Sunday, December 11, 2011

RECIPES: What the Happy Nurse & I Are Eating This Week! Chili, Pad Thai, Banana Bread Bars, Shepherd's Pie and MORE!

Banana Bread Bar!
 Its Sunday & time for bulk cooking planning!  So since I've been off at the conference last week & am now exhausted, my lovely, wonderful husband (The Happy Nurse) is going to be tackling the cooking since he is off tomorrow!  Hooray Happy Nurse!! (cheer cheer!)

This week we'll be eating:  
Soups & Chilis 
1)  (again!)The Healthy Librarian's version of Robin Robertson's Sweet Potato, Spinach, Fire-Roasted Tomatoes, and a Bit of Peanut Butter Soup
Sweet-Potato, Roasted Tomato,
Spinach & Peanut Soup!
2) Leftover 17 Bean & Barley Soup from last week! (now frozen) Made with dried beans mix from Trader Joe's (Recipe on the package & on a website I found via Google!)
3) AWESOME "Quick Black Bean Chili" from Ann Esselstyn (Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease)--our variation has 2 cans of Garlic Chipotle Trader Joe's Salsa, 2-3 cups kidney beans, 2-3 cups black beans and 1-2 cups frozen corn.  Slow cooker cooked of course!

Main Courses:
2) Broccoli Pesto Pasta (The Happy Herbivore Cookbook)
4)  Shepherd's Pie (The Happy Nurse's favorite--we are trying out this new recipe from a new blog that he found for a dinner party next weekend! )
5)  Mushroom Fajitas (The Happy Herbivore Cookbook)

Mexican Chickpea Snacks!
Sides, Snacks & Breakfast Food:
1) Banana Bread made into Bars from Ann Esselstyn (Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease).  I already made this today using Barley Flour (which is awesomely high protein and high fiber).  I also substituted 2 Tbl Agave Nector for the 2/3 cup of honey or sugar in the original recipe.  I made it into a long loaf/bar (doubling the recipe) in our 9x11 casserole dish because we don't have a bread pan! (going to have to put that on the Christmas list!)
2) Spiced Rice-Lentil Squares (Fat Free Vegan--looking forward to trying these--always need more bars for on the run!)
3) Mexican Chickpeas Pops (leftover from last week--see my post here)
2)  Frozen veggies of course! (Thank You Trader Joes)!
YUMYUMYUM!!



Coming Up This Week:
  • BOOK REVIEW:  "29 Gifts!"
  • SuperImmunity for Kids ~Part 2~!
  • Practical Stuff:  Kitchen Tools That Help & Products I Like! (Gift Ideas?!)
Coming Up on Medical System Tuesday
  • Tip #9 For The Best Hospital Care:  Pay Attention ~ Insider Tips on How to Get the BEST Medical Care in the Hospital ~
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6 comments:

  1. Have you tried the Happy Herbivore Granola Bars from the new cookbook? Delicious (and easy) for an on the go bar. It calls for chocolate chips, but I use raisins instead. And I think it calls for agave, but I use brown rice syrup.

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  2. Ooooo Meridith! Great idea! Every time I see chocolate chips in a recipe I tend to move quickly on to the next recipe! :-) But what a fantastic idea to add raisins instead! We will try that for next week!

    Why don't I think of these things?! Oh, I know--because I have awesome readers like you to help me figure this all out! Thanks!

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  3. So glad I read this comment as I'm trying to stay away from chocolate chips too. I'm starting day four "no sugar."

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  4. I'm a "mean" mom, so anytime I can cut sugar out I take advantage of it. :) I swear every single store is handing out those tiny candy canes....I just cringe and let my 4 year old daughter have the treat, knowing that we just can't indulge at home. Oh well.

    Christy - good luck with the no sugar. It is tough the first few days/weeks, but so totally worth it. I was eating 3-4 pounds of chocolate licorice in a week (really horrible, I know), so I know the hold sugar can have you on. I cut sugar cold turkey after watching Food Inc a few years ago. Now even certain fruits seem too sweet for me, which I can't even believe myself. It's nice to be in control again. If I want to indulge it's a choice and I can enjoy it without going overboard and/or feeling so guilty afterward. Most of the time though, I just have a handful of raisins and call it good.

    Oh and I feel so much better physically and emotionally about myself, which is the best reward of all. Although, my dentist is probably disappointed.... :)

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  5. @Christy, Good for you!! Keep it up! We're all rooting for you!:-) I agree with Meridith completely (thank you Meridith for being such an awesome supporter & sharing your experience, strength and hope with all of us!).

    From my experience, the first week is pretty awful--I actually had a low grade headache for two weeks at first! And I wasn't a big sweets person to begin with! But once that was over, WOW my body began to feel amazing :-)

    The best tip I can give you is one my sponsor gave me--eat a piece of fruit with EVERY meal (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snack). As you stop eating sugar you will feel deprived & for me, the best way to combat that was by eating the fruit (much healthier for us!)

    I don't eat that much fruit now but for the first few sugar-free months it was critical. You would be surprised how much sugar is in everything! I'm not crazy strict though--I will eat products with sugar in them ONLY if sugar or any sweetener is not in the first FIVE ingredients in the item. Perfectionism isn't the purpose, progress is. So if you have some issues, don't worry, just keep going. Use that fruit!

    Meridith--I don't think you are a "mean" mom! I think you are a fantastic Mom because you are actually giving your daughter the best gift anyone can give--health.

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  6. Christy how are you doing with the sugar-free world? Its SO hard at first! Hope you are well!?

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