Bi-Weekly Meal Plan for May 27 – June 9

May 25, 2013 By Kelly Smith

Welcome to The Better Mom’s bi-weekly meal planning schedule!

FEATURED RECIPE: These GF Red, White & Blueberry Cupcakes are a healthy and festive bite-sized treat perfect for Memorial Day, July 4th, or any day you’re feeling patriotic!

As women striving to serve the Lord and our families better, meal planning is a wonderful strategy to help you provide a healthy,  home-cooked meal with the awesome added benefit  of saving time, money and stress!

In addition to the two meal plan charts below, is a list of links to many of the recipes featured.  Our hope is that this will be a great resource  and encouragement for you whether you’re just getting started with meal planning, or are a seasoned expert.

We’d also like to provide you with a free meal planning template perfect for creating your own weekly meal plans. Select from the following two options:
• Meal plan template PDF
 • Meal plan template EXCEL

To learn more about meal planning, please check out my FREE Video Course: Mastering Meal Planning. (To print the meal plans provided below, simply click on the images and they will open into a new window for easier printing.)

Recipe Links for Week of May 27:
(GF)=Grain-free/Gluten-free 
(Gluten-free)=Gluten-free, but not grain-free

Monday, May 27
• Special Memorial Day Menu w/Patriotic Cupcakes(GF)
• Lunch: Greek Hummus Dip(GF), Raw Veggie Kabobs, Grain-Free Crackers(GF) and Fruit Salad
• Breakfast: Savory Baked Eggs(GF) and Sprouted Toast w/Butter

Tuesday, May 28
• Dinner: Herb Roasted Chicken(GF) with Potatoes, & Carrots and Buttermilk Biscuits w/Honey-Butter
• Lunch: Turkey & Raw Cheese Sandwiches and Clementines
• Breakfast: Homemade Granola(Gluten-Free Option) w/Berries & Almond Milk

Wednesday, May 29
• Dinner: Grilled Fish, Saffron Rice w/Peas and Mesclun Salad w/Ranch Dressing(GF)
• Lunch: Nut Butter & Banana Wraps and Clementines
• Breakfast: Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit(GF) and Fruit Smoothie

Thursday, May 30
• Dinner: Caprese Pasta(Gluten-Free Option) and Spinach Salad w/Raw Honey Mustard Dressing(GF)
• Lunch: Greek Hummus Wraps w/Feta, Lettuce & Tomato
• Breakfast: Pumpkin Pie Muffins(GF), Eggs Over Easy and Fruit Smoothie

Friday, May 31
• Dinner: Grilled Cheese, Ham & Apple Sandwiches(Gluten-Free Option) and Tomato Soup(GF)
• Lunch: Caprese Pasta and Spinach Salad w/Ranch Dressing(GF)
• Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs w/Bacon and Leftover Pumpkin Pie Muffins(GF)

Saturday, June 1
• Dinner: Chicken & Veggies Fricasee(Gluten-Free Option) and Garden Salad w/Balsamic Vinaigrette(GF)
• Lunch: Leftover Tomato Soup(GF) w/Cheese Quesadillas
• Breakfast: Coconut Flour Pancakes(GF), Mixed Berries and Nitrate-Free Sausage Links

Sunday, June 2
• Dinner: Crockpot Beef Stew(GF) and Garden Herb Biscuits(GF)
• Lunch: Leftover Chicken & Veggies Fricasee and Salad
• Breakfast: Nut Butter & Jam Pancakes(GF) and Leftover Sausage Links

Recipe Links for Week of June 3:
(GF)=Grain-free/Gluten-free 
(Gluten-free)=Gluten-free, but not grain-free

Monday, June 3
• Dinner: Mediterranean Chicken(GF) and Mesclun Salad w/Raspberry Vinaigrette (Kids get leftover Beef Stew & Biscuits)
• Lunch: Carrot-Cheddar(GF) Sandwiches and Pineapple Slices
• Breakfast: Mixed Berry Muffins(GF) and Boiled Eggs

Tuesday, June 4
• Dinner: Fish Tacos(Gluten-Free), Coconut Rice(Gluten-Free) and Guacamole(GF)
• Lunch: Mediterranean Chicken Wraps and Apple Slices
• Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs w/Veggies and Leftover Mixed Berry Muffins(GF)

Wednesday, June 5
• Dinner: Grilled Herb Turkey Breasts(GF), Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans
• Lunch: Avocado Egg Salad(GF) Sandwiches and Cultured Pickles
• Breakfast: Apple Pie Breakfast Porridge(Gluten-Free)

Thursday, June 6
• Dinner: Four Herb Frittatas w/Toast(Gluten-Free Option), Nitrate-Free Bacon and Fresh Fruit Salad
• Lunch: Egg Salad Wraps and Cultured Pickles
• Breakfast: Soaked Oatmeal(Gluten-Free Option) w/Berries & Walnuts

Friday, June 7
• Dinner: Spaghetti w/Turkey Meatballs(GF) and Caesar Salad(GF)
• Lunch: Tuna Salad(GF) Sandwiches and Apple Slices
• Breakfast: Healthier Cinnamon Toast(GF Option), Scrambled Eggs and Clementines

Saturday, June 8
• Dinner “Afternoon Tea Party:” Turkey-Cranberry Salad(GF) Sandwiches, Blueberry Scones w/Clotted Cream, Fruit Salad and Herbal Tea
• Dessert: Brownie Bites(GF) w/Chocolate Ganache Icing(GF)
• Lunch: Leftover Spaghetti and Salad
• Breakfast: Eggs Over Easy, Blueberry Scones and Fruit Smoothies

Sunday, June 9
• Dinner: Toasted Sourdough Turkey Meatballs(GF) Subs and Carribean Carrot Salad(GF)
• Lunch: Grilled Turkey Reubens w/Cultured Sauerkraut and Apple Slices
• Breakfast: Veggie Scramble and Sprouted Toast w/Butter

Always a treat to share ideas and healthy recipes! Let’s give thanks to the Lord for providing us the opportunity to nourish our families in this way! See you in two weeks!

Joyfully Serving HIM, Kelly @ The Nourishing Home

Leave a Comment | Filed Under: Gluten Free, Healthy Eating, Meal Planning, Real/Whole Food, Recipes

About Kelly Smith

Kelly loves the Lord, her family, and sharing her passion for real food cooking and meal planning with others. She is a full-time homemaker who loves spending time with her awesome hubby and two sweet boys. Kelly's real food journey began four years ago when she was diagnosed with a chronic auto-immune disorder. Since then, the Lord has blessed her with an amazing recovery - a testament to His grace and the health benefits of eating real food. Kelly shares her knowledge and love for whole food cooking at The Nourishing Home, Facebook and Google.

What Does It Mean to Wait on the Lord?

May 25, 2013 By Misty Krasawski

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

I’m not very good at waiting.

It stresses me out when there are decisions to be made … and they haven’t been made yet. When we’re going on vacation … but there are three weeks until we leave. When we’ve been to the doctor … and have to wait on test results. And when the water takes too long to boil. That’s pathetic, but there, I said it.

It’s no fun to wait, and I don’t think there’s anyone I know who would say they like it!

I’ve been thinking about this verse a lot lately (which may or may not be because I’m in great need of strength!) It seems to be saying that when strength is in need of renewal, the prerequisite is that dreaded word … wait. And so what does it look like to wait upon the Lord?

Well, when one sits down at a restaurant, there is a waiter. And the waiter’s job is basically … well, to wait! First they wait until you tell them what you want. Then they go get it for you. They bring you what you asked for, then ask if you want anything else. And for the rest of your time there, they sortof hover around a bit, watching to see what you might need or want–more water? Ketchup (in those fancy places)? A new napkin?

It occurred to me that maybe we ought to think of ourselves as waiting on the Lord in that way. Keeping close to Him. Waiting and watching. If we truly drew near–really got close to Him, what would we notice? What’s on His heart? What can we see needs to be done, retrieved, or brought to Him? What are His wishes? How can we serve?

There’s more here, too. Baby eagle wings are fluffy and cute. But they’re not much for flying. The verse previous to this one tells us, “even young men grow weary and vigorous young men stumble badly.” (The mamas of young men said, Amen.) But those who wait on the Lord … in other words, those who give God time! Those who have grown older in their waiting. While we wait, our wings grow. They become less cute, sure; but they also become useful. Only time allows the development of the long, sturdy feathers that allow us to mount up over circumstances and go long distances. The wings of an eagle are especially designed to allow them to soar on warm air drafts using little or no energy. When we wait on God, wait to hear His heart and His plans for us, when we resist following our inclination to be “busy” and “do something” that’s all our own idea, we give ourselves an opportunity to mature.

And perhaps that is the greatest gift of waiting on the Lord … a little more time to grow up.

Are you in need of strength today? How hard is it for you to wait on the Lord?

Blessings, Misty

2 Comments | Filed Under: Following God, Hope, Prayer, Uncategorized

About Misty Krasawski

Misty Krasawski is the overly-blessed mom of eight children, six of whom she still homeschools in sunshiney Florida. Her wonderful husband Rob has much treasure laid up for him in heaven for having been called to the daunting task of leading them all. She also is the Community Director and a contributing writer at MomHeart Online, hostess of an online mentoring program for moms called Titus 2 University, author of Back to Homeschool, and is a regular contributor to Home Educating Family Magazine as well as Heart of the Matter Online . She writes when the house goes to sleep at Encouraging Beautiful Motherhood, and would love for you to find her on Twitter and Facebook.

Do You Really Trust God?

May 24, 2013 By Amy Bayliss

I have struggled and struggled recently with the ability to fully trust God. I never truly realized the extent to which I wrestled with Him over even the simplest of things.

“Amy. I will protect the boys. Trust me.”

I hear that and immediately begin to think, “Yeah but God you don’t know how they are. I mean, one minute they are reading classic literature and the next they are trying to do a “kick flip” and a “lolly” on a skateboard. I don’ t know about you God but I don’t even know what a “lolly” is but it just doesn’t sound good! I mean…”

“Amy,” He says, “Trust me.”

As I’m thinking this my son runs in to tell me he just did an “ollie” but that he won’t try it again for a while because he almost hurt himself but he was quick to tell me, “I didn’t though ’cause God loves me and takes care of me, huh mom?’

“And a little child shall lead.” eh? All I could do is throw up my hands and say, “Okay God. You have my attention.”

“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”
Matthew 17:20

As I meditated over scripture and asked for revelation of what God wanted to show me I began to pace the floor and pray. Then I heard Him tell me to sit down.

“What? You want me to sit down, God? Ooookaaaaay.”

So I sat down in the nearest chair and started to initiate a dialogue between God and I about why He had a need for me to sit down in the chair and that is when He dropped it into my spirit.

I had more faith in the chair’s ability to sustain me than I did in God’s ability to sustain me. I never questioned whether or not the chair would hold me, or if it had a flaw in it somewhere, or whether or not it had secure footing. I certainly didn’t question whether or not it loved me enough to hold me up. I just sat. I simply trusted. I didn’t walk around and test all of the chairs to see which was the strongest or which seemed better for the job. I had more faith in a random inanimate object than I did in my loving and eternal, living God. How big is that mustard seed?

God also showed me that another root of not trusting or having no faith is pride. Pride in my ability to make what I perceive to be better decisions than God, faster response time than God, and more love for my children than God. Yes, I truly thought, and said it often, nobody loves them like I do. I didn’t mean to include God in this but obviously in my heart I had.

I wish I could tell you that I immediately repented but I didn’t. In fact, this happened a couple of years ago and I just recalled it recently while I was once again struggling with my ability to trust Him. I repented. I am moving forward. And now just to make Him laugh I shake and push on my chairs almost every time before I sit in them. *BIG smile* He loves me!

“You shall have no other gods before me.”
Deuteronomy 5:7

You see, the funny part about my chair shaking escapades is that I knew clearly that I didn’t worship a chair or put more trust in it than in God. What I had begun to realize was that my faith was in me. My trust was in me. I knew the chair would hold me because I had sat in it before. I trusted me and that is why I now had a problem trusting God. The false God? It was myself.

{now weeping and face down on the carpet}

God, forgive me for putting more faith and trust in myself than in you. You are my father, my creator, the love of my life. Forgive me for thinking that I am the only one who had my best interests at heart. I will wholeheartedly try to die to self each and every day and grow in you. Please help me to do that. Thank you for being such an awesome and loving example. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

3 Comments | Filed Under: Uncategorized

About Amy Bayliss

In her home, Amy is the sole expert on all things pretty and organized. She's proud to be married to Ryan, a 6'5" hunk who's a pro at tackling all of her home improvement projects. She's also known as mama to four rambunctious boys who range in age from 1-14. It takes some pretty creative engineering to keep her home in order but she does it with style and can teach you to do the same.

You can find great ideas and projects from Amy at her blogging home: AmyBayliss.com. You can also follow her on Twitter and keep up with her daily mischief on Facebook.

Did you teach them?

May 23, 2013 By Elisa

I suppose it is normal to have a sobering sense of time when you look up from your desk, caught off guard by the young woman walking through the door, only to realize it is your own daughter.

When did she grow up?

I feel like I just tucked the 4T dresses away for her little sister. Wasn’t it only yesterday when she insisted on wearing sports shorts and a t-shirt, all-the-time? Now she’s dressed like she’s ready to step into the world of business movers and shakers. That’s what dress code looks like on a nearly fully matured teenager’s body.

In only a blink, I am sure she’ll be walking back out that door and into the world God is waiting for her to explore. And I am left to wonder.

Did I teach her the most important lessons of all?

Did I model authentic faith? Did I share with her the awesomeness of God and proclaim His glory in my worship, praise, and prayers? Did I show her what to do with unbelief, letting her know it is okay to cry out to God in doubt but walk faithfully anyways? Have I given her a taste of my whole faith, even the messy parts, because isn’t life messy? Won’t she be a doubting Thomas at times, too? But it is my prayer for her to echo Mary’s words more often, “My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…” (Luke 1:46-47).

In the very blink frozen by my thoughts, I turn my heart to the Lord and stare down Proverbs 3:5-6. It was the very first verse my daughter had to memorize when she entered kindergarten and the very first verse I really sunk my knees deep into prayer over the life of my children.

Oh Lord, may they trust in you with all their heart, and lean not on their own understanding. In all their ways may they submit to you, O God, and may You make their paths straight.

It’s been a prayer for my littles, spoken so many times in gasps of, “Oh Lord. Help them to submit. Dear God, make them stay the straight way.” But in this moment of window gazing and wonderment of time, the Lord whispered to me a new way to use this passage of Truth. He asked me…

Did you teach them to trust me?
Did you teach them how to give their heart to me?
Did you teach them to not lean on their own understanding?
Did you teach them to live set apart?
Did you teach them to pay attention to me?
Did you teach them to follow my ways?
Did you teach them how to live on the straight path?

Did I teach them?

It’s now my accountability checklist for the remainder of my motherhood journey. Not so that I’d feel bound up in condemnation, but so that I’d really pour into the years left with her and her siblings. It’s a tool to help me evaluate my time, offering the Holy Spirit a good old fashion moment of silence as I step away from the screens to face my Maker.

Oh sure, it makes me squirm on days when the answer is “No, Lord. I didn’t.” But because of His grace and the mercies bestowed each morning, I can embrace living with an momma heart, eternally bent. It’s the best thing I can do for my children — to give them Jesus in a faith that’s still being learned — while they are still young enough to teach.

:: click here to download a copy of Did You Teach Them to encourage you
and a printable version of Proverbs 3:5-6 ::

Blessings,

Elisa, MoreToBe.com

10 Comments | Filed Under: Boys, Girls, Parenting, Special Needs, Teens, Toddlers, Uncategorized Tagged With: Elisa Pulliam, motherhood, Proverbs 3:5-6, Teaching

About Elisa

Elisa is a trained biblical life coach, mentor, and speaker passionate about equipping women to experience authentic life change for the sake impacting the next generation. She leads More to Be, a ministry committed to raising up mentors and providing resources for tweens, teens, twenty-somethings, and women. Elisa is also the author of Impact My LIfe: Biblical Mentoring Simplified. She considers her first calling as wife to Stephen and mother to her house-full of children. Her favorite days begin on the porch with the Lord and end on the beach with her family and friends. Connect with Elisa at www.elisapulliam.com