Gluten Free Weekly Dinner Meal Planning October 10th

I do my meal planning weekly. We are part of a local CSA and "upped" to a full share this year. Our shares run April-December which is AWESOME. So we pick up our CSA each week at the drop off point and go to the outdoor market to finish up any thing that would need supplemented. We try to buy local, organic first and then I move to the local grocery store to pick up whatever I can that's organic. From there, I just toss up my hands and figure that I've given it a good effort.

I meal plan to save money, shop locally and in season, and to relieve stress throughout the week. I use yummly.com ALL the time to pick my recipes. It's supremely rare for this family to eat anything twice in about 3-4 months time. Admittedly, we eat mac and cheese a decent amount. The kids...they like it. What can I say?

We're lucky enough to have our CSA on Facebook and they give us a heads up for a tentative list of what's coming to us. It's pretty sweet. Here is this week's list:

Lettuce Mix Salad
Broccoli
Green Bell Pepper
Acorn Squash
Color Bell Pepper
Yummy Orange Snack Peppers
Dill
Arugula
Cucumber
Tomatoes
Collards
Head Lettuce
Eggplant

Knowing this, I jump over to the wonderful yummly.com and search for a varied meal plan. Keep in mind that we are a gluten free family. Here is this week's list: 

Maple Walnut Chicken Thighs and Cheddar Apple Rice
Moroccan Eggplant with Couscous (we will substitute brown rice)
Peanut Butter Vegetable Chicken Soup
Stuffed Collards
Autumnal Quinoa Salad
Seasoned steak with Tzatziki Potato Salad and Leftover Veggies (whatever we haven't used at the end of the week)

The steak will be last this week. The other recipes are not in order. We choose daily from the list depending on what we're "feeling" that day. Typically, Sweet Pea picks. Occasionally, the Heating Man picks, and sometimes I override because I want to cook something easier from the list ;) 

Once I have this list, I go on over to groceryiq.com and list up anything that I may need that we don't have here at the house. We currently have 100lbs of beef in the freezer. I don't need beef at the market. Trust me on that one! I occasionally put "stock up" things on this list. This week sausage (if they have it at market) will be stocked up on. 

Staples you should have: 
Salt
Pepper
EVOO
Coconut oil
Apple Cider Vinegar
Organic grassfed Butter 
White Wine Vinegar

Spices you will need: 

• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons of your favorite creole seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon Cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon vietnamese cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Other ingredients for this week: 

• 1 cup walnut halves
• 4.75 cups long grain brown rice
• 10 3/4 cups chicken stock (we use homemade)
• 3 apples (we will use local honeycrisps)
• 3/4 cup flat leaf parsley (fresh, packed)
• 1/4 cup fresh dill (packed)
• 6 ozs cheddar cheese (grass fed, local)
• 8 chicken thighs (bone in skin)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (I have this but we are low, so it is on the list!)
• 8 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds) 
• 2 1/3 cups chopped tomato 
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion 
• 2 cups chopped carrot 
• 1 cup chopped green cabbage 
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled gingerroot
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2 cups tomato juice (homemade from the garden)
• 1 cup orange juice (juiced from organic oranges)
• 2 cups uncooked couscous (we will sub brown rice)
• 2 cups chicken meat
• 1 cup diced zucchini (from our freezer)
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 cup canned whole tomatoes (I will use fresh)
• 1 cup celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup PB
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
• 16 collard leaves or halves, a little bigger than hand size
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 egg, lightly beaten  (local from down the road)
• 1 cup quinoa (color of your choice!)
• 1 acorn squash, cut into 1 inch slices
• 1 cup Arugula
• 1 small bunch of chard, about 5 leaves
• 1/4 cup Toasted Pecans
• 1/4 cup Toasted Pepitas
• 1 tablespoon honey (we use local)
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard (homemade)
• 2 lemons
• 5 pounds potatoes
• 1 3/4 cups Greek yogurt (I use full-fat, homemade from raw milk)
• 1/4 cup sour cream (full-fat, homemade, raw milk)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
• 1 hothouse or English cucumber (1 pound), unpeeled but quartered lengthwise, seeds remove)

I have nearly all these ingredients. I have italicized what I already have. Between my staples, our pre-bought stocked up meat and our CSA, very little is truly needed from this. Our CSA costs us $23 per week. I will figure that in to my budget for this week when I post what I spent today at market and the grocery store :)  I bet you saw there was lettuce on our list for the CSA? Yep. That'll be used for lunches!

I will be buying a gallon of milk. 1/2 to make yogurt, 1/2 to drink. I will also purchase a gluten free cookie for Sweet Pea (if they have them) as her treat for being my helper. It is also likely we will grab a half gallon of local apple cider. I have an addiction to this and it's hard for me to say no!

Here are the additions to my list for prep work or that I need more back stock:

• 1 gallon raw milk
• Apple Cider
• Butter

Let me know! Would you eat this menu? Would your children? Look for the post on budget later! :)