Menu Plan Monday - Week of 1/23/12

I'll be totally honest, friends. I don't have a MPM for this week. I know, I know...you are all aghast! Unfortunately, I just flat out don't have time to co:ok anything this week. I've already mentioned before that I have class on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:15-7:15. This week, however, is slam packed full of stuff to do. I am taking my training classes to teach for Florida Virtual school this week on top of my gifted endorsement stuff. So, Monday through Thursday of this week, I'll be stuck in a live virtual training from 6:00-8:00. Now, if you're paying attention, that means I'll have to leave my G.E. classes early this week so I can go log into another class! Crazy, huh?!

So, obviously, no cooking for me. There's just no way. The hubs was awesome and made taco salad tonight. Honestly, he could have made pig slop and I would've been happy. I suppose the rest of the week will either be him throwing something together, or we'll be fending for ourselves. I'll probably be a basket case by the week's end, so food will be the least of my worries!

On a positive note, my sister-in-law, Kristi, will be here on Friday with my adorable nephew, Hunter! I haven't seen them in so long and Trey and I are both thrilled to see them! We even took the day off on Friday to be able to spend every moment possible with them! Can't wait! :)

Well, hope your week is less crazy than mine. If it isn't, then I hope you have something wonderful to look forward to at the end of the week like I do. :)

Oh, Pinterest...

Oh,

How do I love thee, 

Let me count the ways...

1. I love thee for the awesome Apple Nachos for which you provided me with a recipe. Ummm, made these today...so, so good. Try them; you'll be happy you did.

2. I love thee for introducing me to Living Lou's blog, who in turn provided me with this tasty Seafood Salad recipe. I omitted the seafood medley and just added more shrimp. Can't go wrong there, can ya? ;)

3. I love thee for making my life one step closer to heaven by giving me the recipe for Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries. They are a little taste of heaven here on earth. Mmm-mmm-good.

4. Most of all, I love thee for the UH-MAZING Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls recipe I found via Plain Chicken. I mean, seriously, I think they may have changed my life. Of course, that change may be a clogged artery thanks to all the butter and cheese, but still...I'll die happy. Oh my gosh - they're freaking amazing. Try them; you'll thank me.

A Bevy of Healthy Lunch Ideas

When I first started the whole low-calorie recipe quest, I found it fairly easy to find dinner recipes that sounded good. Even breakfast items were fairly simple to come by. Lunches, however, are a different story. The word "diet" or "low-calorie" tends to bring thoughts of salad and raw veggies to mind. Now, while I love a good salad, I can only eat them so many days in a row before losing my mind. I am what you might call a food lover. I mean, I loooovvveee food. I get all excited over a new recipe and start dreaming of how I can change it up and make it better. I think I inherited it from my dad's side of the family. We all love to cook and enjoy a tasty meal.

Naturally, the idea of bland, boring lunches just doesn't sit right with me. I don't think it sits right when anyone. Period. End of story. So, after hours of searching and planning, I have found a pretty good collection of lunch ideas and recipes and I would like to share them with you all.

1. Ok, I'll be honest, my favorite lunch would have to be leftovers! If you have planned well and created a really good, low-cal menu for the week, you should plan for leftovers to take for lunch. You've already figured out the calories and it saves you time and effort in the morning. Plus, there's nothing better than a hot meal in the middle of the day. Makes you feel good inside. :)

2. Laptop Lunches - completely awesome site with portion control lunchboxes, as well as 365 lunch ideas organized by what's in season. It makes my heart so happy!

3. Eating Well Kids Lunch Ideas - I know these are supposed to be for kids, but I think they all sound so delicious. We're all kids at heart, right? So I say let's go for it! (Eating Well is my go-to site for most healthy recipes)

4. Taste of Home - GREAT list of low-calorie lunch food ideas. Combine as you please to create meals that are 450 calories or less.

5. On-The-Go Packed Lunches - another site with helpful lunch planning info.

6. Another Eating Well Lunch Collection - ideas for when you have a little extra time to prepare something special for lunch.

Hope these sites are as helpful to you as they have been (and continue to be) to me. Happy eating! :)

Ready, Aim, FUN!

For those of you out there in cyber-land who know us, you know that we love our guns. I always wanted to learn to shoot when I was younger, but I never really got the chance. When I met Trey, I quickly realized that he was a gun nut. He can't sit still to read a page in a novel, but put a gun magazine in his hand and he is enthralled for hours. And now, so am I.

One of our favorite pastimes is to go to the gun range for target practice. Since we had the day off, Trey suggested we go waste some ammo. What a great plan, babe! :) I got a new Ruger Mark III for Christmas, so I was anxious to put it to the test. Let me just say, I'm in lurve! It shoots like buttah...

We shot several hundred rounds today, alternating between the .22 and a few other guns. While the Ruger is definitely the one to shoot rapidly for target practice, the .357 is my absolute FAVORITE to shoot. It's so much fun. You just feel powerful; like you can take on the world. Love it.



To the right, you'll see one of our targets. Trey's shots were the two on the left and the center one. I had the two on the right. The upper right is my .22 grouping, with shots from the .357 is on the bottom right. I am so pleased with my pattern. I was all over the place when I first started shooting about a year and a half ago. This was around 10 yards away and I am finally seeing some control in my shots. I can't wait to see how I continue to improve. One day, it'll be all bullseyes! ;)

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 1/16/12

So I've been calorie counting since the start of the new year and I finally feel as if I am getting in a groove. I am limiting myself to 1200 calories and, while it's ok now, it sure was a bear to get used to the first couple of weeks. You don't realize just how much you put into your body until you are forced to account for every single thing that goes into your mouth. I did Weight Watchers a few years ago and it worked, but all those zero point foods really aren't zero calories. I mean, 1/4 cup of blueberries on WW would be zero points, yet they are actually 20 calories. It all adds up...how scary.

Thankfully, I have found TONS of great, low calorie recipes online to help me get through this diet. I have lost 7 lbs since Jan. 1 and I am not about to stop now. I want to lose at least 17 more. I can do this! All of the following recipes are low calorie and sound delicious.

Monday - venison hamburgers on wheat buns, roasted potatoes (for Trey), and salad

Tuesday - sirloin steak, lemon lovers' asparagus, and sliced tomatoes

Wednesday - BLT pasta salad

Thursday - BBQ pulled chicken on wheat buns

Friday and Saturday - leftovers (Trey's going hunting, so I'll be a bachelorette for the weekend)

Sunday - leftover appetizers (from the Premiere Jewelry party I'll be hosting)

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 1/9/12

As I sit here watching "Black Books" and drinking a Diet Sunkist, I find myself desperately wishing my soda was a good, red wine. Seriously debating whether or not I should crack open a bottle and join Bernard, Fran, and Manny for a drink or behave and save myself from the carbs and morning headache. Hmmm....decisions, decisions....

While I deal with my with my wine dilemma, I can at least do something constructive with my time and post my week's menu plan. My fifth and final (praise God) gifted endorsement class started last Thursday, so I'll be in class every Tuesday and Thursday until the end of February. Ungh...don't the powers-that-be know that by scheduling class from 4:15-7:15, they are seriously messing with my ability to cook a decent meal and eat at a reasonably hour? So frustrating. Ah well, it'll be over soon. Back to the menu...

Monday - Texas Roadhouse with Trey and Van

Tuesday - Grilled Chicken Salad

Wednesday - Venison Tacos

Thursday - Leftover Tuscan Pork Loin (frozen from two weeks ago), Broccoli, and Couscous

Friday - Ladies Bunco Night (aka Trey's on his own!)

Saturday - Dinner with the Lance, Leslie, and Lydia :)

Sunday - As always, fend for yourself day

Well, the wine debate is settled and I'm off to crack open that bottle. If you've never seen "Black Books" you really should check out some of the episodes on Hulu. I break out my dvds every few months as they are always good for a laugh.

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 1/2/12

 Oh, how I love to create my MPMs. I love the search for new recipes, both online and as I dig through all my old cookbooks. I love finding just the right balance of veggies and meats for the week. Most of all, I absolutely LOVE not having to stress each night wondering what I'm going to throw together for dinner. The work is already done for me and I get to simply enjoy the art and fun of cooking. It's wonderful. As you'll see, most of this week is dedicated to recipes from Eating Well.


Monday - Provencal Chicken, Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks, and Brown Rice

Tuesday - Horseradish-Crusted Beef Tenderloin and Baked Parmesan Tomatoes

Wednesday - Chicken Breasts with Roasted Lemons and Steamed Broccoli.


Thursday - Hamburgers with Warm Potato Salad with Bacon-Mustard Dressing

Friday - Leftovers, naturally!;)


Saturday - Baked Tilapia with Dill Sauce and Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower


Sunday - Fend for Yourself Day!