Meat & Veggie "Meat Cheats"

Friday for lunch I threw this together and it was so good! I use 93/7 ground meat and it came out really juicy! I call them Meat Cheats because it's how I've cooked meatballs for years ;-) I think next time I'll do the same thing with mushrooms. I wonder what other veggies would be good in them...

MEAT & VEGGIE "MEAT CHEATS"

1 lb 93/7 ground beef
12 oz frozen green beans
Seasonings (I used my homemade Greek seasoning)

Cook green beans until almost desired tenderness. Drain if needed. Pulse in food processor until chopped very finely. Add meat and seasonings. Pulse just until mixed.

Pat into a rectangular glass baking dish (mine's approx 8x10). Microwave, covered, for 5 minutes at 50% power. Remove from microwave. Cut into 4 equal pieces in pan and flip each over. Resume cooking at 50% for 3-5 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool for a few minutes then cut as desired.

You can also make the meat mixture into patties and cook like a burger.

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas, everyone! Hope you have a blessed time with family and friends, but don't forget the Reason for the season!!! :-D

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH (adapted from Taste of Home Two-Tone Fudge Brownies)

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. oat flour
1 c. (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

In a small bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in cream and vanilla. Gradually add flour. Stir in chocolate chips.

*This is meant to be eaten as is! It will not bake into chocolate chip cookies. It is, however, safe and yummy to eat by the spoonful or to add to ice cream or top brownies or... :)

Two-Pepper Mexican Pasta

TWO-PEPPER MEXICAN PASTA

12-16 oz whole wheat pasta
4 c. Rice Dream
1/2 c. cornstarch
1 small can diced green chiles, pureed
1 1/2 bell peppers, pureed
Heavy cream
Cumin
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Salt
Tortilla chips

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, prepare sauce. Heat 3 c. Rice Dream over medium heat until hot. Mix remaining 1 c. RD with cornstarch until smooth. Slowly whisk mixture into hot RD. Cook over medium heat until thick. When mixture has thickened, add pureed vegetables, cream, and seasonings to taste. Simmer.

Drain pasta and return to pot. Mix in sauce. Adjust seasonings if needed. Top individual servings with crushed tortilla chips.

A Good Try...

... but I still can't get the taste of Mexican food I want without cheese :(

Breakfast - grapes
Lunch - chicken breast in usual salad; Ghirardelli square
Supper - Two-Pepper Mexican Pasta; chocolate chip cookie dough

I Have a Dream...

Off and on for years I've had these dreams where I'm running. Effortlessly. Almost like I'm flying. I had another one recently and a couple days later one of my friends posted something on Facebook about running shoes. I started looking around online at articles on shoes and running and looked at the C25k site. I REALLY want to work up to running! But again, it's a time issue.

I talked with Jesse about it and he's been wanting to train again - he did a half marathon a few years ago. We agreed that if he gets to have regular workouts, so do I ;-) We both need shoes and we need a watch that will time intervals.

I don't know how successful I'll be at running, but I want to at least give it a shot! And if running doesn't work out, I hopefully will have a consistent workout time to do SOMETHING!

Sunday

Breakfast - 1/2 cup coffee w/usual; apple later
Lunch - chicken breast in usual salad; Ghirardelli square
Supper - pumpkin waffles w/drizzle of syrup (1/2 maple, 1/2 cane)

Saturday

Breakfast - nothing :(
Lunch - tuna salad salad; Ghirardelli square
Supper - Chili's - steak sandwich; fries w/ketchup; chocolate chip paradise pie minus ice cream

Creamy Mustard Rice

CREAMY MUSTARD RICE

1 box instant brown rice (I use Uncle Ben's)
1 bell pepper, chopped very fine
Butter
Mustard
Cream
Salt

Cook rice according to package directions. Cook bell pepper in butter until softened and mix with rice. Add everything else to taste.

A Little Sleep

Jesse watched Gabriel when he got up this morning so I got a little extra sleep. Not enough, but every little bit helps!

Breakfast - nothing (slept, then stayed in bed cuddling and playing with Ethan till lunch)
Lunch - Greek-seasoned ground beef (93/7) in usual salad w/a bit of packaged honey mustard also (didn't have enough of mine and no time to make any); Ghirardelli square
Before supper - few potato chips (running errands)
Supper - Creamy Mustard Rice; few double chocolate pancakes w/whipped cream

Thursday

Breakfast - 1/2 cup coffee w/usual; few bites of apple later
Lunch - homestyle buffet incl. salad
Later - 1/2 cup coffee w/usual (was exhausted and needed the caffeine boost)
Supper - asparagus; piece of french bread w/little butter; Ghirardelli square

Wednesday

Trying to remember... Had two really busy days in a row and my brain is MUSH!

Breakfast - banana
Lunch - plate lunch - seafood-stuffed chicken; turnip greens (w/ham?); potato salad; bread pudding
Supper - frozen burrito (vegan); leftover fries w/mayo and ketchup; chocolate-stuffed beignets

Food Today

Breakfast - banana
Lunch - rotisserie chicken breast in usual salad; Ghirardelli square; 1/2 cup coffee w/usual
Supper - Simple Pasta; Chocolate-Stuffed Beignets

Mom's Night Out

The day kept getting changed but it ended up being tonight!

Breakfast - little bit of coffee w/usual
Lunch - tuna salad salad; Ghirardelli square
Supper - Texas Roadhouse - rolls w/butter-like substance; few peanuts; sirloin; mushrooms; baked potato w/butter-like substance, cheese, sour cream; 1/2 sweet potato w/caramel and marshmallow
Later - little bit of decaf peppermint mocha

Today's Food

Breakfast - 1/2 cup coffee w/usual; apple later; few sips of dilute apple cider later
Lunch - Italian buffet; 1/2 cup coffee w/sugar and half and half
Supper - small piece of french bread w/little butter and salt; Ghirardelli square (wasn't hungry)

Happy Birthday, Gabriel!

My baby turned ONE today! We went out for lunch and had planned on going to the children's museum but ended up going to the park instead. We'll do the museum later this week.

Breakfast - nothing (planned an early lunch but didn't work out that way :p)
Lunch - homestyle buffet
Supper - salad (Romaine, tomato, bell pepper, w/usual dressing); small piece of french bread w/little bit of butter; Ghirardelli square

Church Christmas Party

Long, busy day today! But we all had fun at the party tonight :-)

Breakfast - apple
Lunch - BK - double cheeseburger; apple cake, chocolate pecan pie, whipped cream
Supper - potluck

Good Food Day

Breakfast - apple
Lunch - 93/7 ground beef (Greek seasoned) in usual salad; Ghirardelli square
Before supper - banana (out running errands)
Supper - veggie po-boy (multigrain french bread, mayo, mustard, avocado (mixed with the mayo and mustard as a spread - YUM!), Romaine, tomato, bell pepper; plain chips; couple leftover pancakes w/whipped cream

Mommy Date :)

I ended up having a Mommy date with the boys for lunch today It's the first time I've brought both of them to eat by myself so it was an adventure! We also ate a bit late and I wasn't hungry at suppertime.

"Breakfast" - 1/2 cup coffee w/usual
Lunch - Applebee's - cheese sticks w/marinara; florentine chicken ravioli
"Supper" - piece of french bread w/butter and salt; piece of pumpkin pie w/whipped cream

At least the ravioli dish had a lot of veggies in it! And pumpkin is a veggie, right?! ;)

Back on Track!

Breakfast - apple
Lunch - chicken breast in usual salad; Ghirardelli square
Supper - asparagus; double chocolate pancakes

Another Healthy Cheat

Well, it was healthy till dessert :P

Breakfast - apple
Lunch - tuna salad salad; Ghirardelli square
Snack (running errands) - plain Pringles
Supper - burger (93/7 ground beef w/soaked sun-dried tomatoes, seasoned with Essence and onion powder, on whole wheat bun w/mayo and mustard); mashed potatoes (instant, made w/rice milk); apple cake, chocolate pecan pie, whipped cream

Sunday's Food

Jesse had extra worship team practice after church today (for the upcoming church Christmas party) so it was the usual lunch out after. It was later than usual so we ate close by - between church and home.

Breakfast - 1/2 cup coffee w/usual; apple later
Before lunch - handful of animal crackers (just to hold me over, and easy on my stomach)
Lunch (late) - Italian buffet
After we got home - apple cake; chocolate pecan pie w/whipped cream
(nothing else)

This morning my stomach was upset after my coffee. It hasn't been normal since last Sunday. I've eaten out a fair bit since then, and I think the places I normally eat without a problem are bothering me on the heels of the MSG overload :( Tomorrow's our normal Mom's Night Out night. I kinda hope we don't have it so my stomach gets a rest...

Ladies' Breakfast

My church's ladies met for a fellowship this morning. At Cracker Barrel. There was no way I was just eating fruit ;)

Breakfast - Cracker Barrel - eggs over easy; turkey sausage; pancakes w/cherries; coffee w/stevia and 1/2 and 1/2
Lunch - rotisserie chicken breast in usual salad; Ghirardelli square
Supper - broccoli w/butter and salt; fries (frozen, baked) w/mayo and ketchup; pumpkin pie w/whipped cream

Long Day...

Brought my mom to a doctor's appointment. Out for lunch. Back home to do a couple things. Back out to Walmart. Bring Mom home. Left at 9:15am, got home for the day at 8pm... Whew!

Breakfast - 1/2 cup coffee w/usual; apple later
Lunch - Italian buffet (Ethan's choice)
Supper - Subway - veggie on wheat w/honey mustard; plain chips

The Last of the Leftovers

For me anyway! Jesse will finish them off (except for the turkey) tomorrow while the boys and I are running errands.

Breakfast - nada
Lunch - Thanksgiving leftovers
Supper - battered mushrooms (frozen) w/ranch; Ghirardelli square

I'm not getting breakfast or water consistently :( Need to rethink both...

More Thanksgiving Leftovers :-)

My stomach is almost back to normal from Sunday!

Breakfast - nothing
Lunch - Thanksgiving leftovers
Supper - canned peas w/butter; whole wheat frozen waffles w/butter
Later - homemade hot chocolate (made w/rice milk and cream)