Planning Dinner - what we ate

We're a passionate meal planning family here. It creates a reliable, exciting, different dinner to look forward to each night. It's always a challenge to make sure we're eating a variety of colors throughout the day, and dinner is probably where we find ourselves adding the most greenery to our meals. 

For the past few weeks we've been cooking primarily out of Family Flavor and Smitten Kitchen cook books. 

Last week we tried the Mango Salsa over Salmon from Family Flavor

And the Risotto Stuffed Poblano Peppers from Smitten Kitchen

We also tried Black Bean Burgers from Family Flavor, and made the Red Onion and Swiss Cheese sandwiches from Smitten Kitchen. Those where two really quick, easy meals to throw together after work and the gym, when time is very valuable.


The burgers and the stuffed peppers both made enough for left overs, and when we knew we were going to run out of left overs, we fell back to our bulk meal favorite - slow cooker chili. We always have beans, broth, and salsa in our pantry and recently added a bag of frozen chicken breasts to our freezer. This combo, as well as any other random veggie scraps and spices you have makes for a solid, healthy meal. I recently read this blog post from (neverhome)maker about the perfect slow cooker chili recipe and I could not have said it better myself. We usually make one every other week and it sets us up for dinner, and leftovers for at least two days.

TIPs- Read the recipes all the way through. Is this a 30 minute prep and cook or a 30 minute prep and 30 minute cook kind of meal? You can plan the longer meals when you have more time and the shorter meals when you'll be home late.- Think ahead to which meals will create left overs ($ay no to cafeteria lunches!) so you don't get stuck with too many leftovers or too little.- When in doubt, Slow cook a bulk meal.

Good luck with your meal plans this week!!

Being aware - health

 

 I've been feeling really good lately - having those moments where my body feels clean, my mind is sound and my clothes have been fitting looser. I'd like to attribute it to a few things:

1) Getting out of my workout safety net

2) Meal Planning

3) Getting more sleep and having more fun

1) Getting out of your workout rut - you've heard this before, I know. Me too. I've always loved work out, instructor led classes. They can be tough, intense, but also a little repetitive. So after I got my strength and toughness back from working out at a local fitness center, I signed up for a weekly running club and started cycling once every other week. I started noticing a huge difference after three cycling classes. The combination keeps me fresh and working on all aspects of my body.

2) Meal Planning - We primarily use three recipe books to plan out our meals each week (also the internet, if we have a certain ingredient we want to use up! We use Smitten Kitchen, Dinner: a love story, and It's all good. They are great books that we are always finding more recipes from. We also buy our breakfasts and snacks (we eat at work) during each shopping trip. My breakfast currently includes plain greek yogurt (less than 5g sugar) with a handful of berries, a half cup of almonds or cashews to snack on, a piece of fruit.  Lunch is always leftovers, and the afternoon snack tends to be a vegetable (cucumber slices, carrots, broccoli) dipped into hummus. My 2pm carb cravings have  significantly decreased eating this way. I also try to avoid coffee (or at least sugar laced lattes and mochas!) as best I can. Needless to say, this saves some serious cash - going from $12/day (latte, breakfast snack, lunch) at the work cafeteria, to about $6 when I bring and make my own food which is a lot healthier.

3) Get more sleep, be more fun. For the last four years I was always tired. I wasn't losing any weight and I couldn't seem to find myself out of this constant rut cloud. I would get tested for thyroid problems and the tests would come back normal. Then I got a new job, had less stress, and started managing my work, workouts, my SWE to-do list, social and work on the house schedule a lot better. And it helped because I didn't have to be at work really really early, and I made going to bed early a priority. It is so obvious now, that the days I cheat and binge on crunchy carbs, are the days when I am running on less than 7 hours of sleep.

What are your triggers or pitfalls? 

are you actively tackling them?

When I think about any changes I can make to improve my diet

Clean Eating - April

April brings rain to clean our landscapes and, for us, a diet to detox our bodies. During April, Ben and I are participating in a clean eating program. Basically - no gluten, dairy, or soy.

We laid out the entire week: breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner. This way there's never a "what do I eat??" moment.

One day in, can't complain... and, like most things in life, there's a Ron Swanson quote for it.

talking to food

http://fytinafey.tumblr.com

How I'm Feeling
via Tina Fey / 30 rock

20 Ways to Love Your Body

Courtesy of OperationBeautiful and Margo Maine, Ph.D.

1. Think of your body as the vehicle to your dreams.  Honor it.  Respect it.  Fuel it.
2. Create a list of all the things your body lets you do.  Read it and add to it often.
3. Become aware of what your body can do each day.  Remember it is the instrument of your life, not just an ornament.
4. Create a list of people you admire:  people who have contributed to your life, your community, or the world.  Consider whether their appearance was important to their success and accomplishments.
5. Walk with your head held high, supported by pride and confidence in yourself as a person.
6. Don’t let your weight or shape keep you from activities that you enjoy.
7. Wear comfortable clothes that you like, that express your personal style, and that feel good to your body.
8. Count your blessings, not your blemishes.
9. Think about all the things you could accomplish with the time and energy you currently spend worrying about your body and appearance.  Try one!
10. Be your body’s friend and supporter, not its enemy.
11. Consider this:  your skin replaces itself once a month, your stomach lining every five days, your liver every six weeks, and your skeleton every three months.  Your body is extraordinary–begin to respect and appreciate it.
12. Every morning when you wake up, thank your body for resting and rejuvenating itself so you can enjoy the day.
13. Every evening when you go to bed, tell your body how much you appreciate what it has allowed you to do throughout the day.
14. Find a method of exercise that you enjoy and do it regularly.  Don’t exercise to lose weight or to fight your body.  Do it to make your body healthy and strong and because it makes you feel good.  Exercise for the Three F’s: Fun, Fitness, and Friendship.
15. Think back to a time in your life when you felt good about your body.  Tell yourself you can feel like that again, even in this body at this age.
16. Keep a list of 10 positive things about yourself–without mentioning your appearance.  Add to it!
17. Put a sign on each of your mirrors saying, “I’m beautiful inside and out.”
18. Choose to find the beauty in the world and in yourself.
19. Start saying to yourself, “Life is too short to waste my time hating my body this way.”
20. Eat when you are hungry.  Rest when you are tired.  Surround yourself with people that remind you of your inner strength and beauty. 

 

 

 

I think I will print this and put it everywhere.

HERE are most of these quotes, with pictures

January Trials.

from king5.com Wednesday-January-17

At first, I mistyped the title, accidentally writing "trails", which could also explain the chaos of January. Last week, Seattle was stopped for a very exciting, very cold, winter snow/ice/wind storm. Ben and I, stupidly, drove to work each day, risking our lives just so we didn't have to waste our precious vacation time!  


January did turn out to be overwhelming otherwise for me. I've been getting a colossal amount of emails since December. The window to accomplish everything is ever waning. I kicked my productivity in high gear and got my million "to-do" emails down to around five, which takes my anxiety down a few notches as well. 


I wanted to do some monthly follow ups to my 2012 Goals.


Career
I'm getting back on track after hitting a lull in early January - trying to challenge myself to be better and smarter. I think my next game plan is to start working on finding and following through on my informal mentors.  


Finances
I've successfully have not bought clothing all month. It surprisingly is really easy... When i see the most awesome dress that I really want to buy and couldn't live without I just remind myself that i simply cannot buy anything. And I know it's going to feel AMAZING buying that dress next year, in a more reasonable dress size :)
I used to visit Ideeli and Gilt (member only shopping sites) and drool over the selection of clothes. I've visited Ideeli maybe twice this month, and Gilt maybe a handful - looking at GiltCity and GiltTaste offers, not even tempting myself with their clothing. What a change from last year!

My next goal is to concurrently pay off my credit card debt while also meet my monthly saving commitment so we can eventually buy a house later this year. Cheers to work bonuses and tax returns this season!


Health
While I can't say I've lost any weight, I'm starting to notice this past week that my water intake is much higher and my portions are getting smaller. I still snack... but I'm working on it!  And it seems like I've kicked my latte and mocha habit - it's crazy - When I do go to Tully's in the morning with my co-workers I look at the amazing lattes, but can only get an Americano, no matter how much i think I want a latte!
Last week I bought a fancy scale that calculates Body Fat and Body Water percentages, just have to figure out how to calibrate it!

Ten Dollars at Tiffany's
Breakfast at Tiffany's at MOVIECLIPS.com

Don’t sacrifice

Don’t sacrifice what you want most for what you want in the moment.

(this is a lengthy one, more of a diary entry - thanks for not judging.)
I've tried to keep that as a mantra for quite some time now. I read it once in a fitness magazine and it's kinda popped up here and there and forever reminding me that each moment I have the choice to stay on track or not. Whether it's my career, my finances, my health - I make choices everyday that affect them. 


At the end of each year I start getting reflective about the past year - my accomplishments and failures and I try and transfer it all into how I can improve next year. A new years resolution without all the champagne and moment promises. 


Unfortunately my intentions have always been undercut by old habits. I know I need to continue to improve and challenge myself at work. I know I need to stop buying things to have (pretty) things. I know I need to stop binge eating and mindless snacking in order to lose weight. I frustrate myself incredibly just thinking about how I continually, year after year, don't meet my goals. Dana, just focus.  


Basically, I've hit my crossroads. I'm not changing, my previous efforts have been futile. 


So here's how it's going to work, okay Dana. 
Career. 
   Suck it up. Remember when you talked to those young girls about how they should be Engineers because engineers change the world, engineers help people?  YOU DO THAT. Your job is actually kinda cool. very important. and you make big decisions every day.  Embrace it. You won't be a minion forever - so be the best damn minion you can right now so you don't have to later.


Finances.
   I'm going to go to an extreme here. I've become an avid and extraordinary online shopper (not something to be proud of).  Next year, starting on January 1st I am going to take a stand against stupid spending (really, another dress, Dana?). I am going to do a clothing diet. YES, I AM NOT GOING TO BUY ANY CLOTHES FOR A WHOLE YEAR. yes, of course I will buy undies and socks as needed. And that's that. done. no spending money on clothes. I think I'm going to continue my addiction to pinterest, it's actually really therapeutic in avoiding actually buying clothes and block the members-only shopping sites I belong to.  
    I'm also hoping, as a sit project to this, to learn and understand where clothes come from & how to buy ethical clothing.

Health. 
   Despite my honestly good intentions I can't seem to remove any fluff. I'm an emotional eater. happy, sad, frustrated, annoyed, stressed, anxious -- there's always something I can chew on. I did okay managing my weight in college; I was much too busy to have time for mindless food indulgences and had a steady workout routine (there was NOTHING better than running at 6am before anyone woke up in a college town. the busy drunken streets were quiet and hungover. looooved it). However, since graduating - finding a balance has been really hard for me to do. Yogi (puppy!) was a nightmare and more for me alone to handle - I quickly learned that he would sit still if I gave him a chip for every few chips I would eat. I would eventually learn to walk with Yogi every day and then join a soccer league. THEN I TORE MY ACL. ugh. for 6 months I sat on my ass. For three months following the surgery I was still on crutches.  I ate a diet of cheese and crackers and and "exercised" at Physical Therapy - unable to steady my walk or fully extend my knee joint. 
   Long story short, I jumped up two dress sizes and felt worse than I ever have. I tried at the beginning of this year to combat this problem with a personal trainer - who was great at reconnecting me to the gym and what I could do to get the most out of my workout. I also started five months of Barre classes. Let me say this another way: Starting January 2011 I did two days of Personal Training, two days of Barre classed, and two days of PT. I literally was working out 6 days a week for 3-4 months. I just couldn't push any weight off. Three months into personal training I finally lost my first 5lbs. I was in heaven. Then I did a month of Freshology and 10 more came off.  I was able to maintain this until my wedding in August and since then it's all come back and more.
    I love working out, I love fitness classes. I don't believe my weight downfall is because I'm a couch potato. I believe I cannot control my bad eating habits. So, starting in January 2012, I will be doing a 9 month hypnosis program in Seattle.  Hey, lily allen did it :). I'll keep you posted on how it goes. They promise a sort of re-wiring of your decision matrix when it comes to food. (ok ok, my words, but that's how my engineer brain interpreted it.) 

Photo via Pinterest via ThxThxThx

I hope your 2012 is the best yet! 
Health and Happiness to you and yours <3
                                       dana.

What's for dinner

It's no secret that Ben and I love getting our Sunday veggie and fruit box from GrowingWashington -- not only does it make us eat veggies, it gives us a reason to try something new and delicious!


Case and Point: Carrot Latkes = amazing.
Basically, it's shredded carrots, onions, & celery mixed with two beaten eggs and some bread crumbs... pan fried in olive oil. *from my PowerFoods book.

And for dinner we had Duck egg over sauteed kale leaves and carrots.

so yummy!


and the only thing NOT from the local food box was the garlic, celery, and oil. pretty awesome.

Easter Day - Whidbey Island Scenic Tour

Yesterday Ben and I took another scenic drive through Whidbey Island... this time we let Yogi tag along and focused on dog-friendly events! 


First, a nice short trip on the Mukilteo-Clinton Ferry followed with with some Whidbey Island coffee!


Next we hit up Patmore Pit Dog park, a 40 acre park with trails and woods. http://www.fetchparks.org/patmore.html


Afterwards we ventured over to Ft. Ebey and took 4 miles of trails to successfully tire Yogi and ourselves out! Pictures below :)

We finished the trip by continuing north through Deception Pass and Mt. Vernon.

My new bike!!

On Saturday I went out with Ben in search of a reasonably priced new or used bike that I could go on the road and other such paved trails!!

We went to Recycled Cycles and Montlake Bike, two really great, totally different selections... after riding a few bikes we really fell in love with the Kona at Recycled Cycles!

It's been seriously over 6 years since I legit rode a bicycle. When I first took the bike for a test ride I tried to pedal backwards to engage the break. yea exactly... I know. 

turns out real bikes have handle breaks :)

"I'm here to pick up my bike"

"Which bike was yours?"

"ehh, red"

Week 3 - Diet doing delightfully

2 weeks ago I signed up for a personal trainer at the gym. I was already doing pretty well going to the gym 2-3 time a week, and just needed to make better use of my time.  It's been pretty great, he has a workout plan for me ready when I'm there -- and 50 minutes later I'm exhausted. Along with the workout, he shares diet strategies -- what I should be eating, when, how much. And he has me keeping a food journal.


The food journal is good, I'm not keeping track of calories which was always the most annoying part of food logging!


Also I'm hitting up Barre3 1-2 times a week, which works all those little muscles soooo much!!!


Overall a pretty good two weeks. definitely more energy and nutrition awareness :)




http://www.barre3.com/

week 1 - diet disaster

The high hopes i had last week for my diet just so happen to be the same hopes I had for the past, oh, 2 years. Unfortunately. 

Each day I did fantastic during the day (while at work) - watching my serving size, not getting caffeine in the morning. really great - about 400-600 calories intake by 2:30 when I'd leave. 

Then I get home, and bam: Yogi puppy needs attention, I need blog and gossip release/unwind -- which just drives me to snack b/c I'm stressed out from work and then I'm stressed out when I get home because I just can't sit down and breathe! 

Literally, I took in between 1200-2000 or so calories each night. how depressing.

The only positive is that I started getting new recipes and cooking with a lot better ingredients. so my dinner was great, it was just all those crackers or snacks before and after.

The remedy:

Set small goals. 

1) now that my knee gaining back strength, start taking yogi on short walks after work. and hopefully I can gain the confidence to start running again.

2) get healthier, easy to grab snacks. I LOVE crackers. a serious addict. this is always the diet killer for me, and the hardest hurdle to tackle. hopefully i can start getting the same satisfaction from another food that I get from crackers.

may i now commence the dieting.

This new year, like the status quo - I plan to lose weight! hooray! goals!


Last year I got sidetracked when I tore my acl, meniscus, and sprained my mcl in my knee. I spent from June until November sitting on my butt essentially. major bummer.
    (being a bummer: 04Aug10)


However - THIS YEAR will be different. 
I have a little bit more health responsibility and my knee is finally being reliable enough to exercise regularly. oh yea, and that whole wedding thing... pictures that will last a lifetime. yup, time to get back on track.




Today starts the healthy lifestyle. 


I'm planning weekly updates with progress on my food intake and exercise output!

                                                             cheers to new habits!