It’s funny, but on weekends when there is a holiday, my grocery shopping usually is focused just on the holiday meal. Since I had last Friday off from my day job, I decided to grocery shop for Easter that day and figured I’d go to the store again on Sunday to shop for the week. But as I was shopping I was like “duh, Sunday is Easter – you aren’t going grocery shopping on Easter!” So I mentally meal planned and just threw shit into my shopping cart. Um, it would have been nice to actually write down my plan as I was doing it, but that would be too smart!
So I’ve basically been making it up as I’ve gone along this week. So far so good! I ended up making lemon poppy seed pancakes for breakfast yesterday. I loosely based it off of Tieghan’s lemon baklava pancakes, but somehow, mine didn’t turn out as thick or as pretty as hers. These are her pancakes:
These are mine:
Maybe they were so thin because I made the batter the night before? I don’t know, but I am going to try these again and post the recipe when they turn out better. They were tasty though! I had 3 ounces of steak on the side for protein.
For some reason lately my shoulders have been killing me. Like I have no range of motion and it hurts both of them if I try to raise them above my head. I haven’t been doing any strenuous strength training so I have no idea what’s going on. I do know that if I take ibuprofen it helps. So I decided to hit the pool at lunch and that felt really good. And Kym, the pool was empty too!
30 minutes later and my shoulders weren’t as sore. Now I just need to get a hot tub!
So as I was putting my food together yesterday, it really was another episode of “throw shit in a bag and figure it out later.” Into the bag went: cooked ground beef, a bag of leftover canned black beans, half a red pepper, shredded cheese, sour cream, low carb tortillas, some of my baja fresh salsa. I would just figure it out when the time came. As I was swimming I thought “I could make a burrito in my panini maker!”
This was delicious. And the best part? That plate comes in at 433 calories and a whopping 17.5 grams of fiber! The afternoon of work went by fast and as I was driving home I couldn’t think what I had planned for dinner. I knew I still had cube steak, but didn’t really feel like it, and was trying to think what else I could make when Tony suggested going out to dinner. Done! We went to our local Italian restaurant and had a couple Boddington Beers. I should really their spokesperson!
I ended up getting a stromboli – a flakey baked pizza with sausage and pepperoni and hot giardiniera – it’s so filling I only at 1/3 of it. And I love the owners marinara sauce. I told him how much I liked it and he asked if I had tried his meat sauce, which I hadn’t, so he brought us out some bread and sauce to try. It was delicious, but I still prefer the good old marinara sauce.
I’ll probably have Tony heat up some of it tonight after my shift at the restaurant. Today is going to be a long day. I am working a double and tonight I am working in the bar – so I won’t be home probably until 1:00 a.m. at the earliest – it’s only a 17 hour work day – no big! Since I swam at lunch I didn’t make my steps:
Guess who I became Fitbit friends with yesterday? My 69 year old Aunt! We just discovered that we each have one. Well guess what? She’s kicking my ass! She sent me a text yesterday that the day before she had 17,000 steps! Damn!
Alright, time to get the show on the road – I am still making more pancakes for breakfast since I have the batter. I will probably walk 30 minutes around my office at lunch time to get away from my desk – I don’t like to do too much on a double work day. And I think I am going to hit up Mariano’s salad bar for lunch. I have to buy Diet Coke for the office – I only had 5 cans to stock it yesterday and people start to panic when there isn’t any Diet Coke in the fridge!
Make it a great day!
Like you have with your shoulders, I have in my back between the shoulder blades. I’m feeling it constantly. I think I don’t sit right and am making sure I sit and walk straight at the moment, see if that helps.
How funny that your aunt is kicking your you know what 🙂 with Fitbit.
I’m sure 30 minutes of swimming would put you over 10,000 steps for the day!
Your lunches always look so good – I need to quit being so lazy with my lunch.
Thanks Kim! Enjoy your weekend!
I saw a cookbook today at Shopko and thought of you, “101 way with Tacos” not sure that was the exact wording…..but thought, Wow Biz would like this and the pictures looked sooooo good just like your pictures. I shall have to check that book out when I go back to Shopko.
Oh it’s always nice to go out and enjoy a lunch date with the husband….don’t have to do the dishes afterwards…bonus!!!!
Well, I am off to do some steps with the dog, have a good evening with lots of tips!!!
Ha – most people think of me for tacos or hot sauce – love it!
It wasn’t my night at the restaurant, but sometimes you have to take the good with bad. While I only made $20, I was home early and went to bed at a decent hour – score!
Your “throw shit in a bag” lunch looks amazing!
Glad you and Tony got to enjoy a date night.
Hope your shift goes by quickly tonight!
Thanks Andrea – I ended up with only one table and was home by 8:45 – nice!
I think baking powder and buttermilk react to give pancakes lift, so if you made the batter the night before it might have all reacted before morning. Maybe try adding the buttermilk or baking powder just before baking. (Can you tell I am a scientist geek?) 🙂 They still look darn delicious.
Thanks for the tips Nicole!
I second the stretching. I was having bad upper back and shoulder pain a couple of months ago. I think it was a combination of strength training and stress. I stopped strength training and took up yoga. Huge difference, I just do a dvd in the evenings about 3 times a week. I never realized how tight my shoulders and back were.
It doesn’t burn a ton of calories, but I’m addicted to it. It evens helps with weight loss – I am more motivated to lose so I can get rid of my gut and do some of the poses the way they are supposed to be done.
Yep, I think it is the stretching too – totally going back into my weekly routine – thanks Candace!
That lunch burrito looks amazing…I am so impressed with your lunch skills…I usually have something very boring or end up eating out. 🙂
Thanks Sara! I am loving all your pictures on Instagram!
Yikes, 17 hours?? That’s nutty. I like your “throw shit in a bag and see what happens” business. Sounds like something I’d do.
I lucked out Courtney and didn’t have to work the bar last night – whew!
I’ve had a lot of “throw stuff into a bag” lately.
Today’s lunch: raw veggies and goddess dressing, a can of sardines in tomato sauce (yes, the fridge is bare), an apple, cottage cheese, and mixed nuts.
As I was driving away this morning, my husband knocked on the car window and asked what his lunch plan was. I’d packed a lunch for the 2nd grader. I said “you need to forage for yourself, this is what I’m taking!” Honestly, he’s been going out on Fridays so I just didn’t think of him.
Who knows what’s for dinner. Kale chips, because yesterday was CSA pick up day. But what else? Hmmm…maybe quesadillas. I have tortillas, beans, and cheese.
I think you are creative with what you had – and sometimes I don’t mind picky meals like that at all. But um, you can keep the sardines. 😛
Make sure you stretch your shoulders a lot. If you used to do more lifting and stopped, you need to be careful not to get a frozen shoulder.
Hope your day flies by quickly and you can get home and relax!
Huh, thanks Lori – I am going to find one of my Classical stretches online and see if that helps – thanks for the tip!
The pool comment was like one of your stepson’s snap chats 🙂 It was ha ha look… not only an empty gym but a private pool too 🙂 Thanks for the smile this morning. Sounds like you have a super busy day ahead of you. I love it when you find a good simple marinara sauce. I could probably just spoon eat a really good sauce. Your lunch looks really awesome. So what is it going to cost me to fly you here once a month and make me a month’s worth of meals????
I knew you would get a kick out of that Kym! I should take a picture of the indoor tennis courts – those are always filled to the gill, I just luck out because I don’t play tennis!
I wish we lived closer – I’d come over and do a Cooking Meal Plan 101 with you!