Feelin' Fruity

Getting up just a tad bit early this morning seems to have thrown me off my schedule, more time for me to get sidetracked, so I'll be working quickly.

Yesterday I decided to have a fruit & yogurt cereal bowl with vanilla yogurt, ground flax, Special K cinnamon pecan flakes, cheerios, strawberries and pecans.  

 

Scrumdillyicious I tell you.

 

For lunch I had a black bean pineapple quesadilla. I did it a little different this time. I just sprinkled everything onto the tortilla, plus a few extras. This one got a little spinach and tomato as well. I just sprinkled it with the taco seasoning. I don't think it got quite as much, but it was plenty tasty.

 

Just a little messy, but I always say, "The messier it is, the better it tastes."

 

Taco sauce on top is the best. Super yummy.

 

I had good food all day. Dessert was simple and delicious, just a cup of vanilla instant pudding and a nectarine.

 

 

Dinner was no exception. The fruit in this dish was just a little tomato, but whether or not you consider tomato a fruit, it was still good food. I didn't make the chili entirely, but I did make the cornbread.

 

For the chili, I just opened a can of chili beans, no meat of course. I added some tomato, red bell pepper and onion, plus a little water. The canned chili was just a little thicker than I prefer, hence the water. I cooked the tomato, pepper, and onion a little, then added the chili and water to the pot. I let it all simmer while I made the cornbread.

A little cheddar sprinkled on top, a slice of cornbread on the side, and I was good to go.

 

This wasn't my soft cornbread. This was my two egg cornbread, made according to the directions on the cornmeal mix, except using 2 eggs instead of one. I do use the same directions for mixing it up as I do for the soft cornbread though. It makes for a crispy crust which is the best part.

The End

Millville GetBalance Chewy Granola Bar Review

Starting to look a little overcast this morning thanks to Irene, I suppose, of course we're far enough off shore that it's not forecast that we will be effected, thank goodness. We do have friends and family on the coast though and we hope that the storm leaves them safe, with at the most, minimal damage. Prayers are with everyone who will be effected by Irene.

Now about yesterday, breakfast was not a Banana Pudding smoothie. It was a smoothie and there was a little banana in it, but it was more or less a Tropical smoothie with pineapple and shredded coconut which I threw in the grinder along with my oats and ground flax. I don't mind a little texture, but I do like my smoothies as smooth as possible.

 

 

For lunch I had the last of my tomato soup. I also fished an Asiago cheese bagel out of the freezer which I defrosted spread with butter, garlic and Parmesan cheese, then I stuck it under the broiler for a few minutes.

 

The bagel toasted up nicely. I love that Panera's Asiago cheese bagels don't have the hole in the middle. I sort of wish they all came that way.

 

My honey and cinnamon came in a cup of peach mango green tea yesterday. I needed a little pick me up as well. I love that the green tea only has 15mg of caffeine per serving. I've also cut back to 1 tea bag per large cup of tea. It's just a good and my tea goes farther.

Yesterday afternoon we went to Aldi's. One of the things I got was Millville GetBalance Chewy Granola Bars. There were several choices of granola and cereal bars, but I preferred the nutrition and ingredients of this one. I bought the Trail Mix bars, having as you can see, almonds, cranberries, & raisins. With only 130 calories per bar, they make a great snack. They have only 3g of fat and 5g of sugar. To make it even better this little bar also has 4g of fiber and 6g of protein. It's low in sodium and if you're worried about it, no high fructose corn syrup. These are very similar to the Kashi TLC trail mix bars with slightly less calories and sodium and at about 1/2 the price($1.99 for Millville's).

 

 

They are small, but if I remember correctly so were the Kashi bars. Here it is next to a stick of gum. This was my "tied me over 'til dinner" snack. I haven't tried them all, but this one was yummy.

Dinner, I cooked. I know it's hard to believe, but I did. I do cooked, just not as often, now that I'm older and it's just me(eating veggies that is). I made my Sweet & Sour veggies and the veggies looked so good going into the pan I just had to get a shot. Lovely, huh?

 

Not too bad after being cooked either.

The sweet & sour veggies over brown rice. This was an excellent dinner. I really should cook more often. I forget how much better it is.

Well, that was my day in food. I think it went rather well. We didn't get to go for our walk though. Lucas had homework and I'm not brave enough to walk by myself. I did a little Zumba around the house though, but I didn't really sweat like I normally do, a sign that I didn't do enough. How about some comments today? Just say hello, whatever. Happy Friday!!

The Hands Are Quicker Than the Eye

I was destined to do it and I finally did. What did I do? I hit publish instead of saving this as a draft to be finished in the morning. I've nearly done it several times, but usual catch myself. Tonight my hand was quicker than the eye.


To be continued......


I'm back! This morning I'm thinking maybe Blogger needs a confirmation popup before it actually publishes. You know "Are you really ready to publish this?". I really wasn't ready. I was really in a hurry save it as a draft and go to bed and in case you don't know, the "save as draft" button is right next to the "publish post" button. I will definitely have to be more careful, but I know it was bound to happen, since I've nearly done it several times.

Now to tell you about yesterday. I say that like there is some big exciting story. I'm sorry, no major events occurred.

I had a poppyseed & onion bagel with cream cheese. I had this one frozen and forgot to lay it out to thaw, so I had to toast it a little longer than usual, since my microwave it shot.

 

Unfortunately, DH hasn't figured out a way to revive the microwave. So I will be on the lookout for a "new to me" microwave. I'm just not sure I'm ready to shell out the money for a new one. I've only had that one maybe 2 years. I really don't think it's been that long. I won't be getting another Emerson. I've read on the internet that that particular model was bad to have the same problem as mine. I don't know about all Emerson microwaves, but personally, I'm not willing to risk it.

 

I had leftover whole wheat spaghetti noodles and stir fry veggies with oregano, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. I wasn't sure at first how I would reheat them, but quickly figured out a way. People did without microwaves for years, so I knew it possible. It was just figuring out the best way to do it. I chose the iron skillet. I sort of stir fried it all with a little butter, seasoned it and put it on the plate, then I added the Parmesan. Voila, lunch! It only took a few minutes longer than the microwave.

 

Don't laugh at me, lol. I can't help it if I was microwave dependent.

 

I snacked on a handful of Planters flavor grove almonds, the cinnamon & cocoa. I'm trying to do better on the carbs. I know I didn't do well, but I think I was doing a little better, considering, I had all the leftover carbs to eat.

 

Later in the afternoon, I was so sleepy. I could hardly hold my eyes open (literally). I decided to get up and move around. I cleaned on my kitchen, decluttering and organizing a little. It didn't help a lot. I decided to have a cup of coffee. I haven't been sleeping well without it, so I didn't figure it would make much difference. I just fixed one cup or should I say half a cup. It was really good and it was all I needed. It took a few minutes to take effect, but I was cured of the afternoon sleepies for sure.

 

I also had a piece of the leftover pineapple upside down cake. I swear it looked a little smaller when I was cutting it. I added some canned pineapple chunks to make it seem healthier, lol. Did it work? Oh, well, only 3 more pieces to go and hopefully DH will help eat those.

 

I keep reminding Dale, it's in the frig. Why should I be the only one on sugar overload?

 

I had vegetable pizza with salad for dinner; only one piece. I used iceberg, spinach, tomato, cucumber, onion, broccoli, & carrot, with sundried tomato vinaigrette and a little Parmesan. I ate a third of the salad before my first bite of pizza. I always seem to dive into the salad first. Is that unusual? I could have eaten more, but then realized I hadn't even taken a bite of the pizza, so out of guilt or whatever, I took a bite of it, lol.

 

I heated my pizza in the toaster oven. It wasn't a problem, I normally reheat pizza that way. I actually scorched it a little, but it wasn't bad.

The scales this morning are on my side. I'm not sure if it's carb curbing or muscle loss, from a week without Zumba, but I can't wait until tomorrow. Happy Monday!

Sweet And Sour Veggies Recipe

This is a great recipe, I found on Food.com. I make this using whatever veggies I have on hand. I usually omit the 1/2 c. of water, add a little oil to a skillet and stir fry the veggies for a few minutes. I like my veggies crisp tender. I also add pineapple chunks and occasionally  a MorningStar Farms grillers chik'n veggie pattie or Gardein Chik'n Scallopini. I have used light soy sauce and a pinch or two of sea salt instead of regular soy sauce.

 Ingredients

• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 2 medium carrots, diagonally sliced
• 1 large red bell peppers, cut into short, thin strips
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1/4 cup diagonally sliced green onions

Directions

1. Add 1/2 cup water to large skillet with a tight-fitting lid and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Add carrots, cover and steam for 4 minutes.
3. Remove lid and add an additional 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil.
4. Add broccoli and red peppers.
5. Reduce heat to medium.
6. Cover and steam another 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
7. Meanwhile, combine cornstarch and sugar in small bowl.
8. Blend in pineapple juice, soy sauce and vinegar until smooth.
9. Transfer vegetables to colander and drain.
10. Stir pineapple mixture and add to skillet.
11. Cook and stir 2 minutes or until sauce boils and thickens.
12. Great over brown rice!

Junk Food Junkie

I'm still stuck on post titles. I hope I get better at it. I'm up, but that's it. I pretty much feel the same as yesterday. By the time I finished yesterday's post, I was so hungry, I couldn't wait on a smoothie. The junk food junkie in me had kicked in. I was on a mission alright, to eat as much junk as possible. I had a piece of pineapple jello poke cake with cool whip topping and fresh pineapples. My excuse -  I was starving and the cake & pineapples would be throw out otherwise.

 

 

This is my new to me swing that DH got me at an auction. Not bad for $25. I paid $40 for a nice used wooden swing. I've looked everywhere for a metal one. I've seen them everywhere, but not for sale and the ones that are, are usually more like $200-$300. This one is a little smaller, but still sits 2 people comfortably. It painted black in good condition. I plan to paint it green to match the frame and put on new chains. It's actually a little fancier than the one I wanted, which is great. It has ivy leaves at the top. It doesn't hold water and doesn't need cushions. Now if I only had a covered porch to put it on.

 

 

For lunch I hat the rest of my California salad from O' Charley's. Good, but now a good as fresh. the pecans and sort of lost their toasty crunch. I will have to make my Strawberry Mandarin Spinach Salad w/ pecans instead of almonds or cashews. That would make it even more awesome. This was the healthiest thing I ate all day.

 

Even as a leftover it was way better than it looks.

 

The salad didn't make me miserably full satisfy me, so I had half a sweet onion and poppy seed bagel with cream cheese. The SO&P may be better than the everything. The onion & poppyseed  is baked throughout the bagel and the everythings are just plain with bagel with everything topping.

 

Later I had a peanut butter pretzel snack. Makin' sure I get plenty of carbs. I was very sleepy all day. I'm not sure if I was eating carbs because I was sleepy or sleepy because I was eating carbs.

 

Obviously I was still missing my banana pudding smoothie, so I had the rest of my banana pudding blizzard instead. I probably could have had a whole smoothie for around the same or less calories.

 

Dinner was Amy's Cheese Pizza sprinkled with basil and garlic along with a bowl of Panera's tomato soup. This one said tomato bisque and was in a smaller container. I'm not sure the soup is different though, maybe they just changed the name or something. It did seem to have more little piece of tomato and was lighter red, but it mostly tasted the same.

The pizza was very good. I ate half and Lucas ate the other half. It went great with the soup. I had thought about having grilled cheese, but figured this would be even better.

 

I had a late dinner, which threw off the rest of the evening. I was later getting to bed and didn't want to get up. I've started hitting the snooze button. I'm either going to have to set my alarm earlier or stop hitting the snooze button. I'm also going to have to figure out a way to get to bed earlier. Seven hours is not enough when you don't sleep well. How many hours sleep do you get? Is it enough?

Now, I'm going to get my smoothie on, ha, ha!!

Comments welcome especially blogging tips.

Good Food Sunday

I'm up, not terribly excited about it, but here I am. It would be so nice to have my morning smoothie waiting for me. Yesterday I had something different, not totally different, it was a smoothie, but it was a Mandarin Orange Smoothie.

 

It was very cool and refreshing, a little thinner than most of my smoothies, but it was delicious and not too thin. I used all the usual ingredients, milk, yogurt, oats, vanilla, flax, ice and of course mandarin orange sections.

 

Now that I'm getting up early, my smoothie doesn't last until dinner at Mom's. so, I had a little snack mix to tide me over. It has peanuts, dried cranberries, & white chocolate chips.

For the meat eaters, there was chicken wings, with a few breast pieces thrown in. There was hot wing sauce and BBQ sauce to go with.

 

Also a big ol' beef roast made in the crock pot.

 

Cathy's famous "Stinky Feet Cheese Salad". Well that's our nickname for it. It's made with spinach, red onion, feta cheese, croûtons, imitation bacon bits, & a French type dressing, which is homemade. I don't know the actual name of the salad, which is one reason the nickname has stuck.

 

Broccoli Cornbread

Asparagus, which I found I like better this way than semi raw on the grill. Normally I am not a fan of grilled asparagus. It tastes slightly bitter to me.

 

Macaroni & Cheese

 

Au Gratin Potatoes

 

Peppers & Green Beans which were very good.

Green Beans, Potatoes, & Mushrooms

 

My plate with lots of green going on it. I had asparagus, green beans, salad, a little macaroni, & a small piece of broccoli cornbread.

It looks like a lot, but I wasn't stuffed and miserable afterwards. 

 

We had 2 desserts, but I didn't get a shot but of one. It was the Chocolate Delight. The other was a pineapple poke cake & we also had fresh pineapple, which I didn't get a shot of either.

 

I had some of the chocolate delight & a few pieces of the fresh pineapple later. I also had a cup of decaf which didn't make it into the camera. There seemed to be quite a bit going on, and I am easily distracted.

 

I did get a shot of Miss Mary having her dinner. She enjoyed the macaroni and the chocolate delight. Can you tell?

 

I brought home some of the salad, which I intended for lunch today, but I couldn't wait. I mixed it with some iceberg lettuce so that there'd be enough for both.

Love that feta!!

 

It was a super hot day. I stayed in the cool mostly and enjoyed the food and the babies. It ended with a big storm. It had mostly past when we left and was mainly just rain when we got home. It's nice and sunny again this morning though. It should be another hot steamy day. Have a good one!