The Spice of Life

The Spice of Life – me trying to take a picture of myself in the mirror and not winning! And, yes, I have flowers and lady bugs on my face – a story for another day!

Day 123

Sometimes, my food journal doesn’t vary much.  They say “variety is the spice of life” and I try to vary my meals over time, but sometimes, I’ll cook a roast in the crockpot or I’ll make a big pot of soup.  And, since there are only two of us, we tend to eat the same thing (roast or soup) over-and-over until its gone!  But, instead of eating that pot roast over two days (old habits), we now eat it over 3 days (new habits) and the same with any other recipes I make en masse.  The truth of the matter is that we don’t eat something entirely different every single meal over a 30 day period of time.  Probably most people don’t because, heavens to Betsy, who has that much time to plan, purchase and prepare that much food?

Sometimes I make big pots or bowls of stuff for a couple of reasons:

1. More often than should happen, we’ll get a call that an elder family member is in crisis.  So, we drop what we are doing and head out the door.  By the time we return from managing the situation or providing moral support, it’s late and we are hungry.  Having big pots of stuff in the frig or freezer is a godsend.
2. Cooking for 2 (or 1) is hard for me.  I grew up in a family of six and learned to cook for a family of six, so making small meals isn’t in my DNA!  So, rather than trying to change my DNA after 58 years (and knowing that isn’t going to happen!), I’ll still sometimes cook for four or six but, instead of eating everything in one sitting, we are minding our portions (see earlier post:  Minding Your P’s and Q’s).  So, when I make something like my Garden Vegetable Tuna Casserole, I make it for 8 people and we portion it out and eat the appropriate amount over 4 days.  The good news is I don’t have to make dinner for 4 nights, just for one.  But, the bad news is we eat it for 4 days in a row!
3. The same goes for my Summer Berry Chicken Salad.  When strawberries are in season, I buy them in big quantities – 3 pounds at a time, because I don’t like to shop.  But, the bad news is that they have a limited shelf life, so we end up eating Summer Berry Chicken Salad for lunch or dinner for several days in a row, plus snack on them or add them to a smoothie.
4. And, I’m not good at pre-planning meals a week ahead of time.  I’ve tried this many times over the years and it just doesn’t work for me.  Life interferes and I don’t end up making what was on the menu.  What works for me is to look in my refrigerator, freezer and pantry and plan every morning while I’m eating my breakfast.  I keep my refrigerator, freezer and pantry stocked with items we use on a regular basis and work out meals from there.
5. I like leftovers!  Is there shame in admitting that?  Not only are leftovers easy to prepare (duh – they’re already done!), but I work on making up creative ways to use them so that we don’t always feel like we are eating the same thing over-and-over.  Check out my post called 3 Amazingly Simple and Delicious Ideas for using leftover Mexican Corn Salad.  I know, I know – a ridiculously long post title for a really easy recipe!

This month I’m pleased and proud to report that I lost an additional 8 pounds, bringing my total loss to 29 pounds.  I now weigh 234.  I’m patting myself on the back right now!

Oh, and here are some diet-friendly recipes I created this month (some with the help of friends):

• Ensalada de Nopales
• Mini Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
• Rosa’s Pork Posole

I posted other recipes (Rosa’s Caramel Flan and Gail’s Potato Chip Cookies), too, but they aren’t diet-friendly {grin}.

Tip of the Month:

Have a “backup plan” for days when life goes array.  Leftovers do have a place at the family kitchen table.  Keep your pantry and refrigerator stocked with essentials enabling you to throw together a quick, healthy meal instead of resorting to fast food, take-out or delivery.

What are ways that you include variety in your diet?  Is “variety the spice of life” in your meal planning?  I’d love to hear any suggestions you have adding variety without overloading on leftovers!

Tootles,

Related Posts:

(other posts about the Incredible Shrinking Woman)

• Cankles and Zits
• Confessions of the Incredible Shrinking Woman
• Hot Stuff
• Minding Your P’s and Q’s (Portions and Quality)
• Sports, Gaming, Technology and a Can of Tuna

(other healthy recipe posts – the list grows and grows and grows!)

• 3 Amazing Simple and Delicious Ideas for using leftover Mexican Corn Salad
• Black Fig Parfaits
• Caprese Salad Roll-ups
• Charlie’s Lite Layered Mexican Casserole
• Chicken and Arugula Open-faced Sandwiches
• Coffee Banana Protein Smoothie
• Crunchy Tuna Salad
• Dorothy’s Stuffed Mushrooms
• Easy Peasy Caprese Salad
• Garden Vegetable Tuna Casserole
• Green Smoothie {Sponsored Post}
• Grilled Balsamic Chicken Breast Tenders
• Grilled Balsamic Chicken Salad
• Grilled Black Fig and Burrata Salad
• Grilled London Broil with Easy Red Wine Marinade for Beef
• Kale Chips with Roasted Garlic and Sea Salt
• Lite Cheesy Jalapeno Popper Dip
• Mexican Corn Salad
• Oriental Chicken Salad
• Poached Chicken Breast Tenders
• Roasted Potato Wedges
• Shrimp Soft Tacos
• Steel Cut Oats with Peanut Butter and Bananas
• Strawberry Protein Smoothie
• Summer Berry Chicken Salad
• Tri-Colored Roasted Potato Salad
• Turkey and Avocado Salad with Craisins
• Weetabix with Yogurt and Berries
• Zucchini Moons with Parmesan and Pine Nuts