Family Meal Plan: 1/26 – 2/1

So…last Monday, three of my four kids were diagnosed with strep throat. Boo.

And it means that I, who really, really dislikes non-trauma related medical intervention (I’m SO thankful for modern medicine in emergencies!) have had all four of my wee ones on antibiotics for almost a week now. 😦

This has been helpful in that it finally got me to break open that package of dehydrated water kefir grains that have been staring me down for the better part of a year. (Thanks for the prodding, Heather!) 😉

Why is that important? Quite simply, the probiotics.

Antibiotics kill bacteria. All of it. The good, the bad, and the ugly. BUT, it does NOT kill off any type of fungal population – think the Candida fungus found in every. single. one. of us. This leaves our digestive track open to increased fungal activity as the balance between fungus and bacteria is completely upended in the fungus’s favor. (Ladies, this is why yeast infections are an EXTREMELY common side effect of antibiotic usage.)

This is why I’ve been trying to actively pump my kids full of probiotics in between their antibiotic dosings. I’ve been giving them dairy kefir every day as well as probiotic capsules emptied out onto a spoon for them. I started the water kefir after a pep talk and was actually able to give them some a couple days in a row due to a generous friend. This *should* allow their systems to not be quite as devastated by the antibiotics and give them both a head’s up in healing and repopulating their guts (aka the intestinal parts of the digestive system) thus keeping the (very necessary in the right proportions) candida at bay.

It also much easier than trying to get them to take my oil of oregano/grapefruit seed extract drink! 😉

Sunday, January 26 – serving at the 6 p.m. service

Breakfast: Fried eggs and bread
Lunch: Leftovers and sandwiches
Dinner: Leftovers

Tasks: Pack N’s lunch.  Tend to milk kefir grains, water kefir grains, and sourdough. Start loaf of sourdough bread and sourdough pancake batter.

Monday, January 27

Breakfast: Sourdough Pancakes and fried plantains
Lunch: PB&J’s
Dinner: Gluten-free breaded and fried catfish, steamed broccoli, and Brussels sprout salad

Tasks:  Pack N’s lunch. Tend to milk and water kefir grains and sourdough. Soak oats for breakfast. Bake bread. Make more Sweet Onion Poppyseed dressing.

Tuesday, January 28

Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal
Lunch: Leftovers (or sandwiches…as there usually isn’t any catfish left over. 😉 )
Dinner: Sauteed Zucchini/yellow squash/chicken over rice (quinoa for me)

Tasks:  Tend to milk and water kefir grains and sourdough. Check on kombucha. Pull a chicken from the freezer. Make mayonnaise.

Wednesday, January 29 – Dad’s work from home day with in town lunch meeting.

Breakfast: Fried eggs, biscuits and breakfast sausage
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Roasted chicken, potatoes/sweet potatoes, and green beans

Tasks: Pack N’s lunch. Tend to milk and water kefir grains and sourdough. Make a quadruple batch of biscuits for freezer biscuits. Make fruit salad and soak oats for breakfast. Pull pita bread from the freezer.

Thursday, January 30 –  p.m. Small Group

Breakfast: Oatmeal and fruit salad topped with yogurt
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Chicken salad and pita bread

Tasks: Pack N’s lunch.  Tend to milk and water kefir grains and sourdough.

Friday, January 31

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, breakfast links, and freezer biscuits
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Tilapia, cheesy cauliflower, and green beans

Tasks: Tend to milk and water kefir grains and sourdough. Soak flour for pita bread

Saturday, February 1

Breakfast: Pancakes or Waffles*, Chef’s Choice
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Egg salad and pita bread

Tasks: Make new meal plan. Go grocery shopping. Tend to milk and water kefir grains and sourdough.

 

*It’s pretty much going to always be pancakes for the next little while. Our waffle maker was Nathan’s waffle maker before we were married – going on 12 years ago! It is now flaking stuff off of the iron part and we’re not really sure what it is. So, until we get a new waffle iron (because Black & Decker doesn’t sell replacement parts – boo), we’re in a pancake-only season.

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