Meal Planning 4/11-4/17

Every week I sit down with a pad of paper and plan out our meals for the next week. I do this for a few reasons but the biggest being I don't like going to the grocery store mid week. I'm not sure why but after work, I want to go home. I don't want to make any stops. So for the most part, unless it's an emergency (like running out of coffee) I won't go to the store mid week and we'll just make due with what we have. This is why it's important to make a pretty detailed list before we go shopping. Sometimes I may stray a little if I see a good deal and want to stock up on something but for the most part I stick with my list.




















The first thing I think of before we go shopping is what do I already have on hand. I don't like wasting food or accumulating too much in our cabinets. Our new house has a lot less storage than our Colorado house so space is at a premium. Also, Costco (where we buy most of our meat) is further away than we are used to so we won't be going there weekly but instead every 3 weeks or maybe monthly.

Yes, it's that empty by the end of the week

The second thing I think of is what do we have going on that week. Do either Brian or I have a work event? Are we going out to eat? Do we want to make anything extra for the freezer? Right now I am trying to bulk up our freezer with meals, sides, different breads and breakfast items to make my going back to work transition a little easier. Even though I have always worked since having Jacob, between changing jobs and moving I will have been home for almost 2 months when I start my new job. Plus my hours are different so I will be getting home later than we're used to. For the next few weeks I have a goal of making 5 extra freezer meals and some sides/bread each week.

The third thing I think of is the weather. Wait, what? How does the weather impact cooking? The big question here, can we grill? I love grilling so if the weather is going to be nice you bet our grill is going to be on. Pittsburgh weather has a lot of afternoon/evening showers right now so grilling is a little iffy.

Trying to think of what to eat week after week can get a little daunting. Sometimes I get in a rut and we seem to eat the same things week after week. I like to have some favorites in the rotation but I also like to try a few new things ever week too. When I make my list I look at my stash of Cooking Light magazines and the Foodgawker app.

So, what are we eating this week?

Saturday: Slow cooker Tuscan white bean soup (Cooking Light, March 2015)

Sunday: Grilled whole chicken, potatoes and a vegetable

Monday: Chili Mac (Cooking Light, March 2014) I plan on doubling this recipe to have a few freezer meals

Tuesday: Beef tacos, slaw and a vegetable (Cooking Light, March 2015)

Wednesday: Roast pork tenderloin, thyme biscuits and a vegetable (Cooking Light, April 2015)

Thursday: Mini Greek style meatloaves, quinoa and a vegetable (Cooking Light, May 2013)

Friday: Out to eat

Freezer Extras:
Light Wheat Tortillas x 3
English Muffins
Crockpot Lime Pork
Tuscan Bean Soup

Grocery List:
2lb wheat pasta                  2lb mushrooms                 4 bell peppers                 freezer pans
veg x 4                               tomato sauce                     wheat flour                     cabbage
cilantro                              carrots                                baby spinach                  oranges
2lb sausage                        pork tenderloin                  bread flour                      mint
yogurt                                feta                                     lemons                            fruit
milk                                   2.5lb pork butt x 2             4 limes                            honey
eggs

Did you ever think blueberry pancakes could be so messy?

Do you meal plan?

Chicago Marathon Recap

Back in October I traveled to Chicago with Jacob to run the Chicago marathon. Brian was supposed to come with us but had to work at the last minute so instead I had my first solo flight with a 9 month old baby.

After a very delayed flight, we finally got to Chicago around 12:30 in the morning. With an over exhausted baby in tow, we took a cab from the airport to our hotel to check in. Unfortunately, the crib I requested was not in the room so we had a wait a while longer before we could get to bed. Jacob was really great on the flight even though it took much longer than expected.

In the morning, we met my sister and her husband Jeff who had also traveled to run. We met up with their friend Susanna and hit up the expo.

It was crazy. This year, when we do Chicago (Brian wants to actually run it) I am going to go to the Expo on Friday instead of Saturday. There were just too many people. Everywhere. People. People. People. And to top it all off, the vendors were sold out of anything marathon related. No jackets, shirts, anything that said Chicago Marathon. I'm not usually a huge Expo person but this one was really overwhelming. After eating lunch in the food court it took us another 30 or so minutes to get out of the building. Seriously, it was so confusing. Once we were finally back at the hotel it was time for a much needed nap before dinner.

For dinner we went to a great Italian restaurant that wasn't too far from where we were staying. Then it was early to bed for the big day.

My sister had an Auntie-Jacob day while I was running. She was a little nervous because it had been a while since she had taken care of a baby for that long but they had fun in the end.

In the hotel lobby before walking to the start

Unlike other marathons I've done, Chicago starts much later so you can actually sleep until a reasonable time in the morning. Jeff was in an earlier start than Susanna and I so we said our goodbyes then took off to our separate starts.

Waiting for the gun to go off

Even though there were a ton of people on the course it never felt too crowded. I was always able to get to a port-a potty in a reasonable amount of time and there was never a wait at any of the water stations. When I run I don't tend to take in a lot of the scenes so I don't honestly remember that much about the course except that it was nice and flat. There were barely any hills, which was a nice surprise after training in Colorado. There were also some solid food options at the water stops like bananas and pretzels that I really liked. The biggest bummer for me about the race was that my Garmin watch was not keeping my pace properly. I'm not sure if it's because it's getting old or due to the tall building or lots of people but my miles were way off making my pace not reliable. Oh well. After having a less than stellar train up for this race then having to travel by myself I was just really proud to be out running 9 months after having a baby.

Spotted by my Sister!

Time to run again

Finishers!

After the race we went back to Jeff's Aunt's house for Mexican food. It was the perfect ending to a great day.

Jacob ate all the food.

So shiny

Although I didn't PR on this race I was really happy with how I did. I finished in 4:42:47.

Overall, I would highly recommend this marathon. The course was flat and the support (both nutrition and crowd) was amazing. I can't wait to go back this year.

 Then all I had to do was fly back to Colorado with a lap monkey....

I'm back....

So over the past yearish life has gotten crazy and I got lazy and stopped blogging. In the middle of April we found out I was pregnant (yay!).

Then I stopped cooking anything fun or imaginative and we ate out too often. By the time I was finally feeling creative again we were in the middle of moving from our apartment into a bigger house to make room for our new addition.

Then I was pregnant for what seemed like forever until our tiny baby finally made his appearance right after the new year.

We've spent the last year and a half enjoying our baby and learning how to be a family of three (four if you count Latte the cat) and there wasn't much extra time left over at the end of the day.

Now we are living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and I have a new job that will hopefully leave me with much more time at the end of the day as well as energy.

I've still been cooking up a storm and have a lot of new ideas for this blog. So hopefully, if any readers are still out there and are looking for fun, healthy, local recipes to create in the kitchen please stay tuned!

Ironman Dreams

When I was running my first marathon in St. Louis I passed a guy with an Ironman tattoo.

The guy on the left had the tattoo

Every since then I've always wondered, could I do an Ironman one day? Yesterday, Brian and I got one step closer by purchasing road bikes.

Adding triathlons to our life seems like a natural transition (I was even a competitive swimmer in the past). We've been talking about bikes for so long that we just decided to do it. After a few weeks of research, and swallowing the price tags (biking is way more expensive than running!), we came home yesterday with two shiny bikes.

I ended up with the Specialized Ruby after riding a few bikes. I really did not think I would feel a difference while riding and was going to make my decision on price, but man was I wrong. Some bikes were just uncomfortable. Others felt to short lengthwise. This one was just right. Think Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

When we got home we of course had to go out on a ride. Although the ride was short (I was tired from multiple test drives and my 8 mile run yesterday) it felt good and I can't wait to get more comfortable and really learn how to road bike.

Unfortunately, it is going to snow tomorrow and Wednesday so our riding dreams will need to be postponed until there is nicer weather. Thanks Colorado for never ending winter.

Does anyone have any Ironman advice? I am really considering this for a goal in the next few years.

In other news, my brother in law Jeff is running the Boston Marathon today! Go Jeff Go!! I wish I was there to run with him but hey, maybe next year right?

Alright I need to start getting ready for work, so I'll leave you will a weekly meal plan.

Sunday
Melon Mojito Fish Tacos with grilled corn

Monday
Raspberry chipotle Pork with salad

Tuesday
Leftovers

Wednesday
Mexican casserole with Broccoli

Thursday
Leftovers

Friday
Date Night