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Showing posts with label Eat.Live.Be.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eat.Live.Be.. Show all posts

Monday, July 25, 2011

Curried Away



Happy Monday everybody! Check me out - actually remembering Monday! And this was a busy one. I spent my lunch running about doing some errands, ended up working later than I was expecting, which was especially devastating because Thatboy ended up getting out of work early. Of course that kind of stuff always happens, doesn't it?

This week on Eat.Live.Be. we're discussing our tips and tricks for when we're "too tired."




Today I'm in a really good mood, not tired. Maybe because it's the beginning of the week? Who knows. Which is not to say I never get tired. And some days are worse than others. Honestly, this is one of the reasons I run in the morning. Because frankly, by the time I get home the LAST thing I want to do is work out. Because I'm tired. In the morning, I have to get up to walk Thatdog anyway, so there's really no option. I guess that's solution number 1 - get a dog. No no no, I'm just joking about that. Really it's find a schedule that works for you.

But for the past few months I've been working out after work too - when I can get home before Thatboy. And that's where solution 2 comes in - find an easy alternate. For me, that's my prenatal pilates video. It's in 10 minute segments. Even if I don't want to work out. Even if I don't want to go to the gym, it's not hard to convince myself to stick in a 10 minute workout.

Solution 3 is all about cooking. In generally, I try to keep weeknight meals easy - 20 minutes or less. Unfortunately, I'm not always great about remembering to prep some of my meals. Which means very often I realize that I have not soaked my beans right about the time I want to make a dish with beans. So I always have a backup in the freezer. Which is very helpful except right around the time we're moving.

This is a very quick curry meal for when you're too tired to cook. I made it with lamb, but as usual, you can easily use it with any cooked meat or leftovers you have on hand. Ready in under 20 minutes!



Curried Lamb with Apple
1 chopped onion
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup cooked lamb
1 Tbsp flour
3/4 cup beef broth
1 tsp curry powder
1 apple peeled and sliced
1/2 Tbsp raisins
salt and pepper
  1. Melt the butter in a skillet and cook the onions until they are translucent.
  2. Add the lamb and sprinkle flour over all.
  3. Add the broth, stirring until thick.
  4. Add the curry, apples, raisins, salt and pepper and cover. Simmer about 8 minutes, until the apples are tender.
Don't forget to check in with the other bloggers:
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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

More Macaroni



Last night when I sat down to post a new entry I was honestly pretty excited that I'd been able to get in 3 days in a row. That's A LOT of free time my friends. Free time which seems to be a luxury right now. Speaking of - hang on a sec while I go and throw another load in the washer.

Okay, back. Anyway, as I was saying, I was so excited about having a moment to myself that I COMPLETELY forgot that it was a Monday. I know - who forgets Mondays? Mondays are the days you dread. When you have to get up early and spend a whole day at work after having the weekend to spend however you want.

Mondays mean Eat.Live.Be..



I know it's Tuesday. Heck, in some parts of the world it's Wednesday already! But enough about days of the week, unless you're Rebecca Black I have a pretty good feeling most of you know what day comes after what. And I have an even better feeling that you'll forgive me for posting a day late. This week we're discussing wake up calls. What brought you to the light?

For me, there were a lot of "wake up moments" that I just didn't see. Or I saw, and I ignored. They say that it's difficult to train a dog to stay out of the trash because it's a self-rewarding behavior. Unhealthy behaviors can be self-rewarding too. When I was throwing up outside the gym in bushes it should have been a wake-up call. But it wasn't. Because my unhealthy behaviors also made me feel like I had control over my life, my body, and myself.

I wish I could point to a moment of revelation, a wake up call, but I can't. At one point I just decided that this wasn't good for me and I needed to scale back. And frankly, maybe it's because I'm missing that moment that it's a constant, almost daily struggle. Picking good behaviors over bad isn't easy, and it's much easier to slip into old habits. Especially when life gets crazy - and unless you're a new reader, you know my life is typically crazy.

Next week we're discussing simple solutions for when you're just too tired. Perfect for Mondays, right? Now check out how the other bloggers are faring:
I warned you that you'd be seeing more macaroni recipes coming soon. I think I may have even warned you about using macaroni with the steak in my freezer. So it should come as no surprise to you to see this next dish. Today was a run all over town kind of day, so it was nice to be able to make something quick when I came home.



Macaroni and Steak
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 cup currant jelly
1/4 tsp ground mustard
dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 lb cooked steak, cut into bite sized pieces
2 cups cooked macaroni

  1. Melt the butter in a skillet and stir in the vinegar, jelly, mustard, and cayenne. Cook until the sauce is smooth.
  2. Add the steak to the skillet, coating it in the sauce.
  3. When the steak is heated through, pour it over the macaroni.
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Monday, July 11, 2011

Moussaka-shaka

Have I told you how much I LOVE summer? This week on Eat.Live.Be. we're sharing compliments. One of my most recent compliments I attribute largely to the fact that it's summer.



When we were in Tahoe, Thatmom told me she was very impressed by how "healthy" I've been this pregnancy. This means a lot to me given that I really struggle with being healthy during this period. I asked her what she meant, and she told me that I've been doing a great job of not overindulging in foods.

But the thing is - I do overindulge - in summer fruits and produce. I have a theory about pregnancy "cravings." (But take this with a grain of salt since I haven't had a single one) I completely believe in food aversions, but cravings? I don't necessarily buy that they're related to pregnancy. I mean, we all have cravings. Mine really kick in during Passover when I want things I NEVER want to eat - like doughnuts, or cheese-its. But on a day to day basis I'll see a commercial and think "Wow, I could go for a double cheeseburger right now." Except 99% of the time I follow that with "But really, how healthy would it be to indulge in every craving you have?" I think most women are like that. We're so conscious of everything we put in our body since society, and of course, we ourselves, are our biggest critics. But during pregnancy you're SUPPOSED to gain weight. I mean, you're going to get a belly anyway, right? So women let down their guard, and when that same nagging "Wow I could go for a double cheeseburger right now" feeling comes along, they don't follow it with the second thought. Instead they follow it with "Baby must want a double cheeseburger."

My eating habits haven't changed at all since being pregnant. No cravings, no food aversions, but because it's summer, I keep my body fueled up with all the best nature has to offer. Take a look at my stash from this week's farmer's market:


A bag of mixed greens
fresh baked ciabatta bread
basil
tomatoes
figs
cucumbers
bell pepper
strawberries
plums
and Mexican Sour Cucumbers

Most of these are for snacking. Although the figs became dessert last night. Today in fact I snacked on cantaloupe, cherries, cucumbers, and those strawberries you're looking at right now.

Summer produce means I also get to make use of beautiful eggplants and tomatoes for dinners. Both of which play a large role in the creation of the classic Greek dish of Moussaka. The beautiful and talented Elly has a traditional recipe for Moussaka. This is not that recipe. Instead here are a couple variations on the dish.

Align Center
Layered Moussaka
2 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 onion, chopped
1/2 lb ground lamb
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 eggplant
1 egg
2/3 cup half and half
1 Tbsp parsley
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 Tbsp melted butter

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a skillet and cook the onion until soft.
  2. Add the lamb and cook until browned.
  3. Add the allspice, salt, pepper, and tomato sauce. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
  4. Heat the remaining Tbsp of oil in a skillet. Cut the eggplants into 1/4 inch slices. Brown each side of the eggplant in the oil and then pat dry.
  5. Mix the egg, half and half, parsley and half of the breadcrumbs.
  6. Put a layer of of eggplant on the bottom of the casserole and spread a layer of lamb on top of it. Continue layering, ending with the eggplant.
  7. Pour the egg mixture over all of it. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over top and drizzle butter over.
  8. Bake 40 minutes.



Wrapped Moussaka
1 eggplant
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 lb mushrooms, chopped
1 cup cooked ground lamb
1 clove garlic, minced
1 sprig of thyme, crumbled
1 sprig of rosemary, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup tomato sauce

  1. Preheat oven to 375. Spray a cake pan with cooking spray. Slice the eggplant in half and make several deep gashes in the flesh. Rub the surface with olive oil and place skin side down on a cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool.
  2. While the eggplant is cooling, mix the onion, lamb, mushroom, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.
  3. Scoop out the eggplant flesh, chop it, and mix into the lamb mixture.
  4. Line the cake pan with the skin of the eggplant. Place the lamb mixture in the center of the eggplant skin and fold the skin over top to create a little eggplant bundle.
  5. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven.
  6. Heat tomato sauce and pour over the moussaka.
Next week we're doing wake up calls. Not the ones in the morning, but the ones that make you get serious about something. Now check out how the other bloggers are faring:
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Monday, June 06, 2011

Vacation in Vancouver




Well we're back from Vancouver. Actually, we've been back for a full week, but it's taken me about that long to get back into the semblance of not quite caught up that you've all come to know and love.

And although I missed last week, I'm back in time to share with all my Eat.Live.Be-ers. (Do-ers?)



This week we're looking back on our goals. Kind of a half way check in:

I feel like I've covered most of this before. My 3 goals were drink more water, drink less alcohol and add weight training into my routine. And the pregnancy has had me drinking more water, drinking no alcohol, and not being as good with weight training as I was anticipating. Nothing new to see here, so let's move it along.

Now check out how the other bloggers are faring:
So now back to Vancouver. Or back from Vancouver. Semantics. The last time we went, we hit up just about everything. So we used this trip to return to old favorites and try out something new.

We got in late Friday night and headed to the same hotel we stayed at last time. And were pleased to see they are still offering employment to the undesireables.



My big push for this trip was to spend more time in Stanley Park. So we got to spend almost an entire day there. Of course, it happened to be the day there was some massively crazy earth walk so I think it took us almost an hour to get there and park - and we probably stayed less than 10 miles away.

Our first stop was the aquarium.




They had a big frog exhibit going on with these giant toads, poison frogs, big frogs, little frogs, frogs with spots, stripes, and even talking frogs. (I might be exaggerating a bit on that last part)

Like all aquariums, this one had one of my all time favorite photography subject - jelly fish!






But unlike most aquariums, this one had a Costa Rican Rainforest inside. Complete with sloth:



And gorgeous birds.



There were sea turtles



And some of the biggest "buddies" I've ever seen. Such cuties!



The highlight however were the beluga whales. We have 2 belugas here in San Diego. In Vancouver, they have 4! (That's twice as many for you slow in math.)



I love our local belugas. Something so beautiful and majestic about their white bodies in the water.


And these were fancy trick doing Belugas. Ours are mostly just swimmers. They leave the shows to the Orcas.



After the aquarium we went for a hike around the park.



Ending at the seawall, with some beautiful views of the city.





Tomorrow I'll fill you in on everything we ate and clue you in to the special giveaway I have just because I love you all so much!
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Monday, May 23, 2011

Ch-ch-ch-changes



We have a VERY big change to announce in Thathouse. We're expecting a new addition to Thatfamily - and I'm not talking about our October Special Delivery. This new addition won't be happening until 2012, although it's funny because it's not going to feel like a new addition.

Thatboy and I are overjoyed to announce that we will soon have - a new sister! On Saturday, UDubb agreed to officially join our family. I would be worried on her behalf, but she already knows what she's getting into. We are obviously unbelievably excited since UDubb is a family favorite. And this means I don't have to worry about running out of Nike Gear anytime soon.


Speaking of change, this week on Eat.Live.Be. we're talking about changing things up, and how we've changed things in the last five months.



In general, I haven't done too many changes to my diet. Other than giving up alcohol. As for exercise - still running, but I am running shorter distances. Same time, I'm just slower. The only real change in my routine is that I've added in some Prenatal Pilates. It's a good addition to the running since it's more of a muscle stretcher than a muscle builder. It also is great for keeping me limber and flexible.

And a little change up from me - I can't remember the last time I posted a good chocolatey dessert recipe. But this seems like a time to celebrate. And brownies always scream "celebration." So does pie. So a brownie pie is like double the celebration!


Brownie Pie
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 6 ounces)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
4 oz semi sweet chocolate, broken into chunks/pieces
3 Tbsp butter
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Mix the graham crackers with 1/4 cup sugar and melted butter and press into bottom and sides of 9 inch pie pan. Chill while preparing filling.
  2. Combine corn syrup, remaining sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring till sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
  3. Add chocolate and remaining butter to to syrup, stirring until chocolate is melted and smooth. Let cool 5 minutes.
  4. Pour chocolate over eggs, stirring.
  5. Add vanilla and mix well.
  6. Pour chocolate mixture into pie crust and bake for about an hour. (I toppped mine with cherries, but you can use caramel, or any other fruit that floats your boat)
Next week's topic is our favorite things about summer!

And here are a list of the other bloggers participating:
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Monday, May 16, 2011

Back to Us



It seems like it takes just about nothing to get me behind. Trying to juggle any errands during the week is fairly laughable, because when I do I'm barely able to fit in making dinner, lunches, and laundry. Remember when I had all the laundry done and folded two weeks ago? Well we're back to a full basket of clean clothes just dying to be put away.

The last time I wrote about how behind I was, was coincidentally also I introduced one of my worst habits for Eat.Live.Be. - failing to take care of myself. This week we're talking about how we're doing at breaking that habit. And unfortunately, it's been hit or miss.


I took a full 2 weeks off running to let my body rest and recuperate. I could probably have started up again last Wednesday, but wanted to give myself a couple extra days - just in case. I've been amazing at drinking loads of liquids. And then Friday came. And I started running again (that's okay - I was definitely healthy enough to get back into it), and my drinking dropped off again (not so good) and I spent all weekend running around like a crazy woman and staying out WAY past my bedtime (also not so good.)

BUT I try not to beat myself up about the whole ordeal, even though it set me back in a lot of ways. See, Thursday is Prez's birthday. And our friends came down from LA and SF to celebrate. So I was spending time with the girls. Heading to Temecula for wine tasting, eating amazing dinners every night, staying up late and talking, getting up early and heading to breakfasts. By 4pm on Sunday I was spent, but I always have next weekend to catch up, right? Assuming I can get there.

Between a busy week and an insane weekend, I feel like I didn't get to see Thatboy much at all. (It's a good thing we live together or he might have completely forgotten about me). So last night I carved out some husband/wife time. He poured some of the wine I brought home from Temecula and I poured myself a glass of green apple soda. I made a special homey dinner for the two of us, complete with chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert. Thatboy loves pot pie, and I've figured out a way to make it in the perfect size for the two of, so there aren't a ton of leftovers. Sure the laundry didn't get done. And yes, I probably could have used that time to take a nap, but sometimes it's good to just connect.


Steak Pot Pie - for Two
2 slices bacon
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 lb sirloin steak, cooked and chopped
3/4 cup gravy
2 carrots, blanched, and slice
1 russet potato, peeled, chopped, and boiled
cinnamon, salt, and pepper
pie dough

  1. Preheat oven to 425. Cook and drain the bacon on paper towels.
  2. Add the onion to the bacon fat and cook until translucent.
  3. Add the beef, gravy, carrots, potatoes. Season with a sprinkle of cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
  4. Pour mixture into a 1 qt. casserole dish. Roll out the pie dough to fit over the meat mixture. Crimp the edges and cut a couple vents into the middle. Bake 20 minutes.

Next week's topic is all about changing things up.

And here are a list of the other bloggers participating:
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Monday, May 09, 2011

Tightening the strings



There are a lot of changes in our lives this 2011. Thathouse is all topsy turvy. And pretty much all of those changes are going to involve money. It's the cold hard truth that nothing in life is free, and all the good things that come into your lives are going to come with a price.

Which means we're very cognizant of all the funds that leave our pockets right now. Which just makes sense no matter what your status in life.

The inlaws are a PERFECT example of what NOT to do. TFIL hasn't held a permanent job in the past 30 years. So you imagine our surprise when he announced that he was retiring a couple years back. TMIL has been complaining about the fact that even though their budget is small, TFIL insists on spending a ridiculous amount of money on groceries. And now her car is on its very last legs. When I suggested that perhaps they should just be a single car family, given that TFIL doesn't, you know, have a job, I was railed against. How on EARTH would TFIL prepare dinner if he didn't shop at the market every day? I mentioned he could do what most other people do, shop once a week. That didn't go over well either. So although they are working with a budget that they complain about to everyone within 5 minutes of meeting, they continue to spend way too much money on groceries and are about to take on a second car payment so TFIL can make daily supermarket trips.

That's not how we work. We try to make rational economic decisions, even if it means making compromises. This week's topic on Eat.Live.Be. are tips for staying within your shopping budget.



1) Shop Farmer's Markets if you have them available to you. I attend every week, and as long as I'm not picking up honey or olive oil, I manage to spend $20 or less on fruits, veggies, bread and eggs. This is far less than I would spend at the supermarket. Bags of beans, carrots, or peppers for a dollar, a giant bag of oranges for $3.00.

2) Going along with tip number 1, try to eat locally and seasonally. I know, me and my tomato mouth should shut up. But for me, tomatoes are the exception. And I make some compromises. Tomatoes are more expensive when it's not summer, so I don't waste money buying gorgeous heirlooms in the winter when I know they won't taste as good. And as much as I love melon, I also try to refrain from buying it off-season. I've declared my birthday "Watermelon Day" and use that to mark the first day I'll consider buying it. It's more than just taste - because we know things taste better when they're in season, but it also costs grocers more to ship things in when they're not in season. Which means those grapes during the winter? Well it costs a lot to bring them in from Chile, and you're going to end up paying the costs.

3) Utilize your freezer. I keep an eye on proteins when they're on sale and buy them then. Then I stick them in my freezer. Proteins can get expensive, but you'll find that post-holidays those gorgeous rib-eyes and cuts of beef are marked down substantially. I got a goose for under $10! And in the summer, we can get shrimp for insane low prices. You don't want to leave them in your freezer forever, but it does buy you some time.

4) Shop around. After I hit the farmer's market, I pick up household goods (toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies) at the supermarket and head to Trader Joes for other groceries. Things like jams, dairy products, dried fruits and nuts, nitrate free bacon, etc. Trader Joes is a GREAT place to go for pork tenderloin. I can usually pick one up for under $5.00 which makes it a very budget friendly meal. I've included an easy recipe below.


Broiled Pork Tenderloin
1 pork tenderloin
2 strips of bacon

  1. Preheat broiler. Tie bacon in place on top of tenderloin with some cooking twine.
  2. Place pork in a shallow broiling pan.
  3. Cook 12 minutes, slice, and serve.

Next week's topic follows up on our habit breaking from last week.

And here are a list of the other bloggers participating:
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Monday, May 02, 2011

Take Good Care of My, Baaay-bee




Can I whine for a bit? All that running around the past 2 weeks has taken it's toll. Last Thursday I got hit hard with whatever it is that seems to be taking San Diego by storm. It's something upper respiratory which leaves me coughing like an emphysema patient. On Friday I knew it must be bad, because my coworkers started giving me little hints like dropping off cough drops on my desk and saying things like "Hey, I think maybe you should head home."

Saturday added insult to injury when I managed to get awful sunburn on JUST my left forearm. How does that even happen? And speaking of burns, can I tell you about yesterday, when I leaned over the angel food cake pan as I was inverting it and managed to burn the bottom of my chin on the searing hot pan.

Obviously this little bug is affecting my ability to take care of myself. Which brings me to my "habit I'd like to break," this week's topic for Eat.Live.Be.



I know, I bet you thought I forgot about Eat.Live.Be. It has been 2 weeks. Anyway, my super bad habit is not taking good care of myself when I'm not feeling well. Especially with upper respiratory stuff. I'm fairly good about drinking loads of fluids, but not so good at taking it easy. I'm trying to do better now. I've even taken off from running since Friday. Which is killing me. But I think I need the extra fifteen minutes of sleep. And maybe the added exertion isn't exactly what I need right now. And there will be plenty of time for running later, right? What I need to do though is stop piling so much on my plate right now. Not a good time for it at work, but maybe when I come home I need to put my feet up more. (Have I mentioned how much I'm looking forward to Thatboy being healed?)

At least I've been working with some super easy dinners this week and last. Super easy dinners that involve picking up some pre-cooked meat from Trader Joes and using it to create meals that are ready in minutes.


Mushroom beef and peas
2 slices of bacon, cooked till crisp.
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 lb mushrooms, cut in half
1 cup cooked peas
3/4 cup cooked beef (I use the roast sirloin from Trader Joes)
1/2 cup gravy
2 Tbsp red wine
salt
  1. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add onions and mushrooms and cook until onion is soft.
  2. Add the beef, peas, gravy and wine and simmer 10 minutes.
  3. Add salt to taste and sprinkle with bacon.


Next week's topic is how to stay healthy on a budget.

And here are a list of the other bloggers participating:
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Monday, April 11, 2011

This is the one Jonesy



I haven't been entirely honest with Eat.Live.Be. I've been kind of a cheater. This is the post where I'm coming clean.

My first cheat was in picking my goals. I purposely picked things that would be pretty easy for me to do. Drinking more water? Drinking less alcohol? Yeah, those were very specific goals. Nothing nearly as difficult as "watching what I eat" or "losing 15 lbs."

Speaking of the losing 15 lbs, here's my second cheat. Every month we're supposed to post how much weight we've lost. I haven't been posting this. And there's a reason for this. I haven't been losing weight. In fact, since Eat.Live.Be. has begun, I've actually gained 2 lbs.

Whew. It feels good to finally confess. Although, I'm sure you're expecting a little more from me. You know, like an explanation for my sneakiness? Well, let me try to explain.

Today on Eat.Live.Be. we're supposed to discuss vitamins and supplements we take. I get most of my vitamins from the food I eat, but I do supplement - I take these every night.


Not quite getting the full picture yet? Maybe these cookies will help. My friend Wan made them for me. Isn't she incredibly talented? If you need cookies for any occasion, I would definitely get in touch with her.


Still not there? Maybe Thatmom can put it into words best.





Next week's topic we share our playlists. I love music, so expect some good times!

And here are a list of the other bloggers participating:
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Monday, April 04, 2011

From the Earth



This week's topic on Eat.Live.Be. is creative tips to make sure you're getting in all your fruits and veggies.

This one is just a no-brainer for me. I completely attribute it to my parents. Both of them were veggie eaters, and my mom even liked the "weird" veggies - like brussels sprouts. Thatmom is also a fruit fiend. So we had a variety of vegetables and fruit in the house year round.

Vegetables were always served with dinner. And stories are told about how one had to watch their lima beans when dining with me. I was a lima bean fiend. I would steal them right off your plate. Know why? Because lima beans in my house were served with a generous serving of butter and salt. It's considered bad form to eat butter straight from the stick, so even at that age I was happy to find any acceptable vessel to get the butter into my mouth.

Salads were served every night - usually filled with fresh vegetables from our garden (during the summer). Thatbrother and I would be sent out to pick something fresh which made us feel empowered and like we were contributing to dinner.

As for fruit? Well I can hardly remember a day without fruit salad in the fridge. In the summer it was melon and berry. In the fall, pears and apples. Winter had citrus and grapes. If you were hungry after dinner, an apple was placed in your hand. "If you're hungry, then this should help fill you up." Fruit was treated as dessert - and when you treat it like a treat, that's the way it's viewed.



So my tips for working fruit and veggies into your diet?
1) Buy seasonal. Food in season tastes so much better when they're in season. I mentioned it the other day with tomatoes, but it really holds true for everything. I don't buy strawberries until I can literally smell them at the farmer's market. Never buy a melon before June. And zucchini and tomato are just perfect by end of the summer.

2) Work them into every meal. I'm not a proponent of using juice as a "fruit" because it's more sugar than anything else. It's too sweet for me, so I tend to water it down. I've gotten Thatboy to water down his insane amounts of juice too. Instead of orange juice at breakfast, try sliced oranges. Berries and grapes are perfect for breakfast. At lunch, throw some carrot sticks, celery, jicima, or cucumber for snacking. And at dinner, make sure you're using veggies in and around your main dish. I always throw some fruit into my salads along with the veggies.

3) Keep them handy. As soon as I buy strawberries, I chop them up so they're easy to grab. Same with carrots and celery. Keep them in some water and they'll last - except for the fact you'll be much more likely to grab a handful. I keep grapes in the freezer for anytime I want a cold, sweet snack.



4) Use them mercilessly. Throw some carrots in your smoothie for some added sweetness - and of course, the smoothie in general is a great way to add fruits and veggies into your diet. Add veggies into soups, stirfries, omelets, and pastas. There is really no dish that couldn't benefit from some added fruit and vegetables. Take grilled meat. Sure you could make a meal out of just meat and potatoes, but if you've got that grill growing, throw on a couple skewers of veggies. Even better, veggies AND fruit. I like pineapple, but peaches and apples also grill beautifully.


Lamb Kebab with Veggies
1/2 leg of lamb, cut into cubes
1 onion, sliced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup sherry
1/2 Tbsp canola oil
oregano
2 small onions, parboiled
2 large mushrooms
1 tomato, quartered
4 squares of green pepper
4 pineapple chunks

  1. Mix lamb, sliced onions, slat, pepper, sherry, oil and a sprinkle of oregano in a bowl and mix. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  2. Place the lamb on skewers and grill until cooked to your liking.
  3. While lamb cooks, skewer the veggies and pineapple. Brush with a teaspoon of oil and grill 2 minutes per side.


Next week's topic is Vitamins and Supplements.

And here are a list of the other bloggers participating:
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