Sunday lunch - Spaghetti (GF corn-quinoa pasta) with meat sauce, made with local ground beef
Sunday dinner - SuperBowl party with friends
Monday - Chicken tikka masala over brown rice (probably plain chicken + rice for the little guy); The H is traveling so I may resort to the convenience of a Trader Joe's simmer sauce this time
Tuesday - Leftover pasta with meat sauce after running group
Wednesday lunch, if I'm feeling ambitious and/or bored - Coconut curry chickpeas (a Clean Eating Magazine recipe)
Wednesday dinner - Lasagna (meatless and gluten-free) and a spinach salad
Thursday - Spaghetti squash casserole, done the right way this time
Friday - Steak and potato salad
Saturday - Out with friends for a Valentine's dinner
Lunches not specified will consist of leftovers, in preparation for a fridge clean-out before traveling with The H next week.
Happy eating!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Half of a half is...
a LOT! If you're talking about a cow, that is.
What you see here (in very poor lighting, yes--it was almost 10pm) is our "half of a half" of a cow, raised by a friend's family, processed locally, and picked up last night. I'd say we're pretty set in terms of beef for quite a while.
These boxes--three total, but one broke--contained the following cuts and quantities:
Burger patties - 9 two-pound packages (1/3lb patties)
Chuck roasts - 7 (huge!)
Cubed round steak - 5
Delmonico - 4
Ground beef - 19 one-pound packages
New York strip steaks - 3
Rump roast - 1
Sirloin steaks - 6
Sizzler steaks - 2
Tenderloin - 3
I can't believe it all fit into our little chest freezer! Now I just have to figure out a way to use all this meat and not get sick of it. In other news, our grocery bill will likely go down, thanks to this one-time investment. I'm excited to head up to the corner and spend some time at Ken's Fruit Market picking out produce to go with all this beef! There's a certain steak-and-potato salad I've had my eye on...
These boxes--three total, but one broke--contained the following cuts and quantities:
Burger patties - 9 two-pound packages (1/3lb patties)
Chuck roasts - 7 (huge!)
Cubed round steak - 5
Delmonico - 4
Ground beef - 19 one-pound packages
New York strip steaks - 3
Rump roast - 1
Sirloin steaks - 6
Sizzler steaks - 2
Tenderloin - 3
I can't believe it all fit into our little chest freezer! Now I just have to figure out a way to use all this meat and not get sick of it. In other news, our grocery bill will likely go down, thanks to this one-time investment. I'm excited to head up to the corner and spend some time at Ken's Fruit Market picking out produce to go with all this beef! There's a certain steak-and-potato salad I've had my eye on...
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
So far, so...ok.
I'm trying not to jump the track again today, but it's not as easy as it was yesterday. Breakfast was kind of delayed; the little guy stayed home from daycare with a slight fever, so when I would normally be sitting down with my coffee (and work...) and breakfast, I was still running around getting him fed and comfortable, and doing some kitchen clean-up. I did eat a homemade allergen-free waffle with Earth Balance on it while I swigged some coffee; it was entirely unsatisfying. But then I got caught up in playing with the little guy and doing laundry, and forgot to eat anything else until it was after 10am.
For snack, I made a peanut butter-banana-Nutella (yeah, I know...) sandwich on sunflower seed bread. After more laundry and more playtime, I scoured the fridge and cobbled together a Buffalo chicken wrap (sprouted wheat tortilla, spinach, cooked chicken, Frank's, organic yogurt dressing) for lunch. With each of those, I drank a 500mL of water. Other than semi-skipping breakfast, this isn't too bad so far.
But now I'm munchy. And that could be dangerous. I need to stop thinking about the Hershey's kisses and Ghirardelli squares I have in the cupboard and think about a *clean* snack... hardboiled egg whites and half an apple? Why does the junky stuff sound so much better? But I know that if I'm not "hungry enough to eat an apple" then I'm likely just eating/grazing out of boredom or thirst. Ever heard of that rule of thumb? Time to refill my water bottle.
For snack, I made a peanut butter-banana-Nutella (yeah, I know...) sandwich on sunflower seed bread. After more laundry and more playtime, I scoured the fridge and cobbled together a Buffalo chicken wrap (sprouted wheat tortilla, spinach, cooked chicken, Frank's, organic yogurt dressing) for lunch. With each of those, I drank a 500mL of water. Other than semi-skipping breakfast, this isn't too bad so far.
But now I'm munchy. And that could be dangerous. I need to stop thinking about the Hershey's kisses and Ghirardelli squares I have in the cupboard and think about a *clean* snack... hardboiled egg whites and half an apple? Why does the junky stuff sound so much better? But I know that if I'm not "hungry enough to eat an apple" then I'm likely just eating/grazing out of boredom or thirst. Ever heard of that rule of thumb? Time to refill my water bottle.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Derailed
For the first time in two years, my jeans were tight this morning. ::collective gasp:: Just like a normal person! (You know, 'cause I am.) No really, my weight fluctuates even on a clean eating plan. Usually it's within the same 5lb range (even throughout marathon training) but my pants always fit the same. So their squeeziness is either a sign that I shouldn't let The H dry my jeans on high heat anymore, or that I have been getting too lax in my eating/meal planning. Since fresh-from-the-dryer jeans have never been a problem for me, I'm sadly going with the latter. Perhaps being out of work has affected my eating habits more than I've cared to admit.
Rather than wallowing in self-pity about my lack of employment (and newfound muffintop), I've decided to shape up my habits and get back on track. There's no time like, well, NOW. Here's what my day looked/will look like:
Breakfast - steel cut oats with a few dried cherries, 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, maple sugar flakes, cinnamon, nutmeg, and low-fat milk
Snack - Green monster (spinach, milk, flax meal, 1/2 scoop protein powder, banana), half a grapefruit, string cheese
Lunch - Leftover chicken and garbanzo soup (chicken, leeks, garbanzos, homemade stock)
Snack - Half an apple with a small yogurt cup, two small squares of very dark chocolate
Exercise - 3-4 mile run (-5 windchill doesn't thrill me...may stick with the treadmill today)
Dinner - BBQ chicken pizza (chicken, Trader Joe's barbeque sauce, green onion, sharp cheddar, red bell pepper, GF crust)
Snack - (undecided) GF banana bread and decaf
I'm also carrying around a water bottle, something I seem to have gotten out of the habit of doing now that I'm not parked in front of my computer for work. Hopefully by this time next week (I know, these things can't be rushed) I'll be fitting into my jeans like I normally would. That's solid motivation to be mindful of my eating at this weekend's SuperBowl party!
Stay normal!
-Kate
Rather than wallowing in self-pity about my lack of employment (and newfound muffintop), I've decided to shape up my habits and get back on track. There's no time like, well, NOW. Here's what my day looked/will look like:
Breakfast - steel cut oats with a few dried cherries, 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, maple sugar flakes, cinnamon, nutmeg, and low-fat milk
Snack - Green monster (spinach, milk, flax meal, 1/2 scoop protein powder, banana), half a grapefruit, string cheese
Lunch - Leftover chicken and garbanzo soup (chicken, leeks, garbanzos, homemade stock)
Snack - Half an apple with a small yogurt cup, two small squares of very dark chocolate
Exercise - 3-4 mile run (-5 windchill doesn't thrill me...may stick with the treadmill today)
Dinner - BBQ chicken pizza (chicken, Trader Joe's barbeque sauce, green onion, sharp cheddar, red bell pepper, GF crust)
Snack - (undecided) GF banana bread and decaf
I'm also carrying around a water bottle, something I seem to have gotten out of the habit of doing now that I'm not parked in front of my computer for work. Hopefully by this time next week (I know, these things can't be rushed) I'll be fitting into my jeans like I normally would. That's solid motivation to be mindful of my eating at this weekend's SuperBowl party!
Stay normal!
-Kate
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Chicken & White Bean Soup
Also known as, "How to make a week's worth of lunches and clear out some leftovers at the same time"...
Last Tuesday before running group, I started a CrockPot full of white bean & leek soup from The Eat-Clean Diet
cookbook. Because I was so pleased with the rutabaga from this frittata, I thought I'd add one to the soup. More veggies = good, right? Well, only if you take into account the size/texture of said veggies, and give your recipe long enough to cook.
I did not.
Thus, we came home after running to find a slow cooker of delicious-smelling, hearty-looking, mostly-inedible soup. ::sad trombone:: The rutabagas were downright crunchy. I cranked it back up to HIGH while The H put the little guy to bed, after which the two of us raided the leftovers-for-lunch stash for our own dinners. Two hours later, the soup was ready. Too bad it was 11pm. The H had a small serving, declared it very good, and helped me portion out the rest for *more* leftovers.
This soup just keeps getting better. Yesterday when I reheated some for lunch, I added a sprinkle of Penzey's Parisien Bonnes Herbes, a salt-free seasoning blend I got for Christmas. Next time I make the soup I'll add some of that to begin with! What a great complement. I was fascinated to see that the rutabagas turned more golden as the soup aged; they almost looked like butternut squash yesterday.
This was the perfect meal to have waiting for me after a frigid (-2 with the windchill) 6 mile run! I love refueling with filling, clean food.
Chicken and White Bean Soup
from The Eat-Clean Diet by Tosca Reno
makes 12 cups
Ingredients:
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
4 leeks, whites and centers only, chopped (rinse very well and drain in a colander)
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage or 1/2 tsp dried sage
6 cups low sodium chicken broth or stock
2 cups water
2 cups cooked white beans (I used cannelini)
2 lbs chicken breast, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
8oz package frozen spinach, thawed and partially drained (I omitted this)
Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add leeks and onion. Cook 5 minutes, or until clear and softening. Add sage and cook 2 more minutes. Add broth and water; bring to a boil. Stir in chicken, beans, and spinach. Continue cooking until heated through.
Nutrition info per serving:
Calories - 176
Protein - 22g
Fat - 4g
Carbs - 16g
Last Tuesday before running group, I started a CrockPot full of white bean & leek soup from The Eat-Clean Diet
cookbook. Because I was so pleased with the rutabaga from this frittata, I thought I'd add one to the soup. More veggies = good, right? Well, only if you take into account the size/texture of said veggies, and give your recipe long enough to cook.I did not.
Thus, we came home after running to find a slow cooker of delicious-smelling, hearty-looking, mostly-inedible soup. ::sad trombone:: The rutabagas were downright crunchy. I cranked it back up to HIGH while The H put the little guy to bed, after which the two of us raided the leftovers-for-lunch stash for our own dinners. Two hours later, the soup was ready. Too bad it was 11pm. The H had a small serving, declared it very good, and helped me portion out the rest for *more* leftovers.
This soup just keeps getting better. Yesterday when I reheated some for lunch, I added a sprinkle of Penzey's Parisien Bonnes Herbes, a salt-free seasoning blend I got for Christmas. Next time I make the soup I'll add some of that to begin with! What a great complement. I was fascinated to see that the rutabagas turned more golden as the soup aged; they almost looked like butternut squash yesterday.
This was the perfect meal to have waiting for me after a frigid (-2 with the windchill) 6 mile run! I love refueling with filling, clean food.
Chicken and White Bean Soup
from The Eat-Clean Diet by Tosca Reno
makes 12 cups
Ingredients:
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
4 leeks, whites and centers only, chopped (rinse very well and drain in a colander)
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage or 1/2 tsp dried sage
6 cups low sodium chicken broth or stock
2 cups water
2 cups cooked white beans (I used cannelini)
2 lbs chicken breast, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
8oz package frozen spinach, thawed and partially drained (I omitted this)
Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add leeks and onion. Cook 5 minutes, or until clear and softening. Add sage and cook 2 more minutes. Add broth and water; bring to a boil. Stir in chicken, beans, and spinach. Continue cooking until heated through.
Nutrition info per serving:
Calories - 176
Protein - 22g
Fat - 4g
Carbs - 16g
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
A tiny happy moment
This morning the little guy and I were reading one of my favorite childhood books, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
At one point, it mentions that Brussels sprouts with mayonnaise was one of the meals delivered from the sky (confused? Go read the book!).
Half an hour later as we were making breakfast, he says to me, "Momma what's may-na-...may-no...may-ya-nays?" I had to explain that it was a kind of sauce that some people liked to put on their sandwiches and burgers. We haven't had it around since he was born! That made me smile, inside and out. :)
At one point, it mentions that Brussels sprouts with mayonnaise was one of the meals delivered from the sky (confused? Go read the book!).Half an hour later as we were making breakfast, he says to me, "Momma what's may-na-...may-no...may-ya-nays?" I had to explain that it was a kind of sauce that some people liked to put on their sandwiches and burgers. We haven't had it around since he was born! That made me smile, inside and out. :)
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