Homemade gourmet..

Monday Recap:

9:30am:  Breakfast- 1 Lemon Blackberry Cookie & yogurt

So I've been trying my best to avoid artificial flavors & sweeteners for about 3 years now.  I still have some and do still have coffee creamer (a few teaspoons daily) & diet soda (occasionally, usually only if I'm out), which doesn't really affect me.  This yogurt, however, DID.  Much like the last time (and it WAS the LAST TIME) I attempted to eat a little Splenda, by 3/4 of the way through this container I felt space-y & gross and had a headache by early afternoon.  Not sure why my body can eat certain sweeteners and be fine & not others (not that I don't want to eliminate ALL of them!), but it was enough of a 'hint' to not make me attempt this kind of yogurt again.  I'll take a few more calories in the name of feeling 100%!

12:00pm:  Lunch- Avocado/pickle/hummus/Laughing Cow wrap 

I'm about to start calling this the 'happy wrap,' cause it's another one of those lunches that is satisfying every single time I have.

1:30pm:  Snack #1- Coffee with creamer (the headache won out on this one)

3:00pm:  Snack #2-  Guess...J

5:30pm:  Dinner- Spring Salad with pecan encrusted goat cheese

Well, you knew it wouldn't be long until this salad graced your screenJ  And since the Kale & brown rice salad went over so well last week, I thought I'd toss in the last reheated leftover cup of brown rice right along with this winner, winner, salad dinner... 

• Diced kale 
• Halved grapes
• Craisins
• 1 cup warm brown rice

Toss everything together with a quick vinaigrette of:

• 5 tablespoons white vinegar or white balsamic
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• salt & pepper

(the original vinaigrette called for diced fresh basil & chives, which is SOGOOD, but it works without the fresh herbs too)

Finally, toast up some diced pecans (or walnuts/pistachios/etc) in a pan until golden brown.  Then add the sliced goat cheese and roll in the pecans.  The goat cheese becomes more pliable the longer it sits in the pan...so your cheese will shape depending on how patient you are. (aka-I wasn't patient AT ALL last nightJ)

This salad tastes almost gourmet with its ingredients of the rich & mellow dressing, tangy & cool goat cheese, crunchy pecans & sweet grapes and craisins.  You will want to make this again and again and again...as we haveJ 

And another person who will request it again and again?? 

Dinner is normally a guessing games with kids.  Some days this kid will HOUSE the most random things that you think she'll hate (like fennel & cilantro quinoa).  Other times, she'll take 2 or 3 bites of something you think she'll LOVE and be over it (like zucchini pancakes or pizza).  The one thing she will INHALE 100% of the time (besides beans, corn on the cob & soup)???  KALE SALAD. 

I said to Scott that WE didn't even eat kale until about 5 years ago and this kid inhales it like it's going out of style.  I thought it was just a fluke, but it's pretty crazy & consistent.  I hope she never looses it.  Time will tell, but I'll take it for now!  Any day without a whiny, cry-fest is a winJ

5:31pm:  Dessert- Coconut cupcake

Seriously, I think our plates were clean for half a second before I started thinking about these cupcakes.  Two seconds later Scott wanted one and that was all it took for me to go running for the kitchen.  LOVE. THESE. THINGS!

6:30-7:45pm:  Beginner's Power Yoga

8:30pm:  Hot Lemon Water

Since we ate our dessert RIDICULOUSLY early and I had gotten home from yoga earlier than usual since I only took one class, I found myself craving SOMETHING while watching "Dancing with the Stars" last night (I HEART, HEART, HEART Davies & White!  The world needs more role models like those 2!)  So instead of reaching for something salty or sweet, I downed this lemon water and it killed those cravings FLAT.  And on top of that, I woke up this morning nearly buzzing with how healthy I felt.  It would have been a MUCH different story had I given into those temptations.  I'll take this one as a win.

Alright...I better get a move on.  But I will leave you with the tease that at least once a week I normally have a recipe I'm REALLYEXCITED to make and TONIGHT is that recipeJ  It's a savory take on a normally sweet dish.  Stay tuned...

Have a great Tuesday!J