June 2012 Monthly Menu Plan and Shopping List (for Special Diet)

Okay, if anyone has them, bring them on:  I want some spring/summer gluten-free, casein-free, preservative-free, artificial-dye free recipes and meal combos that won't make me a slave to my kitchen all summer AND that my kids will eat. (If it were just me and Mike, I'd be all set with salads, fruit, smoothies and sides of protein, but with my kiddoes... well, I am befuddled.)

The other day as my eyes went back and forth between our almost bare refrigerator and the wall calendar page, which was almost ready to be turned,I posted this message on my personal Facebook page. I was feeling discouraged as a grocery trip to purchase ingredients for part of another month's worth of the same repertoire of "special diet" foods that we have been eating for six months loomed ahead.

Friends and family jumped in with suggestions, empathy and the reply that made me laugh: " Lol. Martianne. That's called filtered water!" 

The Facebook conversation was just what I needed to get motivated and, over the next day or two, I created our June 2012 Menu Plan and Shopping Lists, which may be a little ambitious and not-quite economical and are sprinkled with typos, but which happily accounts for the change in menu repertoire that I desired.

Despite the menu and accompanying shopping list being less than perfect, I am sharing them here in case anyone else needs some special diet menu ideas or just wants to try out some new recipes.  To access my June 2012 Menu Plan an Shopping Lists, click here.  (Really!  The links should work now.  Thank you, Elisa, for pointing out that it was broken.)

And, of course, if you have favorite recipes, tips or menu ideas for eating mostly unprocessed, GFCF, additive/preservative/artificial flavor and dye-free stuff, please share in a comment!  I am always seeking new inspiration.

P.S.  Please forgive the lack of images in recent posts.  I am still sorting things out after my last computer "death" and have not gotten back access to old images nor downloaded any new ones to choose from.  Visual interest will return to this blog in good time.

This post is linked to I'm an Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday, where anyone with time can find inspiration and recipe ideas.