Week 1

Mothers are the masters of deceit and my mother was particularly cunning...I mean this in the most sincere, loving, and nurturing way possible!  She was able to get us kids (my brother, sister and myself) to love stew night (a meal that we all despised), simply by asking us to pick out a "stone" from our rock garden to be placed in her stew pot...her "nasty" dinner has now been transformed into Stone Soup, a magical meal that has come alive from one of our favorite bedtime stories!   With this in mind I present to you my menu for the week!  I will be doing my best to deceive our taste buds into loving our new found nutrient rich meals.     

Dinner Ideas:

• Spaghetti with Whole Wheat Noodles, Homemade Focaccia Made with Quinoa Flour or Spelt Flour, and Watermelon (I'll be using the Joy of Cooking recipe for the focaccia)
• Pesto Mozzarella Pizza with Garden Tomatoes and Watermelon (though I would like to make homemade pesto, that will be another day...instead I'll be making the pizza dough from scratch using the same recipe as the focaccia).
• Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Preserves and Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Onions, Butternut Squash and Zucchini and Applesauce.
•  Split Pea and Barley Soup with Leftover Focaccia (the soup recipe is my Grandmother's and I would love to share it if anyone is interested).
• Leftover Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Onion on a Whole Wheat Sandwich Roll, Watermelon and Sauteed Carrots (depending on how ambitious I'm feeling, I might try and make sourdough bread instead of buying rolls).
• Quesadillas with Leftover Roasted Veggies and Black Beans (I'll soak and cook my beans as an alternative to buying them in the can). 
• Baked Tofu with Peanut Sause Over a Bed of Basmati Rice, Fresh Spinach and Applesauce.
• Game Day - this is our splurge day - Chicken Wings and Celery - GO DUCKS!

Breakfast and Lunch Ideas For My Husband:

• Steel Cut Oats Flavored With Cinnomon, Nutmeg and Vanilla
• Turkey and Cream Cheese Wraps
• Apple
• Cheetos (yes, I know Cheetos, but he's eating oats for breakfast, I have to give him one splurge!)

Breakfast and Lunch Ideas for Baby and Me:

• German Breakfast (hard boiled egg on whole wheat toast, cheese and tomato).
• Hash Browns, Scrambled Eggs and Banana
• Spelt Waffles with Blueberries
• Zucchini Bread, Cheese, and Grapes (this will be a recipe I will fanagle with...use applesauce instead of oil, add banana for sweetness and remove some of the sugar, remove the chocolate chips, etc...this may end in a disaster...to be continued)
• Turkey and Cream Cheese Wraps and Watermelon.

**My Mother is an AMAZING cook!  I have learned so much from her and she is still challenging me today!   Looking forward to our next cooking adventure Mom!  I Love You!!!**