Quitting Is For Quitters

I was so excited to start my morning off with this…

I bought this mini French press by La Cafetiere in Home Goods the other day and I couldn’t wait to use it!  I had no idea how to use it, but thankfully, it came with directions.

The result was FABULOUS!  Feeding my addiction…

 

I was scheduled to do another 3 mile run this morning.  It was a beautiful day, so I decided to run outdoors again, but had a hard time deciding where.  I wasn’t really in the mood to run, so my hilly neighborhood wasn’t appealing and neither was a local trail;  again hills.  I finally settled on a park trail about 1o minutes away.  The first mile was easy and I was in a nice groove, but I was not feeling this run at all.  I started talking myself into stopping at 2 miles.  It’s good enough, right?  It’s something, right?  NO, I said to myself!  Quitting is for quitters, I said.  Very profound, huh?  LOL!  It’s all I could come up with at 9 a.m.!  I just kept chanting it over and over.  Before I knew it, I was at 3 miles and sprinted at the end, chanting “finish strong”!!!  That was a little more motivational, right?  I think the coffee kicked in ;D

I went back to the car for my dashboard breakfast…

very nutty (like me)…

I finished some errands and headed home for lunch.  I was craving salmon and happened to find some in the kitchen cabinet…

I used it to make a Salmon Roll – my take on a Lobster Roll which is a New England specialty and super delicious!  My Salmon Roll was a tasty alternative. 

To the packet of salmon, I added finely diced red onion, celery, salt, pepper and 1 1/2 tablespoon Kraft reduced fat olive oil mayo.  But the star of the mix was this…

I used a couple teaspoons of the Wasabi Mustard.  It made the dish!

Lobster Rolls are traditionally served on a split hot dog-type roll.  To “healthify” my Salmon Roll, I served it on an Ezekiel Hot Dog Bun with a side of red grapes…

Despite this filling lunch, I was stomach growling hungry for a snack in the afternoon.  I steered away from the Cheez-its and opted for a Honeycrisp apple and tablespoon of Barney Butter (trying to use it up!)…

Dinner was later than I like, since I had to volunteer in the church office again.  I didn’t have a plan , but after digging around, I came up with a dinner idea – Zucchini “Spaghetti” and Turkey Ricotta Meatballs…

I heated up Turkey Ricotta Meatballs from the freezer and made some “spaghetti” using 1 medium zucchini and this tool…

A zester!  I rarely ever use it for zesting, but I found a new use for it now!  I’ve seen lots of veggie “pastas” in the blogworld and most of them call for using a Spiralizer.  I’m a gadget lover and have been thinking of getting one, but in an effort to “declutter” my kitchen, I have been holding back from buying it.  Using a zester had the same effect, although probably took a bit more effort than the Spiralizer!

I cooked the “spaghetti” in a teaspoon of olive oil for about 3 minutes in a nonstick pan, along with the diced remnants of the zucchini.  Before serving, I tossed it with a teaspoon of pesto, seasoned with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.  It was delicious!

Spaghetti!!

ONE GOOD THING:  Pushing myself to finish my run gave me such a good boost of confidence and energy.  I like the feeling of finishing what I’ve started :)

****

Enjoy your day!  Looking forward to my Vegan For A Day adventure today!

Humbled + Houseworkout

Wow, I was completely floored by all of your comments on my last post.  When I asked what you liked best about my blog, I really was hoping to just get some feedback as to what you come here to read and see so that I wouldn’t continue to bore the pants off you for the next year, but truly , I did not expect all of the wonderful things that you said!! *blush*  THANK YOU.  Really.  For taking the time to comment, for coming here to read my babbling and for sharing “my table” with me :)

 

Breakfast was the first thing on my mind this morning!  I took out a Ginger Apple Oat Breakfast Cookie from the freezer, nuked it for 20 seconds and decided it needed a topping.  I waffled back on forth about trying the Barney Butter on it and finally just went for it!  I added one tbsp. as my “icing”…

Awesome!  I liked the ginger/almond butter combo!  Now, I have a way to use up that $9.50 jar!

I had to trade the gym this morning for a workout at my parents’ house!  Well, I wasn’t planning it to be a workout.  I was going over to help with more home improvement projects and cleanout (they are preparing to sell their house).  But, heavy box lifting, squats, cleaning mirrors, sweeping and running up and down steps 400,000 times can definitely count for some kind of workout!  My gluteus maximus was a little sore by the end of the day!

We broke for a late and quickie lunch.  A simple soup and sammie combo… Trader Joe’s Organic Lentil Soup

and an open faced turkey and cheese with spicy brown mustard…

I helped with a few more things, then left with a carful of items to drop off at Goodwill (Dad, you don’t miss that 70’s disco picture still, do you???)  :)

I was home for all of about 20 minutes before having to head back out with little daughter for religion class.  I had to volunteer in the office during that time and made sure to bring my snack with me.  But didn’t get to eat it.  There was a whirlwind of stuff for me to accomplish, so I didn’t have time to get to it, but my stomach was letting me know it was NOT happy.

When we got home, I got right to making dinner.  I found myself looking for snacks.  I got that panicky feeling of “ I have to eat something”.  I noshed on a couple pretzels while prepping dinner and knew I was should stop because I felt close to the edge of binging on a bunch of stuff;  I was getting in that zone.  I stopped for a second, came into the moment and said to myself, “I am not going to starve to death.  I can wait a few more minutes until dinner is ready.”  And a sense of relief came over me.  I realized, yes, I am hungry, but no, I will not die of starvation if I have to wait another 10 minutes for dinner.  Whew, disaster avoided :)

And I got to enjoy a dinner of  Mexican “Baked” (micro) Potato topped with black beans, salsa and Cabot’s 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese and a side salad with Kraft  Light Three Cheese Ranch dressing…

So Good!  And definitely tastes better when you’re hungry ;P

If you haven’t checked it out yet, don’t forget to enter My Favorites Giveaway!

ONE GOOD THING:  Not giving in to my overwhelming desire to eat the house down while cooking dinner!

Have a great day!

I Dance For Food

Another gorgeous day!  This is turning out to be a great fall!

I was out the door early getting the daughters off to school and had every intention of heading to the gym, but took one look at my “to do” list and decided to get started on that instead.  I decided to keep my running training schedule to every other week for now and technically, today is a rest day, so I tried not to feel too badly about it!  “Running” errands is exercise, right?!

Before racing out the door, I grabbed a Triple Berry Bran Muffin…

Honestly, I didn’t like these so much today.  They are nice and moist, but there seems to be a bitter spice in there somewhere.  I can’t put my finger on it.  I didn’t detect it yesterday, but I ate it steaming from the oven.  Hmmm…

Then I was off  to conquer the grocery shopping which ultimately takes up half the day!  Not only was I shopping for our family, but I also had a list of things to buy to donate to needy families for Thanksgiving.  My cart was F U L L!

I stopped home to unload and dig up some lunch.  I heated up a serving of Black Bean Soup from the freezer…

And made a nice toasty crostini with 7 grain bread, a wedge of Laughing Cow Light Cheese and one of my favorite toppings…

Delish!

After more errands and picking up the daughters, it was time to settle in for homework and a snack.  I was really hungry…

I also dug into some of this…

I have seen this all over the blogosphere since I began blogging last year!  I have heard the oooh’s and aaaah’s of bloggers around the world singing it’s praises, so you can imagine how excited I was to come across this in my local Fresh Market!  I was doing the happy dance in the aisle.  Ridiculous, I know.  I need a bumper sticker that says, I Dance For Food :)

I danced, dug and spread it on a little banana and (wait for it)….

It was just okay! Barney Butter lovers might think I’m nuts -no pun intended :)- but I like my Homemade Almond Butter much better!  I am now the proud owner of a $9.50 jar of Barney Butter that is just ‘meh’.  *random dancing comes to screeching halt* :|

Dinner was a “cook like Mom and Gram” recipe – Chicken with Potatoes and Olives.  My Mom and Gram are so good at whipping up dishes without following a recipe;  just a little of this and a little of that.  I don’t always have the confidence to do that, but I think my skills are getting better as time goes on and if I have a basic idea of what I want something to taste like, I can pretty much wing it!

Chicken with Potatoes and Olives

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 cans (14 oz. each) petite diced tomatoes
• 1/3 c. dry red wine
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1/4 c. sicilian green olives

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large pot over medium heat, spray with cooking spray and add chicken.  Brown on both sides and remove from pot onto a warmed plate. 

Add oil and garlic;  cook about 30 seconds.  Add tomato paste and stir until paste begins to break down.  Add tomatoes, wine and stir until combines.  Add potatoes, olives and return chicken to pan.  Cover and cook on low until chicken is fully cooked about 30 minutes.

Easy peasy…

Thumbs up from the fam!

I made a side salad which included these addictive guys…

I know Italian and Asian don’t exactly go together, but I’m all about the fusion ;)

Be sure to come back tomorrow for the blogiversary GIVEAWAY!!!

Have an awesome day :)