yelling in public

17 April 2012

Lunch recipes

In my quest to eat healthy and save money I really really try to bring my lunch to work. My lunch hour is usually (always) spent running errands so food becomes an afterthought and why oh why should I be spending $8 on something mediocre??? I've found my best strategy is to make something yummy for my lunch each week. These recipes have basically passed the "eat it everyday for a week" test so I thought I'd share.

Asian Noodle Salad (From the Pioneer Woman--SO SO GOOD, but make sure you use all of the ingredients and don't cook the noodles too long)

SALAD INGREDIENTS:
1 package Linguine Noodles, Cooked, Rinsed, And Cooled
1/2 head Sliced Napa Cabbage, Or More To Taste
1/2 head Sliced Purple Cabbage, Or More To Taste
1/2 bag Baby Spinach, Or More To Taste
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin
1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin
1 whole Orange Bell Pepper, Thinly Sliced
1 bag Bean Sprouts (also Called Mung Bean Sprouts)
Chopped Cilantro, Up To 1 Bunch, To Taste
3 whole Scallions, Sliced
3 whole Cucumbers Peeled And Sliced
1 can (about 10 Oz.) Whole Cashews, Lightly Toasted In Skillet
_____
FOR THE DRESSING:
1 whole Lime, Juiced
8 Tablespoons Olive Oil
8 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons (up To 3 Tablespoons) Sesame Oil
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
3 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger Chopped
2 cloves Garlic, Chopped
2 whole Hot Peppers Or Jalapenos, Chopped
Chopped Cilantro
Preparation Instructions
Mix salad ingredients together. Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Mix with tongs or hands and serve on a platter.
Note: dressing keeps for up to three days before serving, without cilantro.

Tomato, Avocado, and Basil Quinoa Salad (From Women's Health--I didn't use nearly as much basil although I'm sure it would be great)

Ingredients:1 cup quinoa, cooked according to package instructions
1 can chickpeas (drained & rinsed)
3 cups diced tomatoes1 cups fresh spinach,
1 cup fresh basil,
1 avocado, chopped,
Crumbled goat or feta cheese for sprinkling (optional)
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:Mix the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and salt in pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Chop basil and spinach finely (or give them a whirl in a food processor) and set aside. In a large bowl, mix quinoa, chickpeas, avocado, tomato, spinach, basil and dressing. Place in refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. Sprinkle with goat or feta cheese prior to serving, if desired.

Quinoa Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing (from vegangela--I used zuchhini and carrots and no cucumber, really you could thrown in any number of things)

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 medium cucumber, seeds removed and cut into julienne strips
1 medium orange carrot, cut into julienne strips
1 medium purple carrot, cut into julienne strips (or shredded purple cabbage and/or red/yellow bell pepper (capsicum))
1/4 cup cilantro (fresh coriander) (or mint, or basil) chopped
3 tbs smooth peanut butter
3 tbs seasoned rice vinegar
2 tbs tamari or soy sauce
1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes
1 small clove garlic, minced
Directions
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa and simmer briskly until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, hot red pepper flakes, and garlic. Add enough hot tap water (about 2 tablespoons) to thin the mixture to sauce consistency.
When quinoa is ready, transfer it to the bowl, along with the veggies and cilantro, and toss to combine.
Can be served immediately, but I think it’s better after having been refrigerated for 30 minutes. Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Serves 2-4

Citrus Quinoa Salad (From Healthy Mamas--ok this one is my lunch today but I maybe tried it while putting it together last night..YUM...however I did use lemon juice instead of lime and added some balsamic vinegar and honey to the dressing for fun. I also only used one can black beans and one avocado...I get nervous letting avoacado sit for days but in a salad with lots of citrus it should be fine)

Ingredients
Salad:
(2) 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 – 1/2 minced red onion (depending on how large the onion is, and how much you like onion, I used about 1/3 of a medium sized red onion and minced it VERY small)
1 large grapefruit, divided into segments and cut into cubes
1-2 roasted red bell peppers, diced (you could also use 1 large fresh red bell pepper; I prefer mine roasted and I used one. I keep jars of roasted red bell peppers on hand for recipes like this and use them often in hummus recipes)
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed well)
2 large (ripe but firm) avocado, diced
1 small bunch fresh cilantro (about a handful), chopped into small pieces (also rinsed well!)

Dressing – this MAKES the salad!
juice of 3 limes
2 tsp cumin
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
Bring quinoa to a boil with 2 1/2 cups water with a pinch of salt. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and quinoa is light and fluffy. Remove from stove and let cool while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Place black beans, red onion, grapefruit, cilantro, bell pepper, avocado and corn in a large bowl. Toss to combine.
In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Add quinoa and dressing to salad, then toss well and serve.
Salad will keep in sealed tupperware containers for up to five days in the fridge.

This one is not a lunch recipe but I've made these twice and everyone gobbles them up

Toddler Muffins (from all recipes, I did them with a bit less butter the second time and they were just as good, oh yeah and I subbed oats for oat bran...who buys oat bran??)

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, or to taste
2 large bananas, mashed
1 (4.5 ounce) jar baby food squash
2 carrots, grated
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oat bran
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 24 mini muffin cups or 12 standard muffin cups.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in the mashed bananas, squash, carrots, and eggs. Stir in the flour, oat bran, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt until just combined. Spoon the batter equally into the prepared muffin cups.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. Store at room temperature for up to two days, or freeze.

Enjoy! Pretty much quinoa and pinterest have changed my life, what can I say :)

24 March 2012

Where did the time go?

Carter will hit FIVE months on Monday---can you believe it?? It's flying by. Yesterday we got a high chair and some baby food to start trying solids....she's been staring down our food lately so I think it's time :)

Carter is such a sweet little one. She sleeps awesome and has gotten pretty good with 2 1-2 hour naps a day and going from about 8-7 at night (I still feed her at around 6 before I got to work but she can skip it). SO different from Harrison. She also LOVES playing with toys, grabbing everything on her exercauser, rattles, her hands, her feet...and everything goes in the mouth. With Harrison I just figured all those toys were silly because babies didn't like them until much later. Nope! Carter will amuse herself with a fabric block or a blanket she can suck on. I'm shocked at how she can play by herself as long as she's been fed and changed fairly recently. She freaks out when we put her in the bouncy seat with the hanging animals--grabbing, bouncing, getting super excited. It's pretty much the cutest thing ever.

She does awesome with tummy time and will turn all around but hasn't rolled from back to front yet. She seems to be getting fairly close to being able to sit. Maybe in a month or so. I definitely think she'll crawl before the 9 months Harrison did. Oh yeah and this girl LOVES her big brother. Her face just lights up when he plays with her looks at her (carries her around, yes, I let him...with supervision). This 'can't crawl but I have a personality' stage is definitely my favorite.

Here are just a few pics of our little Carter Pants. We love her to bits and pieces.

(P.S. I promise to try to keep this blog more updated. Our lives have become absolutely nuts with two kids and two jobs. I feel like I'm "on" from 4:45 when my alarm goes off until 9 ish when we convince Harrison to stop getting up out of bed and go to sleep. Then we collapse and do it all again in the morning. Doesn't leave much time for more than maintenance of the status quo but it's become a good lesson in letting go of the things that JUST DON'T MATTER..I'm trying.....)

Check out those HUGE cheeks!

This is an older one but seriously how could I not post that cute smile? the fuzzy blue/white thing is a wearable blanket I got her for christmas..SHE LOVES IT and sleeps so much better with it. I put that thing on and she's out. It's. Awesome. I looked all over for something similar but more summer appropriate since it's been getting warmer (but with sleeves and hand covers because she loves to rub her face) and found nothing so I went back to Marshalls and got another one of the same. But on clearance. And Carter can have a fan or sleep with her diaper underneath.

Harrison reading carter a story.

Super cute outfit thanks to Jen. Try not to mind the drool all over her shirt...

Baby drool, hood, awesome.

Oh wait--this is Harrison--OOPS...but cutest picture ever so it needed to be included.

Hanging out on the front steps watching mommy and Harrison play hide and seek. We've been spending LOTS of time outside lately enjoying beautiful weather (this makes for late or no dinner sometimes on weeknights but is worth it).

St. Patrick's day at the playground.

26 February 2012

BFFs

Harrison was SO lucky to hang out with his friend Alesa June THREE saturdays in a row. First, she turned 3 and had an awesome birthday party. Then we took the kids to the Aviation museum in College Park (SO FUN), and then last weekend me and Taci (alesa's aunt) met up with the kids at the zoo while Cory helped Dru move into their new place. It's so great to have good friends :)