This week we thought we'd change things up a little bit. We are still on the 2012 Whole Living Action Plan and this week we get to add beans and lentils to our diet. As such, we were able make a couple of hearty soups to help sate those hunger pangs from last week. We spent … [Read more...]
Meatless Monday: Cabbage, Carrots, Potatoes, and Chickpeas
This week's Meatless Monday recipe was taken from Farmer Dave's, a CSA based out of Massachusetts. The recipe, African Cabbage, Carrot, Potato, and Chickpea Stew, was the first meal of 2012 for us. As a southerner, it is imperative that I eat my greens and black-eyed peas on … [Read more...]
January 2012 Monthly Meal Plan
Our Monthly Meal Plan has kind of become a staple of our budgeting process. Rather than planning for meals from week to week, we put in a little extra time and effort and knock it out right away. It takes a little discipline, but sticking to the plan can keep costs down and … [Read more...]
Meatless Monday: Slow Cooker Lentils
Beth and I are gearing up for our vegan diet challenge as we approach the new year. We like this recipe because it has so many options. If you want to go meatless but someone in your family just can't bring themselves to drop meat, just serve it as a side to roasted chicken or … [Read more...]
Meatless Monday: Slow Cooker Vegetarian Garden Chili
It's getting on wintertime and, here in Virginia, it's starting to get cold. As such, soup and chili are going to start being staples around our house. What better way to cook these comforting meals than using that slow cooking crockpot? Hook it up in the morning and you're … [Read more...]
December 2011 Monthly Meal Plan
Our Monthly Meal Plan has kind of become a staple of our budgeting process. Rather than planning for meals from week to week, we put in a little extra time and effort and knock it out right away. It takes a little discipline, but sticking to the plan can keep costs down and … [Read more...]
Meatless Monday: Red Beans and Rice
Our family love rice. With few exceptions, if you place a dish with rice in front of my kids, they will eat it. I love red beans and rice in particular because, growing up in Louisiana, the dish was kind of a staple of my youth. Many recipes add meat (ham hocks, sausage, etc.) … [Read more...]
Meatless Monday: Pumpkin Polenta
Polenta is a pretty basic dish. It's just another starch like mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta. Polenta is most closely related to grits. I grew up not liking grits because they can be so...well, gritty. When done correctly, polenta can be a little mushy and, on it's own, it's … [Read more...]
Meatless Monday: Middle East Feast
Today's Meatless Monday was a clean out the cupboard meal. We had some Middle East mixes in the cupboard so they became tonight's feast. We had the Manischewitz Falafel and Hummus mixes and a Near East Taboule. My father visited the Middle East several times when I was growing … [Read more...]
November 2011 Monthly Meal Plan
Our Monthly Meal Plan has kind of become a staple of our budgeting process. Rather than planning for meals from week to week, we put in a little extra time and effort and knock it out right away. It takes a little discipline, but sticking to the plan can keep costs down and … [Read more...]
Meatless Monday: Cheese”steak”
First and foremost...if you are from Philadelphia, just go to the next topic! You will likely be offended. I plan to mimic the flavors of a cheesesteak, replacing the steak with portobello mushrooms. Don't get me wrong...I love a good cheesesteak! The ones in Philly are the … [Read more...]
Meatless Monday: Butternut Squash Gnocchi
This week is one of our favorite fall meals. Gnocchi are soft, pillowy dumplings that can be made out of a variety of ingredients, including ricotta or potato. Ask 50 Italian grandmothers and you'll get 50 different recipes. Our variation with roasted butternut squash uses … [Read more...]
Meatless Monday: Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Don't let the picture fool you! This looks like a glob on a plate, but boy what a tasty glob! Those great fall flavors and textures shine through and really warm you up on a cool, crisp fall evening. Our Meatless Monday this week is inspired by some of the great produce that … [Read more...]
October 2011 Monthly Meal Plan
Here is the background to the monthly meal plan … Last year, we did weekly meal plans. Well we did weekly meal plans most of the time. I say most of the time because some weeks we forgot to plan. Life got busy, school work was out of control, the preschool business started, the … [Read more...]
Meatless Monday: Lubia (Stewed Green Beans)
Alright, this is a day late here, but I can hardly be held accountable. Beth took the camera to work with her yesterday and she had to work late! So I didn't get a picture until it was too late to really post. Dealing with a new dish, three kids, and no camera, I'm happy to … [Read more...]