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 :)

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

Drive By

This has been a busy day, so I’m just getting to posting!  I’ll make it quick;  I know you all want to get started on your Friday happy hour!!!

I was looking forward to hitting the gym.  It’s been a few days and I was missing my morning routine!  I went straight to the elliptical and knocked out 30 minutes, then did a 25 minute upper body circuit workout.  I forget how much I miss lifting the weights!

I brought my usual dashboard breakfast to eat after the gym…

Of course, not long after, I was hungry.  I had cheese on my mind for lunch!  My Mom hooked me up with a couple packages of the Sonoma Jacks Cheese Wedges.  She found them at Giant and picked up this cool flavor for me…

It was a terrific topping for my Gardenburger Portabella Veggie Burger on an Ezekiel Sesame Bun…

With a juicy orange on the side!  Been missing those, too :)

The rest of the afternoon was spent mostly in the car driving big daughter to an eye doctor appointment.  The doctor’s office is inconveniently located not in close proximity to my home, so it was an all afternoon affair.  Good thing I brought snacks…

After the appointment, we headed home in the rush hour traffic and the daughters were clamoring for some dinner.  I was tempted to do a drive-thru for them, but really didn’t want to have another meal in the car!  Then, big daughter said the most brilliant words…

“Mom, let’s just eat at home.  It’s healthier.”

I believe a choir of angels began to sing at that moment!

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah”

Score:  Mom –1  Fast Food – 0

When we got home, I fired up all burners and thankfully,  pasta boils quickly and salad is made in a flash.

Since I decided I was not going to starve to death if I had to wait 10 minutes, I cooked up some leaf spinach in a bit of evoo and served it with Turkey Ricotta Meatballs that I had in the freezer.  So glad I waited…

and a side of Trader Joe’s Naan…

It was worth the drive home :)

ONE GOOD THING:  When given an option, the daughters are choosing to eat healthier foods over the junk food.   I want to follow their example :)

Have a great weekend, everyone!!!

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