Well today was a busy day in the kitchen!
-Last night I started instant pot yogurt and strained it this morning
-I whipped up a batch of biscuits this morning for breakfast
-Baked 2 dozen apple oat muffins
-Made some shrimp scampi with tomatoes and broccoli over lemon pasta (My lunches for the week. Honestly I didn't care for the sauce or the lemon pasta so I won't make it again.)
-Cooked down the fruit for jam (will be made later in the week.)
-Made fresh guacamole and taco meat for our Cinco de Mayo dinner
-Took the leftover taco meat (made with onions & spices), some beans, rice, and peppers and cooked them all in the instant pot to make burrito bowls for the rest of the week.
-And of course washed a ton of dishes!
Meal plan:
Breakfast: Biscuits or muffins
AM Snack: Yogurt with strawberries & granola
Lunch: Shrimp scampi with broccoli and tomatoes and lemon pasta, apple
PM Snack: Banana, 1/4 c almonds
Dinner: Burrito bowls (rice & beans with taco meat, veggies, guac, cheese)
May 06, 2019
April 23, 2019
Meal Plan - Week of April 22
It's my spring break!! Woohoo! Finally! I have a lot of papers to grade and a lot of yard work to do but the next few days are supposed to be fantastic weather so I'll very much enjoy spending them outside. Today I spent 3 hours cleaning out the flower garden - raking up dead leaves, pulling weeds, raking the soil to aerate it a little. Tomorrow I'll add some compost and a little top soil in spots. I also want to start the backyard. Great exercise! I'm already sore LOL
Meal plan for the week:
Breakfast: I'm experimenting with some seeded loaves after trying one at Wegman's. Homemade toast with homemade jam. Yum!
Lunch: For G - Pulled pork with BBQ sauce over rice, carrots.
For Me - Easy fish tacos (fish sticks, lime crema sauce, coleslaw, red onion in a tortilla)
Dinner: Roasted Turkey, mashed potatoes, carrots, green beans.
Meal plan for the week:
Breakfast: I'm experimenting with some seeded loaves after trying one at Wegman's. Homemade toast with homemade jam. Yum!
Lunch: For G - Pulled pork with BBQ sauce over rice, carrots.
For Me - Easy fish tacos (fish sticks, lime crema sauce, coleslaw, red onion in a tortilla)
Dinner: Roasted Turkey, mashed potatoes, carrots, green beans.
April 15, 2019
Calabacitas (Mexican corn & squash casserole)
Got this recipe from a book I read to the kiddos. I tweaked it of course. Squash, corn & cheese....yum!
Ingredients:
2 small-medium zucchini, sliced & quartered (about 3-4 cups chopped)
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2-3 tsp minced garlic
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (or 1 cup salsa)
1 bag frozen sweet corn, defrosted
1 cup Mexican blend cheese, divided into 2 1/2 cup portions
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chipotle pepper chili powder
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Saute zucchini in a little oil until tender-crisp. Remove to a large bowl.
Saute peppers and onion. Add garlic when almost done. Put in the large bowl.
Add the tomatoes & corn to the bowl. Add spices and 1/2 cup cheese. Stir well to combine.
Pour veggie mix into a large casserole dish. Sprinkle the other 1/2 cup of cheese on top.
Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.
Ingredients:
2 small-medium zucchini, sliced & quartered (about 3-4 cups chopped)
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2-3 tsp minced garlic
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (or 1 cup salsa)
1 bag frozen sweet corn, defrosted
1 cup Mexican blend cheese, divided into 2 1/2 cup portions
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chipotle pepper chili powder
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Saute zucchini in a little oil until tender-crisp. Remove to a large bowl.
Saute peppers and onion. Add garlic when almost done. Put in the large bowl.
Add the tomatoes & corn to the bowl. Add spices and 1/2 cup cheese. Stir well to combine.
Pour veggie mix into a large casserole dish. Sprinkle the other 1/2 cup of cheese on top.
Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.
Meal Plan - Week of April 15
Breakfast - Wegman's six-seed bread, toasted with peanut butter (450 cal)
AM Snack - Fruit & nut muesli (240 cal)
Lunch - Cheese cubes, low salt Triscuit crackers, veggie sticks w/ ranch dip, strawberries (520 cal)
PM Snack - Aldi mini breakfast biscuits, apple (300 cal)
Dinner - Black bean & sweet potato enchiladas, made with my own homemade salsa verde with our homegrown tomatillos! Also a lime crema on top. On the side, calabacitas (a Mexican corn & squash casserole - I'll post a recipe). (600 cal)
Dessert - 70% cocoa dark chocolate bar (150 cal)
I was a little bit of a pig this weekend, between PMS and having a little mini party for the Game of Thrones premiere. And I'll have 2 meat heavy Easter dinners coming up. So keeping it lighter and healthier this week. Vegetarian.
AM Snack - Fruit & nut muesli (240 cal)
Lunch - Cheese cubes, low salt Triscuit crackers, veggie sticks w/ ranch dip, strawberries (520 cal)
PM Snack - Aldi mini breakfast biscuits, apple (300 cal)
Dinner - Black bean & sweet potato enchiladas, made with my own homemade salsa verde with our homegrown tomatillos! Also a lime crema on top. On the side, calabacitas (a Mexican corn & squash casserole - I'll post a recipe). (600 cal)
Dessert - 70% cocoa dark chocolate bar (150 cal)
I was a little bit of a pig this weekend, between PMS and having a little mini party for the Game of Thrones premiere. And I'll have 2 meat heavy Easter dinners coming up. So keeping it lighter and healthier this week. Vegetarian.
April 08, 2019
Quick and Dirty Rice (Instant Pot/Crock Pot Express)
So I wanted to make some dirty rice to go with some Cajun fish. However I did not want to use any liver, nor did I want to go to the store. So I improvised. The result was quick and tasty, and just a little bit like dirty rice. Hence Quick and Dirty Rice. Is it authentic? Hell no, I'm from New England. But it's good and a lot lower in sodium. And it's made in your electric pressure cooker for convenient, hands off cooking!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped bacon (I used the Bacon Crumbles from Costco, something my husband always keeps around!)
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 red pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups dry parboiled rice (like Carolina Gold)
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp Badia Creole seafood blend seasoning
1 tsp Badia Cajun seasoning
1 bay leaf
1 tsp Tabasco or New Orleans style hot sauce
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Directions:
1. Saute bacon & veggies on saute mode. Bacon should crisp up and veggies soften.
2. Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Turn off saute mode.
3. Add rice, broth, and seasonings, stir well.
4. Add lid, lock, seal and hit "Rice". Cook 12 minutes. Let pressure release naturally 10 minutes.
5. Release rest of pressure and open. Remove bay leaf, stir well. Enjoy!
Note: You may need to adjust the amount of broth/time for cooking if you are using a different kind of rice. This is for parboiled rice, which is 1.5 c water for each cup of rice, and 12 minutes on low pressure.
Nutritional Information: 8 servings. 225 cal, 295 mg sodium, 1 gram sat fat, 1 g fiber, 7 g protein.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped bacon (I used the Bacon Crumbles from Costco, something my husband always keeps around!)
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 red pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups dry parboiled rice (like Carolina Gold)
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp Badia Creole seafood blend seasoning
1 tsp Badia Cajun seasoning
1 bay leaf
1 tsp Tabasco or New Orleans style hot sauce
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Directions:
1. Saute bacon & veggies on saute mode. Bacon should crisp up and veggies soften.
2. Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Turn off saute mode.
3. Add rice, broth, and seasonings, stir well.
4. Add lid, lock, seal and hit "Rice". Cook 12 minutes. Let pressure release naturally 10 minutes.
5. Release rest of pressure and open. Remove bay leaf, stir well. Enjoy!
Note: You may need to adjust the amount of broth/time for cooking if you are using a different kind of rice. This is for parboiled rice, which is 1.5 c water for each cup of rice, and 12 minutes on low pressure.
Nutritional Information: 8 servings. 225 cal, 295 mg sodium, 1 gram sat fat, 1 g fiber, 7 g protein.
Creamy Garlic Parmesan Orzo with Chicken & Asparagus
This goes together really quick if you already have cooked chicken! I usually have a few bags in my freezer in 2 cup portions. I roast a turkey a couple times a year (Thanksgiving and spring, sometimes again at Christmas time!) and after we've eaten it for a couple of days I chop up the rest and freeze it. This becomes the soup, pot pie, and casseroles for the winter and spring. If you bake chicken breasts or thighs, make extra, chop and freeze for quick meals later!
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp garlic flavored olive oil
1 bunch of asparagus (apx 1 lb), washed and trimmed into 1 inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 box (16 oz) orzo (whole wheat or regular)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder/granulated garlic
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp dried parsley
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups 1 % milk
4 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1 cup grated parmesan cheese (I just use Kraft but hey, go ahead and be fancy and use the fresh stuff)
1. Heat oil in a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot on the stove. Stir fry the asparagus for about 3 minutes until tender-crisp. Remove asparagus and put aside.
2. Cook onion and garlic, stirring frequently until onion is soft and garlic is fragrant.
3. Add orzo and toast it a little in the pot, about 1 minute, stirring so it does not stick.
4. Add broth, milk, and seasonings. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium so pot simmers gently, cover and cook 5 minutes.
5. Add chicken after 5 minutes and remove lid. Continue to cook 5 more minutes.
6. Remove from heat, stir in parmesan and asparagus. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.
Nutritional Info: 8 servings. 504 cal, 15 g fat (4 sat fat), 498 mg sodium, 597 mg potassium, 4 g fiber, 37 g protein.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp garlic flavored olive oil
1 bunch of asparagus (apx 1 lb), washed and trimmed into 1 inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 box (16 oz) orzo (whole wheat or regular)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder/granulated garlic
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp dried parsley
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups 1 % milk
4 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1 cup grated parmesan cheese (I just use Kraft but hey, go ahead and be fancy and use the fresh stuff)
1. Heat oil in a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot on the stove. Stir fry the asparagus for about 3 minutes until tender-crisp. Remove asparagus and put aside.
2. Cook onion and garlic, stirring frequently until onion is soft and garlic is fragrant.
3. Add orzo and toast it a little in the pot, about 1 minute, stirring so it does not stick.
4. Add broth, milk, and seasonings. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium so pot simmers gently, cover and cook 5 minutes.
5. Add chicken after 5 minutes and remove lid. Continue to cook 5 more minutes.
6. Remove from heat, stir in parmesan and asparagus. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.
Nutritional Info: 8 servings. 504 cal, 15 g fat (4 sat fat), 498 mg sodium, 597 mg potassium, 4 g fiber, 37 g protein.
Meal Plan for Week of April 7
I had a few things left over from being sick - mainly asparagus that didn't get eaten (cause I didn't have the energy to make shrimp scampi last week) and leftover priobiotic yogurt. So I tweaked the meal plan a bit and incorporated them into this week's. Very pleased with this week's plan as it's super tasty, and comes in at just what it should be for calories, sodium and is extra high in fiber!
Breakfast: Whole Wheat Toast (Homemade if possible) (300 calories)
AM Snack: Fruit & nut muesli (made with the probiotic yogurt so a bit more sugar than normal!) (225 cal)
Lunch: Creamy Garlic Parmesan Orzo with chicken and asparagus (recipe will be posted), apple
PM snack: 1 oz low sodium almonds, 2 clementines (250 calories)
Dinner: Baked pollock with cajun seasoning, "quick and dirty rice" (recipe will be posted), carrots (350 cal)
Before bed snack: 1.5 oz dried apricots, 1 Moser Roth 70% dark chocolate bar (255 cal)
Total: 2,026 cal, 1600 mg sodium, 38 grams of fiber
(Totals are from MyFitnessPal, so are estimates and based on information in their system, but I tried to match brands and check nutritional info to make sure it is correct)
Breakfast: Whole Wheat Toast (Homemade if possible) (300 calories)
AM Snack: Fruit & nut muesli (made with the probiotic yogurt so a bit more sugar than normal!) (225 cal)
Lunch: Creamy Garlic Parmesan Orzo with chicken and asparagus (recipe will be posted), apple
PM snack: 1 oz low sodium almonds, 2 clementines (250 calories)
Dinner: Baked pollock with cajun seasoning, "quick and dirty rice" (recipe will be posted), carrots (350 cal)
Before bed snack: 1.5 oz dried apricots, 1 Moser Roth 70% dark chocolate bar (255 cal)
Total: 2,026 cal, 1600 mg sodium, 38 grams of fiber
(Totals are from MyFitnessPal, so are estimates and based on information in their system, but I tried to match brands and check nutritional info to make sure it is correct)
April 01, 2019
Reviving ye olde blog
I thought about making a new blog but #1 couldn't come up with a new name and #2 I already have a perfectly good blog so hey, why start over from scratch? I did tweak the name, put on a fresh coat of paint so to speak and will be trying to flesh this out and add stuff on.
There has been some big changes in my life since 2014! That was the year I met G, who in 2016 made me Mrs. G! We bought a house and settled down here in central NJ with Sammy the dog. Life is good.
Our new segment is "Cooks". Now that I'm not just cooking for myself, I'm enjoying it more. I got an electric pressure cooker (like an Instant Pot), and am loving it. G loves food as much as me, though he loves bacon and meat a bit more than beans and veggies. I try to balance it out. I'll be posting meal plans, recipes I make up and links to recipes I've tried and enjoyed. I'm still figuring this all out so try to be patient! Thanks for reading!
There has been some big changes in my life since 2014! That was the year I met G, who in 2016 made me Mrs. G! We bought a house and settled down here in central NJ with Sammy the dog. Life is good.
Our new segment is "Cooks". Now that I'm not just cooking for myself, I'm enjoying it more. I got an electric pressure cooker (like an Instant Pot), and am loving it. G loves food as much as me, though he loves bacon and meat a bit more than beans and veggies. I try to balance it out. I'll be posting meal plans, recipes I make up and links to recipes I've tried and enjoyed. I'm still figuring this all out so try to be patient! Thanks for reading!
July 27, 2013
July 2013
Hooks: Currently almost done with the dress for my second rosebud bear. It's an easy pattern and I may attempt to make some pattern alterations and see what I can come up with. I need to find some cheap teddy bears!!
Books: I finished Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, which once it got going was pretty good. I'm most of the way finished with Plenty. In between them I read Hush, by Donna Jo Napoli, an author I really like. It wasn't my favorite of her books, but it was interesting. It was based off a story about a slave in Iceland who everyone thought was mute, until one day someone heard her singing to her child. She claimed she had been a princess in her native Ireland.
Books: I finished Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, which once it got going was pretty good. I'm most of the way finished with Plenty. In between them I read Hush, by Donna Jo Napoli, an author I really like. It wasn't my favorite of her books, but it was interesting. It was based off a story about a slave in Iceland who everyone thought was mute, until one day someone heard her singing to her child. She claimed she had been a princess in her native Ireland.
June 08, 2013
Goodness I've completely forgotten about this blog! I need to remember to update it, along with Goodreads and Ravelry.
Reading right now: Animal Vegetable Miracle and Fast Food Nation.
Just finished: The last of the Uglies trilogy, Specials.
Making: A secret pal gift. After that I must make another bear dress for a friend's daughter and I think my summer project might be my friend Abby's afghan. Someone sent me a pattern I think will be perfect.
Reading right now: Animal Vegetable Miracle and Fast Food Nation.
Just finished: The last of the Uglies trilogy, Specials.
Making: A secret pal gift. After that I must make another bear dress for a friend's daughter and I think my summer project might be my friend Abby's afghan. Someone sent me a pattern I think will be perfect.
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