Clean Eating mac & cheese

This is not a typical elbow-pasta-slathered-in-orangey-cheese-topped-with-buttery-crumbs kind of mac & cheese. But it still ranks mighty high on the decadence scale, without the side of guilt. The recipe comes from the March 2012 issue of Clean Eating Magazine, which accompanied me to Chicago. With a few minor tweaks, I was able to make this gluten-free so The H could enjoy it, too. Because it'd be pretty rude of me to make dinner for the family and then stuff my face in front of him while he looked on forlornly (and hungrily), don't you think?

Clean Eating Mac & Cheese
from Clean Eating Magazine, Vol. 5 Issue 2
serves 4

I had a really great [camera phone] picture to post, but it was deleted before I could have The H send it to me. Alas, you're stuck looking at this dimly-lit, slightly unfocused version.

The broccoli and red pepper, not usually one of my favorites, were vegetation perfection in this meal. After a few bites, The H and I agreed that we could've done without the beans, though--too smooshy. However, we both think adding some cooked chicken would be delightful. The little guy was in a bad mood and pretty much refused to try this, even though it's packed full of things he usually loves. I'm sticking the kid-friendly tag on this anyway, because I truly believe if he was having a better day, he'd have asked for seconds of this one.

Hey there!

Remember when I was complaining about not being in the shape I wanted to be?

So, we had a baby the next summer. :D And I'm still too fluffy for those shorts I was griping about! Now my days are spent running around after the new little fellow (a year old next month!), getting fresh air with him in our new jogging stroller, and going back and forth to help in my second grader's classroom. Once in awhile I'll pull out my blog for some meal ideas, but mostly I've been winging it.

One resource I always turn to is my copy of Squeaky Gourmet.

I love the recipes in this book because they're quick, clean, and easy. Sometimes the ingredients list doesn't make sense (where do I put in X, or what size container of Y?) but it hasn't been a deal breaker yet. This book is marked up with notes on things we've made, sticky bookmarks on things to try, and no doubt a few cooking splatters as well. When it's not open on my counter, I like to keep it in the car. It's paperback and very thin, so it's easy to slip into a seat pocket, and that way I can flip through it quickly in the grocery store or while I'm waiting in the school pickup line.

What's new with you?

Running more, weighing more?

That is not how it should be! But alas, that's my fluffy reality. I've been running several days a week with my neighbor, who is a mom of three, and it's been so fantastic! But my stupid jeans remain tight, and don't get me started on the shorts that shrunk in storage over the winter. ;) My physical activity is in the right place with 5 weekly runs (20-30 miles per week) and yoga twice a week, so I'm spending time logging my food/exercise into My Fitness Pal to see where I'm going wrong. In the meantime, thank goodness for stretchy skirts and running clothes!

Juice!

Grapefruit, pear, blueberries, tomato, carrots, celery, and one great little sous chef. This was a fun and tasty way to refuel after a 4ish mile run.

Summer has begun!

At least, the little guy's summer vacation has begun. I feel a lot more work coming my way. Ha! I absolutely cannot believe he's a first-grader now. Just...wow. I might have to come up with a new nickname for him. We kicked off the season with a grocery-getting jogging-stroller run--man, that's hard now that he's so big! He turns six in a few weeks. Because it is summer, and I didn't have a school dropoff to make, I just didn't feel like getting up early to run. :p

We picked up some locally-made multigrain bread, a few fruits and veggies for dinners and juicing, and a bag of local tortilla chips to shuttle guacamole to our faces. Most importantly, we beat the rain that was headed our way, and I didn't have to wait for The H to come home before I could exercise. :)

Tomorrow's juice will be a concoction that includes melon (from the reduced rack--nice and sweet), carrot, tomato, grapefruit or lemon, celery, an old spotty pear, and maybe some cranberries.

Lunch is ready!

A delicious way to refuel following a 5 mile run and 75 minute hot yoga class (after my "extreme peach" smoothie at the local deli next to the studio):

Strawberry caprese salad with garden basil, a touch of salami, heirloom tomatoes, chipotle olive oil, and blueberry balsamic vinegar. A little sweet, a little tart, with just a touch of salty zing. Fresh foods are so much fun in the summer!

Behold, my raw materials

This is what I'm working with this week, in terms of fruits and veggies. Of course I'm filling in the blanks with quality proteins and carbs where applicable.

If I write down what I have to work with, it helps me remember what's lying around and prevents me from finding limp brown celery at the bottom of the crisper in a month. So far, we've only completely crossed off "kale" because I made a batch of my one true love for lunches. The little guy and I made great progress on the green beans, onion, mushrooms, and cucumber tonight, but haven't completely wiped them out yet. Our oven stopped working--it doesn't come up to temperature and smells like gas when it's on--so I'm trying my best to work with stovetop, slow cooker, Foreman grill, and microwave (last resort_ as much as possible. Lucky for me, little man prefers his veggies raw.

Tomorrow I plan to use the celery, remaining bit of onion, carrot, brussels, and last few mushrooms to make chicken noodle soup with some leftover frozen rotisserie chicken. The forecast shows more rain and the potential for my least-favorite weather EVER (hint: it rhymes with NO!) for the next few days, so it'll be a nice addition to the menu.

Got any brilliant ideas for sweet potatoes? My preferred prep is thinly sliced and baked/broiled, but that's obviously out.