4-Weeks of Wholesome Dinners

Friends & family ask me a lot for my dinner recipes. Most of them either want to incorporate fresh, wholesome foods into their diets -or- they simply want to expand their recipe base because they're tired of making the same things over and over again.

So, I had an idea (surprise, surprise!)...

I thought to myself, "wouldn't it be nice to blog about the recipes I use and then categorize those into a weekly planning system for families?"

So, that's what I'm going to do! *big smile* :)

I will post 24 of my favorite recipes and group them together by week based on similar ingredients contained in each recipe [that's so shopping is easier, faster & ends up being more affordable].

So, that's 6 dinners per week for 4 weeks... because I get one "night-off" from cooking dinner every week, and we either eat at my parents house, in-laws, or we splurge and go for our favorite ethnic cuisine (Thai!!) or our favorite wood-fired brick oven pizza.

Be Forewarned though: about 95% of recipes I use are not for the 'faint-of-heart' or those looking for easy 10-minute meals that they pop in microwave and then set on the table. We also only eat meat only once per week so most of the recipes I use are Vegetarian or Vegan. When we do have meat, it is either wild venison, organic free-range [local] poultry and on occasion we will have [local] organic grass-fed beef. We eat this way because we believe it provides optimal health for our bodies; the way God designed them (see here and here). Don't worry, we get plenty of plant-based proteins, vitamins, minerals, fats and all that other good essential stuff from plants!

I fully believe in cooking from scratch using only whole, fresh organic ingredients - none of those mixes or that processed 'convenience' food [occasionally I will use a can of beans or instant brown rice, but that's not the 'norm'].

Yes!, it absolutely takes more time to cook from scratch but what your family gains in return is much more than the measly 20-minutes you saved by serving them convenience food.

If you're a stay-at-home parent, then cooking from scratch really is a no-brainer. Kids melt down while you are prepping dinner, you say? Well, then have them help you!! My 3-year old loves to rinse veggies in the sink for me, rough chop vegetables [even young children can safely be taught how to use sharp knives and they should be taught that skill!!] and stir.

Are you a work-out-of-the-home parent? Then prep some of your meal the night before [some vegetables can be chopped saving you lots of time, etc.]

And quite frankly, do you think that God really intended for our meals to be full of dyes, artificial chemicals, sweeteners, preservatives and things we can't pronounce? I don't think so!!

Can you imagine Jesus eating a Big Mac?! Ha! ;)

So - grab your apron, favorite knife & cutting board; and get ready to chop, dice, sauté and simmer your way to some tasty, wholesome dinners for your family over the next month!!

PS. I hardly ever wear an apron ;)