Monday Meal Plan - 2/29

Hello!  It's another Monday, so I'm sharing this weeks' THM meal plan for our family!  If you'd like a little insight into some abbreviations I used in the meal plan, you can refer back to last week's post.  I also switched up the name just a bit... there's another THM blogger, Darcie's Dishes, who already publishes a weekly Meal Plan Monday, and I didn't want to copy her title.  She actually was a great help to me when I first started Trim Healthy Mama and was still figuring out how to eat this way, so I basically just used her meal plans until I was ready to start planning for myself.  She's a great resource to use if you're just starting out, or in a recipe rut, and I'd highly recommend checking her out!

Also, I did end up not making a couple recipes I posted last week, so if it seems like there's a repeat, it's because I'm going to be using up those ingredients in the beginning of the week so they don't go to waste!  I also forgot to label my meals with the food types (S, E, and CO) last time, so I'll be sure to include that in this week's plan. You might notice too that I have a few shortcuts I use.  If you're familiar with the 'speak' used in the plan, I'm a Drive Thru Sue to the core!  I use leftovers as much as possible, so that I don't spend too much time doing meal prep and clean up, and can actually enjoy being with my family rather than just feeding them all the time (because trust me, my kids might be tiny, but they eat A LOT!)!  If there's a veggie listed, there's a good chance I'll just use the microwaveable steam bags whenever available.  Also, I have a HUGE sweet tooth, but I'm not really all that picky about what sweet thing I get to eat.  So, I usually just pick two big desserts to make, and either refrigerate or freeze what's leftover so I can eat on it all week.  Less dishes +delicious dessert = one happy mama!


Monday (2/29)
B: Scrambled Eggs, bacon, and strawberries (S)
L: Chicken Taco Salad (chicken breast and salsa cooked in a slow cooker and shredded), with lettuce, tomato, avocado, sour cream, and cheese (S)
D: Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet (E)
Snacks: Veggies (snap peas, carrots, cucumber) and hummus (E), Raspberry Cheesecake Bites (S)
Drinks: GGMS made with orange La Croix and a dash of vanilla, B.P. Chai Tea (S)

Tuesday (3/1)
B: THM Pancakes (p. 259) with SF syrup, smoothie with fresh strawberries, almond milk, GY, and stevia (E)
L: Cheeseburger Pie (p. 149), green beans with butter (S)
D: Chicken Quesadillas with leftover chicken and low carb tortilla, fresh bell pepper slices (S)
Snacks: Apple and PB dip (PB powder mixed with GY) (E), Cry No More Brownies (p. 314) (S)
Drinks: The 'Shrinker', BP Mint Mocha (decaf) (S)

Wednesday (3/2)
B: Protein Shake made with frozen peaches, GY, stevia, protein powder, 1/4 c oats, and almond milk (E)
L: wrap with low-carb tortilla, turkey, and LLC (FP)
D: (out - bringing salad to small group)
Snacks: Apple and cheese (CO), Raspberry Cheesecake Bites (S)
Drinks: Lemonade Vitamin Water Zero, B.P. Chai Tea (S)

Thursday (3/3)
B: Scrambled Eggs and sausage (S)
L: Chicken and Rice soup (I just throw shredded rotisserie chicken, chopped celery, onion, and carrots, parsley, bay leaves, and garlic powder, salt, and pepper into some chicken broth in the crock pot and cook on low until all the flavors have blended... like 6 hours maybe?  then stir in some pre-cooked brown rice) (E)
D: Quick Cajun Dirty Rice (I'm making the CO option)
Snacks: veggies and hummus (E), Cry No More Brownies (S)
Drinks: GGMS made with orange La Croix and a dash of vanilla, B.P. hot chocolate (I blend this recipe with some coconut oil) (S)

Friday (3/4)
B: THM Pancakes with SF syrup, sausage (CO)
L: Meatloaf (p.157), corn with butter, baked sweet potato (white potatoes for the hubs and kiddos) (CO)
D: leftover Chicken and Rice soup (E)
Snacks: Apple and PB dip (E), Raspberry Cheesecake Bites (S)
Drinks: the 'Shrinker', B.P. Mint Mocha (S)

Saturday (3/5)
B: Fruit Smoothie with added protein powder (E)
L: wrap with low-carb tortilla, turkey, and LLC (FP)
D: Thai Shrimp Lettuce Wraps (S)
Snacks: Apple and cheese (CO), Cry No More Brownies (S)
Drinks: Lemonade Vitamin Water Zero, B.P. Chai Tea (S)

Are there any time saving tips for meal planning/preparing that you'd like to share?  Let me know in the comments, I'd love to hear them!





End It.

In lieu of my normal outfit post for today, I'm sharing one picture:


Today is Shine A Light On Slavery day. In order to raise awareness for this epidemic in our world, I've put a red X on my hand, and would encourage you to do the same and tag your picture with ‪#‎enditmovement‬. Start conversations. Scream it from the rooftops. Let's fill up the internet with X's to bring to light this abomination that's so often practiced in the shadows.

Also, to highlight a few companies that are fighting back, I'm wearing bracelets from The Red Thread Movement and Tiny Hands Internationalas well as my hoodie from Love146 (seen here) and some handmade earrings from Purposed. Remade Creations.  If you want to help, these are some amazing organizations to consider supporting.

OOTD - Blue, Da-ba-dee

It's a bit gloomy today.  I had a post I was going to share, about how amazing and gorgeous our weather has been.  And considering it was 70 degrees for a few days last week, it has been great!  But, then I looked outside and saw the cool, grey skies, and figured I'd post a different set of photos instead.  Don't worry, though!  I'll share some sunnier shots later, since our crazy Ozark weather moodswings will bring warm days again soon.


Monday Meal Plan - 2/22

Hey!  A while ago, almost a year actually, I mentioned that I'd started eating according to the Trim Healthy Mama eating style.  I definitely don't stick to it 100% of the time, but I've been making a conscious effort to eat healthier over this year.  In order to bring a little more content to the blog, (and maybe even a little accountability from ya'll!) I've decided to share my weekly meal plans with all of you!

A few notes: because of our family's schedule, we actually eat our larger 'dinner-style' meal in the afternoons, and a smaller meal in the evenings, so if the timing of the meals seems a little weird, that's why.  Also, the family eats a pretty late breakfast, so I usually start my days with some coffee with collagen and a Triple Zero yogurt (the coconut is my favorite!) when I get home from dropping Big A off at school. We have a few evenings where the meal is provided at our church small groups, so I'll skip cooking for those meals (we usually bring a salad or dessert). I've also left Sundays off, since we usually just eat yogurt before church, and leftovers the rest of the day.

Now, there's also some abbreviations in the THM (that's Trim Healthy Mama) community that I'll use as well, so I'll explain those first!  There's GY (greek yogurt), LLC (Light Laughing Cow cheese), LC (low-carb), SF (sugar-free), GGMS (Good Girl Moonshine), MIM (Muffin in a Mug), and BP (bullet-proof).  If you're familiar with the plan, you'll also notice a few of the meals are crossovers, which I've added in since I'm still a nursing mama.  I also just got the new THM Cookbook as an early birthday present (YAY!), but since those recipes are copyrighted, I'll try to have a good mix of online recipes along with page numbers from the book.  Okay, here goes!

Monday (2/22)
B: THM Pancakes (p.259) with blueberries and SF syrup
L: Lemon Chicken Drumsticks and Easy Cheesy Brown Rice
D: Tuna Quesadillas (with LC tortillas and swap the olive for coconut oil), fresh bell pepper slices
Snacks: fresh veggies (snap peas, celery, carrots) with hummus, Peanut Butter Whip
Drinks: GGMS made with orange La Croix and a dash of vanilla, BP Chai Tea

Tuesday (2/23)
B: Scrambled eggs and bacon
L: Spaghetti (browned ground beef, this sauce, and Dreamfield's pasta), salad with ranch
D: (out - bringing salad to small group)
Snacks: Cottage Berry Whip, Snickers MIM
Drinks: 'Shrinker' made with this teaBP mint mocha (decaf)

Wednesday (2/24)
B: Thin Mint Shake w/added protein powder
L: wrap made with turkey, LLC, and LC tortilla
D: (out - bringing salad to small group)
Snacks: apple and cheese, Cry No More Brownie (p. 314)
Drinks: orange Vitamin Water Zero, BP Chai Tea

Thursday (2/25)
B: Cream Cheese 'pancakes' with SF syrup, Smoothie with blueberries, GY, and almond milk
L: Egg Roll in a Bowl (made with soy sauce instead of aminos)
D: (out - running errands, probably pick up a lettuce-wrapped burger somewhere)
Snacks: fresh veggies and hummus, Apple Oat Cake (I'll probably try the peach version soon too!)
Drinks: iced Wonderland Sip (p.405), (out - plain latte with added stevia)

Friday (2/26)
B: Apple Oat Cake and GY
L: Chicken Taco Salad (chicken breast & 1/2 jar of salsa cooked in crock-pot and shredded), topped with tomatoes, avocado, cheese, and sour cream
D: Sweet Potato Skillet
Snacks: Apple and Peanut Butter dip (GY and natural peanut butter), Cottage Berry Whip
Drinks: GGMS made with fresh lime juice, BP Chai Tea

Saturday (2/27)
B: Strawberry Cheesecake Shake (swap stevia for agave)
L: wrap made with turkey, LLC, and LC tortilla
D: Quesadillas made with yesterday's leftover chicken and LC tortillas, sliced bell pepper and fresh veggies
Snacks: apple and cheese, Cry No More Brownie
Drinks: orange Vitamin Water Zero, BP mint mocha (decaf)

Thanks for reading!  Questions or comments? Let me know in the comment section!!

Fair Trade Friday - Linked

Hello!  This week has been crazy, and it'll probably not slow down at any point, so instead of a full Fair Trade Friday post, I just wanted to share a couple links to some blogs I love that also focus on fair trade or ethically made fashion.  I hope your weekend is amazing!!


Sally's blog was one of the first fashion blogs I started reading, and she's always been inspiring in her commitment to body positivity and dressing to accentuate your strengths.  She also has a few guest contributors that offer great perspectives and outfit inspiration.  Recently, Sally viewed the documentary "The True Cost," and it affected her view of the fashion industry, and she has been committed to sharing ethically made fashion options ever since.  I always look forward to her Sale Picks and Lovely Links posts every week.

I'm a huge fan of Dominique's blog, and always check it regularly for fair trade shopping inspiration! She does a great job of highlighting both fashion and lifestyle brands that offer ethically made goodies, and I always love her Let's Trade posts where she offers stylish shopping alternatives to popular brands.

Jen is actually a recent addition to my reading routine, and she gives a great perspective for fashion for the working woman.  She concentrates on "buy less and buy better" by highlighting brands and pieces that you can invest in, and wear for years to come.  I'm absolutely in love with this ethically made dress she posted recently, that she styled four different ways!



You can also check out this post by The Good Trade with their list of 15 Sustainable Living Blogs if you'd like more reading material!

OOTD - Trying Too Hard

Sometimes, I have outfits that I put together that sound great in my head.  But, in real life, they almost feel a little too costume-y.  Like this, for example:


Thrifted Pinterest - Imaginary Me

Sometimes, I shop for the 'imaginary' me, rather than the 'in the trenches of motherhood' me, and it's so much fun!  For example, when I happened across a faux leather pencil skirt, I knew that I was going to buy it.  Granted, most days are just spend in jeans and a tee, but sometimes I actually have time to get all 'gussied up,' and what's better than a little bit of leather?  I balanced it with a floaty white top, like the examples below, and released my inner bada**, at least for a day.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/AUccIvGJv4Q_Ux77qs65JNl2fQaxZmxcbIdp2_YG6QmoK-0FerNWTeg/

OOTD - Simply Irresistible

Some items remind me of song lyrics.  In particular, this fur scarf reminded me of the beginning of an R.Kelly song (you know the one!).... my mind was tellin' me no, but my bodyyyy (well, actually, my heart to be specific) was telling me yes....!  So, in the words of a slightly older song, this scarf was simply irresistible.