No Spending Month. May 8, 2013

I’m a bit of a self improvement junky. This is not to say that I am not happy with my current self/life, just that I think there is always room to grow. Self evaluation is an ongoing past time of mine. I just want to be sure I am living my best possible life. Healthy living & weight loss are a part of that, but not my entire focus.

For the month of May, I have decided to focus on finances. I suck at money. I am great at paying bills and having what I need and many little things that I want, but I am not good at saving for bigger purchases or emergencies. We seem to live both beyond & below are means. Beyond in the sense that we are often living paycheck to paycheck & using our excess income to fulfill immediate desires and below in the sense that if we could just conserve funds for a few paychecks, we could afford some of the bigger things we actually need- like new furniture or travel. It is frustrating and I want to break the cycle, so I have declared May a no spending month. Bills will obviously be paid and I will buy the necessary cleaning and paper products for the house. For food, I will buy items to go along with what we already have in the house. Things I will not spend money on include- coffee out, meals out & ordering in, entertainment, new clothes or anything else I don’t actually need. Instead, I have been inviting friends over for coffee in my backyard, experimenting with new recipes to keep eating at home exciting as well keeping some healthy quick options in the freezer for when I don’t want to cook. For entertainment, we have been watching movies on Netflix, playing games and using the library. I did buy the new David Sedaris book for my kindle because it is our book club selection for the month & i need/want to read it. I debated this purchase but since another bill was less than expected, I just used the “extra” for it. Pinterest fashion searches have inspired me to rethink outfits from the extensive collection of clothes I already own.

Instead of just buying whatever I want, I am trying to think about what I can use in place of something or if I even really need it. It actually feels really good. I have been keeping a list of things I have thought about buying but decided I did not really need. The hope is that some of the habits stick around long after this month and that I can build on those.

Caramelized Onion, Cremini Mushroom & Spinach Quiche. May 7, 2013

Looking back at the few recipes I have published on this blog so far, I see quite a few of them are egg recipes. What can I say? Eggs are cheap, delicious and a great source of protein! I will often make my egg dishes without a crust to keep them healthier for everyday eating, but once in awhile, usually for dinner or Sunday brunch, I indulge. For some reason, quiche used to seem fancy to me & I assumed it was difficult to make. It is not. This combination is a favorite of mine and made from household staples but you can put just about anything in quiche, so adjust to your tastes or what you have in the house to use up.

Caramelized Onion, Cremini Mushroom & Spinach Quiche

1 pie crust (your favorite recipe or store bought)
1 Tbls Olive Oil
1 large red onion, sliced thin
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 large handfuls spinach
4 oz cheese of choice, shredded (cheddar & Swiss are both delicious)
6 eggs
1/2 c milk
Salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Press rolled pie crust into bottom of deep dish pie pan.
2.  Heat olive oil  in large frying pan over medium heat, add onions & cook until caramelized, stirring as needed.
3. Once onions are caramelized, add sliced mushrooms & cook until browned on both sides.
4. Add handfuls of spinach & heat until wilted & bright green.
5. Add veggies to pie crust.

6. Mix eggs, milk, salt, pepper & half off the cheese together.
7. Pour over veggies.
8. Top with remaining cheese.
9. Bake at 375° until firm in center & golden brown around the edges (about 40 minutes)
10. Cool slightly before eating
11. Enjoy!

Catching Up & a Meal Plan.

So, it’s been quite awhile since I have posted anything & all I really have to say about it is, life happens. In my last post, I mentioned that my partner of almost 3 yrs and I had decided to desperate. After A LOT of discussion & time alone to reflect, we have decided to try to work things out. Relationships are very personal & I do not intend to share details of ours, but I just wanted to clarify.

Anyways, life has been good. May marks the month of both my Dad’s birth date and the date of his death, so it can be a rough one. I have been taking the time to care for myself, body & soul. With the nicer weather, there have been lots of walks and lots of time lounging in the backyard. I have started my gardening for the year and read a lot of books that inspire me in some way or another. Entertaining is also easier in the sunshine and I’ve been having people over. Yesterday I had a Cinco de Mayo celebration (just for fun). I made a chicken & bean enchilada casserole, margarita slushies and the most delicious churro flavored cupcakes! This Sunday, I will be celebrating the awesome mom’s in my family with a Mother’s Day cookout!

I have actually not been cooking a ton lately. Not because I don’t want to, but because we can only eat so much…. I tend to eat a big salad for lunch everyday, so leftovers end up being dinner several days a week.

Monday- Leftover meatloaf (made with 90% lean, organic ground beef), fresh green beans
Tuesday- Leftover enchilada casserole, green smoothie
Wednesday- I will be attending a gardening workshop & I am going to pack a sandwich picnic for a friend & I before the workshop
Thursday- Baked Parmesan Tilapia, green beans,  baked sweet potato
Friday- It is the honey’s bday so her meal of choice is homemade eggplant parmesan, salad & garlic bread
Saturday- Leftovers
Sunday- Mother’s Day cookout

My baby girl will be turning 11 on Thursday! I am going to make her a steak!

Simple Asian Inspired Marinade. April 5, 2013

So I thought it was about time to share another recipe. Unfortunately,  I have very few photos or notes of the food I have been cooking or baking the last few weeks (and there has been some good stuff). This is a marinade recipe I made up quite awhile ago and have used on pretty much everything. I have used it on chicken breasts and thighs, salmon, shrimp and even vegetables that were going on the grill. It was delicious on all of those things and would work well with pork too. I have grilled, baked, pan fried and used the foreman grill to cook food marinated in this mixture. It has only 5 ingredients, all of which I usually have in the house. This recipe makes enough marinade for about 1lb of meat or vegetables.

Asian Marinade

2 Tbls honey
1 tsp  sesame oil
1 Tbls chopped ginger
2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 cup soy sauce

1. Mix all ingredients
2. Marinate meat or veggies of choice for at least 1hr or up to 24hrs.
3. Cook marinated item as you wish.
4. Enjoy!

Weight Loss. April 4, 2013

Since I decided to shift the focus of this blog to healthy living, good food & my weight loss journey awhile back, I figured I’d update you all on that. Due mainly to my Weight Watcher buddies deciding to discontinue the program for various reasons, I decided I would also. When I first left the program, my intention was to follow it on my own…. counting points, tracking etc. Not surprisingly, that is not what happened. There has not been a single day that I have tracked points or written down anything I’ve eaten, but I have stuck with many of the same principals/routines of the program. I have continued to base my meals around vegetables, fruit and lean proteins. I have been smart with my Carb consumption, drank a lot of water, cut out a lot of meat, tried to eat regular meals & snacks and not to eat too late at night. I have also been walking a lot now that it’s been nicer out. My emotional eating habit has gotten the best of me a few times throughout the last few weeks with the break up stress, but overall I am not doing so bad. I am down another 1-1.5 lbs for a total of about 16lbs. My friends & family that I do not see all the time have noticed a difference in my appearance too. My clothes certainly fit better. So I guess I am just going to stick with what I have been doing- eating whole healthy food, getting some exercise & forgiving myself when the emotional eating gets the best of me. The guilt & shame that come with binges often just create the emotions that lead to another binge & I need to break that cycle. It will be a slow but sustainable process of weight loss & I am OK with that as long as I continue to feel healthy & strong. I will continue to weigh myself once a week (on my pretty, new & accurate scale) just to be sure I am not getting too far off track. I will report my successes (& possible failures) periodically. Weight loss is really just a benefit of healthy living for me.

Speaking of healthy living, I had a physical last Monday & I am happy to report that I am in great health. Despite knowing I live(and have always lived) a pretty life, I am still always concerned about diabetes & high cholesterol but my levels are all on the low side of normal which makes me very happy.

A good little reminder

Highlights. April 2, 2013

Here are some of the good things that have been happening in my life these past two weeks- in no particular order.

-I bought some luxurious new bedding & created something pretty (& free) for above my bed.

- I bought a fancy new scale

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-We celebrated this little man (above) & this little lady (below) turning 2!

- This

- I attended a garden fair where I gathered a lot of information, made a lot of great community connections, learned a lot of tips in a free workshop & bought delicious cupcakes

- My best friend came over for a delicious homemade brunch (including blueberry peach muffins)

- I got flowers

- This arrived in the mail! I pre ordered it months ago

- The weather has improved & the pups & I have been walking daily

- There was lots of good food & family time for Easter

- I got to wear these awesome shoes (& spend time in a coffee shop with my sister and my best friend.

-I laughed with friends until it was literally painful twice in one week

- I ordered all my seeds & bought soil etc to get started on gardening

- Two slumber parties with nieces

- I found a bunch of Christmas & NYE pics on my actual camera

- I started a new book & read it all in one day while laying in bed & drinking mug after mug of tea

- I have remembered to listen to music more often

Life has been good despite all the breakup business. I am truly blessed

Weekly Meal/Life Plan. April 1, 2013

Hopefully things get back to “normal” around here this week. As a substitute teacher, I get to enjoy the benefits of Spring Break. Last week was spent dealing with messy break up business & trying to keep up with my daily responsibilities while still trying to find time to relax & find the joy in everyday. I came out of a very sad situation feeling pretty OK. My heart is aching but I find change & new beginnings so inspiring, regardless of the circumstances that create the oppurtunity. Anyways, I didn’t get much of my Spring Break list done -at all- last week, so this week is going to be pretty jam packed. There is a lot I want to get done around the house including a good Spring cleaning, yard set up for summer & some organizing projects. There are also phone calls to make, errands to run and some long term planning to be done. There is fun stuff too (although it’d be a lie if I pretended I did not enjoy organizing & running errands)- I have plans to help both of my grandma’s and my mom this week, a slumber party with my niece, a family wine tour day, a baby shower for a good friend, a dinner date with my cousin & plans to have friends over for homemade pizza & wine. Good stuff. I feel energized, inspired & ready for the week.

On to the meal plan

Monday Chicken scaloppine, roasted asparagus
Tuesday Salad, sweet potatoes latkes
Wednesday Empanada’s, salad
Thursday Leftovers
Friday Dinner out with my cousin
Saturday Homemade pizza & salad
Sunday  Pork chops, garlicy chard & baked sweet potatoes

A highlights post of the last two weeks I have been MIA is in the works along with a couple of recipes I have created over the past couple weeks.