'Opa' chicken and squash

Saturday is the day I start to make the week's meals, but after spending 3hrs on making 2 batches of my 10-2cup serving chili I was WORN out.

So I wanted an easy meal with little prep time. I took a moment to take stock of what I had and would go well together. I got an idea!

All I needed was:

1. chicken
2. evoo
3. Wildtree Opa Greek Seasoning
4. salt
5. 3 yellow squash
6. finely grated Parmesan

I pulled out the 4 lg boneless, skinless chicken breast I had and pan fried them in evoo and Wildtree's Opa Greek seasoning. While that was happening I sliced up the squash and put them 3-layer deep in a square Pampered Chef stone baker and between each layer sprinkling the same seasoning. At the top layer I sprinkled the parm liberally and then drizzled evoo also rather liberally. I cooked it in the oven for about 20 minutes. About that time the VERY thick chicken breasts were finally finished. I cut them into large slices and layered them on top.

The family has been very happy with this dish with it's simplicity and very obvious ingredients. :)

Cheese crisps

So I was looking up a recipe for something crunchy I could eat w/ the chili I made. I remembered vaguely that there was a recipe for a cheese straw/crisp out there.

And so I found several how-to's online. They all pretty much said to get shredded cheese (your choice-though soft whites don't do well) and to make them either:

1. in the oven @ 350
2. in the microwave for a minute 3o sec
3. or on the stovetop

I chose to try it #2 and #3 with sharp cheddar bought pre-shredded. I also added a PINCH of Wildtree's ADOBE Seasonsing for added flavor.

I felt that the microwave produced better results and more consistent results. They were definitely tasty, though not as crunchy as I was having a craving for.

So I'm going to experiment with some hard white cheese and see what happens.

Beanless Beef Chilli with 'invisible' veggies

For the 10 servings of 2 cups, I used:

3lbs of ground beef

2 white onions

1 green bell pepper

4 pkgs of button mushrooms

5 cups of squash and zucchini

1/2 cup or more of minced garlic

2 jars of basic medium salsa (no sugar)

6 cans of tomatoes in a various forms (all no sugar, 2 had green chilis)

1/4 cup (or more) of cumin

salt

pepper

(I forgot the carrots)

How I made it:

I browned the meat with salt and pepper.

I softened the onions and bell pepper (in a skillet).

I used the food processer to make the veggies disappear. I added garlic and the beef grease to give them flavor.

I put all the ingredients into a large pot and cooked for about an hour on medium heat. (I was making another batch for the family)

Then I divy'ed it up into my 3 pot crock pot system and let it cook overnight until about noon.

Eating & Exercising Journal since 1/12/12

1-15-12

Today I wasn't hungry, just tired and thirsty. I took a 3-3.5 hr nap.

Br-strawberry/banana coconut smoothie (8oz)

Lun- 2oz cheese, 3 sausge balls

Din- 2 steaks (sorry, but that's all I wanted and could think about)

EX: CB

1-14-12

I was recovering from having a party for a bunch of 16yr olds (for Jonah who recently turned 16). I had cooked much of the evening before and just tried to keep mayhem from occurring in the house. I am proud to say that I didn't cheat, in fact, had no desire to.

Br-banana and recovery shake

Lun- 2 eggs, 2 strips of bacon

Din-spinach salad w/ walnuts, dried, unsweetened pineapple, 2 figs, and 2oz cheese and my vinagrette I made

EX- WOD Rx'd it just under 13 min...not my best but consider the dizziness I dealing w/... not to bad.

1-13-12

2-hr delays @ school I love but HATE b/c it messes up our schedules... I had every intention of going to the 6am workout but that flew out the window w/ the delay. I had a SUPER busy afternoon doing last minute preps for jonah's bday party.

BR- turkey/apple hash from meal swap

LU- Shepard's pie (from meal swap)

DIN- 4 tostones fried in lard and guac

snack- more tostones

EX-CB

1-12-12

Busy day cleaning and getting ready for Jonah's party. Had a good workout, beating my supposed 1rep max in deads... was psyched about that and finding out I had lost 10 lbs since the start of the challenge!

BR-egg muffin

LU- collards and pork (from swap)

DIN-Chicken and mushroom stew

EX-WOD

Grocery Bill

So I've kept all my receipts since the Challenge began and have spent about $450 since the 1st. That's what I generally spend in a month. :( That's got me freaking out a bit.

I will say that we've been eating all 3 meals (and snacks) from what I've purchased.

I honestly only have another $150 at most from the budget to last til the end of the month.

I know that in reality feeding a family of 5 all their meals and snacks for $600 is decent, a bargain even, but for us, that's basically one of our take home paychecks....

So, I'm trying to figure out the best way to stretch what I've bought (since the 1st and through today) and only supplement with a few things til the end of the month.

What I tend to do is double what we eat for supper to cover our lunches (except Em's b/c she can't microwave). I add to their lunch fresh fruit, nuts/seeds, and maybe carrots/broc. They all drink h20. I also keep apples, tangerines and tangelos for snacks after dinner.

I try to have 10 bananas and enough milk for banana smoothies (that's all they like, unless I add stevia or sugar w/ strawberries) for the girls and at least a dz eggs and more bananas for Jonah @ breakfast for the week. Matt just likes grapefruit.

*I was blessed last week to eat from my stores of pre-made meals from the Meal swap Crossfit Brigade hosted last Sunday.

What do I have currently stocked in my fridge/freezer?

Protein- I currently have enough meat for the next 7-10 days:

6+lbs of hamburger,

2pkgs of bacon, (no sugar)

5 pkgs of sausage, (no sugar....do you know HOW HARD it is to find this???? Bob Evans)

3 dz eggs,

1 bag of IQF (frozen) salmon,

2 bags of IQF tilapia,

2 bags of frozen chicken breasts,

1 chuck roast,

and 2 other roasts.

Fruit/Veggies-

4-cantaloupes

3-bunches of bananas (1 is from dehydrating, 1 for smoothies, 1 for lunch)

2 -mini boxes of blueberries (lunch)

2-pints of strawberries (lunch)

1/2 bag left of frozen strawberries

1 bag of frozen mixed fruit-

4 bags of McIntosh apples ( my ABSOLUTE favorite in THE WORLD- and @ ALDI currently)

1 dz tangelos

1/2 dz grapefruit

1/2 dz tangerines

1 box of raisins, prunes, dates

4-pkgs of mushrooms

1- bag of carrots

1- bag baby carrots

2-spaghetti squash

1-acorn squash

3-zucchini

3-squash

2-bags of white onions

2- green bell peppers

3- yellow, red bell peppers

2 lbs of sweet potatoes

2 heads of cauliflower

4 small heads of broccoli

1 small cabbage

4-6 bags of frozen veggies

unlimited supply of collards (in garden)

I primarily shop @ Aldi for ALL our fruit/veggie, milk, and egg needs. I spent $64 today and get more than 1/2 of the fruits/veggies listed. Last week I spent $184 and got the other fruits/veggies, fish, and the chicken and fruit/veggies we ate this week.

Last week (Jan 6th) I bought 3 roasts, walnut oil, avocado oil, and sunflower oil (and 2 nice Spanish cheeses) @ Greenlife for $115.

In the last 2 weeks, I've spent about $150 @ BiLo getting the hamburger meat, the frozen chicken, eggs, some fruit and some veggies that Aldi didn't carry.

After reading through my list, I think I've definitely enough meat to last til next Sunday. I also have enough veggies. My fruit I may have to augment since bananas are a hot commodity at this house as are tangerines.

If there's anyone w/ a suggestion on how to improve this bill, let me know...I'm open for suggestions. :)

Exercise Journal update

I've been mentally blogging this, so you all should know what I've done, right? Wrong. I am so much in my head, that I often forget what I actually say, do, or share.

If you have ADHD, you understand my plight. My mind is constantly thinking, and generally with more than one strand going at once.... like what I'm considering, planning, preparing for, etc... in the next few moments to the next few years. I can and will overwhelm you if I relax my filter b/c I will jump around topics, start mid thought, lose my thought process, forget key words, etc...

Anyways, back to my exercise blog.

I will start with today.

Day 10- Crossfit WOD, CB

Day 9- none (I won't count the long treks all over the school multiple times, nor the 2hr cooking frenzy last night)

Day 8- Crossfit WOD

Day 7- none (too busy cooking...6hrs!)

Day 6-Walk

Day 5- Moved furniture and boxes...1hr+

Day 4- CB

Day 3-Crossfit WOD

Day 2-Crossfit WOD

Day 1- Crossfit WOD, CB

My dietary diary....

is blank b/c I've been SO busy planning for an VERY unexpected twist in my job duties. Not that I'm complaining b/c I love the new subject matter, but it is so out of my comfort zone, I'm on level 10 almost ALL day and am mentally exhausted by the time I get to sit down (after 9:30pm).

I will assure anyone that's actually reading that I've not 'cheated' or gone off the challenge regulations. I have made it a point to eat 3 solid meals a day and atleast 2 snacks.

I will say that I am failing MISERABLY at getting my quota of h20 intake. I've only managed 32oz the last 4 days...which explains much of my dizziness and low blood pressure. But there's not much I can do about it other than forcing myself to drink what is there by a certain time. I've learned that I need a deadline in order to complete things...yes, I am a procrastinator.

Since I can't drink 1/2 hour before or after eating, nor can I drink more than 6oz @ one sitting, that limits when I can drink and how much I can consume at once. (Gone are the days of drinking my h20 allotment w/ Mason jars...all at once 2-3x a day. :) I KNOW I'm not the only person who did that. )

Also subtract about 45 min for every hour (from 7-4) while I'm at work b/c I'm walkin around and talking, coaching (still talking), mentoring students (and even more talking). I don't think about my h20 bottle in plain sight on my desk.

I determined last night, as I was planning for today, to drink my required h20 allotment while @ work (completed no later than workout). In order to do so, I have to have 2 bottles, one while @ my morning school and the other at my afternoon school. I need this visual reminder of what I have to accomplish.

So we will see how that goes. I still have 8oz left and need to head to my 2nd school. But in my defense, I did just eat one of the yummy egg muffins from the CrossFit Meal Swap.