This weekend was beautiful in Raleigh. The Fall air finally blew in and it was wonderful to be outside with the boys. We went to the state farmer’s market Saturday and Fall was evident there too. There were already rows and rows of pumpkins waiting to be chosen by little hands. I decided to wait on the carving pumpkins because I really want to take Jude to the pumpkin patch to pick out his pumpkin this year. However, I did buy enormous amounts of collard greens, apples, sweet potatoes, black beans, salsas, and more.
Practicing food photography with my point and shoot camera this week.
The good news is that I have now read the manual to my camera. Progress.
I never really paid much attention to photography before I started the blog, so I have come a long way these last couple months.
Monday: Black Bean Soup with Pepper Jack Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Cilantro Pesto
Tuesday: Pork Chops, Collard Greens, and Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Wednesday: Kate’s Spring Rolls
Thursday: Peach Salsa Chicken with Coconut Rice
Friday: Lasagna
When I go to the grocery store I also try and generate some ideas for snacks, breakfast, and lunch so we won’t go hungry the rest of the day either. Hungry toddlers can be picky so I try and have a range of things to offer him if [for example] apples aren’t his thing this week. You never know when they will switch gears on you!
Snack Ideas for Gluten-free Jude: Apples, Sweet Potato Fries, trail mix, bananas, yogurt w/gluten-free granola, raisins, gluten-free cookies, crackers/toast with peanut butter or veggie spread, or a package of natural fruit snacks
Breakfast Ideas: banana bread, Kate’s sweet potato muffins, bananas, eggs, or hot peanut butter quinoa, and [GF]CS Spiced Apple Pancakes
Lunch Ideas: leftovers or sandwiches on gluten-free bread with sweet potato fries and fruit
Baking: I don’t really have anything in mind yet, but I am in the mood to bake a cake! Ok, so I just found this cake to make at Lucullian Delights.
Other gluten free menus of the week: Carrie’s gluten-free menu, Mrs. G.F.’s menu, Katherine’s Autumn Menu Ideas #3 , and Karen’s menu.
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Posted on October 1st, 2007 by Natalie
Filed under: gluten free menu
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I am so glad I came across your blog. It is awesome!
-Tiffany
I like Tuesday best! Your photos are wonderful. My little ones favorite snack is enormous purple grapes, the ones with the seeds. I have gotten really good at cutting them in half, scrapping out the seeds and when she was younger I would take off the skins too. Once you get in the rhythm it doesn’t take long. I guess that is a pain, but she would gobble them down in vast quantities and having a full belly is great. & smoothies, we buy frozen unsweetened strawberries, blueberries, etc. add a banana or whatever, she loves her “milkshakes”, I do it with whole milk. Great tips. Have a great week. I am going to have to get organized enough to do a menu plan.
OMG - “hot peanut butter quinoa” - !!! That just made me SO hungry! Oh, Natalie - what is that? Do share!!
=) I’m enamored with peanut butter! LOL
-Kate
Sounds like you had a great weekend! Are you having fun as a Mom of two? I really enjoyed having 2 small children, even though it was a ton of work. (Mine were born almost exactly 2 years apart..)
Very nice menu Natalie. I’m off to go check out the cake you feel like making…
Tiffany- I went over and checked out your blog. I think Dallas is a wonderful place to raise a family. Low cost of living too!
Marsha- Grapes are one thing I should have gotten at the market. Jude will never turn down a grape either. He is a little picky about smoothies, can you believe that? He will only drink them occasionally- he only wants water. What a weird kid.
Kate- Ok, this one started because of a conversation between Karina and Kalyn over at Kalyn’s Kitchen when she posted peanut butter oatmeal. Since lots of people are still wary of oats, Karina suggested quinoa. I was all over that one! Peanut butter is really good with quinoa.
SM- I really think this is the best time of my life! My little boys really are sweet.
Your menu looks great too.
Great Menu Natalie! let me know how the spring rolls turn out! We took my mom-in-law out to dinner last night at a japanese restaurant and the worst thing for me was that I couldn’t bite into those homemade spring rolls. They looked SO good. But the waitress said that they were made with wheat and rice flour. *sigh* oh well! I will really have to buy some sweet potatoes! everybody is on a sweet potato kick lately!!
Natalie,
Do you happen to know if the Fruit-Fresh powder is GF? My little one loves fruit but he can only eat about 1/3 or 1/2 apple/pear/etc. at a time. I usually will give him part of fruit in the morning and part of it at night but I don’t want it to go bad or turn brown. Any suggestions? BTW, I LOVE your blog! Thanks for posting yummy recipes.
Carrie- I bought mine at the Whole Foods (Ridgewood) in Raleigh. I will give it a try- hopefully it will be pretty easy. I would love to have another way to make a sandwich.
The Pepperjack Grilled Cheese sandwiches sound awesome! Cilantro and pesto are two of my favorite things, but I’ve never had them together. Do you make your own cilantro pesto?
January- I am not sure. Maybe try calling/emailing the company or google it? I have never used it! Although if that happens with Jude’s fruit I just throw some orange or lemon juice on it OR eat it myself
Mary Frances- I am going to make it homemade and then try freezing it so I have some to add to recipes- I think it sounds awesome but Cilantro is my favorite herb.
Natalie, I am so glad I stumbled across your blog. You have given me a desire to cook and bake again - something I haven’t done in over a year - ever since I found out about my wheat/dairy/egg allergies! But I am having so much fun in the kitchen again - tonight I made a bread pudding using leftover homemade rice bread (which sadly had turned out a little gummy) and a non-dairy, gluten-free coffee creamer in place of the milk. My kids loved it! I am looking forward to more recipes and inspiration from you. Thank you!
Melanie- You are so sweet. I think that is way it goes for most of us- we go through a mourning period and then finally get back in the kitchen and realize things really can taste good again. When I first went gluten-free, I tried to eat only naturally gluten-free things, which is a big mistake. I like being able to eat baked goods and missed them a lot. Apparently, I need to eat cake! It made me feel more normal- plus, I love to bake.
Ohh.. thanks for the PB discussion link….. I’m all over it!
-Kate
[...] Natalie wrote an interesting post today on Menu Plan MondayHere’s a quick excerptThis weekend was beautiful in Raleigh. The Fall air finally blew in and it was wonderful to be outside with the boys. We went to the state farmer’s market Saturday and Fall was evident there too. There were already rows and rows of … [...]