There's a Chill in the Air

Cold front! I started off with a bowl of cereal which was COLD and coffee, which was deliciously hot. Work was a little crazy after the holiday, but it was okay in the end. I had some raisins for a snack. My lunch is now 30 min earlier and I really like it, but think I need to consider an afternoon snack.

For lunch, a turkey and swiss sandwich on whole-wheat with mayo and lettuce. I also had half of a HUGE orange. Then I had some chocolate kisses.

I was pretty hungry by the end of the day. So for dinner... A big ole' bowl of leftover Spanish stew served over some white beans and autumn orzo. On the side, some salad with radishes and a vinaigrette I whipped up with Dijon, apple cider vinegar, pepper, and olive oil. It was delish! It was also a LOT of food.



Then, I studied. Then I came down for a little dessert... A leftover waffle with chocolate chips and whipped cream. I devoured this while on the phone with a friend. Girl talk!

I Totally Bought Groceries Over the Weekend

Yep. We went over again, but we did stock up on some sale items. Here it is...

We spent at total of $56.69! But we got...

• Brown Sugar $1.36
• Cranberry Pomegranate Juice (100%) $2.55
• Milk $3.59
• 4 Cornish Hens $9.98
• Italian Turkey Sausage (1.25 lbs) $4.49
• Chicken Breasts (boneless, skinless 2.5 lbs) $4.95
• Green Bell Peppers (2 @ $.69 each) $1.38
• Yellow Onions (2.12 lbs @ $.50/lb) $1.06
• Oranges (2.51 lbs @ $.99/lb) $2.48
• Red Leaf Lettuce (1 head) $1.69
• Red Bell Pepper (1) $1.49
• Coffee $3.99
• Roma Tomatoes (1.14 lbs @ $1.39/lb) $1.58
• Avocado (1) $0.99
• Wheat Tortillas $1.50
• All-natural Turkey Deli Meat $2.50
• Sliced Swiss Cheese $2.28
• Pears (1.76 lbs @ $0.98/lb) $1.72
• Tomato Paste $0.50
• Large Can Crushed Tomatoes $1.14
• Can of Soup-Clam Chowder $1.50
• Can of Diced Tomatoes, Chipotle flavor $0.75
• Can of Artichoke Hearts $2.33
• Can of Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles (2) $1.50

The most expensive things were used for the Spanish crock-pot meal (sausage, red bell pepper, onions, crush tomatoes, artichokes, chicken). But we've had quite a few meals from it (at least 6, including tonight's dinner or tomorrow's lunch)! Which means that it will be about $2.25/meal. Not bad!

I definitely need to shave down on cost, but am hoping to continue the trend of more meatless meals (more beans and fish). The Spanish stew was meat heavy, so I'm hoping to compare that with some nice bean dishes (black bean tacos, casserole, quesadillas, soups, or salad, anyone?). We have a few lentils on hand, but other than that, we have no dry beans on hand, so I'll try to pick up more at the store this weekend. Those are dirt-cheap. We also need to incorporate more seasonal veggies into our plans. Maybe I'll do a menu-planning post this week before the grocery store trip.

Sunday!!!!

I do love Sundays. After sending Dad off, I got to work on some whole-wheat waffles! I had a little syrup and cranberry juice.

I studied a bit, and then we went to visit my grandparents. We got home in time for a little lunch! I had a bowl of leftover Spanish stew, half a sweet potato and a huge apple cut up. It was really filling.

I was going to make some black beans, but we wanted to go shopping for the afternoon. Gosh, if I only had something that could cook my beans without me having to BE there.... HELLO Slow Cooker! I think I love you!

We went to Wimberly and shopped around. We got a few gifts... AND they are food related! I love giving gourmet gifts, because most of our family won't buy it for themselves.

When we got home, we were greeted by a pot of black beans! Yum! I had a bowl topped with a bit of shredded cheese with 2 corn tortillas. I've had 2 glasses of red wine.

Now we are chilling, watching Extreme Home Makeover...

No Photo Day

Today's plans went hay-wire! We were going to go to Boerne and Fredericksburg today to do some Christmas shopping, but that didn't happen... We woke up and were about to go to Boerne when my mom called and told us that my Grandmother was leaving to visit other family. Since she was one of the main reasons for the visit, we decided to hold off. We instead got cleaned up, had a bowl of cereal and went to my in-law's house for some Mexican pastries and coffee. It was good to catch up. Then we headed out to look in some cute shops, but mainly just looked in art galleries.

For lunch, we had a HUGH JASS salad from Whole Foods with greens, tomatoes, shredded carrots, green beans, broccoli, bell peppers with just a touch of Caesar dressing. We also had some amazing pesto tortellini salad and fresh fruit salad. AND we had some sushi (salmon or tuna rolls with brown rice). Whew! It was really satisfying and we were FULL. I probably had about 2 C of veggies, 1/2 C tortellini salad, 1/2 C fruit and 4 sushi rolls.

Then we scooted around town looking for more gifts but no luck! We came home just int time for Dad to show up and we started on dinner. I made calzones! We each had 2/3 a calzone and some salad. Kendall and I had a beer.

Now we are relaxing!

Wrap it up!

What a day! I sort of feel like I conquered Black Friday! I was up at 4:30 am! I got dressed and grabbed a container of raisins and nuts to curb my appetite while I shopped. I definitely did not want a big Starbucks distraction while playing Santa.

And I have to say, I got a lot done. By 7 am, I had hit three stores and finished the bulk of my sprinting. Kendall called to remind me that we were out of cereal, so I swing by the grocery store, and went home to eat. I was hungry, tired and had a slight headache at that point. We had a bowl of Quaker Oat Squares with milk and coffee. Yum! We both love those things!

I normally try not to buy for myself on Black Friday. It's all about the gifts. This year, I could not pass up a great deal on a slow cooker and I got my black dress that I'll need for Bethany's wedding.

So once home, I looked up slow cooker recipes and made a grocery list. Then it was off for a few more gifts and groceries.

Once home for good, I set up the slow cooker meal and got to work on lunch. Kendall worked from home and we had a date. We had whole-wheat wraps with chipotle mayo, turkey, Swiss, tomato, avocado and lettuce. On the side, some sub-par clam chowder.

I had a glass of cranberry juice after that. Then I grabbed some coffee and went up to wrap! I wrapped EVERYTHING! When I finished wrapping, I cleaned the bathrooms and then got to baking! Gingersnaps!

A few hours after popping it in, our Spanish Chicken was ready!

I had it with a dark beer. So tangy and satisfying!

Be Thankful

We started off the day with a bowl of cereal and coffee. Then we took a nice long walk. I came home, showered, and got dressed. Then it was time to get a move on!

We helped out around the in-laws place and soon, my family arrived! We visited while we snacked on fresh veggies, some whole-wheat crackers with cream cheese and jam, and some great punch.






Then it was time for the turkey!

This was my plate (~5 oz turkey, 1/2 C green bean casserole, 3/4 C mashed potatoes, 1.5 C salad, .5 C steamed veggies, 1/2 C stuffing, and 1 slice whole-wheat bread). I ended up having just a little more turkey.

Then I had a slice of apple pie with some whipped cream and a coffee.

After we feasted, I taught one my nephew's how to knit and then we went for a walk to the park. A little hide-and-seek happened! We walked back and folks started going home.

After everyone else had left, we chatted with Kendall's parents and I had a few more crackers with cream cheese and jam. I wasn't too hungry!

We came home and I had a dark beer and a bit of red wine. Then it was early to bed to hit the Black Friday sales!!

Get Ready, Get Ready!

Today was awesome for a lot of reasons. First was that it was the last day of work before Thanksgiving. I started off with a bowl of cereal and milk and black coffee.

Secondly, it was cool this morning and a donned a pretty cute outfit. Let's just say it involved wide-leg black pants, cute denim jacket and a scarf.

I got to work and some people brought in some treats. I had a slice of pumpkin bread and half of a donut. Foiled my plan for light eating today!

THEN, we got out EARLY! Which was AWESOME! So the gals and I headed to lunch. I ordered a mushroom burger, thinking it was a portabella cap instead of a beef patty. It was really a beef patty smothered with mushrooms. So I ditched the beef. I also had about 1/2 C of the fries. Oops.

I got home and hung out my hubs. Then the flooring guy called and we went to Lowe's to finalize our carpet. Soon we'll have new floors in our two side bedrooms! Hoorah!

We got home and he made dinner while I started on our bread. He made salmon, orzo and some potatoes and onions. Very delicious!

I popped the bread in the oven and had one of these...

Ding! The bread was ready. I made whole-wheat egg bread, which I braided to take to Thanksgiving tomorrow. The first loaf didn't braid as well as the second. My bad! I'm still learning.

Now it's Glee and relaxing before the big Turkey Day!

There are Reasons for 3 Day Weeks

I started the day off well-rested (YES!) with some cereal, milk, and coffee. For lunch, I packed some white chili (~1.5 C) and 2 C of red grapes. I didn't get hungry until 10:45 am, so I just had some water and a hard candy to tide me over until lunch.

I was ready for a run when I left work, but by the end of my commute, felt totally drained. I hate that! But when I got home, I discovered hubby still working away, so I snuck in a run and shower before he wrapped up his work. Then we feasted on more white chili, and I had half of a sweet potato and a big carrot. I think the chili out with a little more stock, so it would fill me up a bit more. Worked!

After dinner, I submitted my research paper, which feels awesome! Then, I felt the hankerin' for something sweet. I was feeling a little chilled, so I thought it was a perfect time to make some hot cocoa. Who could say no to Abuelita on a night like tonight?

So I threw a square into the sauce pan with 3/4 C non-fat milk and heated and stirred.

Then it started to look all chocolatey and creamy and yummy. And it smelled amazing...

So I poured it into a cup and enjoyed! It really hit the spot. I love the cinnamon flavors in there. And I get my milk with just 90 extra calories. Not a bad trade!

Time to RELAX and get ready for a day of FEASTING in a few days!!! Sweet dreams, everyone!

A Day Late

As promised, here's my photos from yesterday... No breakfast or lunch photos, but here's the curry I had for dinner. Potatoes, edamame, carrots, onion and chicken!


For a vitamin C boost and a yummy snack, half a big Ruby Red grapefruit. So lucky I live in TX where we get these beauties from the valley. They are sweet and HUGE. I usually peel the pith off and just eat the juicy fruit.

Apologies, apologies... Computer Fail!

Sorry for the lack of post yesterday. I got home, ate some dinner, hunted for a dust ruffle and curtains for our guestroom, proofread my paper, and then got a strange voicemail that I had to research to determine it was a total scam, chatted a bit about Bethany's wedding and Thanksgiving, and then decided it was time to back up my computer onto the hard drive! So, I let my laptop do its thing, and watched a movie with Kendall. I will post some photos tonight, but here's a run-down of what I ate...

-Breakfast: 1 C shredded wheat w/ 1.25 C fat-free milk and black coffee
-Snack: 1/4 C raisins
-Lunch: Turkey and Muenster on homemade whole-wheat w/ mayo and a huge apple
-Dinner: Leftover red curry, with only 2 bites chicken, but the rest being veggies and potatoes (probably 3/4 C of veggies)
-Snack: Popcorn with olive oil and popcorn salt and half a huge grapefruit + water

I was seriously tired all day, and after a few co-workers started to get sick, I opted for some vitamin C, water, and rest. I didn't run this morning in an effort to get a few extra ZZZs. Photos tonight, folks!

A Little Bookkeeping...

So it's been a while since I've posted some totals... so here goes

Last week we broke the bank by spending $58. Yikes! Totally my bad. I know we got 3 boxes of cereal and some coffee which drove up our bill. But still.

This week, we clocked in at about $35, most of that went toward our mole recipe which we didn't make this weekend. This week, we bought some milk, soda, cold cuts, Cornish hens and cereal. But we also bought dried chilies, Mexican chocolate, anise, sesame seeds, tomatillos, etc.

This week will bring lots of cheap eats... chili and leftover curry, which makes cooking dinner a breeze! It's a short week and I made a huge pot of beans from what we had in the pantry. And perhaps we'll get sent home with leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner! A gal can dream, yes?

Hopefully next week will be a low bill as well to help recoup from that $58 week! Plus, need more $$ for holiday fun!

1 Cornish Hen and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Sundays are quickly becoming my favorite day of the week! I slept in until 7 am, then got up, had some cereal and milk with coffee. We did a few things around the house and then headed to a memorial service. As sad as the occasion was, it was a really beautiful service and setting and there was a lot of love. And a lot of love is the most important thing... ever, yes?

We ran some errands and had a little lunch. Kendall whipped up some chipotle ranch pasta salad with squash and onions. So yummy! We need to figure out a not-boxed recipe. I sort of had a piece of cake too.

Once finished, I worked on my paper and just have to proof it and submit. I love that feeling of being over the hard part. After the paper, it was time to PLAY again so I went for a run around the neighborhood. I came home to my hubby on a ladder. He had been there most of the afternoon. I strung some lights in bushes because the weather is so nice and it's getting to be that time of year! I cut Kendall's hair and then showered myself.

Then I got to work in the kitchen! We had been brining a Cornish hen we bought on Saturday. I grabbed some herbs out of the backyard, made a little herb butter which was rubbed under the skin and inserted some herbs and garlic under the skin as well. Then I roasted those puppies for an hour. I also made a big batch of Kendall's favorite white chili. It's meatless and really cheap, since this week's featured just Northern beans that I prepared today and a bag of frozen corn. It tastes a little different than usual, but still good. So then, viola! Dinner was done.

I had half the hen and a bowl of chili. I loved the hen recipe.

We folded some laundry and then... put up our Christmas decor! A bit early, sure. But we have plans next weekend and then there's wedding festivities and then... it'll be Christmas! So we took advantage of the quiet evening. I love this time of year!

Thwarted

Yesterday was productive in so many ways... except one! I started off with a bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon, peanut butter and honey. Yummy! Then I started to work on my paper and got a lot done! Yippee!

The handy man came out to look at a mysterious drip on our A/C closet that we thought they'd fixed. Then we did a bit of cleaning around the house and had some lunch. I had a black bean burger patty, sauteed veggies, the last half of a calzone, and some mac and cheese. Sort of a mish-mash of sorts, but really filling.

Right after lunch, Kendall, resident baker, pulled two fresh loaves out of the oven. Perfect! Nutty! Delicious!

Then it was time to PLAY! We went Christmas tree shopping and found the one we want, but we haven't bought it yet. Then we went to the grocery store and bought all the ingredients for our mole. We looked at the clock and realized that wasn't going to happen today (it takes 3 hours!). We went back out to Lowe's, ordered our carpet consultation, and then went back home to concoct something for dinner.

Kendall pulled some coconut milk out of the pantry, along with some red curry paste, veggies and spices. We sipped beer, chopped, diced and tasted. And behold! A red curry casserole was born!

I had mine over a bit of rice. Serious comfort food!

TGIF!

So glad it is Friday! This weekend I will be writing a research paper and cooking. For breakfast, the standard cereal with milk. I didn't get hungry until lunch. I had a black bean burger with a slice of Swiss in two corn tortillas and some tomato. On the side I had a big apple and 1/2 C of blackberries.

Driving home I found out that Kendall had a bad day. So I swung by the store and picked up some dark beer. Mad Hat's HOWL Black as Midnight dark ale, to be exact.

Then it was time for some calzones! I chopped some veggies...

Made some dough...

And baked!

So lusciously hot and cheesy on the inside!

Now it's chilling with some red wine and TV. Good night!

Thursday Night Dash

Thursday started with shredded wheat and milk. For a snack, I had a piece of fruit. For lunch, PB & J with an apple.

I came home and whipped up some salmon and veggies steamed in a foil packet. On the side, couscous that was thinned out with more broth. I had the salmon first, then scooped the veggies into the broth for a little soup action. So good! Definitely had some red wine with it.

Then my dad came over, so I didn't get around to blogging. My bad!

Oh Test Days

I started off the day with a bowl of cereal and milk and coffee. The cool front blew in and I pulled out the sweaters and scarves and wore my tall boots. Love it!

For a snack, I had some more coffee and a cup of grapes... and a donut. : (

For lunch, I packed a turkey and Swiss on whole-wheat, with a mix of fresh veggies on the side (1.5 C) and a banana... and a chocolate cupcake.

People kept bringing treats! But I drank my water and had a decaf hot tea in the afternoon.

Then I went to take my test... I didn't do as well as I had hoped, but I'm pulling for full points on the extra credit.

At home, it was time for some din-din!

We had black bean and cheddar quesadillas on corn with some guac and sauteed squash. So yummy!

I mashed the black beans on a plate, then spread them on a tortilla, sprinkled with cheese and threw in the pan to get melty!

Then I sort of had some leftover spice cake with decaf. So bad but then, so good. I need to be on my best behavior tomorrow!

Ordinary Miracles

I woke this morning and ran... in the garage. It's not as strange as it sounds. We moved the treadmill into the garage for the bridal shower and decided that was a better home than the kitchen. A cool front had blown through, so the garage was a nice cool temp and no wind! I rocked out to some Melissa Ethridge and read a little Better Homes & Gardens. Yes!

After a shower, using my new Vanilla Sugarcane bodywash that reminds me of all the baking smells I'll be creating this holiday season, I had a quick breakfast of shredded wheat and milk. I grabbed some coffee, threw on one of my favorite old (baggy) sweaters and headed to work with Christmas carols serenading me!

I didn't get that hungry. I was training a brave soul from our team to help out with distributing our workload to the team... and time flew! For lunch, I had a bowl of while chili (1 C), some wheat crackers (7), fresh cut veggies (probably 1.5 C when all was said and done), some cranberry sauce, and a pear. It really hit the spot. And it was a huge lunch!

The workday ended nicely with some fun e-mails back and forth with a pretty awesome gal pal. ; )

For dinner, we had the last of the chili with some bread with olive oil. Delicious! I thinned it out with a little extra broth. It really hit the spot with this great weather!

I studied and then Kendall's sister dropped by with a belated birthday cake. She also brought these supercool candles that have COLORED FLAMES! So neat. We had some red wine, chatted and had a good time.

I'm rather tired, but had a really nice day overall. Josh Groban is definitely putting me in a relaxed mood. Sometimes in life, it's the little things.

Veggie Heaven

That's what I felt like I was eating for breakfast Monday morning! I used the leftover spinach-onion stuffing for my tartlets and scrambled it with 2 eggs. I had a piece of whole wheat toast. It was yummy and filling. I didn't get hungry until 10:45 am... about 45 min after I usually do! It felt great to get some greens at the beginning of my day. (1.5 serv veggies, 2 serv protein, 1 serv grains)

I did get hungry at 10:45, so I had a little bunch of grapes (~ 1 C). They were really refreshing!

For lunch, I had turkey and Swiss on whole wheat with a baggie of baby carrots and a pear. A visitor brought Belgian chocolate cookies, so I had three! (1 protein, 1 dairy, 1 veg, 2 grains, 1 fruit + discretionary cals)

I drank my water and was very proud of myself. I got home and started in on the chili straight away! I made my white chili recipe, but without chicken and an extra can of beans. It still turned out great! I added some diced potatoes to stretch it a bit further so we can have it for lunch and dinner. I had 1 bowl with some tortilla chips on the side. I'm having a hard time estimating what I ate, but I'm approximating 3/4 C beans, and 2 serv grains (corn, chips and potatoes) plus lots of onions. Will post photos later...

I studied and when I came downstairs, there were candles all aglow. I love how cozy that looks! A cool front blew in and the hubby made decaf and popcorn (I had 2 bowls of it). Then we settled in and discussed our ideas for Christmas gifts! To all a good night!

I Think I Love Sundays

In what is turning into a Sunday tradition, Kendall makes crepes! I do believe they are his specialty. I had two with raspberry preserves...

And one with 2 Tbsp peanut butter! Plus coffee.

My brother and sister-in-law and their family stopped by to help replace some wood trim that was... icky. Eric did a great job and Kendall helped him. Meanwhile, my sister-in-law and I play Uno with the boys! We snacked on leftovers from the party. I had some cheese (2 oz?), carrots, celery (1 serv veg), crackers (5), cranberry sauce (4 Tbsp or so...), bean dip (2 Tbsp), and grapes (1/2 C or so). Yum!

I went for a nice run and studied for a while. I also made some progress on laundry. We went to the grocery store later... We went over... more about that later...

We came home and I started on dinner. While I cooked, I sipped some red wine...

Dinner was cheese stuffed-chicken with whole-wheat pasta and tomato sauce and steamed broccoli. I finished my wine. The meal was half a huge chicken breast (3 oz) with cheese (1.5 oz), 1 C pasta, 1/4 C sauce, and 1 C broccoli. So good!

I really love this chicken recipe...

Flatten out a chicken breast to about 1/4 inch, and put some cheese in the center (1.5 oz) and roll. Secure with toothpick and roll in breadcrumbs. Put in a greased pan and stick in an 350 oven for 30 min. Presto!