The menu plan for week 8 will include 4 days of meals designed for the grand girls, since we will be taking care of them over the long weekend. I want to incorporate some of their favorites as well as staying within a healthy eating plan.
The breakfast menu for week 8 is straight forward. Aside from Sunday morning’s bacon and eggs, all of the meals are conveniently stocked in the freezer. I will add a creme brûlée French toast if the girls’ request. They have been eating very healthy and avoiding added sugar, but it is a special weekend!
The lunches planned for week 8 are fairly basic. I still have several soups left in the refrigerator and a package of Italian chicken sausage links. I will make a Zuppa Toscana for the weekend since the girls pack their lunches on the remaining days. I will make the soup ahead so that we have the leeway to do whatever we want over the course of the weekend. I will simply put it in the crockpot and keep it warm.
Dinner plans for the week are all repeats and include not only favorites for the grand girls, but also a great Irish meal to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. I plan to leave a casserole in the frig for their family after we leave and once the P’s return home…meatball parm casserole. Hopefully I can get the food prep done in advance so that we have plenty of time to play.
Chicken Alfredo Casserole THM S
Meatball Parm Casserole THM S
Sausage Parmesan Cream Cheese Soup THM S
There were several menu changes last week. The chicken alfredo casserole moved to week 8 and was replaced with bacon ranch chicken casserole. Monday night became chaotic with late afternoon and evening meetings so we played “raid the refrigerator” eating in shifts. The chili moved to Thursday…easily done since it is in the freezer.
Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs THM S First of all I do not buy baby back ribs unless they are on sale. Baby backs were on sale for $2.99 per pound at Fresh Market (quickly becoming my favorite place to shop for fresh meat, cheese and healthy food options). I love it when I can choose fresh meat directly from the butcher’s case or order it to my specs. This recipe is a family favorite, but I do make several changes to make it THM compliant. I use Trim Healthy Ketchup (page 482 Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook). I use this ketchup to make THM BBQ Sauce. I then use this BBQ Sauce to prepare the slow cooker rib recipe. I substitute Swerve Brown Sugar in that recipe. This is actually the first time that I have taken the time to be fully compliant…it is much easier to use off the shelf BBQ sauce, but it is laden with sugar. Although making the ribs this way was not quite as good as in the past, they were still excellent and completely on plan. One note…be careful with the amount of cayenne. We like spicy and these were spicy!
The new side I added to our rib dinner was a HUGE success. Cheesy Zucchini Casserole THM S. I see this as a frequent addition to many meals. It was delicious.
Turkey Meatballs THM FP I made these to pop into the freezer to use later as a meal or meal supplement. Prior to freezing the ‘Ole Buckeye and I did a taste test. These are delicious…hard to believe that they are a fuel pull.
Bacon Ranch Chicken Casserole THM S (in place of the planned Alfredo Chicken Casserole) I had fresh broccoli that needed to be used! This is a favorite of my daughters and she was delighted to have the replacement.
Berry Crisp THM S Wow, this was a pleasant surprise. Best served warm with a little squirt of low fat Reddi Whip. This is a great dessert, but would work as a breakfast or snack as well.
White Lazy Lasagna THM S The white lazy lasagna was the best one yet. Several times in the past it was a little soupy, but this time it was perfect. A side Ceasar and a perfect meal. It truly is a family favorite and should be on the meal rotation way more often.
Ranch Hand Taco Salad THM E page 200 THM Table This is a great salad and it is a nice change to have an E meal in the evening.
So there we have it. Good eating, healthy eating. Bon Appetit!
