Author: arthurized

Real Food Menu for Week of 12.7.2020

December 7, 2020weekly menus, , , , , , , Leave a comment

We’re still limping along over here. Mark’s broken foot is recovering steadily. He’s walking a little more each day and can go up and down stairs now. Hooray for healing!

Slowly, slowly the house is coming together for Christmas, starting with the nativity and front porch. Annnnnddd sometimes the decorating goes a little sideways. Or upside down.

Oh well.

I’ve got three new recipes for you in this week’s menu. With two “best ever” dishes, I sure hope they live up to the hype! 🙂

Mark’s Breakfast:
Cheesy Potato Frittata – New Recipe! You just can’t go wrong with eggs, potatoes and cheese for breakfast. I don’t normally have safflower oil on hand, so I use olive oil. This frittata is very mild in flavor; punch it up with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes or a drizzle of hot sauce if you like.
https://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/cheesy-potato-frittata


Mark’s Lunch:
Harvest Minestrone Soup – This makes a LARGE pot of soup and is a good recipe to prep ahead and freeze. Freeze in individual lunch portions, or in larger containers for quick, evening dinners.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/clean-eating-harvest-minestrone-soup/

Dinners:

Fiesta Honey and Lime Kale Salad – Here’s another meal prep dish. I like to prep it one day ahead to give the dressing time to soften the kale. This keeps for a few days in the fridge. Save some jalapeno slices to top the black bean soup below.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/fiest-honey-lime-kale-salad-clean-eating/

Vegetarian Hash – New Recipe! – Mark rated this one a 9, which is quite an endorsement coming from our Carnivore in Residence. This makes four hearty dinner portions.
https://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/vegetarian-hash/

Best Ever Broccoli Salad – This salad is served warm and is a nice alternative to the classic broccoli salads with mayonnaise based dressing. Three tablespoons of vinegar is a little too tangy for our tastes, so we use two.
https://thestonesoup.com/blog/2018/11/20/best-ever-broccoli-salad/

Best Ever Black Bean Soup – Top with your favorite flavors; avocado, cilantro, jalapeno or hot sauce. The possibilities are endless. We like this with a dollop of natural sour cream.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/best-ever-black-bean-soup-clean-eating/

Snacks:
Honey Mustard Dip with fresh veggies for me, gluten free pretzels for hubs. And popcorn. Always popcorn.
The honey mustard dip recipe is found here:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-dips-and-spreads#2.-Honey-mustard

Treat:
Cinnamon and Raisin Brown Rice Pudding – New Recipe! Mmmm, a warm comforting bowl of cinnamon and rice goodness! This processed sugar free version is so satisfying. An added pinch of nutmeg and zhush of extra cinnamon never hurt anything.
https://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/cinnamon-raisin-brown-rice-pudding/

I hope your week is filled with all good things!

Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!

Copyright 2019-2021 © Arthurized Home – All Rights Reserved. This post is the original content of Arthurized Home. If you’re reading this on another site, it’s unArthurized.

Real Food Menu for Week of 11.30.2020

November 30, 2020weekly menus, , , , , , , 2 Comments

Well, it’s been a minute since I posted to the blog. Mark broke his foot in October and we’ve been a little, erm, hobbled since then. He’s on the mend now and things are slowly getting back to normal. Having an arsenal of real food recipes that I can prep on weekends has been a real lifesaver. My go-tos have been overnight oats, casseroles, soups and big salads. When making soups and casseroles, I like to double the batch and put half in the freezer.

Funny (and enormous!) card my sister sent to Mark.

Mark’s Breakfast:
Pumpkin Spice Overnight Oats – Still loving all things pumpkin.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/pumpkin-pie-overnight-oats-recipe/

Mark’s Lunch:
Creamy Coconut Lentil Curry – Yum! We add 1/2 tsp. of garam masala and 1/2 tsp. of curry powder, for a little extra spice. Serve over brown rice. This keeps well in the fridge for a few days.
https://www.theendlessmeal.com/creamy-coconut-lentil-curry/

Peruvian Stir Fry (Lomo Saltado) – New Recipe! It would never occur to me to serve steak stir fry over steak fries, but here we are. And I’m glad we tried it. This dish certainly scratched the meat n’ taters itch for my carnivorous husband. Adapt for meatless by substituting portabellos for steak. We swap out gluten free tamari for the soy sauce.
https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/peruvian-stir-fry-lomo-saltado

Aztecan Quinoa Salad – My quinoa has a longer cooking time than the recipe, so I cooked it according to the package directions, cooled and fluffed it with a fork. You’ll need about three cups of cooked quinoa. The flavor profile is similar to our favorite Greek Salad.
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aztecan-quinoa-salad-recipe-1970211

Chicken and White Bean Soup – New Recipe! There’s just something about a bowl of hot soup that is so simple, yet satisfying. This one is savory and mild. Serve with a nice crusty bread if you like.
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/248881/chicken-white-bean-soup

Pickety Bits – Unfamiliar? It’s a charcuterie board, a grazing board, or whatever the trendy name for it is today. I prefer ‘pickety bits’. Essentially, you just arrange your favorite snacks on a serving board or platter and call it dinner. My kind of cooking. Perfect for a low-key evening; great for game night.

Snack:
Southwest Black Bean Dip – I used a red bell pepper for that pop of color, and doubled the chili powder and lime juice. Serve with cucumber slices or tortilla chips. We like Late July or Simple Truth Organic, but any clean brand of chips will do.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-dips-and-spreads

Treat:
Peanut Butter Fruit Dip – Try this with chilled red grapes; all the flavors of a PBJ, none of that carb-laden bread! If dips are your thing, you may be interested in this post, or this one.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/peanut-butter-fruit-dip-clean-eating/

Happy Monday! Have a great week!

Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!

Copyright 2019-2021 © Arthurized Home – All Rights Reserved. This post is the original content of Arthurized Home. If you’re reading this on another site, it’s unArthurized.


Real Food Menu for Week of 10.12.2020

October 12, 2020weekly menus, , , , , , , 1 Comment

This rainy, but busy weekend was filled with last minute plans. On Friday, a friend and I hatched a plan to walk the Salem Half Marathon on Saturday morning. We chatted and strolled that hilly(!) course in light drizzle. The remnants of hurricane Delta. While in Salem I discovered a new gardening project that consumed the second half of the day. I kind of {heart} emergency gardening! More on that later if all goes well.

This week’s menu is chock full of some of our very favorite meals! If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it:

Mark’s Breakfast:
PBJ Overnight Oats – All the flavors of the sandwich for breakfast! None of that unnecessary bread.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/clean-eating-pb-j-overnight-oats/

Mark’s Lunch:
Spicy Pumpkin Chili – So good. I used 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes and one can each of kidney beans and black beans. This keeps for several days in the fridge, tastes even better reheated and freezes well. That’s a cooking win in my book!
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/spicy-pumpkin-chili/

Dinners:

Autumn Pear and Goat Cheese Chicken Salad – Tried and true! Very customizable. Add what you like, leave out the rest. We sub parmesan for the goat cheese.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/autumn-pear-goat-cheese-chicken-salad/

Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas and Spinach – New Recipe! Here’s a satisfying meatless meal. It won’t win any beauty contests, but it’s tasty nonetheless. The touch of cream cuts the acidity of the tomatoes.
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/266652/eggs-in-tomato-sauce-with-chickpeas-spinach/

Crock-Pot Italian Chicken Soup – Creamy (dairy-free!) and packed with flavor, this recipe is a favorite! It’s very forgiving; use whatever veggies you most enjoy. If including broccoli, add it during the last hour of cooking so it doesn’t get mushy. Top with chopped parsley and a little parmesan cheese if you like.
http://yourworldnatural.blogspot.com/2013/01/whole30-challenge-day-10-and-delicious.html

Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers – Because I’m no longer doing keto, I use ground turkey and add a little pre-cooked brown rice to the filling. These freeze well; make a few extra to keep on hand for one of those too-busy-to-cook evenings.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/recipes/stuffed-peppers-with-ground-beef-and-cheese

Snack:
No Bake Energy Balls – New Recipe! Okay, so these are dangerous! We rated these little goodies a 10. Use them for a snack, treat, pre or post work-out. Go ahead and make a double batch and stash some in the freezer…if they make it that far.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/no-bake-energy-balls

Treat:
Skinny Chocolate Fruit Dip for One – Or double the batch and make enough for two! We like a sprinkle of Lily’s chocolate chips. This dip is delicious with strawberries or orange slices. For the other fruit dips pictured here, see this post.
https://happihomemade.com/chocolate-fruit-dip/

Happy Monday! I hope it’s a beautiful start to your week.

Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!

Copyright 2019-2021 © Arthurized Home – All Rights Reserved. This post is the original content of Arthurized Home. If you’re reading this on another site, it’s unArthurized.

Real Food Menu for Week of 10.5.2020

October 5, 2020weekly menus, , , , , , , Leave a comment

Virginia’s Blue Ridge showed off this weekend with cool nights and gorgeous, sunny days! Early morning temps were perfect for running, while late morning invited lazing around on patios and catching up with friends.

We did a little prep work for the secret garden we’re creating in our woods. And by that I mean we pulled all the Japanese stiltgrass we could get our hands on, and laid out the perimeter of our garden spot. We’ll work on that more as the weather gets colder. Read: after the snakes have gone to bed for the winter. If you’ve got suggestions for shade tolerant plants and native screening shrubs, I’m all ears.

Here is our menu for the new week:

Mark’s Breakfast:
Pumpkin Seed Granola – I use a 50:50 mixture of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, plus a dash of nutmeg. Bonus points for making your house smell like pumpkin pie while it’s baking. This would be delicious with diced apples on top.
https://detoxinista.com/pumpkin-seed-granola-nut-free-grain-free/

Mark’s Lunch:
Creamy Tuscan Soup – I used leftover shredded chicken in this savory bowl o’ goodness.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/creamy-skinny-tuscan-soup-recipe/

Dinner:

Chipotle Lime Cauliflower Tacos – New recipe, and so, so flavorful! The smoky flavor of the chipotles in adobo make this dish sing. I blended the entire can of chipotles and adobo and portioned into tablespoon size puddles on a parchment lined cookie sheet. I popped them into the freezer and once frozen solid, transferred the discs to a freezer bag for later use.
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/257781/chipotle-lime-cauliflower-tacos

Simple Pumpkin Soup

  • Servings: 4 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Gluten-free, dairy-free and delicious, easy comfort food

Ingredients

  • ½ c. onion, diced
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 T. maple syrup
  • ¼ tsp. nutmeg
  • pinch of cayenne
  • ¼ tsp. ground pepper
  • 2.5 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian)
  • 1 (13.5 oz.) can coconut milk
  • Garnish with pepitas, if desired

Directions

  1. Dice the onions and gently brown with olive oil in a large saute pan.
  2. Add pumpkin puree, salt, maple syrup, nutmeg cayenne and ground pepper.
  3. Slowly add chicken broth and coconut milk. Heat through, but do not bring to a boil. Garnish as desired and serve.

Marinated Salmon – Simple and delicious. Pair with your favorite green vegetable and call it dinner.
https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/marinated-salmon/

Spinach and Roasted Beet Salad – New Recipe! If you’re like us and love earthy, roasted beets, you’ll enjoy this salad. This recipe serves one, so scale it for your crowd. You’ll need one beet per salad.
https://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/spinach-roasted-beet-salad-recipe

Snack:
Fresh Veggies with Chili-Lime Dip – While you’ve got the hot sauce and lime out for the cauliflower tacos, let’s whip up the perfect dip to accompany them. Sub Greek yogurt or full-fat sour cream here. Add a touch of cayenne or a few dashes of hot sauce for a little extra kick. If you don’t have jicama, cucumber slices and bell peppers are nice low calorie dippers.
https://www.marthastewart.com/317906/jicama-sticks-with-chili-lime-dip

Treat:
Maple Vanilla Baked Pears – If your pears could use a little something extra, try this recipe. It’s the perfect fall dessert.
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/simple-maple-vanilla-baked-pears/

Have a wonderful week!

Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!

Copyright 2019-2021 © Arthurized Home – All Rights Reserved. This post is the original content of Arthurized Home. If you’re reading this on another site, it’s unArthurized.

Real Food Menu for Week of 9.28.2020

September 28, 2020weekly menus, , , , , , , Leave a comment

This week’s chocolate chip cookie dough dip might be one of my shining moments in real food trickery. You see, Mr. Arthur doesn’t care for chickpeas. Or so he thought. As it turns out, if you whirl them up in the food processor with a few accompaniments and a zhoosh of stevia sweetened chocolate chips, they become his new favorite food group!

Here’s our weekly nosh:

Mark’s Breakfast:
Slow Cooker Apple Pie Oatmeal – Few things are more comforting than the flavor combo of apples and cinnamon. If you’re in the ‘Noke and looking for star anise, Fresh Market has it.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/slow-cooker-apple-pie-oatmeal-clean-eating/

Mark’s Lunch:
Mediterranean Green Lentil Soup – My late mother-in-law was one heck of a cook. Everything that came out of her kitchen was amazing, not the least of which was her lentil soup. This veggie-packed version comes close. We love a warm bowl of this nourishing goodness.
https://www.unicornsinthekitchen.com/easy-mediterranean-green-lentil-soup/

Dinners:

Mediterranean Chickpea Quinoa Bowls – New Recipe! Here’s another solid keeper for weekly meal prep. Make extra red pepper sauce, it’s so good!
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/258195/mediterranean-chickpea-quinoa-bowl/

Keto White Chicken Chili – We’re not keto, so I leave out the cream cheese and substitute coconut milk for the heavy cream. It’s still creamy and delicious!
https://www.heyketomama.com/keto-white-chicken-chili/

Cod with Tomato Cream Sauce – New Recipe! Every now and then we take a break from salmon and sample a whitefish. We like this with a side of brown rice.
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/250022/cod-with-tomato-cream-sauce/

Keto Meatballs and Sauce with Zoodles – This one is so tasty! The cream in the sauce cuts the acidity of the tomatoes. I’m loving the wide zoodles, To make them, just slice a little off the side of the zucchini so that it lays flat on the cutting board. Use a vegetable peeler to slice thin, wide noodles. I saute them in coconut oil for a few minutes, just until tender. Very few things in life are worse than a mushy zoodle.
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/keto-meatballs-and-sauce/

Snack:
We’re bidding a fond farewell to our nightly slice of watermelon, and welcoming other seasonal offerings. I’m excited to see dragon fruit back on the shelves in the grocery store! It tastes somewhat like a cross between a pear and an apple. Slice it, peel back the magenta skin and eat the white flesh.

Treat:
No Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip – This is a favorite recipe and very kid friendly! Take this to your next party, but don’t tell your friends it’s good for them. They’ll think it’s conventional cookie dough dip. Your secret is safe with me!
https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/new-recipe-sugar-free-cookie-dough-dip

Have a fantastic week, everyone!

Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!

Copyright 2019-2021 © Arthurized Home – All Rights Reserved. This post is the original content of Arthurized Home. If you’re reading this on another site, it’s unArthurized.

Real Food Menu for Week of 9.21.2020

September 21, 2020weekly menus, , , , , , , Leave a comment

As the temperature shifts to cooler days and nights (40° yesterday morning! Do we live at the Artic Circle now?!), we’re transitioning from all the salads of summer to warm comfort-food dinners.

Here’s what’s heating up the kitchen this week:

Mark’s Breakfast:
Blueberry and Raspberry Baked Oatmeal – An old favorite. Use your favorite berries or whatever you have on hand. You really can’t go wrong with this one. Frozen berries work just as well as fresh.
https://www.sohowsittaste.com/blueberry-raspberry-baked-oatmeal/

Mark’s Lunch:
Greek Meatball Mezze Bowls – New Recipe! Reminiscent of my favorite dinner at Zoe’s Kitchen, this dish is a little time consuming, but so very tasty. If not using packaged quinoa, cook it while the meatballs are baking. Meal prep once, and have lunch all week long.
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/274587/greek-meatball-mezze-bowls/

Dinner:

Middle Eastern Chicken and Chickpea Stew – New Recipe! This savory and hearty stew is delicious as is, or serve over brown or cauliflower rice.
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/252878/middle-eastern-chicken-chickpea-stew/

Baked Garlic Parmesan Salmon – Not the prettiest dish, but so tasty! I bought several packs of parmesan for making pesto. When I went to harvest the basil, I discovered it covered with black spots. Maybe from our recent rains? This dish is another good way to use up some of that excess parm.
https://healthstartsinthekitchen.com/baked-garlic-parmesan-salmon-primal-low-carb-keto/

Forty-Clove Chicken Filice – Take some help from the grocery store on this one, and buy a package of peeled garlic cloves. Ain’t nobody got time for peeling forty cloves of garlic! Don’t be afraid of all that garlic; baking just makes them sweeter. You won’t repel vampires.
https://www.cooks.com/recipe/u81yk046/40-clove-chicken-filice.html

Southwestern Squash Casserole – Delish, with just a little kick! We use Bob’s Red Mill g-free 1 to 1 baking flour to thicken.
https://food.12tomatoes.com/southwestern-squash-casserole/

Snack:
Fig and Ricotta Toast – New Recipe! I found fresh figs at Earth Fare about the same time I stumbled across this recipe. This hearty snack would make a simple breakfast or lunch. Look for ricotta with just three ingredients: milk, vinegar and salt. I use Rio Briati brand. Try it without that extra sprinkle of salt on top.
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/256575/fig-ricotta-toast/

Keto No Bake Cookies – These little goodies are similar in flavor to preacher cookies, minus that wallop of sugar. I use monkfruit to sweeten.
https://thesoccermomblog.com/keto-no-bake-cookies/

Have a fantastic week, everyone!

Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!

Copyright 2019-2021 © Arthurized Home – All Rights Reserved. This post is the original content of Arthurized Home. If you’re reading this on another site, it’s unArthurized.

Real Food Menu for Week of 9.14.2020

September 14, 2020weekly menus, , , , , , , Leave a comment

Boy, this weekend flew by! Too bad I don’t have much to show for it. We hung out with Pa Kettle Friday night, ran ten miles on Saturday, plus a pilgrimage to Hobby Lobby (y’all crazy for that fall decor!), a bit of meal prep yesterday and we’re back to the grind today. Oh well, it was a fun weekend.

Here’s what’s on the menu:

Mark’s Breakfast:
Blueberry Coconut Chia Pudding – I’ve got a load of chia seeds to use up, and that’s as good a reason as any to make this delicious breakfast. These keep for several days in the refrigerator. Prep ’em on Sunday night and have breakfast all week long.
https://kirbiecravings.com/blueberry-coconut-chia-pudding/

Mark’s Lunch:
Quick and Easy Chicken Salad – Prep the salad ahead of time and keep in the fridge for a few days. Are you seeing a theme here? We like to serve this on a bed of fresh spinach.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/quick-easy-chicken-salad-recipe/

Dinners:
Supreme Pizza Inspired Salad – All the flavors of pizza, none of the regret. Use a quality pepperoni; we like Hormel Natural. To keep the pepperoni fresh, add it just before serving.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/supreme-pizza-salad/

Marinated Salmon with Garlic and Herbs – We love this simple supper and serve it over garlic and herb cauliflower rice, which Aldi carries in their freezer section.
https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/marinated-salmon/

Summer Squash Oregano – This hasn’t been a bountiful year for summer squash, but I need to make this goodie at least once more before summer ends.

Summer Squash Oregano

  • Servings: 4 servings
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

This old Southern Living magazine recipe is a favorite. It’s so old that I can’t find the recipe online! I’ve searched. This dish is fantastic for using oregano and summer squash fresh from the garden.

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 small green pepper, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
  • ¾ lb. yellow squash, sliced
  • ¾ lb. zucchini, sliced
  • 4 tomatoes, chopped
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Melt butter in a large skillet; add onion, garlic and bell pepper and saute until tender.
  2. Stir in oregano, yellow squash and zucchini. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.
  3. Stir in tomato, salt and pepper; cook, uncovered, until squash is tender. Spoon into a serving dish, sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Middle Eastern Chicken Kebabs – Sprinkle a little za’atar on these babies if ya like! Serve with the easy-peasy tahini sauce below for dipping.
https://mythreeseasons.com/middle-eastern-chicken-kebabs/

Snack:
In addition to our usual snacks of fruit, nut and popcorn, we’ll enjoy dipping fresh veggies in this Tahini Sauce with Lemon and Garlic – New Recipe! Add all three tablespoons of water for dressing, start with one tablespoon for a dip or spread, then add more until reaching the desired consistency.
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/266455/tahini-sauce-with-lemon-garlic/

Treat:
Cardamom Plum Buckle – New Recipe! We think this is delicious, albeit a little too sweet. Okay, a lot too sweet. Use a honey that’s light in color, but decrease it by half. Don’t want to steal the plum’s thunder. If your buckle is getting a little brown (like mine!), wrap a collar of foil around the edges toward the end of the bake time.
https://againstallgrain.com/2020/07/27/cardamom-plum-buckle/

I hope your week is *just* sweet enough!

Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!

Copyright 2019-2021 © Arthurized Home – All Rights Reserved. This post is the original content of Arthurized Home. If you’re reading this on another site, it’s unArthurized.

Real Food Menu for Week of 9.7.2020

September 7, 2020weekly menus, , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Well, I think I’ll go ahead and turn fifty today. Yikes. My mother-in-law used to say that “having another birthday sure beats the alternative” and I agree! Because I party like a baller, I’m planning to spend the day working in my happy place: the garden and yard. We’ve got a new compost tumbler to fill, Japanese stiltgrass to kill and a bat house to stain and figure out where/how to install.

Here is our weekly menu:

Mark’s Breakfast:
Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies – New Recipe! So good! To make these gluten-free, substitute almond flour for the oat or wheat flour. I add a little extra cinnamon to the dry mix. While these are great for breakfast on the go, if you enjoyed them as a not-too-sweet treat later in the day, I wouldn’t judge. 🙂
https://kristineskitchenblog.com/carrot-cake-breakfast-cookies/

Mark’s Lunch:
Taco Salad Bowls – Thoroughly brown the ground meat of your choice (beef, chicken, turkey) with a diced onion and a couple tablespoons of taco seasoning. To assemble the bowls add toppings of cheese, salsa or fresh tomatoes, guac, etc. to a bed of lettuce or cooked brown rice. I used this taco seasoning recipe:
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/

Dinners:
Cauliflower Pizza – We love this one! This savory crust doesn’t crumble and reheats well as leftovers. I substitute ground flaxseed for the psyillium husks.
https://thestonesoup.com/blog/2016/09/27/cauliflower-pizza/

Garlic Butter Turkey Meatballs with Lemon Zucchini Noodles – An old favorite!
https://www.eatwell101.com/garlic-butter-meatballs-with-lemon-zucchini-noodles

Thai-Style Cucumber Salad – New Recipe! If you’re from the American South, you know all about ‘cucumbers and onions’. It’s a favorite with Pa Kettle; and on his dinner table while the cukes are rolling in from the garden. This recipe adds a Thai twist to that refreshing summer side dish.

Thai-Style Cucumber Salad

  • Servings: 4-5
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Crisp, light and full of summer-time flavors, this side salad pairs nicely with grilled salmon or chicken.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • ¾ cup hot water
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 large English cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
  • ½ cup carrot, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup green onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons red bell pepper, diced finely
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1 teaspoon jalapeno, finely minced
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 clove fresh garlic, crushed

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk honey and water until the honey is fully dissolved. Add vinegar; cover and refrigerate for two hours.
  2. Combine cucumber and remaining ingredients in a bowl. Pour chilled dressing over cucumber mixture and toss gently.

Perfect Roast Chicken – You just can’t go wrong with this recipe. It really is perfection, every time.
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/perfect-roast-chicken-recipe-1940592

Snack:
Superhero Muffins – A long overdue return of these meals-in-a-muffin. These incredibly versatile muffins work for breakfast, snacks, treats, pre or post workout. Because these freeze well, we usually make a double batch.
https://runfasteatslow.com/blogs/news/superhero-muffins

Treat:
Grilled Pineapple with Ricotta and Honey – Yum! The pineapple is so sweet, I don’t think this needs the drizzle of honey.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/grilled-pineapple-ricotta-honey-clean-eating/

Have a great week everyone!

Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!

Copyright 2019-2021 © Arthurized Home – All Rights Reserved. This post is the original content of Arthurized Home. If you’re reading this on another site, it’s unArthurized.

Packing Shoe Boxes for Operation Christmas Child – Girls 10-14

September 5, 2020gifts, , , , , Leave a comment

A friend gave me the book Operation Christmas Child: A Story of Simple Gifts, and y’all, it’s wonderful. It’s amazing to read the history of this ministry and have a glimpse into the personal stories of some of the recipients. I have dogeared the entire book because it’s just that good. My favorite quote is by seventy-three year old Doris Goodair who said “I stayed so busy with shoeboxes, I didn’t realize I was growing old.” I wanna be Doris when I grow up.

Here is a peek into the boxes we’re packing for 10 – 14 year old girls this year:

School Supplies: Composition book (college ruled for the older kiddos), colored pencils, pencils, pencils sharpener, scissors and erasers. In the interest of not shipping air, we stuff the pencil sharpener full of pencil-top erasers. Don’t you think a colorful or glittered pencil would make school work just *a little* more fun?

Personal Care Items: Included are a washcloth, soap, toothbrush and cover, Chap-stick, nail care set, hair elastics and shower comb. We sometimes use the hair elastics to secure rolled clothing items; it’s more useful to the recipient than sending a rubber band.

If you’ve wondered why we send a toothbrush but no toothpaste, this makes it easier to get the boxes through customs and because the kids were eating the toothpaste. I read of one boy who downed an entire tube of bubblegum favored toothpaste in one sitting! Yum. Yum.

Something to wear: Hat, socks, fun leopard print tights, tee shirt, panties, and soft cup bras. My sister had several fabric bags from new pillowcases, so we tucked the underthings in those. Because opening underwear in front of your friends is still not a fun party game.

Since we don’t know the girl’s sizes, we send 14-16 size clothing for this age group. I figure it’s better to send things she can grow into, rather than smaller clothes.

Fun Stuff: Paint brushes, watercolors, art paper, zippered wallet, travel sewing kit, beaded bracelet, water bottle and tiny trinkets.

I rolled the washcloth and socks and stuffed them into the water bottle. The Chap-stick, googly-eyes ring and tiny, new friends were jammed into the crevices.

We removed the foam packaging sheets from inside the wallet, and tucked these small items into the pockets.

Here’s how it all fits into the box:

For more shoe box inspiration:

Packing a shoe box for OCC
What fits inside the box?
Boys 5-9
Boys 10-14

Happy shoe box packing!

This post is not sponsored. I only endorse charities that I personally support, and I hope you will consider supporting them too.

Copyright 2019-2020 © Arthurized Home – All Rights Reserved. This post is the original content of Arthurized Home. If you’re reading this on another site, it’s unArthurized.

Real Food Menu for Week of 8.31.2020

August 31, 2020weekly menus, , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Does it weird you out when food bloggers post pictures of food with bites taken out of it? It does me. Like, I don’t need to see your dental imprint right now. This isn’t Criminal Minds.

I cut the Chocolate Almond Coconut Bites below with a knife, not my teeth. Mostly because I love you, but also to show you the texture inside. (Some of you have said that you’re weird about food textures.) We’ve all got our quirks, right?

This week’s quirky menu:

Mark’s Breakfast:
Rainbow Frittata – New Recipe! This would make a nice brunch dish; wait just before serving to top with tomatoes, avocado and your favorite hot sauce.
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/266247/rainbow-frittata/

Mark’s Lunch:
Chicken Pineapple Curry – Here’s an old fav. This mild curry is great for meal prep because it keeps for a few days in the fridge, freezes well and reheats beautifully.
https://www.5dollardinners.com/chicken-pineapple-curry/

Dinner:
Vegan Macaroni Salad – New Recipe! I’ve made the traditional southern macaroni salad with cucumbers, tomatoes and onions a million times, but I have to say I rather like the different mix of veggies here! This makes a massive bowl of salad, perfect for parties. Or, make it on Sunday and eat off of it all week long. If you have the time, use Southern Living’s pasta salad pro tip.
https://simple-veganista.com/vegan-macaroni-salad/#tasty-recipes-26692

Greek Chicken Soup – Another favorite. The lemon juice adds a nice brightness to this dish.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/budget-friendly-greek-chicken-soup/

Kale Salad with Apricots and Almonds – Lightly sweet with just a little crunch from the almonds, this version is second only to our favorite Convert Kale Salad.
https://www.whatwouldcathyeat.com/2012/04/kale-salad-with-apricots-and-almonds/

Cucumber and Strawberry Salad with Poppyseed Dressing – Because sometimes you just want a light, refreshing salad for dinner. I was skeptical of the amount of vinegar in the dressing, but it’s balanced by the sweetness of the berries.
https://cleanfoodcrush.com/cucumber-strawberry-salad/

Snacks: Jicama Sticks with Chili-Lime Dip – We’re serving cucumber slices with this as well. If you like a little extra kick, add a touch of cayenne or a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.
https://www.marthastewart.com/317906/jicama-sticks-with-chili-lime-dip

Treat:
Chocolate Almond Coconut Bites – These fun-sized alternatives to a Larabar (which we love!) need just a touch of salt, so I added 1/4 tsp to my batch. Total yield = 18 bites.
https://www.weaverstreetmarket.coop/chocolate-almond-coconut-bites/

I hope your week is quirky AND fun-sized!

Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!

Copyright 2019-2021 © Arthurized Home – All Rights Reserved. This post is the original content of Arthurized Home. If you’re reading this on another site, it’s unArthurized.