Sunday - leftovers
Monday - cilantro-garlic shrimp from Clean Eating Magazine
Tuesday - chili (or similar) in the CrockPot after running group
Wednesday - portobello gnocchi with marinara sauce, roasted brussels sprouts
Thursday - lentils and quinoa
Friday - pizza? It's a known pre-race meal for me and we're doing a 5K on the 29th!
Saturday - TBD
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Old Town Alexandria, 3-year-old style
Here's how we spent our day:
Playing ghost
Petting moss
Cheesing for the camera while acorn hunting
Watching a construction site (he loves the cranes)
Taking a coffee (for me!) and cookie (oatmeal raisin) break
Hanging out at the fountain near the train station
Observing the bubbles and money in the fountain
Playing with (antagonizing?) one of the tiniest dogs he's ever seen
Bumming around a farmers' market we found a block from our hotel
A brief cuddle with his oh-so-tired mama after dinner
Gelato date! He chose pineapple-basil. :)
He also spent time in the pool with The H, but I didn't document that. It's slightly different than how it might look if The H and I were here by ourselves, no doubt. But it was fun and tired him out, so I'm a fan.
Playing ghost
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Kid-friendly beef vegetable soup
This recipe is another Squeaky Gourmet gem. While I can't post the recipe, I can tell you this: watching the little guy eat several bowls of this (twice--it makes a lot!) without complaining about the veggies is more than worth the cover price, had I actually paid for this book. He claims to not like zucchini, onions, or mushrooms, all of which are in this soup, but once I had him close his eyes and eat it, the complaints ceased and all I heard was "YUM! I LOVE it!"
We called this "taco soup" because the seasoning is slightly reminiscent of Mexican food--and because tacos are fairly familiar to the little guy. Once he chowed his servings, I told him what was in there and said now he couldn't tell me he didn't like those things anymore. In addition to the zukes, 'shrooms, and onion, this hearty bowl contains ground beef, wild rice, grape tomatoes, and celery. That'll bring your veggie intake up for the day!
Since it does make so much, we had leftovers another day. I'm pleased to report that this freezes and reheats very nicely. I dumped a semi-thawed brick of soup into a slow cooker one afternoon before running group, and we came home to savory simmering goodness that was perfect for warming up on a chilly fall evening.
Since it does make so much, we had leftovers another day. I'm pleased to report that this freezes and reheats very nicely. I dumped a semi-thawed brick of soup into a slow cooker one afternoon before running group, and we came home to savory simmering goodness that was perfect for warming up on a chilly fall evening.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Ten things
1. I'm running the Army Ten-Miler in DC next Sunday.
2. The little guy, who claims to not like zucchini, happily gobbled his entire bowl of beef & wild rice soup (which contains zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms, and onions) with his eyes closed so he didn't have to see them.
3. My sister, who blogs at redwhiteandnew.wordpress.com, got some nerve-wracking news recently. If you have any good thoughts, prayers, or "best wishes" vibes to share, please send some her way.
4. My parents are in Kashmir for a few weeks.
5. I ran an average of 8:02/mile for my four-mile tempo run Friday. In 28mph winds on a not-entirely-flat route. Lots on my mind, apparently.
6. Yesterday was the busiest I've been in a long time--up at 6:30 for a run, ran 8 miles, prepped for a bridal shower, hosted said shower at my house, cleaned up, started packing for our DC trip, went out for coffee with my sisters (one of whom stayed with us last night, 9-month-old in tow), came home to finish packing, and conked out sometime before midnight (I think).
7. We recently revisited this meal for dinner. It was a great way to warm up on a blustery, stormy, power-blinking night.
8. I *adore* fall weather, including the kind mentioned above. LOVE love love it.
9. As much as I love my shorts and tanks, I've been itching to wear my colder-weather gear again.
10. My first blog giveaway is coming soon!
2. The little guy, who claims to not like zucchini, happily gobbled his entire bowl of beef & wild rice soup (which contains zucchini, tomatoes, mushrooms, and onions) with his eyes closed so he didn't have to see them.
3. My sister, who blogs at redwhiteandnew.wordpress.com, got some nerve-wracking news recently. If you have any good thoughts, prayers, or "best wishes" vibes to share, please send some her way.
4. My parents are in Kashmir for a few weeks.
5. I ran an average of 8:02/mile for my four-mile tempo run Friday. In 28mph winds on a not-entirely-flat route. Lots on my mind, apparently.
6. Yesterday was the busiest I've been in a long time--up at 6:30 for a run, ran 8 miles, prepped for a bridal shower, hosted said shower at my house, cleaned up, started packing for our DC trip, went out for coffee with my sisters (one of whom stayed with us last night, 9-month-old in tow), came home to finish packing, and conked out sometime before midnight (I think).
7. We recently revisited this meal for dinner. It was a great way to warm up on a blustery, stormy, power-blinking night.
8. I *adore* fall weather, including the kind mentioned above. LOVE love love it.
9. As much as I love my shorts and tanks, I've been itching to wear my colder-weather gear again.
10. My first blog giveaway is coming soon!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Meal plan Monday
With our little family back under the same roof, it's time to get serious about a meal plan for the week. No more restaurant food for awhile, please!
Monday - GF pizza loaded with veggies
Tuesday - dinner with friends: a compilation of garden-grown veggies, chicken, and quinoa, with homemade salsas and two kinds of tortilla chips (sweet potato and chocolate, in case you wondered)
Wednesday - GF pesto pasta with chicken and tomato-feta salad
Thursday - breakfast dinner
Friday - TBA
Saturday - leftover beef & wild rice soup
I do have some recipes and pictures to post, I promise. Soon! But probably not between 9 and 10pm tonight, because I will be engrossed in fall TV premiers! One more reason to loooove this season.
Monday - GF pizza loaded with veggies
Tuesday - dinner with friends: a compilation of garden-grown veggies, chicken, and quinoa, with homemade salsas and two kinds of tortilla chips (sweet potato and chocolate, in case you wondered)
Wednesday - GF pesto pasta with chicken and tomato-feta salad
Thursday - breakfast dinner
Friday - TBA
Saturday - leftover beef & wild rice soup
I do have some recipes and pictures to post, I promise. Soon! But probably not between 9 and 10pm tonight, because I will be engrossed in fall TV premiers! One more reason to loooove this season.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Not MIA, just technologically challenged!
I'm still here, with lots of potential blog posts banging around in my head. But I couldn't log in to Blogger for awhile! Frustrating.
This weekend The H and I are hanging out in our city's downtown, playing tourists and celebrating our anniversary. I'm excited to show you some of the treasures we've found (coffee and cupcakes, to name a few), and to get back onto a clean and fresh meal plan on Monday. There are some fantastic restaurants around us, and we have taken full advantage, but it's certainly not what I'm used to three meals a day!
We're going to start the day with a run along the river tomorrow, which should get the week off on a good note. He and I don't often run together, but we did when I first started running, and it's always a nice change in my routine to have him along.
This weekend The H and I are hanging out in our city's downtown, playing tourists and celebrating our anniversary. I'm excited to show you some of the treasures we've found (coffee and cupcakes, to name a few), and to get back onto a clean and fresh meal plan on Monday. There are some fantastic restaurants around us, and we have taken full advantage, but it's certainly not what I'm used to three meals a day!
We're going to start the day with a run along the river tomorrow, which should get the week off on a good note. He and I don't often run together, but we did when I first started running, and it's always a nice change in my routine to have him along.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Mayo-free potato salad
In an inadvertent last hurrah to summer, we ended up with a picnic-themed meal Sunday night. The H grilled up our last package of hamburgers from our half-of-a-half-of-a-cow purchase, and I got to work on side dishes.
When I first started eating clean in May/June 2009, a mayo-free potato salad is one of the things I found myself making often. We had summer birthday parties and the requisite cookouts with friends to attend, and I wanted to bring something that I would feel comfortable eating, but that would still allow me to feel like I was participating in the spirit of the season... goofy? Maybe. But everywhere I took my mayo-less taters, everyone said how refreshing it was. I even made it for the little guy's first birthday party.
This isn't that exact recipe, but it's what I could come up with on a lazy summer Sunday afternoon.
Mayo-free Potato Salad
a Clean Eating Machine original, inspired by my mom's recipe
10 small-medium red potatoes, scrubbed clean and cubed into bite-size pieces
1/2 regular cucumber, mostly peeled (I like a little green for color)
1/2 sweet onion, chopped finely
1/4 to 1/2 cup jarred dill pickle juice
1/4 cup diced green onion, green parts only
2-4 hard boiled egg whites
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Kosher (or sea) salt and black pepper to taste
1. Place cubed potatoes into a large pot and fill with water until just covered. Add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Boil 15-20 minutes or until fork-tender.
2. Meanwhile, prepare other ingredients. Place diced sweet onion in a large bowl.
3. Drain cooked potatoes and add to bowl with sweet onion. Pour pickle juice over the potatoes while warm, and stir to combine. Let stand long enough to stop steaming. There should be a bit of juice in the bottom of the bowl, but you don't want the potatoes to be swimming in it.
4. Add cucumber, green onion, a drizzle of olive oil, some red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Gently stir in chopped egg whites. Serve cold or at room temperature.
We had a fresh sliced farmers market melon and a not-your-typical green salad to round out the meal. I'll share that one with you another day! Even though summer is coming to an end (how did that happen so fast?!) this makes a great addition to any party/picnic table.
When I first started eating clean in May/June 2009, a mayo-free potato salad is one of the things I found myself making often. We had summer birthday parties and the requisite cookouts with friends to attend, and I wanted to bring something that I would feel comfortable eating, but that would still allow me to feel like I was participating in the spirit of the season... goofy? Maybe. But everywhere I took my mayo-less taters, everyone said how refreshing it was. I even made it for the little guy's first birthday party.
This isn't that exact recipe, but it's what I could come up with on a lazy summer Sunday afternoon.
Mayo-free Potato Salad
a Clean Eating Machine original, inspired by my mom's recipe
10 small-medium red potatoes, scrubbed clean and cubed into bite-size pieces
1/2 regular cucumber, mostly peeled (I like a little green for color)
1/2 sweet onion, chopped finely
1/4 to 1/2 cup jarred dill pickle juice
1/4 cup diced green onion, green parts only
2-4 hard boiled egg whites
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Kosher (or sea) salt and black pepper to taste
1. Place cubed potatoes into a large pot and fill with water until just covered. Add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Boil 15-20 minutes or until fork-tender.
2. Meanwhile, prepare other ingredients. Place diced sweet onion in a large bowl.
3. Drain cooked potatoes and add to bowl with sweet onion. Pour pickle juice over the potatoes while warm, and stir to combine. Let stand long enough to stop steaming. There should be a bit of juice in the bottom of the bowl, but you don't want the potatoes to be swimming in it.
4. Add cucumber, green onion, a drizzle of olive oil, some red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Gently stir in chopped egg whites. Serve cold or at room temperature.
We had a fresh sliced farmers market melon and a not-your-typical green salad to round out the meal. I'll share that one with you another day! Even though summer is coming to an end (how did that happen so fast?!) this makes a great addition to any party/picnic table.
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