This weeks healthy menu

After being on a very strict diet for 8 months, I kind of went nuts after weaning Cooper, eating everything I couldn't have before. I realized quickly that I needed to avoid things, namely gluten and dairy, not only for Cooper, but for my health as well. I had cramps and headaches almost everyday since re-introducing these foods into my diet. I know that I need to avoid these "inflammatory" foods. I am going to do my best to be on a gluten and dairy free diet, and avoiding soy as much as possible. There is an "endo diet" that is very similar to this, and as I said before, I'm going to fight this disease head on, starting with the things that go into my body. So my blogger and fellow reflux momma friend Erica gave me the idea to do a weekly menu. She has great gluten free recipes as well as a wonderful outlook on what it means to be a Christian. You should defiantly check her blog out. I feel like putting a menu into type will hold me to it a little more. Here it goes...

Monday: Chili and Gluten free cornbread. The high is in the 30s today, so I thought chili sounded great. Now, I am not 100% sure about everything that is gluten free. I will be double checking my labels when I go to the store later, but if you are Celiac or can't have gluten, triple check, just to make sure. I know most of the "hidden" culprits now, but also it won't hurt me if I get some gluten. Anyway, just make sure and check for yourself. Here is the recipe for the corn bread. It is delicious. I made dressing for thanksgiving out of it, and it was a hit, even with my very skeptic family members. For the chili, I will be using ground turkey. I get the one that is 93/7 fat ratio. I will brown it with a diced onion and a few cloves of garlic in a little olive oil. You can drain off in excess oil, but there probably won't be much. Then I will add some chili seasoning, about half a packet. This is where you need to check me on the GF. Mix that into the meat mixture, then add a can of tomato sauce, a can of diced tomatoes (I get the ones with jalapeños and garlic because I like it spicy), a can of Ranch style beans with jalapeños, and a can of drained pinto beans with jalapeños. I don't drain the Ranch style beans because they are in a chili sauce and I like that. You can also add a tablespoon of tomato paste for a deeper, long cooked flavor. I let this simmer for a few hours until we are ready to eat. The longer it simmers the better. You can even cook the meat in a skillet, and then transfer it to the crock pot to cook all day. Serve with corn bread and shredded cheese if you can have it.

Tuesday: Pork chops, green beans, and potatoes. I will get what ever cut of pork is on sale this week. I will season with a little salt and pepper and brown in olive oil in a skillet. Super simple. This is a staple at our house. For the green beans, I will use fresh or frozen whole green beans. I thinly slice button mushrooms and a little bit of pork chop. I sauté the mushrooms and the pork in olive oil. Then I add the green beans. Cover and cook until tender. I'm not sure yet what kind of potatoes we will have, possible baked.

Wednesday: Cube steak with peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Slice one large onion and a couple of bell peppers into thin strips. Put cube steak in the crock pot and cover with the onions, peppers, a few cloves of garlic and a can of stewed tomatoes, salt and pepper. Let simmer all day until tender. Serve over steamed rice.

Thursday: Chicken legs, oven fries, and salad. Bake skin on chicken legs on 400* until golden brown and cooked through. This is a great alternative to fried chicken. Here is the recipe for the fries. You can cook them at the same time as the chicken. I will serve a tossed green salad with lots of veggies and homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Just mix balsamic vintager, olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper to taste, and a dash of hot sauce. The best part about this meal is Cooper can have the chicken and the fries!

Friday: Salmon Croquettes, beans, and chips. Here is the recipe for the salmon. I will be adding an egg to this recipe though, since I can have that now. It helps it bind. Serve with your favorite beans and chips. We will have the Lay's natural potato chips.

Saturday: Pasta Fagioli. It is suppose to be cold again this weekend, so soup it is. I will make a huge pot and freeze the leftovers. Here is the recipe:
1 lb of ground meat (chicken, turkey, pork or beef will all do)
1/2 lb of ground sausage (jimmy dean's breakfast sausage is gf, thanks Erica;) )
V8 veggie juice
shredded carrots
onion
celery
garlic
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can kidney beans
I can stewed tomatoes (I like the Italian style)
rice pasta (I like tinkyada fusilli)
Sauté the chopped celery, onion, carrots and garlic in a little olive oil until they begin to soften. Then add the ground meat and sausage. Brown and the drain. Drain the beans and add to the mix. Then add the tomatoes and the V8. There are no measurements here, just until it is to your desired thickness. Season with basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and a few dashes of pepper sauce. Let simmer all afternoon, the longer the better. Boil the pasta and add to each bowl so it doesn't get mushy.

Sunday: We usually eat out after church or with family. If not we will have leftovers from the week. If we do eat out, it will likely be Mexican food, and I will have fajita meat and corn chips, beans and rice.