Making It Easy for Mom
I'm just a mom on a budget, trying to keep my family healthy.
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| Have you ever considered how far your food has to travel and the amount of fossil fuels used to get your, even organic, food on your plate? Perhaps you can find a local farm to buy from. |
"A foolish faith in authority is the worst enemy of truth." Albert Einstein
I am starting to rethink how I buy groceries. I feel "foolish" to admit that for the last few years, I have felt environmentally responsible buying organic foods. However, I am learning that even organic food production is leaving a large carbon footprint in our world. So now what? Well, local farming, even if it's not organic, but sustainable, is where I am going to start seeking our food. Grass fed animals that are locally farmed are actually superior in nutrition to organic meats. For those of you that live in El Paso, there is a local rancher, John Guldemann from Ganados del Rey Ranch, that goes to the Las Cruces farmers market. His beef his excellent. Is it time to reconsider where you get your groceries?
Featured Food: Limes
We use limes around here for a lot including, salad dressing and to add flavor to water. Sometimes my kids and I just eat them with salt. Limes have a lot of health benefits that I think you should know. The amount of Vitamin C in about 1/4 of a cup of lime in 50% of your necessary daily value. Not to mention that limes have flavonoid compounds that have antioxidant, anti-cancer and antibiotic properties. To pick the best lime, choose one that is light in color and heavy. I like to make what my husband calls a "poor man's margarita". I squeeze one lime into a glass of water and add some mineral salt. Yum!
Grocery List: This is based on a family of four.
Produce:
-2 bags of organic apples (a bag of red apples and a bag of green apples)
-Bag of organic pears
-Bunch of bananas
-Bag of clementines
-2 bunches of organic green onions
-2 containers of organic spinach
-1 red onion
-1 bunch of garlic
-1 organic orange pepper
-1 bunch organic cilantro
-7 organic tomatoes
-2 avocados
-3 organic baking potatoes
-1 bag organic carrots
Cold Stuff:
-3 dozen cage free or organic eggs
-Container of cream cheese
-Box of organic butter
-14 Probugs (for the kids to have with breakfast)
-2 packages sprouted corn tortillas (frozen section)
-1 bag of frozen green chiles (or canned)
-1 carton organic heavy cream
-1 bag organic Mexican shredded cheese
-1-2 boxes Van's Gluten Free Waffles
Meat:
-3 packages of bacon
-3 boxes lunchmeat
-8-10 organic chicken breasts
-3 boxes lunchmeat
-8-10 organic chicken breasts
-2 lbs organic or grass fed ground beef
-2 lbs ground turkey
-2 lbs ground turkey
Dry Stuff:
-Box of Mary's Gone Crackers
-Olives for salads (I prefer the olive bar.)
-Tortillas (If you are eating gluten and want to make burritos.)
-1 package corn tortillas (fresh)
-2 boxes of organic or free range chicken stock
-Costco's No-Salt Organic Seasoning Mix (or something similar)
-1 box of quinoa
-1 small can organic tomato sauce
-1 bag of nuts (for salad)
-Olives for salads (I prefer the olive bar.)
-Tortillas (If you are eating gluten and want to make burritos.)
-1 package corn tortillas (fresh)
-2 boxes of organic or free range chicken stock
-Costco's No-Salt Organic Seasoning Mix (or something similar)
-1 box of quinoa
-1 small can organic tomato sauce
-1 bag of nuts (for salad)
Check Your Pantry/Fridge:
-Kosher salt
-Organic olive oil
-Gluten Free Flour
-Paprika
-Pepper
-Garlic Powder
-Onion Powder
-Black Pepper
-Turmeric
-Bragg's Nutritional Yeast
-Worcestershire sauce
-Onion Powder
-Black Pepper
-Turmeric
-Bragg's Nutritional Yeast
-Worcestershire sauce
-Panko Gluten Free Bread Crumbs
-Soy Sauce
-Soy Sauce
Monday:
Breakfast: Eggs with bacon, and a side of fruit and yogurt
Lunch: Meat roll-ups
Use about 5-6 pieces of meat and roll each one up with some cream cheese. I like to eat these with Mary's Gone Crackers. Make sure to eat some fruit too.
Dinner: Bacon Wrapped Chicken
This is a very simple, but tasty way to eat your chicken. I pound out my chicken breasts until flat. Then spread a layer of cream cheese and chopped green onions on the chicken breast. Roll it up and wrap it in 2-3 slices of bacon. Use toothpicks to hold the bacon in place. Bake it at 325 degrees for about an hour. If you like your bacon a bit crispier, then turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes at the end.
I serve this with fruit and salad.
This is a very simple, but tasty way to eat your chicken. I pound out my chicken breasts until flat. Then spread a layer of cream cheese and chopped green onions on the chicken breast. Roll it up and wrap it in 2-3 slices of bacon. Use toothpicks to hold the bacon in place. Bake it at 325 degrees for about an hour. If you like your bacon a bit crispier, then turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes at the end.
I serve this with fruit and salad.
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Eggs with veggies, and a side of fruit with yogurt
Lunch: Leftovers from last night
Dinner: Picadillo (make enough for a lunch burrito tomorrow)
Brown your ground beef (1-2 lbs depending if you and your husband want to bring it for lunch). Drain most of the fat, but leave some. Add diced red onion, clove of diced garlic, and diced orange pepper. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and generous amount of pepper. When the onion is transparent, add two cut up, cubed tomatoes. Cover and simmer for about 30 min. You can use this for tacos, burritos or make some sprouted grain corn chips and serve nachos.
Fruit salad is great with this meal too.
Brown your ground beef (1-2 lbs depending if you and your husband want to bring it for lunch). Drain most of the fat, but leave some. Add diced red onion, clove of diced garlic, and diced orange pepper. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and generous amount of pepper. When the onion is transparent, add two cut up, cubed tomatoes. Cover and simmer for about 30 min. You can use this for tacos, burritos or make some sprouted grain corn chips and serve nachos.
Fruit salad is great with this meal too.
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Omelette with a side of fruit and yogurt
Lunch: Leftover picadillo
Dinner: Chicken Enchiladas
Boil 2 chicken breasts and then shred them. Season the shredded chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
Then make your sauce. Take about a half a stick of butter and melt it. When it’s melted add about 3 Tbsps of gluten free flour. Let that brown. Then pour in ⅔ of a box of chicken stock. Add about 1 cup of sour cream. Season this sauce with paprika, salt and garlic powder. Add one half of your bag of green chiles to this sauce. Let it all simmer.
In a separate pan, put a little olive oil and fry up the shredded chicken with one cubed onion and half the bag of green chiles. Then add some heavy cream to make it creamy, but not soupy. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Next warm up your corn tortillas either in the microwave of the oven. You just want them to be warm enough to be flexible without breaking. Then roll up each tortilla with the chicken mixture and some shredded cheese on top. You will put them in a large pyrex. Once all your enchiladas have been rolled up, pour the sauce mixture over the entire creation. I always add another layer of shredded cheese on top. Cover the pyrex with tinfoil and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
When you take them out of the oven, top with fresh organic cilantro.
Make a salad for the side, and some fruit for dessert.
Boil 2 chicken breasts and then shred them. Season the shredded chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
Then make your sauce. Take about a half a stick of butter and melt it. When it’s melted add about 3 Tbsps of gluten free flour. Let that brown. Then pour in ⅔ of a box of chicken stock. Add about 1 cup of sour cream. Season this sauce with paprika, salt and garlic powder. Add one half of your bag of green chiles to this sauce. Let it all simmer.
In a separate pan, put a little olive oil and fry up the shredded chicken with one cubed onion and half the bag of green chiles. Then add some heavy cream to make it creamy, but not soupy. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Next warm up your corn tortillas either in the microwave of the oven. You just want them to be warm enough to be flexible without breaking. Then roll up each tortilla with the chicken mixture and some shredded cheese on top. You will put them in a large pyrex. Once all your enchiladas have been rolled up, pour the sauce mixture over the entire creation. I always add another layer of shredded cheese on top. Cover the pyrex with tinfoil and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
When you take them out of the oven, top with fresh organic cilantro.
Make a salad for the side, and some fruit for dessert.
Thursday:
Breakfast: Eggs with bacon and veggies, and a side of fruit with yogurt
Lunch: Meat roll-ups
Use about 5-6 pieces of meat and roll each one up with some cream cheese. I like to eat these with Mary's Gone Crackers. Make sure to eat some fruit too.
Dinner: Magic Meatballs
(I always double this recipe for lunch the next day.)
I make quinoa with these. Put a little olive oil and some kosher salt and fry one cup of quinoa. When it's light brown, add one small can of tomato sauce into a measuring cup and fill the rest of the recommended liquid with chicken stock. Cook the recommended time.
(I always double this recipe for lunch the next day.)
I call them magic because everyone loves them no matter what's inside of them. Basically I use meatballs to clean out my fridge. I sautee anything that is about to spoil. Typically this includes, onions, jalapenos, tomatoes, garlic, kale (food process it up so it's tiny), really the options are endless. Then per pound of ground turkey, I add one beaten egg, a generous amount of Costco's no-salt seasoning mix, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and turmeric. You can also put some nutritional yeast (extra b vitamins). I like Bragg's brand of nutritional yeast. Also put enough worcestershire sauce to turn that mixture a light brown. Then add in your sauteed mix and some type of breadcrumb. Either use Panko gluten free breadcrumbs or you can crush up Mary's Gone Crackers. Mix that all up and roll them into balls. Bake them at 350 degrees for about 30-40 min.
I make quinoa with these. Put a little olive oil and some kosher salt and fry one cup of quinoa. When it's light brown, add one small can of tomato sauce into a measuring cup and fill the rest of the recommended liquid with chicken stock. Cook the recommended time.
Friday:
Breakfast: Fridays are our fun breakfast day when we pancakes, waffles or some other gluten free sweet.
Lunch: Salad
A great time to use up all your veggies and spinach. Pour some nuts and avocados on that salad too. You can also add a hard boiled egg and some cheese.
Dinner: Chicken with Blasted Veggies
My mom is the creator of the blasted veggies. All you do is cut into large pieces your favorite veggies. I use potatoes, green onions, tomatoes, and carrots. Then cover and blast them at 450 degrees until they are soft. This usually takes about 45-60 minutes. While you are blasting the veggies, hammer out a couple of chicken breasts and in a little olive oil, fry them. I always season them with garlic powder, salt, onion powder, and I splash a bit of soy on both sides. Then I cut up a little fruit, and done!
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