Le Meal Plan, January 29

So last week wasn't exactly a complete fail for the menu plan, but it was definitely like a C-.  Since I didn't make several of the things I had planned for, they were bumped to this week.  As much as having a plan helps me stay OP and on my grocery budget, it's important to be flexible.  C'est la vie.

Monday: Mexican chicken manicotti (which was absolutely disgusting and we had cereal instead)
Tuesday: pineapple pork chops, roasted asparagus, Caesar salad with peppers and olives
Wednesday: cheddar horseradish burgers, sweet potato fries, salad
Thursday:  crockpot cream cheese chicken tacos with guacamole
Friday: TBD
Saturday: TBD - out to dinner

Now that I've done a couple of these menu posts, I need to get better at blogging the recipes that actually do turn out well.  I could post my entire menu plan with other meals too, but my breakfasts and lunches tend to be more of a rotation of the same things over and over.  People only want to read about my daily latte and turkey sandwiches so many times.

February might just have to be a month of loads of food posts to catch up with the backlog.  Hope that's okay!

Cereal for dinner.

Few things annoy me more than making a new recipe and having it turn out inedible and disgusting.

Enter, Cheerios.

Instagram Life, January 22-28

It is 6:29PM

Penny came home from the groomer at 2.

The bow/top knot lasted about 4 hours longer than I thought.

First trip to the groomer.

Someone got styled today.

Girls Night is not what it used to be.

We still have cake mix cookies, the same old stories and jokes to re-hash, and loads of gossip. No bars, no pile of empty wine bottles, jams on by 9PM.

There is also a new guest at the party. She drinks like a fish and gets really whiny when she's tired though. Drama drama drama.

Five for Friday, vol 32

1.  You have completely embraced our MeaKen Team Weightloss Challenge so that we can do this together. And you're kicking ass, too!

2.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again: You make the BEST coffee. 

3.  It never fails to make me laugh when you tell me "I can't take you anywhere."

4.  You're charmingly nervous about having to take the puppy to her first grooming appointment.

5.  You work your ass off and it's really paying off.  I am in awe of your drive and ambition sometimes.

On the Weigh: Retribution

WI: -3.8
Total: -15

Weeklies used: 49/49
APs earned: 21

Since I am off work today, I chose to go to a meeting a day early this week since I am headed out to road trip girls' night later today.  Well, the early bird gets the massive scale victory, I guess.

If every time I gain, it means that I will have a huge loss the next week, I will gladly go through the ups and downs I've seen on the scale of late.  The line on my weightloss chart is a jagged one, but it's pointing downwards, and that's a win in my book.  I'm really happy with how the week went: good activity, good eats, good balance. 

For viewers at home just joining us, this scale benchmark means that I have hit another one of my five-pound mini goals.  And you know what that means ... REWARD TIME!

Lululemon Stride jacket ... and the best part is that the color I wanted just went on sale. FULL OF WIN!

What does 15 pounds look like? Well, aside from being a size smaller than I was a year ago, it's the weight equivalent of these two fluff balls. So that's a nice reminder of what I'm not carrying around anymore.

Reading makes the speaking words good.

Congratulations to St Louis for being named one of the top 10 most literate cities in the US by the Washington Post.  Seriously, I'm proud.

I like to think I have helped the cause since I have been reading like crazy lately.  I will read just about anything I can get my hands on, as evidenced by my Read shelf on Goodreads. I've alread read 6 books this year (pretty good considering I only finished 12 in 2011).

Meagan's books

Meagan's favorite books »

What are you reading right now?

Captain Dough Hook

Aaaaaaaaargh.

Goat Cheese Ravioli

It's not pretty, but man was it tasty.  I've never made ravioli before, so I was a little intimidated at first to even try this, but Martha has rarely led me astray.  I'm very glad I trusted her!

 Goat Cheese Ravioli

6 ounces fresh goat cheese
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 small garlic clove, crushed through a garlic press
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Coarse salt and ground pepper
15 square wonton wrappers (3 1/2 inch)

 In a small bowl, use a fork to mash together goat cheese, ricotta, garlic, and nutmeg until smooth; season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine.Assemble ravioli: Arrange 6 wrappers on a work surface, keeping remaining wrappers covered with a damp paper towel. Spoon 1 scant tablespoon filling in the center of each wrapper. With a fingertip, wet edges of wrappers with water. Fold a corner of each wrapper over filling to form a triangle, and press edges to seal. Flatten area around filling to eliminate air pockets. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Place on a baking sheet with parchment paper. (If making ahead, cover ravioli with plastic wrap; refrigerate up to 1 day. Or freeze on sheet for 1 hour, then transfer ravioli to a large resealable freezer bag; freeze up to 1 month.) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; reduce to a bare simmer. Drop ravioli into water, one at a time, stirring them gently to prevent sticking. Cook until al dente, 5 to 7 minutes. (Cooking time is the same for frozen ravioli.)Using a slotted spoon, transfer ravioli to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet, and arrange in a single layer to drain briefly. Divide between two plates; drizzle with sauce, and serve immediately. Adapted from Everyday Food.

I made a simple sauce with a little milk and ricotta cheese heated together and seasoned with parsley and dill.  It was not the best part of the dish and next time I'll just drizzle with olive oil.  My only take away about the ravioli themselves is that they do not keep well as leftovers.  I don't know if this is common with won ton wrappers, but they were quite gummy and gross when I reheated them for lunch the next day.  I guess not everything is meant to be leftovers!

It's National Handwriting Day!

Funny with all the writing I do on a daily basis - work, blog, email, twitter, etc - very few people see my actual handwriting. I am a lefty, which means that any amount of writing means an inky-smeared hand, but I like my penmanship regardless.

To commemorate the holiday, as it were, here's one of my favorite quotes, written by hand for once.

I like to think I defy the "lefties have terrible handwriting" stereotype, although I'm married to a lefty that makes up for it.

Le Meal Plan, January 23

 Today's brunch: chocolate chip banana pancakes.  Because I love my husband a lot.

Sunday: Hawaiian pork chops with rice

Monday: chicken scampi with roasted zucchini

Tuesday: cheddar horseradish burgers with sweet potato fries and roasted asparagus

Wednesday: scratch pepperoni and veggie pizza

Thursday: Mexican chicken manicotti

Friday:  girls' night out

What's are you making for dinner this week?

Cocktail tiiiiime!

Remember back in college when we would go to Tropical Liqueurs before football tailgates and parties? We'd get jumbo lushy slushies (Silver Bullet/Sweet Tart for me please), carried out to the car one at a time, as a booze-filled appetizer before the night to come?

Whelp, Kenny made me a champagne-strawberry smoothie thing. It's just like Trops ... Only in a glass instead of a white styro cup the size of my head. And as the main event, not a pre-party. And I'm in my jammies instead of booty pants and a going-out shirt.

But otherwise, it's exactly the same.

Instagram Life, January 15-21

On the Weigh: Yo-yo

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+1.2

I am annoyed. I was beyond frustrated directly after my meeting, but it's simmered down into annoyance. It's not all about the scale, but it sucks when you're doing everything right and this is still the result.

I really hope that it's just water retention in my muscles from stepping up the workouts more than in recent weeks. Otherwise I'm not really sure what to make of it.

TDF pot roast

Easy, delicious, fast.  You really can't do better than that.  Maybe that's why it's called "to die for." This is one of those recipes that has been floating around the WW message boards for at least as long as I've been visiting them, which is going on several years now.  I wish I had tried it sooner! 

TDF Roast

1 package each: ranch dressing mix, brown gravy mix, Italian dressing mix

2-3 lb beef roast 

1 cup water

Spray or line a crockpot.  Add seasonings and water, mixing to combine.  Add meat, turning until coated.  Cook on low for 8 hours. Optional: after removing roast, strain juices into small saucepan.  Add a couple tablespoons of flour and cook over med-high heat until thickened into a gravy to serve alongside.  Adapted from WW message boards.

It's the perfect time of year for this.   Although now that I am halfway through reading the Omnivore's Dilemma, it might be awhile until I make it again.

Enjoy!

Have treadmill, will travel

Santa bought us a treadmill for Christmas and it was finally delivered this week.  I have been avoiding the annual rush at the gym, so I was really pleased to be able to just go downstairs to workout in the mornings before work.  It makes getting up to exercise SO much easier, what with the two-floor commute.  I have come to prefer morning workouts, since evenings are always hectic and tiresome.  I never thought I would say that, but I guess that's what three months of 5:30AM bootcamp will do to a person.

Aside from being super convenient, I absolutely love the iFit Live feature that came with the machine.  I didn't think we needed this at all, but most of the treadmills we looked at came with a free year's subscription to the program.  Considering I had no interest in this feature and assumed I would never use it, now I am completely hooked.

My favorite part about it is the Google Maps integration.  We can program a route anywhere in the world and it will sync right to the machine.  When you start the workout, the incline automatically adjusts to match the terrain from your chosen course.  I don't have the extreme dislike of treadmill workouts like some people do, but it adds a really fun element to what is admittedly a pitfall for monotony.

I immediately saved the course of the annual 5-mile St Patty's run in downtown St Louis that I am doing this March, so I am really excited to replicate the course without worrying about the outside elements between now and then.  I am a complete baby when it comes to running in the cold, so this feels like a win-win to me.

There are several pre-programmed options to download, but Kenny and I have been having a really fun time making our own.  I am a total nerd, but I think it's really cool that I can run through Versailles or Central Park, along the beach from our honeymoon destination or the California Coastal Highway, or take on (the super scary) Lombard Street in San Fran by way of my basement.  You can run races or complete challenges against other iFit members, and it also provides training schedules for 5ks through half marathons.  Kenny has the goal of completing a Golden Gate challenge by the end of the year ... it looks like 12 miles of torture to me, but I'll still cheer him on.

I think a lot of people are motivated by gadgets and toys when it comes to exercise, and apparently I am no exception.  Be it a heart rate monitor, a mileage app for my phone, or a Google street view of Paris on my treadmill, I get excited to get moving.  Whatever works, as far as I am concerned. 

Where would you run if you could run anywhere?  What gadgets get you excited for a workout?

Apple ---> Tree

Or, further proof that I am my mother's daughter.

Kenny and I had physicals a few weeks ago for our new health insurance plan.  I had good numbers, some of his needed some work.  I immediately flew into action.  We made a decision on the treadmill we'd talked about buying, I picked up fish oil supplements at the store, I stocked the fridge with produce and healthy snacks.  There was no question that I would do everything in my power as Kenny's wife to provide a healthy environment and support in some changes of habit.  No hesitation.

My dad has long suffered a tendency to get kidney stones.  He's had surgery before and still, he has issues.  The doctor recntly put him on a very strict diet to try to prevent stones from forming - no chocolate, little to no salt, no potatoes, etc.  My mom immediately flew into action.  She tossed candy and snacks he couldn't have, she filled the fridge with foods and drinks that suited his new restrictions, she even planned Christmas dinner around what he could and could not eat.  There was no question, no hesitation.

And yet, my mom and I are both on WW.  We both have struggled over the last couple of months to be motivated and maintain healthy habits.  We don't always make the best choices for ourselves.  So why is it that as soon as our mate needed to make a change for their health, we drop everything to take up the cause?  We don't always make our health a priority, but we would bend over backwards for the sake of someone we care for. 

Why is it so hard to care for yourself, and make your own health/needs a priority when doing the same for a loved one comes so naturally? 

Five for Friday, vol 31

1. You spend halftime of the Sunday night football game evaluating the Miss America top ten formalwear with me.

2. You said your Miss Illinois was the cutest.

3.  You love the GoogleMaps feature on our new treadmill and keep sending me workouts in cool places like Versailles and Holland.

4.  Your decision to be healthier and more active immediately resulted in losing 4 pounds the next day (so unfair).

5.  You make me infused water everyday.

I love you.

Let's Fall in Love: Mr and Mrs

The wedding reception was the party of our lives.  In spite of the details not being exactly perfect in my mind, it was beyond amazing.  Surrounded by friends and family, we danced the night away ... just what we had hoped it would be. 

And then it was over.  Everyone says that it flies by, and oh are they right.  Kenny and I said goodbye to the last lingering guests in the ballroom as they left for home or hotel rooms, and then we followed suit.  I wish we had gotten a get-away photo in the elevator as the doors were closing, but alas, we went quietly into the night.

Our room for the night was the same where I had gotten dressed that morning.  There was lingering evidence of the process all over the living space, but it had still been transformed.

Rose petals, candles, lucky chocolate pennies.

I mean, right?  

Since neither Kenny nor I had the chance to eat any cake aside from the couple of bites during the cutting, the hotel staff was kind enough to send a couple of pieces up for us.  They included one of Kenny's tiger-striped groom's cupcakes too.  He let his bride eat it, such a gentleman.  My stomach had been in a series of knots for over 24 hours at this point, and in spite of small moments of ease throughout the day, I truly did not completely unwind until we got to the suite and it was just the two of us.  The three bites I'd had at dinner proved insufficient, and I was ravenous.  I housed that cupcake and a shameful amount of Doritos that had wandered over from the boys' suite.  Yup, in my wedding dress.  

Kenny and I rehashed the day with our feet up. 

There was a lot of "oh my God, we're actually married!"  I was strictly forbidden from discussing the flowers, and we solely focused on how wonderful it all had been.  I took down my hair, which I regret for the sake of the photo shoot we were scheduled for the day after, but when Kenny helped brush it all out, it was entirely worth it.  We had both been in our dress shoes all night - you know you have fun when you forget to put on comfy shoes - and we spent the better part of an hour sitting on the edge of the tub soaking our feet.  Yup, still in my dress.  Amazing all the anxiety that dress gave me, yet at the end of the day I still didn't want to take it off.  The only thing that convinced me to finally change?  

You guessed it ...

Fluffy, matchy hotel robes!!

The next morning, we packed up the suite and headed to my parents' house for brunch with family and wedding party.  We were still very much in recovery mode - there is such a thing as Wedding Hangover - but it was actually nice to have the time with them to open gifts and recharge and talk about the whole thing.  We opted to not hire an official videographer, since I have an aunt and uncle who are amazingly talented with it.  The great thing about this is that we got to watch the video the next day.  Since so much had been a blur, it kind of brought it all back, especially the ceremony.  I think I have such clear memories of the day because we watched that video so soon after - it kind of filled in the blanks.

And yay gifts!

My lovely vintage birdcage cardbox ... all cards accounted for, birdcage never to be seen again after this.  I have no idea where it is now!

One my mom's friends made this quilt for us.  Such a wonderful gesture, even though she lives across the country!  

My grandmother had been in poor health leading up to the wedding and had decided not to attend, so she wanted to be able to ooh and aah over the dress and see the newlyweds.

We said our final goodbyes to our family and friends and they headed home to enjoy the rest of their holiday weekend.  I didn't want the wedding experience to be over, and luckily it wasn't.  Time to put the wedding dress and the tuxedo back on and head out for one final stint in front of Matt's camera.  The perfect send-off!

I bought a dress and completely changed it.  We had a marathon final week of engagement.  I giggled my way through our rehearsal.  Kenny got grilled at our rehearsal dinner.  The groomsmen ran amok in downtown Springfield. The girls got gorgeous.  We exchanged mushy wedding-day gifts.  The guys got fancy and then got dancy.  I became a Bride.  There was a first First Look. I shared my Somethings.  The boys made the most of trolley-time. And did their thing on the Capital grounds. The girls took photos at the hotel. Everyone arrived at the church. We walked down the aisle. We declared our intentions and my cousin preached. We exchanged our vows. Our hands were blessed. Kenny put a ring on it and kissed his bride. We were pronounced Mr and Mrs! We left the church in a blizzard of confetti, and took a "just-married" trolley ride. We made it legal. We took pictures with our families, followed by wedding party portraits. I hit a low point and poured over reception details. We received our guests. The wedding party was introduced. My Dad checked his toast off of his to-do list. Our Best Man and Maid of Honor shared toasts as well. The we cut our cake and had our First Dance. We shared a dance with our parents. And had an Anniversary Dance to celebrate all the marrieds. The photobooth opened for business. I serenaded my husband. The dance floor opened. Kenny's grandmother rocked the dance floor. The party continued and finally rocked to a close.