meal planning

I have still been struggling with what to eat.  My sister just announced on her blog that she and her husband are eating a raw diet.  I had no idea.  So I spoke with her about it.  It is nice to have someone to lean on when it comes to diet changes.  We may not be eating the same things, but we both will have diets high in fruits and vegetables (and that is what I struggle with the most).  I have been searching for recipes that I can serve for dinner that have lots of vegetable and little to no meat.  I am not too concerned about dairy, since we mostly use it in cooking and baking.  I don't drink milk- I haven't since I was a young child.  Something to do with someone drinking out of the milk carton, my mom (or it could have been my dad) saying that was gross and not good for us.  In my usual rationale, I said to myself, "well, if it is so gross and not good for us I won't drink it ever again."  I have drank a few sips of milk in the last few years- mostly to taste the raw milk.  I just prefer water- I drink it like crazy.  Anyway, I have found some recipes.  I set up a meal plan for the next 10 days (I do menus by pay periods instead of weeks, and I am starting this one a little late).  So to help me actually make the menus, as well as stick to them, I am going to be posting my menu plans (along with links to recipes).  I am just starting with dinners, because that is what I'm having the hardest time figuring out.  I make bread and we eat sandwiches, toast, or just plain bread for lunch.  For breakfast I make muffins, we have eggs and toast, or I make pancakes or waffles.  I use freshly ground whole spelt flour in place of any other flour and rapadura (sucanat) in place of sugar in all the food I make.  This will be a huge improvement in our vegetable intake.

Wednesday     twice baked potatoes/
               hot dog potatoes with
               creamed spinach
Thursday      baked ziti with cabbage and lime salad
Friday        pizza pockets
Saturday      cheesy beef and rice
Sunday        mac and cheese with kale chips
Monday        tacos in a sleeping bag
               (making my own dough)
Tuesday       baked potato soup with
               broccoli slaw
Wednesday     leek and swiss chard tart with
               not your mama's cole slaw
               or dead simple slaw
Thursday      potato and zucchini pancakes
Friday        spinach quiche with 
               potato tortilla


Just so you know, twice baked potatoes and hot dog potatoes are the same thing.  I just have extra potato and not enough skins, so I cut a hot dog in half lengthwise leaving a tiny bit attached down the length and then spread it open and top it with potato.  We top all of them with cheese (except the ones for Ashley) and then put it in the oven to melt the cheese and warm the hot dogs.  We have hot dogs, at most, twice a month because they are fairly processed.