Day 6 - Menu Planning Mania

Monday started off as any other day, got up, got the kids breakfast ready(leftover sausage and fruit), got my coffee and settled down with my lap top to plan the week's menu.  I'd learned from last week that I'm too new to this wheat free diet to fly by the seat of my pants for lunches, so I thought I'd plan those as well.  I sat with a blank mind pondering what can I make for lunches that my kids will also eat.  Hmm...google!  I quickly googled "wheat free lunch ideas" or something similar.  I skimmed through the first result, not good suggestions, at all...so I went to the next.  These suggestions were clearly written with kids in mind.  "Score!" I thought to myself.  But, as I read further I realized almost every suggestion contained a highly processed alternative to a wheat substance.  Now, I'm not against using gluten free products made to replace wheat every once in a while, but I don't want to do it everyday.  I just don't like to fill our bodies with processed food, whether its gluten free or not.  Most of these suggestions were things like peanut butter and jelly on gluten free bread, homemade lunchables with gluten free crackers, sandwich wraps on gluten free tortillas, quesadillas on corn tortillas, etc.  I rolled my eyes and tried to come up with some other options.  At this point, I got frustrated with the available lists and vowed to myself to make a better one!  So, stay tuned, when I figure out how to add a link with lists of menu ideas, it will be here!
After I ambitiously planned out a week's worth of meals, we ventured off to Central Market, my favorite grocery store to buy the supplies.  The kids got balloons, I got high quality produce and yummy foods.  It was a pretty good grocery shopping experience.  At least about as good as you can expect with two small children.  But, by the time we left, my son was in the backseat complaining hungry he was, and how he needs to eat, NOW!  I looked around and quickly thought of my options.  It was already noon, and I needed to get them fed so I could start nap time with my youngest.  But, we didn't eat very healthfully over the weekend, so I decided we would find something quick at home, even if it wasn't what I had planned.  Yep, that's right, the first meal of the week and I've already ventured off the meal plan!  Life never  goes as planned.  I had a few pieces of leftover homemade pizza in the fridge still, so I quickly warmed that up with some green beans for the kids.  I ate other leftovers and we made it through lunch.
I had leftover goat cheese from the tomato soup I made last week.  Which made me think about an old recipe I had from Ina Garten for Chicken with Herbed Goat Cheese.  Its delicious and so simple.  I love to roast part of a menu because you can pretty much put something in the oven, set the timer, and forget about it while you prepare the rest of the meal.  We added simply steamed broccoli and carrots and called it dinner.  My son, who has gotten a little picky, at everything on his plate, without even bargaining for fewer bites.