Twitchy

Morning everyone!  Happy Friday!  Here we are almost at the weekend and I’m finally caught up on blog posts for the week.  Say hello to yesterday!

See that gorgeous smoothie presented to me before leaving Michael’s yesterday morning…it’s pretty exciting that his fridge always contains yummy almond milk!  Especially when he whips it up with bananas, egg, and blueberries.

I had to run off for a doctor’s appointment so I treated myself to Starbies on the way home. Half sweet vanilla iced coffee with milk and the only treat I seem to like there anymore…lemon poppy seed loaf.

When lunch rolled around I was happy to open up a can of Habitant Pea Soup.  I knew salad would be served with dinner and I’d been thinking about this soup since I bought it.

Yummy in my tummy.

As was my daily salted chocolate ration.  Take THAT chocolate!  You haven’t beat me yet!

Come late afternoon I grabbed another nectarine but decided to add a side of almonds.  My eye was twitching like crazy which can be a sign of not enough potassium (apparently) and since I don’t have bananas on hand I figured this was a good way to go.

Anyone ever get that twitchy eye?!  It happens to me all the time but the banana trick always works.  Probably an old wives tale but it works for me I swear!  (the almonds seemed to work too!)

There’s the dinner salad I promised.  I needed it to brighten up those beige leftovers!!  No big silver bowl, just a stack of lettuce, carrots, peppers, cukes, and blue cheese dressing.

To spruce up Wednesday night’s leftovers I added sautéed mushroom and onions to the pork, and sliced and pan “fried” the already buttery herbed potatoes.

Holy deeeelish potatoes!

After strolling Miss Chibi around the block and staring a two episodes of the dumbest show I can’t stop watching Big Brother 13 I settled into another bowl of blueberries, granola and yogurt. 

I hope it’s a sunny weekend where you are. I’ve had a busy week and am looking forward to an adventure with Michael tomorrow!  Have a great weekend!

Winning the Grocery War

You know what happens when you meal plan, make a real grocery list, and actually stick to all of it?  You get fresh meals, leftovers, and full use of everything perishable in your fridge.

Bread keeps in the freezer so I stashed the rest of the open loaf away and stuck to yogurt and blueberries with hemp seeds for breakfast yesterday morning.  Sorry toast, but fresh blueberries are winning the breakfast war.

It’s possible to eat pretty much the same salad every day but just changing the dressing makes it seem totally different.

It also helps to use up the leftover rice and tzatziki that wouldn’t last another day in the fridge.

Afternoon sweet tooth.  Still managing one square per day but I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been considering mowing through the whole bar.  Nom.

Finally BC nectarines are here. 

With the leftovers all taken care of it was time for a proper dinner.  Seafood was actually on my grocery list but I switched it out for this marinated pork loin chop instead.  Half the price and big enough for two dinners.

All I had to do was cook it up under the broiler.  I matched it up with the rest of Monday night’s zucchini…this time coated with olive oil and sprinkled with s&p and cooked under the broiler with the pork.  Topped it with bocconcini cheese while it was still crazy hot.

Also found hiding in the produce drawer were some new potatoes I didn’t use up last week.  Quartered, boiled, and tossed with butter and fresh parsley and chives from my patio planters.

Easy peasy and comforting.  Not to mention pretty darn tasty.

After dinner Chibi and I headed out to hang out with Michael and Burl for the evening.  Instead of dessert I shared a beer with Michael while we relaxed in the hot tub. 

Yeah.  The hot tub again.  Twist my rubber arm.  ;)

Bonjour Frenchie

So where were we?  Tuesday I think.  Yup, Tuesday. 

Coffee.  Toast with almond butter and jam.  We have noooo bananas todaaaay.  I suppose fresh cherries will do.

For lunch I made up a replica of Monday’s salad…this time with cheeese.

I splurged on grocery day this week when I saw that island fresh Natural Pastures bocconcini had made it’s way to the deli.  I have pizza plans for this…if it lasts that long.

Lindt bars were on sale and the Sea Salt Dark Chocolate was actually in stock so I bought one.  The idea is to try a square or two per day to help keep my sweet tooth at bay.  (I’m a poet and I know it!)

It’s delicious but honestly it just makes me want to plow down the whole bar.  Just what I need…another willpower test.

Leftover chicken stirfry.

After dinner I headed on over to the other Jamie’s to meet their new furry buddy…Frankie the Frenchie!!  She’s a hyper little furball and oh so bloody cute!  Chibi had better watch herself…I always wanted me a Frenchie! ;)

She wanted to play and all Chibi wanted to do was skid away and pee on the floor.  Nutjob.

After our puppy party Jamie and I headed on over to Starbucks.  Tall decaf Americano with milk.  (fun anecdote: while we were sitting there a car pulled up with what looked like a Xolo on the passenger’s lap.  Since the breed is uncommon here we asked the guy, and sure enough his dog was a gorgeous Xolo…straight from Mexico City.  Neat.)

Of course, Chibi acted like a weirdo but it was still fun to know more and more Xolos are making their way to town. :)

Back at home I enjoyed staring at my cable TV for a bit while noshing yogurt and berries with granola.

I don’t even remember what I watched so clearly I was right about TV rotting my brain. 

Mama Likes a Good Deal

What’s better than a Wednesday morning walk with the pupper to get coffee?  Well, getting that coffee for free of course.  I’d been totally carrying that freebie coupon around in my wallet for months…why?  Who knows.  So I cashed it in.  Sadly I forgot to order my Venti Non-Fat Cinnamon Dolce Latte half sweet, but it was still freeeeee and delish.

Squirrelly Bread is back in the house.  Why do I ever buy anything else?  Oh ya, sales.  I’m frugal like that.

Hard to believe a statement like that when the next photo is a $4 bowl of cherries, but a girl picks her battles you know.  Cherries always win.

Besides you can easily see my el cheapo tendencies in my lunch o’ leftovers.  I’d already eaten all of the veggies out of the turkey mixture from the other night so I reheated what was left of the meat and piled it atop a fresh salad.

Red leaf lettuce, zucchini, tomatoes, carrots, EVOO, s&p, and a sprinkle of old white cheddar just for fun.

I figured out how to stomach straight up cranberry juice.  1 part juice to like 5 parts water with a squirt of lemon or lime.  Palatable now.

After work I met up with the other Jamie for a coffee and a few quick errands.  The highlight of my free morning coffee was this ‘treat receipt’ coupon for a reduced priced iced coffee. 

Back at home I whipped up a quickie Beef & Broccoli stir-fry. My attempt at creating my own marinade turned out a little bland…weird considering I used hoisin, soy, fresh garlic, fresh ginger and a few other fun things…but such is life.

A chocolate after dinner treat took the edge of my boring dinner.  :)

Here’s hoping that leftover stir-fry is more exciting on day two!

Getting Greek

Yesterday I didn’t even bother attempting coffee.  I reeeeeeally wanted it but I just knew that I’d be wasting a pot like I did on Monday.  Stupid tummy.  Toast with PB and banana seemed more the way to go.

At lunch time Michael popped by so I made us tea.  My body didn’t reject it…yay!  After he left I whipped a bowl of leftovers.  Turkey veggie spaghettini to which I added fresh spinach and basil.  Yum.

Mid afternoon snackeroo…I was finally able to bust into this bad boy.

And since I knew dinner would be somewhat late I whipped up a bowl of yogurt, blueberries, granola and almonds.

Tiffaney and I booked last night for a Greece planning session.  Now that we have plane tickets it’s high time we figure out what we’re going to do when we get there!!!  She offered to make a main dish so I brought along a salad (of course!).

In the big silver bowl:  red leaf lettuce, carrots, baby cukes, tomatoes, green onions (all local!), herby goat cheese, and homemade vinaigrette.

Our main course was the Mexican Lasagna (made vegetarian) from the Crazy Plates cookbook.  Totally yummy.

Especially with all that sour cream and fun toppings on it! :)

After dinner and catching up on our lives (we barely see each other these days!!) we got our our travel books and the laptop and got to work.  Things are coming together!!

Not long until I will be posting more specific details about where we are going.  Weeeeeeeeeeee!!