Healthy and Sane

Entries Tagged as 'man meals'

There is a standup comedian in my house!

January 14th, 2010 · 23 Comments · Boston, beef, breakfast, dessert, man meals, oats, salad, snacks, yogurt

- Why does everybody want to hang out with a mushroom?

- Because he’s a fun guy! (funghi – get it?)

This joke is brought to you by my husband. He came up with this brilliancy while I was cooking up mushrooms/funghi for dinner and saying how much I love them. He plans on going on tour with this one as his opening joke. ;) I was laughing hysterically, mostly at how silly my husband is. lol

So now that we got some silliness out of the way, I need to share with you that over the last few days, I’ve gotten back to some bad old habits. After dinner I’ve been craving cookies, but since we don’t have any, I’ve been trying to fill the void with just random stuff in the house – even though this was putting me above my calorie allowance. What’s the point of carefully counting all day if at the end I just blow it for no reason?! The magic of calorie counting seized to work and I need to do something about it. It’s time to bring back a daily treat! This will screw up my pretty numbers, but I don’t care. It’s about finding the right balance, and I’m determined to get there. Let’s see if it helps. Of course I’ll keep you guys posted! :mrgreen:

[Still laughing about the joke above...]

BREAKFAST

Banana oats (1/2 cup dry) topped with Barney Butter, banana slices (the other half of the banana) and dried cherries

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Man, I hate the lighting in my house!! This picture looks so sad. Do you think a fancy SLR would help the situation??

LUNCH

UFood UBistro salad with chicken – organic mixed greens, tomatoes, feta, walnuts, cranberries, chicken + blueberry-pomegranate vinaigrette

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Not bad for a healthy lunch on the go. I was actually going to get their falafel wrap that sounded amazing (and I’ve been on a falafel kick since trying Oleana’s spinach falafel) but at 730 calories, I said no thanks!

SNACKS

Plain oikos, grapes + Nature’s Path pumpkin flax plus granola

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So delicious, healthy + filling!

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A little wrinkly apple in the work library…

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DINNER

The kitchen remodel is officially starting on Monday, so last night I made Adam one of his “man meals” before he takes matters into his own hands and goes out to buy something like that. I made his absolute favorite – a steak and cheese sub, but on my own terms – healthy and natural.

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We used a lean cut of grass fed beef, mushrooms, organic baguette (unfortunately getting whole wheat was a definitely no-go with Adam) + American cheese. Everything was bought at WF – nice and fresh!

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The baguette was actually warm when we picked it up. Just look at this gorgeous crust!! This dinner was amazing – super flavorful without the grease you get at sub shops.  (I cooked the meat and the mushrooms on the skillet with a non-stick spray, then added them to a baguette, topped with cheese and broiled the open-faced sandwich in the toaster oven).

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After dinner I ate 2 clementines, some pecans from their bag, a spoonful of Barney Butter (straight from the container) and then decided to stop the madness and made a few cookies (from this cookie dough).

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I was definitely boredom eating and even gave myself a bit of a stomachache. :oops: Let’s hope a yummy cookie earlier in the day will make for a more satisfying evening – sans random snacking!

What are your post dinner rituals?

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Back to the drawing board

December 30th, 2009 · 21 Comments · Cooking Light, Uncategorized, beef, man meals, sandwich, side dishes

I hope you guys enjoyed my 2009 recap post. It was so fun searching through the blog for my favorite recipes of the year. I really need to remake every single one of them – each one was absolutely fabulous! :D

The post today is a little bit more “serious.” Naturally with the year nearly ending I’ve been doing lots of reflecting. Yes, I’ve grown a lot over the year, but I’m not finished yet. The holiday season set me back once again (I talked about it here, did better the next day, and went back to my old bad habits the day after that). I just haven’t been very happy with myself lately and I know the reason is too many mindless bites (that I cannot seem to avoid no matter how hard I try or how motivated I am!) which often lead to sub-par workouts (or none at all if I’m too full – today was exhibit A of such behavior). So for one millionth time this season I mentioned it to my husband. He can tell I haven’t been myself/100% happy, even if I try to hide it. It’s hard because usually there isn’t much he can say to “make it better,” but for some reason today his suggestion worked (at least in theory). So here it is… I didn’t want to do this, but I’m desperate and I think this will do the trick – I’m temporarily going back to calorie counting. I know I can eat intuitively and maintain my weight, but for some reason I’ve gotten way off track and can’t bring myself back to only eating intuitively (and not stuffing my face with chocolate and random snacks). Calorie counting will be a bit of a shock to my system, a shock that I think I very much need. It won’t be about severe restriction, although I will cut down a bit since those 6+ holiday pounds I’ve gained must go! I will try this for the month of January, and see if this is enough to get the old Elina back. :)

Now let’s see what today’s eats looked like…

BREAKFAST

1 FFL english muffin with Barney Butter and 1/2 banana + coffee

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I woke up starving but for some reason this breakfast really filled me up. I was actually sick for hours after eating it as if I went overboard at an unlimited food buffet. Not sure what’s up with that but it was not a good time :???:

“SNACKS”

1 real snack – this orange was beyond sweet and juicy. Yum!

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And then the junk food raid began… (there is a limitless supply of cookies and chocolates in my office so when I get a craving, it’s way too easy to satisfy it!)

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I will say these were very yummy :D

LUNCH

I ended up having lunch at home, which is always fun. Did I ever show you guys where I often take pictures when I’m home? Yep, that’s our back yard. The lighting in our condo is terrible so when it’s light out (and I decide to brave the cold), I go outside and snap a photo there. Pretty scenic, no? ;)

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Brie + green apple and dijon mustard panini + salad with mixed greens, remaining apple and Annie’s goddess dressing

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Mmm, melty brie…

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Dessert – an almond stuffed date

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DINNER

Dinner was definitely a “man meal.” We were able to get some grass fed beef at WF on Sunday, so Adam requested that I cook some sirloin tips for dinner and make fries. Here is what we got…

Grass fed sirloin tips, marinaded in EVOO, balsamic vinegar, garlic and brown sugar (used an Ellie Krieger recipe) for a few hours and grilled for about 10 minutes.

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For the fries, I following this recipe for garlic fries from Cooking Light, using fresh thyme instead of parsley (Adam doesn’t like parsley). The fries were beyond amazing! I wish we had more than 1 potato so I could have had more than just a few of these.

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Of course veggies are a must. I deviated from my tried and true recipe for parmesan brussels sprouts (from 101 cookbooks) and tried the roasting method by following this recipe from Cooking Light (originally found through A Better Bag of Groceries). Looking good my little babies… :lol:

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Unfortunately this recipe cannot even compare to our beloved parmesan brussels sprouts, even after I added some shredded parmesan. I think cutting them in half really helps with the texture + brussels sprouts on the stove top take way less time. Heidi’s version definitely wins!

My plate (I only had a few fries so Adam could have them but we had a baked potato in the fridge so I had some of it instead):

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Oh yes, while cooking dinner I snacked on some (unpictured) somersaults, fresh cauliflower and roasted almonds which definitely spoiled my appetite! I had maybe 3/4 of the steak…

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4 fries + maybe 2 bites of the baked potato

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and about 3/4 of the brussels sprouts

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What I really wanted was Adam’s fries. SO good!!!!!!!!

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The decision to resume counting calories was made after dinner because I was upset with myself for overeating right before it (this has been happening a lot lately). I hope you guys support me in my journey back to what I know has worked in the past and hopefully will work again. My first day should be interesting :shock:

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Good girl

October 6th, 2009 · 24 Comments · breakfast, man meals, pizza, salad, snacks

I’ve been a good girl today, fighting the temptation to overeat on unnecessary junk quite successfully. I’ve been feeling kind of down for the past few days because of my snacking, so today when the urge to buy a cookie hit, I ignored it. Typically I’m a proponent of actually satisfying my cravings. You see dessert on this blog every day. I just can’t be sane without it! But when it gets out of control, I need to “detox” a bit with cleaner eats and more nutritious foods. It’s all about balance!! As you’ll see below, I wasn’t eating carrot sticks all day – my food was still satisfying, mentally and physically. :D

What else made me happy today? SUNFLOWERS! They were everywhere at the farmers market and I just had to get a little bouquet. Sunflowers are such happy flowers, don’t you think? :)

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BREAKFAST

2 wildberry waffles with Barney Butter and a bruised apple (still yummy!)

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LUNCH

Giant salad: mixed greens, grape tomatoes, leftover steak, mushrooms and peppers, roasted red peppers, and carrots

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+ organic red grapes for dessert

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SNACKS

Macaun apple (pre-gym snack). At the gym I lifted for 45 minutes and did a bit of foam rolling. My legs are tight!

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Sea salt somersaults <3

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1/2 FFL english muffin with Nutella (made it instead of buying a pastry – Nutella is no health food but the whole grains in the english muffin definitely made this snack a healthier choice than a cookie)

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TJ’s light string cheese

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DINNER

Homemade pizza on TJ’s herb/garlic dough (we used 2/3 of the dough for this pie for 2)

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Tonight I ate 1/4 of the pizza with tuna and corn for toppings. We used to eat tuna/corn pizzas in Israel all the time, since meat and dairy together isn’t kosher. It may sound strange, but this combo is SO delicious. The corn kernels just pop in your mouth and burst with flavor. Yum yum yum :D

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Oh yeah, I also had a sip of Adam’s glass of pizza wine :) It was surprisingly sweet – almost like a Riesling. I liked my sip :lol:

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How do you like that classy $2 price tag right on the bottle? ;)

Do you ever get urges to eat junk, day after day? If so, how do you deal with it?

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Ideas wanted: healthy breakfast on the go

October 6th, 2009 · 24 Comments · beef, breakfast, dessert, man meals, sandwich, snacks, yogurt

My friend, Katy, is in med school and that means long hospital hours with little time to eat. She asked me the other day for ideas for breakfast on the go that can be made ahead of time. She wanted something she could just grab and eat on the way to the hospital. It’s of course ideal to sit down and enjoy a meal, but when life gets in the way, what do you eat? I suggested making muffins full of whole grains, nuts of fruit, and pairing it with a simple piece of fruit (like an apple from our apple picking trip :) ). I think that would be a really great way to start the day. Do you have any ideas for Katy?

I started my morning with one of my quick breakfasts (although not portable!) – yogurt parfait. It’s been a while…

BREAKFAST

TJ’s nonfat organic European style yogurt, 1 small apple, fresh local raspberries, stale pb Puffins :???: , Kashi Golean cereal and dry-roasted almonds

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Delicious and nutritious :)

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MID-MORNING SNACK

Small apple (you’ll be seeing lots of apples on the blog – I can’t get enough of them!!) + 1/2 Sencha original green tea bar

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This fueled me through a 4 mile run, which I stupidly started too fast. After 2.5 miles I was averaging 8:17, then realized I may actually hurt myself right before the race, so I slowed down and completed the last 1.5 miles at a more comfortable pace. My garmin said total average was 8:20 but I know it was off. It gets confused in the city sometimes :lol: FIVE DAYS until the half marathon!!!

LUNCH

I had a bunch of cabbage and decided to make Heidi’s Japanese pizza recipe. I substituted rehydrated dried wild mushrooms for the leeks, used 1 whole egg and 1 egg white and nixed the chives. I’m a cabbage fan so I enjoyed this dish, but if you don’t like cabbage, this probably won’t win you over. It was very cabbagy :D This is 1/2 of the “pizza”:

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Dessert – chocolate cheesecake. Yeah, a bit too indulgent for lunch (what was I thinking?!!). I had a stomachache for most of the afternoon after this :(

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DINNER

Homemade steak & cheese with mushrooms, peppers and American cheese on baguette. This is Adam’s favorite meal and it was definitely to please him. We used very lean antibiotic-free meat, so it was pretty healthy too :)

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Unfortunately I ate more unphotographed food. My random snacking habit is coming back in full force and I really need to nip it in the bud before it gets completely out of hand and I gain a substantial amount of weight (oh yes, a few pounds have already resulted from this annoying mindless munching). The aforementioned snacks would include lots of nuts and 2 small cookies. Boo!

What’s your favorite portable breakfast that can be made ahead? Feel free to forward recipes!

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Don’t Look Like a Lineman blog launch party

October 5th, 2009 · 12 Comments · man meals

On Saturday afternoon, after my 9 mile run and before drinks at Sunset, my husband and I had the pleasure of attending a healthy tailgate party of sorts. There was a college football game on, but really – it was all about the food! The party “goal” was to test out healthy recipes for typical game day foods, which would be later featured on the new blog – Don’t Look Like a Lineman, targeting men interested in adopting a healthier lifestyle.

We started out by sampling some nachos, which were made with lean turkey, fat free cheddar and lots of fresh tomatoes and peppers.

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I had a cheesy helping with some salsa and nonfat greek yogurt. Delicious!!

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Next we tried 3 types of wings and 2 different blue cheese sauces. The simple lean turkey breast tenders in a nice marinade were not very “wingy” but delicious nonetheless. Out of the 2 sauces, everyone agreed that the chunkier nonfat greek yogurt with low fat blue cheese crumbles won over the bottled fat free blue cheese dressing.

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The oven “fried” breaded wings in a Frank’s hot buffalo sauce were everyone’s favorite. They weren’t as crispy as their fried counterparts, but the flavor was all there. I’d rather have a few extra wings for less calories and significantly less oil then a crunchy exterior. I suggested that this recipe is tested with a more open broiler pan and EVOO spray on the wings. Maybe it would make them a little crispier after all. :) Saucy…

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The third wings were covered in cajun spices and pan fried. I think those were everyone’s least favorite and somehow also escaped my camera. Oops :oops:

There there were potato skins with turkey bacon and fat free cheddar.

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I had a special serving made with no scallions. Awesome!! :D I’ve never actually had potato skins and I’m a big potato fan, so I enjoyed these very much. Others mentioned that a little less potato and a little more filling would be good. I’m looking forward to seeing what the final featured recipe looks like on the blog.

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Lastly there were pita pizzas: turkey pepperoni, chicken sausage and pepper and bbq chicken. The bbq chicken was the bomb!! :lol:

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Guess who brought dessert? I stopped by the Flour Bakery on the way over to the party and asked them to give me 1 of each cookie they had. You know I was looking to sampling these!!

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Unsurprisingly the 2 cookies with the most chocolate won me over (double chocolate and oreo). Everyone was happy to end the tasting on a sweet note :mrgreen:

Side note: While at Flour, I also purchased their granola bar – oats, honey, walnuts, cranberry-apricot-apple jam (don’t be fooled by the healthy name – this is a pastry!). WOW!!!! I’m in love and there was no chocolate in sight.

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Adam and I had a great time being guinea pig taste testers! ;) Don’t Look Like a Lineman was launched yesterday. If you like what you see here, check out Don’t Look Like a Lineman for recipes, and if you know any guys that need to be educated in the healthy foods department and may want to drop a few pounds, let them know there is a new blog tailored to their needs. :D

What’s your favorite game day food? Do you try to “healthify it” or indulge in the “real thing”?

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