Time again for another Menu Plan Monday!  Thank goodness for menu planning.  With this busy holiday season, having a plan means never having to wonder what is for dinner.  So much less stressful for for the mamma!  🙂

Gluten Free Menu Swap-Christmas/Holiday Treats

Heather is hosting the Gluten Free Menu Swap over at Celiac Family this week.  The theme is “Christmas and Holiday Favorites.”   I think everyone has standard things they make every year.  In our family, we have our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve and open family gifts.  On Christmas morning there are the socks from Santa along with one or two things that Santa left under the tree followed by brunch.  For both meals, the treats are usually a mix of different Christmas cookies like Allergen Free Brownie BitesJam Filled ThumbprintsGinger Snap BiscottiLemon Shortbread CookiesGinger Snap CookiesApple Cardamom BiscottiBasic Cut-Out Sugar CookieCandy Cane CookiesPeanut Butter Blossom CookiesPecan Pie BarsRussian Tea CakesShortbread CookiesSnickerdoodles and Spritz.  I don’t make ALL those cookies, of course, but we usually have the cutouts, and then everyone gets to pick their favorite for us to bake together.  My grandparents were Swedish, so on Christmas Eve we usually have Potato Pudding, a roast or Swedish sausage, lingonberry sauce, cranberry relish, lefse, Swedish “Rye” Bread, various pickles, and a big salad.  I like to add crisp roasted Brussel sprouts or other veggie to the mix.  What are your favorite holiday goodies?

 

Other Christmas season favorites you might find at our house:

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

Maple-Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Smokies

Pumpkin Stressel Bars

Almond Bark

Chocolate Truffles

Fresh Spinach Salad

Hot Chocolate, Slow Cooker and Dairy Free

Rocky Road Candy

Chicken (or Turkey) Wild Rice Soup

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Eggnog, dairy free

Burgundy Mushroom Stew

Slow Cooker French Toast Casserole

Apple-Cranberry Pork Chops, Slow Cooker

 

Freezer cooking this week:  I’ll continue to work on my Christmas baking a bit at a time and stashing it in the freezer for the holiday.  I’ll also be putting Beef and Butternut in the freezer for another day.

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The week’s breakfast options:  I have been experimenting with some high-potein breakfast options (with and without eggs), so will keep experimenting with these.
The week’s lunch options:  Nut or seed butter sandwiches (on banana bread or gluten free Amish Friendship Bread), Salmon & Sweet Potato Cakes, hard boiled eggs, various fruit, and veggie sticks.

Balsamic Glazed ChickenGluten & Dairy Free Beef & Butternut Squash StewSimple Arugula Garden Salad


Printable grocery list for this week’s dinners.

 

 

Monday:  Balsamic Glazed Chicken with Riced Cauliflower and sautéed asparagus (from the freezer) 

 

Tuesday:   Shrimp Pad Thai with Broccoli

 

Wednesday:  Beef and Butternut Stew with Date Nut Bread

For the freezer:  Make a second batch of Beef and Butternut Stew for freezer while assembling dinner.  Package the freezer meal in a gallon sized freezer bag.  Remove as much air as possible, seal, label and freeze.

 

Thursday:  Braised Mediterranean Chicken with kale salad topped with Basic Vinaigrette

 

Friday:  Taco Pizza with Simple Arugula Garden Salad

 

This is being shared at Menu Plan Monday at Organized Junkie.

For some AMAZING desserts for the holiday season check out the Supergrain Dessert E-Book from Attune Foods.

SupergrainDessertEbook_cover