The meatloaf was excellent...& I'm not a meatloaf lover by any stretch of the imagination! Maybe it's so good because it's turkey? I fudged a bit on adding ketchup. While it is wonderful because it's practically calorie-free, ketchup is so ho-hum. So I mixed in a little bit of catalina salad dressing to give it a bit more zest and since that upped the calories then I just brushed it over the meat just enough to give it a coating and not like 1/2 inch thick. I also skipped adding any marinara as a garnish, just used a bit more of my secret ketchup/catalina mix instead.
The potatoes turned out good too. I mashed them with sour cream and added a little dill & garlic.
So, overall...not bad. I really like the flavors of the meatloaf dish and it gets in extra vitamins with the spinach mixed in. Yummie!
The recipe is here.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Wow, really?...I've just spent the past two posts talking about nothing but food with a splash of exercise.
Maybe I should be a little more reflective...
...I'm excited that 2010 is a new decade and that Warren and I will get to spend it together...
...I'm still a little sad that we won't be having a baby next month, but I'm confident God has a plan and I'm trying to not be such a planner! This whole deciding to start trying has actually been a bit harder than either of us expected. I came to the conclusion that you spend most of your early 20s avoiding ovulation like the plague (besides taking other precautions) so that when you get married and then get to the point you are ready to "make a baby" it's actually quite a narrow window and takes several months of "practice" *heehee* before the timing even begins to get close...of course by then you are micromanaging all of the days in the month and counting way too much & debating getting one of those thermometer things, but am not quite sure I want to go to those extreme measures and so I have to stop. I have to stop counting or this is never going to happen. I kinda let go of the counting this month so maybe better luck in this department soon. (I think being a slightly type A personality and an occasionally overachiever does not help either!) Also, the fact that my husband has not really been living here much the past two months hasn't helped a whole lot either...hmm...well we'll see...
...I'm glad I'm taking steps to being healthier...
...work this past year has a bittersweetness to it, I've made some great friends down here in GISD and will be sad to leave them, and yet I am SO ready to move home...
...I'm happy that my family is doing well, and everyone is doing pretty good in the health department, nothing super serious going on...
...Warren and I are beginning looking at houses in the Metroplex area, I am very excited about becoming home owners in the next few months!!!!...
...I'm proud of Mom for looking to buy a house as well, she got approved for a home loan so I hope that works out for her! Yay!...
...I am trying to think positive thoughts and not get angry at the construction (?!?!!!???) work that is going on in our building somewhere...I can't tell exactly where it is (sort of above and to the side)but at least the noise isn't constant...yet...ugh! Isn't it Sunday?! God said to REST! NO CONSTRUCTION!...
Ok, enough reflecting, too much banging going on! I need to turn on the Roomba and make some cookies!
Maybe I should be a little more reflective...
...I'm excited that 2010 is a new decade and that Warren and I will get to spend it together...
...I'm still a little sad that we won't be having a baby next month, but I'm confident God has a plan and I'm trying to not be such a planner! This whole deciding to start trying has actually been a bit harder than either of us expected. I came to the conclusion that you spend most of your early 20s avoiding ovulation like the plague (besides taking other precautions) so that when you get married and then get to the point you are ready to "make a baby" it's actually quite a narrow window and takes several months of "practice" *heehee* before the timing even begins to get close...of course by then you are micromanaging all of the days in the month and counting way too much & debating getting one of those thermometer things, but am not quite sure I want to go to those extreme measures and so I have to stop. I have to stop counting or this is never going to happen. I kinda let go of the counting this month so maybe better luck in this department soon. (I think being a slightly type A personality and an occasionally overachiever does not help either!) Also, the fact that my husband has not really been living here much the past two months hasn't helped a whole lot either...hmm...well we'll see...
...I'm glad I'm taking steps to being healthier...
...work this past year has a bittersweetness to it, I've made some great friends down here in GISD and will be sad to leave them, and yet I am SO ready to move home...
...I'm happy that my family is doing well, and everyone is doing pretty good in the health department, nothing super serious going on...
...Warren and I are beginning looking at houses in the Metroplex area, I am very excited about becoming home owners in the next few months!!!!...
...I'm proud of Mom for looking to buy a house as well, she got approved for a home loan so I hope that works out for her! Yay!...
...I am trying to think positive thoughts and not get angry at the construction (?!?!!!???) work that is going on in our building somewhere...I can't tell exactly where it is (sort of above and to the side)but at least the noise isn't constant...yet...ugh! Isn't it Sunday?! God said to REST! NO CONSTRUCTION!...
Ok, enough reflecting, too much banging going on! I need to turn on the Roomba and make some cookies!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
My new favorite vegetable...
This past week my library aide, Carina, introduced me to cucumbers, the Hispanic way.
Now I've had them before but not like this...usually cucumbers in the South are pickled into pickles (homemade pickles are divine) or are a garnish on a salad (where Wanda always puts them) or drenched in vinegar (how Aunt Lori likes them)and while all of those are good they've never been my favorite vegetable to eat. They always seem so bland.
Carina brought some this past week with her lunch and made me try them and I immediately bought some on the way home and I've eaten 2 whole cucumbers this week! Here is what she did, which I am calling "Mexican Cucumbers" because she is of Mexican heritage, also, she said it's how they make them in Mexico:
Mexican Cucumbers:
1 cucumber
1 lime
salt, to taste
peel cucumber and cut off ends
slice
slightly salt the slices
squeeze juice of one lime over all cucumber slices
OMG! AMAZING! Best cucumbers I've ever had! And so refreshing! MMMM!
Go try it today, they will be your new favorite vegetable!
Now I've had them before but not like this...usually cucumbers in the South are pickled into pickles (homemade pickles are divine) or are a garnish on a salad (where Wanda always puts them) or drenched in vinegar (how Aunt Lori likes them)and while all of those are good they've never been my favorite vegetable to eat. They always seem so bland.
Carina brought some this past week with her lunch and made me try them and I immediately bought some on the way home and I've eaten 2 whole cucumbers this week! Here is what she did, which I am calling "Mexican Cucumbers" because she is of Mexican heritage, also, she said it's how they make them in Mexico:
Mexican Cucumbers:
1 cucumber
1 lime
salt, to taste
peel cucumber and cut off ends
slice
slightly salt the slices
squeeze juice of one lime over all cucumber slices
OMG! AMAZING! Best cucumbers I've ever had! And so refreshing! MMMM!
Go try it today, they will be your new favorite vegetable!
Happy New Decade...
Ok, ok...I know. So it's been a long time. Does my blog even know who I am anymore? Lol!
Truthfully, I just haven't felt much like writing. It's not that stuff hasn't been going on, I've just been doing more "micro blogging" so to speak, i.e. Twitter, Facebook, etc. I have no other excuse. I've just not been making time to write.
Will I change? That remains to be seen, but January is always such a "Reflective Month" so here I go.
I decided to not make the typical "weight-loss" type resolution that people generally give up on by February. Instead, I opted for the "I will increase the frequency of my exercise" type resolution, which seems to be working better for me. Added to that the fact that Nintendo finally updated the Wii Fit routines to where you can customize your workout and follow a whole flow of movements & games, which is what I wanted it to do in the first place. Now I'm to the point where I do my Wii Fit Plus *almost* everyday. Therefore, I am sticking to my resolution thus far. It wasn't very hard to do because lets face it.......I am a big slacker and wasn't doing jack crap! Have I lost much weight, well, maybe not as much as I would like, but it's at least not getting higher and is decreasing very slooowly.
Today I was reading the February issue of Real Simple magazine (hello! I love this magazine! I need a subscription!) and they had a little meal list on the back of the monthly tear out calendar. Everything on it sounded good and was possibly something I would eat...so I'm going to try it for this next month. Oh, P.S. each meal = 400 calories or less!! www.realsimple.com/400calories I don't know if the meal plan is repeating for February? Because if you scroll over each day in January it is also the same recipes? It would be nice if when the Feb. calendar comes up it's new stuff to try. We'll see...meanwhile I am beginning with the January recipe list which is the following monthly menu:
Week 1:
turkey meatloaf with mashed potatoes 376 cal.
roasted shrimp with peppers and lemon 392 cal.
pork tenderloin with cabbage and apple slaw 321 cal.
gnocchi with roasted cauliflower 331 cal
chicken with spinach and mushrooms 295 cal.
steak with golden zucchini 321 cal.
ham, Gruyere, and shallot pizza 305 cal.
Week 2:
crispy chicken and garlicky collards 395 cal.
curried eggplant with tomatoes and basil 339 cal.
shrimp tacos with citrus cabbage slaw 392 cal.
asparagus and soft eggs on toast 348 cal. (this is the only one that concerns me, I may have to turn it into Eggs Benedict)
roast beef salad with goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette 350 cal.
blackened salmon with broccoli rabe and raisins 339 cal.
roasted pork with Brussels sprouts and apricots 313 cal.
Week 3:
halibut with sugar snap pea salad 313 cal.
polenta-stuffed poblano peppers 281 cal.
quick spring lamb and vegetable stew 372 cal.
tilapia with pepper and olives 276 cal.
chicken with roasted sweet potato salad 388 cal.
spiced pork chops with red cabbage and raisins 311 cal.
white bean chili with jalapeno bulgur 269 cal.
Week 4:
steak with sauteed fennel and olives 360 cal.
pork chops with mustard sauce 364 cal.
chicken and vegetable pot pie 398 cal.
crispy fish with tomato and leek sauce 297 cal.
pierogi with sauteed red cabbage 297 cal.
chicken kebabs with chickpea salad 220 cal.
halibut with sauteed radicchio 274 cal.
Now...will I eat exactly everything on the list? Probably not, but I'm going to begin tomorrow and have made my shopping list for the week. I made a few substitutions based upon what I already have in the house. For instance, instead of buying buttermilk to mash the potatoes on tomorrow's recipe I can use regular 2% milk or even sour cream (which also equals less calories), instead of buying cabbage to go with the pork I'll use the romaine I already have in the fridge, instead of buying Gruyere cheese to go on the pizza I'll use the shredded Swiss...you get the idea. Surprisingly, once I was done, I only have 16 items on my list! Not bad! Also, I think it will help me take leftovers for lunches at school because I've not been the greatest about that. I'm only doing like 2 out of 5 days, otherwise I eat school lunch (not always that great) or go get something off campus (bad!! on the waist and the wallet!)
So, anyone want to cook (& eat) this next month with me?
Truthfully, I just haven't felt much like writing. It's not that stuff hasn't been going on, I've just been doing more "micro blogging" so to speak, i.e. Twitter, Facebook, etc. I have no other excuse. I've just not been making time to write.
Will I change? That remains to be seen, but January is always such a "Reflective Month" so here I go.
I decided to not make the typical "weight-loss" type resolution that people generally give up on by February. Instead, I opted for the "I will increase the frequency of my exercise" type resolution, which seems to be working better for me. Added to that the fact that Nintendo finally updated the Wii Fit routines to where you can customize your workout and follow a whole flow of movements & games, which is what I wanted it to do in the first place. Now I'm to the point where I do my Wii Fit Plus *almost* everyday. Therefore, I am sticking to my resolution thus far. It wasn't very hard to do because lets face it.......I am a big slacker and wasn't doing jack crap! Have I lost much weight, well, maybe not as much as I would like, but it's at least not getting higher and is decreasing very slooowly.
Today I was reading the February issue of Real Simple magazine (hello! I love this magazine! I need a subscription!) and they had a little meal list on the back of the monthly tear out calendar. Everything on it sounded good and was possibly something I would eat...so I'm going to try it for this next month. Oh, P.S. each meal = 400 calories or less!! www.realsimple.com/400calories I don't know if the meal plan is repeating for February? Because if you scroll over each day in January it is also the same recipes? It would be nice if when the Feb. calendar comes up it's new stuff to try. We'll see...meanwhile I am beginning with the January recipe list which is the following monthly menu:
Week 1:
turkey meatloaf with mashed potatoes 376 cal.
roasted shrimp with peppers and lemon 392 cal.
pork tenderloin with cabbage and apple slaw 321 cal.
gnocchi with roasted cauliflower 331 cal
chicken with spinach and mushrooms 295 cal.
steak with golden zucchini 321 cal.
ham, Gruyere, and shallot pizza 305 cal.
Week 2:
crispy chicken and garlicky collards 395 cal.
curried eggplant with tomatoes and basil 339 cal.
shrimp tacos with citrus cabbage slaw 392 cal.
asparagus and soft eggs on toast 348 cal. (this is the only one that concerns me, I may have to turn it into Eggs Benedict)
roast beef salad with goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette 350 cal.
blackened salmon with broccoli rabe and raisins 339 cal.
roasted pork with Brussels sprouts and apricots 313 cal.
Week 3:
halibut with sugar snap pea salad 313 cal.
polenta-stuffed poblano peppers 281 cal.
quick spring lamb and vegetable stew 372 cal.
tilapia with pepper and olives 276 cal.
chicken with roasted sweet potato salad 388 cal.
spiced pork chops with red cabbage and raisins 311 cal.
white bean chili with jalapeno bulgur 269 cal.
Week 4:
steak with sauteed fennel and olives 360 cal.
pork chops with mustard sauce 364 cal.
chicken and vegetable pot pie 398 cal.
crispy fish with tomato and leek sauce 297 cal.
pierogi with sauteed red cabbage 297 cal.
chicken kebabs with chickpea salad 220 cal.
halibut with sauteed radicchio 274 cal.
Now...will I eat exactly everything on the list? Probably not, but I'm going to begin tomorrow and have made my shopping list for the week. I made a few substitutions based upon what I already have in the house. For instance, instead of buying buttermilk to mash the potatoes on tomorrow's recipe I can use regular 2% milk or even sour cream (which also equals less calories), instead of buying cabbage to go with the pork I'll use the romaine I already have in the fridge, instead of buying Gruyere cheese to go on the pizza I'll use the shredded Swiss...you get the idea. Surprisingly, once I was done, I only have 16 items on my list! Not bad! Also, I think it will help me take leftovers for lunches at school because I've not been the greatest about that. I'm only doing like 2 out of 5 days, otherwise I eat school lunch (not always that great) or go get something off campus (bad!! on the waist and the wallet!)
So, anyone want to cook (& eat) this next month with me?
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