Weekly Menus

[wdmmom]

Some of those meals sound expensive! Salmon for kids?! Mine would never eat it. I just got my own to start trying it and they are 7-15 years old!

My daycare kids are great little eaters. I just don't think they would appreciate (or eat) big lunch meals like that.

They are more of the homemade pizza, homemade mac & cheese, hamburger kind of kids.

Although you did give me some new ideas! I'm going to try the ham and cheese casserole, pot pie, chicken broccoli penne, chicken fettucini alfrredo, and tuna casserole. They sound inexpensive and easy to make and I think they would eat it.

[Cat Herder]

Some of those meals sound expensive! Salmon for kids?!

We love Salmon here. It is so good for you.

It does not have to be expensive, they also sell it in packaging just like Tuna. Usually it sit's right next to it. You can add it to casseroles, etc.

It also comes in cans that you can blend to make into Salmon Patties (I always pick out the bones and skin if I use canned).

We prefer fillets so we can grill them and do that most often. I only have 6 dck's so it really does not cost me much more than if I was just feeding my family.

[Cat Herder]

B: Sausage & Cheese Puffs, Honeydew Melon, Milk
S: Vanilla Yogurt, Sliced Red Grapes, Juice
L: Brunswick Stew, Corn on Cob, Cheese Biscuit, Milk
S: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Pears, Juice

B: Peach & Walnut Loaf, ½ Banana, Milk
S: Cheese It’s, Tangerine, Juice
L: Chicken Parmesan, Angel Hair Pasta, Spinach, Milk
S: Trail Mix, Sliced Apple, Juice

B: Cheese Eggs, Bacon, Jelly Toast, Orange Slices, Milk
S: Graham Crackers, Plums, Juice
L: Beef & Cheese Nachos, Sliced Black Olives, HM Salsa, Banana Chips, Milk
S: PBJ, Chex Mix, Fruit ****tail, Juice

B: Oatmeal, Pineapple, Juice
S: String Cheese, Strawberries, Juice
L: Grilled Cheese, Chicken Noodle Soup, Pears, Milk
S: Animal Crackers, Mandarin Oranges, Juice

B: Croissants, Butter, Jam, Fruit Salad, Milk
S: Goldfish, Applesauce, Juice
L: Pepperoni Pizza, Tossed Salad, Nectarines, Milk
S: Celery Stalks, Baby Carrots, Ranch Dressing, Cashews, Juice


Come on, guys.... Add some of yours. Maybe if more folks added, we could hit every budget, program and regional kid "likes". (Thank you, Meyou )

I only know what my kids like, how I cook and what I can afford, YKWIM? I like new ideas, too....

[daycare]

OMG thank you so much for starting this.
I am 100% vegan and I dont know how to cook. I have never learned becuase I eat just about everything raw....

I have been wanting to learn how to cook and have never really knew what to cook. My husband is the meat eater and he is the one who makes most of the food for DC. I need to learn becuase he will be back to school in a few weeks..

I am so stealing all of your menus!!!

and when I learn to cook more foods I will share some of mine with you....

[Meyou]

Can you post the recipe for peach and walnut loaf, puhlease?? I have drool on my computer.

I'll post some more menues and I have a few recipes I've been meaning to add that freeze well and the kids love. I really love this thread too. I've gotten some good ideas.

We eat salmon here too and I either buy canned or I stock up when the filets are on sale and freeze them. I only have 6 DCK's as well so it doesn't take much but they love it.

[Cat Herder]

Can you post the recipe for peach and walnut loaf, puhlease?? I have drool on my computer.

As embarrassing as it is, I mostly do it by sight.

I do the simple yellow cake recipe, add whatever fruit I have handy, add nuts/raisins/sunflowers seeds if I have them (after putting them in a baggie and crushing them up a bit for my littles) then double the eggs to keep it from coming out runny (grandma's trick; makes brownies more cake like, too ).

I don't know that I ever really measure anything. When I add peaches I usually add 4-5 (peeled and diced). I also tend to omit the sugar and add applesauce instead. This last batch I added black walnuts along with the regular ones (1ish cups total) and it ROCKED.

If the mix looks too runny, I add flour. If it looks to dry, I add applesauce. Occassionally I will grab some powdered sugar, mix it with a bit of warm water and drizzle it on top as a glaze (when the majority of the group are being grumps, other times adding more sugar would send them into orbit so I skip it.

Simple Yellow Cake Recipe:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 stick of margarine (I use Land O Lakes with Omega 3)
1 cup milk
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs

I will also tell you that I have just grabbed a box mix at times because they are under $1 on sale, I can't buy the ingredients that cheap, and I was feeling unmotivated....::::

[Meyou]

Thank you! That's how I cook too most of the time. I've started measuring my DC recipes because the parents ask for them though. I put a recipe in my monthly newsletter along with freezing and microwave directions. I WILL get good food into these children. ::

The loaf sounds delish and my brain is already thinking.....pecans? blueberries? blackberries? mmmmmmmmmmm.......yep...more drool.

[Cat Herder]

Thank you! That's how I cook too most of the time. I've started measuring my DC recipes because the parents ask for them though. I put a recipe in my monthly newsletter along with freezing and microwave directions. I WILL get good food into these children. ::

The loaf sounds delish and my brain is already thinking.....pecans? blueberries? blackberries? mmmmmmmmmmm.......yep...more drool.

My husbands favorite is still pumpkin, sweet potato, apple and cinnamon all mixed in. Give that one a whirl served warm... It makes the whole house smell so good.

Great way to kick off a "Fireplace Weekend". Just sayin'

[Meyou]

My husbands favorite is still pumpkin, sweet potato, apple and cinnamon all mixed in. Give that one a whirl served warm... It makes the whole house smell so good.

Great way to kick off a "Fireplace Weekend". Just sayin'

Do you puree the pumpkin and sweet potato or leave it in chunks?? That one sounds like pumpkin pie in a loaf. mmmmmmmm!

[Meyou]

My menu this week:

S: raisin toast, peaches, milk
L: lasagna, carrot, green pepper, celery sticks, milk
S: pb oatmeal granola bars, grapes, milk

S: apple cinnamon french toast muffins, milk
L: corn chowder, ww bread and butter, milk
S: graham crackers, apple sauce, milk

S: trail mix with raisins, juice boxes (snack on route to puppet show)
L: ham sandwiches. yogurt, strawberries, milk
S: cheese, brocolli, cauliflower, dip, juice

S: mulitgrain cheerios with milk, bananas, juice
L: cheesy veggie bake, garlic bread, grapes, milk
S: animal crackers, peaches, milk

S:bagel with butter, berries, yogurt, juice
L: Make your own veggie pizza, apples, milk
S: Block Contest Cake!!! Milk.

We had a block tower building contest with another dayhome last week and we won!! They're baking us a cake as our prize and delivering it Friday.

[Meyou]

French Toast Muffins

10 slices multigrain bread cubed
6 eggs
1 cup milk

Beat eggs and milk together and pour over bread that is cubed in a bowl. Turn to coat all the bread and then add toppings. Some I like are:

1 cup cheddar and 1 cup diced ham
2 cups blueberries, 1 tsp vanilla
1/2 sliced bananas, 1/2 cup raisins, 1 tsp vanilla
2 cups diced apples, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup diced tomatoes, 1 cup mozza, 1 tsp oregano
1 cup feta and 2 cup spinach


Turn in toppings and let sit about 10 minutes or until all the egg is absorbed. Put in lined or muffin tins (the eggs make it stick) and bake for about 20 minutes at 350.

This makes 10 large or 20 small muffins. I do 20 small so each one is an appropriate grain serving.

These freeze well and are just as yummy the next day.

[Cat Herder]

Do you puree the pumpkin and sweet potato or leave it in chunks?? That one sounds like pumpkin pie in a loaf. mmmmmmmm!

I actually use an old manual potato masher...::

Those muffins sound wonderful!!

[dave4him]

Wonderful! Just what i needed as i was sitting here thinking about how im going to plan my meals... need to compile my list and head to the grocery store

[Unregistered]

They are good, every now and again I mist them with Olive Oil, sprinkle some Seasoned Salt on them and bake..

The kids LOVE them.

Or with Ranch packet seasoning. Yummy

[athomemommy]

I do not have weekly menu, but have been meaning to. Thanks for posting your and lighting a fire my butt to do it. Will post soon!