With just 3 days to go, the resolve may start to weaken a bit...after all we've been so good! But let's take these last days and finish strong! Be deliberate in your food choices. Be faithful in your prayer time. Be diligent in your entertainment selections. Why go out with a fizzle when you can go out with a bang?! Those last few miles seem endless, until the finish line is in sight and then there is a renewed burst of energy. Let's tap into that right now!
BREAKFAST: Oatmeal
I'm really enjoying steel-cut oats over old-fashioned. It's just personal preference, but I really enjoy the chewy-creamy texture combination. And I love tossing in toasted nuts, dried fruit and lots of cinnamon. I also enjoyed the 5-grain cereal by Bob's Red Mill. Jeff likes his food untampered, so I never offered it to him, but one day I did mix some of the 5-grain into his old-fashioned oats and he didn't notice at all. He also didn't mind when I tried the crockpot method and loaded the oatmeal with apples and cinnamon. I think his biggest obstacle is thinking about a change and not really the change itself! Maybe that's true for a lot of us...in other areas too! : )
LUNCH: Mango-Black Bean Salsa and Corn Tortilla Chips
This sounds like a snack, but it is so full of goodies that it really does become a meal beause it includes protein and complex carbs as well as both fruit and vegetables. It's a good weekend meal for chilling in front of the TV or computer to catch the news while casually dipping and munching away. Just hold the whole bowl in your lap and enjoy!
Mango-Black Bean Salsa
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (replace beans w/ 1 lb. of baby shrimp after the fast)
1 mango, diced (peach or pineapple would probably taste pretty good too)
1 avocado, diced
1/4 c. sweet corn (frozen is much better than canned)
1/4 c. onion, diced
1/4 c. sweet red pepper, diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
jalepeno pepper, seeded and diced very fine (omit if you don't like spicy)
3/4 of a small can of V-8 juice (5.5 oz., so use 4 oz. and drink the last sip!)
1/8 c. lime juice
1 T. horseradish
tobasco, couple of dashes
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients together and serve with whole-grain corn tortilla chips for dipping. Just a note...before storing the rest of the salsa in the fridge once you're done eating, take out the avocado chunks and mash them into guacamole. This will keep your salsa from having brown, slimy avocado the next day. Add lime juice to the guacamole and seal it airtight. The next day, just dip your chips into the guacamole and top with salsa. The taste will be great and the salsa will still look fresh and appetitzing.
DINNER: Fill-in-the-Blank over noodles/rice/quinoa/polenta/lettuce
I don't know about you, but my fridge is overflowing with left-overs! For dinner today, let's use some of them up. You can take whatever you have and heat it and serve it over noodles, rice, quinoa or polenta. Add a little pesto or marinara sauce if you need to liven it up or moisten it. Or you can have a cold lunch and toss some of your left-overs with lettuce and drizzle it with that pom dressing you made awhile back for a yummy salad. Or you can puree some of those veggies into a warm, hearty soup. Be creative. I had left-over carrot-ginger soup, rosemary bean spread, and polenta in my fridge, so I stirred it all together and heated it up and ended up with a delicious soup that had a thicker, more satisfying consistency than it did originally, with more protein and fiber. I actually thought it was better the second time around! See what you come up with!
BREAKFAST: Oatmeal
I'm really enjoying steel-cut oats over old-fashioned. It's just personal preference, but I really enjoy the chewy-creamy texture combination. And I love tossing in toasted nuts, dried fruit and lots of cinnamon. I also enjoyed the 5-grain cereal by Bob's Red Mill. Jeff likes his food untampered, so I never offered it to him, but one day I did mix some of the 5-grain into his old-fashioned oats and he didn't notice at all. He also didn't mind when I tried the crockpot method and loaded the oatmeal with apples and cinnamon. I think his biggest obstacle is thinking about a change and not really the change itself! Maybe that's true for a lot of us...in other areas too! : )
LUNCH: Mango-Black Bean Salsa and Corn Tortilla Chips
This sounds like a snack, but it is so full of goodies that it really does become a meal beause it includes protein and complex carbs as well as both fruit and vegetables. It's a good weekend meal for chilling in front of the TV or computer to catch the news while casually dipping and munching away. Just hold the whole bowl in your lap and enjoy!
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| Load your chip then put the whole thing in your mouth! |
Mango-Black Bean Salsa
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (replace beans w/ 1 lb. of baby shrimp after the fast)
1 mango, diced (peach or pineapple would probably taste pretty good too)
1 avocado, diced
1/4 c. sweet corn (frozen is much better than canned)
1/4 c. onion, diced
1/4 c. sweet red pepper, diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
jalepeno pepper, seeded and diced very fine (omit if you don't like spicy)
3/4 of a small can of V-8 juice (5.5 oz., so use 4 oz. and drink the last sip!)
1/8 c. lime juice
1 T. horseradish
tobasco, couple of dashes
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients together and serve with whole-grain corn tortilla chips for dipping. Just a note...before storing the rest of the salsa in the fridge once you're done eating, take out the avocado chunks and mash them into guacamole. This will keep your salsa from having brown, slimy avocado the next day. Add lime juice to the guacamole and seal it airtight. The next day, just dip your chips into the guacamole and top with salsa. The taste will be great and the salsa will still look fresh and appetitzing.
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| Dice everything very small so you can get all the flavors in one bite and not just a big chunk or onion or mango |
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| Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl before adding to the beans and veggies/fruit. It is important to blend the horseradish thoroughly or you'll get a big bite of hot! |
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| A chunky, filling salsa that's a little bit savory, a little bit sweet with a little bit of heat! |
DINNER: Fill-in-the-Blank over noodles/rice/quinoa/polenta/lettuce
I don't know about you, but my fridge is overflowing with left-overs! For dinner today, let's use some of them up. You can take whatever you have and heat it and serve it over noodles, rice, quinoa or polenta. Add a little pesto or marinara sauce if you need to liven it up or moisten it. Or you can have a cold lunch and toss some of your left-overs with lettuce and drizzle it with that pom dressing you made awhile back for a yummy salad. Or you can puree some of those veggies into a warm, hearty soup. Be creative. I had left-over carrot-ginger soup, rosemary bean spread, and polenta in my fridge, so I stirred it all together and heated it up and ended up with a delicious soup that had a thicker, more satisfying consistency than it did originally, with more protein and fiber. I actually thought it was better the second time around! See what you come up with!
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| Pretty appetizing for left-overs, wouldn't you agree? |
that salsa is OFF THE HOOK just made and eating watching football playoffs :)
ReplyDeleteSo glad you like it! I love it with crab or shrimp too...later!
ReplyDelete