100 Days of Real Food Challenge Week 7: Real food journey inspires new recipes

Homemade trail mix, including local raisins, raw almonds and gluten-free chocolate chips.

I can't believe we are winding down Week 7. I haven't had quite as much time for blogging as I would have hoped but our family has stayed pretty consistent with our commitment to the 100 Days of Real Food Challenge. The biggest personal challenge was to move my kids away from eating packaged snacks (even organic ones) throughout the day and to make more snacks from scratch or just incorporating raw veggies and fruits into their routine.

I'll admit there have been times where I've felt like cursing this challenge. It's so much easier to grab a box of crackers, a bar or Annie's Gummy Bunnies to-go. This type of real food snacking requires planning ahead, lots of chopping and a mama sticking to her guns even when she feels tired. I do believe my girls our in major growth spurts right now, which means they are hungry every hour; I need to be prepared!

Slowly but surely my kids are getting retrained to eat real foods as their mainstays. Some of our fave new snacks include homemade trail mix, carrots/zucchini sticks with homemade ranch, popcorn and hard-boiled eggs.

Community brunch, including fruit kebobs, buckwheat waffles with berry sauce and walnuts, pumpkin baked oatmeal, raisins and homemade mocha-honey coffee drinks.

Now that I have a first grader who needs to be at school by 8:05 a.m., I don't have time for my casual get-up-and-make-what-you're-in-the-mood-for breakfasts. I have to prep breakfasts the night before and even on the weekends to keep up with the new routine. This means boiling eggs, mixing muffin batter and freezing chopped fruit for the morning smoothies.

When we can afford the time, we love big brunches on the weekends. We've enjoyed some fun community meals, pooling ideas and resources like this brunch pictured above. A few families got together and we created these Buckwheat Waffles and brought the rest of the meal potluck-style. It's surprising what we can come up with when we have friends on the journey with us!

Our own version of a real food lunch includes a gluten-free almond waffle sandwich with peanut butter and a fruit salad made of seasonal fruits like grapes and pluots.

This is my first year packing a lunch for one of my kiddos. My Meilani brings her lunch to school every day. I've tried to enlist her help with the choosing and the prep so she feels excited about what she pulls out of her box. She has a "kid-safe" knife from Chefs Academy that she uses to help chop her own fruit for salad. We also stole an idea from the 100 Days of Real Food blog and now make waffle or pancake sandwiches. Meilani is a big fan! Since our family has shown a sensitivity to wheat, this is a great way to create a "gluten-free" sandwich for my girl.

The whole family can get in on assembling tacos using in-season veggies as the main and little meat for garnish. These Butternut Squash & Chipotle Chicken Tacos were a keeper.

Our dinners have also turned to focus on more veggies in season. Fall is just around the corner and we recently created these Butternut Squash & Chicken Tacos. We sauteed the chicken and chopped butternut squash in coconut oil with a little chipotle powder. Then we cut up butter lettuce and added our new favorite Cilantro-Lime Dressing. The kids had fun building their own tacos on Trader Joe's corn tortillas.

Over the weekend our friends made us Kale & Bean Tacos - a new vegetarian, protein-packed version of tacos that we all enjoyed. Last night my hubby made tacos while I was out for a long run. We called them "Everything Tacos" and used all the veggies we had in the fridge, including avocados (ok, technically a fruit), sauteed eggplant, onions and yellow heirloom tomatoes. One boneless chicken breast for all of our tacos when it wasn't the main focus. Those were some yummy, colorful tacos too!

Looking for some ideas on meal plans? Here are some of our October Meal Plans with links to our fave recipes to spark some inspiration. Bon appetit!

 October 1-7 Health-full Menu Plan

October 8-14 Health-full Menu Plan

April Menu Plans

I love spring! From a culinary point of view, spring has gorgeous colors to add to your cooking and great options for healthy eating. Our family is crazy about spring asparagus and eagerly anticipates the first taste of sweet spring strawberries. We have come to love spring sweet peas and use fresh basil year round.

I'm sharing with you two weeks worth of Spring Menus to encourage you to plan ahead on your menus and shopping. Explore some new flavors this month! If you're interested in any of the recipes, please let us know. Please share if you have a fave meal that uses spring produce. We're always looking for new ideas.

Sunday
Roast Beef with Spicy Tomato Parsley Sauce
Roasted Asparagus
Rice Pilaf
Lemon Cream Puffs

Monday - Creative Crockpots
Taco Soup
Tortilla Chips & Salsa
Green salad with corn and tomatoes


Tuesday - Vegetarian
Crunchy Peanut Pasta
with Sugar Snap Peas, Red Peppers & Carrots

Wednesday
South African Bobotie
Jasmine Rice

Thursday
Asian Beef Short Ribs
Broccoli
Quinoa

Friday
Thai Chicken Pizza
Salad

Saturday
Luscious Leftovers

Sunday
Beef Strogonoff
served over Whole Wheat Rotini

Monday - Vegetarian
Caesar Salad
Asparagus Lasagna

Tuesday
Indian Butter Chicken
Basmati Rice
Garlic Naan

Wednesday
Small Group: Side Dish
Marsala Carrots

Thursday
Pesto Penne with Chicken Sausage
Butter Beans
Honey-Whole Wheat Bread

Friday
Luscious Leftovers

Saturday
Kale & Chicken Sausage Soup
Lemon-rosemary Biscuits
Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

Meal Planning for Busy Mamas

Recently I had the opportunity to share with a group of MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) ladies some of my thoughts on Meal Planning. The following is an outline of what I shared. My small disclaimer is that I can only share about my journey and then encourage you all on yours. You don't have to plan meals the way I do. My hope is that you can take away from this something small - a new goal, a new recipe, a new way of thinking about food, grocery shopping, even cooking.

Where I Begin:
On Thursday and Friday I start thinking about what I'm in the mood to eat. It starts with you. If you're not interested in eating what you cook, why would your family be? I peruse food magazines, cookbooks from the library or from my personal collection and even recipe web sites on a regular basis to get my taste buds working. I love EatingWell.com and FoodNetwork.com. I always check out what Giada de Laurentis and Ellie Krieger from Food Network are making. My friend Allison swears by AllRecipes.com because they have a spot where you can enter ingredients you have or even ones you want to avoid and tons of recipes pop up.

The Plan:
I write out my Meal Plans each week in a calendar I can carry around. If you're more of a computer person, check out PlanToEat.com or other similar sites that allow you to make and store grocery lists and a calendar of meal plans. I love being able to flip through my personal calendar (even when the internet is down!) and remind myself of what we ate last month.

As I plan I am always very aware of our schedule. As the mama of two, caretaker of two more and a coach's wife to boot it's really important that I take into account the busy evenings when I won't have lots of cooking time. I teach a college course on Monday nights so I can't even serve the meal then. That said, we do make dinner a priority on other nights and try our best to eat as a family.

I think in these categories of meals:

Creative Crockpots - These are fast meals that I can dump in the crockpot in the morning when I know we are headed to a meeting or track event. I love Pomegranate Beef or Taco Soup and I'm discovering more off blogs.

Super Soups & Chilis - These are one-pot meals that I serve up at least once a week when the weather is cooler. In summer months, this category changes to One-dish Pastas. These might include our Pumpkin Party Soup in fall when the pumpkins are ripe and in season or Italian Wedding Soup when greens are growing everywhere in our winter garden. Sometimes I'll even make a soup or chili and freeze half or double the batch so I can have it for lunches too.

Dinner for Company - We love to entertain. We host a Cooking Club at our house once a month and we meet with a Life group of three other families every other week where we share dinner. We also host my parents for a meal three times a week (and they pitch in some for groceries.) These meals are ones I might spend a little more time preparing. I like to try ethnic foods like Indian Butter Chicken or Ethiopian Lentil Sauce.

Vegetarian - This is a newer category for us. In 2010, our goal is to eat 2-3 vegetarian meals a week. We aren't entirely against meat. (I grew up a total carnivore!) However, we do think our body needs a good veggie cleanse on a regular basis so I'm trying out some new vegetarian dishes this year with that end in mind.

Batch Cooking - This category includes meals that I make (usually on the weekends) in big batches. For example, I make a batch of my mom's Italian Meat Sauce with Manicotti and it will last for several meals. I might make two Rainbow Vegetarian Lasagnas at a time and freeze one or I make Whole Wheat Pizza dough and freeze 3/4 of it for lunches or Friday nights. This saves me gobs of time. I can just thaw something from the freezer and heat it up on the busier nights or nights when this mama is just plain tired.

Don't shop 'til you Drop:
As I write down my meal plans, I start a grocery list at the same time. Throughout the week, I keep a running list of pantry items we're out of like salad dressings, whole wheat tortillas or juice. Then I add in what we'll need for dinners. Just making a list is a step toward saving money. If you just browse the grocery aisles, you will end up with a bunch of stuff in your cart that you don't need or can't afford. Don't get me wrong, I sometimes take "field trip" grocery outings and allow myself time to check things out. But more often than not I'm speeding down the aisles with two kids in tow trying to find what I need.

Where I spend my loot:
My grocery shopping always starts with our local farmer's market. I am blessed to have a market just a few miles from my house that is open every Wednesday evening and Saturday morning year round. Unless we are out of town, it's a family ritual to go to the market on Saturdays and buy our organic produce and raw milk. I also weekly go to Trader Joe's. No, they did not pay me to say this but it is the best store in Fresno. I've done my homework and TJ's has the best deals on fresh, organic or local, minimally-processed foods. If I can't get it at the market, I usually get it at Trader Joe's. My goal between the market and TJ's is to spend $100 a week for our family of four. I also spend $100-125 more at Costco and Winco. I shop at Costco for organic snacks for my kids and big box items like tomato sauce. I shopt at Winco for their bulk section. That's where I buy our month's supply of dried beans, rice, nuts and even fresh-pressed peanut butter for the granola I make. My husband will eat this for every breakfast if I can keep the container full. I also sometimes check out Whole Foods for specialty items or a new store in our area called Fresh & Easy.

I generally do the market on Saturday and then head to TJ's on Sunday or Monday, depending on our schedule. Some regularity to grocery shopping also helps the budget. If you plan a week or two at a time then you won't be running out at the last minute for that one item.

Cooking:
For those of you who know me you know I love to cook. Cooking is my stress relief. I recognize that cooking stresses some people out. Cooking does stress me out when I'm tired, have three kids hanging on my clothes and I'm rushing to a meeting. Meal Planning does relieve some of that stress so you aren't deciding on a meal in the midst of the craziness. I also suggest maximizing weekend time or evening time when you are not stressed to plan ahead for other meals. My daughter and I often mix up batches of muffins and granola on a Sunday night to prepare for the week. We enjoy this time together.

The bottom line is: have fun. Share resources with friends. Check out new meal options. Ask questions. Leave us a comment. We love to chat on this topic. Happy Meal Planning!

January Menus

January 26 - 31
A friend gifted us with a whole box of butternut squash so one our tasks for this week is thinking up creative ways to use butternut squash in our meals. According to a book we have called The Doctor's Book of Food Remedies By Selene Yeager, squash has some great healing properties to prevent lung problems (asthma) and reduce the risk of endometrial cancer. Squash is high in vitamin C, low in calories and a good source of fiber. Butternut squash is in the winter squash family, including acorn and hubbard. These squashes and pumpkin can be substituted for each other in a lot of recipes. Last week's New World Chili also uses butternut squash.

sun
Baby Greens salad with artichokes, carrots and tomatoesw
Stuffed Manicotti
Sauce with Meatballs
Homemade Wheat Bread
Chocolate-mint No-Pudge Brownies

mon
Lulu kebob sandwiches in Pita Bread
Quinoa with yogurt sauce
Salad

tues
Happy Chinese New Year!
Wonton soup
Crockpot Cinnamon Beef
over Rice Stick noodles
Sauteed Bok Choy

wed
Butternut Squash soup
Honey-cornbread muffins

thurs
Small Group Side Dish:
Butternut squash risotto

fri
Chicken Marsala with mushrooms
Steamed purple broccoli with walnuts
Baby Greens salad

sat
Tahoe Joe's
Missions Dinner


January 18 - 25

Lots of mamas have been asking me about one-dish meals, crockpot faves and soups. This week's menus focuses specifically on these. Let us know if you're interested in any of the recipes. Buon Appetito!

sun
Luscious leftovers

mon
Pecan-crusted Halibut with pesto sauce
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with pomegranate seeds
Quinoa

tues
Crockpot New World Chili
Honey-Corn Muffins

wed
Indian-spiced Chicken Thighs
Yogurt sauce
Basmati Rice
Split pea dahl

thurs
Organic blue tortilla chips and salsa
Tortilla soup with cilantro, sour cream and cheese
Salad with black olives, avocadoes and tomatoes

fri
Family Pizza night
Artichoke & Sundried tomato pizza
No-pudge brownies

sat
Garlic-herb bread
Salad with feta cheese, pomegranate seeds & vinaigerette
Chicken Parmesan over
Whole Wheat Rotini

January 11 - 17

This week's menus are comfort foods at their best. Consider making a vegetarian lasagna with fresh winter produce. Leftovers can be frozen for another meal on a busy weeknight or you might even consider making two and freezing the second if you have a larger family. Our Friday night meal will be a crockpot roasted turkey which will again provide great leftovers to apply to next week's soup or enchiladas.

sun
Taco Fiesta
Crockpot shredded chicken
Refried beans
Lettuce, Tomatoes, Sour Cream
Homemade Guacamole & Chips

mon
Grilled Mahi Mahi with Mushroom Vinaigerette
Roasted Corn
Leftover Gouda Spinach Mac & Cheese

tues
Rainbow Vegetarian Lasagna
with Butternu squash, red peppers and spinach
Whole Wheat baguette

wed
Roasted Salmon with Pesto sauce
Quinoa with onions
Steamed Broccoli

thurs
SMALL GROUP
Dessert: Mint Cookie Trifle

fri
Roasted Turkey
Wild Rice Pilaf with Pomegranate Seeds

sat
Tomato-Basil Bisque
Baby Greens salad with Gorgonzola & Pears
Homemade Foccocia Bread



January 4-10

We're kicking off the New Year with some healthy dishes that are not only easy on the body but also on the wallet. One shopping tip is to purchase beans and whole grains in bulk and use them to make your meal more hearty. For example, a protein-packed meal like falafel sandwiches is very inexpensive to make, yet very filling for your family. Check out Pacific Grain & Foods on Shaw Ave. in Fresno for some great bulk deals.

sun
Artichoke & Fire Roasted Yellow & Red Pepper Sauce
Served over Whole wheat rotini
Spinach salad with chopped eggs and grape tomatoes

mon
Crockpot Beef & Barley Stew
with potatoes, kale and carrots

tues
Giada's Tomato & Canellini Bean Soup
Three sead Baguette Bread

wed
Grilled Halibut Tacos
with Guacamole
Brown rice

thurs
Falafel Pita sandwiches
with Cucumber-Yogurt sauce
Greek salad with olives, grape tomatoes and feta

fri
Caesar salad
Dorina's Eggplant Parmesan with Marinara Sauce
Garlic Bread

sat
Deceptively Delicious Cooking Club
Baby Greens salad
Parmesan Chicken Nuggets
Gouda Spinach Mac & Cheese
Brownies

December Menus

sun
Italian Wedding Soup
Baby Greens salad with Asian pears, gorgonzola cheese & carmelized red onions
Sourdough, wheat and cranberry-walnut breads
Pita Piatta pastry

mon
Chinese food out
in San Jose

tues
Christmas leftovers
Twice-baked potatoes
Pot Roast
Maple-glazed carrots

wed - New Year's Eve
Dinner out at Lucy's Lair Ethiopian restaurant
in Fresno

Christmas week has arrived! This is one of our favorite times of year for healthy culinary delights. Dorina's Italian family has lots of cooking traditions like a special family recipe for Fish soup made with Bacalau for Christmas Eve. This soup is a luscious meal in itself and we couple it with homemade breads and appetizers. We also have incorporated some traditions from our brother-in-law Steven's family - homemade ravioli on Christmas Day for the first course of the big meal. We've added our own twist this year by tweaking the traditional ricotta filling. We're trying it with a butternut squash and mascarpone cheese filling. We tried it out for a Cooking Contest a few weeks ago and it was a winner! Yum-o!

sun
Zucchini cakes with Cilantro dressing
Grilled salmon
Corn on the cob
Mashed potatoes

mon
Bok Choy
Green chicken curry over Lemon noodles

tues
Dinner at Mom & Dad's:
Chicken Tetrazzini
Italian Bread

wed
CHRISTMAS EVE:
Baked Brie with cranberries & pecans on whole wheat crackers
Italian Fish Soup
Nana's homemade Honey Wheat Bread
Christmas Apple Galette

thurs
CHRISTMAS BRUNCH:
Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls
Savory Amaranth Souffle
Tropical Fruit Salad
Eggnog & Hot Apple Cider

CHRISTMAS SUPPER
Phyllo Sundried Tomato-spinach Triangles (Armenian Cheese Boereg)
Homemade Butternut squash ravioli
Green salad with Pomegranate seeds, Goat cheese and Sliced oranges
Chicken Marsala
Broccoli with maple walnuts
Mint Holiday Trifle
Christmas cookies
Peppermint Hot chocolate & Sparkling Pomegranate Juice

fri
Chinese Chicken Salad
Wonton soup
Apple-Cranberry Crisp with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

sat
Gift Exchange Dinner at Mom & Dad's:
Stuffed mushrooms
Roast Beef
Turkey bacon-wrapped Asparagus
Grandma's Rice Pilaf
Chocolate Lava Cakes
Pizzelle cookies with Ice cream

As we go into the holiday season, we're looking for that perfect combination of warm, healthy meals that we can get on the table quickly and show-stopper dinner party fare. This week, our menu includes a mix of both. We're gearing up for the Wednesday Christmas Tree Lane cooking contest at our friends' house and the Saturday Cooking Club party at our house with a French flair.
Bon appetit!

sun
Tri-tip
Pilaf
Steamed Zucchini & cheese

mon
Green salad with tomatoes, cucumbers & feta
"More-Please" Meatloaf
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pomegranate Seeds

tues
Italian Sausage & Kale Soup
Flaxseed Whole Wheat Bread

wed - Cooking Contest
Butternut Squash Ravioli
with Alfredo Sauce

thurs - Dorina Dinners Special
Teriyaki Salmon with Pineapple Salsa
Brown Rice
Sauteed Bok Choy
Persimmon Cookies

fri
Luscious Leftovers

sat - Cooking Club Christmas Party
Cheese Puffs/Gougeres
French Onion Soup
Endive, Pear & Roquefort Salad
Basque Chicken Stew
Buche de Noel cake

December is here! For our family that means the commencement of a whole season of food and food-creating traditions. The weather here in Fresno still lingers in the 60s but even a little bit of fog and cool air makes me crave comfort foods like soups and stews. This week we're making good use of our turkey leftovers and adding lots of local produce still available at the local farmer's market. Bon Appetit!

sun
Caesar salad with baby greens
Soy-glazed salmon
Michelle's potato casserole
Corn on the cob

mon
Thanksgiving Leftovers:
Turkey & Stuffin'
Green Bean Casserole
Mom's Pilaf

tues
Spiced Apple Cider
Taco Soup
Chips and Guacamole
Harvest Apple Salad

wed
Baby greens salad with gorgonzola, persimmons and dried cranberries
Chicken Parmesan
served over whole wheat rotini Pasta
Chocolate Lava cakes

thurs
Sauteed Bok Choy
Teriyaki Burgers
Brown Rice

fri
Roasted Acorn Squash
Wild Rice & Barley Pilaf
Roasted Halibut with vanilla sauce

sat
New World Chili
Italian Foccocia Bread

November Healthy Menus

Looking for ideas for some homecooked meals with a healthy twist you can whip up for your family? This month's menus include some of the fall produce like persimmons, pomegranates, apples and greens. Try adding ground flaxseed to comfort foods like casseroles, stews and soups for that extra dose of omega-3 fatty acids. Dried cranberries are also a rich source of antioxidants for fighting colds and flus. Grab a handful for a snack. Add them to chicken salad for lunch. Or, try sprinkling them over a green salad.

Novebmer 16-22

sun
Italian Wedding Soup
Corn Bread
Green salad with tomatoes, radishes, carrots and cucumbers

mon
Green salad with persimmon, feta and pecans
Broccoli Mac & Cheese with Turkey Bacon
Leftover Soup

tues
Salmon with Persimmon salsa
Black Wild Rice pilaf
Sauteed Chard

wed
Guacamole & Organic tortilla chips
Black bean enchiladas with Green tomatillo sauce
Brown rice

thurs
Chili Pizazz
Cheesy whole wheat biscuits
Persimmon & Honey Cookies

fri
Baby greens salad with black olives, cherry tomatoes & Parmesan cheese
Spinach ravioli with Alfredo sauce
Foccocia bread

sat
Luscious Leftovers

November 9 - 15

sun
Salmon with Pepita-Lime Butter
Brown rice
Steamed carrots

mon
Baby Greens salad with tomatoes and black olives
Veggie Ratatouille Pasta

tues
Waldorf salad
Giada's Winter minestrone soup (We subsitute turkey bacon for the pancetta.)
Rosemary bread

wed
More-Please Meatloaf
Mashed sweet potatoes
Broccoli salad

thurs
Dorina's Killer Guacamole with organic tortilla chips
Chicken Fajitas with Persimmon salsa
Black Beans
Brown Rice

fri
Small Group Dinner:
Green Salad
Chicken Cacciatore
Whole Wheat Pasta

sat
Luscious Leftovers

November 2 - 8

sun
White Bean & Chicken Chili
Organic tortilla chips with cheese

mon
Honey-teriyaki Chicken
Millet Fried Rice
Sauteed Bok Choy

tues
Deep Dish Potato & Pumpkin Pie
Green Salad with Feta & Fuyu Persimmons

wed
Crockpot Beef & barley stew

thurs
Cross Country League Champs
Dinner out with Team

fri
Thai Chicken Coconut Soup
Stir-fried Veggies
Jasmine Rice
Thai-spiced Salmon

sat
Taste of Friendship event:
Spinach-stuffed Manicotti Shells
with Marinara Meat Sauce
Baby greens salad with feta, walnuts & dried cranberries

October Menus

sun
Balsamic-marinated tomato salad with basil
Flat bread pizzas with turkey pepperoni, green peppers & black olives

mon
Eggplant Parmesan
Tomato Meat Sauce

tues
Organic tortilla chips & salsa
Taco Salad with ground turkey, cheddar, cilantro

wed
Sesame Chicken Wings
Brown Rice
Sauteed Bok Choy

thurs
Lemon-herb Salmon
Baked Maple Acorn Squash


fri - Happy Halloween!
Green salad with green apples, pecans & goat cheese
Pumpkin Penne Pasta
Chicken sausage

sat
Luscious Leftovers

This week's fall menus include some of the new harvest vegetables from our local farmer's market, including eggplant, pomegranates, fuyu persimmons and a fat butternut squash I found. I love the color of fall vegetables and fruits mixed with the rich food aromas produced by braised lamb and curry dishes.

sun
Chicken & Corn Chowder
Honey Corn Bread Muffins
Green Salad

mon
Maple-Pecan Halibut
Mushroom Risotto
Green salad with fresh wax beans & cherry tomatoes

tues
Pomegranate-Spiced Lamb
Israeli Couscous
Butternut Squash

wed
Baby greens salad with fuyu persimmons & goat cheese
White Bean and Chicken Chili
Crusty Whole Wheat Bread

thurs
Eggplant Curry with Cilantro Yogurt
Basmati Rice
Multigrain Naan

fri
Lombardi's Italian restaurant
in Paso Robles
on the road to the Central Coast

sat
Brad's Seafood restaurant
Pismo Beach


One of my fave parts of fall are all the comfort foods like soups, chilis and baked entrees. This week we're bringing out a french fave - chicken cordon bleu, and an Italian standby - stuffed manicotti. Add Asian pears or apples to your salads or desserts now that they are appearing at the farmer's markets. Savor those crisp fall flavors!

sun
Chicken Sausage Jambalaya
Brown Rice

mon
Baby greens salad with Walnuts, Asian pears & Goat Cheese
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Sweet potato spoon bread

tues
Salad with Cherry tomatoes, black olives & parmesan cheese
Spinach-stuffed manicotti
Whole wheat Italian bread

wed
(Small Group)
Honey-Apple-Date Galette

thurs
Wheat Berry Salad
Vegetarian pizza with Zucchini, Red & Yellow Peppers, Feta

fri
Pecan-crusted Chicken Dinner Salad
Maple Roasted Acorn Squash
Sliced Fruit

sat
Luscious Leftovers

We're on the border of late summer sun and cooler fall temperatures. We still see an abundance of fresh produce at our farmer's market - plenty of plums, pluots, tomatoes, etc. - but some new "fall finds" are appearing as well like bok choy, apples and persimmons. This week our family has several outings where food is prepared for us. That means making smart choices. It's all about moderation when you're eating on the road. And the real dilemma...how to eat healthy and still have fun at the Fresno Fair...we'll skip the deep-fried twinkies.


sun
(Ocktoberfest Picnic)
Tri-tip
Pilaf
Salad
Bread

mon
Chicken Fajitas on Whole Wheat Tortillas
Organic tortilla chips with Salsa
Rice & Beans

tues
Caesar salad
Gnocchi with Tomato Meat Sauce
Crusty whole wheat bread

wed
Green Salad with Cherry tomatoes & cucumbers
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Sweet potato spoon bread

thurs
Lemon-Herb Tilapia
Sauteed summer squash
Risotto

fri
(Big Fresno Fair)
Gyros
Chicken Kebob
Cinnamon Roll

sat
(Cooking Club: Whole grains & Beans Bonanza)
Sundried tomato & white bean crostini
Wheat berry salad
Crispy white beans with Spinach
Crockpot tri-tip
Dairyless Chocolate Mouse
Dorina's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Menu Planner: September

If you're anything like me, the end of the month means digging in the fridge and freezer to see what's left that I can use. I actually love this opportunity to be creative until the next paycheck comes. Suppliment your meals with some inexpensive garden or farmer's market deals. This week I'm using up our yellow squash from the garden, some carrots I found in the bottom of the fridge, and some of the hearty grains I have in the freezer like barley. Let your crockpot be your friend this week and try out a few new things!

**(Please share your comments if you have ideas you use to spruce up your family's end-of-the-month meals.)

This week's menus:

Week #4

sun
Crockpot tri-tip
Mushroom risotto
Spinach salad with broccoli & carrots

mon
Coconut Curry Chicken (at Stacie & Forest's house!)
Basmati Rice
Salad

tues
Dorina's Tortilla Soup
Taco salad with cheese, beans & avocado

wed
Luscious Leftovers = Beef & Barley Stew

thurs
Spinach ravioli with Marinara Sauce
Chicken sausage & Sauteed squash
Homemade Whole Wheat Honey Bread

fri
HOMECOMING FOOTBALL GAME
tri-tip sandwiches
salad

sat
Sweet & Sour Turkey Meatballs
Leftover rice
Zuchinni & Yellow pepper stir fry

Week #3

sun
Teriyaki Burgers
Steamed Broccoli
Sliced Cantaloupe

mon
Peanut Chicken Satay Skewers
Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas
Brown rice

tues
Butternut squash lasagna
Caesar Salad
Whole Wheat sourdough bread

wed
Cumin Honey Grilled Lamb
Brussel sprouts with Walnut-Lemon Vinaigerette
Bulgar pilaf

thurs
Grilled salmon
Walnut pesto pasta with yellow squash
Baby Greens salad with goat cheese & grilled peaches

fri
Feta-Chicken Pizza
No-Pudge Peanut Butter Brownies

sat
Luscious Leftovers

Week #2:

sun
Baked Coconut Fish
Brown Rice
Macaroni Salad
Pineapple Cheesecake

mon
Salad greens with parmesan, olives, tomatoes
Organic Spinach Ravioli (new at Costco)
served with Alfredo sauce, chicken sausage and squash
Crusty Whole wheat bread

tues
Rice Chips & Guacamole
Green enchiladas topped with cheese
Refried beans
Mexican rice

wed
Luscious Leftovers*

thurs
Chik-Fil-A opens in Fresno!
Check it out & get a free chicken sandwich
or healthy kids' meal...

fri
Cindy's Famous Meatloaf
Smashed Potatoes
Steamed broccoli

sat
Garden Bounty Vegetable Soup
Homemade Whole Grain Bread
Baby Greens salad with avocado, corn and cherry tomatoes

Week #1:

sun
Eggplant parmesan
Whole wheat bread
Green salad with fresh tomatoes and feta cheese

mon
Crockpot Italian Beef Sandwiches
with Green peppers & onions

tues
Grilled honey-teriyaki chicken
Brown rice
Breaded zucchini spears
Watermelon

wed
Simple Summer Pasta
with Cherry tomatoes, olives and Fresh Mozarella
(Chicken Sausage)

thurs
Mahi Mahi Tacos
with Cabbage slaw &
Tropical salsa
Brown rice & black beans

fri
Vegetarian pizza
Peach Berry Crisp with
Vanilla Ice Cream

sat
Grilled Turkey-feta burgers
on Whole Wheat buns
with Fresh lettuce, tomato and cheddar cheese
Fruit Salad

May Menu Planner

We have a busy week ahead of us as my husband finishes his final week of school and we prepare for a big birthday party and then a camping vacation next week. This week's menus include meals for company on Sunday and Wednesday, two make-ahead quickie meals on Monday and Thursday and dinner out on Friday before graduation. (We'll include a review of this new Fresno restaurant in an upcoming post.) Buon Appetito!

SUNDAY:
Pilaf
Salad
Falafel sandwiches with tomatoes and yogurt sauce
Carrot & Cucumber sticks
Juice Popsicles

MONDAY:
Baby greens salad with goat cheese
Quiche (Turkey bacon, zucchini and green onions)

TUESDAY:
Traditional Lasagna
Salad

WEDNESDAY:
Zucchini cakes
Spinach salad with strawberries and goat cheese
Pita Bread with Hummus
Grilled chicken
Strawberry-rhubarb tart

THURSDAY:
Chicken Sausage Jambalaya
Brown Rice

FRIDAY:
Vegetarian Stars Restaurant

SATURDAY:
Meilani's Noah's Ark Birthday Party
Animal Crackers
Couscous-stuffed mushrooms
Turtle dip with veggie sticks
Animal Fruit skewers
Panini sandwiches
Frozen Banana Monkey Pops



We decided to spoil our mothers at home this year. We've had far too much eating out in the last few months for anniversaries, birthdays and other special events. We picked some recipes out of our favorite food mags and some of the old family secrets. Try these suggestions for a dinner party or special birthday. Save yourself time during the week and make an extra pan of eggplant parmesan on Sunday for another evening's leftovers.

SUNDAY/MOTHER'S DAY:
Asparagus-Ricotta tart
Eggplant Parmesan
Tomato meat sauce with meatballs
Sourdough wheat bread
Chocolate Honey Tart

MONDAY:
Luscious Leftovers

TUESDAY:
Mahi Mahi Fajitas
Guacamole
Black Beans

WEDNESDAY:
Zucchini "no-crab" cakes
Walnut Pesto Pasta
with tomatoes, olives and artichokes

THURSDAY:
Filipino Chicken Adobo
Brown Rice
Pancit Noodles

FRIDAY:
Hamburgers
Fruit Salad
Chocolate Zucchini Cake

SATURDAY/COOKING CLUB: COOKING FOR KIDS:
White bean dip with veggie sticks
Bagel Smiley Personal Pizzas
Cookie Cutter Fruit Shapes
Lemon Bug Cupcakes
Juicy Fruit Popsicles


The flavors of summer are starting to appear at the farmer's market and on our plates. We've moved much of our cooking to the grill and our dinners to the patio to enjoy the cooler Fresno nights. My cooking tip this week is to make some meals like enchiladas and stuffed manicotti that I can make in quantity and freeze or share with friends who have recently had babies and need a little extra help in the dinner department.

SUNDAY:
Thai Peanut Chicken skewers
Basmati Rice Blend
Asian salad

MONDAY:
Mahi Mahi Enchiladas
Spanish rice

WEDNESDAY:
Pizza (packed to go to the track meet)
-black olives, turkey pepperoni, green onions, green peppers

THURSDAY:
Thai Steak salad
Whole Grain Bread

FRIDAY:
Crockpot Beef Brisket
Gouda Mac & Cheese with Sweet Peas

SATURDAY:
Luscious Leftovers

Any questions? Need a recipe? Feel free to leave a comment or question.

March Menu Planner

Each week we will offer new ideas for planning a healthful dinner menu for your family. We will include one-dish meals, Farmer's market features and ethnic foods for the adventurers. These are all recipes we have created or tried from other sources. Feel free to steal our ideas & e-mail us with questions about recipes or feedback at dorinakailani@yahoo.com.

WEEK OF March 2-9

sun
Baby Salad with tomatoes, avocadoes
Trader Joe's Cheese & Herb Pizza Bread crust
Toppings: Chicken, Kale, cashews, black olives with Asiago cheese

mon
Beef & Barley Crockpot Soup
Sunflower & flaxseed bread

tues
Chicken Chorizo Jambalaya
Brown Rice

wed
Mahi Mahi with Meyer Lemon Herb Sauce
Roasted Asparagus
Israeli Couscous

thurs
Dinner out with Small Group

fri
Caesar salad
Eggplant Parmesan
Foccacia bread
Tiramisu

sat
Enchiladas Suizas with Tomatillo sauce
Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

January-February Menu Planner

Each week we will offer new ideas for planning a healthful dinner menu for your family. You can always return here for an archive of menus to browse through at your leisure. The newest line-up will be on the sidebar at the right and the notes from the last week will be here on a post. We will include one-dish meals, Farmer's market features and ethnic foods for the adventurers. We will also include links to recipes we find and notes on where to buy ingredients. Feel free to steal our ideas & e-mail us with questions about recipes or feedback at dorinakailani@yahoo.com.

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 24-March 1

sun
Spinach Spanokopitas
Baby Greens salad with pomegranate seeds & goat cheese
Garlic Italian Bread
Chicken Marsala with cheesy whole wheat shells

mon
Squash-topped cottage pies

tues
Spinach salad with strawberries & red onions
Chicken tortellini alfredo with red peppers & butternut squash
Mocha Chocolate Cake

wed
Lamb-lentil stew
Quinoa

thurs
Flat bread pizzas
Broccoli salad

fri
Maple Glazed Walnuts
Caesar Salad
Butternut squash lasagna
Turkey-beef meatballs
Rasberry-chocolate bread pudding

sat
Luscious Leftovers*

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 17-23

sun
minestrone soup (I love Giada's recipe minus the pancetta. You could substitute some turkey bacon for that meaty flavor if you're trying to avoid pork.)
Honey cornbread
Dark chocolate Lava cakes

mon
Feta lamb pita pocket sandwiches
Hummus dip
Cucumber-tomato salad

tues
Indian Tandoori-grilled chicken
Garlic Naan (purchased from Trader Joe's or a local Indian market)
Spinach-chickpea curry
Basmati Rice with Dried apricots and craisins(a long grain rice available at most grocery stores)
Yogurt Raitha (Meilani calls this "dip" or "deep" in her speak. It's a great yogurt sauce for cooling the spicy Indian flavors. Chop up some cucumbers or tomatoes and add it to plain yogurt for a quick version.)

wed
Crockpot lentil-turkey chili (I added some ground turkey to this lentil soup recipe and did it up in the crockpot.)
Whole wheat sourdough bread (They sell this in Fresno at Le Boulangerie in Fig Garden. Stop by between 5 to 6 p.m. and all the day's bread is half off. It's a steal!)

thurs
Tortellini with sun-dried tomato sauce
Roasted butternut squash
Baby greens salad with blood oranges & goat cheese

fri
Spinach & Artichoke Chicken pizza

sat
COOKING CLUB - Food 4 Red Hot Lovers
Chile Relleno appetizers
Kung Pao Chicken
Brown Jasmine Rice
Sauteed Bok Choy
Chili Brownies


WEEK OF FEBRUARY 10-16

sun
Crockpot beef stew
with potatoes, carrots & onions
Whole Wheat rolls

mon
Dorina's Tortilla Soup
served with blue corn tortilla chips, salsa, cilantro and sour cream
Mixed organic green salad with black beans, olives and cotija cheese

tues
Stuffed eggplant with quinoa, kidney beans, peppers & mozarella cheese

wed
African babootie
Brown Rice


thurs -Happy Valentines Day!
Filet mignon with gorgonzola cheese sauce
Italian mushroom risotto
Roasted orange cauliflower
Coconut chocolate chip cupcakes

fri
Cori's Kicked-up Chicken salad sandwiches
Chocolate Pizza

sat
Dorina's Mahi Mahi Green Enchiladas
Costa rican gallo pinto (beans & rice)

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 3-9

sun
Dorina's Rainbow Vegetarian Lasagna
with butternut squash and purple kale
Garlic Bread

mon
Maple-glazed Salmon
Zucchini "no crab" Cakes
Roasted potatoes with parmesan cheese

tues
Chicken Sausage Jambalaya
Brown Rice

wed
Thai chicken & Coconut Soup
Leftover Brown Rice

thurs
Turkey & Bacon Chowder
Whole Wheat Rolls

fri
Caesar Salad
Spinach-stuffed Manicotti Shells
Topped with Marinara Sauce
Herbed Foccocia Bread

sat
Roasted Acorn Squash and Gorgonzola Pizza
Baby Greens salad with sliced pears and walnuts
Whole Wheat Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

WEEK OF JANUARY 27 - FEBRUARY 2

sun
Dorina's Italian Chicken Sausage & Kale Soup (I've been reading lots of great stuff about kale and it's health benefits so I decided to make a soup that used this unique in-season veggie.)
Split pea dip & Trader Joe's Everything crackers (We have this dip and crackers on hand every day of the week. It's a great snack for kids while they are waiting for dinner or after an trip to the park when they're ravenous.)

mon
Tilapia with Purple Potato Crust and Chive Oil (I saw Giada making this one on her Food Network show and I wanted to lick the screen. So yummy, especially coupled with this adult mac & cheese.)
Gouda & Spinach Mac & Cheese

tues
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken (Whip up an easy marinade with one part honey to one part low-sodium soy sauce.)
Brown Jasmine Rice
Sauteed Bok Choy

wed
Spinach salad with dried cranberries, walnuts and goat cheese
Cumin, Honey and Mint-marinated Lamb Chops
Whole Wheat Couscous (available at Trader Joe's and other local groceries)

thurs
Whole wheat penne pasta with pesto sauce (I grow basil in my yard and freeze it for a quick pesto sauce during the cold days of winter. Fresh basil is also available at our local farmer's market or at Trader Joe's this time of year.)
Sauteed peppers & zucchini
Garlic Cheese Bread

fri
Asian Chicken salad

sat
Grilled Turkey Burgers (Why not try ground turkey for your next burger extravaganza. The taste is a little lighter and turkey is much healthier than most beef.)
Grilled Zucchini Spears with Goddess Dressing (I pretty much invent stuff to put my Goddess Dressing on. It's a mix of ranch with hummus taste because of the tahini. Just love it!)
Blue Corn Tortilla chips and Double Roasted salsa (Find these healthy munchies at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods.)


WEEK OF JANUARY 20 - 26
sun
Dorina's chili pizazz (See recipes in previous post)
Cornbread

mon
Roasted salmon with grapefruit shallot sauce (Looking for ways to use those grapefruits in your your yard or from your neighbors? This winner recipe is from Food Network's Ellie Krieger. It's a wonderful melding of light flavors with a spicy kick, depending on how much red pepper you add.)
Brussel sprouts with pistachios (I have never eaten brussel sprouts before and I'm definitely converted after trying this recipe in the Green Issue of Bon Appetit magazine. I'm wondering why this vegetable has such a stigma. They're great!)

tues
Garlic chicken quinoa stir fry (I found this recipe on the back of the quinoa box from Trader Joe's. This grain originally from the Incas in Peru is packed with flavor and protein.)
with peppers

wed
Grilled mahi mahi
Sweet potatoes with cranberries & walnuts
Sauteed Broccolini (A fabulous find at the Vineyard Farmer's Market in Fresno)
Harvest Blend pilaf (Find it at Trader Joe's)

thurs
Baby greens salad with cucumbers, red onion and mandarin oranges
Butternut squash lasagna (This recipe is to die for - although I did ditch the cookies??)
Whole wheat herb bread

fri
Make-your-own beef burritos
Brown Mexican rice
Whole grain tortilla chips & Guacamole

sat
Chicken Tikka masala (I am a sucker for tikka masala; I always order it when we go out to Indian food. Found this in one of my Ethnic Cookbooks and just had to try it.)
Naan (We get ours from Trader Joe's or a local Indian grocery store.)
Spinach & garbanzo curry (I looked this recipe up on Epicurious while the chicken was cooking and made it right away. It's a snap!)