One day soon this will be me!

Putting you ladies on notice, some day soon I *will* be on your level!

Candydiva04

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How to "Go Green"

My BFF, Tiff, and I have been swapping recipes and cooking tips, really, I'm just stealing her recipes, but it sounds much nicer when I say we're swapping, so I'm going to run with that.

Anyway, last time we talked about our diets and meal plans for the week, I mentioned that because RR has better eating habits than I do, I've been letting him rule the kitchen.  Otherwise we'd be eating junk, or junk disguised as healthy food.  So while I love having a man who cooks, (remind me to post his Ground turkey buffalo meatball recipe later, YUM!) it occasionally has its downsides.

The downside to him cooking is that more often than not, we aren't eating balanced meals.  Typically, its all protein, and little or no veggies.  In response, Tiff tells me to stop being lazy and cook more.  (Thanks Tiff!)  She was at least kind enough to follow that up, with this article on how to get more greens in your diet. The article suggests...

1. Stirring them into soup. I  don't eat much soup and when I do, its not homemade. So this won't work for me.

2. Slip greens into your chicken breast.  This one I LOVE since RR is VERY partial to chicken, this might be a great way to mix things up.

3. Blend leaves into your smoothie.  I was doing this for a while, and it was great, not really sure why I stopped.  CO at Fitness, Fashion Frank, posted this great smoothie recipe that her nephew brought home from school.  If its kid friendly, I'm sure adults will love it too!!  Its on my "To try" list.

4. Beat them into eggs.  Another great and practical idea.

5. Wrap your burger or sandwich with lettuce.  I think this one is slightly impractical for my lifestyle at the moment.  If I take a lettuce rapped sandwich to work, it'll be all soggy and gross by lunchtime. Since I generally buy bagged salads, this would require buying whole lettuce, strictly for weekend sandwiches.. not worth it. To me, but if it works for you, I'm all for it. 

Let me know if you're doing one or trying of these suggestions (especially the ones, I might have ruled out), I'm open to being persuaded! ;)

Hoping to "Go Green" soon, 

Candydiva04

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What I'm eating...

RR is one of those people who can eat the same thing day in and day out, I am not.  So last Sunday in a fit of "rebellion", I cooked.

I broke out the Crockpot and tried out this Cuban Braised Beef & Peppers  recipe from yumsugar.com

SLOW COOKER CUBAN BRAISED BEEF AND PEPPERS

Ingredients

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
2 red bell peppers, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/2 pounds flank steak, cut crosswise into thirds
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

1. In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, oregano, cumin, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Nestle the steak among the vegetables. Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.
2. Twenty-five minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions.
3. Using two forks, shred the beef and mix it into the cooking liquid. Serve with the rice and top with the avocado and cilantro.

Serves 4.

Being a Crock Pot recipe, its was VERY easy to make, but hard to resist once it started cooking, and the aroma filled my house!  8 hours later I had a delicious plate of this! You'll notice that I used brown rice instead of the long grain white rice, the recipe called for.

It made a lot for 2 people, later in the week, we re-purposed it with 100% whole wheat flour tortillas into tacos, fajitas and burritos.  It was delicious, the RR has taken to calling it "Chipotle" Which is a HIGH compliment.

I also plan to mix up my lunch later this week with this

5-Minute Turkey, Avocado, and Hummus Wrap

Ingredients

1 whole wheat tortilla
2-3 tablespoons red pepper hummus
3 slices low-sodium deli turkey
1/4 avocado, sliced
Pickle slices

Directions

Spread tortilla with hummus, then layer on turkey, avocado, and pickle slices. Roll, then slice. Makes 1 wrap.

I'll probably use the Primo Taglio Oven Roasted Chicken from our local deli, in lieu of the turkey, purely out of taste preference, but this seems like a awesome alternative to my standard boring sandwich.

Until next time,

Candydiva04

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