Menu Planning... Better Late Than Never

Okay, I'm trying something new here. Maybe I can plan ahead a little better and have a menu ready for the entire week, instead of trying to figure it out one day at a time. And if I include a plan for exercise, maybe I'll actually follow through. Will it make me more organized, require fewer trips to the grocery store, and get me to go to the gym? We shall see. Yes, I realize it's already Tuesday, but I'm trying, okay?

Menu Planning:

Breakfasts: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, vanilla yogurt, granola, fresh fruit
Lunches: Leftovers, fresh fruit (peaches, cherries, apples, nectarines, strawberries, bananas)

Sunday

• Ribollita Light Soup
• Grilled cheese (sourdough bread and mozarella)
• Exercise/outdoor time: Zoo We actually ended up hanging out in South Pasadena

Monday

• Chicken and Bok Choy stir fry with brown rice
• Exercise/outdoor time: ? Actually, none :(  Spent the day at work, instead.

Tuesday

• Chicken Enchilada Casserole
• Green salad
• Exercise/outdoor time: Walk to Trader Joe's and the grocery store

Wednesday

• Chris has a work function, so I think I'll just have leftovers
• Exercise/outdoor time: YMCA (stretch class? or maybe the elliptical?) stationary bike and elliptical

Thursday

• Cheesy Italian Penne Shepherd's Pie
• Green salad So tired of salad- I don't like any of the six salad dressings in the fridge
• Exercise/outdoor time: YMCA (kickboxing or pilates class, depending on what time I make it there)

Friday

• Leftovers (probably Shepherd's Pie) Chris came home early and we went out to BJ's Brewhouse- YUM!
• Exercise/outdoor time: Walk with Brody and Delaney in the double stroller to... ? Sadly, no walk as the babies ended up having opposite nap schedules, but we did spend a little time outside in the backyard. And we went to Target after dinner and parked really far away, does that count as exercise? (Still sore from kickboxing class yesterday)

Saturday

• Maybe leftovers, maybe eat out, or if we're home, maybe French Dip Sandwiches with Sweet Potato Fries (but I'll have to make another trip to Trader Joe's first)
• Exercise/outdoor time: Pacific Beach clean up in the AM, park playdate in the PM

Sunday is Father's Day... need to come up with some ideas...

Chicken and Bok Choy Stir Fry

Chicken and Bok Choy Stir Fry
Serves 4 (Weight Watchers- 6 points per serving)
Total Time: 25m

This recipe is modified from the Real Simple website, mostly to add more veggies that I picked up from the Farmer's Market. I suppose one could argue that it's really not an authentic Chinese recipe if it's using a store-bought BBQ sauce, but it's simple, and made from stuff that I have on-hand. And besides, it's yummy.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of cooked brown rice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 six-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• salt and black pepper
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 4 heads baby bok choy, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup store-bought barbecue sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Cook the rice according to the package directions. (Trader Joe's has an Organic Brown Rice in their freezer section that cooks deliciously in the microwave in just 3 minutes.)

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

3. Add carrots, celery and garlic to the skillet. Cook long enough to soften the vegetables, about 5 minutes. Add the bok choy and chicken broth. Cover and cook until the bok choy is just tender, about 3 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, barbecue sauce, sugar and scallions. Add to the skillet and bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet and cook, tossing, just until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with the rice.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Makes about 18 muffins (Weight Watchers- 3 points per serving)
Prep Time: 10m

This is a recipe that I have modified from many different ones. The banana taste is not too strong, and there are just enough chocolate chips per muffin- feel free to add more if you like them more chocolaty. The original recipe also included half a cup of melted butter with the other wet ingredients, until I accidentally left it out one time and thought the muffins still turned out to be just as good (and healthier). Add it back in if you want a richer muffin. We go no-nuts here, but that's just because Jake wouldn't touch them if they contained nuts.

Ingredients:

• 2 bananas (well-ripened)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place paper muffin cups in tin, or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Mash bananas in a medium bowl using the back of a spoon. Add eggs, sugar, vanilla and milk, and mix on medium speed until well blended.

3. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in chocolate chips (and nuts if desired).
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the banana mixture. Mix with a spoon until just blended.
5. Spoon the batter into muffin cups until they are about 3/4 full. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes (12-15 minutes for mini muffins). Remove from pan to cool on a wire rack.

Can a person live on just chicken fingers, mac 'n cheese and peanut butter sandwiches? Apparently.

Jake: "Remember when we went to that festival the other day?"
Me: "Which festival? We go to a lot of festivals." [Kind of true.] "The Sanitation Department [i.e. garbage trucks]? The fire station?"
Jake: "No, not a festival, actually... you know, that place where we got all the beautiful food?"
Me: "You mean the Farmer's Market?"
Jake: "Yeah, the Farmer's Market."

I LOVE that Jake can appreciate the beauty in fresh fruits and vegetables. And we DID buy a lot of colorful, fragrant, beautiful food from the Playa Vista Farmer's Market on Saturday- nectarines, cherries, strawberries, swiss chard, red chard, bok choy, carrots, celery, basil, fresh-squeezed orange juice and sourdough bread. I really wish I had thought to take a picture, it was all so beautiful. (The picture above is from Playa Vista Farmers' Market's Facebook page). BUT... I know that even though Jake can appreciate the beauty of all of this healthy food, it will be a struggle to get him to even try a taste of most of it.

How did my kid become such a picky eater? I can honestly say that I don't really know. As a baby, Jake ate anything. Pureed baby foods were pretty much anything-goes. I never found time to make my own baby foods- I was working, and bringing him to work with me, so it was like I had two jobs simultaneously. By the time I got home, that last thing that I wanted to do was make baby food, so I just bought the organic premade stuff, figuring that was better. As he got a little older, he transitioned to non-baby foods okay, too. At least, I think he did. I can remember him eating bits and pieces of my food. But, that was also the time that I wasn't really cooking at home, so we were picking up food pretty much every night. And honestly, when I was eating a burger and fries, it wasn't exactly the kind of food that I wanted to feed to my baby (or toddler, as he got a little older). So, I guess that was the beginning of when I started making him his own meals.

I wanted his food to be healthy, but also convenient. I wasn't cooking at home, so I wasn't making time for frequent trips to the grocery store. If I bought fresh fruits or vegetables, I would need to go to the store fairly often in order to keep the house stocked. So, I started buying freeze dried fruits and veggies. Trader Joe's has some good options- strawberries, mangoes, bananas. [Jake never liked the chewy dried fruits, only the ones that are freeze dried and crunchy.] Oh, and Snapea Crisps. Costco carries Brothers-All-Natural, which makes great freeze dried apples and pears. Whole Foods carries a brand called Just Tomatoes, and Jake has always loved their freeze dried peas (also the bananas, strawberries and mangoes). And Sensible Foods makes a great freeze dried corn (which I buy through Amazon). Jake always loved the freeze dried stuff, and it never went bad, unlike fresh fruits and veggies, which he might eat one day and then refuse the next. It was just the easiest way to get him to eat healthy food.

Besides freeze dried foods, Jake will (now) consistently eat chicken nuggets, french fries (although we don't cook them at home), and pizza. Sometimes macaroni and cheese (if from a box), bean and cheese burritos, cheese quesadillas, or a peanut butter sandwich (but absolutely NO jelly). He'll sometimes eat fresh grapes, strawberries and apples. And he drinks most fruit smoothies or juices. Oh, and bread and crackers. And pretty much any kind of dessert. Did I miss anything? I don't think so.

So, now that I AM actually cooking at home, and relatively healthy foods, I'm not sure how to get Jake to eat what I cook. I know, I know, if I really want him to eat what I cook, them I won't give him another option. But have you seen my kid? He's super skinny already. I'm certain he would choose NOT to eat at all, rather than eating something that he doesn't like.

And also, I'm not sure how much Jake's dietary preferences might be related to actual food allergies. It took me a long time (like, until adulthood) to realize that I have oral allergy syndrome, which basically means that I am mildly allergic to many raw fruits, vegetables and nuts. I used to think that I just avoided foods because I didn't like them. But once I started trying to make myself eat a wider variety of foods, I realized that the reason I didn't like many of them was because they make my throat itch, my lips tingle, or my tongue swell. Mangoes, bananas and avocados are some of the worst for me, to the point that I have actually felt like my throat was swelling shut when I ate too much. But I also react to a lesser extent to raw cucumbers, tomatoes, citrus, berries, melons, almonds, cashews, celery, carrots, peppers, potatoes, pears, kiwi, nectarines and plums. I mean, that's practically everything, right? So, what are the odds that Jake's picky eating habits are also related to mild food allergies? Pretty good, I think. I'm not saying that it explains ALL of his pickiness, but I do think it's likely a confounding factor.

When Jake had his last birthday, we had a new rule, "Four year-olds try things." This worked for awhile, to get him to at least take a bite of the less-desirable foods. But we rarely get past that first bite, even now, 10 months later. Most of the time, he's already started shaking his head no and making a gross out face AS he's putting the food into his mouth. So, what now? In two more months, is it, "Five year-olds try at least five bites"? Or, "Five year-olds eat what their parents eat"? Because I have a feeling, if that's the case, then we'll all be eating chicken nuggets and fries.

The One with the Impending Frosting Disaster

It's Food Waste Friday (see The Frugal Girl for what inspired me to show you pictures of this), which is something I've been keeping track of for the last couple of weeks. This is my third post of all the food that I am tossing for the week, in an effort to keep track and hold myself accountable for the food that I have wasted (while attempting to save money and do something better for the environment). I'm actually a little sad that I haven't made much improvement so far, but I'll keep trying.

The bean burrito and fries are Jake's meal from Paco's Tacos. As you probably know by now, Jake hates leftovers, but I saved them because I thought Brody would eventually eat the burrito, at least. But after a few attempts at reheating it for him, I realized perhaps my 15-month old is not such a fan of leftovers, either. The cauliflower and broccoli really should have gotten finished off, but they suddenly had black spots on them, so I wasn't risking it. And I seem to have burned out on salads because I couldn't force myself to finish off the big bag of spinach, even though it has been my favorite (actually, my real favorite is the ET TU Caesar Salad kit with red leaf lettuce, but that's not exactly healthy. Maybe I should try the light version). Oh, and that bag of peas. I hate peas; they're disgusting. Chris is not so fond of them, either. Jake will ONLY eat them if they're freeze dried. And Brody apparently only likes them if they're in processed baby food, and even then, not so much. I thought I could just keep presenting them and eventually they would get eaten. Instead, I mostly ended up with peas on the floor.

Now, before I end up with a ton of what was once-delicious Whipped Cream / Cream Cheese Frosting being thrown out next week, can someone please tell me, what do you do with leftover frosting? I made a really fantastic Chocolate Cake (not from a box) (thanks again, Frugal Girl), and it was the perfect icing. But now I have a ton left over. The only thing I can think of is to spread some on saltines for a sweet snack. Which sounds yummy, but slightly white-trashy (no offense to anyone who does this). And not exactly healthy or helpful when you're calorie-counting. Any ideas?

I haven't been too impressed with many of the Weight Watchers recipes I've found

Weight Watchers online has a nice feature in that it includes a list of many recipes that are relatively healthy, and generally pretty easy to prepare. Often, the recipe is for something that is generally considered not-so-healthy (like cheeseburgers), but Weight Watchers provides ideas for making it better for you with different ingredients and smaller portions (like using ground turkey, and making smaller "sliders"). I've tried a few of the recipes that were not so yummy (how can a chicken with broccoli and garlic stir fry go wrong?), and I think way too many of them are focused on snacks and desserts to be useful to me (since I'd prefer to save my WW points for the actual meal). But I thought I'd post a few of the recipes that we have enjoyed. 


TOMATO AND FETA FRITTATA
(POINTS® Value: 3)

Servings: 4 (1 wedge per serving)
Preparation Time: 8 min
Cooking Time: 12 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Terrific for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Serve with sliced tomatoes sprinkled with sea salt and fresh basil.

Ingredients

• 2 spray(s) cooking spray
• 1 small shallot(s), chopped
• 2 large egg(s)
• 4 large egg white(s)
• 1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
• 1 1/2 cup(s) grape tomatoes, cut in half if large
• 1/2 cup(s) crumbled feta cheese
• 2 Tbsp dried bread crumbs (Panko are light, coarse bread crumbs available in the Asian section of the supermarket, but other bread crumbs work, too.)
• Fresh basil for garnish, if desired

Instructions

Preheat broiler.

Coat a large heavy-bottomed ovenproof skillet with cooking spray; set over medium heat. Add shallot to skillet; cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, egg whites, salt and pepper; stir in tomatoes and shallot.

Coat bottom and sides of same skillet with cooking spray; set over medium heat. Pour egg mixture into skillet; cook until almost set, loosening edges of frittata occasionally, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over eggs; top with bread crumbs.

Place skillet under broiler, 4 inches from heat; broil until cooked through and panko browns, about 30 seconds to 1 minute (watch carefully to avoid burning). Remove from broiler immediately and let sit for 1 minute; cut into 4 wedges. Sprinkle with fresh basil if desired.



ITALIAN PASTA AND BEAN SOUP WITH SAUSAGE
(POINTS® Value: 4)

Servings: 9 (about 1 1/2 cups per serving)
Preparation Time: 12 min
Cooking Time: 15 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Packed with beans, sausage and spaghetti, this soup delivers a big hearty taste. Top with minced pickled peppers for extra flavor.

Ingredients

• 31 oz canned white beans, small variety, drained and rinsed
• 2 spray(s) cooking spray
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/8 oz fresh sage, about 3 to 4 medium leaves, finely chopped
• 2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
• 1/2 pound(s) cooked chicken sausage, Italian-style, cut into bite-size pieces
• 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes, with puree
• 1 Tbsp canned tomato paste, or to taste
• 2 1/2 cup(s) water
• 3 cup(s) canned chicken broth
• 1 tsp table salt, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 3 oz uncooked whole-wheat spaghetti, broken into small pieces

Instructions

Puree half of beans in a blender; set aside.

Coat bottom of a large soup pot with cooking spray. Add oil; heat over medium heat. Add sage and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sausage; cook, stirring frequently, until sausage starts to brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add pureed beans, whole beans, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, broth, salt and pepper to pot. Bring soup to a boil; stir in spaghetti. Continue cooking soup according to time specified by pasta manufacturer.

Season to taste with salt and red pepper flakes.

 
 
EGG SALAD
(POINTS® Value: 3)

Servings: 4 (about 1/2 cup per serving)
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 10 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Forever a classic, our egg salad is light and delicious. Made with low-fat mayo, Dijon mustard and chives, it’s perfect as a sandwich filling or served over greens.

Ingredients

• 4 large egg(s)
• 2 large egg white(s), you’ll have to boil these as whole eggs and discard the yolks
• 2 Tbsp chives, fresh, chopped
• 2 Tbsp reduced-calorie mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/4 tsp ground paprika for added flavor and color, if desired

Instructions

Place eggs in a medium saucepan and pour in enough water to cover them; set pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes; drain and place eggs in an ice-water bath.

When eggs are cool enough to handle, remove shells. Discard yolks from two of the eggs. Chop remaining whole eggs and whites into bite-size pieces.

Transfer eggs to a medium bowl. Add chives, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper; mix until blended.

Checking off my list

In case you missed them from my previous post, here's the list I made last week of my 10 Personal Commandments:

• Act how I want to feel
• Accept others for who they are
• Don't keep score
• Say "thank you"
• Practice active listening
• Get outside everyday
• Lighten up
• Do it now
• Get enough sleep
• Choose happiness

I have been working on my daily checklist to see how well I am doing at following my own rules (yes, it's an actual checklist that I mark everyday; I need a way to hold myself accountable). When do I get credit for each one? Well, since the point is for me to actively think about making changes (and I realize that I am still learning and not perfect), I give myself a check if I find myself stopping to think and applying one of my resolutions at any point during the day. So, maybe I didn't say "thank you" at every opportunity during the day, but if I did specifically remember to do it at some point during the day, then I give myself credit.

So far, I'm averaging about 80% per day. Which isn't bad. But, considering my criteria of having to do each thing only once per day, I really feel like I should be able to achieve 100% more consistently.

I'm having a really hard time with "Get enough sleep"- I have done that less than half the time. Sometimes, it's a good excuse, like I was out on a date with my hubby, and then got up with the baby in the morning and let the hubby sleep in. But, most of the time, my excuse is something along the lines of we have to finish this marathon series finale of LOST because I can't wait one more day to find out how it ends! Luckily, we're hitting the end of television season and I don't have any new shows planned for watching during the summer season. Hopefully I can start to do a little better with getting to bed at a good time.

I'm also not doing as well as I expected with my resolve to "Get outside everyday". I don't know why this is so hard for me, except that there always seems to be something else that is more important, like running errands or cooking or cleaning. Maybe I need to set aside a certain time of each day to go for a walk? Or maybe I need to plan a weekly schedule at the beginning of each week, with new places to visit?

The ones that I have done well are "Act how I want to feel", "Practice active listening", and "Choose happiness". Three of the most important ones, so now I just need to work on doing them more consistently throughout the day.

Oh, and I found some help with my commandment to "Do it now". Once again, from Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project: her One-Minute Rule. It's simple: if a task can be done in a minute or less, it must be done immediately. Coming in from the car: instead of throwing my jacket down next to my purse, hang it up immediately. Sort mail and discard junk mail as soon as it comes into the house. After finishing up a snack: put the bowl in the dishwasher. Checking email: if it'll take less than a minute, respond immediately. Make the bed in the morning. Put away my shoes. Wipe off the bathroom mirror. The idea is that all of these little tasks get taken care of right away, instead of building up until the whole mess seems unmanageable. And theoretically, this will leave extra time for some of those bigger tasks that there's never enough time for. Honestly, I'm not sure if it's working for me yet, but it's an interesting mindset. I think if I started with a clean house, this might work a little better, so I'll have to get back to you next week, once I've had the chance to get some cleaning done.