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!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
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.
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