For me, it’s all about the little steps. Making substitutions in the foods I eat now. I don’t have a lot of money right now, so I can’t just throw out all of my unhealthy food. But what I can do is to try my hardest to balance the healthy and the unhealthy.
Breakfast:
2 Food Lion Brand Strawberry Poptarts (I just opened the box today, so you’ll see a few more poptarts in the feature. I’m trying to replace that crummy breakfast with fresh fruits and more oatmeal).
Lunch:
4 pieces of white toast w/ a small amount of butter and Food Lion Concord Grape Jelly (In the future, I hope to replace the bread (I have 4 hamburger buns and 6 slices left)with whole wheat, no butter, and use a more organic jelly that doesn’t contain as much processed sugars. Since the jelly is not mine, I can easily replace it.)
Dinner:
I gave the most thought to my dinner tonight. Originally, I was going to fix a potato/zucchini/squash torte to use up some leftover vegetables, but I decided to go with something a bit summery. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate the cold, and today, it even snowed for a few hours. So I wanted that taste of summer. My dinner was quick, which was great since I came home from work and was starving. I even managed to stop off to the grocery store to grab some essentials.
I ended up buying 3 bananas, 2 apples, one hothouse tomato, 1 packet ranch, 2 packets koolaid, .63 lb of hamburger, lettuce, a quart of whole milk, and chocolate ice cream. So the last two items weren’t exactly healthy, but every now and then, it helps to have a treat. I’ll be less likely to buy a soda or a Reese’s knowing that I have my favorite things at home. I spent about $14 on everything (no coupons).
So dinner!
I know that it doesn’t look like much, but believe me, it was exactly what I needed to beat away those winter blues. It was also the healthiest thing I had eaten all week. From preparing to table, it took 10 minutes. The chocolate milkshake was just a lovely bonus to reward me for a hard day’s work.
Quick and Easy Ranch Burgers
Since it’s not really a recipe, I’m going to write out what I did in steps.
- Preheat your George Foreman grill.
- Season your hamburger meat with dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing and panko bread crumbs (to taste. The panko helps hold it together. Will replace with a whole wheat panko eventually).
- Cut until no longer pink in center. Toss a slice of cheese on top.
- Top with tomato, ketchup & lettuce (no bun to save those calories)
- Enjoy! I can definitely say I enjoyed this. Licked my plate clean. I still have enough hamburger left for another one tomorrow.
This is a fool-proof recipe, but if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below
I fixed one of the most least photogenic meals ever last night, but it tasted amazing. The flavors just melded together so well.
Mexican Chicken (serves 1)
- 1 chicken breast
- Taco Seasoning (I used Food Lion brand because it was the cheapest)
- Panko Breads Crumbs
- Your Favorite Salsa (I used medium – thick and chunky)
- Cheese (I used a Mexican blend)
1. Mix together taco seasoning and bread crumbs to taste. Don’t worry, you can’t give it too much flavor. Preheat oven to 375*F.
2. Bread chicken breast in panko/taco mixture, then place in a cooking dish. Cook 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle (This is why my picture turned out bad. I cut the chicken almost in half to check the center).
3. Spoon a few tablespoons of salsa on top and add cheese.
4. Place in oven until cheese has melted.
Mexican Rice
- 1/2 cup instant rice
- 1 cup water
- 1 can Mexi-Corn (drained)
- 4 TBSP Taco Seasoning
- Cheese
1. Cook rice like normal. When it’s done, toss in the mexi-corn.
2. Stir in taco seasoning and cheese.
3. Serve and enjoy!
Sometimes, when I get down in the dumps, there is nothing I want more than some of my mom’s cooking. She only cooked simple, classic Southern dishes, but they were always delicious. Last night, I had a craving for something warm. So I turned to chicken and rice. This is a quick dish, but it really fills you up. Paired with my Aunt Tammy’s sweet cucumbers (recipe coming soon), it’s the perfect dish. Even though it was an amazing dish and was exactly what I wanted, it wasn’t a pretty dish, so no pictures. I fixed a batch of cookies later on in the evening. How much better can a Friday night get than good comfort food, cookies, and milk?
Here’s what you need for chicken and rice (just in case you don’t know):
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken tenders (or breasts, but I wanted something that was easier to portion out)
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of celery soup
1/2 can water
Instant rice (whatever brand you choose, I used the cheapest, just make sure it’s instant)
Preheat oven to 475 F. Combine chicken, water, and cream of celery in a baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. About 10 minutes before chicken is ready, prepare the rice. Serve chicken over rice, making sure to spoon some of the yummy sauce on top!
