Menu Plans

Menu Plan

Hey it’s Sunday! And Father’s Day! Happy First Father’s Day to my amazing husband! It’s been so fun to see you become a dad over the past month and a half. 🙂 Here’s a great shot of Ben with our son at our newborn photo shoot with Harpeth Photography. LOVE!

Fox and Ben

I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating all the fathers in your life! Happy Father’s Day to my wonderful dad! Baby and I love you so much! 🙂 Can’t wait to celebrate later. 🙂 Enjoy the meal plan for the week–but don’t spend too much time planning. I know I’ll be spending the day with family instead! Enjoy, friends!

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Monday

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Tuesday

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Wednesday

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Thursday

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Friday

  • DAY OFF – Go out to eat or order in!

Saturday

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Sunday

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Side Dish

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Dessert

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

This week’s meal plan was brought you to by:

The Cooking Actress | Pies and Plots | The Spiffy Cookie | Foodtastic Mom | The Pajama Chef | Big Bear’s Wife

Pin this to your meal planning board for easy access all week long!

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers! Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Menu Plans

Menu Plan

Happy Sunday! What have you been up to this weekend? We have been enjoying the beautiful weather with our lil baby! He’s growing so fast. 🙂 We hope to grill today…and by we, I mean I hope Ben grills, haha. I hope it’s not too hot, but we shall see. It’s been fun getting to go out and about more as the baby grows, but being home and having a great meal that’s not from the freezer [though I am SO grateful for March Sarah who made lots of freezer meals] is super nice too. 🙂 Anyways, onto the meals for the week! I probably say this every week, but I’m so glad that a group of us have paired together to make these meal plans. It’s so nice to get ideas from others, amiright? Enjoy!

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Monday

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Tuesday

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Wednesday

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Thursday

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Friday

  • DAY OFF – Go out to eat or order in!

Saturday

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Sunday

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Breakfast

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Dessert

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

This week’s meal plan was brought you to by:

The Pajama Chef | Big Bear’s Wife | The Cooking Actress | Pies and Plots | The Spiffy Cookie | Foodtastic Mom

Pin this to your meal planning board for easy access all week long!

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers! Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Breakfast, Granola, Recipes

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars

These healthy, flavorful granola bars are full of that wonderful chocolate peanut butter goodness that EVERYONE knows and loves. And they can be made in ten minutes, perfect for any busy schedule… even that of a new mama. 🙂

These healthy, flavorful granola bars are full of that wonderful chocolate peanut butter goodness that EVERYONE knows and loves. And they can be made in ten minutes, perfect for any busy schedule... even that of a new mama. :)

Hi guys! Another new recipe! Who am I?!? I just had to take some of my free time to share this no bake granola bar recipe with you… because frankly, I’m obsessed with them. I’ve made two batches in just as many weeks… and eaten almost all of them myself! 🙂 You know what else I’m quickly becoming obsessed with? Babywearing! Having two hands to use during baby naps [that he prefers to take on me or on Ben] is priceless. I have a Baby K’Tan and it’s purple and fabulous. I can even cook while wearing it! Well, cooking is a bit of a stretch, but I definitely can make really easy recipes as long as they don’t involve putting something in the oven or any potential splatters from the stovetop. Paranoid, safety conscious new mom here! Probably for a good reason, but still.

These healthy, flavorful granola bars are full of that wonderful chocolate peanut butter goodness that EVERYONE knows and loves. And they can be made in ten minutes, perfect for any busy schedule... even that of a new mama. :)

Anyways, back to this deliciousness! And no, I’m not talking about this cute ONE MONTH old baby here. Though he IS delicious and adorable, huh? What do you think I should call him on the blog? Due to his privacy and not wanting to make more of an online trail for him in the future than necessary, I don’t want to share his full name here. Before he was born, we joked around that his name would be “Volde,” as in Voldemort so his current Instagram hashtag is #BabyVolde. We might stick with that, or we might adapt one of his [many] family nicknames. Most of them have to do with foxes, because we chose woodland animals as his nursery theme. Gah, I way overthink EVERYTHING. Haha.

These healthy, flavorful granola bars are full of that wonderful chocolate peanut butter goodness that EVERYONE knows and loves. And they can be made in ten minutes, perfect for any busy schedule... even that of a new mama. :)

This cutie has his eyes open more and more these days… he’s so fun! Moving on… no good transition, but I gotta get moving as naptime will be coming to a screeching halt any minute now. 🙂 These granola bars. They are no bake, amazingly delicious, and SO simple to throw together. Since I made my first batch, I’ve eaten one just about every day. Err, night. Middle of the night feedings make me hungry! Or maybe it’s just being up in the middle of the night that makes me hungry. Either way, I learned very early on in this little one’s life that I needed a healthy snack to eat in the middle of the night when I was up with the babe. Granola bars are the easy choice, right?

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars3

For a couple weeks I was buying [or sending Ben to buy] the more wholesome granola bars from the grocery store… but then I felt like baking. So I decided to make my own using healthy ingredients that I had on hand! Some oats, Rice Krispies cereal, nuts, honey, peanut butter, and chocolate later, these babies were born. I was a little unsure of how they would turn out using natural peanut butter as the base, but I’m happy to report that they stick together just fine if you store them in the refrigerator. Score! They do get a little melty at room temperature, but I’m sure you can eat them quickly enough to remedy that problem. I know I sure do! The classic combo of peanut butter and chocolate is one that I don’t tire of easily. Reminds me of eating candy, so much so that I have to stop myself from setting the baby down partway through a feeding to go get another granola bar. No joke. These granola bars are that good! With that in mind, it’s probably for the best they need to hang out in the fridge so they last a little longer. I bet they would freeze well too, though I haven’t tried that yet. Hope you can make these granola bars soon–you won’t regret it! Enjoy!

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars2

one year ago: Cherry Chipotle Chicken Salad with Cherry Lime Salsa
two years ago: Dark Chocolate Double Coconut Macaroons

three years ago: Pretzel Rolls
four years ago: Orange Glazed Chicken Stir Fry
five years ago: Strawberry Chocolate Coconut Pancakes

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Bars

  • Servings: 16
  • Print

from It’s Just Laine

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup peanut butter – I used natural creamy
  • 3/4 cup honey – I used mostly honey but a little maple syrup because I ran out
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder [dark chocolate if you have it]
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups old fashioned oats
  • 2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
  • up to 2 cups of mix-ins–I’ve been using the following:
    • 1/2 cup peanuts
    • 1/2 cup Reese’s chips
    • 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Grease a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt together peanut butter, honey, coconut oil, and cocoa powder over low heat. No need to boil, just heat until melted together. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. This step can also be done in the microwave if desired–just mix in a bowl and heat on 50% power until melted. For me, this was about 45 seconds.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together oats and Rice Krispies. Pour peanut butter mixture on top and stir to combine. Fold in mix-ins, then transfer to prepared pan. Use a sheet of wax paper or a spatula to press down and flatten. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour, or up to overnight to set.

After bars have set, cut as desired. Store in the refrigerator or freezer, especially during warm/humid months.

 

Menu Plans

Menu Plan

Again guys, sorry to those of you who meal plan earlier in the day on Sunday. The little man at our house hasn’t let me use the computer much. 🙂 But he’s adorable and turned one month old today so I can’t complain! I just need to get in the habit of working ahead, ya know? But enough about me… let’s look at these yummy meals my pals and I have to offer this week! I am just drooling over each and every one of these summery meals. Enjoy!

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Monday

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Tuesaday

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Wednesday

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Thursday

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Friday

  • DAY OFF – Go out to eat or order in!

Saturday

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Sunday

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Side Dish

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Dessert

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

This week’s meal plan was brought you to by:

Foodtastic Mom | The Spiffy Cookie | Big Bear’s Wife | The Pajama Chef | Pies and Plots | The Cooking Actress

Pin this to your meal planning board for easy access all week long!

Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers! Weekly Meal Plan - lots of great eats for the week ahead via thepajamachef.com and other great bloggers!

Main Dishes, Recipes, Seafood and Fish

Baked Tilapia with Coconut-Cilantro Sauce #bookclubcookbookCC

An easy baked tilapia dish jazzed up with a creamy, dreamy green sauce… this simple meal is fresh and flavorful, perfect for summer!

An easy baked tilapia dish jazzed up with a creamy, dreamy green sauce... this simple meal is fresh and flavorful, perfect for summer! #bookclubcookbookCC

Once upon a time, when I was a senior in high school, I took AP English. English classes at my high school were awesome–I had the best teachers, and we got to read some wonderful novels over the years. I realize I sound like a complete goody two shoes with those two statements, and let’s face it–I probably was. For one project in AP English [which was totally worth it, btw since I tested out of the two required English courses in college due to acing the AP exam], we had to read a classic novel independently and do a book report/presentation about it to the class. The details are a bit hazy since this was circa 2002, but I remember taking the official list of our book choices to Borders [rest in peace] and walking around reading the backs of zillions of books to make THE choice. This was important stuff, guys!! And it was before my infatuation with libraries. In those days, I could spend hours in a bookstore, especially my beloved Borders next to my favorite Panera. Good times!

An easy baked tilapia dish jazzed up with a creamy, dreamy green sauce... this simple meal is fresh and flavorful, perfect for summer! #bookclubcookbookCC

Anyways, after perusing my options, I settled on Love in the Time of Cholera by Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. I had two main reasons for my choice: first, it was originally published the year I was born, and two, I liked the cover. Great reasons, huh? These great reasons backfired on me–I hated the book. Not that you came to my blog to read about literary elements or theory, but one of the techniques used in this novel is magical realism–magic alongside everyday events. And if you know me, you know that I’m as realistic as they come. I don’t really like tv or movies with any fantasy elements, and that is how I saw this book. So now you know my feelings on Love in the Time of Cholera…which happens to be the May book choice for #bookclubcookbookCC, hosted by Danielle of Mostly Food and Crafts and Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Yes, I am a little late, but I have a four week old baby so that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it! 🙂

An easy baked tilapia dish jazzed up with a creamy, dreamy green sauce... this simple meal is fresh and flavorful, perfect for summer! #bookclubcookbookCC

Love in the Time of Cholera is set in the Caribbean, possibly Colombia, but if I remember correctly, it’s a little ambiguous. And what’s more Caribbean or coastal than a good fish dish? This baked tilapia is jazzed up with a creamy, dreamy coconut-cilantro sauce! It is a snap to put together, so it’s great even for busy new parents to make. [That’s me!] All you do is combine a few tasty ingredients in the blender or food processor and whirl away. The oven does the rest of the work. Love it! This fresh sauce is the perfect blend of tropical flavors with a wee bit of spice. How delightful! I’m sure we will make it over and over again this summer. Hope you love this dish as much as we did… and if you do happen to love the novel this recipe is inspired by, well, then please accept my apologies that I did not. 🙂 Maybe if I read it as an adult I’d have a different opinion, but alas… have a great day, friends!

one year ago: Southwestern Cilantro Mac & Cheese
two years ago: Black Bean and Rice Soup

three years ago: Blueberry Burgers
four years ago: Parmesan Garlic Rolls
five years ago: Lemony Kale Pasta

Baked Tilapia with Coconut-Cilantro Sauce

  • Servings: 4
  • Print

from Food Network

Ingredients:

  • 4 tilapia fillets, about 6 ounces each
  • 1/2 cup canned coconut milk [light or full fat, your choice]
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, plus additional for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1/2 jalapeno, chopped – deseed as desired
  • 3 cups cooked brown rice, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray, then place tilapia in the pan. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

In a blender or food processor, combine coconut milk, cilantro, ginger, garam masala, garlic, and jalapeno. Pulse until smooth. Pour sauce over fish, then bake about 15 minutes until tilapia is cooked through–it should be opaque in the center. Serve over rice.