Tag Archives for Lunch
Lunch Time: Three Bean Chili
I have been making this chili recipe almost weekly because it is so quick and delicious. I omit the peppers and celery and it still turns out awesome. It makes quite a bit so it’s perfect to pack for lunch. I like mine with Greek yogurt, hot sauce, and a few handfuls of tortilla chips.
I’ve been using canned beans, but if you’re watching your sodium intake just sub it with dried. It takes a little more time but is definitely worth it if sodium is something you need to keep in check.
In baby news (since I haven’t blogged in forever), I have added a tab called “baby” at the top of the site. All baby related posts will be there and won’t show up on the main page. If you subscribe through an RSS reader then you will see the baby posts in your feed though.
A Busy Monday
I got up early this morning and decided to hit the gym since I hadn’t been in awhile. I’ve been running and doing dvds at home but was really starting to miss group exercise classes. I just love and thrive in that environment so I made a vow to start going to more of them now that my schedule is free.
I went to the strength class at 9am and figured I’d just be lifting weights, doing lunges, squats, etc. but it was so much more. The instructor brought out gliders which I’d never used before. We had to get in plank and use the gliders to do all this core and outer/inner thigh work. We also did a ton of squats, lunges, bicep curls, chest presses, overhead presses and plank work. I am so going to feel it in the morning.
It was definitely a fun class and the hour flew by. I was most surprised to see that I burned 467 calories doing strength training! I’m not sure what class I’ll take tomorrow.
I got home after class and was starving. I had a bunch of leftover canned pumpkin from some baking I’d done and I was wanting to use it up. I instantly thought of the pumpkin chili mexican scramble from running with spoons. This is the first time I made it with kidney beans (I usually use black beans) and it made a huge difference! I love this recipe because it’s quick and delicious.
After eating lunch, I got ready and went to Starbucks to do some design work. I had a tall iced coffee with soy and a tiny bit of pumpkin spice syrup. I don’t know if I can go back to hot coffee after drinking so much iced coffee this year.
I headed home after a couple of hours and had a piece of Ezekiel bread with almond butter, banana and agave nectar before heading out to a quick meeting regarding some freelance work.
Once I got out of the meeting I rushed home and already knew what I wanted to make for dinner: cheezy taco mac from Leftovers for Lunch. I never ate much hamburger helper as a kid, but this recipe still took me back. It was so good and made a ton so I’ll have lunch for myself and Greg all week.
The recipe calls for turkey so I just subbed it with TVP and it turned out perfect. It also called for Cajun seasoning which I didn’t have so I used this recipe to make my own.
I’m getting off here to do some tutorials on making website layouts in Photoshop. I’ve never constructed an entire site layout using only Photoshop before so I’m needing the brush up on my skills. If you know of any good tutorial sites please let me know!
Weekend Eats
I was making pancakes yesterday morning when I remembered I had some leftover pumpkin in the fridge. Now, I cannot cook or make up my own recipe to save my life, so when I made some substitutions on my own and the pancakes turned out amazing I was beyond excited! I’m slowly understanding how to slightly tweak things and still have them turn out edible.
Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes (adapted from my favorite vegan pancake recipe)
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg replacer (I used Ener-G, but you can also use flax seeds)
1 cup almond milk (I used unsweetened)
2 tablespoons pumpkin
1 cup white all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
pumpkin pie spice to taste (I used about a tablespoon)
3 tablespoons sugarMix dry ingredients together then add wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Drop 1/3 cups of mix onto a greased, preheated pan. Flip when the tops of the pancakes being to bubble a bit. Makes around 4 pancakes. I always double this recipe when I make it for two people.
Over the weekend I also made some wonderful red lentil dal that was recommended to me by my friend Amanda. I’d bought some red lentils and wasn’t sure what to make with them and this recipe was perfect. I served it over quinoa and it made for a delicious and filling dinner. I’ve been trying to eat more lentils because not only are they cheap, they are also full of protein and iron.
Weekend Highlights
I tried dates. I see Heather from Kiss My Broccoli always eatin’ them and she has pretty darn good taste in food so I decided to pick some up. I hate anything resembling a raisin. I don’t do dried fruit and I certainly would have never bought a package of dates if I hadn’t been seeing it on some of my favorite blogs lately.
The verdict… they’re good and not as gross as raisins. A little sweet and not too chewy. I wouldn’t crave them or anything, but they don’t make me gag which is a plus in my book!
I took Pepper to canine charm school. Yeah, he may be a cutie, but don’t let those sweet little eyes and adorable big ears fool you. This little guy is sweet as can be one second and a monster the next! We finally decided enough was enough and enrolled him in training classes. We had orientation on Saturday and the trainer brought her dog to show us some commands for us to work on until out first class on Saturday.
Let’s just say her dog was an absolute angel and if Pepper turns out half as good as that dog then it’s money well spent! He definitely needs a little more socialization too so it will be good for him.
I made the best sandwich ever. Using this recipe from Vegan YumYum, I made a batch of smokey miso tofu which is incredible! I toasted a couple of slice of Ezekiel bread, added avocado to both sides, some tomatoes and a few slices of tofu. So good! It was my first time using liquid smoke and it gives such an amazing smokey flavor and pairs so nicely with miso.
I made eggplant dengaku. I saw this recipe in Appetite for Reduction and was on a miso kick so decided to give it a try. It’s a delicious and easy side to make when you want something quick. here is a similar recipe if you want to try it yourself. I paired mine with a baked potato and greek yogurt for dinner and it really hit the spot.
I hope you all had a great weekend full of fun and good food! What was the highlight of the weekend for you?
Ripped In 30: What I Ate
I’ve received quite a few questions about what exactly I ate during Ripped In 30. I have highlighted a few of my favorite meals here that worked for me. Everyone is different, but I just wanted to share what I found to be a good fit for me.
My diet consisted of 1,600 calories a day and I kept a detailed account of everything I ate. Now that I’ve finished the challenge I no longer count calories and have kept the weight and inches off by sticking with (mostly) unprocessed foods, tons of fruit & veggies, eggs, whole grains, beans and nuts.
Pita Pizzas » These are great because you can always have something different just by choosing different veggies. I used Ezekiel brand pita bread and really liked it. All you need to do is take one piece of pita bread and cut along the edge like this so that you end up with two crusts for your pizza.
I made my own sauce by using canned low-sodium tomato sauce and added basil, a bit of salt and oregano. My favorite toppings are mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, asparagus and onion. Just play around with the toppings, find your favorite combo and enjoy!
Baked Potatoes with Greek Yogurt » During Ripped In 30 I found out that greek yogurt makes a wonderful sour cream substitute. It’s packed with a ton of protein and not many calories or fat which is great. I used this brand of yogurt and really liked it.
Veggie Stir-fry » It’s so easy to make these and they make the perfect workday lunch. I would pre-chop veggies and store them in tupperware bowls and make a large batch of quinoa on Sunday so that it would last the entire week. When I woke up in the morning for work I would just heat up the veggies, add some quinoa and sauce and be on my way. Easy!
Remember not to deprive yourself. I think one of the biggest reasons I failed so much in the past is because I viewed getting healthy and in shape as a temporary diet and it shouldn’t be that way. I felt that I couldn’t have anything “bad” and that was just me setting myself up for failure. You begin to tell yourself no so much that you eventually break and think you can’t do it anymore.
It needs to be a lifestyle change in order to work. Watch portion sizes. Eat whole, clean foods. Drink plenty of water. Make smart substitutions and choices throughout the day. Fuel your body properly. Make the change. Get stronger. See the results.
