids and a hole for a straw}. 
• Add 1/4 teaspoon Sweet Blend, or one packet stevia, over ice. 
• Add 1/2 to 1 tablespoon ACV {this time around I have Bragg's; usually I have Heinz "with the mother"}. 
• Finally, pour cold tea over ice until the cup is 1/2 full. Fill the rest with water. 
• Or I will pour all the tea in the cup and add water as I drink it down. 

If I don't want the 'ginger', I simply forget the tea step and do the rest the same.

I recommend the THMamas Pinterest boards for ideas. I've been stuck in a rut for awhile now.

I read an article the other day, let's see if I can find it, about those with gluten 'sensitivity' but not celiac, are fairly imagining it. It's psychological. The article really made sense because it said that there probably is a sensitivity to something but it's most likely not gluten. The hype with gluten nowadays has programmed some of us to think that is the culprit. 

Gluten wasn’t the culprit; the cause was likely psychological. Participants expected the diets to make them sick, and so they did.- Steven Ross Pomeroy

I went gluten free (gf) for a year, with only an occasional mess up here and there. I have many 'symptoms' that went away when I was gf. However, some of those were coming back even though I was primarily gf. Now I'm not perfect {scoff} and there are times now- perhaps even a week- when I do indulge in stuff I feel I shouldn't have and then 'suffer' for it. It has just got me thinking...

Menu Planning Monday -04.21.14

So last week we switched some things around and had bbq on Friday instead of our traditional pizza. Here's this week's menu- always subject to change *wink* DH insisted on "no fish!" I say tuna fish doesn't count...

04.21 Monday

B- Bagels with cream cheese and orange juice {leftovers from Easter brunch at the church on 04/20} not on plan...at all

L- Tortilla wraps {S/CO} depends on how they are made; mine and dd's will be {S}

D- Chicken Alfredo with veggies {S} this is one that got switched last week and never got made; I think I mislabeled it as {E} last week...ooopsie. Definitely {S}.

04.22 Tuesday

B- Eggs {S}

L- Tuna sandwiches {CO/S} it's {S} when using either the coconut flour flatbread or the low-carb tortilla

D- Hamburgers and baked beans {CO} if I used lean beef I might get this to {E} but marking it {CO} for now

04.23 Wednesday

B- Cereal {CO}/Oatmeal with cottage cheese and berries {E}

L- Quesadillas {S/CO}

D- Sweet potato with sausage (crockpot) I'm not sure if I could make this an {E} or if it will be a {CO}

04.24 Thursday

B- THM Pancakes {E}

L- Brown rice Tabouleh {S/CO?}

D- Porkloin (crockpot) with Brussels sprouts {S}

04.25 Friday

B- Cereal {CO}/Muffin in a mug {S}/Oatmeal with cottage cheese and berries {E}

L- Egg sandwich {CO} mine will be {S} using coconut flour flatbread

Tea-time: 

D- Pizza! {CO} this will most likely change during the summer time since it'll be too hot 

04.26 Saturday

B- Muffin in a mug {S}/Eggs {S}/Oatmeal {E}

L- Salad with cheese {S}

D- Soft tacos {S/CO}

Dessert: 

04.27 Sunday 

B- Eggs {S}

L- Meat and cheese sandwich/wrap {CO/S}

D- Chicken with veggies {E} I'll use chicken breast

As I make these menus I notice how many {S}, {E}, and {CO} there are and am very thankful that with THM's principles each meal is a reset. I think though that I need to try for more {E} meals. Next week. I'll think about that next week. 

Menu Plan Monday 04.14.14

Got the plan made this afternoon before shopping. 

04.14 Monday

B- Crepes {S} ds had honey on his; dd and I had Greek yogurt and stevia {ours were better *wink*}

L- Leftover enchiladas from Sunday {CO} I had oatmeal with blueberries and cottage cheese {E}

D- Cheeseburger Pie {S} It's in the book under Evening Meals. I changed it some by cutting the recipe in 1/2, and subbing 1/2 of the called for mayonnaise with Greek yogurt. Served with salad for dh and I; corn on the side for the kids.

04.15 Tuesday

B- Light White Blueberry Muffins {S} In the book under "Muffins, Breads, and Pizza Crusts"

L- Lettuce wraps with either turkey or ham, cheese, mayo, mustard {S/FP/E} I might make some Trim Healthy Pan Bread for {E} sandwiches if they want something "more" to their sandwich.

D- Taco Salad {S} the kids and hubby will most likely have corn tortilla chips and cheese with theirs; I just have the salad, meat and Greek yogurt pretending to be sour cream. I might have a couple chips...

My lunch; kids opted for lettuce wraps. 
It was super yummy! I had two of those by the way.

04.16 Wednesday

B- Cereal {kids}/Oatmeal with berries and cottage cheese {E}

L- Quesadillas {S} or {CO} for ds with a regular tortilla

D- All Day Lentil Soup {E} I might make biscuits for the family, which would make this a {CO} for them...will see

04.17 Thursday

B- Super Grains cereal OR Oatmeal with berries and cottage cheese {E}

L- Bean and cheese burritos {CO} I eat just the filling without cheese which usually makes it {E}

D- Italian Style chicken (crockpot) {S} In the book under Evening Meals, Clever Crockpot Meals

04.18 Friday

B- Cereal {kids}/Eggs {S}

L- Salad with meat and cheese {S}

Tea-time: Fox is going to make fudgy brownies- definitely not on-plan! Perhaps some Friday I'll make the Special Agent Brownie Cake.

D- Pizza {CO}

04.19 Saturday

B- Cereal {kids}/Eggs {S}

L- Meat sandwiches {CO} I will make mine with the Trim Healthy Pan Bread for {E} since I don't put on the cheese and can go without mayo every so often.

D- Chicken Alfredo (crockpot) with veggies {E} another "in the book" choice, under Evening Meals, Clever Crockpot Meals

Dessert: Ice Cream! in the book- Tummy Tucking Ice Cream {E/FP}

04.20 Sunday

B- Eggs {S}

Brunch at church- Pastries, bagels, fruit (I can only hope), juice, coffee, etc.

D- Leftovers (there better be some!)

That's the menu for this week. I made sure we had some different things to try. Thankfully we are blessed with plenty of chicken in the freezer; many dinners with chicken. 

We have been trying to curtail our 'junk' eating during the week. The weekend is for that now- but not too much! I'm trying to be flexible with some THM desserts, some off-plan desserts. 

Today I made tea with THM Sweet Blend instead of sugar. It's good...but it'll take some of the family some getting used to *wink* Only 2 TBS and it tastes like sweet tea! 

Menu Plan Monday 04.07.14

Another week with a menu. I had one almost done {uh, not really; there were many meals missing} but Lee set me straight: "What's with all these crossovers!?" Yeah, I had to redo it. She's happier now {*wink*}

04.07 Monday 

B- Coffee cake {made by Fox; um yeah, totally "off plan"}

L- Grocery-shopping-get-fast-food {eh hee hee...we had Subway}

D- Hamburgers, minus the bun, with salad {S}

04.08 Tuesday

B- Super Grains hot cereal {E} I'll have coffee, black with stevia- oh! now that THM is carrying their own, I can actually drink my coffee without 'cream' of any kind *smile*

L- Lettuce wraps with turkey or ham, cheese, mayo, mustard, maybe some tomato {E without the cheese; S with}

D- Fried fish with creamy veggies and cheese rolls {S} all from THM; I'd love to give you page numbers but I have the Kindle version

04.09 Wednesday 

B- Eggs {S} with bulletproof coffee! I've been trying to cut down...

L- Taco salad {CO} 

D- Mac and cheese {CO} I might attempt the Macafoni and Cheese in THM but ...they really like my homemade mac and cheese; it might not be safe to switch it; for me...? not sure what I'll have.

04.10 Thursday

B- Waffles {off plan} Fox is making these and he insists they be 'regular'

L- Quesadillas {S} I'm "planning" on making low-carb tortillas for these but I don't know that either of the kids have ever had one. 

D- Crockpot spaghetti sauce chicken {E} maybe with brown rice on the side?

04.11 Friday

B- THM Pancakes {E}

L- Tea-time: assorted fruit, cottage cheese and tea {E}

D- Homemade pizza! {CO/off plan} I think I might just have one too. It's been a long while since I have. 

04.12 Saturday

B- Cereal {CO}/ Eggs {S}/ Muffin-in-a-mug {S}

L- Tuna tortillas {CO/off plan} haven't decided what I'll have.

D- BBQ {S}/ Chicken soup {S} weather dependent and both of those could end up being E depending on what kind of meat we use...
And we're going to have dessert after dinner. It will be the Basic Cheesecake or Tummy Tucking Ice Cream {both from THM}. I got the idea from a family at church that only has sweets on the weekends. 

04.13 Sunday 

B- Eggs {S}

L- Salad with meat and cheese {S}

D- Enchiladas {CO/off plan} I am not having these; oatmeal for me. Yum.

Snacks are the same as usual. 

I am definitely trying to make out menus more diverse. It used to be we had fish, burritos, spaghetti and pizza once a week. So that's 4 dinners always the same every week! Yikes! No wonder hubby vetoed spaghetti... and he's not big on fish either {unless it's tuna tortillas- yum}. And perhaps adding a tradition of a dessert on Saturdays to go with our already established tradition of homemade pizza on Fridays.

Menu Plan Monday 03.31.14

It's so good to have a plan. When we have a menu, then grocery shopping is so much easier as well. 

Here's the plan for the week:
03.31- Monday
Breakfast: Cereal (CO), Eggs (S), or Oatmeal with real fruit jam (kumquat) and 1% cottage cheese (E) {something for everyone- this meal really wasn't 'planned' but this is how it turned out. Fox had cereal; Lee had eggs; I had oatmeal.}
Lunch: Tacos with pico de gallo (CO) {I went without tortilla for an S, with a dollop of 0% Greek yogurt- yum!}
Dinner: Lemon Dijon Garlic Pepper Tilapia with "Fancy" Green Beans (E), a slice of bread and butter on the side for hubby and Fox (CO)

04.01- Tuesday
Breakfast: Oatmeal (E) {the kids might not have it like I do, with fruit and cottage cheese- their loss}
Lunch: Salad with meat and cheese (S) {I skip the cheese for an E}
Dinner: Tuna tortillas (CO) {I don't eat this at all because of the cheese we put in the mix and the tortillas; instead I will have ...?}

04.02- Wednesday
Breakfast: Eggs (S)
Lunch: Grilled cheese with Light Tomato Soup (CO) -chapter 20 THM {for me instead of the grilled cheese sandwich, it will be 1/2 a piece of rye toast with Greek yogurt in place of butter (E)}
Dinner: Salad of some kind... this is prone to change since they didn't have any salad when I went shopping today

04.03- Thursday
Breakfast: Cereal (CO) {for me it'll be oatmeal (E) or eggs (S); depends how I feel that morning}
Lunch: Sammies (eggplant, meat and Swiss cheese sandwiches) (S)- chapter 20 THM {Fox doesn't like eggplant so he'll have a meat and cheese sandwich on wheat bread (CO)}
Dinner: Fake Hot Wings {this is the Boneless Wings in THM- chapter 21} with ...? The kids want biscuits which I find to be an odd combination. Usually we have veggies on the side. {It will probably end up a CO meal}

04.04- Friday
Breakfast: Egg and sausage "muffins" (S)
Lunch: Loaded Fotato Soup (E) -chapter 20 THM {FP for me, no cheese wedge and added Greek yogurt}
Dinner: Pepperoni and olive pizza! Homemade every Friday. (CO) {I usually eat oatmeal (E)...I know so boring; good thing I love oatmeal!}

04.05- Saturday
Breakfast: Cereal (CO) for the kids; eggs (S) for dh {eggs (S) or oatmeal (E) for me}
Lunch: Salad of some sort...again this might change.
Dinner: Something from the freezer...undecided

04.06- Sunday
Breakfast: Same as Saturday
Lunch: Chicken wraps (CO) {I will have an "egg" sandwich (S) using 2 slices of Coconut Flour Flatbread and mayo. I use almond milk, and yes, I use the Parmesan cheese.}
Dinner: Porkloin, mesquite bbq flavor with mashed potatoes (CO) {I'm going to make some Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes -chapter 22 THM- for myself and whoever wants to try it for an S}

Snacks can be {All the cheesy ones are for the kids, not me.}: 
raisins/string cheese
yogurt/raisins
yogurt/coconut
apple/peanut butter
apple/yogurt
wasa crackers/string cheese
wasa crackers/cheese wedge
apple/string cheese
cottage cheese/fruit
yogurt/almonds
yogurt/peanut butter

So that's the week's menu. Sometimes we switch the meals around if we aren't feeling like what's set for the day. Ah, yes and always there is water, water, water, and tea :)

Note:
S= Satisfying
E= Energizing
CO= Crossover
Find out more about THM by visiting the website.

THM, Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free, That's Me!

Back in March (?- nope it was June; I made the commitment in March though I didn't tell many people) I posted about going gluten-free, and dairy-free. I posted a few bits on making my own coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk and perhaps a few other non-dairy milks. The first link shows how I made dairy-free cream cheese with nuts. 

Around the same time a friend, Jeanine, started bragging {oh, yes, down-right bragging- okay fine, it wasn't that bad- I was just jealous} on Facebook about how she was eating desserts all the time and feeling great. And losing weight. At the time, I didn't really care if I lost much weight; I was comfortable. But I couldn't stand having headaches and other issues that I now know were related to the "semi-healthy" food I was eating. 

Enter Trim Healthy Mama. Go ahead, laugh at the title. For those who judge the book by its cover {or in this case, title}, we get the last laugh. But it's really not funny. This book has such awesome information that really would help so many people. Here are some links to help you see the awesomeness of this book: Gwen's Nest {my second 'exposure' to THM- seriously, just follow her whole blog- read it}, Pinterest THM {need a visual to see -haha! literally- how good THM is? this is the place} and of course, the THM Facebook group {so much good stuff, it just goes so excruciatingly fast!}.

THM on Pinterest

Now, I'm sure there are many diets out that many will say 'work great' but the thing is, most of them you can't commit to for life. It's a temporary diet. Diet. .. D. i. e. t... Oh, perhaps that's what is wrong with this whole thing. People are often worried to try a new 'diet'. Well, my friends, every single time you try something new -even a new 'once on the lips, forever on the hips' yummy dessert- that's a diet. A diet is simply the way you eat. You are always on a diet. It's tough but that word needs to have its meaning given back! It's not a dirty word!

Anyway, I think I'm getting carried away. 

I tried to go back to eating some gluten and dairy this past month. I even told Jeanine {who knows I am a weenie and don't eat gluten and dairy *wink*} that I think it was starting to be 'okay' to eat those things again. Well, I was wrong. I've had headaches, puffy face {no one can tell but me- it's more of a feeling that a visual thing} and the horrid stomach issues that I'd had before. Interestingly, since doing THM since mid-April, the 25# I've lost have stayed gone. 

So I'm going back to going gluten-free and mostly dairy-free. I can eat cottage cheese {thankfully!}. This weekend I made coconut milk and yesterday I made more almond milk. This next month I'll have to make sure I stock up on my 'special' foods again. One thing that THM has been so good at for me is helping get rid of the carb cravings -gluten and sugar.