I caught a cold from the 1st graders on Tuesday. Sigh... This is the worst. I had 4th grade today, which went well. Tomorrow I am covering for a Business/Marketing teacher at one of the better high schools in the county. I hope I don't feel this miserable tomorrow. I didn't even want to make either dinner option (Chicken with balsamic glazed asparagus and caramelized onions and cranberries OR Steak Tacos with Avocado Cream Sauce, both from Clean Eating Mag), so... DH the wonderful picked up CHINESE!!! Yum. I ordered Hunan Chicken with the sauce on the side- this means nice steamed veggies and good, lean chicken for me with minimal sauce and a few bites of white (gasp!) rice. I don't feel guilty at all! Though... I did eat the eggroll because this place has AH-mazing eggrolls, and I ate two fortune cookies... because they gave us four. So I feel a little guilty
Eats for the day:
B: WW Toast with PB and honey, banana
S: Butterfinger (fun sized)
L: Kashi Trail Mix bar, red bell pepper strips with black bean hummus, 5 oz skim milk
S2: Girl Scout Somoa Cookie
D: Well, I just told you, didn't I?
Things I shouldn't have eaten: fun sized Butterfinger, 1 Girl Scouts Somoa Cookie, Eggroll. :-)
E: 3 mile walk with the hubs, P90X Yoga
DH and I are watching Bones re-runs, but the NEW episode is on at 8. Yay. Also... New Office... Also... New Grey's. Love it- especially since LOST wasn't new this week... Whatevs. I might do my P90X Yoga while Bones is on, that way I'm not up late tonight... considering I have to be up in the morning for subbing. :-) Y'all have a lovely night.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
I love me some Tuesday...
Good evening, blog readers! I have been MIA from my blog for the weekend, but I am back, never fear!
I have two meals from Clean Eating Magazine for you, so look forward to that! :-) I officially started P90x for reals last night, now that I have all the DVDs. I'm excited about transforming my body... haha, that sounds super cheesy! Today, I subbed in 1st grade and tomorrow I have my health assessment at DH's work for insurance purposes. I have a feeling I'll get another 100%!
My meals for the day...
Trader Joe's Natural Creamy Peanut Butter, Honey we got on vacay in SC, Whole Wheat toast!
L: Leftover Chicken Pomodoro
D: Salmon Patties with Zucchini and Squash
S: Banana with PB
S: Dark Chocolate
Things I shouldn't have eaten: 1/4 of a small DQ blizzard (leftovers from Thursday), Two packages of smarties
And now... I'll give you the photos for my lunch today and dinner tonight.
Chicken Pomodoro Angel Hair Pasta
and...
Salmon Patties with Sauteed Squash and Zucchini
Well, I'd better get to the dishes... yay. Then P90x Day 2: Plyometrics!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Beef and Broccoli Orange Stir-Fry...
...Over Soba Noodles
Serves: 6 Hands-on time: 45 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
-12 oz soba noodles I used almost 9 oz
-Olive Oil Cooking Spray
-1 lb lean round steak, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness and sliced into strips I used .8 lbs
- 1/2 cup white onion, diced
- 2 cups fresh broccoli florets, separeted into bite-sized pieces I used more... I didn't want to waste the rest of the head
-1/2 red bell pepper, julienne cut
- 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
-Juice of 1 medium orange
-1 tbsp orange zest
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-2 tsp raw organic honey
-2 tsp whole wheat flour
Instructions:
1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. I cooked mine while I prepared the veggies et al.
2. Heat large nonstick or cast iron skillet (I used my wok) over high heat for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-high, mist with cooking spray and saute steak for about 5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove steak, leaving juices in the pan.
3. Mist same pan with cooking spray again. Add onion, broccoli, and red pper and saute over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until cooked through. (I added salt and pepper to my veggies)
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, orange juice and zest, garlic and honey.
5. Add steak back to vegetables in pan and pour in soy sauce mixture. Saute steak and vegetables over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, then whisk in flour to thicken, about 2-3 minutes. Add noodles to pan and cook until warmed, about 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and serve.
Nutrition per 1 cup serving (if made according to recipe):
Calories: 270
Total Fat: 2 g
Sat Fat: 0 g
Carbs: 51 g
Fiber: 4 g
Sugars: 6 g
Protein: 14 g
Sodium: 520 mg
Cholesterol: 10 mg
I had to cook my steak yesterday because of an expiration date, and I marinated my steak in the sauce for about 2.5 hours just for fun.
THIS WAS SO GOOD. I really felt like it could have been served in a Chinese restaurant. I will DEFINITELY make this again and I suggest that you make it too. I LOVED it. I can't wait for leftovers tomorrow!!
DH and I did go for a 3 miler, which was really nice. After dinner, we went down to DQ (we can walk there in about 5 minutes) and got Blizzards (buy one, get one for $.25!). I am not a huge DQ fan, but DH couldn't stop talking about it. I got a Butterfinger Blizzard, because according to the site, it has the fewest calories... 470! Yikes. I ate half of it while we walked home; that's about all I wanted anyway. The rest is sitting in the freezer, probably for DH to eat later. Haha.
We're watching Bones now... the Office is in a bit... I'll work out during the break between The Office and Pwoject Wunway. Gotta burn off that Blizzard! :-) I actually feel pretty good about my eats today. Only 2 cookies today- not four like yesterday! Haha.
Make sure you check out my other blog from today! Have a great night!!!
Serves: 6 Hands-on time: 45 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
-12 oz soba noodles I used almost 9 oz
-Olive Oil Cooking Spray
-1 lb lean round steak, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness and sliced into strips I used .8 lbs
- 1/2 cup white onion, diced
- 2 cups fresh broccoli florets, separeted into bite-sized pieces I used more... I didn't want to waste the rest of the head
-1/2 red bell pepper, julienne cut
- 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
-Juice of 1 medium orange
-1 tbsp orange zest
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-2 tsp raw organic honey
-2 tsp whole wheat flour
Instructions:
1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. I cooked mine while I prepared the veggies et al.
2. Heat large nonstick or cast iron skillet (I used my wok) over high heat for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-high, mist with cooking spray and saute steak for about 5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove steak, leaving juices in the pan.
3. Mist same pan with cooking spray again. Add onion, broccoli, and red pper and saute over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until cooked through. (I added salt and pepper to my veggies)
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, orange juice and zest, garlic and honey.
5. Add steak back to vegetables in pan and pour in soy sauce mixture. Saute steak and vegetables over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, then whisk in flour to thicken, about 2-3 minutes. Add noodles to pan and cook until warmed, about 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and serve.
Nutrition per 1 cup serving (if made according to recipe):
Calories: 270
Total Fat: 2 g
Sat Fat: 0 g
Carbs: 51 g
Fiber: 4 g
Sugars: 6 g
Protein: 14 g
Sodium: 520 mg
Cholesterol: 10 mg
I had to cook my steak yesterday because of an expiration date, and I marinated my steak in the sauce for about 2.5 hours just for fun.
THIS WAS SO GOOD. I really felt like it could have been served in a Chinese restaurant. I will DEFINITELY make this again and I suggest that you make it too. I LOVED it. I can't wait for leftovers tomorrow!!
DH and I did go for a 3 miler, which was really nice. After dinner, we went down to DQ (we can walk there in about 5 minutes) and got Blizzards (buy one, get one for $.25!). I am not a huge DQ fan, but DH couldn't stop talking about it. I got a Butterfinger Blizzard, because according to the site, it has the fewest calories... 470! Yikes. I ate half of it while we walked home; that's about all I wanted anyway. The rest is sitting in the freezer, probably for DH to eat later. Haha.
We're watching Bones now... the Office is in a bit... I'll work out during the break between The Office and Pwoject Wunway. Gotta burn off that Blizzard! :-) I actually feel pretty good about my eats today. Only 2 cookies today- not four like yesterday! Haha.
Make sure you check out my other blog from today! Have a great night!!!
TV night!
Good afternoon blog-followers! :-) Tonight is Bones, The Office, and Pwoject Wunway (FINALE!). We usually DVR shows from other nights (Idol, LOST) and watch them without the commercials, but Thursdays at 8 we plop down in front of the TV and watch our little hearts out, lazy bums that we are.
Today, I subbed for a strings teacher at one of the county high schools. I alway sub for her and I always hate this one class I had today. They just are so... obnoxious. No one listens. No one does what they should. She told me she has this problem too, but man, why can't kids just behave? I mean, I would think that an opportunity to do your HW in class would be lovely, because that means you DON'T have to do it at HOME. SCORE! But no, these kids didn't care! Oh well... Moving on...
Tonight's meal is going to be amazing. You will want to make this recipe. Unless of course... You don't eat meat. Or Chinese. Or it turns out that the meal sucks. Okay, so maybe you won't want to make it, but I can't wait to finish it. I've already prepped the marinade, steak, and veggies. Just gotta cook the soba noodles, cook up my veggies, heat up the meat, and mix it all together! :-) I can't wait! :-)
So far, the day's fare has consisted of:
B: WW toast w/ PB and honey, another cookie... :-)
L: Leftover chicken pasta
S1: another cookie... (noticing a trend?)
S2: A bit of a Tom Leonard's Wheat Baguette and some dark chocolate. Sorry, hormones make me want chocolate right now. :-)
Is it bad that I feel no guilt over eating cookies that consist of 1 cup Almond Butter, an egg, 1/2 cup Sucanat, baking powder, salt, and 2 oz 70% dark chocolate? I mean... it made 20 cookies. How bad can they be??? It's better than a Chips Ahoy for sure.
I have decided that there are two people inside of me.
This woman...
I'm not really sure how to reconcile these two lovely ladies. Ha. I like my "two sticks of butter, y'all," but I'd also like a nice, flat stomach as well. Somehow, these two just don't seem to mix. Sigh...
DH should be home soon, then I'm going to coax him outside for a nice 3 mile walk (and hope he brought home the rest of the P90X DVDs) before dinner. I'm hoping that the rain yesterday washed the pollen away. I don't suffer from allergies, but DH does. Bad. I can always tell it's Spring because the snoring commences. :-)
I'll see you all soon for a recipe post!!
Today, I subbed for a strings teacher at one of the county high schools. I alway sub for her and I always hate this one class I had today. They just are so... obnoxious. No one listens. No one does what they should. She told me she has this problem too, but man, why can't kids just behave? I mean, I would think that an opportunity to do your HW in class would be lovely, because that means you DON'T have to do it at HOME. SCORE! But no, these kids didn't care! Oh well... Moving on...
Tonight's meal is going to be amazing. You will want to make this recipe. Unless of course... You don't eat meat. Or Chinese. Or it turns out that the meal sucks. Okay, so maybe you won't want to make it, but I can't wait to finish it. I've already prepped the marinade, steak, and veggies. Just gotta cook the soba noodles, cook up my veggies, heat up the meat, and mix it all together! :-) I can't wait! :-)
So far, the day's fare has consisted of:
B: WW toast w/ PB and honey, another cookie... :-)
L: Leftover chicken pasta
S1: another cookie... (noticing a trend?)
S2: A bit of a Tom Leonard's Wheat Baguette and some dark chocolate. Sorry, hormones make me want chocolate right now. :-)
Is it bad that I feel no guilt over eating cookies that consist of 1 cup Almond Butter, an egg, 1/2 cup Sucanat, baking powder, salt, and 2 oz 70% dark chocolate? I mean... it made 20 cookies. How bad can they be??? It's better than a Chips Ahoy for sure.
I have decided that there are two people inside of me.
This woman...
(If you don't know that's Paula Deen, you need to get out more.)
and this woman...
(Tosca Reno, author of The Eat Clean Diet)
I'm not really sure how to reconcile these two lovely ladies. Ha. I like my "two sticks of butter, y'all," but I'd also like a nice, flat stomach as well. Somehow, these two just don't seem to mix. Sigh...
DH should be home soon, then I'm going to coax him outside for a nice 3 mile walk (and hope he brought home the rest of the P90X DVDs) before dinner. I'm hoping that the rain yesterday washed the pollen away. I don't suffer from allergies, but DH does. Bad. I can always tell it's Spring because the snoring commences. :-)
I'll see you all soon for a recipe post!!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
P90x yesterday...
kicked my butt. I am so sore in areas I didn't even know I worked out on the chest and back DVD. My thighs are sore... my abs are sore... but mostly every part of my upper body.
That's all. Just had to share that with everyone.
That's all. Just had to share that with everyone.
We made it to the halfway point!
Wednesdays are long days for me. Not that they are bad, just long. Today was a very good Wednesday, though. I got to go to lunch with a friend, which was so fun. I really needed to get out and have a social time with another girl. I haven't had much "girl friend" time in the past few years... Church was also pretty good- I made a bracelet that I gave to another friend of mine because it was too small for my wrist. :-)
I planned to eat:
B: WW toast with 1 tbsp PB and a drizzle of honey
S: Almonds or Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cookie
L: Panera's Turkey Sandwich on Whole Grain with Classic Cafe Salad (the half portions)
S: Apple/Banana
D: Church Dinner of Baked Ziti, Caesar Salad, and strawberries for desert
I ate:
B: WW toast with 1 tbsp PB and a drizzle of honey
S: 2 Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies
L: Panera's new Vegetable Pesto Soup with Classic Cafe Salad and multigrain baguette (the half portions)
S: 2 more Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies
D: Church Dinner of Baked Ziti (meatless, very little cheese, thankfully), Caesar Salad (I got a bunch of Romaine and put the separate Newman's Own Light dressing and a sprinkle of Parm instead of the premixed super drenched salad, which is delish, but bad for me!), strawberries, and a small piece of cake
Also... four giant smarties (50 calories total... no big). Haha.
All in all, not so bad... other than the four cookies... BUT at least if I'm going to be eating cookies, I'm eating healthier ones with good protien, no refined sugars, and dark chocolate. I mean, how bad can they be for me? You saw the ingredients! :-)
Well, tomorrow's fare is Clean Eating Magazine's Beef and Broccoli Orange Stir Fry. I already cooked the steak because it was Sell By yesterday. :-) I also chopped my onion. I tried to get my red pepper, orange, and broccoli tonight, but Tom Leonard's was closed. :-( I love that place; it is wonderful. Well, DH is almost done studying for his Actuarial Exam, so soon we can watch Idol Gives Back and figure out who is going home tonight. I really wish we'd not gotten sucked into this show, especially this season... Most of them just aren't worth watching! Sorry! We like Crystal (along with everyone else), Big Mike, and Casey. Aaron and Tim are cute, but need to go home (though I am impressed with Tim's progress). Siobhan is getting on my nerves. Lee is terrible. Why do people like him? He can't actually sing, just scream/sing. His actual singing is all over the place pitch-wise. Ugh. I'll stop now. I know some of you are Lee fans... just not us.
Anyhoo... I'm out. Y'all have a great night!
I planned to eat:
B: WW toast with 1 tbsp PB and a drizzle of honey
S: Almonds or Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cookie
L: Panera's Turkey Sandwich on Whole Grain with Classic Cafe Salad (the half portions)
S: Apple/Banana
D: Church Dinner of Baked Ziti, Caesar Salad, and strawberries for desert
I ate:
B: WW toast with 1 tbsp PB and a drizzle of honey
S: 2 Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies
L: Panera's new Vegetable Pesto Soup with Classic Cafe Salad and multigrain baguette (the half portions)
S: 2 more Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies
D: Church Dinner of Baked Ziti (meatless, very little cheese, thankfully), Caesar Salad (I got a bunch of Romaine and put the separate Newman's Own Light dressing and a sprinkle of Parm instead of the premixed super drenched salad, which is delish, but bad for me!), strawberries, and a small piece of cake
Also... four giant smarties (50 calories total... no big). Haha.
All in all, not so bad... other than the four cookies... BUT at least if I'm going to be eating cookies, I'm eating healthier ones with good protien, no refined sugars, and dark chocolate. I mean, how bad can they be for me? You saw the ingredients! :-)
Well, tomorrow's fare is Clean Eating Magazine's Beef and Broccoli Orange Stir Fry. I already cooked the steak because it was Sell By yesterday. :-) I also chopped my onion. I tried to get my red pepper, orange, and broccoli tonight, but Tom Leonard's was closed. :-( I love that place; it is wonderful. Well, DH is almost done studying for his Actuarial Exam, so soon we can watch Idol Gives Back and figure out who is going home tonight. I really wish we'd not gotten sucked into this show, especially this season... Most of them just aren't worth watching! Sorry! We like Crystal (along with everyone else), Big Mike, and Casey. Aaron and Tim are cute, but need to go home (though I am impressed with Tim's progress). Siobhan is getting on my nerves. Lee is terrible. Why do people like him? He can't actually sing, just scream/sing. His actual singing is all over the place pitch-wise. Ugh. I'll stop now. I know some of you are Lee fans... just not us.
Anyhoo... I'm out. Y'all have a great night!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
What to do with yesterday's leftovers...
So. You roasted a chicken, you made the green beans and the potatoes. You consumed these dishes last night and now, tonight, you are still lovin' the idea of the dishes, but you aren't so sure you want a plate of the exact same meal you had last night. Have I got the fix for you!
Roasted Chicken and Penne
Ingredients:
10oz cooked whole wheat pasta (I used thin Whole Wheat Spaghetti, but the magazine calls for penne)
Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water
1 cup of the potatoes from last night
1 3/4 cup of the green beans from last night
2 cups of shredded chicken
4 tbsp (mag called for 2, but it was NOT enough) of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Directions:
1. Combine pasta, potatoes, beans, chicken, vinegar, pepper, and 1/4 cup of the pasta water over heat
2. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved water until it reaches desired consistency (whatever that means!)
3. Serve on pretty plates to your very hungry husband. :-)
I subbed for a third grade teacher today, which was fun. Just a half day in the afternoon, which I love- I get to sleep in! :-)
DH and I have decided to put the house hunt on hold until we know more about our futures. Jobs are up in the air right now, so we both want to make sure we have the resources to pay for what we want and not be house poor. It was a hard decision, especially since we fell in love with one last week. Oh well.
I'm going to be starting P90X soon, so check back for info on that. Hope everyone has a lovely evening!
Roasted Chicken and Penne
Sorry, it's not terribly photogenic...
Ingredients:
10oz cooked whole wheat pasta (I used thin Whole Wheat Spaghetti, but the magazine calls for penne)
Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water
1 cup of the potatoes from last night
1 3/4 cup of the green beans from last night
2 cups of shredded chicken
4 tbsp (mag called for 2, but it was NOT enough) of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Directions:
1. Combine pasta, potatoes, beans, chicken, vinegar, pepper, and 1/4 cup of the pasta water over heat
2. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved water until it reaches desired consistency (whatever that means!)
3. Serve on pretty plates to your very hungry husband. :-)
I subbed for a third grade teacher today, which was fun. Just a half day in the afternoon, which I love- I get to sleep in! :-)
DH and I have decided to put the house hunt on hold until we know more about our futures. Jobs are up in the air right now, so we both want to make sure we have the resources to pay for what we want and not be house poor. It was a hard decision, especially since we fell in love with one last week. Oh well.
I'm going to be starting P90X soon, so check back for info on that. Hope everyone has a lovely evening!
Monday, April 19, 2010
May I present... Hubert...
..who was our dinner.
Oh man, this meal was to die for! So easy and SO delish!
Basically, you preheat to 400*, rub the 5-6 lb chicken down with oil, then rub your rosemary, salt, pepper, and thyme on top of the skin, under the skin, and in the cavity. Cut your 3lbs of red potatoes in half and toss with 2 tsp EVOO, and the same spice and herb mix as above. I never measure, I just eyeball what looks like enough. :-)
Put the chicken breast side up (or standing up, like my roaster has the poultry do) in the roasting pan rack (if you have no rack, just place it in) and put potatoes in the bottom of the roasting pan.
Bake for 45 min, cover with aluminum foil to prevent burning of the skin, bake for 45 min again. Breast should be at 160*, thigh at 170*, juices clear. Let the chicken rest on a cutting board (the temp will rise to a piping 170*) while you steam up your 1.5 (I think) lbs of green beans. :-)
I think I gave myself third degree burns trying to slice Hubert up too soon. That's what I get for naming the chicken we ate for dinner. Also, I could not stop laughing at the sight of Hubert sitting upright in my roasting pan. :-) Too funny!
This is Hubert in her raw form, before I descrated her body with oil and spices...
Wait, that sounds more like what they did in Biblical times to prepare a body for burial...
...
...
Moving on...
This is Hubert oiled, herbed, and balsamic vinegared with 3 lbs of her closest potato friends.
I was foolish and forgot to photograph Hubert in all her golden brown glory, but you can see her wing... here:
Such a lovely color, no?
And finally...
...
The feast:
Best green beans I've ever had. Thank you Tom Leonard's.
Oh man, this meal was to die for! So easy and SO delish!
Basically, you preheat to 400*, rub the 5-6 lb chicken down with oil, then rub your rosemary, salt, pepper, and thyme on top of the skin, under the skin, and in the cavity. Cut your 3lbs of red potatoes in half and toss with 2 tsp EVOO, and the same spice and herb mix as above. I never measure, I just eyeball what looks like enough. :-)
Put the chicken breast side up (or standing up, like my roaster has the poultry do) in the roasting pan rack (if you have no rack, just place it in) and put potatoes in the bottom of the roasting pan.
Bake for 45 min, cover with aluminum foil to prevent burning of the skin, bake for 45 min again. Breast should be at 160*, thigh at 170*, juices clear. Let the chicken rest on a cutting board (the temp will rise to a piping 170*) while you steam up your 1.5 (I think) lbs of green beans. :-)
I think I gave myself third degree burns trying to slice Hubert up too soon. That's what I get for naming the chicken we ate for dinner. Also, I could not stop laughing at the sight of Hubert sitting upright in my roasting pan. :-) Too funny!
My first PIZZA!
O.K. so one of my favourite bloggers, WhitInspired, makes homemade pizza all the time and I always drool over it. I was making some of my favourite cookies (which you can see in a minute!) and found a recipe in my Clean Eating Mag for Whole Wheat Pizza Dough and I said WHOA! I can do that! So, ladies and gentlemen, without further adieu... My Pizza.
Pre-Risen Dough
So... a review!
It was SUPER easy to make and had a great flavour! I didn't roll it out enough, thus it did not get quite cooked for my lunch, but I popped it back in for a second round to get more crisp.
Two things I would change: no chicken strips... at least not this kind. They were bulky and dried up in the oven and the other thing to change is that I need to learn how to roll out the dough properly. :-)
NOW onto my cookies... Oh, my cookies. ANOTHER Clean Eating Mag favourite! I think I will have to make these once a week almost... they are so good!!! This is my third time making them, though I've never made them the same way twice!
I present to you... Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies:
The recipe is super, super easy!
Ingredients:
1 cup almond butter
3/4 cup Sucanat (I used 1/2 because I ran out...)
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 oz 70% Dark Chocolate Chips (I used 2 oz because in the past, 3 seemed superfluous)
Preheat oven to 350*. Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and spoon tablespoon-sized balls onto parchment lined or greased baking sheet. Cook for 10-12 minutes. Cool on sheet for 5 minutes, transfer to cooling rack and cool for an additional 10-15 minutes, if you can wait that long!
Even with the modifications, they turned out WONDERFULLY, but they are SUPER crumbly, as always! :-)
I forgot to take pictures of Risen Dough, Kneaded Dough, and Risen Kneaded Dough... Sorry. :-)
The Crust
The Crust with Trader Giotto's (Joe's) Pizza Sauce
Green Peppers, Mushrooms, Onions, Garlic, Chicken Breast, and Parmesan Cheese
I also brushed the crust with EVOO and drizzled the pizza with the same.
In the Oven!!!
Hot and ready for consumption!
Mmm... Pizza... on new pretty plates and placemats!!!
So... a review!
It was SUPER easy to make and had a great flavour! I didn't roll it out enough, thus it did not get quite cooked for my lunch, but I popped it back in for a second round to get more crisp.
Two things I would change: no chicken strips... at least not this kind. They were bulky and dried up in the oven and the other thing to change is that I need to learn how to roll out the dough properly. :-)
NOW onto my cookies... Oh, my cookies. ANOTHER Clean Eating Mag favourite! I think I will have to make these once a week almost... they are so good!!! This is my third time making them, though I've never made them the same way twice!
I present to you... Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies:
Fresh outta the oven!
Yummy!!!
Ingredients:
1 cup almond butter
3/4 cup Sucanat (I used 1/2 because I ran out...)
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 oz 70% Dark Chocolate Chips (I used 2 oz because in the past, 3 seemed superfluous)
Preheat oven to 350*. Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and spoon tablespoon-sized balls onto parchment lined or greased baking sheet. Cook for 10-12 minutes. Cool on sheet for 5 minutes, transfer to cooling rack and cool for an additional 10-15 minutes, if you can wait that long!
Even with the modifications, they turned out WONDERFULLY, but they are SUPER crumbly, as always! :-)
Happy Monday!
I hope everyone had a good weekend!
Thursday night (not technically the weekend, but I have to share) we had Clean Eating Mag's Meatball Subs. SO GOOD. I had never made meatballs before, so that was fun! I will definitely make these again!
On Friday, we looked at five different houses. The first one we fell in love with. The rest were scary. At house number three, we stepped into the backyard, where the family had a 5 foot high pile of bagged salt, 6 inch ruts throughout the backyard, and... Satan's dog. I kid you not, we were walking back there, and DH turned around and said "There's a dog!" Remember Hercules from The Sandlot? Yeah... this dog reminded us of him. It was HUGE. I swear its eyes were red. Okay, maybe not. All three of us booked it inside. We then investigated a small closet and found the "Beware of Dog" sign. Thanks for the warning, guys. House number five was a whole new experience. It was a foreclosure and someone had broken the glass on the front storm door, so we had to go around back to an already UNLOCKED door (and there was a car out front). We walked in, decided that there was no one there, went up some stairs, and I saw animal feces, bugs, dirt, and a sticker on the microwave that said "GENTLEMEN." It was at this time that I made the executive decision to high-tail it out of there. However, we really want the first house. It's gorgeous. Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. We then proceeded to have Cici's Pizza for dinner. Yum.
DH and I went yard saling on Saturday morning. Not a whole lot of exciting finds... We got:
-Fools Rush In on DVD for $2
-Muppet Treasure Island on DVD for $3
-Lots of books, including: The Shack, Redeeming Love, The Kite Runner, Me Talk Pretty One Day, and Into the Wild for 50 cents each
-A set of three mini framed mirrors that match our African Savannah theme of our living room for $1
-Two Krispy Kreme doughnuts for $1 (we were hungry!)
DH had a wedding shoot in Charlottesville Saturday afternoon and evening, so he was gone at 12.30, but for lunch... oh man, lunch. We had Clean Eating Magazine's Country Fried Steak with Mushroom Gravy and steamed broccoli. It was sooooo good. It doesn't compare to Texas Roadhouse's battered and deep fried monstrosity, but still... it was good. The gravy was AH-mazing. I then went decor shopping. It was technically an accident that I spent $50 at Bed, Bath, and Beyond... but I still did it.
Saturday evening I babysat for some friends from church. It was a blast. Their kids are sooo fun and they have two of the cutest, sweetest dogs ever. One's a TEENY Chihuahua named Quinn and the other is a Dalmation named Beautiful. DH and I both got home around 12.
Sunday was church, Cici's Pizza (again), shopping (I wanted more plates and placemats because our table seats 6, but I only bought for four), cleaning, youth group, and then Applebee's with our friends Kim and Aaron. Don't worry, I was good at both restaurants. At Applebee's I had this Chicken Portobello sandwich on a wheat bun with dijon mustard. It comes with marinara, but I decided I'd rather have dijon mustard. It was sooo good. I got it with a side of steamed red potatoes. I got like three, but they were yummy. :-)
Today is a laid-back off day. I tried to grab an art subbing job, but to no avail. I've done a few fun things today and will post the cooking pics at the end of the day. :-) See you later!
Thursday night (not technically the weekend, but I have to share) we had Clean Eating Mag's Meatball Subs. SO GOOD. I had never made meatballs before, so that was fun! I will definitely make these again!
On Friday, we looked at five different houses. The first one we fell in love with. The rest were scary. At house number three, we stepped into the backyard, where the family had a 5 foot high pile of bagged salt, 6 inch ruts throughout the backyard, and... Satan's dog. I kid you not, we were walking back there, and DH turned around and said "There's a dog!" Remember Hercules from The Sandlot? Yeah... this dog reminded us of him. It was HUGE. I swear its eyes were red. Okay, maybe not. All three of us booked it inside. We then investigated a small closet and found the "Beware of Dog" sign. Thanks for the warning, guys. House number five was a whole new experience. It was a foreclosure and someone had broken the glass on the front storm door, so we had to go around back to an already UNLOCKED door (and there was a car out front). We walked in, decided that there was no one there, went up some stairs, and I saw animal feces, bugs, dirt, and a sticker on the microwave that said "GENTLEMEN." It was at this time that I made the executive decision to high-tail it out of there. However, we really want the first house. It's gorgeous. Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. We then proceeded to have Cici's Pizza for dinner. Yum.
DH and I went yard saling on Saturday morning. Not a whole lot of exciting finds... We got:
-Fools Rush In on DVD for $2
-Muppet Treasure Island on DVD for $3
-Lots of books, including: The Shack, Redeeming Love, The Kite Runner, Me Talk Pretty One Day, and Into the Wild for 50 cents each
-A set of three mini framed mirrors that match our African Savannah theme of our living room for $1
-Two Krispy Kreme doughnuts for $1 (we were hungry!)
DH had a wedding shoot in Charlottesville Saturday afternoon and evening, so he was gone at 12.30, but for lunch... oh man, lunch. We had Clean Eating Magazine's Country Fried Steak with Mushroom Gravy and steamed broccoli. It was sooooo good. It doesn't compare to Texas Roadhouse's battered and deep fried monstrosity, but still... it was good. The gravy was AH-mazing. I then went decor shopping. It was technically an accident that I spent $50 at Bed, Bath, and Beyond... but I still did it.
Saturday evening I babysat for some friends from church. It was a blast. Their kids are sooo fun and they have two of the cutest, sweetest dogs ever. One's a TEENY Chihuahua named Quinn and the other is a Dalmation named Beautiful. DH and I both got home around 12.
Sunday was church, Cici's Pizza (again), shopping (I wanted more plates and placemats because our table seats 6, but I only bought for four), cleaning, youth group, and then Applebee's with our friends Kim and Aaron. Don't worry, I was good at both restaurants. At Applebee's I had this Chicken Portobello sandwich on a wheat bun with dijon mustard. It comes with marinara, but I decided I'd rather have dijon mustard. It was sooo good. I got it with a side of steamed red potatoes. I got like three, but they were yummy. :-)
Today is a laid-back off day. I tried to grab an art subbing job, but to no avail. I've done a few fun things today and will post the cooking pics at the end of the day. :-) See you later!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Somewhat productive day...
Goal check in:
Grocery Shop: CHECK
Clean Kitchen: I did clean out the fridge and organize the dirty dishes in the sink... (next to the sink).
Get Apps ready: I called the Ed dept... no answer... left message. Goodness knows if I will hear back. I did however, do a onceover on all my apps to make sure everything was in place. There are a few things I have yet to do, but I should be able to send them out soon if LU ever calls me back. Sigh.
I did pretty well today.
Breakfast was Life Cereal... not the best, but not the worst... not like my recent OD on Capt'n Crunch!
Lunch was leftover Italian Casserole (extra-lean ground turkey, elbow macaroni, red/green peppers, onions, italian dressing, spices and herbs).
Dinner was a ginormous steak (yum) with sauteed mushrooms and a nice salad of romaine and mushrooms with a dressing I made of 1/2 tbsp EVOO (or was it tsp?), some balsamic and some cherry vinegar, lime juice, and black pepper. It was zesty and tasty.
I was able to exercise restraint and only eat 6 Cadbury Mini Eggs. That's half a serving.
My downfall: leftover Chex Mix stuff (you know, the kind with the peanut butter and chocolate melted all over and then enrobed in delish powdered sugar? Tee hee. It's so yummy. And yes, it is left over from Christmas. Shut up.
I'm currently hanging out with my mom in Charlottesville. She just got back from visiting my brother, SIL, and beautiful baby niece in TX and I HAD to see pictures ASAP! My dad just got back from a cruise in the Mediterranean, so I'm sure there will be a breathtaking slideshow in my future as well! :-) Have a great night!
Grocery Shop: CHECK
Clean Kitchen: I did clean out the fridge and organize the dirty dishes in the sink... (next to the sink).
Get Apps ready: I called the Ed dept... no answer... left message. Goodness knows if I will hear back. I did however, do a onceover on all my apps to make sure everything was in place. There are a few things I have yet to do, but I should be able to send them out soon if LU ever calls me back. Sigh.
I did pretty well today.
Breakfast was Life Cereal... not the best, but not the worst... not like my recent OD on Capt'n Crunch!
Lunch was leftover Italian Casserole (extra-lean ground turkey, elbow macaroni, red/green peppers, onions, italian dressing, spices and herbs).
Dinner was a ginormous steak (yum) with sauteed mushrooms and a nice salad of romaine and mushrooms with a dressing I made of 1/2 tbsp EVOO (or was it tsp?), some balsamic and some cherry vinegar, lime juice, and black pepper. It was zesty and tasty.
I was able to exercise restraint and only eat 6 Cadbury Mini Eggs. That's half a serving.
My downfall: leftover Chex Mix stuff (you know, the kind with the peanut butter and chocolate melted all over and then enrobed in delish powdered sugar? Tee hee. It's so yummy. And yes, it is left over from Christmas. Shut up.
I'm currently hanging out with my mom in Charlottesville. She just got back from visiting my brother, SIL, and beautiful baby niece in TX and I HAD to see pictures ASAP! My dad just got back from a cruise in the Mediterranean, so I'm sure there will be a breathtaking slideshow in my future as well! :-) Have a great night!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Good Evening to You!
O.K. I was TERRIBLE today. I have NO will power. Breakfast was great: Kashi and skim milk. Awesome. It all went downhill after that.
Cadbury Mini Eggs (best Easter candy ever)
Strawberry Fanta
Salt and Pepper Popcorn
Tiny bowl of Life Cereal
Casa Grande's Fajita Taco Salad. It comes with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, beans, cheese, tortilla bowl, and chicken or beef. I tried to be good. I did not have sour cream, beans, or the shell. I did, however, eat the mountain of amazing cheese along with a billion chips with delish salsa.
Yup. I'm terrible.
Did I exercise? No.
Did I want to? No.
Do I hate myself? You betcha.
I haven't menu planned or actually grocercy shopped in weeks, thus terrible eats.
Also, none of my spring break goals were met. I did not scrapbook AT ALL. I NEVER went to the gym. I ONLY ran 7.44 miles. Crap. I did work out with Comcast ONDemand workouts... Found some good ones (Jay's Bootcamp and Bootcamp Abs) and some terrible ones (Billy Blanks Jr.'s Cardioke). There was one pilates instructor who kept saying "exhaaale" and "EEEENhale". Not "inhale." "EEEEEnhale." I hated every moment of that workout.
Goals for tomorrow:
1. Clean the kitchen
2. Grocery Shop (menu planning is done)
3. Finalize job apps after calling Dept. of Ed at LU for Praxis II scores
I got an art job for Wednesday, which I am SOOO excited about. It's at an amazing school, 5th grade, doing... M.C. Escher!!!!! One of my faves!
On the menu this week...
Clean Eating Mag's Chicken Fried Steak
Clean Eating Mag's Meatball Sub
Clean Eating Mag's Balsamic Glazed Chicken with Asparagus and Onions and Red Potatoes, the leftovers of which will turn into...
Clean Eating Mag's leftover Balsamic Glazed Chicken et al. Pasta... I can't remember the name. :-)
We're watching Holmes on Homes. I want this man to build me a house.
Cadbury Mini Eggs (best Easter candy ever)
Strawberry Fanta
Salt and Pepper Popcorn
Tiny bowl of Life Cereal
Casa Grande's Fajita Taco Salad. It comes with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, beans, cheese, tortilla bowl, and chicken or beef. I tried to be good. I did not have sour cream, beans, or the shell. I did, however, eat the mountain of amazing cheese along with a billion chips with delish salsa.
Yup. I'm terrible.
Did I exercise? No.
Did I want to? No.
Do I hate myself? You betcha.
I haven't menu planned or actually grocercy shopped in weeks, thus terrible eats.
Also, none of my spring break goals were met. I did not scrapbook AT ALL. I NEVER went to the gym. I ONLY ran 7.44 miles. Crap. I did work out with Comcast ONDemand workouts... Found some good ones (Jay's Bootcamp and Bootcamp Abs) and some terrible ones (Billy Blanks Jr.'s Cardioke). There was one pilates instructor who kept saying "exhaaale" and "EEEENhale". Not "inhale." "EEEEEnhale." I hated every moment of that workout.
Goals for tomorrow:
1. Clean the kitchen
2. Grocery Shop (menu planning is done)
3. Finalize job apps after calling Dept. of Ed at LU for Praxis II scores
I got an art job for Wednesday, which I am SOOO excited about. It's at an amazing school, 5th grade, doing... M.C. Escher!!!!! One of my faves!
On the menu this week...
Clean Eating Mag's Chicken Fried Steak
Clean Eating Mag's Meatball Sub
Clean Eating Mag's Balsamic Glazed Chicken with Asparagus and Onions and Red Potatoes, the leftovers of which will turn into...
Clean Eating Mag's leftover Balsamic Glazed Chicken et al. Pasta... I can't remember the name. :-)
We're watching Holmes on Homes. I want this man to build me a house.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Spring has Sprung!
Here are some photos from my Spring Adventures!
Putt Putt with my friends Melanie and Christian
Wicked at the Landmark Theatre
DH and me at the Norah Jones concert at the Paramount
Norah Jones
Beautiful Tulips (my favourite flower) at Stony Point
Our friend and the Youth Pastor Aaron with Forrest packing meals for Haiti with Stop Hunger Now!
Almost 15,000 meals packed for Haiti!!!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Challenge Check In/Easter Wrap Up
Let's get this part over with first... This time I used an actual measuring tape that I got at Wal*Mart the other day for like a dollar.
Bust: 28.5"
Sucked in Waist: 25"
Let it out Waist: 27"
Hips: 32"
I don't know my weight right now... We don't own a scale.
DH got to stay home on Easter, which I was very happy about. We went to a great church service, came home and had lunch. I made herb-marinated pork tenderloin, broiled asparagus, and garlic dill mashed potatoes and we also had cheesy rolls from The Mixing Bowl (I'd have linked you to their website, but it's not working anymore or they don't have one anymore). After that, we took an almost 4 mile walk around the neighborhood and to Food Lion, where we bought the unthinkable. SODA. Oops. The rest of the day was spent watching HGTV and cleaning up our bedroom while watching The Jungle Book (the Disney version).
DH will probably have to work late for quarter close these next two nights, so I am all alone. I'm thinking about making a trip to Williamsburg to find myself a white purse, but I don't know yet. Right now, I am watching If Walls Could Talk. It's such an interesting show. It's official. I'm addicted to HGTV. It makes me REEEEEEALLY want a house. It doesn't help that I found one online that both DH and I would LOVE to have. We are so sick of renting this townhouse.
Well, DH wants me to go out and get him some Cadbury Eggs, hoping they are on sale after Easter. Luckily, I hate Cadbury Eggs. To me, they are gah-ross. I'd better hop on that soon. :-) Have a great day!
Bust: 28.5"
Sucked in Waist: 25"
Let it out Waist: 27"
Hips: 32"
I don't know my weight right now... We don't own a scale.
DH got to stay home on Easter, which I was very happy about. We went to a great church service, came home and had lunch. I made herb-marinated pork tenderloin, broiled asparagus, and garlic dill mashed potatoes and we also had cheesy rolls from The Mixing Bowl (I'd have linked you to their website, but it's not working anymore or they don't have one anymore). After that, we took an almost 4 mile walk around the neighborhood and to Food Lion, where we bought the unthinkable. SODA. Oops. The rest of the day was spent watching HGTV and cleaning up our bedroom while watching The Jungle Book (the Disney version).
DH will probably have to work late for quarter close these next two nights, so I am all alone. I'm thinking about making a trip to Williamsburg to find myself a white purse, but I don't know yet. Right now, I am watching If Walls Could Talk. It's such an interesting show. It's official. I'm addicted to HGTV. It makes me REEEEEEALLY want a house. It doesn't help that I found one online that both DH and I would LOVE to have. We are so sick of renting this townhouse.
Well, DH wants me to go out and get him some Cadbury Eggs, hoping they are on sale after Easter. Luckily, I hate Cadbury Eggs. To me, they are gah-ross. I'd better hop on that soon. :-) Have a great day!
Friday, April 2, 2010
SPRING BREAK!
...Was more exciting when I was in school... Now that I'm a sub, it means no pay for a week. If I were a contracted teacher, I'd be excited... All my friends are out of town/working... so I'm bored all week. Any ideas?
Goals:
Run at least 10 miles over the week's time
Finish at least 3 wedding scrapbook pages
Go to the gym at least 3 times
Clean this house up and down
We had a Good Friday service today... it was my first time going to a Good Friday service. It was pretty neat, if you can say that... but the AC was broken, so we were all pretty warm since we've had two 80 degree days!
DH and I are watching Pwoject Wunway from last night and are ecstatic to see Anthony back!!! :-) He's our favourite!
Goals:
Run at least 10 miles over the week's time
Finish at least 3 wedding scrapbook pages
Go to the gym at least 3 times
Clean this house up and down
We had a Good Friday service today... it was my first time going to a Good Friday service. It was pretty neat, if you can say that... but the AC was broken, so we were all pretty warm since we've had two 80 degree days!
DH and I are watching Pwoject Wunway from last night and are ecstatic to see Anthony back!!! :-) He's our favourite!
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