Meal Plan Monday - April 10-16

I'm back! Last week ranks as one of the worst weeks of my life. I endured the awful Sydney Norovirus that is sweeping the country, and then I got a secondary infection and had an allergic reaction to my medication. Needless to say, I am glad that is behind me, and I am excited to get back to a normal routine and more blogging.

Most of my food consisted of crackers and applesauce last week. But I did find a great natural option for hydrating while sick which I will share below, and later this week I will be sharing my no-fail waffle recipe that my family loves.

Natural Electrolyte Beverage
I am allergic to food coloring, so that means there is only one flavor of Gatorade I can drink, and it can be hard to locate, especially in an emergency. When I was needing hydration, I turned to Pinterest for a make-at-home alternative. I consulted a lot of recipes, and finally settled on this:

4 cups water
2 T raw sugar
1/2 tsp Himalyan salt
1 cup unsweetened cranberry juice (I used R. W. Knudsen)

I boiled the water to dissolve the salt and sugar and then added the cranberry juice. I drank it over ice, and it was quite palatable. It was very effective because I never got dehydrated which was a miracle. It also didn't leave the awful aftertaste that sports drinks can leave behind. Since it is the combination of salt + sugar in sports drinks that helps them hydrate better than water, this is a perfect substitute that I found to also be easier on the stomach and kidneys.

This Week's Meal Plan
This week I am trying to keep my foods as homemade as possible since I am still recovering and since my kids have a new list of requirements for immunity protocol (more on that later). Basically though, we aren't supposed to be eating from a restaurant unless it is an emergency or we are out of town like we were on Saturday for my baby girl's first dance competition. But that just means I will be finding more simple recipes!

Disclaimer: We deal with sensory disorders and immune deficiencies in our house, so not everyone eats everything I prepare. I am OK with that because it is our normal.  Sometimes Mommy is in survival mode, and we just have to do what works.

For my menu plan, I loosely plan breakfasts, lunches, and snacks, but I get more specific with dinners. I may assign days for specific meals, but that is always subject to change. I can't wait to review my new finds next week!

Breakfasts 
Homemade waffles, plain egg omelets, sausage, bacon, fruit 

Lunches
Dinner leftovers, chicken breasts, cheese/crackers, peanut butter,  fresh fruit/vegetables

Dinners 
Monday: Homemade pepperoni pizzas
Tuesday: Couscous chicken soup
Wednesday: Crockpot beef and broccoli with brown rice
Thursday: Crockpot whole chicken, baked potatoes, corn
Friday: Sausage, peppers, potatoes, onions, and squash
Saturday: Crockpot Lasagna
Sunday:  Easter dinner with the in-laws

Snacks
Slow cooker pumpkin applesauce, yogurt, fresh fruits/vegetables, chips/salsa, frozen fruit whips

This blog links up with the orgjunkie.com Meal Plan Monday linky party!