Day Three

Today is only the third day of posting my meals, and although it does take a little more planning and time in the morning to take pictures of breakfast and lunch, I have to admit, I am really liking it.  So far, this version of a food journal is serving the purpose of both accountability and consistency with keeping up with my blog.

Breakfast this morning was an English muffin, topped with 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter and half of a banana.  This is the perfect combination of sweet and salty.  Yum.



Lunch was a lean cuisine chicken and sundried tomato Panini.  I don’t really like the chicken on these, so I picked it off and stuffed the inside with fresh spinach.  It bulks up the Panini and gives me extra veggies.  I also had an orange.

For snack, I had 1/4 cup of home-made trail mix.  I stopped by Kroger, this morning, to get the ingredients.  I must warn you; this stuff is good.  Therefore, I have to measure!  Otherwise, I will eat the whole bag.  I made one gallon size bag and just measured out 1/4 cup in a sandwich bag for snack.  And then, of course, a little more!  I probably ended up with about 1/2 cup.  See what I mean!  :)

I used unsalted pretzels, unsalted peanuts, dried cranberries, and dark chocolate chunks.  I couldn’t find the dark chocolate morsels, so chunks will have to do.

We are eating dinner with William’s brother, sister-in-law, and our nephew tonight.  I will be sure to take a picture and post in the am.

Looking forward to some new recipes this weekend!  Get excited!

Day Two

Today's breakfast was "overnight oats."  I discovered this recipe at http://www.katheats.com/.   I tweaked the ingredients slightly.  Overnight oats are just as they sound.  Last night, I mixed 1/3 cup of uncooked Quaker Oats, 1/3 cup of skim milk, 1/3 cup of plain, non-fat yogurt, and a dash of cinnamon.  I covered the oats and let them sit in the refrigerator overnight. 

This morning, I topped my overnight oats with dried cranberries and Quaker Oatmeal Squares for a little crunch.  They were just okay.  Next time, I will be sure to have a banana on hand to mash in there. 

Lunch was the same as yesterday.  I had the other half of my can of tomato soup.  I also made another laughing cow, turkey and spinach sandwich on flat bread.

Snack was an orange and a string cheese which I devoured after the gym.  Sorry, no picture of the cheese.

This morning, I marinated our chicken in Stubb's chicken marinade.  This is a blend of sweet onion, citrus, and mustard seed.

We enjoyed a simple dinner of broccoli, sweet potato with cinnamon and splenda and a small boneless chicken breast.  It was delicious!

7 Day Challenge

Are the few holiday pounds lingering around for anyone else?  My sweet tooth seems out of control, hence the reason I attempted sugar cookies without butter last night.  William and I are usually careful about what we eat during the week and allow for a few more treats during the weekend.  But not lately.  The Reeses trees are finally gone, the other candy has been put in the freezer, and even though I've already seen Valentine candy in the stores, I will not be buying any.

To keep myself accountable and to get back in the habit of blogging everyday, I am going to post my meals and snacks for one week.  Kill two birds with one stone, right?  I'm not a certified nutritionist, just a girl, interested in nutrition, and trying to find the balance of a healthy lifestyle.  I enjoy reading food blogs (KERF, Carrots 'N' Cake, and Self Magazine's Eat Like Me blog) who all post each and every bite they take.  It provides great, healthy ideas for newbies in the kitchen.  If this is incredibly boring for you, and you absolutely could care less what I eat, just check back in a week.  But, this blog is about my experiences with food: trying new recipes, laughing when they don't work out, enjoying the challenges, and finding a healthy balance. 

Breakfast was an egg and low-fat cheese sandwich on a whole grain english muffin and coffee.  Yes, I am still using my Christmas coffee mug.  I'm holding on to a sliver of the holiday season for as long as possible.  Who knows, you may see this mug all year!



Lunch was a turkey, laughing cow, and spinach sandwich on flat bread.  The laughing cow wedge is a great substitute for mayonnaise.  I also had a cup of tomato soup and half of an orange.  William had the other half.

I snacked on a handful of reduced fat white cheddar cheeze-its while watching another re-run of "Sex and the City."  Thankful for snow days! :)

Dinner was a new recipe.  My mom used to make enchiladas for us when we were young.  I remember what they tasted like but don't know her exact recipe.  Because of the snow and not being able to get to the grocery store, I knew I shouldn't look up a recipe; I was guaranteed to not have all of the ingredients needed, and then I would be discouraged.  So, I made up my own recipe from my memories of my mom's enchiladas.

These are the ingredients I used.



I cooked the chicken in olive oil spray.

I seasoned the chicken with sea salt, basil, garlic, and red pepper flakes.  I didn't include these ingredients in the first picture.

I mixed together one can of rotel, 1 cup of light sour cream, the chopped chicken, and a small sprinkling of cheddar cheese.

This mixture was spread into the wheat tortillas, rolled up, and placed in a greased baking dish.

I topped the tortillas with 1 cup of salsa and about 2 tablespoons of light sour cream mixed together.  I sprinkled cheddar cheese on top and baked them for 20 minutes on 325 degrees.

They were delicious and very easy to make!  I enjoyed one and a half of these babies topped with lettuce.

There may be a pudding cup in my future.  :)







Snow, Sugar, and Champagne

Our first official snow day of the year!  Also known as a teacher's dream come true!



I woke up this morning to a winter wonderland and loved every minute of it.  Finn was dying to be outside in all of the madness.  We took him out for a little while.

After a day of way too much Sportscenter, re-runs of "Sex and the City," reading my new Simply Christmas cookbook, and watching Ghosts of Girlfriend's Past (I LOVE Jennifer Garner) I was kind of ready to go back to work tomorrow.  Or at least I was getting myself ready to go back.  My brain was beginning to go into Lesson Plan mode. 

Then I got the call. 

NO SCHOOL AGAIN, TOMORROW!

What else are we to do?

CELEBRATE!

William popped the champagne.  I squeezed some fresh orange juice for a mimosa.  Then, I attempted to make sugar cookies (thanks to a Christmas present from one of my sweet students)....sans the butter.  I really thought I was prepared for the "winter storm".  I braved the craziness of the grocery store to "stock up."  But, I forgot butter.

The recipe, of course, called for butter.  I called my mom.  She told me to consult the tried and true Joy of Cooking and look for a substitution. 

I found out that I could substitute corn or nut oil.  All I had was vegetable oil.  I went with it.  Maybe not the best decision. :)

Not looking so good.  This dough was seriously stuck inside of the whisk.



I switched to a spoon and trekked full speed ahead.

My little snowballs of sugar. :)

They were terrible.  That's all.

A New Year of Moondreams

          A new year always calls for reflection, goal setting, and new moondreams to be the best wife, sister, daughter, teacher, and friend in 2011.

          2010 was a busy year for me and William.  I had many enchanting months of weddings for best friends, including my sister and Tony.  I spent weekends with girlfriends, family, and my hubby in Big Canoe, Land's End, Charleston, Nashville, Knoxville, Asheville, and DC.  We celebrated William’s 30th birthday in The Bahamas.  My teaching career ventured on a new path, in August, when I began teaching gifted kids.  New friendships formed, and old ones deepened.  Loved ones were lost, and new life was born.  Finn joined our family and has been nothing less than a remarkable companion for the two of us and a lot of fun.  Our marriage continues to grow into so much more than I could have ever imagined.  The 365 days of 2010 leave lasting memories of travel, friendships, change, and celebrations of life and love.

          My moondreams, for 2011, bring desires for tranquility, contentment, and a slower pace of life.  Resolutions to become lost in many more novels, to be bold enough to create and try more in the kitchen (and of course to share them here), to sometimes put aside the 40 minute interval run on the treadmill for a peaceful walk on the canal or around historic Beaufort, to spend more time talking with God and much more time listening to Him, to do less planning and more trusting, to enjoy quiet evenings on the deck (or boat – his dream for 2011) with William, to chat more with old friends, to stop running errands all afternoon and instead write my novel all afternoon, to put aside my to-do list to volunteer and help someone else, to bask in the marvel of the outdoors, and to constantly count my blessings are all on the forefront for 2011.  I know it sounds like a lot, but it’s really about simplifying.  I began this blog, and wrote in my very first post, that I sought to “taste and linger a little longer in the simple blessings of this beautiful life.”  My prayer for 2011 is for that moondream to come alive more in my life.  I plan to spend this year content in the small things, thankful for the little blessings, savoring precious moments with family and friends, and slow enough to enjoy the passing time.



Monsters

We had a great long weekend ringing in the New Year with friends.  Cleveland was a tranquil escape for the busyness of 2010.  Apples to Apples and Cranium supplied many laughs.  Stories of the year were shared over glasses of wine.  The snow from previous days added a picturesque backdrop.  The friendships, lasting through the years, stretching from Augusta to Charlotte to Philadelphia, came together for one memorable weekend.

An outing in Brevard brought us to this heavenly nook. 

Thanks to Rico and Lorena, we all enjoyed an Irish Creme Chocolate and Grand Marnier Chocolate.  They were divine!

Needless to say, by the end of the festivities, my body was screaming for a Green Monster.  William and I arrived home, and these four went immediately into the blender.

Don't be afraid of the spinach.  Although it does make your smoothie look a little disgusting, spinach has a very mild, slightly sweet taste, and becomes totally masked by the other flavors.  If you can get past the green, it adds so many vitamins and minerals to your drink.

This monster contained about a half a cup of strawberries, half a cup of plain non-fat yogurt, fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, a large handful of spinach, and a handful of ice cubes.

It was refreshing and energizing.  I tried to get William to taste it; he wouldn't.  Oh well, more Monster for me!

PS....my mountain friends know how much I LOVE monsters.  Bring on the ghost stories.  :)

Traditions

Two of my favorite things, my family and the outdoors, put together make for an invigorating and memorable afternoon.  Every year, over the Christmas holidays, my family has spent some sort of time together outside.  For years, we cut and split firewood with my dad, searched for the perfect Christmas tree to cut and bring into our home, and hunted for mistletoe to hang above the door. 

These days, we hike. 

This year, we explored a trail around Edgefield County.  

It was a great afternoon to be together.  The weather was perfectly crisp and refreshing; the conversation was endless as we reminisced of years past; the excitement arose with the thoughts of new beginnings and adventures for my parents; the covey of quail was simultaneously frightening and glorious; the run back for mom's lost pedometer was a brisk end to our walk; the tomato basil soup at the Edgefield Inn was the perfect close to our family tradition.