8:00am: Coffee with creamer
9:30am: Breakfast- Oats in a Jar
Had to make this before the jar accidentally ended up in the trash...courtesy of Scott not understanding the deliciousness of 'oats in a jar'J
12:00pm: Lunch- Salmon over arugula
Here's a great way to shake up your leftovers...I microwaved my leftover salmon for a minute, tossed it over arugula and WALLAH! 1 MINUTE LUNCH! The lettuce MAYBE needed a little olive oil or dressing, but it was fine without.
3:00pm: Snack #1- Wheat toast with butter & flax
Flax for a little extra crunch and nutrition. Butter because...well, it was exactly what I wanted at that momentJ
4:00pm: Snack #2- 4 Chocolate Almonds
Cause I need a little protein to hold me over till dinnerJ
5:30pm: Dinner- Slimmed Down Seasonal Soup!
So I really liked this recipe from Rachael Ray and thought it would be a good one to try, especially after our stock up at the farmer's market this weekend. Only problem? I wasn't exactly crazy about the idea of 1 cup of heavy cream OR about the fact that it seemed sorta summer-y (which HELLO, September 1st = Fall!), so I made a few quick swaps to not only slim it down but make it TOTALLY seasonally appropriateJ
First swap: I replaced the bacon with 2 diced links of Apple Maple chicken sausage...
This actually smelled sweet while it cooked up (in a spritz of non-stick olive oil spray). Skipping the meat for white beans would also make a good vegetarian swap.
Next, I added 1 diced onion and 1 diced red pepper and let those cook together for 4 minutes...
Next, I added my vegetables...
- 6 diced mini red potatoes (or 3 regular sized)
- 2 diced zucchinis
- 3 sliced ears of corn
Swap #2: Sage is my ULTIMATE favorite FALL/WINTER herb and I make sure I keep it stocked in my house from September to February for 'cozy emergencies'J So for this soup I swapped the recommended thyme for 5 leaves of diced sage to bump up the Fall/cozy factor....
Combine everything in the pan and cook for 4 minutes...
ps-the greenery was from a little leftover arugula that I had to either 'use or loose,' so I tore it up and tossed it in the soup aka. here's a great place to use up anything you need to get rid of.
Next, I finally added 1 box (4 cups) of chicken broth, 1 cup of 1% milk and my Swap #3: 1 cup of PUMPKIN to replace the cream!
Extra nutrition, FALL flavor and no added fat??? THAT'S WHAT I CALL A WIN! I mean, ya can't argue with 315 calories for 1 cup of cream vs. 80 for 1 cup pumpkin!
I combined everything in the pot along with salt, 1/4 of nutmeg (for more seasonal wonderfulness) and let it come to a boil before lowering it to a simmer for 8 minutes, or until the potatoes were cooked through.
This soup was AWESOME! Brimming with hearty, healthy vegetables, creamy & cozy from the smooth pumpkin with the extra FALL bump from the sage & nutmeg...it was just perfect. That little bit of nutmeg permeated every bite making it extra warm & cozy. Perfect for these upcoming COOL & COZY nights! Weeeeee!!!
6:30-7:45pm: Beginners Power Yoga class
A class done solely on the floor and each 'pose' held for 7 breaths. Easy? Ummmm...no! Planks & side planks for 7 breaths each is eternal! ETERNAL, I SAY!
8:30pm: Dessert- Parmesan Popcorn
I came home and was just dying for something, so I heated about a teaspoon of olive oil in a saucepan and added 1 tablespoons of kernels. Once everything was popped, I added 2 teaspoons Parmesan and a little salt to give it just enough flavor to make a satisfying snack. So good!
Well, 2 nights of antihistamine induced sleep has rendered me feeling about 95% better today. Although maybe the allergies have slowed down since we've had to keep out windows CLOSED the last 2 days! Today's high of 66 is not exactly 'window-opening' kinda weatherJ I'm OK with thisJ
Have a great Tuesday!
No comments:
Post a Comment