Parmesan Garlic Lamb Chops

I don’t know about you but I tend to eat a lot of chicken and fish, and sometimes you just need to change things up.  I had never cooked lamb before, but after seeing it in a few recipes I  made up my mind to try it.  I did some homework first, and found that loin, shank and leg cuts are comparable to beef and pork with regards to calories and saturated fat.  (About 150 calories per a 3 oz serving, and 2-3 g of sat fat.)  And, as it turns out, lamb isn’t as marbled as beef so it’s easier to trim the fat away before cooking.  Well!  This all seemed quite promising, so I rolled up my sleeves and got cooking.

The recipe I started with called for a rack of lamb, which I was all about until I got to the butcher’s counter.  WELL THEN.   If you’ve bought one, you know what I discovered.  I quickly switched my plan to loin chops, and the end result seemed just fine.   Well, more than just fine.  It was stinkin’ delicious, ya’ll.

I seasoned the chops with some salt and pepper, then browned them in a pan with 2 T of olive oil (for about a pound of meat.)  They browned for about 4 minutes on each side, and then switched over to a plate to await their coating.

I mixed together 1/4 cup of bread crumbs and 1T of grated pecorino romano.  (This is what I had on hand; most of the recipes called for parmesan.)  I coated them with a dollop of Dijon mustard (officially, prob a tsp each side of each loin… but it’s mustard, mkay?) and then another tsp of minced garlic on each side.  After they got their wet bath from the mustard/garlic, I patted on the bread crumbs/parmesan mixture.  A spritz from the olive oil mister and into the oven at 450 F they went! 

They cooked for 15 minutes, while I prepared the sides. 

To go along with our chops, I made these roasted veggies from Trader Joe’s.  They are quite possibly the best frozen vegetables I’ve ever encountered.  (Unfortunately, to obtain them I have to drive a mere 160 miles down to Charlotte and back.)

 

I also threw a handful of frozen spinach into the pan where I had browned the meat, with another tablespoon of olive oil.  I was thinking browned meat fat + spinach would = deliciousness.  I was wrong.  If anyone has a good suggestion for cooking spinach, please please let me know!  This was terrible. 

BUT, spinach disaster aside, the rest of dinner was fantastic.  The loin chops had just the right amount of garlic and crunchy coating without being overpowering, and the meat was super tender.  While I don’t think lamb will show up in my regular rotation, this is definitely a keeper and would make a great dish for a special occasion.  Minus, of course, the spinach.  Sorry, Popeye.

Recipe* 

(I didn’t actually use one, I just looked at three or four and got the gist of them and went from there.  This is just one example and comes from Emeril, 2003.)

Ingredients

• 1 rack of lamb, trimmed (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan

Directions

Season rack of lamb well on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a medium skillet over high heat and, when hot, add the oil. When the oil is almost smoking, add the rack of lamb and brown well on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a plate and set aside to cool slightly before proceeding.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Using the back of a spoon, spread the mustard evenly over all sides of the lamb. Spread the minced garlic over the lamb in the same manner.

In a small mixing bowl combine the breadcrumbs and grated cheese and toss to thoroughly combine. Using your hands or a spoon, spread the breadcrumb mixture evenly all over the lamb, pressing so that the crumbs adhere to the meat.

Place the rack of lamb on a baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes for medium-rare. Allow lamb to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before carving into chops to serve.

Shrimp + Grits, Ya’ll

Oh my gosh, ya’ll.  This one was on the BEST meals I have ever made.  And the best part was, it was pretty much on accident.  In the busyness of the holiday weekend, I didn’t do any meal planning.  This entire week I’ve been throwing together meals from our freezer, eeking out every last bit of creativity I have.  (I don’t recommend this as a regular strategy.) Yesterday I discovered a few packs of grits in our pantry, and with a bag of frozen shrimp, a bag of frozen corn and some goat cheese…. DINNER!

It was incredible.

To make: make grits per package directions and add in 1-2 oz goat cheese per person.  (I used about 4 oz for the 2 of us, and it definitely give it enough flavor.)  Add in the frozen corn while it’s cooking.

I cooked the shrimp with about 1/4 cup of light beer (3 “glugs” is literally how I measure) and salt, pepper and chili flakes.  Right before they’re ready to serve, I added another 1/4 cup (3 more glugs) of barbeque sauce.  The one I used is Sweet Baby Ray’s.

That’s it – it’s literally just heat and eat.  And prepare to sit back and receive the compliments!

(Not bad for a New Yorker, right?)

Chai Tea Latte

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you know that coffee drinks are one of my all time favorite treats.  Chai lattes are right up there in my top five fave list.  I’ve been making this version at home for about a year now, saving me a little bit in both the waistline and the wallet!

I used to make this with just regular bag Chai tea (my favorite brand is Revolution tea or Tazo tea), but a friend mine came back with a bag of loose leaf chai on a recent trip to India and I’ve been totally spoiled ever since.

If you live in Winston-Salem (like me!), you can get delicious loose leaf tea from local Chad’s Chai and Tea.  (You can also order his stuff on Foodzie.)

Whether or you do tea bag or loose leaf, the first step is the same: make tea and steep.

While it’s steeping, boil 8 oz of milk.  I do mine for 1:30 in the microwave, but you can do it on the stove top if you want it to get really delicious and sugary.

Remove tea bag and pour about 3-4 oz of tea into bottom of coffee cop.  Add 1 Tbsp of honey, 1 tsp of vanilla extract and, optional, 1 packet of sweetener.

If you have a hand frother, you can make the milk all foamy.  (If you don’t, here’s a link for Santa.  It’ll change your mornings, I promise.)  Pour the steamed milk into the tea-honey-vanilla combo.  Add a few shakes of cinnamon on top.

Sit down and enjoy somewhere quiet with a nice view, preferably with a sunrise and a good read.  (Mine happened to be the Pottery Barn Christmas edition.  Eye candy galore.)   Enjoy!

Angel Food: Care Packages and Food Gifts for Healthy Living

Food is love.  Symbolically and literally, we often use food for many messages:

I love you.

I’m sorry.

You did good.

I want to help.

Thank you.

I hope it gets better.

It’s better!

Congratulations!

For decades, we humans have passed around warm plates of cookies, savory hot casseroles, and frosty beverages to pass along many messages.  While I’m not going to go so far as to argue that we shouldn’t use food as a symbol of our love (because didn’t I just bake my sister pumpkin cookies for her birthday and celebrate the end of internal medicine month with sirloin steak, WHY YES I DID)… what does one do when you know the recipient of your food gift is trying to lead a healthier lifestyle?

The inspiration for this post was three-fold.  First, it’s the holiday season.  Tis the season to make cookies, tie ‘em up with curly ribbons and leave them in the mailbox for your carrier who puts up with all your ebay packages.  Or at least, that’s what we do here in our household.  One of my clients asked me the other day to help her come up with non-food small gift items for the people in her life she had previously gifted with food.  She herself is on a weight loss journey, having lost 30 pounds over the last year, and I’m sure she is thinking “if I’ve struggled with gifted food before, is it fair to pass the same challenge along to others who might be trying to live healthier?”

I also struggled with this question a few weeks ago when I was put to the task of delivering a meal to a friend who was going back and forth to the hospital to take care of a sick relative.  The first thing that came to mind was “a casserole!” but i knew my friend was also trying to eat healthier, and I was pretty sure her irregular hospital schedule didn’t leave her a lot of time to prepare healthy meals on her own.  I started brainstorming healthy “care package” meals that i could make, and it was from that list this blog was born.

So, without further ado, below are ideas for gifts and care packages that will allow you to shower you recipient with your love without derailing their pursuit of healthier living.  And isn’t that even more loving of you?

Gift Ideas:

Tea or Coffee Drinkers: Buy a few boxes of specialty teas and mix them up.  Purchase tulle or another light fabric from a craft or fabric store to tie up your tea sampler satchel.  If you’d like, you can pair it with a reusable tumbler or a tea infuser.  If you’re local in Winston, visit Chad’s Chai and Tea shop for loose leaf teas to make your own collections.  (He’s also on Foodzie for those of you not here!)  Include with your gift a recipe of homemade Chai Lattes or Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

Scrubs: When I was in high school, I discovered that I could make exfoliating scrubs for mere pennies… quite a wonderful surprise after I had been buying the $15 version at Bath & Body Works for a couple years.  This is so insanely easy you won’t believe it.  First, go to Michael’s (or some other craft store) and pick up some small glass jars.  Think baby food size – they are usually only a couple dollars each.  If you’re planning far enough ahead, you can BE green and SAVE green by beginning to rinse our glass jars from food items and sending them through your dishwasher a few times to get rid of any food debris/smell.  (Hint: black bean salsa jars don’t work so good for this… the smell never quite goes away, and there’s nothing very relaxing about smelling like a jalapeno in your bathtub.)  You’re going to fill your glass jars with three things: a moisturizing agent (oil), a scrub (sugar, salt or coffee) and a wee little drop of essential oils.  Oops, I should have mentioned – while you’re at Michaels, you’ll need to buy a small thing of essential oil.  This is usually in the candle section.  Hope you read this whole blurb before you went.

It takes a little bit of mad scientist style chemistry to get the ratio of oil: scrub right, but just start by filling up your jar halfway with three-fourths of the scrubbing agent and then slowly adding the oil in.  Salt (especially big gritty kosher salt) and sugar works great (brown sugar is a little more gentle and has a yummy smell too), but coffee works as well and the caffeine temporarily works to tighten things up.  (I said temporarily folks… no miracle cures here.  But that’s what the rest of this blog is for!)  Add a few drops of the oil for a yummy smell, and voila!  Ready to gift!

This is what the texture should look like: more grit than oil.

Homemade Dog Biscuits: If your favorite people might be watching what they eat and might find your homemade cookies an easy distraction from their goals, doesn’t mean that Fido won’t appreciate your hard work in the kitchen!  There are many recipes for homemade dog biscuits on the web, I like this one for it’s simplicity and it’s use of everyday ingredients.  (Someone mentioned garlic is bad for dogs; I can’t find anything that supports this but if you’re concerned just omit it.  I’m sure Fido won’t mind.)  Make sure your gift recipient knows who the benefactor of this treat is!

Flavored Oils & Vinegars: I love this idea that was in the latest issue of Prevention (December 2009): flavored oils and vinegars.  I can’t say I have tried it, but it looks fairly straightforward and would be such a fun gift to share.  You could reuse glass bottles or if you have a World Market in your city, I know they sell olive oil decanters for very expensive.  (I got one to put my dish soap in for $2.)

Post-Cards or Note cards: This one works best for people you know, because you cater the design to their likes.  (Your mail carrier may not jump up and down about a pack of postcards with your darling 18 month on the front, but your “don’t buy me any more stuff” grandmother might.)  There’s a couple places you can make these, my favorite are Snapfish and Moo.  On Moo, you can make a 20 pack of post-cards for $17.99.  You can easily split this into 4 mini-packs of cards for 5 people.  I like to bundle these up with scraps of ribbons I’ve saved throughout the year from gifts.  Try scenes of your city for people you work with, a place you’ve vacationed to for family members, old photos of good times with friends – the possibilities are endless.  Go the extra step to include a roll of stamp for bonus points.    If you’re super crafty, I love these photo notepads that you can make at home.  This would be a great way to use up the paper sitting in your work recycling bin too.  I’ve never tried making these, but they just might be on my to do list this year.  (Let me know if you try them!)

Angel Food Care Packages:  If you’re delivering a meal to someone, here’s a few ideas of angel food care packages that will let you deliver your nourishment with love, minus the heaping dose of cream of chicken condensed soup.

One note: when bringing food to someone, be sure to use Tupperware or disposable dishes you don’t need back.  This will make it easier on the recipient.  (If you want to be a little bit more green, go to Goodwill and load up on dishes or receptacles you can pass along. Be sure to mention in a note to the recipient that they don’t have to return the dish; let them know they can keep it or pass it on.  I found a bunch of plates for $1 each on my last trip to goodwill and with a tight saran wrap seal, they’ve worked well for many pass-alongs.)

Grilled Chicken Salad: Grill chicken and cut into strips.  Put into tupperware or ziploc bag.  In a separate tupperware or bag include pre-chopped up salad greens.  (Don’t include more than 1-2 servings per person – otherwise this becomes a science experiment in the fridge.)  Include separately chopped up bags or tupperwares of fixings such as carrots, onions, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes.  Keep them separate – they’ll get mushy if mixed in.  Include a small bottle of dressing.  If you want a really special touch, make a homemade dressing.  This is a really nice way of letting the recipient feel really special about receiving a meal from you.  There’s ton of recipes online; I like a number of them listed here.  I save glass bottles from a number of different foods for this purpose, a quick run through the dishwasher will make them ready to go.  (Peel the label off first, and if there’s any residue left if usually comes off in the DW.)  A salad dressing in a jar with a lid can be shook up before pouring if it settles while traveling.  Be sure to note if it needs to be put in the fridge or not.  If you’d like, include a crusty wheat bread to go along with the salad.

Baked Potatoes and Turkey Chili:  This is a favorite of mine for winter months.  Purchase the baked potatoes that come wrapped in plastic that take 7 minutes in the microwave.  Include small Tupperware or baggies of toppings including sour cream, pre-chopped chives, salsa, crumbled cheese.  Turkey chili is a great, healthy swap and best of all, will keep in the freezer if the recipient chooses not to eat it right away.  My favorite recipe is by Ellie Krieger, but you can find a number of other ones online.  If you want, you can pour the recipe into Ziploc baggies and lay them flat to freeze – essentially making one-two serving recipes that the recipient can thaw as needed.  (Bonus: make yourself a batch to freeze too.)  This works well for many soup recipes too.

Stir-Fry: Grill or stir-fry a chicken or pork with a little bit of olive oil or sesame oil, cut into strips.  Toss in a Ziploc bag or Tupperware.  Include a bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables that can be microwaved (SteamFresh is my favorite brand) and a bag of Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice. *This is the one that can be microwaved in 90 seconds.* (While typically I don’t use this rice because it is slightly higher in sodium, in the case of providing someone a “quick and easy” meal it’s a nice option.  Best pick is the plain brown rice, although they have flavored ones such as Teriyaki or Jasmine that would go well with a Stir-Fry dish.)  Include a small bottle of low sodium soy sauce as a nice complement.  If you want, include a small baggie of chopped peanuts or cashews as a garnish.

Egg Frittata: This is a really simple, delicious way to get a bunch of veggies and protein!  Sautee any type of vegetables in 1-2 tsp of olive oil.  Spray a pie tin (disposable or one you’re willing to give away) with a few bursts of olive oil cooking spray.   In a mixing bowl, stir together 3 eggs and 3 egg whites with 3/4 cup skim milk.  Add feta cheese or goat cheese throughout and a little bit of salt and pepper.  Put in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.  Slices can be reheated individually in the microwave later.

Refill Your Glass Jars with Soups, Salad Dressings & Sauces

Soups also freeze well flat in plastic bags.

You can get creative and spin off any of these basics: new toppings for the salads, different soups to sub for the chili and variations on the stir-fry.  Many meals that you might be making for your family could easily become “care package” meals – just pay attention to any meals you prepare that are easy to cook (i.e microwave or oven reheat) or non-cook and that have meal components that don’t require a lot of assembly before eating.

Food is part of our culture, and there’s nothing wrong with gifting something you’ve created or sharing a meal with someone in need.  Finding a way to do it that supports healthier choices is even better.  You’ll feel good about what you’ve shared, and the recipient will feel good about what they’re eating.  It’s a win for everyone.  I welcome you to share in the comment sections other “care package” or gift ideas that you’ve used!

Yes that’s right, MORE roasted veggies…

As soon as it gets somewhat cold outside, I just start getting this compulsive urge to roast every single vegetable I come across.  I’d never thought of roasting onions as a stand-alone (just mixed in with some other root veggies), but there was a recipe in October’s issue of Everyday Food that made them look so scrump I couldn’t resist.  I was cooking steaks and homemade potato fries to celebrate the end of internal medicine month for Matt, and I thought roasted onions would be a great complement.

Celebratory dinner menu: spice-rubbed sirloin steaks, homemade tater fries, roasted onions, crusty bread.

I started with 2 6 oz spuds and used my brand stinkin’ new KitchenAid multi slicer to make the tater slices.  So much easier than doing them by hand!  I never got them evenly sliced, so I was always having a few burnt or a few mushy ones on the cooking sheet.  (Thank you, Mom!  We found this lovely device on sale at HomeGoods and my mom was kind enough to no-reason gift it to me.)

Once sliced, I throw the taters in a ziploc baggy with about 2 tsp of olive oil and give ‘em a really vigorous shake.  Then I pour ‘em on a cookie sheet and sprinkle them with either kosher salt or a little bit of seasoning salt, depending on what kind of mood we’re in.  (Tonight was a seasoning salt kind of night.)

 

Those go in the oven at 450 for 15-ish minutes.  I really don’t know exactly how long they take, I am frequently opening up the oven to test them.  I apologize for my lack of exactness.

On to the onions!

Start with a gorgeous red onion.

Chop, chop, chop.  Into wedges.  Throw in a bowl and add in some peeled garlic cloves.  Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over everything and then sprinkle liberally with rosemary.

Before you put it all in the oven, lean in a get a big sniff.  Onions, garlic and rosemary OH MY!  Your house is going to start smell delicioso in about 2 minutes.  These also go in your 450 oven (convienent!) and they’ll take 15 minutes to roast.  If you remember, sneak over and give ‘em a flip about half way through.  I was busy manning the grill and forget to do this – turned out fine.

When they’re done, you MUST must must drizzle them with a little bit of white wine vinegar.  This was the yummy clincher.  The combination of the savory oil and the hint of vinegar worked really well.

Serve and eat!

Roasted Acorn Squash Wedges

My friend Jamie gave me an acorn squash from her neighbor’s garden, and it’s been making a lovely centerpiece on my fall-themed table for quite some time now. I’d googled a few recipes on how to cook it, and there seemed to be a few common themes: butter and brown sugar. I’ve never eaten an acorn squash before, but I figured 171,000 Google hits can’t be wrong… butter and brown sugar it is. I KNOW. Hey, everything in moderation, my dear readers.

Acorn Squash

Turn your oven on to 350 F. Start with an acorn squash. Cut in half. This turned out to be very challenging, and thankfully did not result with me going to visit my husband at his place of employment, the ER. “Hi honey… was cooking dinner and… would you care for some squash while you stitch me up?” So, be very careful, slicing up your acorn squash. (Please note, that is not proper knife technique but it is very hard to hold a camera and cutting utensils. I do not recommend trying.)

Slice squash, not fingers.

Then scoop out the inside, as if it were a pumpkin. I briefly considered saving the seeds to roast (and a google search later tells me you could do this), but decided to just focus on the task at hand.

Scoop the goop out.

Next cut the acorn up into slices, like a melon. Arrange the slices in a baking dish, and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. Roast in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes.

Drizzle with olive oil.

While it’s cooking, mash together 2 T butter and 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Try not to eat the concoction while you wait for the squash to roast. When they’re done, mash the paste on to each slice of squash and then stick it back in the oven for another 30 minutes.

Butter.

Ready to Roast, Round Two

After 30 minutes, they should be done. You can stick a fork in one just to make sure they’re squishy. Before serving, scoop up some of the sauce that’s gathered in the pan and drizzle on top, just to really seal the deal.

Drizzle the good stuff on there.

This would obviously work as a side dish, but I actually had this as my dinner tonight. I paired it with a slice of Ezekiel bread with some marionberry jam (Thanks, Seattle-dwelling Jen!!), and it was a delicious, if not a tad sweet, dinner. BUT, I’ve been fighting the urge to bust into the Halloween candy I bought today, so this hit the sweet spot cravings I’ve been having and was certainly a lot healthier. Very yummy, and now that I know what to do with acorn squash, I may be lurking around friends’ gardens more often.

Dinner is served!

The Stats:
1. Heat oven to 350 F.
2. Half acorn squash, scoop out the insides, cut into slices.
3. Drizzle with 2 T olive oil.
4. Roast for 20 minutes.
5. Mix together 2 T softened butter and 1/4 cup brown sugar.
6. Rub on squash slices when they’re done roasting.
7. Put squash back into oven for 30 minutes, roast again.
8. Drizzle yummy goop from butter/sugar back on to slices, serve.

According to my fave recipe analyzer, if you served 4 from this it’d be about 190 calories per serving. That actually surprises me – I would have thought it was a bit higher, taken into account all the butter and oil. But, youu can certainly find recipes that are a little heavier handed on the butter/sugar combo, and I thought my version had plenty of yummy goodness to drizzle on top. It definitely could be a great side dish for the holidays, or eaten as a main course like I did. Either way: deliciousness awaits you.

Goat Cheese Salad

As I’ve confessed, I like to rip off restaurant favorites and try to healthy them up a bit. One of my favorite meals here in town is a salad with fried goat cheese patties in it. Two places here serve it: 6th & Vine in downtown Winston and Riverburch Lodge. It’s a toss-up as to which one I like better. 6th and Vine might win solely because I usually eat it on their gorgeous back porch, and for better or worse, ambience is half my taste buds!

Anyways, I figured “Fried” + “Cheese” were probably two things I shouldn’t go too crazy with BUT on the other hand, goat cheese is one of the lowest in calories and fats. A few months ago, my Everyday Food magazine featured a recipe on how to make them using panko and it was way easier than I imagined.

I went to work and was so delighted with the results I had to share it. The key is to start with REALLY cold goat cheese, so it slices into nice disks. Then, you just drop each disc into a little bit of egg WHITE. After the egg white bath, they flip over to a bath of either panko crumbs or grind up a slice of WHOLE WHEAT bread.

After that they can go into a pan with just some spray olive oil and abt 1 tsp of oil oil per little disc. They don’t take long to crisp up before you need to flip them. The stats will depend on how much olive oil you use, and how many discs you put on your salad per person. Here’s a quick way to tally it all up.

I put three goat cheese discs on a salad with blueberries, a few chopped almonds, 1 T of olive oil and fresh ground pepper. It was words-fail-me delicious.

Goat Cheese Salad

Pumpkin Latte

To me, nothing says fall like that moment when my favorite coffee drink – the pumpkin spice latte – arrives in the store. However, I’ve got a version you can make at home that’s going to save you at least 80 calories and definitely some spare change.

A tall, nonfat version of the Pumpkin Spice Latte is 260 calories at Starbucks. Skipping the whip cream saves about 60 calories, but I’ve got a few more tricks up my sleeve to make this at home. Watch and learn!

Pair one with my yummy pumpkin cookies for a sweet treat!

Pumpkin Cookies

I don’t bake very often, but these are a favorite of my sister Katie, who was born on Halloween so I like to her indulge her with these. They are a fall favorite in our house. You can add in walnuts or dark chocolate chips for something extra, if you want.

Ingredients for Pum'kin Cookies

Ingredients:
2 c all-purpose flour
0.5 c whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c butter, softened
1.5 c white sugar
1 c pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

How To:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.

Leveling off the flour

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.

Drop by rounded tablespoons

3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven.

If you want to add even a little bit more decadence, you can make a glaze from powdered sugar and water and drizzle a little bit on top. A splash of vanilla extract or cinnamon in the glaze works too.

Stats: I make them pretty small, and made 4 dozen cookies from it. Without any of the extra add-ins, each cookie is 70 calories. You can use this website if you use any add-ins or you make more or less than me, to recalculate.

The perfect treat to go along with my Pumpkin Latte!

Gobble 'em up!

Meal Plan Follow Up: Chef’s Salad and Black Bean Tostadas

Wednesday was supposed to be Chef’s Salad, but I ended up going to a Charity Chicks event last minute with some lovely ladies (skirtini’s for a cause, yes please) and I left Matt to his own devices with salad and sandwich basics. Thursday night, Matt was catching up on some sleep after a long shift at the hospital so we didn’t have a sit down dinner.

But, that’s the reality of meal planning: