I don't know how summer is going for your families, but here I feel like it is just as busy as the school year but without a time schedule! I miss the days when the kids were younger and playing monopoly all day was a treat. The biggest decision we made was pool or the lake? It is hard for me to accept the fact that we are all getting older and the four kids have different activities at all different hours. I remind myself that if this is my biggest problem then I'm pretty lucky.
Even though life is busy I do make meals a priority. I want to sit down at dinner and share our day and have conversation. We have been eating around 7:30 at night so that can happen, so appetizers, veggies and cheese, are around 5pm for whoever is home!
This week is supposed to be a hot one, so again easy meals that do not require much heat in the kitchen!
Monday: Rice Bowls- brown rice with cilantro, lettuce, beans, peppers & onions, avocado, sour cream, and chips & salsa (Chipotle inspired)
Tuesday: Grilled Salmon with roasted potatoes and asparagus
Wednesday: Pizza on the grill- I have never done this before but we're giving it a try
Thursday: Grilled Chicken and Corn on the Cob and Mixed Green Salad
Friday: Wrap Sandwiches with lots of veggies, pesto, and left over grilled chicken
Weekend: Spending time with family and plan on one night out and one night grilling. Some friends are vegetarians so plan on grilling fresh produce from farmer's market like eggplant and zucchini
Health & happiness to all,
Donna
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Monday, July 20, 2015
Meals at a glance and review of 3-day "reboot"...
The dogs days of summer are here! The heat has arrived and our goal is to stay cool! This week will be lots of salad variations so I do not have to turn on the stove or oven. The Real Simple issue arrived and I am trying out some new recipes. The farmer's market has more greens and goodies so loading up on fresh produce.
This week looks something like this...
Monday: trying to go meatless today with Pasta Primavera and fresh summer zucchini, tomatoes, onions, and basil. A dollop of goat cheese mixed in last minute with the sauteed veggies makes this nice and creamy but still light.
Tuesday: Pork and Pineapple Tacos from Real Simple. Most of the cooking will be on the grill.
First grill a pork tenderloin after marinating it in pineapple juice, chili powder and jalapenos. Shred pork and put in corn tortilla with pineapple chunks, cilantro, cheese, and onion.
Wednesday: Grilled Spicy Shrimp over Rice with Asparagus. Season raw shrimp in olive oil, lime juice and old bay spice, grill and serve over rice and veggies.
Thursday: Grilled Eggplant and Mozzarella Melts, another Real Simple recipe.
Friday; picnic dinner that can be brought to pool or out on boat- baguette sandwiches with grilled chicken pesto, sprouts, avocado, you name it and it's on it!
Saturday: Grilled Salmon with my brother -n-laws sauce, brown rice and salad/
Sunday: Anniversary dinner-have not planned yet:)
Last week I followed the 3-day clean eating plan from Clean Slate. It was a nice way to reboot my system after my vacation. I recommend doing something like this more to learn about your eating habits and cravings then as a detox. It helped me be more mindful of what I was eating and pay attention to how much I was eating. The recipes were easy to make and tasted good. However, I want to be honest, by day 3 I did not feel like eating the soup for dinner and picked a little on what I had made the rest of the family! I realized I do not have to snack as often as I do and sometimes water or hot tea fills you up and is satisfying.
If you'd like to learn more please be in touch with me. I'm happy to help.
Best,
Donna
This week looks something like this...
Monday: trying to go meatless today with Pasta Primavera and fresh summer zucchini, tomatoes, onions, and basil. A dollop of goat cheese mixed in last minute with the sauteed veggies makes this nice and creamy but still light.
Tuesday: Pork and Pineapple Tacos from Real Simple. Most of the cooking will be on the grill.
First grill a pork tenderloin after marinating it in pineapple juice, chili powder and jalapenos. Shred pork and put in corn tortilla with pineapple chunks, cilantro, cheese, and onion.
Wednesday: Grilled Spicy Shrimp over Rice with Asparagus. Season raw shrimp in olive oil, lime juice and old bay spice, grill and serve over rice and veggies.
Thursday: Grilled Eggplant and Mozzarella Melts, another Real Simple recipe.
Friday; picnic dinner that can be brought to pool or out on boat- baguette sandwiches with grilled chicken pesto, sprouts, avocado, you name it and it's on it!
Saturday: Grilled Salmon with my brother -n-laws sauce, brown rice and salad/
Sunday: Anniversary dinner-have not planned yet:)
Last week I followed the 3-day clean eating plan from Clean Slate. It was a nice way to reboot my system after my vacation. I recommend doing something like this more to learn about your eating habits and cravings then as a detox. It helped me be more mindful of what I was eating and pay attention to how much I was eating. The recipes were easy to make and tasted good. However, I want to be honest, by day 3 I did not feel like eating the soup for dinner and picked a little on what I had made the rest of the family! I realized I do not have to snack as often as I do and sometimes water or hot tea fills you up and is satisfying.
If you'd like to learn more please be in touch with me. I'm happy to help.
Best,
Donna
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Starting over with a "Clean Slate"....
My family and I arrived home yesterday from our yearly vacation in the Adirondacks. This was our tenth year returning to the lake and staying at the Lodge. Many lasting memories continue to be made at the lake. It is the one time a year when my extended family is together. I cherish this week as do my children. Meals shared together, plenty of water activities, meals shared, lots of walks, meals shared, running along the lake, cocktail hour, and meals shared again. You get the picture, right?
I have decided I need to hit a reset button for my body (if only it were that easy)! Starting tomorrow, it's still the weekend so Monday I'll start fresh, I'm going to follow some simple, wholesome recipes from the Clean Slate Cookbook (from the editors of Martha Stewart Living). This is a beautiful cookbook filled with wonderful recipes and nutritional information. There is a 3-Day and a 21-Day action plan about "cleaning the slate". Neither plan is about fasting. Each one includes real foods and recipes for juices, smoothies, soups, salads, snacks and lean proteins. I have shared many recipes from this book and use it weekly to prepare my "Meals at a Glance".
I plan on following the 3-day plan to get back on track after a wonderful vacation. My strategy for the next three days is to avoid : processed foods, added sugars, dairy & gluten to give my digestive system a break, alcohol and coffee.
I will be starting my morning with green tea and a Strawberry, Grapefruit & Ginger Smoothie.
It's easier to stay on track when you have support from friends and family. So who's with me?
I'll let you know how I do on the plan. Hoping to jump start my system, feel energized and return to my healthy habits once again! Below is a little preview of the plan to make it easy for you to find the recipes. No excues, let's do this!
Best,
Donna
Quick Reboot: Three-Day Action Plan
Wipe the slate clean with this mini-detox, based on a streamlined menu of make-ahead meals (same breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day) so you can front-load all the work. It’s just the boost your body needs to support digestion and to eliminate unwanted cravings.
Feeling really motivated? Try our 21-day whole-body detox in our new book,"Clean Slate." Either plan will set you on course for eating more healthfully throughout the year.
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