Check out my progress on A Change of Plans
Dear Bloggies,
I write to you from my family’s lake house, where I have spent the past weekend engaging in ultimate relaxation. Thanks to the unpleasant weather (i.e., RAIN ALL DAY), most of my holiday consisted of reading and chatting–not quite the weekend of water sports I had envisioned. Nonetheless, I had a great couple of days: I got the chance to check out a new little natural/gourmet market, watch some movies, and conquer a few wicked hills during my run. How did you spend your weekend?
Here at the lake, I do not have quite the extensive pantry selection that I have back home, so I had to be a little more “creative” in my cooking over the past few days…
Friday
Evening nibbles:
cottage cheese with pumpkin & Puffins
strawberry-mango smoothie with soymilk, berry hemp, & Kashi Vive
Saturday
In efforts to build up my twiggy arms, I am emphasizing protein these days (in combination with a new strength routine). Hence, the chickpea burrito for breakfast. Chickpeas are good any time of day, right? Also note the first cherries of the season! They were pricey, but oh-so-delicious.
chickpea-spinach burrito with guac & salsa; cherries
After checking out the natural food market (where I did NOT buy anything–shocking, I know), we ran some errands and hit up Ruby Tuesday for lunch. My family makes fun of my enthusiasm for this restaurant–it’s about the only chain restaurant that serves Broccoli-Hut friendly fare. Honestly, I would go to RT solely for the beets & edamame on the salad bar. Their veggie burger is also pretty tasty (I order it without cheese or mayo). FYI: I think they changed the recipe–it definitely used to be a “firm,” soy-based patty, and now it is a looser, black bean-rice concoction. Anyway, I think I definitely got my fiber in this meal!
the starter salad: spinach, beets, zucchini, broccoli, shrooms, & balsamic vinegar
the entree: 1/2 veggie burger & more salad
My family had the traditional grill out session for dinner. I didn’t really have the ingredients to make anything breath-taking (I can’t even buy tofu down here!), so I settled for a bowl of Amy‘s Split Pea Soup. Still totally delish.
the table's all set...
Dad and Chester grillin' it up
Paula Deen's "Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding:" Lea did most of the work, while I took care of the OCD duties (i.e., arranging cookies & banana slices)
While watching Mall Cop, I got hungry for a snack…
cottage cheese with GoLean & PB
Then I had a smoothie too!
pineapple smoothie with soymilk, soy protein, cinnamon granola & coconut
Sunday
I just happened to bring along some Sunbutter for my trip–what? You mean it’s not normal to pack nut butter in your suitcase?
"S" Oats: oatmeal, soymilk, strawberries, & Sunbutter
Using up some leftovers, along with a little color…
sweet potato with leftover split pea soup; zucchini & red bell pepper; apple & PB
It took me forever to decide what to make for dinner–my family was having steak, so I was on my own. I ended up with a spontaneous Italian Sloppy Joe dish–tasty!
Italian Sloppy Joes; salad; plain yogurt with banana, cashews, & sunflower seeds
Italian Sloppy Joes: TVP, pasta sauce, spinach, & garlic atop whole grain toast
I am off to enjoy some more of my weekend. Gus and I bid you farewell!
my nephew Gus
Filed under: Meals
Caroline Yoder, dietitian-to-be and all-around foodie.
Ohh…Gus is adorable. I literally laughed out loud at his cute little face.
Glad you’re enjoying the weekend…looks like fun!
I’m loving the cottage cheese abundance! Chickpeas for breakfast?! Genius!!
I didn’t realize that Ruby Tuesdays would do half of a veggie burger! Good to know! Gus is a cutie pie!!
Looks like a fun weekend! Sorry about the rain… bummer.
aww Gus is so adorable! Your eats look like so much fun.. have a great day!
Your eats look delicious! Sorry to hear about the nasty weather and the plan changes, but I’m glad you still had a great time! Oh, and I totally pack nut butters in my suitcase too whenever I go on trips. So that’s perfectly normal to me
That picture of Gus is adorable! What a cutie!
Cherries and corn on the cob=summer food!!! YAY!
I love the idea of the soup over the sweet potato!
Cute nephew…;)
Everything looks so delicious – in particular, I am drooling over those cherries.
mmmm that cottage cheese mixture looks fantastic! Just found your blog and I absolutely love it! Great ideas! Ill def become a regular! Love the little pup! I have a black pug named pugsley!
My family makes fun of my love of Ruby Tuesday’s too!! I just love the salad bar.
Your lakehouse looks gorgeous!! I spent the weekend moving and hanging out with my friends
That pineapple smoothie looks sooo dreamy and creamy! haha!
I love how creative you got when being away from home! i’m LOVING that burrito and RT’s meal too!!
Glad you had a nice, relaxing weekend with the fam!
I love Amy’s split pea soup! And I never knew that Ruby Tuesday’s had anything good to eat, I’ve been avoiding that place forever, I may have to give it another shot.
Glad you’ve enjoyed the weekend…Gus is so cute!
Bummer about rainy weather. BOOO. It still sounds like your weekend was more fun than mine, though. I’ve been house-sitting while my entire family is packing up our old house in another state. I hate packing but I am bored here as well!
I will have to check out the Ruby Tuesday salad bar! Gotta love beets and edamame – yum yum yum!