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**

Saint Bonaventure

I wanted to update everyone about the amazing time me and my children had celebrating the Feast of Saint Bonaventure this past Monday! I actually wasn't able to take many pictures because the boys devoured dinner and everything else before I could snap any. Oh well, such is the life of a mommy with growing boys... very hungry growing boys :)

Saint Bonaventure is a quite famous Italian Saint. He is known as the Doctor of the Church and renowned for his amazing writings. I thought it would be fun to have some pasta (Italian) so I made Cheese tortellini with zucchini, squash and cherry tomatoes tossed in a sun dried tomato alfredo. I chose tortellini because it looks like the Franciscan's style of hair, a tonsure.

In honor of Saint Bonaventure, I bought the children and I journals so we could write just like this amazing saint. Here is the one picture I was able to get of Little Man's journal. I think it says it all!

 

Pierce, O most sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love, and with true, calm and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with entire love and longing for Thee, may yearn for Thee and for thy courts, may long to be dissolved and to be with Thee.
Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee, the Bread of Angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and super substantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delightful taste.
May my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee, Whom the angels desire to look upon, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor; may it ever thirst for Thee, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the fullness of the house of God;
may it ever compass Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, run to Thee, come up to Thee, meditate on Thee, speak of Thee, and do all for the praise and glory of Thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, with perseverance to the end; and be Thou alone ever my hope, my entire confidence, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession, my treasure; in Whom may my mind and my heart be ever fixed and firm and rooted immovably. Amen.

Saint Bonaventure, pray for us!