Menu Plan Monday: Slow Cooker Revolution!

I just got a new slow cooker cookbook, thanks to my mom!  Can’t wait to try out some new things this week.  I love using the slow cooker because it frees me up from stressing about dinner in the avernoon & evening.  I love getting meal prep done early in the day — or at least before the final hour before dinner when I am tired and ready to chill out a bit myself!

Slow Cooker Revolution is from America’s Test Kitchen, whose TV show we have enjoyed in the past, as well as some of their othercook books.  A lot of the recipes in this new one seem our style — using fresh, whole foods and not requiring the can of X cream this and Y that which I try (or have to) avoid for health and allergy reasons.  I’ll try to remember to report back about how these work out!

Elsie gnawing on a carrot @ 5 months. Yum yum!

Monday - pulled pork with balsamic BBQ sauce on whole wheat buns (both from freezer), artichokes, applesauce

Tuesday – Rice and black beans (in slow cooker), tomato, avocado, lettuce, corn

Wednesday — Fish or Tofu (soup?) sweet potato (fries or mashed)  green salad w/arugela, fruit and nuts

Thursday — Aloha Pork Chops (from Slow Cooker Revolution, p110), glazed carrots

Friday – Curried Chicken and Rice (from Slow Cooker Revolution, p 221)

Saturday — take out, leftovers or homemade pizza

Sunday – baked whole chicken & potatoes, steamed veggie and/or green salad

Snacks & treats — homemade granola bars, black bean brownies (!), applesauce muffins (adapted to be dairy-free from this recipe, using coconut milk instead of buttermilk!).  Haven’t tried the latter two before — but I am hopeful they will be healthy AND delicious!

What I could use help with this week is kid lunches — I feel like we are totally stuck in a rut!  What are your kids favorite healthy lunch foods?

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