Week Two: Eat your greens!

So another week has come and gone and it's time to convert my chicken scratch into a comprehensive blog post about my plant consumption. One which will inspire you to eat your greens and flesh out a shopping list for my bestie. No pressure (grin)

Last week's grocery cart :)

So what was special about this week? What did I do differently, you ask?
Well, although there are some carnivorous meals, I was intentional about how much animal product I allowed on my plate. I surpassed the 3/4 veggies/grains to 1/4 meat/fish rule and made meat my condiment.

I have some recipes and product reviews I'll link back here soon but for now this week's menu.

Weekday breakfasts are the same each day, our morning smoothie. This week we replaced the coconut water with aloe vera juice and added some local honey since it is allergy season. I'm not CRAZY about the aloe vera juice, but I don't hate it either.

I'm also a left-overs for lunch kind of girl. So you'll note that dinner or a portion of it the night before, becomes the basis for lunch the next day.

And Mila is still a staple (check out the link, it's new and fancy shcmancy). As it is part of our growing business, the hubs and I have been learning more about its benefits and still can't help but sing the praises of this little miracle seed. Its been a part of my diet for nearly 4 months now and  I'll save the Mila info for those who are interested... back to the week's menu

Monday:


Lunch - shredded lamb and collards 
Snacks - clementines (so good this time of year) and mixed raw nuts
Dinner - Chicken thighs with sweated squash

This squash was AWESOME. I can't guarantee that it remains in the "raw" category as I didn't test the temperature but if it did manage to stay below 118 degrees, we're good. My one regret is I didn't snap a picture because it was also gorgeous. The veggies stay vibrant, don't get mushy and OH LA LA the flavor

• summer squash and zucchini squash sliced into 1/2 inch chunks (or larger)
• 1 bag of orange and red sweet peppers, sliced in half and de-seeded
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• Place all ingredients in a large heavy saute pan with lid, cook on low heat for 30 minutes

Tuesday:


Lunch -  Black Bean Tacos
Snacks - Popchips and salsa
Dinner - Sweet Tomatoes (Tuesday night is family dinner out night)

• April is Lemon month at Sweet Tomatoes and Souplantation and the Summer Lemon Tossed Salad is DELISH and Gluten Free :)

Wednesday:


Lunch -  Leftover sweated squash with a scoop of Mila (so good even the next day)

one bag/2 servings

Snacks - Veggie chips and Salsa
Dinner - Shirataki Spaghetti

• I was VERY impressed with these noodles. They cook up quick, have very few calories, no sugar, no gluten...a Babs Dream. We had them with fire roasted tomato marinara with a bag of fresh baby spinach leaves wilted into the sauce during the last few minutes of cooking and Al Fresco Sun-dried tomato Chicken Sausage. Why go to the trouble of a tofu noodle when you're just gonna add sausage? Remember, this is my 90% plant based plan AND these Shirataki noodles are a great gluten free option AND great for those who want pasta with out all the carbs.

Thursday:


Lunch - Khinoor Rice & Curry (didn't blow my skirt up) 
Snacks - Rice crackers and wasabi
Dinner - Smoothie with a scoop of Mila (Thursday night is Planet Smoothie night every other week)



Friday:


Lunch -  Eggpant Marinara with Spinach (Remember I mentioned it freezes well? It does.)
Snacks - raw nuts and raisins
Dinner - Tofu pad thai



Saturday:


Breakfast - Large coconut water with 2 scoops of Mila
Dinner -  Kung Pao Chicken with steamed veggies

• I didn't intentionally go for a "no chewable food" morning and afternoon, but my Mila carried me through the day, probably because I was focused on the happenings at the Central Florida Earth Fest!

Sunday:

Breakfast -  Gojiberry Granola Bar and Decaf Skinny Vanilla Soy Latte


Lunch - left over Kung Pao Chicken with veggies with a scoop of Mila

Dinner - UPDATE: Salad WAS on the menu but we wound up at Pizzaria Uno so I opted for an artisan pizza on a gluten free crust. It was phenom! Dried figs, tomatoes, broccoli, all drizzled in balsamic vinegar on a GF crust painted with pesto, and goat cheese for the final touch. 

So, how are you doing on your quest toward a predominantly plant based diet?
Do you have an recipes to share?
How do you "measure" your percentages?

Share...as we know better we do better :)

Labor Day laziness = mmmm bbq

Ahhh... gotta love a day off from work with not much more to do than watch an Undercover Boss marathon. A few weeks ago, the hub and I scored a great deal on pork shoulder and bought TWO.

Monday was the perfect day for a "picnic" so we placed the pig in an oven bag, set it in a tin roasting pan and let our new grill work its magic for a few hours outside. When it was almost done we shucked some fresh sweet corn, soaked it in cold water then put it on the grill with the pork. Topped off with a dollop of potato salad and we had the perfect Labor Day meal that took no time at all...well none of our time, the grill did all the work.

Leftovers from this pork are gonna be a dream.

I shredded what was left after dinner (which was quite a good bit) and poured in a bottle of Pat's Ho-made BBQ sauce.

I LOVE Pat's not only is it Gluten free, it tastes AMAZING and costs less than $2.00 a bottle at our local grocer.

If you can't find it locally, you can order it on line...and it's worth it :)

Hanker for a hunka....CURRY

I've been on a curry kick lately.

Years ago I couldn't even take the smell of it, now...I can't get enough.

I don't quite trust restaurant curry yet...only because no chef in town can guarantee me it's safe (GF) so we've been tinkering with recipes at home. Some have flopped, some have tasted great but nothing to write home here about...yet. So here's a quickie to tide you over.

Curry Chicken Salad

SO super easy and SO yum!

I start with a can of Valley Fresh Canned Chicken

add Hain's Safflower Mayo to taste

Shake on your favorite curry powder (be sure to check the label) I like mine hot :)

add a dash of salt

Add ice cold red grapes and slices of granny smith or gold delicious apples to give it an extra punch, celery slices are nice for crunch too.

The secret is in letting it sit (refrigerated of course)

I make it in the morning and pack it in my lunch and it's JUST right by then.

So, voila or छिपी

quick, nom nom nommy Curry!

What'd You Eat?

Keeping in mind my intention when I started this blog, I'm starting a series called "What'd You Eat?"
I'll be the first to admit that typing out a product review for every thing I eat is a bit daunting ...and may be a bit daunting to you the reader as well... I mean that's A LOT of reading. There are days I just want to know WHAT I can eat...give me the skinny, a bulleted list...just something to give me an idea.
So here goes...

In no specific order I'll have a post per week listing several things that were on my menu the week before. Some may be repeats, some may be newbies that become a product review, but it's a good jumping off point ... a place where you can say "ooh I saw that on sale at the store this week" and get ideas for YOUR grocery list.

In return? comment and leave me some ideas too...Lord knows I get tired of the same old same old too!
Listed items in blue are links to the actual product website (or a link back to one of my product reviews)

Enjoy!

Nutty Rice with Yoplait Banana Creme yogurt
Udi's Plain Bagel
Peter Pan Reduced Fat Peanut Butter
Egg Beaters Egg Whites
Van's Gluten Free Waffles
Colby jack cheese
Mozarella Cheese sticks
Progresso Soups
Bananas, Apples, Oranges, Grapes and mmmm Nectarines!
Amy's Frozen Meals  (I personally love the Mexican and Indian flavors!)
Chicken on the grill
Corn on the Cob
Sauteed Asparagus
Steamed Broccoli
Tinkyada Spaghetti
Pork roast (rubbed in fresh parsley, rosemary, olive oil and lemon juice)
BLT's on Udi's
Curried Chicken and peppers

hrmm...just looking over my list I see that I count on "gluten free" products for breakfast (which needs to be quick) and lunch which is usually at work. I bring dinner leftovers several times a week which is a treat but it's nice to have some quick options in the freezer.

So, What'd YOU eat this week?