Meals for the Week: Beans and More Beans

Over the next few days, I'm helping us undo the damage of a week of vacation followed by a week of our building's fitness room being closed. We actually didn't gain much weight - I was up maybe a pound, and that's easily within the realm of daily fluctuations - but we do need to get our digestive and muscular systems back on track.

Exercise is so "use it or lose it." I ached terribly after returning to a full 30-minute strength-training routine after getting back to California.

Anyway, this week's meals lean heavily on beans. I stocked up on beans at Costco and Fred Meyer last week, plus I just so happen to LOVE beans. They have a comforting starchy texture and fill your stomach nicely, all without a load of calories or an empty wallet.

Monday
Taco salad with beef and black beans (inspired by Kalyn's Kitchen)
Cornmeal muffins (I might be making this recipe wrong, but I love how the Hillbilly Housewife's recipe turns out muffins that taste like rich disks of polenta)

Tuesday
Whole-wheat macaroni and cheese with chicken and broccoli
Whole-wheat breadsticks
Salad

Wednesday
Baked beans with spicy smoked sausage
Broccoli with cheese sauce
Whole-wheat breadsticks
Coleslaw

Thursday
Chicken lo mein
Asian slaw

Friday
Pizza with pesto, tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella on whole-wheat crust
Salad

Saturday
Spaghetti with meat sauce (from last week's massive batch!)
Garlic breadsticks
Salad

Sunday - Easter!
Spiral-sliced ham
Roasted potatoes
Asparagus (I think)
Deviled eggs
Biscuits
Salad