Monday Meal Plan - 3/14

I keep glancing at the clock, and thinking it's earlier than it is, so you can blame Daylight Savings on this meal plan being late today.  (...and no, my procrastination has nothing to do with it!)  Of course,  I tend to put off grocery shopping as long as possible, too, since it's not my favorite thing to do, so that may have factored into my putting off my meal-planning-and-shopping-list-making as well.  I have found, though, if I can put off my grocery shopping until Tuesdays, I'm able to save our family a bit of money.  And yes, some of that money might end up being used to feed (ha ha) my thrift shopping habit!  The best money saving tip I've found is to peruse the meat section early in the mornings on Tuesdays... that's when a lot of items get marked down in our local store, and then I'll stock up on meats to stick in the freezer for the next week's meals.  This week, I'll be using up some chicken breasts and salmon that I snagged last week for a few dollars less than the original price.  Plus, I've been really craving sweets this week (more than normal, anyways), so expect to see a lot of on-plan desserts this time!

(Don't forget, in addition to this list, I also eat an early 'pre-breakfast' of Triple Zero Oikos yogurt and coffee with added collagen [favorite brand here].  I skip Sundays since we usually just eat yogurt in the morning, and leftovers later in the day.  All page numbers are from the new edition of the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook.)

Monday (3/14)
B: THM Pancakes (p.259) with SF Syrup (E)
L: Taco Salad made with ground beef, lettuce, tomato, avocado, sour cream, and cheese (S)
D: Quinoa Chicken Nuggets (spray with coconut oil) with baked sweet potatoes (E/CO with oil)
Snacks: Pay Off Day Candies (p. 381) (S), Veggies (carrots, snap peas, cucumber) with Hummus (E)

Drinks: the 'Shrinker,' Iced (decaf) Mint Mocha {pour cup of coffee over ice, then blend (separately) almond milk, cocoa, 1/2 scoop protein powder, a dash of cream, stevia, and a few drops peppermint extract, add to glass, stir and enjoy!}

Tuesday (3/15)

B: Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, fresh strawberries (S)
L: Spinach Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken, Green Beans with butter (S)

D: (out - bringing salad to small group)

Snacks: Apple Oat Cakes (E), Butterfinger Bars (S)

Drinks: GGMS made with pineapple strawberry La Croix, B.P. Chai Tea (S)

Wednesday (3/16)

B: Apple Oat Cakes, Smoothie made with GY, fresh strawberries, stevia (E)

L: wrap made with turkey, LLC, and low-carb tortilla (FP)

D: (out - bringing dessert to small group)
Snacks: leftover Pay Off Day Candies (S), apple and cheese (CO)

Drinks: Vitamin Water Zero, Wonderland Sip, iced (p. 405)

Thursday (3/17)

B: Chocolate Waffles (p. 265) with strawberry 'syrup' {frozen strawberries (thawed), a bit of water, stevia, and a few dashes of glucomannan blended together} (E)

L: One Pot Garlic Pasta (I add shredded rotisserie chicken and use Dreamfield's pasta), fresh veggies

D: (out - family birthday TBD: I'll order lettuce-wrapped burger or grilled chicken salad)

Snacks: Berry Crunch Bars (p. 392) (S), leftover Butterfinger Bars (S)
Drinks: the 'Shrinker,' Iced (decaf) Mint Mocha

Friday (3/18)

B: Scrambled Eggs and Bacon (S)

L: Big Salad w/veggies topped with Salmon sauteed in coconut oil (S)

D: leftover Chicken and Rice soup (frozen/thawed from two weeks ago - 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)
Snacks: leftover Pay Off Day Candies (S), veggies and hummus (E)

Drinks: GGMS made with La Croix, B.P. Chai Tea (S)

Saturday (3/19)

B: Chocolate Overnight Oatmeal, Smoothie made with GY, fresh strawberries, stevia (E)

L: wrap made with turkey, LLC, and low-carb tortilla (FP)

D: Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bowls (I'm using jarred spaghetti sauce) (CO)

Snacks: leftover Berry Crunch Bars (S), apple and cheese (CO)

Drinks: Vitamin Water Zero, Wonderland Sip, iced (p.405)

{If you're wondering, "hey, Grace, what's up with all those crazy abbreviations after your meals?" you can check out my first Monday Meal Plan for an explanation!}