It was a rocky start that actually had a fantastic ending:
…but first, a Beautiful Breakfast:
Watermelon and Classic Oats ( water, 1/2 cup oats, banana, pb, cinnamon)
I know watermelon is also a “summer classic” but I have never been a huge fan of any melon.
* no photo but I had a few sharkies pre-workout. They really helped keep me going !
Lunch:
Tofu Triangles with Taco Seasoning, Whole Wheat Tortilla Triangles, Salsa, Veggies, Stoneyfield Oikos and Fruit ( yes I used the same plate and bowl as in breakfast. Jeff and I are the dishwasher so I was feeling lazy and rinsed them off.
I ate it like this:
I use Ortega Taco Seasoning because unlike El Paso ( yellow) and other brands… 
because Ortega does NOT have :
-HFCS nor MSG ( Monosodium Glutamate)
HFCS again is big in the media controversary about healthy vs. unhealthy. From a future-dietician perspective, fructose itself is fruit sugar and is not unhealthy. However, HFCS is often in processed, packaged foods to increase shelf life which means it is not a part of whole, natural, fresh foods! Another negative to HFCS is the “high fructose” intake. Refined sugars, such as foods with HFCS, can lead to directly increasing triglyceride levels as fructose is a precursor to glycerol, the back bone of triglycerides. This can be unhealthy at regular high intake levels if your diet consists of mostly products with this ingredient. Mine does not, however, I do try to limit the intake of unnecessary ingredients like HFCS for health purposes. Ortega’s other ingredients are not exactly the healthiest either- because it is a processed seasoning – i.e Maltodextrin is a modified starch that stablizes but its not harmful. Finding balance is key!
Snack:
Organic Medjool Organic Date with TJ Valencia PB
and an organic apple with a slice of my Brie Wedge Creation yesterday… 
(yes, again in the same bowl)
Dinner:
The disaster started when I attempted Dried Black Beans for the first time. I read the directions on the back of the bag that said to soak them overnight. So I dutifully soaked the beans in 4 cups of water abiding by directions. Then I made sure to save the bag for today. When I looked to see what else the package said. Nothing. Nothing about cooking.
So I tried to eat one- BLECH!- It was hard and cold and gross. 
I thought I must just heat them up. What is a gal to do? I put them in a pot on the burner and cranked that baby up to medium.
While they were supposed to be heating ( hint) , I started to make “butternut squash fries”. Anyone who thinks de-peeling a butternut is easy- think again! I nearly chopped my arm off. I also could not find our “good knife” , yes that means I have only one chef/utility knife and I could not find it ANYWHERE. So I chopped away, peels everywhere, chunks everywhere. Luckily, no bodily harm occured. I thought to myself “this better be worth the $5 and the effort it takes to peel this sucker” as I have never made butternut squash before.
Well, when the guy was finally peeled and chopped into fry like shapes – I sprinkled with salt, and then started to crack pepper when all of a sudden the pepper-mill top falls off as does all of the peppercorns inside it – all over the fries, the counter and the floor.
Sigh. Check the black beans… nope- not cooked.
Okay, time to walk with Andrea.
After I got back from my walk with Andrea , Jeff had started the grill for some freshly bought mahi mahi and I continued to heat the never-cooking beans.
I decided that since the fish would be ready in 2.2 minutes ( okay not really) and neither the fries or the beans were ready- I thawed frozen mixed veggies and heated up instant Kashi Pilaf. Oh Kashi Pilaf, you are a life saver- all whole grains, tons of fiber and good amino acids, and no sodium!
I didn’t eat the beans that were on my plate- they were still not cooked.
A few of the fries did finish so I tested them. They were fantastic because they were not crispy but more sweet and soft just like even better than sweet tater fries.
I sliced some ripe avacado on top of the mahi mahi for some extra healthy monounsaturated fats! My heart is going to love me after that meal for sure! It contained heart healthy fats from the Mahi Mahi, the Avacado, and the Organic Olive Oil ( on the fries). This meal also provides lots of antioxidants from the veggies and whole grain pilaf!
It was all disaster turned delicious.
Phew .
Recent Comments