Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Post-memorial day menu
Tuesday:
Cleansing from all the Memorial Day excesses. Actually, we didn't really have much in the way of memorial day excess but we do have some Tilapia in the freezer and some radishes that we need to eat!
Blackened Tilapia with Cucumber and Radish Salsa
Wednesday:
I have been Jones-ing red meat today and thought this looked good. I will probably use Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream and will no use Guacamole so it will probably affect the PP+ values.
Grilled Fajita Wrap
Thursday:
These look so cute and they are portion controlled! I am not 100% sure I will be able to find wonton wrappers though. Here's hoping.
Hungry Girl's Lasagna Cupcakes
Friday:
This is a staple for us lately. The sweetness and texture of the butternut squash acts like a yummy cheese - especially when you actually add a little cheese to it! We usually use basil instead of sage (just because we have a basil plant on the porch) and it is yummy too.
Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage
Saturday:
I like to grill more than just the one meal at a time if I can manage it. (When I write "we" here, you should be reading "husband" since I don't know up from down when it comes to grilling.) So we will have grilled this chicken at the same time we grill the flank steak earlier in the week.
Grilled Chicken Bruschetta
This just looked good for a lunch maybe? I am going to give it a try.
Tomato Mint Quinoa Salad
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Changing it up
I am changing on a dime this week due to unforeseen fun. Sunday, we went to Re Top Mountain and went hiking so had dinner out on the way home. Today, we are going out with the kiddos for dinner. And I grilled all of the chicken so can't easily make the Lemon Garlic Chicken so I am doing something else with the already grilled chicken. (Grilled Chicken Bruschetta over Roasemary & Olive Oil Fold-Its) I chose to delay the meals that would keep - BLT Spring Rolls and Blackened Tilapia.
In the mean time, I thought I would review a couple of the new recipes.
1. The Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
This was quite good and very easy to make. The recipe says to cook on high in crock pot for 4 hours but I think it would work just as well to cook on low for 8 hours while I am at work. We chose a mild Buffalo sauce which I was happy about because it was plenty spicy for me. I also chose to make Skinny Taste's Low Fat Blue Cheese Dressing. This was pretty good and VERY easy to put together. It wasn't quite "blue cheesey" enough for me but I think that was because I had a block of blue cheese rather than crumbled blue cheese so the pieces were larger and not as well-distributed. I served the Buffalo Chicken with shredded carrots and Celery on top with a dollop of the blue cheese dressing. The Blue Cheese and the Buffalo Chicken together were a winning combination! I actually had this for lunch today as well. I put the Buffalo Chicken on a Pepperidge Farm Deli flat and spread a Laughing Cow Blue Cheese wedge on the other side. It was good but not as good as the real thing dressing.
2. Thai Shrimp Curry
This was tasty but pretty spicy. I think the Thai chili paste we had on hand for this recipe is quite spicy. Next time we need to remember to use less.
3. Last week we made Hungry Girl's Cheesey Chicken Enchiladas.
These were REALLY good and even better the next day.
This week is an example of having a plan but changing it when necessary!
In the mean time, I thought I would review a couple of the new recipes.
1. The Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
This was quite good and very easy to make. The recipe says to cook on high in crock pot for 4 hours but I think it would work just as well to cook on low for 8 hours while I am at work. We chose a mild Buffalo sauce which I was happy about because it was plenty spicy for me. I also chose to make Skinny Taste's Low Fat Blue Cheese Dressing. This was pretty good and VERY easy to put together. It wasn't quite "blue cheesey" enough for me but I think that was because I had a block of blue cheese rather than crumbled blue cheese so the pieces were larger and not as well-distributed. I served the Buffalo Chicken with shredded carrots and Celery on top with a dollop of the blue cheese dressing. The Blue Cheese and the Buffalo Chicken together were a winning combination! I actually had this for lunch today as well. I put the Buffalo Chicken on a Pepperidge Farm Deli flat and spread a Laughing Cow Blue Cheese wedge on the other side. It was good but not as good as the real thing dressing.
2. Thai Shrimp Curry
This was tasty but pretty spicy. I think the Thai chili paste we had on hand for this recipe is quite spicy. Next time we need to remember to use less.
3. Last week we made Hungry Girl's Cheesey Chicken Enchiladas.
These were REALLY good and even better the next day.
This week is an example of having a plan but changing it when necessary!
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Getting Ready for Memorial Day
Saturday:
Honey-Ginger Chicken Skewers (that we were supposed to have last Thursday, I think)
Asian Cucumber Marinated Salad
Roasted Cauliflower
Sunday:
Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry
Rice
Mandarin Oranges
Monday
BLT Spring Rolls
I need to pick up some fresh roadside stand tomatoes for this. If I find some good ones, we will also have just plain ol' tomatoes with maybe some balsamic vinegar.
Tuesday:
Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
I plan on serving this with some Laughing Cow Blue Cheese wedges that I have in the fridge. I am also considering making this Blue Cheese Dressing and serving celery sticks.
Wednesday:
Blackened Tilapia (w/radish and cucumber salad)
Artisan bread
Thursday:
Lemon Garlic Chicken
Quinoa
On Friday I get to go visit with an old college friend for the weekend!
Honey-Ginger Chicken Skewers (that we were supposed to have last Thursday, I think)
Asian Cucumber Marinated Salad
Roasted Cauliflower
Sunday:
Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry
Rice
Mandarin Oranges
Monday
BLT Spring Rolls
I need to pick up some fresh roadside stand tomatoes for this. If I find some good ones, we will also have just plain ol' tomatoes with maybe some balsamic vinegar.
Tuesday:
Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
I plan on serving this with some Laughing Cow Blue Cheese wedges that I have in the fridge. I am also considering making this Blue Cheese Dressing and serving celery sticks.
Wednesday:
Blackened Tilapia (w/radish and cucumber salad)
Artisan bread
Thursday:
Lemon Garlic Chicken
Quinoa
On Friday I get to go visit with an old college friend for the weekend!
Monday, May 14, 2012
Summer is almost here
Today is the start of MY first full week of summer. (Turned in my grades last week.) But I will grant that summer doesn't REALLY begin until the kiddos are out of school. They have two weeks left.
We have planted an herb garden on the back porch which we have all enjoyed watching grow. The tomato plants are just about at the point where they need to be attached to a stake. We actually used some of the Dill Saturday night - (ok, when I say "we" I actually mean my DH here - he is the head chef of the family - I am just the shopper and planner.) His recipe for Swedish Creamed Potatoes used Greek Yogurt instead of cream and was tasty good!
Here is our weekly supper menu:
Monday
Hungry Girl's Cheesey Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Chips and Cheese Dip for the girls
Fruit
Tuesday
Crab Cakes
Salad, Mixed Greens
Wednesday
Asian Flank Steak Skewers (We have had these before and they are delicious!)
Stir Fry Vegetables (Green Giant Steamer bag)
Rice
Thursday
Honey Ginger Chicken Thighs
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Broccoli
Friday
Out to dinner with friends
Saturday
Tuna Burgers
Have you noticed that my menu has not changed that much since I reached my WW goal or since I reached Lifetime Status? I really don't eat that much differently and I still track everything. There is a reason that they call this a Lifestyle change. My lifestyle is definitely changed. I won't be going back to old habits from my pre WW lifestyle. I am committed to this way of approaching food and eating because I feel like it is realy sustainable over the long haul. I don't feel deprived and I don't feel as if I am on a "diet" at all. :)
We have planted an herb garden on the back porch which we have all enjoyed watching grow. The tomato plants are just about at the point where they need to be attached to a stake. We actually used some of the Dill Saturday night - (ok, when I say "we" I actually mean my DH here - he is the head chef of the family - I am just the shopper and planner.) His recipe for Swedish Creamed Potatoes used Greek Yogurt instead of cream and was tasty good!
Here is our weekly supper menu:
Monday
Hungry Girl's Cheesey Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Chips and Cheese Dip for the girls
Fruit
Tuesday
Crab Cakes
Salad, Mixed Greens
Wednesday
Asian Flank Steak Skewers (We have had these before and they are delicious!)
Stir Fry Vegetables (Green Giant Steamer bag)
Rice
Thursday
Honey Ginger Chicken Thighs
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Broccoli
Friday
Out to dinner with friends
Saturday
Tuna Burgers
Have you noticed that my menu has not changed that much since I reached my WW goal or since I reached Lifetime Status? I really don't eat that much differently and I still track everything. There is a reason that they call this a Lifestyle change. My lifestyle is definitely changed. I won't be going back to old habits from my pre WW lifestyle. I am committed to this way of approaching food and eating because I feel like it is realy sustainable over the long haul. I don't feel deprived and I don't feel as if I am on a "diet" at all. :)
Sunday, May 6, 2012
School's Out! (well, college anyway)
Having finished exams and grading, I am ready for my summer to begin! To be perfectly honest, I have been ready for a few weeks now, but that is neither here nor there.
We have had a weekend of eating out which has not been so great for my staying on target with my daily points values, but the bright side is that I have weekly points to deal with and have not gone over budget with that! I also had a cool thing happen this weekend, I made Lifetime Status with Weight Watchers! It is a different sense of accomplishment than reaching goal. To me, this is like - take 6 weeks to convince yourself that you will be doing this forever and then we will acknowledge your "official" status. Now I get to start working toward my next goals which are running related. Starting with doing my first ever 5k race this Saturday. (Wish me luck!)
Here is the menu for this week:
Monday:
Citrus Garlic Pork Loin
Roasted Cauliflower
We've had the pork loin before and it is tasty good. I usually don't make the green beans with it since DH is not a fan.
Tuesday:
Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage
This is a variation on a casserole type dish I have had and like a lot. The buttermilk and fresh sage are an interesting combination here. (Hopefully my new sage plant will survive this hail storm.)
Wednesday:
Church
Thursday:
Chicken with Leeks, Sun-dried Tomatoes and White Wine
Haven't had this one before but the Leeks looked really good at the market and I really like sun-dried tomatoes so I thought I would give it a try. It was not easy to fine sun-dried tomatoes that are not packed in oil, so I bought the dried kind and will reconstitute with some hot water.
Friday:
Not sure what will happen exactly on this day since we are all going in different directions, but I am PLANNING to make a turkey and vegetable meatloaf ahead of time - probably on Thursday and we will see what happens. I may be the only one who eats it! (And anyway, this is the night before my first ever 5k.) We have had this a few times before and it is really good. The grated veggies make it really moist and we put a barbeque type sauce over the top and it is delish!
Saturday:
I will be celebrating having run a stellar 5k race (of course). And we will be having Baked Chicken with Dijon and Lime. I will be allowing DH to do the cooking.
Sunday:
MOTHER'S DAY - already planning to have an enjoyable brunch at my fave restaurant. Chicken & the Egg! Hope you get to have something wonderful too!
We have had a weekend of eating out which has not been so great for my staying on target with my daily points values, but the bright side is that I have weekly points to deal with and have not gone over budget with that! I also had a cool thing happen this weekend, I made Lifetime Status with Weight Watchers! It is a different sense of accomplishment than reaching goal. To me, this is like - take 6 weeks to convince yourself that you will be doing this forever and then we will acknowledge your "official" status. Now I get to start working toward my next goals which are running related. Starting with doing my first ever 5k race this Saturday. (Wish me luck!)
Here is the menu for this week:
Monday:
Citrus Garlic Pork Loin
Roasted Cauliflower
We've had the pork loin before and it is tasty good. I usually don't make the green beans with it since DH is not a fan.
Tuesday:
Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage
This is a variation on a casserole type dish I have had and like a lot. The buttermilk and fresh sage are an interesting combination here. (Hopefully my new sage plant will survive this hail storm.)
Wednesday:
Church
Thursday:
Chicken with Leeks, Sun-dried Tomatoes and White Wine
Haven't had this one before but the Leeks looked really good at the market and I really like sun-dried tomatoes so I thought I would give it a try. It was not easy to fine sun-dried tomatoes that are not packed in oil, so I bought the dried kind and will reconstitute with some hot water.
Friday:
Not sure what will happen exactly on this day since we are all going in different directions, but I am PLANNING to make a turkey and vegetable meatloaf ahead of time - probably on Thursday and we will see what happens. I may be the only one who eats it! (And anyway, this is the night before my first ever 5k.) We have had this a few times before and it is really good. The grated veggies make it really moist and we put a barbeque type sauce over the top and it is delish!
Saturday:
I will be celebrating having run a stellar 5k race (of course). And we will be having Baked Chicken with Dijon and Lime. I will be allowing DH to do the cooking.
Sunday:
MOTHER'S DAY - already planning to have an enjoyable brunch at my fave restaurant. Chicken & the Egg! Hope you get to have something wonderful too!
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