The Clean Eating Challenge: Thursday

I've challenged myself to go cold turkey on my beloved junk food and eat 100% clean for seven days straight. Well, maybe 95% clean... but I think that's close enough for a beginner. Here's what I ate today.

Breakfast
1/2 cup Quaker Old Fashioned Oats
2 tablespoons coarsely ground flaxseed
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1 teaspoon honey
3 dashes ground cinnamon
1/2 cup fresh, local blueberries

Spinach omelette (1 whole egg, 1 egg white)

Coffee with organic half-and-half and sweetened with 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Morning Snack
1 red delicious apple
Small handful unsalted almonds

**Today's workout was supposed to be Yoga X, but I've rearranged my week so that I can rest on Saturday when I'm traveling to visit my parents. I was going to do Kenpo X, but I don't really like Kenpo. So I did the Plyometrics workout instead and LOVED it. I never used to be able to make it all the way through the full hours. Now I not only completed the whole workout, but I ROCKED it. Go me!**

"Lunch" (Post-Workout)
10 ounces organic skim milk
4 tablespoons chocolate soy protein powder

Afternoon Snack (which I had to share with the man cub)
10 ounces plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons all natural peanut butter
1 crumbled up cinnamon graham cracker (not technically clean, but all I had... at least it doesn't have any high fructose corn syrup)

Dinner
2 cups spinach and spring mix greens
4 oz. marinated chicken
     Marinade:
     2 teaspoons olive oil
     1 teaspoon lime juice
     Generous dashes of ground cumin
1/2 cup reduced sodium black beans
1/2 cup reduced sodium chickpeas
2 tablespoons chunky salsa

Evening Snack
?????

Summary

The timing of my meals was thrown off today by having John at home. I had to wait until his nap time to do my workout, which was fine, and didn't feel like eating a full meal afterward. So I had the protein shake for "lunch" right after my workout. I intended to eat the salad for my "afternoon snack" and then make something using the summer squash I have sitting in the fridge. But I got side tracked with play time out in the yard, so I opted for a quicker snack (the yogurt). I ate the salad for dinner because the chicken was already marinating.

I haven't figured out what to eat for an evening snack yet, but I'm hungry and have not eaten nearly enough calories today to support how hard I worked out. To be perfectly honest, I would kill for a giant bag of popcorn right about now. Some salty, buttery deliciousness. But that much salt this late in the day would make me puff up like a balloon overnight. And I don't think we have any popcorn in the house anyway. What to do!! I'll figure something out.

FYI - I broke down and ate some of John's turkey sausage links, two pieces of whole wheat toast with a super thin layer of locally made strawberry preserves, and some decaf coffee with a half tablespoon of maple syrup and two tablespoons of organic half-and-half. Again, technically not clean... but I'm hungry!

Final Nutritional Breakdown: 1,984 calories (48% carbohydrates, 25% protein, 27% fats)

And may the peace of the Lord be always with you.

The Clean Eating Challenge: Wednesday

I've challenged myself to go cold turkey on my beloved junk food and eat 100% clean for seven days straight. Well, maybe 95% clean... but I think that's close enough for a beginner. Here's what I ate today.

Breakfast
1/2 cup Quaker Old Fashioned Oats
2 tablespoons coarsely ground flaxseed
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1 teaspoon honey
3 dashes ground cinnamon
1/2 cup fresh, local blueberries

Spinach omelette (1 whole egg, 1 egg white)

Coffee with organic half-and-half and sweetened with 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Morning Snack
1 red delicious apple
Small handful unsalted almonds

Lunch
2 cups spinach and spring mix greens
5 oz. marinated shrimp
     Marinade:
     2 teaspoons olive oil
     1 teaspoon lime juice
     Generous dashes of ground cumin
1/2 cup reduced sodium black beans
1/2 cup reduced sodium chickpeas
2 tablespoons chunky salsa

**Today's workout was the P90X Shoulders and Arms workout. It suddenly occurs to me that I was supposed to do the Ab Ripper X workout, too. Oops!**

Afternoon Snack (Post-Workout)
10 ounces organic skim milk
3 tablespoons chocolate soy protein powder
1 medium banana

Dinner
1/4 cup tricolor rotini (technically not clean because it wasn't whole wheat... whatever)
1/2 a medium zucchini sliced
10 kalamata olivs
4 ounces shrimp sauteed in garlic
1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Evening Snack
4 tablespoons plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon natural peanut butter

Nutritional Breakdown: 1,861 calories (48% carbohydrates, 21% protein, 31% fats)

Summary

I discovered a few things today. First, coffee with maple syrup is better tasting than coffee with honey. Second, a tablespoon of honey has 16-17 grams of sugar but a tablespoon of maple syrup has 12 grams of sugar. Third, I need to find a way to eat (or maybe buy?) only the egg whites. I hate throwing away the yolks. It just feels so wasteful. Fourth, I need to be a little more conservative with the olive oil. Fifth, it seems like I'm constantly eating all day but I'm actually consuming fewer calories than I normally do... without going hungry or feeling unsatisfied. I'm still eating too much fat, but at least it's almost all healthy fats (ie, almonds, peanut butter, olive oil, flaxseeds). So that makes it a little better. And lastly, cumin-marinated shrimp and salsa make a delicious salad topping!

And may the peace of the Lord be always with you.

The Clean Eating Challenge: Tuesday

I've challenged myself to go cold turkey on my beloved junk food and eat 100% clean for seven days straight. Well, maybe 95% clean... but I think that's close enough for a beginner. Here's what I ate today.

Breakfast
1/2 cup Quaker Old Fashioned Oats
2 tablespoons coarsely ground flaxseed
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1 teaspoon honey
3 dashes ground cinnamon

Spinach egg white omelette (3 egg whites)

Coffee with organic half-and-half and sweetened with a 1/2 teaspoon honey

Morning Snack
1 red delicious apple

**Today's workout was a 4 mile run instead of the P90X Cardio X workout.**

"Lunch" (Post-Workout)
1 cup organic skim milk
3 tablespoons chocolate soy protein powder
1 cup frozen strawberries

Afternoon "Snack"
2 cups spinach and spring mix greens
5 oz. cooked shrimp
1/4 cup local grape tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped local cucumber
10 Kalamata olives
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and vinegar dressing

Dinner
4 oz. slow cooker BBQ chicken
     Sauce:
     1 cup ketchup
     1/3 cup packed brown sugar
     1/2 cup honey
     1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
     2 tablespoons ground mustard
     2 tablespoons paprika
     1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2/3 cup steamed green beans
1 serving baked sweet potato fries
1/2 banana (I had to bribe John to eat his green beans but he didn't need a whole banana)

Evening Snack
Clean Cookie Dough Greek Yogurt (recipe here)

Nutritional Breakdown: 2021 calories (46% carbohydrates, 26% protein, 28% fats)

Summary
Today I did well, but also kind of crappy. I made the mistake of not eating enough water this morning before my workout. I took Piper for a 2 mile run and then went back out for another 2 miles right after. I started to really feel the heat and had to really slow down. Then I started feeling light headed and got the beginnings of some chills (which you'll learn in next month's health ministry newsletter as a symptom of HEAT EXHAUSTION). Muy malo! So I walked a lot of the last mile, came home to hop in a cool shower, and felt totally wiped out for the rest of the day. I ended up eating my shake for lunch because I was so tired and had the salad for an afternoon "snack." My energy level did bounce back a little bit later in the afternoon. I managed to wash all the linens on our bed and two loads of dishes.

On a side note, cookie dough Greek yogurt is awesome! Thanks for the recipe, Melanie Mitro. I didn't have any mini chocolate chips, though. I had a whole Hersey bar leftover from when we made s'mores on the fourth. But I didn't trust myself to only eat a little bit of it. So I crumbled up some cinnamon graham crackers instead. I like the crunchy texture. I'll have to add mini chocolate chips to my pantry staple list.

And may the peace of the Lord be always with you.

The Clean Eating Challenge: Monday

I've challenged myself to go cold turkey on my beloved junk food and eat 100% clean for seven days straight. Well, maybe 95% clean... but I think that's close enough for a beginner. Here's what I ate today.

Breakfast
1/2 cup Quaker Old Fashioned Oats
2 tablespoons coarsely ground flaxseed
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1 teaspoon honey
3 dashes ground cinnamon
1/2 cup fresh, local blueberries

Spinach omelette (1 whole egg and 1 egg white)

Coffee with organic half-and-half and sweetened with a 1/2 teaspoon honey

Morning Snack
1 red delicious apple
Small handful of unsalted almonds

Lunch
Spinach and spring mix greens
5 oz. cooked shrimp
1/4 cup grape tomatoes
10 Kalamata olives
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and vinegar dressing

**Today's workout was P90X's Core Synergistics. I decided to start my 90 days over to sync up with my clean eating challenge.**

Afternoon (Post-workout) Snack
1 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
1/2 organic skim milk
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup frozen black cherries
3 tablespoons chocolate soy protein powder

Dinner
4 oz. slow cooker BBQ chicken
     Sauce:
     1 cup ketchup
     1/3 cup packed brown sugar
     1/2 cup honey
     1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
     2 tablespoons ground mustard
     2 tablespoons paprika
     1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2/3 cup steamed green beans

Evening Snack
1 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup fresh, local blueberries

Nutritional Breakdown: 1,775 calories (43% carbohydrates, 31% protein, 26% fats)

Summary
I lost count of how many times I refilled my water bottle, but I think I've had about 80 ounces of water to drink today. Overall, I felt pretty dang great all day. I started the day feeling like complete crap because my allergies were acting up. John and I spent most of yesterday afternoon running around the back yard (literally... have I mentioned how much this kiddo likes to RUN?). I should have taken some Claritin or something last night, but I forgot. But once I'd eaten breakfast and got my morning started, I had a ton of energy and got a lot of stuff done around the house. We'll see how I do with the rest of the week, but I'm really loving this so far.

And may the peace of the Lord be always with you.

Operation "Eat A Freaking Carrot" Day 3

Today was both really exciting, and a complete disappointment in the carrot-eating department. Let me explain...

It all started with a ride in the car. While John and I were riding home in the car this afternoon, he asked me repeatedly if he could watch "Kipper the Dog" on Netflix when we get home. I'm a little conflicted on this subject. While I desperately appreciate how Kipper holds John's undivided attention for a solid 45-60 minutes, I am also trying to limit John's daily screen time to an hour or less. He learns a lot of new words from watching shows and movies on Netflix, but I would rather have him running around the yard like the little mini-marathoner he's turning out to be.

So anyway, I jokingly replied that I would let him watch Kipper if he ate some carrots when we got home. I chuckled a little to myself (after all, I am so very funny) and went on my merry way. When we got home, and battled through the assault of excitedly licky dogs at the door, John marched straight into the kitchen and announced that he wanted some carrots.

"I'm sorry, you what?"

Pointing at the refrigerator. "I want some carrots, Mommy. Then I'mma go watch KIPPER!"

"Uhhh.. okay."

To my surprise (and elation), he totally did! He ate one WHOLE baby carrot straight out of the container. I asked him if he wanted another, keeping my fingers and my toes crossed as hard as they would go, but he turned me down. He then skipped (he literally skipped) into the living room, crawled on to the couch with his bear, and asked if he could watch Kipper. He even said, "Please?"

How could I turn that down? I can't start breaking my promises, so I let him watch 30 minutes of Kipper while I finished making dinner. I had high hopes that he would eat more carrots at dinner since he so happily ate the first one, but I was soon to be disappointed. He ate one tiny piece of one and then turned his nose up at the rest. I was too worn out to push him tonight, so I just let him eat the rest of the food on his plate. Oh well.

And may the peace of the Lord be always with you.

Operation "Eat A Freaking Carrot" Day 2

So tonight was our second attempt at carrots. Since I had an entire container of leftover carrots in my refrigerator, it was pretty easy to make dinner. Once again, John seemed pretty excited when I opened the container. I had already let him count out his chicken nuggets (don't judge me, I'm doing the best I can here) as we put them on his plate, so we did the same with the carrots. He counted them out and we clapped our hands when we were done. Then he licked some of the honey-cinnamon-ginger flavor off his fingers and smiled.

"Mmmm, yummy."

"Yeah, yummy carrots. Should we go eat them now?"

"Yeah, let's do that!"

After that, it was pretty much a "Groundhog Day" repetition of last night. The only difference was that at least he would touch the carrots. He mushed a couple pieces and would occasionally lick the honey-cinnamon-ginger flavor off his fingers. He kept asking for the honey again and I kept reminding him that the honey is on the carrots. Just when I was about to give up, I had an idea.

Operation "Eat A Freaking Carrot" Day 1

So the first vegetable we're going to tackle with Operation "Eat A Freaking Carrot" is, of course, carrots! I picked carrots because they have a sweeter flavor that most vegetables, hopefully making them more appealing. I needed to keep it simple, so I bought a bag of fresh baby carrots from the produce section that were packaged in a microwaveable bag. The benefits of fresh produce plus the convenience of microwaving! Perfect.

I let John put the bag in the microwave, close the door, and push the buttons to start the microwave. This was immediately gratifying to him as the microwave lit up, started making noise, and we watched the carrots turn around and around inside. When the microwave beeped at the end of three minutes, John happily announced, "All done!" I took the bag out of the microwave, cut it open with the scissors, and poured the steamed carrots into a bowl so John wouldn't burn his hands.

"Oooo... carrots! Yay!"

"Do you like carrots, John?"

"Yeah, I like carrots."

Then came the fun part, and the part that might be my undoing.

Operation "Eat A Freaking Carrot"

First, I'd like to provide a little context for you. John is two. I know a lot of people talk about the "terrible twos," but John really doesn't fit into this category. He's a pretty good kid. Actually, he's a pretty freaking amazing kid. He naps for 90 minutes to two hours every day and still sleeps a solid 11-12 hours every night. He always says "please" and "thank you." He rarely throws tantrums, as in, almost never. He does what he's told, he likes to help, he follows the rules, and he's about 50% potty trained. He doesn't bite. He doesn't hit. He listens well, takes turns, shares, and apologizes (with prompting) when he's done something wrong. Despite my ineptitude as a first-time mom, I've so far managed not to screw him up... which is a miracle all by itself.

One of the hallmark developmental stages for any toddler is what Erikson call's the "autonomy versus shame and doubt" phase. In this critical time of his development, John is learning to do things on his own. He's gaining an understanding of his individual autonomy and confidence in his abilities to go out and explore the world. He's learning to dress himself and undress himself. He's learning to put on his shoes. He's learning to brush his teeth (with a lot of mommy's help and supervision), put away his toys, and make choices. We let him pick out his clothes by giving him two options. "Do you want the robot pajamas or the dinosaurs?" He's learning to use the potty, which is a huge deal for toddlers. If you've never seen a group of toddlers interact before, it's quite amusing. One of them needs to go to the bathroom and all the rest of them have to go "help."

So he's learning all these important skills, which he'll need as he becomes progressively more independent, but he still lives in a world with a lot of limits. Mommy determines when he gets up and when he goes to bed. Mommy decides when we go outside and when we come back in. Mommy decides where we go and what we do and who we see. Even though we give John a few choices and a few opportunities to make decisions for himself, he still lives in a world ruled strictly by Mom and Dad.

Many, if not most, toddlers will react to these limitations by asserting their authority in one way or another. For some, it's the common behavior of responding to all communication with, "No!" For others, it's controlling and manipulating parental behavior by throwing temper tantrums to get what the toddler wants. A friend of a friend's three-year-old willfully poops in his pants when he's frustrated or angry with his parents (yikes!!). Toddlers have very little control over their lives, so they will sometimes try to take control in any way that they can. For John, it's food. This is where Operation "Eat A Freaking Carrot" comes into the story.

A Christ-Centered, Yogic Lifestyle

Rather than give myself a lengthy list of resolutions to attempt to follow, I've decided to recommit myself to more fully living out my rule of life. I've been faithful to certain elements, and have struggled with others. So this year I'm going to continue my efforts at living a Christ-centered, yogic lifestyle. Happy Near Year and namaste!

Love God

Pray daily.

Pray the rosary regularly.

Participate in corporate worship.

Observe the sacraments. In particular, participate in the Eucharist.

Honor the liturgical cycle of the church calendar.

Study the Scriptures.

Love Others

Act always out of love.

Always consider others' feelings before acting or speaking.

Speak gently and do not spread gossip.

Never refuse a request for help.

Love Yourself

Keep a positive attitude.

Maintain healthy relationships with others.

Maintain a healthy environment.

Set priorities and personal limits.

Get adequate rest.

Make healthy food choices.

Exercise regularly.

And may the peace of the Lord be always with you.

My Rule of Life

A week or so ago I updated the menu bar across the top of this blog to include a page titled "My Rule of Life." This is something that I've been thinking about and praying about for a year or two, but I've never blogged about it before. I don't know where my interest originated. It may have started when I first began reading Saint John of the Cross and other Carmelite authors. I think that's when my interest and curiosity in religious orders began. I began to research the different types of religious orders and what their lives are like. What do they do to devote themselves to God? What vows do they take? Why? How does this affect their daily lives? 

Obviously I don't intend to take vows and join a religious order, because I live very much "in the world" with a husband and a family to care for. But that doesn't mean that I can't follow their example in the way I live my life. So that's when my search began, the search to find a Rule of Life that I felt I could really live. There were many elements to choose from. Poverty. Charity. Celibacy. Silence. Ceaseless prayer. Fasting. There are so many more and they are so many expressions of these. But I just couldn't find the right combination. None of them spoke to me. None of them called out to me. So after giving it a lot of thought and prayer, I decided to write my own, personal Rule. And here it is. Love God. Love Others. Love yourself. 

There is a phrase out there that says you should live in JOY (Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last). And while this is an okay sentiment, to me it implies that I would have to put myself last. In a world where my obligations often leave me stretched completely thin and exhausted, I can't afford to put myself last. I can't take care of other people if I'm not taking care of myself. I have to love myself and take care of myself in order to keep myself physically, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy. But I still want my focus to be on serving God and serving others. 

I'm still working on refining the details of my Rule, but I think I'm off to a good start.

And may the peace of the Lord be always with you.

Nutrition Podcast - Eating In A Spiritually Minded Manner

Eating In A Spiritually Minded Manner - Food, Faith, and Fasting - Ancient Faith Radio

And may the peace of the Lord be always with you.

Apple and Pecan Cinnamon-Swirl Muffins

This recipe is a bit of an experiment. I've been craving sweets especially intensely for the past few weeks, fueled primarily by my new obsession: the cupcake shop downtown. This bakery puts out some of the most delicious cupcakes I have ever tasted in my life. They make eight hundred gazillion flavors, but so far I've only tried five. I go in at least once a week to try something new.

But I digress! So I have the day off from class and I've been studying the muscular system for tomorrow's anatomy and physiology exam all day. Studying always makes me crave sweets. I'm pretty sure it's all psychological, but I see no reason not to indulge today.

I found a box mix of "cinnamon swirl quick bread" and suddenly became inspired. What if instead of quick bread, I made muffins? Simple enough. What if instead of using vegetable oil, I used applesauce? How healthy! What if I chopped up a Granny Smith apple, added it to the batter, and topped it all off with some roasted pecans? Yummy!

The Ingredients - As it turns out, our applesauce had mold in it. So I ended up using vegetable oil after all. Oh well!

The Process
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (or 325 if you have a convection oven like me) and grease/flour the pan, per the instructions on the box.

Slice and core a Granny Smith apple, then chop slices to desired size.

Combine quick bread mix, water, applesauce, and eggs per the instructions on the box. Fold in chopped apples.

Fill muffin cups to 1/3 with batter, top with cinnamon mix, and carefully swirl with a knife.

Pour remaining batter into muffin cups until 2/3 full each, sprinkle with cinnamon mix, and top with pecans.

Bake for about 24 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan for 10 minutes and enjoy!

And may the peace of the Lord be always with you.

Easy Roasted Potatoes

Here is a quick and easy recipe that I make ALL the time. I actually just made this recipe last night, but didn't think to snap a picture before we scarfed them all down. I'll try to remember to photograph them next time.

Ingredients:
potatoes (recently I used red potatoes, but you can use whatever kind you like)
olive oil
minced garlic
rosemary
salt and pepper

Instructions:
1. Cut potatoes into bite sized pieces. You can do them smaller or larger, whichever you prefer, but keep in mind that smaller pieces will cook faster.
2. Put potato pieces in a bowl and toss with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic (or more if you like), 1 teaspoon of rosemary (or more if you like), and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Once the potatoes are well coated, spread them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake at about 400 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

And may the peace of the Lord be always with you.

Grilled Chicken and Pasta with Red Peppers and Kalamata Olives

I debated whether or not to even write this post, as the recipe didn't turn out quite like I'd hoped. But if I can learn from my mistakes, then you can learn from my mistakes, too. First lesson, cooking in someone else's kitchen is much hardern than cooking in your own kitchen. We're house and puppy sitting for some friends on vacation. And while I am extremely grateful that they're allowing us to live in their house for free, I'm also quite frustrated that I don't know where anything is. On top of that, I have never cooked on a gas range before. I really like the control I have over the cooking temperature, but it's taking time for me to get used to.

Second lesson, never ever EVER let the pasta get mushy. It's just not good. It doesn't taste any different, but the texture is just... well, mushy. Bleh. So here's what I did, with some notes as to what I did wrong and how I'll do things differently next time.

This recipe is an adaptation of one I found online at BonAppetit.com this afternoon. I added the grilled chicken and the baby spinach.

Grilled Chicken and Pasta with Red Peppers and Kalamata Olives

Part one: the chicken

Take some chicken breasts, season them on one side while still in the package (I used salt, pepper, basil, and rosemary). Then place them in a hot skillet with the seasoned side down. Season the other side and place a heavy iron press on top. I think theirs is a bacon press. Usually I would do this in the George Foreman grill because it's super fast and easy. I found one in the pantry, but I was too lazy to get it down, so I used a pan on the stove instead and it worked just fine. Turn over after a few minutes and cook until done.

Part two: the pasta

Ingredients:
Red bell pepper
Kalamata olives
Baby spinach
Thin spaghetti (I should have used linguine but I didn't have any and the box of spaghetti was open)
Aged parmesan cheese
Balsamic vinegar
Red pepper flakes
Basil
Rosemary

Cook the pasta in salted water until done. Dice the pepper. Sautee the bell pepper, olives, and red pepper flakes until tender. Add the spinach and cook until only slightly wilted (I actually did this last, which makes no sense at all. I don't know why I did that. I'm just retarded today). Add the cooked pasta, balsamic vinegar to taste, basil, rosemary, and parmesan, tossing to coat the pasta.

Serve pasta with chicken on top, sprinkling with parmesan to taste.

This didn't turn out especially pretty, but it tasted amazing. I will definitely make it again, but in the proper order next time. James even really liked the spinach. Yay!

Chicken Scaloppine with Garlic Sauteed Spinach and Roasted Red Potatoes

Another cooking adventure without James! This is yet another creation from the depths of my mad mind! Chicken scaloppine, baby spinach sauteed in garlic and olive oil and topped with a little feta cheese, and roasted red potatoes in a chive butter sauce.

Part One: the chicken

Ingredients:
boneless chicken breasts
plain bread crumbs
seasoning blend
pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine bread crumbs, seasoning blend, and pepper in a shallow dish. Don't ask me how much because I just guess and smell it until it looks pretty good. Dredge chicken breasts in crumbs, coating both sides well. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Get the oil too hot and it'll smoke. My range temperatures are "Lo", "2-8", and "Hi." I set my burner to "5." Cook the chicken for three minutes on each side, then transfer skillet into the oven for 25 minutes. Garnish with a slice of lemon (optional - I actually didn't do this because I didn't remember to get the lemon until I was already in the check-out at Food Lion and I was next in line).

***NOTE*** My pans have metal handles and are made to go into the oven (Calphalon Contemporary Stainless). If yours can't do that, then you will have to transfer the chicken breasts into a shallow baking dish, probably coated in cooking spray.

Part two: the spinach

Ingredients:
baby spinach
olive oil
minced garlic
pepper
feta cheese

Heat one or two tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat (setting "5" and then down to "Lo" to keep warm). Saute one teaspoon of minced garlic until golden. Add entire bag of baby spinach and saute. Don't worry, it will reduce down. Pepper to taste and garnish with feta cheese (optional).

Part three: the potatoes

Ingredients:
Bird's Eye Steamfresh Roasted Red Potatoes with Chive Butter Sauce

Take bag of potatoes out of freezer and microwave for 5-6 minutes. Is it cheating? Yes. Was it delicious anyway? Yes. Will I do it again? YES! (Just don't tell Beth!)

Put it all together and enjoy with a glass of wine. I had a pinot grigio and it was quite good. Bon appetit!

Total time: 35-40 minutes

Single Woman Food!

Ok, well not really. But there are a lot of recipes and experimental food combinations that I've wanted to try that I KNOW James would never eat. Since he's gone and I'm here by myself, I thought I'd try a few things out. If they're any good, then I'll keep the recipes and try them on James once our move is complete. If they're terrible, then no one ever has to know!

This "recipe" was an inspired concoction from my head. I had leftover green beans (1/2 cup) from a previous meal and one serving of Land O'Frost Applewood Smoked Ham (4 thin slices), which really isn't enough for a decent sandwich. So I cooked some penne pasta (3/4 cup dry), microwaved the beans and the ham, and tossed it all in extra virgin olive oil (1 tbsp) and a sun dried tomato and basil seasoning blend (it's actually an bread dipping blend, but it's good to season food too).

I didn't decide to take pictures of the dish until after I'd assembled it, otherwise I would have made it look MUCH prettier. I'll have to do a better job of that next time. This was actually pretty good. The seasoning blend was a touch on the salty side, but the flavors worked well together. I love smoked ham and green beans. Maybe that's just the Southerner in me showing herself off. The only thing I would do differently might be to top it with Romano or Parmesan cheese.

Calories: 414
Carbohydrates: 48 grams
Protein: 17 grams
Fat: 17.5 grams (use less olive oil to cut back on the fat content)
Fiber: 3 grams
Sodium: 560 mg + whatever was in the seasoning

Applewood Smoked Ham and Green Beans Over Penne

On Veganism

By the power of social networking, I've recently reconnected with a good friend from my childhood. We'll call her KP. A day or two ago, she posted the following to her Facebook page:

"As a vegan, I find myself often attempting to silence my beliefs around my friends and family members in an attempt to not make them uncomfortable - I truly believe that everyone has the right to make their own choices, and that what is right for some is not right for all. However, many of you ask questions - number one being WHY VEGAN? And I think this video by Sir Paul McCartney answers that better than I ever could. Warning: Like all videos of this nature, it is graphic. 

The point for me is not that this video is all that original - there are many more out there just like it. I find it just a very clear to the point argument against supporting this kind of behavior by purchasing and eating meat and animal products. It is not that I believe that the eating of animals is wrong, fundamentally or in any other regard. It is that I believe that the view of animals as a product, vs a living being, and therefore the ability of large companies to treat these products with cruelty and violence and disrespect, is something that I am against wholeheartedly. 

My Adventures in Breadmaking

Okay so this isn't an actual recipe, since I'm pretty sure that's copyright protected. A good friend of mine bakes her own bread and it is AMAZING. Actually, everything she cooks is amazing. I joke that whenever this particular friend invites you over for dinner (or any event that involves food), you should drop everything immediately and go to her house. Nothing has ever come out of her kitchen that wasn't positively divine, and that includes her cocktails. A few weeks ago, she recommended a breadmaking book to me. I finally picked up a copy last week. "Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day"

 

New Michael Pollan Book!

Michael Pollan, author of "The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals" and "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto", has come out with a new book: "Food Rules: An Eater's Manual."