{A Note From Ruth - Thank you to all of you who helped to make our launch week a SMASHING SUCCESS!! A special thank you to all of the companies that sponsored our launch with incredible giveaways! Entries are accepted through Friday August 12th and winners will be announced Monday August 15th. I am overwhelmed with excitement as we embark on this journey as moms together. You will love meeting all of our regular contributors over the next few weeks and we look forward to learning and growing together with you. Blessings friends.}

Welcome to The Better Mom’s bi-weekly meal planning schedule! Our meal plan will post every other Saturday. As women striving to serve the Lord and our families better, meal planning is a wonderful strategy to help us provide a healthy, home-cooked meal with the awesome added benefit of saving time, money and stress!

Below are links to many of the recipes featured on the bi-weekly dinner meal plan shown below. Our hope is that this will be a great resource and encouragement for you to “keep on truckin” with your meal plans, or get started if you haven’t yet.

For details about meal planning, please check out: Mastering Meal Planning.

Week of August 8:

Monday, August 8 • Caprese Pasta • Mesclun Salad w/Raspberry Vinaigrette • Garlic Toast

Tuesday, August 9 • Turkey-Veggie Meatloaf • Mashed Potatoes • Peas & Carrots

Wednesday, August 10 • Grilled Grassfed Steak Fajitas w/Peppers & Onions • Crockpot Pinto Beans/Refried Beans • Brown Rice

Thursday, August 11 • Veggie Calzones: Use your favorite pizza dough and divide into four balls of dough. Roll each out to a 10” diameter circle. In a medium bowl, add 1 ½ cups of whole milk ricotta, 1 tsp of dried Italian seasoning, ¼ tsp sea salt and 1 clove minced garlic. Mix well and spread on half of each dough circle. Add your favorite veggies (like sliced mushrooms, spinach, peppers, onions, zucchini, etc.). Sprinkle top of veggies with mozzarella cheese. Fold each dough circle in half and pinch the ends to together to form a semi-circle. Poke top with fork to allow steam to escape. Place on lightly oiled baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Serve with warm marinara sauce. • Garden Salad w/Ranch Dressing

Friday, August 12 • Grilled Salmon w/Avocado Dip • Wilted Greens • Herbed Brown Rice

Saturday, August 13 • Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup • Spring Salad w/Balsamic Vinaigrette • Sourdough Bread w/Butter • Dessert: Banana Split Pops

Sunday, August 14 • BBQ Chicken Sandwiches: Simply add precooked, shredded chicken to a large saucepan with your favorite BBQ sauce and stir well to combine over medium heat. Toast burger buns and add BBQ chicken to top. • Cultured Potato Salad • Sliced Melon

Week of August 15:

Monday, August 15 • Veggie Penne Sauté • Spinach Salad w/Raspberry Vinaigrette

Tuesday, August 16 • Grilled Pineapple Chicken w/Pineapple Salsa • Black Beans • Brown Rice

Wednesday, August 17 Breakfast for Dinner! • Huevos a la Mexicana • Nitrate-free Sausage Links • Mixed Berry Power Muffins

Thursday, August 18 • Turkey-Veggie Burgers w/Sliced Avocado • Healthy French Fries • Raw Veggies w/Ranch Dressing

Friday, August 19 • Personal Pizzas • Garden Salad w/Balsamic Vinaigrette

Saturday, August 20 • Grilled Chicken & Veggie Quesadilla Sandwiches • Leftover Black Beans & Brown Rice • Super Green Guacamole • Dessert: No-Bake Cheesecake

Sunday, August 21 • Oven-Baked Breaded Fish Fillets • Saffron Rice • Steamed Broccoli

Always a treat to share ideas and healthy recipes! Let’s give thanks to the Lord for providing us the opportunity to nourish our families in this way! Looking forward to seeing you again in two weeks!

Blessings, Kelly @ The Nourishing Home