Meal Plan First Half of December

Thanksgiving week was filled with many shared meals with dear family members visiting from afar.  All to say, many of the meals I planned to make last week did not happen, so you will see some of them again this plan. 

Breakfast 

Baked Oatmeal - Elder family recipe
(3 breakfasts first week/ 3 breakfasts second week)

Ingredients: 2 c oats
1 c walnuts, crumbled
1/3 c maple syrup
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c milk (I use coconut milk)
1 egg
3 TBSP butter, softened (or melted and cooled)
2 tsp. vanilla
berries to your heart's content! (I used about 2 cups total of blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries)

To do: 
Combine all of the above ingredients into a buttered 9x9 pan, and bake away!
We usually top off the baked oatmeal with a little bit of milk or whipping cream to add some moisture back in. Delicious!
Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes.

Pepper, fried egg, and bacon - Natalie Elder

(3 breakfasts first week/ 3 breakfasts second week)- my sista's idea
Cook a pepper in the oven on 350 for about 15-20 min, 

cook a couple eggs per person and place in cooked pepper and top with a strip of bacon! 

Add cheese if you like.  9 ww points for whole serving

Steel Cut Oats with blueberries and almonds- (1 breakfast first week/ 1 breakfast second week) follow instructions on container

Lunch

That Good Salad (1st week lunches)

Carrie Watson

romaine lettuce

bacon

tomato

toasted almonds

swiss cheese

parmesan cheese

shredded chicken

Dressing: olive oil and lemon juice, garlic and salt


I altered to what I had on hand.  I dumped a whole box of Aldi organic spinach in with a handful of almonds and a handful of pumpkin seeds, 5 oz shredded cheddar, 4 strips off bacon crumbled.  Dressing 1/3 cup evoo, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 4 garlic cloves- minced, and salt to taste topped with deer flank steak
.

The Loaded Bowl- (2nd week lunches)

Quinoa, black beans, avocados, tomatoes, cilantro combined over a homemade dressing....I mix everything together instead of topping with avocados. 

http://cleaneatingmachine.blogspot.com/2010/09/load-up.html

Dinner

Sweet and Sour Meatballs with cabbage and sweet potato fries (3 dinners)

http://againstallgrain.com/2014/01/23/game-day-sweet-sour-meatballs/ 

For the sweet potato fries, I cut them up to look like French fries and soak in coconut oil and bake at 350 until crispy.

http://wellnessmama.com/5909/roasted-cabbage-slices/

Sweet potato and black bean enchiladas (3 dinners)

http://www.thecurvycarrot.com/2013/02/08/sweet-potato-and-black-bean-enchiladas/

Suggestions to save time: Bake the diced sweet potatoes and then mix the filling to save time.

Butternut Squash Lasagna (3 dinners)

Cook 4 butternut squash halves in oven face down on 350 for 45 minutes.

Puree butternut squash in blender or food processor yielding 2 cups. 

Melt 4-5 tbsp. butter  in saucepan on medium heat.  Once butter is melted add 1/4 cup flour and stir for 30 seconds.  Add two cups unsweetened coconut milk slowly and stir.  Add a few shakes of nutmeg and then 1/2 ts salt.  Continue to stir until mixture starts to bubble and then cook for additional 2 minutes.  Taste.  Add more salt if needed.  Set aside. 

In a pan, melt some coconut oil- 2 tbsp. roughly and then lay lasagna noodles (I prefer no bake ones).  Spread a thin layer of pureed butternut squash.  Salt layer.  Spread roughly 2 ounces parmesan cheese.  Add another layer of noodles and pureed squash.  Salt.  Add roughly 2 more ounces parmesan cheese.  Add 1 cup mozzarella cheese.  Pour sauce over. 

Bake in oven on 375 for 20 minutes.  Turn oven off and let sit a little longer (I let it sit another 10 minutes).

Absolutely AMAZING!

Burgers with sautéed broccoli and potato fries (3 dinners)

2 lbs ground meat (we use deer)

1 onion

4 cloves of garlic

Food process the onion and garlic and then mix with the meat.  Bake in oven at 350 for 15 minutes and then flip and cook for another 10 or so or cook on grill.  Top with guacamole. 

For the potato fries, I cut them into strips that resemble fries and douse in coconut oil and cook on 350 until done. 

Salmon with cabbage and macaroni (3 dinners)

For the salmon, we mix lemon juice and coconut oil and pour over salmon and bake in oven until done on 350. 

http://wellnessmama.com/5909/roasted-cabbage-slices/

Best and easiest macaroni ever:

16 oz cheese- cheddar or a mix of cheeses

1 can evaporated milk or make your own which tastes even better. To produce 1 cup of evaporated milk, simmer 2 1/4 cups of whole milk down until it becomes 1 cup.

16 oz noodles

Directions: Greese pan.  layer noodles and cheese...I like to do multiple layers, salt a little if desired, top with evaporated milk...bake in oven on 375 for 30-45 minutes.  If noodles start to brown, but evaporated milk is still not soaked into noodles, cover with foil and continue cooking.