Monday, January 19, 2009

Curried Lentils for dinner

Ok, this is DH favorite meal of all the ones that I make for him...
It actually takes longer than 5 minutes - you can do a shortcut if you use canned lentils instead of dried ones...

Ingredients:
White/Brown Quinoa
Fage Yogurt
Green lentils
Raisins
**I meant to put some spinach in there, but forgot, so you can add that also



Start the lentils first...
For 2 people, I measure out exactly 1/2 cup of lentils...put them in the pot with about 1 1/4 cups water (I don't measure the water, just eyeball it...), and boil it...it has to boil for a total of 20 minutes, so if I need to add more water, I'll do it later...I lost the op to my pot, so I boil it without a top on it...let it go for about 10 minutes by itself...then come back, add curry and everglades seasoning (I add a pretty decent amount)...then mix...and let it go for the last 10 minutes...






During the last 10 minutes, I start the quinoa. Quinoa is a really weird grain, not well known, but super super nutritious! Here is some more about it from Wikipedia:
In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%), making it a healthful choice for vegetarians and vegans. Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source.[5] It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.


You can boil it in a pot, but I'm impatient, so I just stick it in the microwave...

Anyway...for 2 people, I measure out 3/4 cup of quinoa - I use both the brown and white quinoa mixed together (at the store, it is about $3.99/pound, so not too expensive)


then I add about 1 1/2 cup water (again, I just eyeball it)...


I stick it in the microwave for 8 minutes...when done, I stir it around a bit...

if it is a bit watery, I'll put it in for another 2 minutes, if not, I'll use it as is...

Since I usually start the quinoa when there is about 10 minutes left with the lentils, they finish up at the same time...so, I plate it by putting the quinoa on the plate, then the lentils on top - then the most important parts...Fage yogurt and raisins on top...this MAKES the dish...it really is SO yummy!!



Nutritional Information:

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Kashi Pasta Pesto on sale!!

Hey, now this makes for a good day...was at Publix, and noticed that the Kashi frozen dinners (which I love and eat every day at school) are 50% off...my poor DH started rolling his eyes, cause he knew what I would do...I got every Pasta Pesto in the store...31 of them...worked out to only $1.90 each (ended up saving $58!!)...there is absolutely NO WAY that I could make that stuff for that cheap...yea!!

We had a bet when we got back to the house whether I could even fit them into the freezer...had to take all of them out of the boxes, but I was able to fit everything in - with room to spare...gonna go to another Publix and get more tomorrow...LOL...

I have 90 days of school left, so if I can get 60 more, then that would work out perfectly!!

Spinach Omlette

Ok, so I definitely had a nice night last night, we went to the Star Party, and silly DH was in shorts (he's a bit stubborn and he hates pants), so he was cold, but they had a campfire, hot cocoa, and smores...so it was all good...

Got to see Venus up close, the Orion nebula (a cloud of dust and gas in the Orion constellation) and the Pleideas (sp?)...very cool...

So, I'm up again, and making breakfast...I'd never made this before with spinach, and it definitely needs some tweaking, which I'll talk more about as I go...again, it took a total of 5 minutes...but I was only making it for myself, so for 2 people, it might take a bit longer...

Ingredients (sorry, didn't take a picture of them):
2 eggs
spinach
Everglades seasoning
Fage Yogurt
Strawberries

The first thing I did was make the inside of the omlette...steamed the spinach...then put the drained spinach in a cup, and mixed in the yogurt and the Everglades seasoning (I love the stuff, the flavor is just about perfect for almost everything)...






Then I made the egg part - this is the part that I definitely need to tweak - will explain as I go. What I did was just break the eggs, put them right in the pan, and stir a bit with the spatuala...but, the eggs were a bit "thick"...so, what I should have done is put the eggs in a bowl, mix with some milk...and then put it in a larger pan to make a larger, thinner omlette...so, if you are making this - do that...anyway...after the top part got more solid looking, I flipped it with a spatula, and just let the other part cook for about 30 seconds...




After that, I put the omlette on a plate...then put the yogurt/spinach inside...and made it into an omlette...for flavor, I put a bit if everglades seasoning on top...also included a few fresh strawberries, cause they looked yummy...hope you like it...




Ok, now for the nutritional value:
2 eggs: 70 Cal each = 140 Cal (10 g Fat, 0 g Carbohydrates, 12 g Protein)
Spinach (about 1 cup): 7 Cal (0 g Fat, 1 g Carbohyrates - 1gFiber, 0gSugar, 1 g Protein)
Yogurt (1/2 cup): 60 Cal (0 g Fat, 4.5 g Carbohydrates - 0gFiber, 4.5gSugar, 10 g Protein)
Strawberries (3): 17 Cal (0 g Fat, 4 g Carbohydrates - 1gFiber, 2.5gSugar, 0 g Protein)
Total = 224 Cal (10 g Fat, 9.5 g Carbohydrates - 2gFiber, 7gSugar, 23 g Protein)

WOW! Very few calories...fewer than I thought, and tons of protein...good!
If I keep this kind of calorie content up, then I can eat 5 meals a day - GREAT!!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

A bit better mood...

Well, still a bit in a funk...but I'm getting over it...

Helped DH pack boxes to take to the post office today (he sells toys online)...and then we went to get bagels and happened to pick up a magazine about houses for sale...we started talking about getting a new house (ours is really small)...and for the first time, he seemed really into it - which was exciting! A friend of mine is a realestate agent, so I emailed him, and asked him to keep his eye open for a house for us...I don't think that it will happen anytime soon...but to know that we are on our way to a bigger house - just makes the family thing all the more real - cause we have to have a reason to fill it...

Tonight, we are headed out to a star party with all my kids from school...they are having telescopes, hot cocoa, and smores there along with a big campfire cause it is going to be cold...should be nice...gonna try to get some lovin' from DH beforehand...last night we were going to fool around, but he'd been up at 5am and been at school till late...and by the time we were starting to fool around, he was just too tired...poor baby!

Friday, January 16, 2009

I'm pretty down today...

Sorry for the downer post...I can be happy and funny...but wow have I not been on this blog...just not feeling it right now...anyway...

I have been doing Big Brothers, Big Sisters for 6 1/2 years. The kid that I have is a really great kid, but the circumstances in which she lives aren't the best. I've been with her since she was 9, and now she is almost 16. Yesterday she was telling me that her mom was screaming at her and her brother because they didn't fold the laundry, and saying how she wished tht she had never had kids, and all kinds of horrible things. This has happened before. A few years ago, the mother kicked the kid out and made her live with a friend of hers in a whole nother town. Last year, she was kicked out again (the mother has anger control issues), and lived with me for a month. And, here I sit, desperately wanting kids, having the financial ability to pay for kids, having the patience to deal with kids (I deal with 150 teenagers every day at school)...and yet, I'm having trouble even conceiving a child, and yet her mom had a kid that she didn't even want and doesn't appreciate - ON ACCIDENT!! Just doesn't seem fair...

To be even more of a downer...a friend of mine has been very depressed since March 2008. Since that time, he has called me on the phone (on average) two times/week - and usually the phone calls last about 2 hours each time. This is hard on me...I've spent hours and hours just listening...and there is nothing that I can do...and its depresing, and just hard...
He's in a really bad spot, and pretty much takes it out on me - he always gets mad at me for any tiny thing, and at a certain point, it really is difficult to take - even though I know he's going through a really tough time. Anyway, last week, I spoke to him for 2 hours on Monday (at a time when I was dealing with my dog nearly dying - and he kept saying how I should put the dog down - but I shouldn't - the dog is ok now -- so I was getting annoyed)...anyway, on Tuseday of last week, he wrote me an email, but I didn't check email Tuesday or Wednesday (I just got busy)...so, on Wednesday night, he called and said to check email...I checked on Thursday morning and wrote him back...and now he wont talk to me...so, I dont feel like dealing with it, cause I dont want to get yelled at, but I'm worried about him, and its making my stomach twist in knots...I emailed him yesterday, I think he wants an apology...but I'm not sorry, I just can't believe that he's this mad at me for not answering an email...I'm not a business, I dont have a 24 hour turn around time...ugh!! This is just making me horribly messed up, am trying not to think about it...but that isnt working...

I got my ultrasound of my thyroid today. Because I go back to the thyroid doctor to get the evaluation of the thyroid on Monday. I've never gotten an ultrasound before, and I gotta say that I was a bit sad that I wasn't getting a ultrasound of a baby...

Again, sorry for being so down...just some things weighing on my mind...

On a positive note, my husband is wonderful...my dogs are healthy...and I'm already 10 days into my cycle...if I can just keep my stress in check (IF ONLY!!), then I should O on CD18...in only 8 days - I HOPE!! I have everything all ready to go:
1. Robitussin (I got 400mg generic tablets) - will take 2/day starting at CD15...
2. Instead cups - already tried them out...to put in after...
3. 50 OPKs (I understand how these work better, and am more in tune with my body so I shouldn't waste as many as I did last time)
4. Starting to take BBT on Tuesday - CD14...and I know that my body is very obvious when it Os now...
5. 21 HPTs...heh heh...

And, the best thing - OBAMA IS GOING TO BE PRSIDENT ON TUESDAY - YEAH!!!!!!!

I also scheduled a first appointment with a gynocologist...and its on February 16 (VERY SOON!)...unlike the yearly person I went to in June...this one will be able to be proactive if she feels that I'm not Oing fast enough...since I have only had 6 cycles in all of 2008, I'm hoping that she will be practive very quickly!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Dessert: Raw/No Sugar Almond Joy Balls

I need to get pictures of this next time...
This takes about 5 minutes to make (10 minutes to "set" in the freezer), but hubby is absolutely addicted to them since I began making them last week...they really do taste like Almond Joy! YUMMY!

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Almond Flour (this is kinda hard to find, but I found it really cheap on the internet)
1 teaspoon agave nectar
about 1/2 teaspoon of cocoa
pinch of salt

Heat the coconut oil in a microwave safe dish for about 20 seconds, and it will melt...then add the almond flour and mix well...add the other ingredients...then make into a bunch of little balls, and put in the freezer for about 10 minutes (enough time for the coconut oil to harden)...and done!!

This isn't a big dessert, and it DEFINITELY has fats in it (but not *bad* fats)...
However, if you are craving *something*...this is a good option...

Nutritional information:
Coconut oil (1 teaspoon): 58.5 Cal (7 g Fat, 0 g Carbohydrates, 0 g Protein)
Almond flour (1/2 cup): 320 Cal (28 g Fat, 12 g Carbohydrates - 6gFiber/2gSugar, 12 g Protein)
Cocoa (1/2 teaspoon): 3 Cal (0 g Fat, 1 g Carbohydrates - .5gFiber/0gSugar, 0 g Protein)
Agave (1 teaspoon): 30 Cal (0 g Fat, 8 g Carbohydrates - 0gFiber/8gSugar, 0 g Protein)

Total Calories: 411.5
Fat: 35 g
Carbohydrates: 21 g
Fiber: 6.5 g
Sugar: 10 g
Protein: 12 g


Since this was split in two, the total was: 205.75 per person - not bad!
Fat: 17.5 g
Carbohydrates: 10.5 g
Fiber: 3.25 g
Sugar: 5 g
Protein: 6 g

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Lunch

I'm a teacher, so normally, I dont have time to make a complicated lunch...also, when I'm home, I refuse to make something for lunch that takes more than 5 minutes...

I found these for school, and have eaten this every day of school for the past 3 years:
http://www.kashi.com/products/kashi_entrees_pesto_pasta_primavera
Kashi Pesto Pasta Primavera. Of course, the best thing is that it tastes great, and cooks in the microwave quickly. But, it also is one of the least expensive options - $3.69 each. And, Publix has it on sale for 2 for 1 about twice a year (the last two times they have done this, I've gotten about 50 of them each time, and saved hundreds of dollars!)...

Calories are also not too bad:
Total: 290 Cal (11 g Fat, 37 Carbohydrates - 4gSugar, 11 g Protein)

If it is the weekend, DH and I usually go out to eat, two good options are:
1. Minestrone Soup from The Olive Garden (just try not to overdo it on the breadsticks)
2. Bagel sandwich at the local bagel shop (a bit of a splurge on the carbohydrates, but still good, includes: bagel, lettuce, tomato, avocado, sprouts, onions, provolone cheese)

If home, I can do:
1. Vegetarian Sushi from Fresh Market
2. Avocado, Spinach, tomato sandwich (on toasted bread - though again, I need to find a bread that doesn't have any soy in it)
3. Kashi Roasted Vegetable Pizza: http://www.kashi.com/products/kashi_thin_crust_pizzas_roasted_vegetable