Time to start spray tanning!

The weather is definitely warming up around here.  Thank you!!  We have certainly earned this gorgeous weekend after all the unsouthern snow and ice we received in January and February.  The meal plan this week has a nod to our Lenten season, hubs German heritage and some leftover veggies that need using up...soon.  I am always super pumped when veggies get used up and don't end up as rotten throwaways.  Enjoy the yum!

Sunday
Rotkohl - German red cabbage
Spatzle - German noodles with cheese

Monday
Indian Lentil Soup
Garlic Broccoli
French bread

Tuesday
Pan seared brussel sprouts with cranberries
Crockpot honey garlic chicken

Wednesday
Crockpot lo mein
Dumplings
Eggrolls

Thursday
Angel chicken (mushroom sauce and cooked in the crockpot)
Rice

Friday
Butternut squash with goat cheese
Kale chips

Saturday
School auction!

Almost finished with the week

Most of this menu post is pretty much after the fact as today is Thursday and I plan Sunday through Saturday.  It was still a good one and worthy of acknowledging the yum!

Sunday
Butternut squash pasta
Garlic bread
Salad

Monday
Pesto chicken thighs - crockpot at work that about killed everyone with the yummy smell
Garlic broccoli
Stuffed sweet potato

Tuesday - Fat Tuesday
Shrimp étouffée with rice
French bread
Roasted mini peppers
King Cake...not my best work

Wednesday 
Baked ravioli
Breadsticks
Salad

Thursday 
Chicken with a cherry wine sauce
Roasted brussel sprouts

Friday (no meat for Lent)
Butternut soup
Roasted quinoa and black beans

Saturday
We are going somewhere preferably fun!

Back in the saddle!

About two years ago I started blogging my weekly menu plan in order to keep on track during my weight loss journey.  It really helped to support what would eventually become an almost 60 pound weight loss and achieving 'goal weight' with Weight Watchers.  

I continue to regularly attend the meetings but my close monitoring of food and drinks helped 10 pounds creep back on the body.  This restart of the blog is my connection back to what worked in the first place.  

It also helps that Lent started yesterday!  I find that my strict adherence to a no sugar and no alcohol lifestyle until Easter is beneficial in a spiritual way as well as the scale.  

Glad to be back and stayed tuned for more menu ideas.  

This week will be rough!

I volunteered to serve on a SACS school accreditation team on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.  A few weeks after I agreed to this I received an email about a hotel stay on Monday and Tuesday nights!?!  Do what?  The school is only 30 minutes from my house so this seems a little excessive.  Monday is also the night I teach cycling so I had to let the group know I "teach a class".  If they want to think it involves college or something more substantial then so be it.  This little wrinkle in the week will not deter my menu planning or execution of well thought out meals. 
We will also be eating a boatload of lettuce and greens because they are larger than life in the garden!  Anytime I mention salad or anything involving a green then assume I'm washing many little leaves. The strawberries are still coming, the radishes were pulled and I am making some pesto with arugula later this week for the freezer. I also worked like a field hand today putting tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, and asparagus in the garden as well as assorted flowers in pots. No room for the squash yet because of all the blasted lettuce!

Eat on!
Sunday
Thai Fried Quinoa (didn't happen last week!)
Edamame
Chayote Squash

Monday
Creamed avocado and lime pasta
Salad
Garlic bread

Tuesday
Dry soup mix I made in December
Cornbread

Wednesday
Warm spiced carrots and chickpeas
Israeli couscous
Israeli cucumbers

Thursday
Crockpot lasagna
Salad
Rolls

Friday
Turnip potato soup
Grilled cheese sandwiches

Saturday
Ian turns 40 so we have a party to attend!!

Back on track

I teeny tiny typed an entire blog post on my iphone last Sunday.  It took far longer than the computer ever takes!!  I went to post it and *zap* it was gone.  Needless to say I was very frustrated and refused to type another one. So there...

Back on track with the menu posting of the week.  I received my twice monthly food co-op basket last Thursday so that is driving the dinner choices.  My menu last week only stretched until Wednesday because of a jewelry party, book club, wedding reception and work event.  We really needed more dinner options because the children were not invited to any of the festivities!

Here goes nothing:

Sunday
Skinny buffalo chicken with lettuce wraps
Sauteed broccoli

Monday
Taco stuffed shells
Arugula salad
Rolls

Tuesday
Summer corncakes
Brazilian carrots

Wednesday
Baked halibut with sour cream
Garlic potatoes

Thursday
Thai fried quinoa
Edamame

Friday
Curry chicken salad
Grilled peppers
Chayote squash

Saturday
Dinner out...please!

Holy cow it worked!

I haven't weighed in at WW in two weeks because of spring break and then Easter. Sunday is my day of choice so today was my time to see what the last three weeks would bring for weight loss. I've tracked my points (not so much at the beach), exercised six days a week (even at the beach) and greatly restricted my alcohol (kinda sort of at the beach).

All that being said...I lost over seven pounds! I now have a 27 pound total weight loss! How freaking cool is that?!?

I'm certain that tracking, exercising and planning my menu each week is the reason for such success!

Here's the weekly shakedown:

Sunday

Pasta with chicken and mushroom ragu

Roasted carrot and beet salad with feta

German cucumber salad (so named for my mother-in-law)

Leftover homemade bread

Monday

Tomato-white bean soup with pesto

Salad

Naan bread

Tuesday

Zucchini and corn tacos

Garlic rice

Wednesday

Jamaican jerk salmon with mango pineapple salsa

Roasted asparagus

Thursday

Crockpot "hotdogs" and baked beans

Sautéed spinach

Cornbread

Friday

Leftovers...

Saturday

Out with the Ragozzines for Carter's birthday dinner!

Boo hiss...

Is there anything worse than packing up and driving home from a week at the beach?!? Gag!

We were home by dinner time and the fridge was completely bare. Bare if you don't count the aging yogurts and tablespoon of orange juice. Not much for dinner or the Easter family picnic. A grocery trip was the only option.

Kroger was ravaged! Not a strawberry worth eating or a leaf of cilantro to be found! After a *kidfree* shopping trip I felt renewed and ready to face the week of cooking. Here goes...

Sunday

Shredded chicken pita pockets

Thai cucumber salad

Monday

Asparagus pie

Quinoa salad

Tuesday

Tortellini crockpot soup (Board meeting)

Salad

Wednesday

Maple salmon

Roasted brussel sprouts

Thursday

Potato leek soup

Salad

Bread

Friday

Leftovers

Saturday

Somebody better get a date night!