Monday’s: Gluten Free Quick Oats (Bob’s Red Mill) with nuts (I like almonds) or dried fruit (raisons, craisons, apples)

Tuesday’s: Vanilla Soy Yogurt (Whole Soy & Co.) with Granola (Udi’s Au Naturel Gluten Free Granola) and 1/2 an Apple

Wednesday’s:  Mighty Tasty Gluten Free Hot Cereal (Bob’s Red Mill) and 1/2 a Banana

Thursday’s: Eggs (we eat organic brown eggs – not vegan but we like eggs and fish still) on Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Rice Bread and bowl of homemade applesauce (I canned a bunch this last fall from Yakima apples!)

Friday’s: Peanut Butter and Jelly on Trader Joe’s Rice Bread or Cereal Baggies if we are going to Mt. Bachelor to ski with the kids.  We like Gorilla Munch bought in large bags from Amazon or Nature’s Path Organic Corn Flakes also bought in bulk bags from Amazon.  A banana for the road or home as well!

Saturday’s: Pancakes ( Pamela’s Products) and Applesauce (more of the homemade kind)

Sunday’s: Cereal, Milk (we use Rice, Soy and Almond from Trader Joe’s) and a Banana before Church.

I don’t think I left anything out.  I want to try to make Muesli but haven’t gotten to a Gluten Free recipe I am excited about yet.  Something else to add in later – maybe to replace Sunday morning’s meal

As we have started to ‘clear out’ the kitchen of cheeses, meats and sugar I find myself making exceptions and not staying on track.  This is fairly frustrating and I know I have a long way to go to get my pre-baby body back and going vegan/gluten-free is the way to get there.  Cheese is just sooo tasty and meat on pizza is so easy to order.

We are going to Seattle for the weekend with my husband on a business trip and I  know that we will not stick to it while we are away from hom but I am hoping to be back into the swing of things by next Wednesday.  I have decided my way to conquer will need to be through some meal planning.  I need to get my creative thinking cap on and plan out our next month of Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner’s so that we can be excited and not cheating all the time.  Cheating is for losers and we are winners.  So here is to health, happiness and a lot more energy!

Beet and Kale Salad

Salad:

• 4 large beets – farmer’s market is a great place to buy in season
• 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds (I used sunflower seeds)
• 1 bunch kale – must be super fresh!
• 3 scallions
• 1 medium carrot

Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1.4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon finely diced garlic

Directions:

Wash beets and bring to a boil in a large pot.  After boiling bring to a simmer, continue to simmer for one hour, until tender.  Let cool, then peel beets and cut into 3/4 inch pieces.

In the meantime, lightly toast the pumpkin seeds by placing them in a dry skillet and cooking voer medium heat.  Constantly stir the seeds to ensure even cooking (or buy toasted sunflower seeds).  When they begin to pop and give off a nutty aroma, they are ready.  Set aside to cool.

Wash kale and place in a large pot of boiling water for 30 seconds.  Place in strainer and cool with cold water, cut into bite size pieces.  Finely dice the greens onions and peel the carrot.  Slice into 1/8-inch rounds.

Place all dressing ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a wire whisk.  In a separate bowl place chopped beets, chopped kale, dice green onions, sliced carrots and pumpkin seeds.  Add dressing and toss gently.  Serve chilled.  Make six servings!

From Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair

Lemon and Garlic Quinoa Salad

Salad:

• 1 cup Quinoa (then cooked)
• 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
• 1/3 cup parsley, minced
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Dressing:

• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt to Taste

Directions:

Cook Quinoa.  Prepare dressing in large bowl, add carrots, seeds and parsley.  Add cooked quinoa and toss well.  Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Adapted from Feeding The Whole Family by Cynthia Lair

I had their lemon drop martini (amazing), prawns, and arugula salad (that comes with gilled melon!).  I let them know I was gluten-free and vegan (minus seafood) and they just substituted where needed.  If you do go for a romantic night out and need a gluten-free/vegan full meal just call ahead and they can specially design you a meal that will work for you!  Happy Eating!

Oh – their bar is absolutely amazing!  Order anything/everything and enjoy their color changing drink and super fun drink list.  Let the bar tender know you are gluten-free!

Also – I haven’t tried making it yet but there is a coffee cake recipe on the side of the pancake mix and it looks scrumptious – so we’ll be trying  that soon!

Dinner 9/27/2009:

Mexican Brown Rice with Pinto Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 onion, diced fine (very important to dice it very fine)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (we needed to add an extra teaspoon at the end for flavor)
• 1 cup long-grain brown rice, rinsed and drained
• 1 and 3/4 to 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste or sauce (i would use 2 tbls. next time)
• 3 cups cooked pinto beans

Directions:

Heat oil in a 2-quart pot.  Add cumin and chili powder and saute for a few seconds.  Add onion and salt and continue cooking until onion is soft.  Add rice and stir well to coat.  Now add water and tomato paste and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer, covered, until all the water is absorbed (about 4 minutes).  Serve next to hot pinto beans.

From Cynthia Lair’s Feeding the Whole Family: Cooking with Whole Foods (Best cookbook I have ever had!)

Alternative if you already have rice cooked:  Add cooked rice without any water but an extra tablespoon of tomato paste.  Also – if you like onions (we love them) add an extra sauted onion to the pinto beans, less finely chopped for more flavor.  This is a very mild meal which is great for kiddos but can sometime need an extra boost at the table.  I also served this alongside a dry green lettuce salad (you can pile the rice and beans on top for dressing or make lettuce wraps at the table) and hard corn tortilla’s so that rice and beans taco’s could be made.  Yum!

I recommend Bob’s Red Mill Corn Grits which can also be used to make polenta (I haven’t tried it yet but it’s on my list!).   I served a half of Banana in each bowl to add a serving of fruit in the morning.  Nuts could also be a good option but I’m not a huge fan of nuts in the early morning.  I should say, to be fair, that my husband does not care for this meal.  He grew up eating corn grits and now won’t eat them anymore.  He doesn’t have to eat gluten-free so he had Cheerios instead.

Dinner 9/24/2009:

Black Bean Tacos with Green Salad

For 4 People:

• 2 16 oz. cans Black Beans
• 1 large onion
• Salad Greens
• 1 Fresh Tomato
• 1 avocado
• Fresh Basal Leaves
• Hard Corn Tortilla Shells

Directions:

Saute chopped onion until soft, add black beans to heat.  Chop tomatoes and set aside.  Cut avocados into long strips.  Rinse and rip lettuce.  Heat hard corn taco shells in oven (350 degrees for a few minutes).  Put lettuce on plates with basil leaves on top.  Make tacos using lettuce, basal, black beans mixed with onions, tomatoes, avocados.  Once everyone has a ‘hard taco’ with fixings encourage people to make taco salads with remaining ingredients – no dressing necessary!