The Menu

Because I have three small children, I try to serve meals that have a lot of color and are appealing to both kids and adults. I admit that I am lucky because Vivi is a great eater and the babies are also pretty enthusiastic about food so I haven't had to travel the limited culinary road of noodles and butter. Our general house rule is that you don't have to like it but you do have to try it. Oh, and if you have room in your belly for dessert, then you certainly can finish what is on your plate.

That being said, here is a sample menu for a week at our house. In the winter, I tend to make more soups and one pot comfort meals. In the summer, I make a lot of salads and sandwiches. There are examples of both in this menu.

Sunday: Fish, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans (We have fish about twice a month and I usually broil it with some olive oil, lemon, and herbs. I make a huge amount of mashed potatoes so I'll have lots of leftovers, and then saute green beans with almond slivers.)

Monday: Tacos and Corn (This meal is a huge hit. I put out taco shells, some sauteed, crumbled tofu, shredded spinach or lettuce, diced tomatoes, cheese, salsa, and homemade guacamole. We have corn on the side.)

Tuesday: Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie (I boil some lentils, chop and saute whatever vegetables I have on hand, mix them altogether with some salt, herbs, and broth, put leftover mashed potatoes on top of lentil mixture, grate some cheese on top of potatoes and throw it in the oven until heated through. I usually broil it for the last five minutes because I like the top to be crispy. This is a great one dish meal.)

Wednesday: Goat Cheese Omelets, Sauteed Greens, Crusty Bread

Thursday: Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce, Spinach Salad with Oranges and Red Onion (I doctor my Trader Joe's marinara with extra garlic and whatever else I have-- usually mushrooms. My husband makes the salad with our bulk spinach from BJs, a little onion, and some sliced oranges. He makes a simple lemon juice dressing and it is delicious!)

Friday: Pizza Night! (I make a whole wheat dough in the bread machine and then we just pile on the veggies. I usually have leftover spaghetti sauce from the night before which becomes our pizza sauce.

Saturday: Hummus, Tabbouleh, and Greek Salad (This is our go-to summer meal. Our garden is always full of lettuce, mint, and parsley so it's quite easy to throw together. You just have to remember to have your beans made in advance.)

I just realized I didn't do any crock pot examples so I'll share my favorite slow cooker meal in my next post. Hope this gives you some good ideas!