Vegan for a Week {Take 2}

I am in need of a reset for my body. Over the summer my husband and I challenged each other to a Vegan for a Week Challenge. It is a great way to cleanse your body and renew your eating habits. I am really excited about this challenge and hope I can inspire you to give it a try. It is also the last "official" week of summer so I thought the timing was perfect!

 Here is our delicious menu for the week and we will still be celebrating the Liturgical Year even with my added dietary restrictions. Since this is a special week I will be sharing some recipes here in this post and I am still linking up with Menu Plan Monday. 

Monday: Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary

Quinoa Vegetable Wraps

Tuesday:

Black Beans and Rice (Maybe Walnut Taco Meat)

Wednesday: Exaltation of the Cross

Crockpot Spaghetti Squash and Marinara

Thursday: Our Lady of Sorrows

Quinoa Pilaf with Peas and Almonds

Friday:

Basil Pest Pasta with Roasted Vegetables

Saturday: Serina's Wedding

Wedding Reception

Sunday:

Three Bean Chili

Breakfast:

Some great vegan options for breakfast include overnight oats, plain oatmeal with fresh fruit topping, fruit smoothie, toast with almond butter. I think for this challenge I will stick with fruit smoothies and plain oatmeal. I am a little tired of the overnight oats for now. I still need to get pumpkin puree to make those amazing pumpkin pie latte oats again!

Lunch:

Salads, wraps and vegetable soups make great lunches. Beans, Rice, Quinoa and Vegetables are stables of a Vegan diet and there are so many different combinations to create great meals. I have a friend that eats Vegan everyday and she always mentions great Vegan places to eat and recipes.

This is a late post so I have finished Day 1 of my Vegan for a Week Challenge successfully! If you decide to try this challenge out, it is a great way to detox your body and get a nice boost of nutrients into your body!

God Bless!

Menu Plan Monday: 7/11-7/17

Clean eating is the only good thing I have been doing lately. I have allowed myself to fall off the running and exercise wagon pretty hard this past month. I honestly think the only reason I haven't put on the 10 pounds I recently lost is because I have been keeping LOTS and I mean HUGE amounts of vegetables in my recipes lately! Well after reading an exhilarating and motivational post about why July is a good month to Make Healthy Changes, I am ready to jump back on the wagon and get this right. Fingers crossed I hold on a little tighter and make some more good healthy habits!

Monday: Feast of Saint Benedict

Breakfast: Egg Sandwich

Lunch: Leftover Mexican Spaghetti Squash

Dinner: Benedict Cross Mini Pizzas

**Healthier ideas for the pizza are in my new post about Saint Benedict checkout my old post here**

Tuesday

Breakfast: Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

Lunch: Vegetables and Quinoa

Dinner: Crockpot Kielbasa Dinner

Wednesday

Breakfast: Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

Lunch: Sub sandwiches

Dinner: Turkey Burger Cookout

Thursday: Feast Saint Kateri Tekakwitha 

Breakfast: Fruit and Yogurt

Lunch: Saint Kateri Picnic on a Nature Trail

Dinner: Turkey Chili and cornbread

** Checkout my older posts about Saint Kateri here and here and If you are feeling adventurous try this recipe for Firewater Chili**

Friday: Feast of Saint Bonaventure and St. Swithin

Breakfast: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Lunch: Avocado Tuna Sandwich

Dinner: Crockpot Italian Soup

*Dessert: Crockpot Baked Apples with cinnamon*

Saturday: Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel 

Breakfast: Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

Lunch: Garden Salad

Dinner: Turkey Meatball Subs with Caramelized Onions

Sunday:

Breakfast: Overnight Peanut Butter Banana Oats 

Lunch: Avocado Tuna Sandwich

Dinner: Leftovers!

Mexican Spaghetti Squash:

1 Large Spaghetti Squash

2 Zucchini (diced)

1 Can Corn

1 Can of Rotel

1 Can of Black Beans

Cumin, Garlic, Black pepper, Paprika and Cilantro to season as you see fit

Olive Oil

Shredded Cheddar (optional garnish)

Greek Yogurt (optional garnish)

Cut spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds. Sprinkle squash with olive oil. Place on a baking pan face down.Bake spaghetti squash in the oven for 40-45 min at 375 degrees F. While the spaghetti squash is baking, combine remaining ingredients, a splash of olive oil and seasoning in a pan and cook on medium heat for 30-35min. When the spaghetti squash is done, remove it from the shell with a fork and toss the vegetable black bean mix with it or place the vegetable black bean mix on top on the spaghetti squash. Top with greek yogurt, cheese and/or extra cilantro if you like. Enjoy!

Crockpot Kielbasa Dinner:

2 links Kielbasa (sliced)

1/2 small Cabbage (sliced)

2 Yellow Onions (sliced)

1 lb red potatoes (diced)

1 lb baby carrots

Black pepper, sage, thyme and dill to taste

**I added half a bottle of Fat Tire to the recipe this time around**

This is one of the easiest crockpot recipes you'll ever make. You literally dump all the ingredients into the crock pot and set it on low for 6-8 hours! Enjoy!

Crockpot Vegetable Italian Soup:

1 onion large  (chopped)

4 carrots medium (chopped)

4 stalks celery (diced)

42 oz vegetable broth

14 oz diced tomatoes (drained)

6 oz tomato paste

1 pound frozen green beans

1 zuchinni (diced)

1 yellow squash (diced)

oregano, thyme, pepper, garlic (crushed or minced) to taste

Throw all the ingredients in the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with fresh bread or a garden salad! Yummy!

Avocado Tuna and Overnight Oats Recipes can be found in my past Menu Monday post

***This is for the weekly linkup called Menu Plan Monday on I'm an Organizing Junkie
and also with Let's Get Real**

Menu Plan Monday: Clean Eating Challenge 6/27- 7/3

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I am so sorry I have been missing in action for awhile. This summer has been pretty crazy!

I think in honor of Menu Plan Monday we should have a Clean Eating Challenge! My friend Heather, who is super motivational, came up with the idea. She is also the one who started our Vegan for a Week Challenge not too long ago. I have to be honest. I have been FAILING with a lot of the things I wanted to accomplish this summer. These failures include (but are not limited to) keeping up with a healthy diet, exercise and keeping up with some educational activities for the boys. I think this Clean Eating Challenge will be a great way to get reorganized. I hope you decide to join me!

This challenge will only run Monday-Friday so here is my plan for the week. The recipes I used are included below.

Monday: 

Breakfast: Berry Banana Crockpot Oatmeal

Lunch: Three Bean Salad

Dinner: Leftover Chicken and Vegetable Quinoa (Sunday's Dinner)

Tuesday: Hubby's Birthday!

Breakfast: Leftover Berry Banana Crockpot Oatmeal

Lunch: Grilled Sausage with Three Bean Salad and Fresh fruit

Dinner: Ground Turkey with Lime and Black Bean Quinoa

Wednesday: 

Breakfast: Peanut Putter Banana Overnight Oats

Lunch: Avocado Tuna Salad Sandwich

Dinner: Ground Turkey Vegetable Stir fry and brown rice

Thursday:

Breakfast: Peanut Putter Banana Overnight Oats

Lunch: Avocado Tuna Salad Sandwich

Dinner: Hawaiian Chicken and Quinoa

Friday: 

Breakfast: Peanut Putter Banana Overnight Oats

Lunch: Garden Salad with Boiled eggs

Dinner: Spaghetti Squash with Marinara

**END OF CHALLENGE BUT I SUGGEST THAT YOU KEEP UP THE CLEAN EATING**

Saturday:

Breakfast: Biscuits with Turkey Sausage gravy

Lunch: Soup and sandwiches

Dinner: Leftover Surprise. 

Create something new from what is leftover from our dinner recipes

Sunday:

Breakfast: Protein Pancakes 

Lunch: Leftovers

Dinner: Parmasean Chicken Pasta

Recipes:

Berry Banana Crockpot Oatmeal

2 cups oats

4 cups almond milk

2 cups fresh berries (I am using strawberries, blackberries and raspberries)

2 bananas sliced

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together inside a crockpot and set on low for 6-8 hours

Serve or place in container in refrigerator for up to a week.

Hawaiian Chicken and Quinoa

2 large chicken breast

2 cups pineapple 

1 large green pepper diced

1 large sweet onion diced

1/2 cup water or low sodium chicken broth

Add all ingredients except quinoa in the crockpot and cook on high 2-4 hours or low 6-8 hours. Remove chicken breast and shred, then return to the crockpot.

Cook quinoa (you can also use rice) separately and then serve Hawaiian Chicken on top. 

Ground Turkey with Lime and Black Bean Quinoa

1-1.5 lb of ground turkey

2 cups black beans

2 cups corn

1 large onion diced

1 cup diced tomato

1 cup green pepper diced

1 cup spinach

1 lime (squeezed for juice)

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp garlic 

pepper to taste

Brown ground turkey, drain and return to pan. Add onion, green pepper and all seasonings and sauté for 5-10 minutes. Combine the rest of the ingredients (including the juice from one lime) and let simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes. While browning the Ground turkey, prepare quinoa (according to instructions on package). After quinoa is prepared, add while turkey and vegetables are simmering and mix well. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Avocado Tuna Salad Sandwich

1 can tuna drained

1 avocado

1/4 cup red onion diced

1/4 cup green pepper diced

1/4 cup cucumber diced

1 lime (squeezed for juice)

pepper to taste

leaf lettuce

tomato sliced

wheat bread

Mash avocado to a creamy consistency and mix in tuna, onion, green pepper, cucumber and lime juice. Toast wheat bread and place leaf lettuce then avocado tuna mixture and top with 1-2 tomato slices. Sprinkle with pepper and top with second piece of toasted bread and Enjoy.

If you are interested in my Three Bean Salad or Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats recipes check out my Vegan for a Week post.  I changed it up bit and eliminated the apple and sweet seasonings and added diced yellow and red peppers with olive oil, lemon and Italian seasoning for this batch! Yummy!

I hope everyone is having an amazing summer thus far! I would love to hear about how you are celebrating the gorgeous weather with your families :)

***This is for the weekly linkup called Menu Plan Monday on I'm an Organizing Junkie and also for Let's Get Real Friday Party at Juggling Real Food and Real Life***