Meal Planning #12: Super Bowl Special: Food to feed your team.

The Super Bowl is coming up in a week. So this edition of Meal Planning (over 50 recipes), I have put together a huge assortment of Super Bowl snack/appetizers, along side the standard meal lineup. I also have quick breakfasts covered, kids snacks (chocolate pudding), a delicious wine option and lots of other delicious items. 


This week you can make the men in your life say "is there any more?," while tempting your taste buds.


I have kicked it up a notch, well for me anyways. I do not like much heat in my cooking. But this week there are some recipes which could heat things up (Cucumber Jalapeno Margarita and Jalapeno Rosemary Fritters). Know someone who loves to eat Pop Tarts, well then shoot this to them because they can now make their own, and with whole wheat flour or Gluten Free. 


What about the kids or kids at heart, in your life? They might not enjoy veggies right now, so make Fruit Tacos. Don't fret about breakfast, there are 20 + recipes to feed your brain and body. Lots more to choose from, including six Helpful Links.


Helpful Links this week are (below photos and recipes): 
1. 15 Fantastic Super Bowl Dips
2. Ideas for when you are so hungry you could eat a plate 
3. 7 recipes when you want some peanut butter
4.  Meal planning for a family on $250 a month
5. Learning all about green drinks
6. A month of stir fry recipes


PS. In some of these recipes it calls for cream cheese, milk, sour cream. A great alternative is Greek yogurt. To thin it out, you can add almond or coconut milk or use those in place of milk. If it calls for sugar you can try these alternatives from the Gluten Free Goddess Gluten Free Baking Substitutions & Gluten Free Baking Without Sugar.


Meal #1

Simple Bites

Coconut Ginger Chicken Vegetables (slow-cooker-challenge)

Meal #2

The Healthy Diaries

Veggie Lasagna Roll ups

The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen

Raw Kale Avocado Salad

Meal #3

Sprouted Kitchen

Black Bean + Butternut Squash Soup

Meal #4

SkinnyTaste.com

Coconut Chicken Salad with Warm Honey

Meal #5

The Kitchn

Asparagus Bean Salad over Arugula

Rawmazing

Spicy Veggie Raw Food "Stir Fry"

Worth Trying


Snacks/Appetizers {14}

Super Healthy Kids

Fruit Tacos, When They Don't Like Salad

The Little Epicurean

Homemade Samoa Cookies

Coupon Clipping Cook

Baked Herb and Parmesan Potato Slices

Redefined Creativity

Herded Cream Cheese

The Curvy Carrot

Vegetable and Quinoa Bites

Martha Stewart

Creamy Deviled Eggs

From My Lemony Kitchen

Apple, Salmon and Capers

Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Sweet Berry Bruschetta

Six in the Suburbs

Bite Size Pizza Puffs

Women's Health

Nachos with Chicken and Black Beans 

Can use Greek Yogurt instead of Light Sour Cream

The Indolent Cook

Jalapeno Rosemary Potato Fritters

CHOW

Caramelized Union Dip

Hungry Foodies Pharmacy

Roasted Sweet Potato Cube with Cilantro Jalapeno Aiolo Dip

I Eat Trees

Raw Vegan Magic Truffles

Drinks {4}

Gastro Chic

Cucumber Jalapeno Margarita

Sing for Your Supper

Greener or Brownish Monster Smoothie

Healthy Blender Recipes

Vegan Chocolate Spinach Shake

Cupcake Vineyards

Red Velvet Wine

Lunch {4}

Skinnytaste.com

Roast Beef, Arugula, Shaved Parmesan 

on a Baguette 

Closet Cooking

Spinach and Feta Quesadillas

Oh She Glows

Vegetable and Edamame Pasta with Basil Cream Sauce

Keep it Skinny

Avocado, Tomato, Sprouts and Pepperjack with Chive Spread

Breakfast {24}

101 Cookbooks

Herbed Cream Cheese Scrambled Eggs

My Baking Addiction

Zucchini Cookies/Muffins

Our Best Bites

20 Quick and Healthy Breakfast Recipes

Martha Stewart

Quinoa Cakes

Deliciously Organic

Pop Tart Two Ways (Gluten Free or Whole Wheat)

Misc {5}

The Family Kitchen

Vegan Walnut Pesto Sauce

The Coconut Mama

Deceptively Delicious Chocolate Pudding

100 Days of Real Food Challenge

Overnight Homemade Chicken Broth

Annies Eats

Homemade Veggie Broth

Whole Foods

Gluten Free Pie Crust

Helpful Links

1. Dips for your Super Bowl party? This should give you some ideas.
Our Best Bites
15 Fantastic Dips for Super Bowl Sunday

2. When you are so hungry your finger looks good.
Helpful Pursuit
 Oh-my-gosh-if-I-don’t-eat-right-now-I’m-going-to-die-Snacks

3. Peanut Butter 7 Different Ways
Chocolate Covered Katie
7 Uses for Peanut Butter

4. Finding a budget for your family. Found out what you can put on your meal plan with this example.
Keeper of the Home
What I Would Feed My Family on $250 a Month

5. Learning all about green drinks. This is for the whole family too!
The Diva Dish
All About Green Drinks 101

6. Get Stir Fry recipes for every day of the month.
The Tip Nut
Stir Fry Recipes


I got meat, raw meals, gluten free, Vegan, kid friendly, finger food, hearty soups and everything in between. Did anything sound good? Maybe caught your eye, that you might not of ever tried?


This was fun to do. I so enjoy finding recipes for me and you too. Catch you next week. I hope you enjoy the game, commercials or the company for the Super Bowl. 


Take care!


Linda Jacobson
The Helpful Sister

Meal Planning #11: Healthy, Wholesome, Mouthwatering

I typically spend a few hours, each day hitting different sites to find recipes I would love to make, showcase or just have on hand. From all this searching, I have come to find out two things. First, you may have noticed Facebook, Twitter, websites, blogs are filled with delicious recipes for Vegan and Gluten Free meals, snacks, desserts etc. I have really changed how I search and save recipes. I want to make sure the ingredients are not created in some lab, no refined sugar (American eat over 140lb of sugar a year) and as little flour (baking, bleached/unbleached flour, nut flour is optimal) as possible.  I might even consider making a Pinterest Board, that says, Recipes to Remake. 

So for this week, there are 25 spotlighted recipes. 

{NEW} this week, there are almost another 100+ recipes in my Helpful Links. These are links that I thought might interest you. 

I found some great Vegan, Gluten Free recipes with ideal (in my mind) ingredients. I think they are worth trying. You will definitely get your vegetables. There are a few recipes that have zucchini and chickpeas in them. The reason for this, is as a family on a budget, I tailor my grocery list around what I am buying. If I could get a few recipes out of the same ingredient, well than my buck goes further. 


This weeks Helpful Links are (found below spotlighted recipes)


Kids/Toddler Snacks Recipes
Baby Food Recipes
Stocking your Pantry, Freezer and Fridge
Clean Eating Recipes
Winter Bowl Recipes




Meal #1

Kath Eats Real Food

Best Vegetarian Lasagne

Joy the Baker

Spinach Feta Blood Orange Salad

Meal #2

Not Rachel Ray

Whole Grain Risotto with Kale & Carrots

The Family Kitchen

Weeknight Zucchini with Shallots and Parmesan

Meal #3

The Lunchbox Bunch

Fully Loaded Kale Salad

Meal #4

Healthful Pursuit

Homemade California Rolls

Meal #5

The Healthy Foodie

Squash Coconut Wild Rice Curry

Worth Trying


Dinner/Lunch {5}

Martha Stewart

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Herbs

Spices and Spackle

Vegan Chickpea Piccata

The Copycat Cook

Creamy Chickpea Salad 

No Face Plate

Sick Hubby Soup

High Heals and Frijoles

Fall Harvest Sandwich with Roasted Butternut Squash Apples and Stilton Cheese

Snacks {6}

Vegan She Knows

Apricot Pretzel Pops

Vegan She Knows

Cashew Pineapple Carrots

Joyful Abode

Grain & Gluten Free Graham Crackers

The Blueberry Girl

No Sugar Oat Drops

The Versatile Vegetarian Kitchen

Chickpea Crackers

The Copycat Cook

Nutty Fruit Bars

Breakfast {3}

Vegan/Gluten Free Muffin

Family Fresh Cooking

Chai Carrot Pear Muffin

Cake Duchess

Clementine Cranberry Scones

Healthy Food for Living

Peanut Butter Granola

Drinks {4}

Scaling Back Blog

Green Detox Smoothie

The Copycat Cook

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

Deliciously Organic

Homemade Coffee Creamer

Marcus Samuelsson

Mint Julep Juice

KIDS/TODDLER SNACKS
Do you struggle with snacks for your kids/toddlers? This link will give you some great recipes, with photos of snacks that they should love (some you might have to try a few times, don't give up.)
Vegan Snacks for Kids from JL Goes Vegan


BABY FOOD 
Baby food can easily be bought in the store but what if you had a site which had it all. Different links based on the age of your child. Would you make yours at home?

Baby Food from Once a Month Mom


GROCERY SHOPPING/BUDGET
Grocery shopping on a budget can be a little easier when you create recipes from things that are already in your house. This link will help give some ideas of what to keep around so meals can be planned a little easier.
Stocking Up from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

EATING CLEAN
Did you New Years Resolution have anything to do with cleaning up what you were putting in your mouth? This link will give you 10 Clean eating meals which you could throw into your normal weekly meal routine easily.

10 Clean Eating Meals from Healthful Pursuit

RECIPES FOR HEALTHY EATING
Winter is a great time to dive into comfort food. This link will lead you in a direction of a different version of comfort food.

10 Bowls for Healthy Winter Eating


Did you find some that you are looking forward too? Is this helpful in your weekly meal planning? Share with me your thoughts in the comments. You can also follow along with me at the Helpful Recipes Group, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.

Have the best week ever!

Linda Jacobson
The Helpful Sister

Weekly Recipe Plan #10: Homemade, light & delicious

So the other day, I was feeling overwhelmed. The kitchen looked like a tornado, followed by a mudslide, followed by some sort of dish earthquake hit. It was the end of a day of watching my two wonderful young boys, naps, work and making dinner. They were having some Dad time, while taking a bath. I looked at the massive pile of food, dishes and cutting boards and gave out a big gasp. Then after taking a few big breathes, I thought "I would much rather have this disaster in front of me than take-out, fast food bags in the trash."

This weeks meals, might dirty up your kitchen. They might take time away from that weekly television show you like to watch. BUT they are light and fun. I have found a few blogs that just have a never ending reach of recipes, so keep an eye out for some of them. Do you like Greek food? Great recipe for you below. Are you juicing or want to change up your routine? I got a great recipe for you. Lots of fresh veggies, soups, snacks and some additional meal options which you can eat now or later.

Enjoy the 24 recipes and all those dirty dishes.


Meal #1

Healthy Happy Life

Arugula Salad: Mango, Macadamia & Avocado

Lighten up a bit with this salad. I do love macadamia nuts and oh they will go so well with the mango and homemade dressing. There are days that a salad just hits the spot. For some, it takes an act of all the planets lining up to get a salad into your weekly meal plan. No fear, salads are the perfect pre-meal food (eat less of the other stuff) They are also great just by themselves. Work a few into your monthly routine and see how great you feel.  Plus, go to bed and have your body love you because it does not have to work very hard to digest this delicious salad. 


Meal #2

Side Stitches

Lentil Burger 

&

Food For My Family 

Potato Chips with Avocado Ranch Dip

Lentil Burgers? Never tried them nor thought about making lentils into a burger shape. Very intrigued on how they will taste. Another light meal that might perk up some of those taste buds that might of stopped working awhile back. WAKE UP!


Meal #3

Eating Well

Chicken & Spinach Soup with Fresh Pesto

Winter might just be getting started for some of you. Can not believe it is the middle of January and my home state barely has snow (Montana). Just because temperatures might be a little higher than normal, that does not mean you and I can not sit back and enjoy a hearty soup, filled with lots of scrumptious ingredients. 


Meal #4

A Couple Cooks

Greek Quesadilla

&

Lentils with Pearl Couscous and Mint

Greek food is not something you find on our recipe lineup. I think because I just don't think to look for the Greek flavors. But these two recipes caught my eye. What are your thoughts on Greek food? Are you going to try these recipes out?


Meal #5

Homemade by Holmon

Chicken and Mushroom Dinner

&

A Couple Cooks

Tuscan Raw Kale Salad

Pair a delicious homemade meal of noodles, chicken and cheese with a raw kale salad. Go, I dare you. You might have room for desert after this slightly light meal. Plus leftovers, for the next day. Love it when a plan come together. 

Worth Trying




Appetizers (2)

Sugar Cooking

Japanese Cucumber Salad

A Couple Cooks

Cucumber Rye Toasts

Meals + (4)

Pure Mamas

Raw Vegan Red Pasta Sauce 

Hungry Cravings

Pasta with Arugula, Roasted Peppers and Italian Sausage 

Wishful Chef

Chickpea Kale Salad

Joy of Clean Eating

(SLOW COOKER)

Arroz Con Pollo

Drinks (5)

Never Home Maker

Not so Green Smoothie

The Wishful Chef

Sugar Free Vegan Milkshake

Goji Berries & Bananas

The Wishful Chef

How to Make Almond Milk (with photos)

JUICER RECIPE

Savory Simple

Basil Apple Lime Juice

Eating Bird Food

Vanilla Coconut Chia Smoothie

Treats/Snacks (5)

The Wishful Chef

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut

The Wishful Chef

Vegan & Gluten Free Chocolate Cookies

(Almond Milk Recipe above in "DRINKS")

5 & Spice

Ginger Banana Bread with Cardamom Crunchy Topping

Can't Live Without

Cardamon Flavored Chocolate Truffles

Mommie Cooks

Homemade Strawberry Breakfast Bars

This weekly recipe lineup, might help you/your family but this is what we do every week.I enjoy finding truly homemade recipes that are delicious and can provide nourishment for my growing boys. Yes, we can eat better. Yes, we can cook less, but we do the best we can. I am proud I do not let little time, and low grocery budget hinder what I can provide my family. 

So long for this week. Look forward to hearing from you about what you liked, enjoyed, won't make again or want to see more of.

Have the best week ever. See you around Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Linda Jacobson
The Helpful Sister