Taters, Chick’n, and Asparagus- Oh My!

So the week of the big football game, I am trying to practice food to make for when people come over.

On the menu for Monday: we have steamed asparagus, potatoes with Italian seasoning, and Caesar “Chick’n”

Additions: Grapes, apples, and strawberries.

Snack (not pictured): carrots with red pepper hummus.

Healthy Veggies & fruits

I think that as we get older it is harder for us to eat “right” and have fun with our food. As kids we play in our mash potatoes or eat or food in a silly way. I like to play with color in my meals & put tasty fruits in my lunch.

Last week, I packed carrots and hummus 3 days in a row. My fourth period class was begging for a carrot with hummus by day 2. I saw kids who claim that my food is weird, mainly because I don’t eat meat. My Spanish kids think it is REALLY weird – “No meat? Why?” I tell them why (the way the animal “lives” before it dies to get to your plate) and then I see them eating salads and cheese pizza at lunch. I like that I can teach them science and open their minds to new foods.

They fought for grapes and apples too. “These apples are the best I have ever had” I ask when they eat apples and they said at school. So, I went to the cafeteria that day during lunch and asked one of them for their apple. It was SOGGY! How can an apple be soggy? I asked and it turns out if you freeze an apple, it will sound crunchy but when you bite it it’s soggy. No wonder the kids thought my Gala apples were the “best thing ever”.

Quiet Drone of Adulthood

When you were a kid, could you wait to grow up? Me either. But no one explained all the rules to me. I would not have signed the contract for adulthood if I knew all the rules. Pay bills, grocery shop, clean the house, clean the clothes, fix the car, mow the grass (not so much at this time of year), but you get my drift. It is Saturday night, 830 pm and I am in my pj’s about to go read. Who are we kidding, I will watch the Simpons or Futurrama.

I guess I’m lucky to have a quiet house on a Saturday night. Is it sad then that I feel like I’m in a rut? Physically!!

I want to work out, but Rob is home. And I’m afraid he will  laugh and giggle while I work out with a tape. You see he is blessed with being small framed and he never works out or even watches what he eats. I, however, think about what I eat constantly!! I love doing old Richard Simmons workouts. When I see the chubby people working it- I think “I can do this if THEY can!!”

So here I sit, wanting to walk around the block, it’s too cold. I want to ride my bike, it’s too cold. I want to work out,  but I’m afraid Rob will laugh. Now before you think “she is just making excuses”. When my DVD of R Simmons showed up, Rob laughed and started joking about how “dumb that guy looks” and “look at the fatties on the front”.

I know that I am not fat, but I am by no means what I would like to be. I’m not that girl who want to drop 50 pounds. Just 2 dress sizes. I want to feel good about the person beneath the clothes. I know that I am not the only girl who feels this way.

Playing with new tools

My friend and I went to a local Bento/Japanese store, where I LOADED up on tools for my bento creations. I got two new boxes, divider grass, sauce containers, food picks, box straps, and cutters.

So today I made a simple lunch: 2 “not-dogs” and some oranges.

I packed my breakfast for tomorrow in one of my new boxes: eggs, “soysage”, strawberries (look for picks) and grapes.

For my lunch tomorrow I made veggie dumplings, carrots, chick’n cubes. I will also have some tasty cottage cheese and a rice cracker for my afternoon snack.

I eat an afternoon snack that is protein and fruit… keeps the energy up and keeps me from stopping to get a fast-food snack on the way home.

 

 

This weeks lunches!

Ok folks, I have been making my lunch and feeling pretty good at the end of the day.

Day one: I made rice and beens, chick’n, sour cream, cheese, and lettuce. Basically a simple vegetarian wrap.

With it: carrots, grapes, and orange slices. Oh, and a soda!

Day two: Simple pasta, salad, and “not dog” wrapped in croissant. More grapes and carrots. Some nuts and raisins.

Day three and four were kinda the same:   sandwich on both days, popcorn on both days, and apple both days.

day 3 differ: chips and soda

day four differ: strawberries and pretzels.

More to come this weekend! Going shopping for cute bento boxes. Will post pics!

Day one- ALL of it

day 1

day 2

day 2

packed day 2

day 3

day 3

GoodByn- day 4

day 4

First Lunch for the new year

School starts back tomorrow. I have tried to make a lunch that will be filling and fun. I have been eating at random times for two weeks & have to go back to a strict eating time starting tomorrow. Here is what I made:

Main dish: Rice and beans, chick’n, cheese spread, tortilla, guacamole, & lettuce. Little cake and soda for my sweets!

Snack: Oranges & Water

Morning Snack: carrots and grapes

 

The clear box I  found at IKEA. The colored boxes are Laptop Lunch boxes and the snack box is from Disney.