A Slight Chill in the Air May 6, 2012
Posted by cirellih in Dinner, Family, Food.Tags: Hamburgers, Hotdogs, Macaroni Salad, Picnic
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Today we celebrated my father-in-law’s birthday and Mother’s Day a little early. Lots of fun was had by all when we gathered at a park for a picnic. Chris and I orchestrated the soiree and brought hamburgers, hotdogs, and my macaroni salad.
I will admit that it was slightly colder out that was anticipated. Boulder has been 80* for the past few days. Today however, it dipped down to 60, stayed cloudy, and had a hint of rain in the air.
(not a picture from our picnic today, as it did rain and I forgot to bring my camera)
We did have lots of fun, my nephews liked the playground and got to practice playing catch, Oliver enjoyed being outdoors for the afternoon, and I liked spending time with the family. Good times, and good eats.
On a separate note, Happy 9 month birthday, Oliver!!!
What a cutie!
On a Roll May 5, 2012
Posted by cirellih in Dessert, Dinner, Food, Goals, Motivation, Weight Watchers.Tags: Corn on the Cob, Grilling, Quinoa, Salmon, Success
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More good news at my weight-in today!!! I have officially lost removed 45.6 pounds since joining Weight Watchers. As my leaders says, lost implies that I can find it again, and I certainly don’t want that!
As a reward, I bought salmon from Whole Foods for dinner tonight. I realize that rewarding myself with food isn’t what I am supposed to do… but as my reward is a healthy meal, I decided it would be alright. Just this once.
For my ‘congratulations to myself’ dinner, I decided to grill salmon and corn on the cob with a side of quinoa salad. For a very special treat, a strawberry daiquiri to complete the meal.
This was my first attempt at grilling… and it came out quite well, if I do say so myself! For the salmon, I just put a touch of butter, salt, and pepper. Simple is sometimes the best. The corn was a little more difficult. Mostly because I didn’t realize that it took 20 minutes of presoaking in water. Still turned out to be very tasty, though! The daiquiri was a particularly delicious addition to the evening. I didn’t quite have enough strawberries, so added in some frozen mixed berries. Absolutely delicious celebratory meal!
A Little Hot, A Little Cold May 4, 2012
Posted by cirellih in Food, Health, Lunch.Tags: baby greens, Carrots, Couscous, Peppers, Salad, TGIF, Tomatoes
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I really appreciate my neighborhood. I love that it’s residential with lots of trees, parks and trails nearby. I enjoy the fact that we have a library and shopping center across the street. And I particularly like that the shopping center includes a grocery store.
One of the greatest purchases that I can make in said grocery store is in the produce section. There is a bulk bin of salad greens and baby spinach. I love that I can purchase the perfect amount of flavorful greens for a salad. I don’t always manage to eat a whole head of lettuce before it goes bad, so this is the perfect solution for me.
Recently, I have been on a couscous kick. In salads, I find it particularly delicious to have warm couscous on a bed of cool baby greens. Add in some carrots, peppers, and tomatoes… you’ve got yourself a fantastic salad!
Doesn’t this just scream summer? So refreshing and comforting at the same time. The couscous is garlic and olive oil flavored, so I sprinkled a small amount of olive oil, salt, and pepper over the lettuce for a cohesive flavor.
Happy Friday, everyone!
Summer Time, Summer Time May 3, 2012
Posted by cirellih in Dessert, Dinner, Family, Food.Tags: Bell Pepper, Grilling, Hamburger, Justin's Chocolate Hazlenut Butter, Quinoa Salad, Strawberries, Summer, Terra Blues
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Nothing says summer like 80* days and grilling. Now, I might not be a huge fan of the heat, but I am certainly a fan of the fire.
Chris decided that tonight would be the perfect night to fire up the grill and make some of the ‘Omaha Steak’ burgers that my grandmother gave us for Christmas. They were perfectly cooked and positively delicious!
To go with the burger, Chris popped an orange bell pepper on the grill. I just love the grill marks! I brought home some Terra Blues as a treat… Chris loves them because they are the official snack of JetBlue! I also made a quinoa salad, which is absolutely delicious!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 sweet onion
- 1 2/3 cup low sodium vegetable broth or water
- 1 tsp salt (if you want)
- 1 cup tomatoes
- 1 1/4 cup corn
- 2 scallions
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 avocado
Directions:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add quinoa to onions and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes. Add vegetable broth/water and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil. Cover pan tightly with lid, turn heat down to low and simmer for 17-20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked. Transfer cooked quinoa to mixing bowl and chill in refrigerator.
- When quinoa is cool, add remaining tablespoon olive oil, tomatoes, corn, scallions, cilantro, remaining 1/2 tsp salt, and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Right before serving, scatter avocado chunks over top.
- Enjoy!
The salad is so delicious and cool. The lime juice gives it a nice freshness. I can definitely see having this in the middle of summer. Absolutely fantastic.
For dessert, I had strawberries dipper in Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter… heavenly!!!
Talk about a summertime treat!
Healthy Heath 