The Gauntlet

I've been on hiatus.  Big time.

While the world has continued to turn without my input, including our Menu Mondays (thanks to Cindy!), I have been lying low.  And mostly on my couch.

But the gauntlet has been thrown. 

Well, actually, I bumped the coffee table on the way to the couch and it kind of tipped over, made a horrible clanging noise, and fell on the floor.

I went to take up my gauntlet and felt the strain in my back, heard the "Ugh" escape from my lungs, and wondered when exactly my gut made its ugly reappearance.

But I take that as a sign.  I need to face the realities around me.  I've been too complacent for too long.

I did a little light research on the matter.  I found that no two sources agree as to how much exercise you should get a week.  But the average amount seems to be about 90 minutes to 2 hours a week, which breaks down to 30 minutes 3 or 4 days a week.

Okay.  That sounds doable.  Before summer hit I was at the gym for an hour 5 days a week.  I can cut back and start off a lot slower. 

And, as usual, I issue a challenge.  Do you take up the gauntlet with me?  What will be your strategies?

I think I'll start with bench pressing my gauntlet.  Medieval armor is not light.

Menu Monday

Little boys in overalls.  So. Dang. Cute.

Sorry.  I got sidetracked by my (almost) 18 month old.  When I last had an 18 month old, I also had a 3 month old.  This time I am able to enjoy the fun-ness of this toddler stage.

Part of that fun is trying to get anything done in the kitchen!  He has not only scrambled my neatly stacked measuring cups, but he's scattered them as well!  I have 3 or 4 sets of measuring cups (for this very reason) and not a clue where the 1 cup one is for any set!

It also means that trying to get dinner on can be a challenge.  He is always hungry and usually wants to be held at the same time I'm trying to get dinner on.  Or, at the very least, he likes to hold onto my leg and tell me stories.  If only I understood any of them.

These are only a couple of reasons that I love prepare-ahead meals.  Whether I do a big cooking day and stick the meals in the freezer or can just throw it all in the crock pot in the morning when he's busy with his brothers ... dinner is easier to get on the table when I don't have to all the work at 5 o'clock.  Not every meal can be done this way, but those that can are heaven!  I have a few in this week's menu ...

pic credits:  budgetbytes.blogspot.com

MONDAY:  Crock pot taco chicken bowls

TUESDAY:  Baked ziti

WEDNESDAY:  chicken nuggets and homemade fries

THURSDAY:  Halloween shaped pumpkin pancakes

FRIDAY:  Potato Soup and bread bowls

SATURDAY:  Pizza

SUNDAY:  Steak and potatoes

Linked up, just because ... OrgJunkie

Reasons for Eating Real

It is still October and the October Unprocessed Challenge is rolling on.

Not so much at my house.

Sorry, I just CAN'T resist those Halloween colored M&Ms.  Can't.

But we are still making baby-steps toward a mostly unprocessed kitchen.  I am in constant search for a fool-proof, yet good tasting, homemade mac and cheese recipe ... so if you have one, shoot it my way.  Please!

I read this article this morning about the reasons to avoid unprocessed foods.  It has several gold nuggets in it.  My favorite is number 4:

Why would one want to eat a processed food-like substance that is scientifically designed to never rot?

 
Really.

Thought some of you might be interested.  Enjoy!

Another Menu Plan

I picked and juiced my concord grapes this weekend.  As much as I love the smell of pumpkin and cinnamon, a house that smells of homemade grape juice SCREAMS fall to me!  It is delicious!

Autumn food makes me happy.  I'll admit it!  It isn't doing much for my weight loss, which has stalled for the 10th week in a row.  I've bounced around the same three pounds for what feels like forever.  But it isn't my main courses causing this stall ... it is the desserts!  I understand it and until I'm willing to pass on the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies - I will just be thankful to be so skilled at maintaining my weight!!!

Here's what we'll be eating this week, probably:

MONDAY:  Spaghetti and garlic bread

TUESDAY:  Tacos with homemade salsa

WEDNESDAY:  Jambalaya

THURSDAY:  Baked oatmeal and apples

FRIDAY:  Potato Soup and biscuits

SATURDAY:  Pizza

SUNDAY:  Crock pot chicken and potatoes

Linked up again:  OrgJunkie

Menu Monday

It was a long and good weekend, but I have a headache this morning and laundry that scares me.  Today it is short and sweet ...

MONDAY:  Hodge Podge Soup and homemade bread  (not very "unprocessed" FYI)

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. hamburger

1 onion, minced

3 cans minestrone soup & 3 cans water

1 32 oz. can pork & beans

1 T. worcestershire sauce

1 t. garlic salt

1/4 t. oregano

It sounds odd (even gross) but it really is good

and makes excellent leftovers.  I throw it all 

in the crock pot and let it go all day.  I also 

do maybe half that much beef. I'm not a big meat 

eater. 

TUESDAY:  Homemade Mac and Cheese (still looking for the best recipe)

WEDNESDAY:  Chicken stir-fry and rice

THURSDAY:  Pumpkin Pancakes

FRIDAY:  Take-out night

SATURDAY:  Homemade Pizza

SUNDAY:  BBQ Pork Sandwiches (we didn't get to them last week)

What's on your plate?

Linked up:  OrgJunkie

Menu Monday and October Unprocessed Update

I spent a good chunk of my weekend planning my October menu and reading about the Unprocessed Challenge.  I had a few "ah ha" moments along the way.

First, I don't like the processed/unprocessed words.  My goal is to eat whole foods.  That is easier for me to understand and define.  I don't have to make all my food, grow my own spices, get honey bees, or raise a cow for truly unprocessed beef.  I just want to eat REAL food.  A good help for me was comparing a typical Quaker granola bar's ingredients with that of a Lara bar.

Quaker:  GRANOLA (WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED OATS, BROWNSUGAR, CRISP RICE [RICE FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT, MALTED BARLEY EXTRACT],WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED WHEAT, SOYBEAN OIL, DRIED COCONUT, WHOLE WHEATFLOUR, SODIUM BICARBONATE, SOY LECITHIN, CARAMEL COLOR, NONFAT DRYMILK), SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS (SUGAR, CHOCOLATE LIQUOR, COCOABUTTER, SOY LECITHIN, VANILLA EXTRACT), CORN SYRUP, BROWN RICE CRISP(WHOLE GRAIN BROWN RICE, SUGAR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, SALT), INVERTSUGAR, SUGAR, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, GLYCERIN, SOYBEAN OIL. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF SORBITOL,CALCIUM CARBONATE, SALT, WATER, SOY LECITHIN, MOLASSES, NATURAL ANDARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, BHT (PRESERVATIVE), CITRIC ACID.

Lara bar:  DATES, CHOCOLATE CHIPS, ALMONDS, WALNUTS, COCOA POWDER, SEA SALT

I don't know what soy lecithin is.  I don't know where in the grocery store I could find it.  But I have all the ingredients for that Lara bar in my pantry and I totally recognize them as FOOD!

Second, this is going to be a process (ha, totally unintentional pun, but I love it).  As part of my family's plan for emergencies, we have a nifty food storage supply.  I have several months of food stored and I wasn't as committed to whole foods when I started creating that supply.  We eat from that supply and my grocery shopping fills back in the gaps.  For me, it doesn't make sense to take a month off from that supply.   So while I fully agree that making my own spaghetti sauce would be better (even though my beloved Ragu's ingredients are pretty much acceptable to me), I have 8 jars of sauce in my supply that I'll finish off first.

And, finally, it is my game and I can break my own rules.  I don't do well when I'm told exactly what to do - in anything!  In my sewing, I like to follow the basic pattern, but adjust and make it my own.  I don't copy cat exactly.  I am going to keep working on a whole foods menu for my family, but if we eat junk once in a while, it is totally allowed.  I'm easy like that!

So here is my menu for the week:

MONDAY:  BBQ Chicken sandwiches

TUESDAY:  Spinach Lasagna Rolls (didn't get to them last week)

WEDNESDAY:  Baked Potato bar

THURSDAY:  French Toast

FRIDAY:  Pizza

SATURDAY:  Reception food (my nephew is getting married)

SUNDAY:  Homemade Chili (from the freezer)

Linked up:  OrgJunkie