back in action.

Yes, I realize I was out of commission for less than 48 hours.  Whatever, I'M BACK, and I'm sure you are excited about it.  So, the first thing I did when I got home from work today was COOK!

First, since I wasn't starving, I threw together lunch for tomorrow:

Hello, Asian Pork Salad.  Looking at the recipe,  I was really excited to make this... but after having a small taste, I'm not sure sure.   The dressing is so, so spicy!  It has "Chili puree with garlic" - which I had to use last week and couldn't find at Kroeger... so I just substitute chili puree and chopped up garlic.  This week I went to Harris Teeter and found a bottle of this:

Which may or may not be what Betty & Co. meant.  A google search for chili puree with garlic comes up with a bottle of that and similar things, so I think it's what I'm supposed to use.  And it's SPICY.  This is coming from a girl who likes spicy food.  Anyway, I'll let you know tomorrow how it actually tastes.

After whipping together my Friday lunch salad, I moved onto dinner: Chicken with Carrots and Mushrooms.  This is a very basic recipe, which is nice, although I was skeptical: do carrots and mushrooms really go together?  The answer: they go together just fine - although I wouldn't say they are my favorite combination.  This recipe was a solid meal.  My favorite part was the sauce, which tasted like a nice, light gravy.  The chicken was also good, although as per usual I could have cooked the chicken for less time and it might have been even better.  One day, I will learn to cook a chicken breast in a pan without letting it get dry.

Other than that, I'm feeling good about my run this morning, and the plan is to do some strength training with NMTZ tomorrow.  Then we have a long run on Saturday.  Tonight's plan: white wine and chocolate with a friend!  Nothing beats a glass of cold white wine on a hot summer day.  What are your favorite summertime beverages?

a mediocre meal day

While I didn't wake up particularly early today, I did get some strength training in!  I did the last 3 circuits of Jillian Michaels No More Trouble Zones, which are mostly core-focused.  I knew I didn't have it in me to do the whole DVD today (it's so hard!), so I just chose a few circuits and then did some extra leg exercises after.  Tomorrow, M and I are going for a long run - we have a 5 mile route plan and will do intervals, should take us about an hour.  I'm hoping it won't be too hot or humid and that we'll be able to make it through without me collapsing, haha.

Today for lunch, I made Rigatoni with Artichokes.  This recipe was pretty decent, and I haven't had artichokes in a long time so I was excited to eat them!  The recipe has you sprinkle bread crumbs and parsley on the top, which I thought was kind of strange, but it actually made it tasty.  Oh, and I used penne instead of rigatoni, but who has the money to buy 27 different types of pasta just so I make everything by the book?

Then, for dinner I had Vegetable Kung Pao.  I was surprised how the sauce for this is made - it's basically just water, sugar, and cornstarch.  I guess I'm not well-versed on my Chinese cuisine, but I think of Kung Pao as having a brown sauce, with soy sauce or teriyaki or something similar.  The main 'flavor' ingredient here was the chili puree with garlic.  Unfortunately, I could not find chili puree with garlic ANYWHERE.  So I ended up getting diced chilis from the Mexican food section and adding garlic.  So, of course I have no idea... if I had found the right thing maybe it would have tasted completely different?  Anyway, the dish was surprisingly sweet - possibly because I don't have real sugar and used Splenda.  Other than that, it was ... decent?  I won't lie, after I ate half of it, I put some soy sauce on it to make it more flavorful.

Otherwise it was okay.  I didn't miss having meat in there as much as a I thought... but I also just finished eating about 4 minutes ago, so it's too soon to tell if my tummy missed it!  The recipe does have peanuts, so you get protein, but I think I would have liked it better with some chicken.  That's alright though, only one more day of Pescatarian week!  I can't believe how quickly it went by, and how I didn't really miss meat all that much.  I don't know if If could handle no meat or fish, though!

So, after two medicore meals today and and a few others that were just "fine" this week, I need to find some "WOW!" meals to make this week.  Stay tuned!