Meal Plans Week of 9-23-12

Good morning.  Hello fall!  Yep, it's officially here...and it feels like it.  The heat is on in our house.  I've added blankets to our bed.  Brr.  And we can add to the list of fall fun...colds for both of the kids already.  Hopefully they will be short lived.  At any rate, the kids and I won't be going to church today.

This week will be another busy one.  Tonight I'm going to a Norwex party.  Monday is milk pick up and preschool.  Tuesday is farmer's market, Kindermusik and a filling for me :(  Wednesday is groceries and preschool.  The rest of the week is actually free.  Friday is Grandparents' Day at school...so there is no preschool.

I'll be busy in the kitchen trying to make a couple more batches of applesauce (I did 2 last week).  I'll also be making my niece's baptism cake.  I'm not sure I'll be doing a lot more than that.  Probably yogurt.  Maybe ice cream.  Nothing major.

Last week I finally made it to a West MI Bloggers meeting.  It was so much fun to finally meet in person some bloggers I "know" and to meet some new people as well.

I also ended up going to my regular doctor for a pain in my arm.  Turns out I have tendinitis (golfer's elbow).  So I'm using an arm band, icing, doing exercises.  I hope it heals quickly.

After watching an episode of the Dr. Oz show I was reminded of how important it is for me (my body type) to keep working on getting a high enough ratio of carbs to fat and protein in my diet.  It is such a struggle for me after telling myself for so long that grains are bad and living on meat and fat.  I'm not always a big fan of Dr. Oz.  He's smart and has some good things to say.  But some things are just bologna :P  Anyway, he was talking about metabolism types.  Nothing new for me.  But it just reminded me to keep working on bumping up my carbs and lowering my fat.  He said 70-80% carbs, 10-20% protein, 10% fat.  I know I'm not even close to that carb/fat ratio.  But I've been trying to improve this week.  I think it helps.  I just have to get rid of the mental stigma I have about eating a larger serving of grains and not covering them with butter or coconut oil :P  And I have to be sure I'm not just getting carbs from sweets.  I seem to do well with wheat and white rice.  So I've been eating quite a bit of them.  Add in a good portion of vegetables.  Then a little protein and fat.

I got more new supplements on Friday.  I'm starting them today.  We'll see how it goes.  I'll also be getting a magnesium supplement on Tuesday.  I'm anxious to try that.  And I started the medication from my colon surgeon.

That being said, I'm doing so-so right now.  Still frustrating some days.  But I'm trying to just keep pushing.  And I know that last week wasn't the best due to major lack of sleep.  Rebecca and Abram were both up a lot in the night from their colds.  So I didn't get much sleep at all.  And I could really tell in my mood.  Wow.  Even I didn't want to be around me :P  I could hear myself and feel  myself being so moody/impatient.  But I felt like I didn't know how to change it.  It showed me just how important sleep is.  That's something I still need to work on...really need to work on.

One last note...I think we might start the potty training process with Abram this week.  He is young (16m), but he totally understands it.  He knows when he's wet or dirty.  And if you ask him he'll nod yes or say no.  If you talk about being stinky he says "pa, pa" (potty) and grabs his diaper.  And he'll grunt.  It's quite comical :P  Anyway, we might give it a go.  Knowing him he'll do it right away.  Since he was born he's wanted to be able to do everything his sister does.  He keeps up with her running around the house.  He climbs on things with her.  He eats in a regular chair like her.  He won't touch baby food (hasn't for a LONG time).  So who knows.  Maybe he'll be much easier to potty train than Rebecca.

On to the menu.
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S (prep lunch, church, prep smoothies, NW)
  B - leftover sausage, pancake muffins, fruit
  L - "favorite casserole", broccoli, garlic toast
  D - leftover cheeseball w/ graham crackers, tortilla chips w/ salsa, beef snack sticks, carrot sticks, grapes

M (make/can applesauce, milk, ps)
  B - smoothie, TBD from freezer
  D - cheeseburgers, baked sweet potatoes, peas

T (skim cream, make yogurt, fm, km, dentist)
  B - hard boiled egg, toast
  D - (prep ahead) - leftover casserole

W (make/can applesauce, Meijer, ps, make ice cream, Justin out for dinner)
  B - smoothie, TBD from freezer
  D -  Rebecca's Restaurant

Th (make cake deco, bake cake)
  B - yogurt, granola, fruit
  D - butternut squash risotto, beans, fruit

F (bake cake)
  B - cold soaked cereal with milk
  D - grilled "cheese" sandwiches, squash, fruit

S (crumb coat/frost cake, decorate cake)
  B - cinnamon sugar toast, fruit
  D - salmon cakes, herb rice, peas