The lack of posting has so many reasons:
- Travel out of state for a week
- Caleb's birthday upon returning
- Work-life-blog balance issues
Excuses aside, I'm back to the blogging with this week's meal plan - dinners only.
Thursday: lentil and black bean chili
Friday: fish, green veggie (probably broccoli), brown rice, challah
Saturday: chicken - maybe on the grill?, spice roasted butternut squash, salad
Sunday: Aaron's call since I don't get home until 3ish
Monday: Mexican brown rice casserole - hoping for better reception by the kidlets.
Tuesday: leftovers
Wednesday: Special dinner with Aaron (i.e., PIZZA!!!)
When I have a bit more time to post (i.e., I need to pay attention to the aforementioned kidlets), I will write about Caleb's birthday party food.
Good eats!
I have posted about the 5 Minute-a-Day artisan bread before. You can check out the cookbook about this bread here. Despite having written about baking bread before, I feel compelled to write about it again. OK, I just want to wax poetic about it. One of my high school friends has a blog in which she writes about her cooking experiences. She writes with such passion that some might find it overwhelming. Yet I had an experience like hers today with the most recent batch of bread.
After a hodge-podge of lunch with Ellie, I decided to have a piece of the bread I made for the soup we had for dinner last night. For the curious, the soup from last night was butternut squash. And for the really curious, the hodge-podge lunch for me was leftover pea soup and a chicken drumstick. Ellie had food nearly non-stop from about 10:30 through noontime - fruit leather, grape tomatoes, granola bar, breaded cod fillet (from TJ's), broccoli, 1-2 slices of apple, and I'm probably forgetting something before the bread.
ANYWAY...
I made this batch of bread with all-purpose flour, rosemary and thyme for herbs. The shape ended up less than ideal, but the texture and taste has been phenomenal. I sliced some of the roundish loaf for me and Ellie, buttered our pieces, and decided to sit with Ellie to keep her company. Little did I realize that I would *need* to sit down while eating the bread.
First I found myself amused at Ellie's attempts to eat the inside separate from the crust. Then I noticed that she actually was enjoying the crust. Next she told Tigger the Wonder Beast that he could not have her bread. Ha ha - Tiggers don't like bread. Or do they? He started begging from me too, so I gave him a crumb which he promptly devoured. I remembered reading somewhere about how you can tell real food from not-so-real-food by whether another animal desires and will eat the food item in question. So on to my bread experience now that the human and feline beasties were content.
I took a bite and just felt complete comfort and peace. The crusty exterior opened to a soft yet wonderfully chewy inside. The air pockets allowed space for the flavor to spread. The flour and cornmeal dusting added interesting texture and perhaps depth is the word I'm looking for. With each bite, I enjoyed the aroma of the rosemary and thyme, feeling as though I was in some idyllic outdoor setting like a quiet thick forest with a gentle breeze and old trees. I actually found myself closing my eyes and just smiling as though I knew some deep significant secret.
I know anyone reading this will think that I've gone off the deep end. I feel as sane as I've ever felt. I merely had one of my most amazing food experiences ever with something as simple as a piece of home-baked bread.
You simply must try to make your own. You owe it to yourself.
I didn't post a meal plan last week because I was in a weight-loss funk. I had hit a nasty plateau in my weight-loss journey and I just didn't want to plan diddley-squat. I did end up with a plan for the week, but I never got around to posting it here. I did post 2 of the recipes, so I hope someone reading will enjoy those.
The plateau ended this week - huzzah! I reached my weight-loss goal, and so I'm feeling much better about my eating and cooking decisions. I didn't use my meeting time to write a menu last night, so I scrambled to put one together this morning. The scrambling was because I needed to figure out whether I would have to go to the store today or if procrastination was an option. Procrastination it is!
Thursday
Since Aaron is having a "man-date" this evening, I'm going to cook up the Trader Joe's BBQ teriyaki chicken with jasmine rice for the kids. I doubt this is the healthiest option for any of us, so my plan is to finish off the split pea soup we have.
Friday
Our usual Shabbat dinner: fish, green veggie, brown rice. I imagine we'll stick with broccoli for the green veggie, but I have been craving asparagus. It's just not the right season for it. I can wait until some semblance of Spring.
Saturday
Aaron has been asking to make grilled chicken or chicken in the slow-cooker. Honey, you're up!
Sunday
Soup and bread. I think I'll use up another butternut squash, but I might see whether the sugar pumpkin on my counter is still usable and go for the Tuscan Pumpkin-White Bean instead.
Monday
Since the turkey meatballs were a big hit, I'm going to try my hand at some turkey burgers. I'll need to decide on a recipe and a side dish, but I'm excited to try some new things. Besides, I found one of those hamburger maker things - you know, the thing you put the meat in and squish it down with a round plastic thing? Yeah, I'm really technical here. I've been itching to try it out.
Tuesday
Cheesy lentil rice casserole will make a reappearance on the menu. I love that I can use up extra veggies in it and that the kids eat it without complaint.
Wednesday
Pasta night for the kids; splurge night for me and Aaron. :)
What's on the menu at your house this week?
Another yummy recipe to share with you all! I decided that it was time for me to learn how to make meatballs. I don't know how I've reached the age of almost-35 and not made meatballs, but it is true that I have not made my own meatballs (as far as I can remember). I gained a great appreciation for those who do this on a regular basis or for restaurants who do this rather than purchasing premade meatballs. These meatballs were worth the effort, but I doubt I can find time each week for them. I bet I could make the meatballs in advance of need/want and freeze them though.
Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs w/Whole Wheat Spaghetti
From Weight Watchers - 10 PointsPlus per servingServes 4
Ingredients:
8 oz. ground turkey
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/4 c. breadcrumbs
1/4 chopped fresh parsley
1/4 fat-free milk
1 large egg white
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch cayenne
1 1oz. piece part-skim mozzarella, cut into 16 cubes (think string cheese)
2 c. fat-free marinara sauce
1/2 c. water
8 oz. whole-wheat spaghetti (or other pasta)
Instructions:
Mix turkey, 1/4 cup parm, bread crumbs, parsley, milk, egg white, garlic and cayenne in large bowl. Shape turkey mixture around cheese cubes to form 16 meatballs.
Bring sauce and water to simmer in large skillet. Add meatballs; cover and simmer, stirring gently a few times, until cooked through. About 10 mins
Meanwhile cook pasta.
Divide pasta among 4 plates; top evenly with meatballs and sauce. sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup parm cheese.
Notes/Changes:
Making meatballs is a messy, slimy endeavor. Be prepared to wash hands frequently during the process.
Changes I made: I used panko for breadcrumbs, 1% milk, and a generic EggBeaters product for the egg (1/4 c. = 1 egg). I had pre-minced garlic, and I skipped the cayenne for the kids. Aaron made a marinara sauce which included some spinach (maybe 10-16oz.?) I think the cookbook recipe actually calls for escarole to be tossed with the pasta for the last minute of cook time, but we put our greens in the sauce instead.
Aaron has been craving Mexican-style food for a while now. Maybe he wouldn't call it a craving, but he has been asking for it. I've missed Mexican-style food since restarting my Weight Watchers journey. Most Mexican-style dishes I make have some kind of cheese in them. Cheese is rather high in PointsPlus value, unless I use lowfat or no-fat cheese. I don't like using no-fat cheese, and I like A LOT of cheese, so Mexican has been off the menu here for a while.
At my meeting this week, I read the weekly pamphlet and was delighted to see a Mexican-style meal that didn't require no-fat cheese. In fact, the ingredients are pretty basic, and the preparation looked super-easy. The recipe did not disappoint me. It was flavorful, reasonably filling, somewhat kid-approved, and has made for good leftovers.
"Mexican" Brown Rice Casserole
From Weight Watchers - 8 PointsPlus per serving
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 spray cooking spray
4 c. cooked brown rice
1 1/4 c. fat-free salsa
1 tsp. ground cumin
15 oz. refried beans
10 oz. frozen corn, thawed
4 oz. canned green chili peppers, mild, diced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
10 oz. frozen spinach, or collard greens, thawed and set to drain in a strainer over a bowl
3/4 c. lowfat shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. cilantro, fresh, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375. Coat a 2-quart rectangular, round or oval baking dish with cooking sprayIn a large bowl, combine rice, salsa and cumin. Spoon 2 cups of rice mixture into prepared baking dish and spread out to evenly cover bottom of dish.In another large bowl, combine refried beans, corn, chili peppers and chili powder. Using a rubber spatula, scrape bean mixture on top of rice layer and smooth out top.Squeeze out any excess water from spinach or collard greens and then spread on top of bean layer; sprinkle with 6 tablespoons of cheese. Top with remaining rice mixture and smooth out top; sprinkle with remaining cheese.Place casserole on a large rimmed baking sheet to catch any spillage. Bake until heated through and cheese is browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro (if desired), cut into 6 pieces and serve.
Notes/Changes:
I skipped the cilantro, but I'm sure the dish would be good with it. I didn't bother with the large baking sheet because I could see that the casserole wasn't going to overflow. I think I will use more spinach next time. This casserole also would make fantastic burrito/enchilada filling. And one last note, this casserole would be great for sports gatherings/tailgating.
Buen provecho!
After this week's grumpy weigh-in, I decided I needed to focus on what I could control. I thought about what didn't work this week and last week. I realized that coming up with a plan was not enough. I think I come up with reasonable plans, plans which should help me lose and eventually maintain a healthy weight. I need actually to stick to the plan. I decided to commit to actually sticking with my menu plan.
Besides sticking to my own plan (and by extension to the WW method), I committed to drinking water first before soda and writing down what I eat. I am going to track, just like I did for so many of the past months. It keeps me honest and often makes me think twice about buying that bakery cookie (grf).
Realizing that only I can keep myself accountable, I'm just going to put my request out there. Anyone up for checking in with me around Sunday or Monday to see how I'm doing with sticking to this plan?
Thursday
Turkey chili-mac (8 PointsPlus/serving). I have procrastinated long enough. The turkey is thawing out as I type.
Friday
The usual - fish, green vegetable, brown rice or potato (haven't decided), challah. I'll need to calculate points, but I remember that most fish I like is a bit costly, between 6 and 9 PointsPlus for about 6 oz.
Saturday
Baked chicken (3 PointsPlus/serving), not sure of sides yet. I'd really like something like kale, but I doubt we'll find that at the market. If I don't do the potatoes on Friday, I will make the mustard potatoes as well. Based on the last time I made this, I'm going to make a few pieces that are less seasoned for the kids.
Sunday
Anyone's guess. :) Seriously, I'm at work on Sunday and have a meeting after work, so I'm hoping Aaron will step up with something yummy.
Monday
Soup and bread. I'm not sure whether I'll make split pea or 15-bean soup. I'll need to calculate or estimate points for the 15-bean soup to see whether it fits with the rest of my food. The soups I make tend to be between 2 and 4 PointsPlus per serving, but I'm not sure how many the 15-bean soup is because I usually add chicken sausage.
Tuesday
I'm drawing a blank here. I know I wrote something good down last night on my food tracker, and my memory is just coming up empty. Grf. I'll update when I have my written copy in front of me.
Wednesday
Pasta for the kids. Pizza for me and Aaron. I'm not even discussing PointsPlus for this night. I strongly believe that letting loose once in a while, or once a week, is OK and probably a healthy choice for many people. I can't stand feeling constrained, so my "binge night" helps me. First, I don't have to think about the healthiness of the food. Second, eating crappy for a night reminds me why I prefer to eat healthier.
What's for dinner at your house this week?
I spent the so-called quiet time trying to make Hebrew fonts work in my ancient master's paper, so when I left to pick up my son from preschool, I didn't realize I should have already prepared dinner and put it in the oven. That is, we were supposed to have cheesy lentil rice casserole tonight, but it takes 90 minutes to bake, and I didn't start it before picking up my son and husband.
At 5:22PM, I had no idea what to make for supper. I suggested the ignored turkey chili-mac, and Aaron suggested the pseudo-Mexican food. Aaron wasn't ready for more chili yet, and I want a WW/weight-loss friendly recipe for Mexican food. Aaron thought we still had leftovers (wrong). As we pulled in the driveway around 5:30PM, Aaron said "How about I leave you alone, entertain the kids and you figure it out?"
OK then. :)
As I type, butternut squash soup is bubbling on the stove. In the process of making the soup, I sorted through the squash we harvested in the early fall to figure out which had gone past their prime (fuzzy squash = yuck). I even had celery to be used up since I hadn't used it as the fun snack I anticipated. We have some bread leftover from having friends over on Saturday, so I think we'll still end up with a pretty yummy meal even as we diverge from plan yet more.
And there goes the kitchen timer!
