^[1]

^[2]I hope everyone had a tasty week and a fabulous Mother’s Day weekend. I think I overindulged on the fat and sugar, so it’s time to get back to my daily smoothies. I’ve got a big bunch of spinach just staring at me, daring me to put it into my smoothies ^[3]. I know a lot of you frequently drink green smoothies ^[4]. I did it for a while, then got lazy and just used fruit, no leafy greens to boost the nutritional value. And, lately my daily fruit smoothie has evolved into my weekly smoothie. So I’m going to get back to it this week.

Have you seen what just a cup of spinach can add to your diet? Whfoods.com ^[5] sums it up by saying “Calorie for calorie, leafy green vegetables like spinach with its delicate texture and jade green color provide more nutrients than any other food.” Add to that that its qualities of being an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant, and I’d call it a superfood. So, I went searching for some new ideas for adding it into our meals. Here are just some of the yummy-looking recipes I found on the web:

• Twice Baked Potatoes with Spinach, Onion, and Bacon at Celiacs in the House ^[6]
• Spinach Dip (Dairy-Free!) at The Gluten-Free Homemaker ^[7]
• Spinach and Artichoke Pizza at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang ^[8]
• Garlic Spinach Stuffed Chicken at Spark Recipes ^[9]
• Spinach with Sesame and Garlic at Simply Recipes ^[10]
• Shrimp Casserole with Spinach and Feta at Gluten Free Mommy ^[11]

Celiac Family’s Menu This Week:

^[12]

Gluten-Free Hamburger Buns

^[13]

Chicken Spaghetti

^[14]

Baked Chicken Nuggets

Monday -  Rotisserie Chicken served with broccoli and corn on the cob

Tuesday – Grilled Salmon served with basmati rice and Elise’s Spinach with Sesame and Garlic ^[10]

Wednesday - Hamburgers ^[12] served with sweet potato fries and steamed green beans

Thursday – Chicken Spaghetti ^[13] with Spinach and Tomatoes

Friday - Baked Chicken Nuggets ^[14] served with boiled baby potatoes and broccoli

Saturday - Gluten Free Mommy’s Shrimp Casserole with Spinach and Feta ^[11]

Sunday – Alton Brown’s Baby Back Ribs ^[15] with Wendy’s Twice Baked Potatoes ^[6]

Gluten Free Menu Swap Roundup

Angela at Angela’s Kitchen ^[16] says spinach is a staple in her house. They eat spinach in many ways: fresh or cooked in salads, sautéed, in smoothies, and in sandwiches. I’ll bet it’s in her salads and in the Chicken Sandwich Wraps she’s planning this week. She’s also making Roast Chicken, Calico Beans ^[17] and Corn Bread ^[18], and Slow Cooker Turkey Meatloaf ^[19].

Paige at Not Missing a Thing! ^[20] is celebrating her daughter’s birthday this week with Pizza ^[21] and Clams. I would suggest adding some spinach to the pizza, but that may not be the birthday girl’s favorite. Other than the birthday dinner, Paige is planning on easy family favorites: Fried Potatoes, Ham and Corn; Chili and Cornbread; Gina Chicken with Broccoli and Cashews ^[22]; and Baked Potatoes topped with leftover chili.

Renee at Beyond Rice and Tofu ^[23] is joining us this week with Chickpea and Spinach Curry ^[24] with rice, Spicy Ginger Noodles ^[25], and Socca Pizza with Pesto. Looks like she’s also working on some new tempting recipes this week: Quinoa Pizza Bites and a Mediterranean Wild Rice Salad.

Thanks for joining us this week. Don’t miss next week’s roundup when we share some favorite gluten-free ways to eat chocolate.

Want to join Gluten-Free Menu Swap?

• ^[26]For this week’s roundup, email your menu link to celiacfamily[AT]gmail[DOT]com. Or, simply put your menu link in the comments below.
• Next week’s theme will be here again with Chocolate as the theme. So please come back and share your favorite ideas and recipes for chocolate.
• The Gluten-Free Menu Swap Page ^[27] has the current schedule of themes and hosts ^[28]. If you’d like to host a future week, please send me an email (celiacfamily[AT]gmail[DOT]com) with your preferred date and theme.

Need more menu ideas?

• Laura at OrgJunkie.com ^[29] hosts Menu Plan Monday every week. You’ll find links to hundreds of meal plans (not necessarily gluten-free) there.
• Or, check out some of my past menu plans ^[30].