Menu Plan Monday

It's been a rough day, and the last thing I wanted to do was meal plan.  I know though, that putting my head down and plowing through it will make grocery shopping tomorrow more effective, and make the rest of my week easier.  So.  Here it is, simple but complete.

Monday
Breakfast: pork sausage and veggie saute
Lunch: sunbutter and apples
Dinner: italian sausage with peppers and onions, broccoli, berries

Tuesday
Breakfast: bacon, veggie saute
Lunch: brats
Dinner: lentil dahl, quinoa pasta, peas

Wednesday
Breakfast: pineapple muffins and green smoothie
Lunch: sunbutter and jelly sandwiches
Dinner: turkey sloppy joe, green beans, fries, pear slices

Thursday
Breakfast: turkey sausage, veggie saute
Lunch: sloppy joe
Dinner: chipotle shepherd's pie

Friday
Breakfast: raspberry muffins, orange smoothie
Lunch: beef dogs OR leftover shepherd's pie
Dinner: costa rican tilapia, honey glazed carrots, melon

Saturday
Breakfast: pancakes
Lunch: fish sticks
Dinner: City Barbecue

Sunday
Breakfast: bacon cheddar muffins
Lunch: ham roll ups
Dinner: individual veggie pot pies

Vegan Two Bean Chili

Cool weather seems to beg for a hearty warming soup, stew or chili.  When my daughter developed a tomato allergy I was uncertain how to adapt a chili recipe to accommodate this new unforseen challenge.  But adapt I did.

I'm happy to share our go-to chili recipe.  Feel free to add the meat of your choice to make it heartier, or keep it vegan for meatless Monday!

Vegan Two Bean Chili

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c onion, chopped
1/2 c green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
10 baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1 c frozen corn kernels
1 16 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 16 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
vegetable broth to cover
1 jar stage 2 babyfood carrots
1/4 c pumpkin puree (or another jar of carrots)
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 c baby spinach, sliced or torn

Heat olive oil in 5 qt soup pan.  Add onion and garlic and saute 3 minutes.  Add green pepper, red pepper, and mushrooms and saute 5-7 minutes.  Add frozen corn and heat through.  Add remaining ingredients, except spinach, and simmer 30-45 minutes uncovered or until desired thickness.  (Alternately, you can take out 1/2-1 cup of chili and puree in blender then add back in to thicken.)  Remove from heat and add torn spinach and stir in to wilt.  Serve.

This is a mild but flavorful chili that my children enjoy.  Feel free to spice it up to suit the tastes at your house!

This recipe is tomato free, vegan, dairy free, egg free, gluten free, nut free, and delicious.

Tuna Noodle Casserole, Sorta

I posted a link to tuna casserole on my menu plan this week, as I planned on making it.  As is typical for me, I alter many recipes to the point of barely recognizable.  Seldom do I share the voodoo that I do to make these recipes fit the dietary restrictions of my household.  (And I do occasionally modify to fit the demanding taste buds that my children bring to the table.)  This particular recipe is full of dairy, egg, and gluten- which are all off limits here.  I got the inspiration to replace the cheese with my favorite un-cheese sauce recipe...and dinner was born.

After dinner was well received I thought I should write down my modifications so that I can make it *just that way* again.  And then I realized I should share with you as well...


Almost Tuna Noodle Casserole

1/3 c Earth Balance Soy Free Margarine
1 8oz box Ancient Harvest Quinoa rotelle
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
8 crimini mushrooms, stems removed, diced (you can use more if YOUR kids don't hate mushrooms)
1/4 c sprouted millet flour
1 c vegetable broth
1 c sunflower milk, or non-dairy milk of choice
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp Herbamare or sea salt
1/2 tsp dijon or spicy brown mustard (just a little squirt)
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp paprika
pepper to taste
8 ounces uncooked flounder fillets, diced (or fish of your  choice)
1 c frozen peas or mixed vegetables

Preheat oven to 375.

Start the pasta.  You know how to do that part.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt margarine.  Add onion, celery and garlic and cook about 5 minutes, until tender.  Add mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes.  (If pan becomes dry, add more margarine.  I added an extra 2 Tbsp at this point, you want it to be juicy in there!)

Sprinkle millet flour over the mixture and stir in.  Cook 30 seconds to a minute to cook the raw flour taste out of it.  The mixture will become thick and paste-like.  Slowly stir in the vegetable broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any stuck bits.  Add the non-dairy milk and stir to incorporate.  Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to low.  It will thicken as it cooks.  Stir in the nutritional yeast, Herbamare, mustard, vinegar, paprika and pepper.  Continue to stir and simmer about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Taste test and adjust seasonings now.

Stir in frozen peas and turn off heat.  Stir in the diced flounder.  Add cooked and drained pasta and stir to combine.

Transfer mixture to an 8x8 baking pan, and bake 25-30 minutes, until top is slightly browned.

Carefully prepared this dish is soy free, dairy free, peanut free, tree nut free, gluten free, egg free, and delicious.

And if your family can have it- let me now how it tastes with tuna!

Menu Plan Monday

It's Monday again.  It's amazing how much more quickly they fly at me once school starts!  And how much more important it is to be organized and have a plan.  I dread last minute trips to the market after school, when the kids are in tow and everyone else has stopped in on the way home... it just makes the evening feel more chaotic than it needs to be.

So.  Here's my plan for the week, so that shopping tomorrow can be productive and one off trips can be reduced.

Monday
Breakfast: bean and veggie saute
Lunch: turkey burgers
Dinner: slow cooker taco soup with corn chips, salad, diced mango

Tuesday
Breakfast: sauteed veggies and diced steak
Lunch: taco soup OR beef dogs
Dinner: tuna noodle casserole, mandarin oranges

Wednesday
Breakfast: sunbutter coffee cake and green smoothie
Lunch: sunbutter and jelly
Dinner: pork basil sliders on mini buns, roasted brussels sprouts, spiced peaches

Thursday
Breakfast: pork sausage and sauteed veggies
Lunch: pork basil sliders
Dinner: 2 bean chili, cornbread stix, mixed berries

Friday
Breakfast: gf waffles with berry reduction
Lunch: chili, grilled cheese
Dinner: roasted turkey breast, roasted sweet potatoes, broccoli

Saturday
Breakfast: apple quinoa crisp
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: pepper steak over baked potatoes, peas, applesauce

Sunday
Breakfast: GF poptarts
Lunch: hamburgers
Dinner: fish tacos, coleslaw

Please remember that I link to the original recipe whenever possible, but I do modify almost all of them to meet the dietary restrictions of my family.  Feel free to modify along with me!

Enjoy your week!

Gluten Free Vegan Blueberry Muffins

I know that blueberries aren't in season.  I'm pushing hard to cook more in season, with fresh local and organic ingredients when possible. But I'm not perfect yet.

These blueberry muffins rely on frozen blueberries, because winter is long in Ohio, with not much variety on the fruit front.  With the arrival of fall, which I adore, I am painfully aware that winter will be creeping in soon.  So pulling out some frozen organic blueberries can help us say goodbye to the bounty of summer, or add some sanity to a cold winter morning with a reminder of warm days to come.

Blueberry Muffins

1/4 c Earth Balance soy free margarine or Spectrum shortening.
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce (an individual cup of applesauce is perfect for this!)
1/2 c turbinado sugar or sucanat
1/2 c unsweetened hemp milk, or non-dairy milk of choice
1 tsp bourbon vanilla
1 c gluten free all-purpose flour
1/2 c sprouted millet or sprouted buckwheat flour (milder in flavor than regular buckwheat flour)
1/4 c superfine sorghum flour
1/4 c quinoa flakes
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp xanthan gum or guar gum
2 c fresh or frozen blueberries (give or take)

Cream margarine and applesauce in a large bowl.  Add sugar and mix well.  Add milk and vanilla and mix.  In small bowl whisk together dry ingredients.  Add to wet ingredients and stir until combined.  Fold in blueberries (Yes!  Still frozen.)  Spoon into lined or greased muffin tins and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Carefully prepared this recipe is gluten free, soy free, dairy free, egg free, vegan, nut free, rice free, and delicious.

(This recipe is adapted from one I wrote down many years ago without citing the source, so I apologize to whomever inspired me and did not get proper credit for it!)

Menu Plan Monday

This week, due to equal parts schedule craziness and poor advance planning on my part, I won't have time to grocery shop until the week is almost over!  So this week's menu relies on pantry staples and things that I have stockpiled in the freezer. (Remember that all links are to the original recipe, I make changes to each to suit the dietary restrictions in our home.)

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball, having a well stocked pantry and freezer helps out a lot!

Monday
Breakfast: bean and veggie saute
Lunch: apples and sunbutter
Dinner: turkey sloppy joe, french fries, corn on the cob

Tuesday
Breakfast: blueberry muffins, green smoothie
Lunch: turkey sloppy joe
Dinner: beef stew, quinoa pasta, peas

Wednesday
Breakfast: veggie bites, orange smoothie
Lunch: beef dogs
Dinner: crispy baked lemon cod, raspberry applesauce, roasted cauliflower

Thursday
Breakfast: pumpkin donuts, green smoothie
Lunch: sunbutter and jelly
Dinner: pumpkin faux parma rosa with crumbled Italian sausage over spaghetti squash

Friday
Breakfast: pork sausage and hash brown waffles
Lunch: pepperoni and cheese cracker lunchables
Dinner: potato leek soup, cornbread

Saturday
Breakfast: cranberry orange muffins, vanilla steamers
Lunch: sniffle lentil soup
Dinner: turkey meatballs with quinoa pasta and marinara sauce

Sunday
Breakfast: turkey apple sausage, veggie saute
Lunch: meatballs
Dinner: steak, roasted veggies, spiced peaches OR Red Robin

Enjoy your week!

Adult in Training: Why Allergic Kids Need You

I recently had a review meeting for my daughter's 504 plan.  It was just an informal review with her team of fifth grade teachers to make sure we are all starting the year on the same page, and that no updates need to be made at this time.  I love that the principal of her building suggested it!  (My preference is always to meet with teachers before the year starts to review this, but that was not in the cards this year, for many reasons.)

It was, quite truthfully, a great meeting.  The team of teachers we have this year is receptive and open to communicating with me.  Most everyone had a friendly and positive attitude.

The exception was the school nurse.  I'm sure that she is a lovely lady, but she carries an air of hostility with her into these meetings.  I can't tell if she is feeling defensive or is she is combative for an unknown reason, but her attitude is not one of receptiveness.  Maybe my manner of advocacy makes her feel as if her authority or wisdom are under question.  (They are not.)

Something the nurse said at the end of the meeting really struck a chord in me.  I think it resonates so profoundly because we allergy mamas hear a similar message all the time from combative non-allergy parents that are reluctant to accommodate our children.  I can't capture it verbatim, but the gist was:

"I think that everyone here needs to understand that she (my daughter) has this.  You told me last year that we need to listen to her, and she really does know what she needs."

The implication for me was that we should all calm down and be less, less worried, and not so overprotective.  Why?  Because my fifth grader is capable of managing this allergy on her own.

That may not be the way it was intended, but that is what I heard.  Likely because of the number of times I've heard grumbles from other moms.  The ones that say "Doesn't she know not to eat those things?"  "Why do we have to give up our treats because of one child, she can just avoid it, right?"

What I want to tell the world is: Yes. My 10 year old does have a remarkable grasp on what she can and can not eat.  Her incredible grasp on this is what allows me to leave her in a hostile environment so often.  It allows me to drop her off for extracurricular activities with minimally trained staff.  It allows her to play at a friend's house.  I am actively helping her learn how to be aware, and how to advocate for herself.  I know she has wisdom beyond her years, and responsibility beyond measure.  It happens when you need to be constantly vigilant about your surroundings in order to stay safe, and alive.  If your child had to constantly scan his/her environment for threats the same maturity would develop.

The reason I need the adults in the room to be on the same page is this: she is an adult in training.  She is not an adult.  As a child, she is prone to lapses in judgement, doubts, and questions.  (Heavens!  As an adult I *still* have lapses in judgement.)  Her judgement is still being honed, it is imperfect and based on her child's perspective.

Because of this I need to know that the adults surrounding her have her back in case she does suffer from a moment of poor decision making, or makes an under-informed decision.  I need to know they can guide her when she has questions and uncertainties.  Most of all, I need to know that her safety net is in place and they can take the appropriate (educated) actions.

So, yes. I know that my child has this.  The same way you know that your child has a handle on her own life challenges, like crossing the street, not falling off the jungle gym, and doing her homework on time.  I still take care to make sure her environment is filled with safe adults, the same way you do.

When you send your child out into the world, you have brief moments of stress about whether they will got lost on their way to the bathroom on the first day of school, if they will have friends to play with at recess, or to sit with at lunch, if they will cross the street carefully on the way home.  What they would do if a stranger approached them.

I worry about my child eating something she thinks is safe, or touching residue of unsafe food on the table and reacting because her eczema is open... everywhere.  I worry about my child's life.  The same way you do.  But my fear involves food, present everyday in many ways.  She can't avoid it.  She is careful.

Just like crossing the street, she knows how to manage this.  But if it were that easy we would never see a news story about a child getting hit by a car, or any person for that matter.  Lapses in judgement happen, both on her end on the end of the adults in charge.  The more people that know how to provide for her safety the higher her chances of staying safe.

I know she has this.  As the adults in the room I have to know you have her back.

Orange Ginger Green Smoothie

I admit, while I know what constitutes a healthy and balanced meal, I don't always take the time to execute on that.  Enter the green smoothie.  It's my way of throwing a little extra nutrition into a meal, trying to add a little healthy balance.

Typically our green smoothies are random, based on what is in the fridge.  The kids refer to them as 'kitchen sink smoothies', meaning Mom will put in anything except the kitchen sink!

Today was particularly yummy, so I thought I would share.  To give you inspiration to create your own.

Orange Ginger Green Smoothie

1-2 c Deep Green Power Blend (baby kale, chard, and spinach)
1 c Good Karma vanilla flax milk+protein (or non-dairy milk of choice)
2 small oranges, peeled and seeds removed
1/2 c frozen pineapple
4 frozen peach slices
1/2 inch peeled ginger

Place oranges in blender.  Top with greens, frozen fruit, ginger, and milk.  Blend on high until desired consistency is reached.  Enjoy while still cold for best flavor and texture.

(All amounts are estimates of what I actually used, feel free to alter these to suit your tastes.)

Carefully made this recipe is nut-free, dairy free, soy free, gluten free, sugar free, and delicious.


What are your favorite ways to round out the nutrition in fast meals?  What is your favorite smoothie combination?  Let me know!

A 504 Speedbump

The first day of school started with a small- but incredibly aggravating- bump for me.  My kiddo was pretty well unaware of it, which I like.  Less stress for her.

I discovered on the first day, upon dropping my kiddo off, that her teachers had not yet been epi-pen trained.  As it is spelled out in her 504 that each of her teachers needs to be epi trained, I was more than a little aggravated.  A 504 violation on the first day of school does not make a mama feel warm and fuzzy.

My first step was to pull her homeroom teacher into the hallway and give a down and dirty 45 second training on how and when to use the epi-pen.  The second step was to high-tail it to the principal's office and share my concern.

I adore that the principal in her building made time to listen to me on the first day of school.  I was a teacher.  I understand how chaotic and bumpy the first day can be.  (I did make it a point to make sure I took less than 3 minutes, AND to let her know I appreciate her making time for me.)  She not only listened, she heard me!  She apologized for the situation and advised she would solve the problem.

I sent a follow up email recapping the situation and again thanking her for taking the time to listen.  By the end of the day I received a response that contained her assurance that the situation had been resolved.  She also encouraged a review of our 504 to be sure that we were all on the same page with the new teaching team, and that no updates needed to be made.  I love it.

Any story with a happy ending is a good one in my book.  I love that my daughter didn't have to know that her teachers were not trained, so her stress level on the first day was not impacted.  (Who needs extra stress on the first day of school?!)  If my daughter had been younger and less able to advocate for herself, or more prone to risk taking behaviors or frequent reactions, I would not have left her there without training EACH of her teachers.  But my kiddo is a big girl now, and has a great track record for making mature decisions.  So. It allowed for a happy ending.

I'm also pretty proud of myself.  I hate confrontation, of any sort.  I hate to make waves.  Being an allergy mama has taken me out of my comfort zone many times, requiring me to confront unsafe situations and make small waves when needed.  I was polite, but firm.  I am getting better about speaking up promptly and with directness.  It is still not comfortable, but I'm getting better at it.

Allergy parents: how did your first week of school go?  Any shining moments to share?  Any speed bumps?  Let me know!

Menu Plan Monday

Time to sit down and rough out the plan for this week!  I know it makes grocery shopping so much easier and more efficient when I have a plan to shop from, and it makes cooking all week much less stressful when I don't have to come up with a meal while I'm hungry.  Or stressed.  Or in a hurry.

As always, we rotate proteins on a four day rotation to avoid my oldest developing further meat allergies.  I do my best to rotate veggies and fruits too, but I don't get as stressed about those.  Any gaps in the meal plan will be filled in with whatever is on special at the market, or leftovers.

Lunches are always listed as protein only, and the children get to chose a fruit and a vegetable to complete the meal.  That way they have control over what they eat, and they are more likely to eat it!

Here we go:

Monday
Breakfast: steak and veggie saute
Lunch: beef dogs
Dinner: cider pulled pork roast, fried cabbage, honey glazed carrots

Tuesday
Breakfast: bacon, honey corn muffins
Lunch: pulled pork OR brats
Dinner: dal palak, quinoa pasta, peas

Wednesday
Breakfast: pumpkin muffins, green smoothie
Lunch: sunbutter and jelly
Dinner: turkey meatballs, green beans, sweet potato skillet

Thursday
Breakfast: turkey sausage and biscuit breakfast sandwiches, green smoothies, bananas
Lunch: meatballs
Dinner: salmon, roasted brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes

Friday
Breakfast: sweet potato saute OR gf bagels and green smoothie
Lunch: salmon salad
Dinner: chili casserole, broccoli

Saturday
Breakfast: waffles with spiced peach syrup
Lunch: beef burgers
Dinner: grilled pork chops, roasted veggies, grilled pineapple

Sunday
Breakfast: bacon cheddar muffins
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Z Pizza

Enjoy your week!  Eat well.

Weaning a dairy allergic infant: How to pick a non-dairy milk

One of the things I hear many allergy parents struggle with is how to wean their dairy allergic infant to a non-dairy milk.  Weaning is a large undertaking for any mom, but it becomes more complicated when the traditional dairy milk is not an option.

Will my child like non-dairy milk?  Is the nutrition the same?  Are there any long term health implications for not getting dairy milk?  Are there any long term health implications from using one of the replacements?  How do I decide which milk to give my infant?  How do I serve it?  Why isn't this in the owner's manual? And exactly where is that owner's manual anyway?!?

Relax mama.  You can do this.  First, talk to your allergist and find out if there are any non-dairy milks you should avoid.  It is likely they will advise you to avoid nut milks for now, but make sure to have this conversation.  Don't assume.

Next, talk to your pediatrician.  Ask what they know about the nutrition of non-dairy milks on the market.  It is likely that their knowledge is not adequate to provide solid guidance.  They may refer you to a dietician for further discussion.  BEFORE you meet with ANY dietician, please call ahead and find out if they have experience dealing with food allergies.  I have met many dieticians who are woefully uneducated about food allergies, and the advice they gave was outdated and could even have been detrimental to my allergic kiddo.  (Not that I have a personal bias. Nope. Not me.)

Now that I've got the standard ask a real doctor talk out of the way I can share my own insight.  Granted, it is my opinion, based on knowledge I've gathered over the years and experience with food allergic kids.  My nutrition knowledge is vast, but my paperwork to back that up is limited. ;)

First: pretend you are weaning to dairy milk.  Think about what milk you would wean to and why.  Most moms wean to whole milk because developing brains and bodies need a bit more fat than other milks can offer.  When looking at replacements, chose one that has some naturally occurring fats.

I don't know a single mom that has weaned her child from breast milk to chocolate milk.  Not. One.  Whole milk is free of added sugar.  When looking at a replacement, please do not assume that your child will not like the flavor of non-dairy milk.  Babies have nothing to compare this new food to, so they will be more accepting of whatever you pick.  Look for a replacement that is free of added sweetener.  This can be in the form of cane sugar, evaporated cane juice, brown rice syrup, or any other sweetener.  If it has added sugar, put it back on the shelf!

Lastly, think about the nutrition inherently present in each choice.  Cow milk is not standardly enriched with a lot of extra vitamins, it has nutritional value built into it.  Don't chose a milk that is low in nutritional content naturally.  Keeping that in mind, some enhancement will be there.  Look for a milk that does have calcium, a bit of fat, and an bit of protein.  Not a ton, milk is not loaded with protein despite our current thoughts about it.  Just a bit.

Now you have the tools to make your own decision about what milk to chose.

My first preference is unsweetened coconut milk.  SoDelicious makes a fabulous one in the dairy case.  It is organic, which I love, and I trust their production practices to provide coconut milk free of cross contamination.  I do not have the same confidence in some of the other products on the market.  In addition, coconut milk is higher in healthy fats than many non-dairy milks, which is god for developing brains.  There is also some research that suggests that coconut milk may provide additional immune support, which is always a bonus!

Hemp milk would be the runner up.  It has a stronger flavor than coconut milk, but has a lot of inherent nutritional quality.  High in healthy omegas that are good for developing brains, trace amounts of protein and fat round out this choice.  Hemp is also a food with very low incidence of allergy, making it ideal for those with multiple allergies.

The only milk that I do not advocate for is rice milk.  Rice milk has a very mild flavor that many people adapt easily to, but it is low in nutrition in its natural state.  This means all the oomph in rice milk is from enhancement, and you can give your kiddo vitamins on your own!  In addition, rice is naturally high in arsenic, which our bodies can not process, meaning it builds up over time.  High amounts are bad, so I prefer not to start building the arsenic supply in infancy.

Some tips to encourage your kiddo to drink up:
- Serve any milk warm.  Breast milk is not chilled, so infants often adapt to warm milks more easily.
- If you must try a flavor, try unsweetened vanilla first to avoid added sugar
- You can use different milks to drink and to cook with, to alter the nutritional diversity in the diet
- Always cook with an unsweetened milk to avoid giving an off flavor to savory dishes

For a bit more insight on non-dairy milks and their nutrition, see here.  (Flax milk and sunflower milk are not included in this review, nor is cashew milk.)

Still struggling?  Have helpful advice or tips to share?  Let me know below!

Gluten free biscuits, FINALLY

I love biscuits. Tender, flaky, warm from the oven goodness.  Or I did. Before going gluten free.  Now the biscuits I make are typically dry and sandy.  The texture is, frankly, terrible.  I've read the tips, I've tried a multitude of flour combinations, of fat combinations, of prayers and voodoo effigies.  They just are. not. good.

Until now.  One evening my knowledge and my instincts came together in a beautiful display of camaraderie to allow me a blinding flash of inspiration.  And my first worthwhile gluten free biscuit was formed.

I'm not claiming the same flaky delicate perfection that my gluten filled days held.  This is not that.  But this is a glorious step in the right direction, with results that produce a biscuit that doesn't need butter. It is delicate and tender, with a crumb that is moist but still true to it's biscuit identity.

Try it out.  Let me know how you would improve it!

Gluten Free Biscuits

1 1/2 c Bob's Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (It is rice free, Authentic Foods also has a rice free one.)
1/2 c potato starch
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp Ener-G egg replacer
1/2 c Spectrum palm shortening (not butter flavored!)
3/4 c non-dairy milk of choice
1 tsp vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar)

Preheat oven to 450.  Combine milk and vinegar in a small bowl or cup and set aside.  Whisk together dry ingredients.  Cut in shortening with wire whisk.  Add milk mixture and stir with a wooden spoon.  Mixture will be wet, like a drop biscuit.  (If it is not, add a teaspoon of milk at a time until it is! This is important.)  Drop onto parchment lined baking sheet.  Using wet fingers, gently smooth or shape biscuit into the shape/size you prefer.  Bake 10-12 minutes.

Enjoy.  Butter optional.

Carefully prepared, this recipe is gluten free, nut free, rice free, soy free, dairy free, and egg free.

Menu Plan Monday

It's here again. Already.  And so here is the menu plan for the week.  Please remember that the proteins are rotated, and the fruits and veggies are served at every meal, but not always listed as I fill in the holes with whatever is available at the market when I shop on Tuesday.

Have a great week!

Monday
Breakfast: zucchini muffins, turkey sausage, grapes
Lunch: turkey dogs, baked beans, blueberry applesauce, mixed veg
Dinner: grilled salmon, roasted cauliflower, mixed berries

Tuesday
Breakfast: pumpkin muffins, green smoothie
Lunch: sunbutter and jelly sandwich
Dinner: spaghetti with meat sauce (beef), green beans

Wednesday
Breakfast: cream of buckwheat
Lunch: beef dogs
Dinner: grilled pork chops, spiced peaches, broccoli

Thursday
Breakfast: pork sausage, Harvest Saute (Alexia)
Lunch: ham roll ups
Dinner: 2 bean chili, corn muffins

Friday
Breakfast: apple pie quinoa casserole
Lunch: veggies and hummus, black bean and corn salad
Dinner: Turkey keilbasa OR turkey burgers, mashed potatoes, fried cabbage

Saturday
Breakfast: turkey sausage, baked sweet potatoes
Lunch: grilled turkey
Dinner: fish tacos

Sunday
Breakfast: sauted veggies with beans
Lunch: taco pasta salad
Dinner: chipolte shepherd's pie (beef)