Update: Found a copy of the recipe on Pinterest :)
Tried a new recipe tonight and was pleasantly surprised, as was Hubby :) I joined the Forks meal planner, the free version. You get a sample weekly meal plan and some recipes to try out. All recipes are plant-based and oil free I believe. Tonight I made their Cajun Cauliflower Bowl and it was pretty good. I am not a big fan of cauliflower but I am open to trying new recipes and seeing if I can find new ways of eating some foods that may not be my favorites. Hubby is not a big fan of quinoa but I make him eat it sometimes, lol :) If you join the site I assume you will get access to this recipe as well. I made it pretty much as written. I didn't measure the cauliflower and used a full head; it was probably closer to 4 cups than the 3 the recipe states. I used onion instead of leek, and black beans instead of kidney. Although the recipe says serves 2, they are really big servings. I suggest making 4 servings of quinoa instead of the 2 and you can easily make 4 meals.
Update: Found a copy of the recipe on Pinterest :)
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Hubby took me out for a spur-of-the-moment dinner last night :) Yay! No cooking or cleaning up and a nice dinner out on a Monday night for no reason :) Woohoo! We decided to go to Exile in the Jag hotel. Mainly because I was going to try their burger for the February Burgle Battle; they have a vegan burger with mushroom and crispy tofu. Unfortunately after getting there and ordering a drink I found out they were all out of the burger that evening :( We stayed although there were very few options if you want to eat vegan; a few apps was it. As I'm not actually vegan, just try to eat mostly plant-based, we decided to stay and give it a try. We have eaten there before but it's been a few years. I remember the food being good but we only stopped late one evening for drinks and apps after a day out. First, I had a lovely strawberry drink: Strawberry Fields Forever. I actually remembered this from years ago once I saw the drink menu. It's fantastic, one of the best cocktails I've had. A nice strawberry taste and not too strong or too sweet. We had some table bread with oil and vinegar for dipping, while we waited. Hubby ordered the Cioppino (a fish stew), the large size from the appetizer menu and I ordered the Shepherd's Pie. Both were good, although a little pricey, stew was $24 and pie was $28. The atmosphere is lovely and the service was very good. Hubby thought his meal could have used more seafood in it but it was still tasty. I liked the pie but I'm not a big meat eater anymore and I would have liked to see more veggies in it. I'm sure most people would love the large amount of pulled lamb and mashed potatoes though. Nice place to go for a fancier evening out. Also, may be nice to go just for drinks and apps; may try that soon :)
Nothing better than a Friday evening and not having to cook :) We had take-out pizza and beer for supper. Ordered a veggie pizza (no cheese) from Pronto on thin crust. Good pizza. Of course it would have been better with cheese but think the cheese would likely do me in now and Hubby doesn't want to eat it due to the fat content.
Made this One Skillet Mediterranean Dish, but left out the chicken this time and served over pasta; a completely vegan and delicious meal. We have had this dish before and really enjoyed it. Didn't miss the chicken at all and even though the recipe doesn't call for pasta the dish really screams for it. A very yummy combo or artichokes, olives, spinach and tomatoes :) Note: I use about double the tomatoes the recipe calls for, as we really like tomatoes.
Went to Tavola Wednesday evening for supper. Hubby has been itching to go ever since he heard Wednesdays are all you can eat spaghetti and meatballs night. Yup, all you can eat :) Hubby loves their homemade pasta so we decided to give it a try. I opted to try their burger they have for the Feb Burger Battle. Hubby loved the pasta and had 3 bowls; 2 with meatballs and one without. I had the "Night Patty Murphy Fried" burger and fries. The burger was really tasty but I will admit it is pretty small. I was surprised at how small it was for $19. It tasted great though and the hamburger roll was deadly, but be aware it's only a little bigger than a slider. Since Hubby had 3 meals and I only had one, I ended up ordering the Chocolate Platter for dessert, to pass the time watching him eat :) lol. I took about half of it home since it is a large serving and I was the only one eating it. It had 2 kinds of chocolate bark. One appeared to be a pecan and salted caramel; that was excellent. The other looked to have pine nuts, an odd addition I thought; it was good but not great. There was a white fudge which was good as well. I am not a lover of fudge but this one was nice. There were 2 dark cocoa truffles which were amazing; could have a couple more of these. Finally there was a strawberry and a little cream.
So, that's a title that I never would have used a year ago :) Sure, I craved things but never beans or soup, let alone bean soup. I found myself thinking about a good bowl of bean soup over the weekend so I found a recipe on Sunday (Vegetable Bean Soup) and made it. I had all the ingredients on hand so didn't need to do any shopping, even better, and it turned out really good. Even Hubby said it was great, one of the best soups I've made. Hmmm, not sure if that's a compliment or not but I'll take it.
Then:
Following one of numerous diet plans to lose weight. Sticking to the diet plan strictly. Having some success, usually at first. Feeling good :) Eventually "falling off the wagon" and feeling sad & depressed :( Not being able to stick to diet plan as it's too strict and unrealistic. Eating everything in sight and gaining even more weight. Feeling like there's something wrong with me and I'm a failure. Find a new diet plan and start Monday. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Now: No diets for weight loss! No weighing! No rules for food or eating. Eat what I want when I want. Try not to eat too many foods that I know will negatively affect me. Not beat myself up over any food choices. What I have noticed that's very different for me between the then and now: I am happier over all. I don't seem to have gained any more weight (clothes stay the same as I don't weigh) then when I stopped dieting. My cravings have lessened. My binge eating has stopped. I don't feel controlled by food anymore. I can enjoy social situations and not worry about food. Myself and Hubby had another fabulous bunch at Oliver's. I was craving my regular; their Beef Tip Skillet, which is still just as great as I remember. It's their hash brown potatoes with yummy peppers and onions and lots of beef. All in a tasty gravy and topped with an egg. It's sooooo good! Hubby had their fish tacos again (pan-fried fish requested instead of deep-fried, not a problem) with a side salad, one of his favorite fish tacos in the city. Another great experience of delicious food and wonderful service :)
It's been a busy week. I've been getting over a head cold and had 8 Pre-k classes this week that included 5 Valentine parties. Hubby has just started getting sick yesterday with a head cold. We are both tired and not in a cooking mood. This will be supper tonight; supper of champions :) lol. I actually can't remember the last time I ate Chef Boyardee. They are not even the same Beefaroni I remember, do they even make the other ones anymore?
Tries a new recipe from Hubby's new recipe book he got for Christmas. We tried "Triple Pepper Crowned Risotto" from the "Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease" cookbook. It was pretty good. I'm still getting over a head cold so not 100% tasting things yet, but we both agreed it was good. A nice risotto for no fat added, not even oil. I think it was a little too rich for a main but would be nice as a side or as a small appetizer.
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AuthorMy name is Michelle and I am tired of struggling with my weight. I am stopping the struggle. Archives
September 2020
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