Skip to content

My Menu Plan

2014 February 23
by WWGD

CoconutOilRiceKrispieTreats-WhatWouldGwynethDo

 

I feel like I am two steps ahead of life because I did our planning and groceries yesterday (for once!) so now all that lays ahead of me on this fine Sunday is relaxation…there is something so oddly comforting about getting our home in order every weekend. Stocking the fridge, cleaning out the cars, buying fresh flowers, dusting and tidying and organizing. My husband and I always talk about our “Sunday evening home” and how neat and organized it is – and we often dream of it fondly come Wednesday morning when it is anything but.

Here is a look at our menu plan for the week:

Sunday – roasting another chicken. I can’t get enough, especially on Sundays. I have been using Gwyneth Paltrow’s recipe from “It’s All Good” lately (find it below) and it is so foolproof and easy, you simply have no reason to opt for takeout.

Monday – brown and wild rice with brussel sprouts via Giada; this has become a staple around here, it is so hearty and flavorful and we have very few vegetarian options in our repertoire so it’s a must. Also makes really good leftovers for lunch the next day.

Tuesday – the perfect fish tacos.

Wednesday – steaks with grilled peppers and sweet potato fries. We buy all our meat organic nowadays and besides the health benefits, we see a HUGE difference in taste, too. All they need is a little olive oil and salt and pepper and they are heavenly. If you want a little extra indulgence, melt a pat of butter on them like Ina Garten does…sinful and so good.

Thursday – I have a work event to attend that evening so the rest of the crew will fend for themselves. The kids have really been into whole wheat pita pizzas lately: a whole wheat pita that they top themselves with pizza sauce and cheese (and pepperoni for Little D, but not for Kai…I swear he’s a budding vegetarian in a family of carnivores) and pop in the oven. Easy and relatively healthy.

Friday – it’s Friday. I could lie to you and say we will have something other than homemade pizza, but we won’t. And we will use the Homemade with Love recipe for the crust, because it’s just the best. And we will swap out our usual Trader Joe’s sauce this week for the Scarpetta one I picked up the other day. Will let you know if it’s worth the investment.

Sweet treat of the week – we made these amazing coconut oil rice krispie treats yesterday (pictured above and recipe below via Gimme Some Oven) and they were great. So easy to make that Little D practically handled the whole job herself…she just needed my help to test them out. 😉

Have a lovely Sunday and thanks as always for taking the time to stop by!

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Simple Crispy Roasted Chicken from “It’s All Good”

Ingredients
  • 3-4 lb. whole chicken, insides removed (I buy a pre-cut whole organic chicken to save myself the dirty work)
  • sea salt
  • black pepper
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • ½ lemon (this is sort of optional, just as good without)
  • ½ small onion, peeled
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Wash and pat dry chicken.
  3. Place in a roasting pan and sprinkle generously inside the bird with salt and pepper. Stuff the chicken with the lemon and onion (again, if using the pre-cut chicken just skip to next step and sit the bird on a bed of the lemons and onions; I also throw in some cut-up small potatoes coated in olive oil, salt, pepper and a little rosemary).
  4. Coat the skin with the olive oil all over.
  5. Place breast side up into the roasting pan and roast for 1½ hours (mine took nowhere near that long, likely because it wasn’t whole; keep checking on it until a thermometer registers about 180 degrees in the breast).
  6. Every 30 minutes, baste the chicken with juices in the pan.
  7. Let sit 10 minutes before carving.
  8. Serve with a light arugula salad and a glass of white.

Coconut Oil Rice Krispie Treats via Gimme Some Oven

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 bag (10.5 oz.) mini marshmallows
  • 5 cups crispy rice cereal

Instructions

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and coconut oil together over medium-low heat.

Add the marshmallows, and stir until melted. Remove from heat, and stir in the crispy rice cereal until it is evenly mixed.

Transfer the mixture to a greased 8×8-inch pan, and press down so that the top is flat.

Let sit until it returns to room temperature, about an hour. Then cut and serve. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

8 Responses
  1. Kaly permalink
    February 23, 2014

    Was totally at a loss about what to make for dinner – just went out and bought a chicken! Thanks for the inspiration.

    • WWGD permalink*
      February 23, 2014

      LOVE that! Thanks for the note, Kaly! Hope it was gooooood!

  2. liz permalink
    February 24, 2014

    Love reading your menu items. It’s nice to not have to think about what to make or eat sometimes.

    • WWGD permalink*
      February 24, 2014

      happy to hear it!

  3. Dawn permalink
    March 16, 2014

    New reader – I’m loving your blog 🙂 So great to see meal plans mixed in with all the fun pretties! I always need ideas. I’m an awful planner but always feel so relieved when I have a plan for the week! Thanks.

    • WWGD permalink*
      March 17, 2014

      Hi Dawn – thanks so much for dropping by and for the kind words. Yes, menu planning has become a crucial part of my balancing act too – hope the menus continue to come in handy 🙂

Trackbacks and Pingbacks

  1. Five Great Chicken Recipes | WhatWouldGwynethDo
  2. My Menu Plan | WhatWouldGwynethDo

Comments are closed.