Yesterday I was the most productive I may have ever been. Got my weeklies cooked and 2 entrees! I think I love daylight savings time, at least in the fall when we get that ‘extra’ hour.

I’m obviously obsessed with orange veggies – especially pumpkin. Yum!

Muffin of the week: Fat Free Pumpkin Raisin Biscuits

Sweet of the week: Pumpkin Black Bottom Cupcakes

Lunch Soup of the week: Sweet Potato Chickpea Gumbo with Brown Rice

Monday: Vegetable Pot Pie

Tuesday: Slow cooker Polenta with marinara sauce

Wednesday: Wine-Braised Lentils with Garlic Sautéed Spinach

Thursday: Make up jewelry class – bring gumbo for dinner

Friday: Veggie burgers and Fries with broccoli slaw

Saturday: Veggie Chili with Cornbread

Sunday: Use leftovers in a soup or a pot pie

I love Halloween! It’s my favorite holiday. I always have a fancy Gothic dinner party – you can read more about this year’s here.  On the dinnerware blog there’s also tons about decorating and drink ideas for Halloween.

Muffin of the week: Pumpkin Muffins

Cookie of the week: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lunch Soup of the week: Cauliflower Tomato Soup made with leftovers from this recipe

Monday: Leftover veggie loaf coffins and spook-tacular potatoes from my Halloween dinner party

Tuesday: Wine-Braised Lentils with Garlic Sautéed Spinach

Wednesday: Dinner out with Faith and Christy

Thursday: Sweet Potato, Okra, and Chickpea Gumbo and cornbread

Friday: Jack-o-lantern quesidillas – filled with mashed potato mixed with Trader Joe’s edamame succotash and salsa

Saturday: Butternut Squash Sage Pasties, spinach salad with roasted beets

Sunday: Pizza with salad

I love fall. I have the windows open to the fresh air, and have major cravings for swiss chard, kale, apples, soups and pumpkin in everything!

This is my second week of making a batch of muffins for my morning sweet fix. I’ve been sneaking in flax and oat bran for good measure.

I also decided I need a cookie fix and I had leftover canned pumpkin – the soft pumpkin pecan cookies are crazy good – very cakelike with a decadent brown sugar glaze.

To counteract the cookies I have a super healthy soup for lunch. The red kale is so pretty and it was a great way to use some of the last of the basil from my garden.

Muffin of the week: Low fat Apple Walnut Muffins

Cookie of the week: Soft Pumpkin Pecan Iced Cookies

Lunch Soup of the week: Red Kale and White Bean Soup

Monday: Leftover Pasta with pumpkin mushroom sauce (I will post recipe later). It’s a combo of these recipes and my own touch: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=550003# and http://www.momadvice.com/blog/2009/09/creamy-pumpkin-pasta.html

Tuesday: Tofu stir-fry with bok choy, and other greens in a soy ginger sauce with green beans in black bean sauce and steamed dumplings

Wednesday: Chickenl-ess Parmigiano with vegan Cesar salad and garlic bread

Thursday: Slow cooker Lentil Chard Soup or Curried lentil with greens soup

Friday: Homemade biscuits and veggie sausage gravy

Saturday: Gumbo of some kind – maybe z’Herbes

Sunday: Clean out the fridge veggie soup made in the slow cooker and fresh bread recipe from sparkpeople

Sorry for disappearing. Let’s just say too much money was spent and there was an eating out frenzy that’s made my budget look like the dog chewed it.

So here I go with the basics – menu planning. Over and over again it proves itself to be invaluable!

Fall is the perfect time to pull out the slow cooker if you haven’t used it in awhile. Take a look at a few of my favorites, and see if there are any you want to add to your menu plan this week.

I also recommend spinach salads for the week. Buying a large container of pre-washed baby spinach is a great investment. Not only does it keep longer than baby lettuce, when it’s at the end you can saute it, add to pasta sauces and even sneak some on sandwiches to add extra fiber and vitamins.

Monday: Minestrone and spinach salad (recipe near the bottom of linked post)

Tuesday: Refried Bean Tacos in blue corn shells with chorizo Spanish couscous over a romaine salad

Wednesday: Cauliflower curry potato curry with dahl over basmati brown rice and naan

Thursday: Grilled Pizza and salad

Friday: Pepper steak with steamed brown rice and wonton soup

Saturday: Chickenl-ess Parmigiano with vegan Cesar salad and garlic bread

Sunday: Clean out the fridge veggie soup made in the slow cooker and fresh bread recipe from sparkpeople

Since I’m actually going to the gym I need to plan quick and easy food for Tuesday and Thursday.  I ate at home more last week, but hope to up it even more this week.

Breakfasts will be vanilla yogurt covered with berries and even more fruit (maybe a whole wheat English muffin as well). Lunches will be wraps with hummus or veggie blt filling. I’m also planning on grabbing a few things from the freezer to fill out lunch. I ate some yummy chicken-less and stars soup today. It’s nice to have something I liked the first time!

Monday: Creamy, Lemony Asparagus and Veggie Whole Wheat Spaghetti with balsamic marinated heirloom tomatoes over arugula from tiny farm

Tuesday: Potato Kale Enchiladas with cheater canned re-fried beans on the side (made in the slow cooker and freeze some for next month)

Wednesday: Big cooked veggie salad – roasted beets, sweet potatoes, green beans roasted in the slow cooker with fresh herbs and served over lettuce and couscous

Thursday: Kalmata Olive Flat bread pizzas (make on the grill?)

Friday: Grilled Veggie burgers or portabellos  with tots and any left over veggies

Saturday: Asst. chilled salads: potato pesto green bean salad, black eyed pea salad, tofu peanut noodles

Sunday: leftovers – probably enchiladas and tacos

I’m so excited that it’s June. We have no trips planned, so I can have a little rest and relaxation at home. It’s also an opportunity for me to work on my budget and getting in shape.

Monday: Mock crab cakes with veggie rice

Tuesday: Sweet potato black bean cakes over cilantro lime rice over salad greens with  corn chips

Wednesday:  Baked Potatoes topped with cheesy vegetables

Thursday:  Quesadillas

Friday:  Veggie burgers on the grill with salad – with sangria or gin and tonics

Saturday:   Pineapple fried rice with Vegan Dad’s Balsamic BBQ Tofu or Maple Bourbon Tofu

Sunday: Riblets and Tots

Menu planning in advance, so my vacation won’t interfere with some healthy eating. I have a friend coming into town over the weekend, so eating then will be a little more spur of the moment. This way I’ll at least have an alternative plan in case we stay at the house.

Monday: Beef-less and Broccoli Stir fry with Brown Rice

Tuesday: Black bean cakes with cilantro tomato salsa over salad greens with baked blue corn chips and some pre-made soup in my pantry

Wednesday: Riblets and Tots – a no veggie wed just for Cheryl!

Thursday:  Pasta with veggies and marinara sauce and a Cesar salad (cook up big batch brown rice for sat)

Friday:  Chick’n pot pie with more veggies than anyone ever thought possible with a whole wheat pastry crust

Saturday:   Pineapple fried rice with Vegan Dad’s Balsamic BBQ Tofu or Maple Bourbon Tofu

Sunday: Grilled polenta topped with a grilled veggie pureed sauce

Monday: Hot dogs, burgers and all the fixings

Menu planning really is the way to go. I ate so much better last week and it didn’t take that much time to cook things up after work. I prefer to crock pot and hope to be back on that road by the end of the month. We also got a gas grill at a huge discount, so I want to get my veggie grill on too! There is a burner, so my plan is to cook on it once the weather gets truely hot.

I bought some whole wheat panko bread crumbs and will post the recipe later if all goes well with my baked tofu shake and bake idea. Greens were all the rage at the farmers market. I over bought perhaps a little too much, but they all looked so good. At least it’ll fuel some nutritious dense recipe experimentation.

Romaine salads and assorted pasta dishes will make lunch this week, with oat bran, flax, banana-zucchinni-pecan muffins made with stevia for breakfast.  So I’m starting off the week on the rigth foot. Also keeping track of my food again on sparkpeople. If you’re looking to get on track give it a try – it’s completely free. You can sign up and be my friend – I’m vegWriter there.

Marla and Dee’s wedding is this weekend and they are veg too, so I’m hoping for some good , easy eating for my weekend!

Monday: Baked southern tofu (fake shake and bake!) with steamed carrots, garlic balsamic broccoli rabe,  and mashed potatoes  — (make asparagus goat cheese pasta for tues lunch and zucchini oat bran muffins)

Tuesday: Roasted beet, goat cheese and arugula salad;  Veggie dogs with kale/beet greens cole slaw and potato salad — (make spicy peanut noodles  lunch)

Wednesday: Vegan Dad’s Cajun Chickpea cakes on a whole wheat bun with left over cole slaw, and steamed broccoli and not cheese sauce – cook any leftover greens for lunch

Thursday: Leftovers or chick’n bbq sandwiches with tator tots

Friday: Cook out at Marla’s wedding site

Saturday: Marla’s reception

Sunday: Unknown – traveling back from GA

I seem to be starting a trend of doing alot of events during the week.  So this week will also be super easy, and hopefully fairly mindless! Still eating out alot, but right now it can’t be avoided because of scheduling.

Monday:  Quesadillas and Spanish rice, then go see Natalie Goldberg at 7pm

Tuesday: Chicken patties, mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans

Wednesday: Dinner out – last weight class woo hoo! (tofu/broc/greens soft tacos or black bean tofu)

Thursday: Dinner out – possibly taking this bracelet making class at Panopolie 5:30pm (no idea what I’m going to grab maybe a no-cheese subway veggie)

Friday:  Dinner out – going to hear Patti Digh speak at Panopolie at 6pm

Saturday:  Cook out – veggie burgers, cole slaw, and potato salad

Sunday: Whole wheat pasta with vegan sausage mushroom ragu and salad

Other veggie menus – get inspired:

• Not Another Omnivore
• Frugally Blonde
• Long Wait For Isabella
• Life is a Journey
• Organize This