You are currently browsing the daily archive for May 11th, 2009.
This afternoon, I munched on grape tomatoes, carrots, and cucumbers that I packed last night.
I had a larger-than-usual appetite for dinner, which I blame on
- a) my wimpy afternoon snack (lacking in the healthy fat/protein/carb department)
- b) Jillian Michaels kicking my butt with her hour long “No More Trouble Zones” workout On Demand
Anyone tried this workout video? I love it – I’m getting my arms into wedding dress shape!
Ok, back to food.
I made a jalapeno-cilantro pesto adapted from the Cooking Light parsley and walnut pesto recipe:
- 3 cups cilantro
- 1/2 cup walnut pieces
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- salt and pepper
- 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/4 jalapeno pepper, seeded
I tossed the pesto into cooked Al Dente whole wheat fettuccine with sliced & heated TJ’s jalapeno chicken sausages and a bit of TJ’s light mexican blend cheese.
The jalapeno-cilantro pesto recipe needs a little tweaking, but overall this pasta dish was pretty tasty. John and I both really like the flavor of this chicken sausage!
I also made what might be my new favorite vegetable side dish: roasted cauliflower. I prepared cauliflower like this once before, but I perfected it this time around. The key is to slice the cauliflower into slices, rather than cut them into florets. The larger surface area allows the cauliflower to caramelize. I could honestly eat a whole head of cauliflower prepared like this!
My appetite was not completely sated after dinner tonight – when is it ever? – so I reached for a handful of Peanut Butter Puffins and about 1 Tbsp of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Classic flavor combination, great crunch, and fantastic sweet tooth-satisfier.
We’re gearin’ up for the season finale of House 
How’s your Monday going so far? Off to a good start, I hope.
Last night, I snagged the leftover roasted asparagus and grilled shrimp to make part of today’s lunch. Also in the container: baby romaine & spinach and Tribe 40 Spices Hummus.
The spices in the hummus – whatever the 40 might be – worked really well with the shrimp and asparagus seasonings. Leftover grilled food is tasty in any application, but when paired with creamy & spicy hummus, it’s downright delicious!
The second component of lunch was my latest “faux cheesecake” variation: Triple Coconut Cream Cheesecake
- 1/2 cup Friendship 1% whipped cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup nonfat plain Chobani
- 1/4 cup light coconut milk
- tiny dribble pure coconut extract
- about 1 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
Served, of course, with Back to Nature cinnamon graham sticks.
The “cheesecake” itself wasn’t sweet, but the graham cracker sticks added the perfect touch of sweetness to this divine coconutty concoction.
The whole lunch spread, photographed last night & gobbled up today:
I miss the gorgeous granite kitchen countertops in our Houston house. It’s taken some getting used to going from a big, updated kitchen to a small, outdated kitchen – but it’s all worth it to be back in the city I love!
It was so nice to wake up at 5:30 this morning to daylight! I’m not one to have difficulty getting up in the morning, but it’s even easier when it’s fully light outside.
Breakfast was a simple bowl o’ cereal a hodgepodge of cereals, fruits, and nuts.
- Trader Joe’s High Fiber Fruit & Nut Medley cereal*
- Zoe’s Cinnamon Raisin granola
- pecan pieces
- 1 banana, sliced
- skim milk
Along with 1 cup of ground cinnamon-brewed coffee:
What can I say, one type of cereal and no toppings just doesn’t satisfy me!
*This cereal is comprised of “high fiber clusters, raisins, [dried] cranberries, almonds & pecans”.
The stats per 2/3 cup serving:
- 90 calories
- 1.5 grams fat
- o grams saturated fat
- 55 mg sodium
- 7 grams fiber
- 8 grams sugar (from evaporated cane juice crystals)
- 2 grams protein
The ingredient list and nutritional profile are decent, although the cereal is a bit lacking in the protein department. Taste-wise, the cereal is pretty good. The fiber clusters are reminiscent of Kashi GoLean; the dried fruits & nuts add welcome flavor and textural elements. It serves as a nice base for granola and fresh fruit, or as a topping for yogurt.
Today is my second-to-last day of nannying – I can’t believe how fast time is flying!
