Menu Plan Monday

It's the last week in October!  That means planning for Halloween happens along with menu planning.  I have my teal pumpkin ready to put out, and a bowl of non-food treats to share for those little tricksters that prefer them.  There will be candy too of course!  We can't leave anyone's favorite tradition out.  (For more about why I have a teal pumpkin check here.)

Let's get this plan rolling!

Monday (pork)
Breakfast: sweet potato muffins
Lunch: sunbutter and jelly sandwich
Dinner: italian sausage with onion and peppers, green beans

Tuesday (vegan)
Breakfast: quinoa apple bake (doesn't that sound healthier than apple crisp?), pork sausage
Lunch: ham wraps
Dinner: lentil sniffle soup, herbed whole wheat zucchini bread

Wednesday (turkey)
Breakfast: honey parsnip muffins, green smoothie
Lunch: sniffle soup
Dinner: turkey pot pie

Thursday (beef)
Breakfast: turkey sausage, sautéed veggies
Lunch: turkey dogs
Dinner: burgers on buns, roasted sweet potatoes

Friday (fish)
Breakfast: black bean sweet potato hash
Lunch: burgers
Dinner: fish tacos, garlicky spinach

Saturday (pork)
Breakfast: on your own
Lunch: taco pasta salad
Dinner: bacon pizza

Sunday (vegan)
Breakfast: bacon pancakes
Lunch: TBD
Dinner: Bharta, quinoa, peas


Of course, I will fill in the holes with market specials this week.  I may adjust veggies listed to use the sale items as well.  Most recipes that I have linked to are the originals, and do not reflect my tweaks for our personal dietary preferences and restrictions.

I hope your trick or treat goes boo-tifally!

Bridging the Gap

A pediatric allergist I know recently attended the Food Allergy Bloggers Conference (FABlogcon) and one of his take aways is that the medical community has a lot that they can learn from the allergy community, this is not just a one way street.

I love that.

I agree so wholeheartedly that the medical field has an invaluable pool of knowledge about how to manage allergies, but I love hearing that perhaps the knowledge could flow two ways.  I think that as a community we spend many hours educating ourselves on how to keep our allergic children, family members, and our selves safe.  We know the practical applications of living with allergy that can elude those who don't live with it.

And?  Sometimes, for those of us on the public side of allergy, who chose to be advocates and educators, we have more well rounded knowledge.  We read studies as they are published, we read journal articles, we stay abreast of emerging knowledge in the allergy field.  The medical community is often abreast of this part of the knowledge.  We also know what new products are being launched, where the allergy friendly bakeries are, how to substitute recipe ingredients, and the latest word on 504 accommodations, and how to survive the holidays.  Keeping our family alive and healthy is very much our field, so we learn a lot about the whole picture, the practical application and the theory.

I would love to see a stronger community form. I would love to see allergists that are more involved in the local conversations.  I know that personally I have not had great success getting past the gatekeepers (the secretaries and office managers) to get to the doctors and invite them to be a greater part of the conversation.  We invite every allergist every year to be part of our Walk for Food Allergy, so that they can join the community and not only be seen, but SEE.  What it looks like to come together as a community and be surrounded by people who understand.  How it feels to find that support and grow connections.  The community turns out and revels in finding a whole population of locals who "get it".

The medical community is missing out on being part of this conversation, part of this community.  We can support each other in so many ways, and the conversation is just beginning.

How do you include the medical professionals in your community in the conversation?

Meal Plan Monday

OhMyGoodness!  This is the first week in I can't remember when that I'm not insanely busy.  I'm very much looking forward to spending a bit of extra time on meals, catching up with cleaning, and maybe even a few deep breaths!

Monday (beef)
Breakfast: corn muffins and tea
Lunch: sunbutter and apples
Dinner: beef stir fry (I didn't get to make it last night!)

Tuesday (fish)
Breakfast: cranberry orange muffins
Lunch: beef dogs
Dinner: almost tuna noodle casserole

Wednesday (pork)
Breakfast: breakfast blondies with blueberry sauce
Lunch: sunbutter and jelly
Dinner: ham and bean soup, herbed zuchinni bread, salad

Thursday (vegan)
Breakfast: cinnamon roasted butternut squash, pork sausage
Lunch: ham wraps
Dinner: veggie burgers with the works, sweet potato oven fries, raspberry applesauce

Friday (turkey)
Breakfast: pumpkin pie
Lunch: hummus, veggies, crackers
Dinner: Irish cottage pie

Saturday (beef)
Breakfast: turkey sausage, sauteed veggies
Lunch: turkey meatballs
Dinner: steak, cauliflower rice, peas, stovetop apples

Sunday (fish)
Breakfast: breakfast casserole
Lunch: burgers
Dinner: honey sesame salmon (kiddo passed her sesame challenge two weeks ago!!), wilted garlic spinach, roasted rainbow carrots, pasta

That's the plan.  Understanding that adjustments may be made depending on what is available (and on special) at the market tomorrow, and allowing for substitutions when the day gets unexpectedly busy.


Note: This post contains affiliate links.  If I did it right. Because it seemed worth trying. ;)

Menu Plan Monday

I am so ready for November.  October is so packed full of craziness and activity for me AND my family.  There has hardly been time to breathe!  Here is my plan for the week, hopefully it'll help maintain my sanity around mealtimes...

Monday (turkey)
Breakfast: cinnamon muffins
Lunch: apples and sunbutter
Dinner: chipotle shepherds pie with sweet potato crust

Tuesday (beef)
Breakfast: turkey sausage, biscuits, raspberries
Lunch: leftover shepherd's pie
Dinner: pot roast, peas, quinoa

Wednesday (fish)
Breakfast: quinoa apple bake
Lunch: pot roast
Dinner: crispy baked lemon cod, roasted beets, green beans with shallots

Thursday (pork)
Breakfast: cream of buckwheat
Lunch: sunbutter and jelly
Dinner: ribs, spiced peaches, broccoli, herb roasted potatoes

Friday (vegan)
Breakfast: bacon cheddar muffins
Lunch: ham wraps
Dinner: spaghetti, peas

Saturday (turkey)
Breakfast: waffle bar
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: enchiladas, applesauce

Sunday (beef)
Breakfast: cinnamon rolls, turkey sausage
Lunch: turkey wraps
Dinner: stir fry over quinoa