Weekend Prep Returns

Even though I’ve been quiet about my weekend food prep it’s still been going on.

For you new faces around here, I recommend that you check out the archives:

Take the Time: Meal Prep and Weekend Food Prep will give you an idea of what usually goes on in my home on the weekends.

Lately however, food prep begins with a sweet and gentle, “Dan, can you please please please grill some chicken and salmon burgers? I bought lettuce yesterday.”

From there, he jumps out of his seat if there’s no sports on TV and heats up our extra convenient grill. He’s finished in under 45 minutes, has protein ready for the week and all I have to do is chop the lettuce, squirt the sriracha and make sure the avocados are ripe enough for bliss at work the next day.

Okay, so I know that arrangement sounds unfair and I’m working on it, but this weekend since he wasn’t home I had to take meal prep back to my top standards and make a mini-production out of it. It was especially fun this weekend because I didn’t even have to go grocery shopping!

1. Egg ‘pancakes’:

Nothing involving pancakes goes into cooking up these eggs, just the shape the finished product ends up being after a quick 90 seconds in the pan. At work I can pop these into the microwave, add spices or 1/2 of an avocado and voila – protein made easy.

2. Tempeh, Lentils, Avocado, Sriracha Salad

Here’s where I get to use the other half of the morning avocado and also get to watch all my co-workers turn their heads to see what the amazing smell is that’s coming from my area.

Tempeh is a protein powerhouse so it’s no wonder that I love to include it in my meals wherever I can. What you see below is 4 servings worth of the good stuff, and I can pre-portion it into my convenient tupperware for the whole week – each day’s ration alongside 1/2 cup of wonderful Trader Joe’s Lentils.

I pop the lentil / tempeh / sriracha mix into the microwave for 35 seconds and have a clean and filling meal ready to be instagrammed and devoured.

3. Sweet Potato + Quinoa Stir Fry

This one’s for dinner every night this week.

Sweet potato, Quinoa, Jalapeno peppers, black beans, grilled chicken and a dash of love make this the perfect ‘comfort meal’ after the long days of work I’ve been experiencing. 

The recipe is here and you’ll find the peeled thin potato slices to be the perfect texture and just the right size for cooking without extra time or effort.

Have you ever done your food prep on the weekends? What are your favorite easy fixes for a whole week of quality meals?

Week 18: Cohabitation

I’m so happy that Dan and I headed to the coast last weekend because we really haven’t seen much of each other this week. We’ve both been so busy that when we do see each other it’s dinner time, it’s get-ready time or it’s ‘dont-bother-me-i’m-blogging-time’. Rough life

Before we get started with the week – check out the Bad Lip Reading for The AMC’s The Walking Dead

…Dan says that’s me at 2:45

Back at it –

House chores have fallen by the wayside and just yesterday we sorted week old mail into three important piles. The yours, mine, and ‘how do we stop getting this…’ piles are still sitting on the dining room table, but at least they’ve been sorted. Third time was a charm on loading / running the dishwasher as well. Soap was in, racks were loaded, but somehow there was no urgency in actually running the thing. Lastly, you know it’s bad when you decide to just buy more athletic wear to stretch out the frequency of laundry loads rather than just find the time. Love the new sports bras though!

Enough about what we’re doing wrong! How about what we’ve done right this week! Food related, obvi

1. Avocado + Sriracha Toast at the Coast

2. Costco trip turned into a belated Happy Birthday cake

3. Cinco de Mayo guacamole prep – yum! 

4. Post dinner-date with Brad and Brooke led us to ice cream

Dan wanted to make sure that I shared some of the cuteness from this weekend. Bella is an excellent snuggle-bug and my handsome Daniel was happy to take a nap on a hot day. Daniel is a favorite among the two golden sisters, they find it hard to leave his side when he’s around.

Can you even believe that he and I have lived together for 18 weeks? I can’t – it feels like much longer than that and I am so thrilled to call this house a home.

Enjoy your weekend and hug/call/cherish your mother!

Grill Time

A heat wave has hit Portland this past week and is honestly the warmest streak I can remember ever coming through our city this early in the Spring.

With arrival of the beautiful weather also comes a constant need for sunglasses, increased time spent outside in the evenings and naturally the inclination to invite some friends over and fire up your grill.

I am very fortunate to have grill-master Dan by my side who loves to put grill lines on anything and everything – but sometimes we can fall into a rut of doing the same thing over and over – like grilled chicken, burgers, veggies in tin-foil, etc.

This summer we are planning to step up our grill game and I wanted to share some recipes from Pinterest and other blogs that I’m dying to try out.

My hope is that you can find something you’d like to try too – and maybe share some of your own or your favorite recipes with me!

1. Pineapple Mango Tropical Chicken Skewers

2. Grilled Focaccia Bread

3. Jerk Chicken & Grilled Pineapple Salsa

4. Grilled Zucchini

Sorry, I know – I’m drooling too.

Happy grilling!

Throwback Thursday: ¡Olé!

We made it to Thursday – ¡Olé!

Today has me thinking about how close we are to a holiday that is very near and dear to my heart: Cinco de Mayo

What’s not to love about celebratory margaritas, chips, salsa, guacamole and other traditional cuisine not Taco Bell, Dan!.

I know that whenever I don’t want to put dinner on the table the first restaurants that come to mind serve chips by the basket, keep the salsa coming and have eclectic flare and mariachi bands. Seriously – my salsa to chip ratio is 2:1, I have plenty of tomato stains to prove it.

Lately around the house we’ve been mashing avocados, chopping onions and chilling that guac like we’ve never tasted something so decadent! I’m looking forward to maybe putting together my first shot at making Sangria this weekend. Who knows, maybe I’ll share!

Sorry for the shorty post – today is going to be one of the busier days of the whole month with quite a lot of pressure on the little girl below’s shoulders.

Today’s Throwback Thursday is brought to you by a little girl who has always been chasing the sun with a smile on her face, sombrero and all.

¡Olé!

Today in History – 4.24.2000

Hello everyone!

There’s so many things we could chat about, like the weather, the new clothes I’ve bought lately {on sale!}, my job, what motivates me, my man, etc.

It almost crept past me but something reminded me of a decision I made 13 years ago that has significantly improved my life and my health.

Today, April 24th, marks 13 years since I’ve drank soda.

I could harp and harp on why soda is bad for you, here and here for example – but instead I’ll talk about what pushed me to the decision and the many reasons I’ve stuck to it over the past 13 years.

I was in Seventh grade, 12 years old and incredibly focused on softball and the things that I could do to improve my game. As a team, we were working on the ‘mental game’ to strengthen our minds and work out our discipline, so we were encouraged to choose something to give up for a week. Instantly I knew what I wanted to give up, but would have to enlist some help from teammates and my very own family.

See, my brother had given up soda a year prior and had always boasted about it – and being the competitive little sister I decided to lead follow my own path. I also was not such a light consumer of the sugary beverage. We would go to fast food restaurants for convenience after practices + games and I would consistently order the biggest Dr. Pepper or Root Beer I could get my hands on. No fault of anyone’s, just the health concerns of high soda consumption weren’t public knowledge as they are today – so it was more about the bubbly bite I’d experience from an ice cold soda rather than the taste of it.

I recall the ‘last supper’ like it was yesterday. My dad and I left the practice in Beaverton and headed to the East side, but not before a pit stop at McDonald’s to order a #2 (Two cheeseburgers) No Cheese, Ketchup Only with a Dr. Pepper to drink. I remember slowly sipping out of the straw, calculating what I was putting into my body and ultimately feeling sick as a result. The cup sat overnight on my nightstand, half full and eventually poured down the kitchen sink.

Realizing that I didn’t want to finish my last one, I knew I had an easy road ahead to look forward to both with this commitment and many others that followed.

Weeks passed, months passed. I noticed myself feeling better, my teenage pores were clearing up kind of and I was full of healthy hydration {water} like I’d never been before. Soon it was six months later and there was no way I was going back – I’d come too far to ever put a drop to my lips again.

Since giving up soda I have:

• Saved a lot of $$
• Avoided a lot of extra and worthless calories
• Encouraged others to quit/limit their bad habits
• Found the will to give up French Fries (going on 12 years)
• Nodded my head to every health conscious reason to give up soda
• Much less fast food dining
• …Saved a lot of $$

I don’t nag or judge those who drink soda now, but I sure am happy that I don’t crave the stuff.

I know that I’m a happier person because of this commitment and the endless personal strength I gained in experiencing success will serve me well for a lifetime.

Like I said, happy:

Just try it for a week, see how much better you feel!

Feel Good Weekend

This weekend was full of good vibes for the house.

Dan and I spent a good portion of Saturday making our home clean and happy. It’s been a little while since we had a nice, deep clean – so we treated ourselves to a brand new Swiffer Wet Jet for the occasion.

Toilets were scrubbed, counters were scraped, three loads of laundry, two loads of dishes (mostly my tupperware) and even recycling/garbage duty.

More than just cleaning, we had some fun too!

As a result of cleaning, the pool table in the garage that has been covered with boxes since the move was unveiled, and we had a great time playing a few games with loud jams and competitive glances. The pool cue was an awesome gift from my brother for my birthday two years ago and I haven’t given her enough time and attention.

We’ve been killing it at the burger game lately. This beauty below was a result of the weekend prior’s food prep, fresh avocado & the perfect amount of sriracha topping. Dan is the grill master and anything I do never matches up. He’s happy that I’m so dependent.

Salmon Burgers

{Costco Salmon Burgers + Thin wheat buns + Mozzarella + Avocado + Sriracha}

Feeling even better, we had a special visit from mom, dad, Bailey and Bella for some landscaping work (more house help). Dan was out golfing in preparation for  his tournament next weekend, but when he came home he was greeted with kisses, wags and puppy dog eyes galore!

What else am I missing… oh yeah – I Ran! duh

Saturday Morning: 5 quick miles with Dan

Sunday Morning: 12 refreshing miles solo – nothing but good tunes and my thoughts.

Since I’ve been awful this month about my morning runs / Nike Training Club Goals, I’ve self prescribed myself a few more miles over and beyond my 100 as motivation to get out in this week’s forecast of sun and 70 degree weather.

How was your weekend?

Restaurant Review: Torta-Landia

Saturday night Dan and I were couch potatoes. We kept talking about what our ‘plans’ were for the rest of the evening and couldn’t come up with anything better than catching up on our DVR with shows dating back to March. No time for TV

I really didn’t want to spend the rest of my night just sitting, but I also only wanted to spend the evening with my guy. I saw an update on Facebook that my parents were headed out to date night and I was convinced that Dan and I needed to have one too!

The last time I was with miracle worker Maggie, she recommended a restaurant that was great for an upbeat vibe, delicious chips + guacamole and a feel good ‘hole in the wall’ spot off the beaten path. I told her we’d check it out and I wanted to do it before my next appointment at the end of the month.

Torta-Landia is located on SE 60th avenue just off of Foster Road and within 2 miles walking distance of our home. Since we were feeling like bums we weren’t going to drive so we bundled up, put on our walking shoes and headed out the door holding hands and soaking in sights of the neighborhood.

We arrived to the restaurant just past 8pm and found a packed house with live music and margaritas everywhere. We had to join in!

What We Drank

2 House Margaritas ($5.50 each)

We almost went with the Corona-rita (Margarita with an upside-down corona) but had already been drinking most of the day while watching the Masters. #Sorrynotsorry

What We Ate

House Made Chips + Side of Guacamole ($3 + $2 Guac)

Carnitas del Diablo Burrito ($8.50)

Slow roasted carnitas sauteed with habaneros & jalapeno peppers, borracho beans, green rice cilantro-lime crema, queso oaxaca, and habanero salsa.

This burrito was big enough that both of us felt satisfied with the food we’d eaten and our bodies were warm walking back in the cool 50 degree evening.

Know Before You Go:

• It really is off the beaten path, hidden behind a used tire lot on Foster Road
• Happy Hour is 3-5pm Tuesday-Friday and 9-close Daily
• They had live music the entire time we were there – it looked like it was set up for the same scene every night
• Even Dan thought the burrito was massive – check the menu before you go and split a dish or two
• Location: 4144 SE 60th Ave, Portland, OR
• Hours: Closed Mondays, open Tuesday-Sunday starting at 11am.

Enjoy!

30 Miles + Many Smiles

Another weekend come and gone, and everything about it was time well spent!

Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping and my mister was home all weekend – not working, not playing golf and not sleeping in. Bliss.

{Credit to my neighbors, beautiful flowers!}

More Running for Days

If you remember that last weekend I ran 20 miles you’d call me crazy for the goal I set for myself this weekend.

20 miles in two days was a worthy challenge, so I decided to shoot for 30 from Friday – Sunday to put myself where I need to be for the month.

• Friday 7:20 pm – 7 Miles
• Saturday 8:40 am – 11 Miles
• Sunday 9:20 am – 12 Miles

 Why would I set my goal at 30 miles in three days?

1. It reaffirms that I can do anything I set my mind to.

2. I’ve been worthless at getting mileage during the week and I see that trend continuing through the end of May.

3. Why not?

Eats

After my Saturday morning run, this is what I had waiting for me on the counter, piping hot:

{Eggs + Avocados + Jalapenos + Mozzarella}

{Poor Man’s Mimosa: Light or Wheat beer topped off with Orange Juice}

Dan is becoming quite the contributor to the magic made in the kitchen and I couldn’t be happier. The rumors are that he’s been known to live off of Mac n’ Hot Dogs – which proves that he’s had to really step up his game to keep the woman in his life happy. Thanks, dear!

Special Visitor

We had a special visit from Tanna (Happy Birthday week!) and Olive on Saturday and they were happy to meet Dan for the first time. It wasn’t the usual girl-chatty catch up sessions Tanna and I are used to, but we are looking forward to some warmer weather where we can get take walks in the park and take adorable photos of miss Olive feeding ducks at the pond.

Onto the Next

Sorry, Tiger Woods – you didn’t reclaim the green jacket but I hear you’ve still got years and years ahead of you before you retire. Next time. We’re still happy to have a son named after you.

Is it weird that I was excited to get to my desk this morning? I have a suspicious feeling that this is going to be another quality week for myself and my team.

Sweet Potato + Quinoa Stir Fry

Today I’m sharing a new favorite recipe with you – by request of some facebook followers!

Sunday was a marathon of food prep and I was so thankful to have Dan by my side chopping, stirring, opening, grilling and sampling storing the foods we were making. This was a new one on our list and was born out of some inspiration from the internet over the past month: Brooke / Pinterest. It was also put together due to the fact that we had some vegetables that needed to be used or thrown out and I was having a productive weekend with more energy in store to prep.  

Feast your eyes on the mix that had me wishing for more and waiting in anticipation for today’s identical lunch.

Sweet Potato + Quinoa Stir Fry

3 cups quinoa {cooked}

2 cans black beans {drained}

5 sweet potatoes {peeled + chopped}

2 jalapenos

1/2 white onion

2 tbsp olive oil

pepper to sprinkle

Preparation:

• Cook 1 cup of dry quinoa (1 cup seeds + 2 cups water) = 3 cups cooked
• Peel/chop sweet potatoes into bite sized pieces
• Dice onion + jalapenos into small pieces for flavor in every bite
• Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
• Place your chopped sweet potatoes into a baking pan with 2 tbsp olive oil drizzle, bake for 15 minutes
• After 15 minutes – Stir your potatoes and bake for 10 more minutes
• Open 2 cans of black beans, drain
• In a large bowl, mix all ingredients {jalapenos + onion + beans + quinoa + finished sweet potatoes} and sprinkle with pepper
• Sample it, add protein to it, put it in a large container and have this for days!

Co-workers were sniffing and oogling over what I was bringing back from the microwave – you’d have thought these were Laughing Planet leftovers!

What’s your favorite way to use sweet potatoes?

Running for Days

Happy Monday, you weekend warriors!

I seriously enjoyed this weekend not because it was lazy, but because I got things done. I was so productive and accomplished much of what was on my growing To Do list. I guess the hurry up and get work done week carried over into the weekend. I’m not even mad.

Let’s start with how things looked running-wise, since I spent nearly 4 hours at it –

• Saturday 8:45 am – 10 Miles
• Saturday 3pm – 5 Miles with Dan
• Sunday 12:30pm – 5 Miles

I know you’re thinking two-a-days on Saturday is a little overkill, but it was much needed after the prior 6 days of only logging three speed-work miles. My mind needs those long runs to hash out thoughts, ideas, rants and creativity. To make everything better, the weather was clear and sun even poked through the clouds! Sure I’m a little sore, but Dan is the best at working out the kinks and I’m looking forward to a full day of standing at my desk today.

The remainder of Saturday was delightful as I was able to read the 148 blogs that were lingering from the week, enjoy two extra entertainingly competitive NCAA men’s games, and spend the afternoon with a weary and overworked Dan.

For the evening he was invited to a Timber’s game, so I made the most of my evening as a bachelorette and enjoyed brews in bed.

I think I know which one I would have enjoyed more!

Sunday was just as wonderful with ultimately not waking up until noon. Agenda included a quick rain-on / rain-off run, Dan and I went to Costco to grab lunch samples our weekend food prep staples and knocked out some quality meal prep to be shared later this week. I was impressed by how quickly and easily Dan jumped in to help out and was thankful because it cut down on the normal time by half. Salmon burgers, chicken, quinoa, veggies, you name it – they’re all there and neatly tucked away in tupperware containers on the second shelf of the fridge.

Extra exciting was getting a visit from mom and dad last night with an invite to dinner at one of our favorites – Original Taco House!

This morning was rough getting ready for another early 6am work start especially since Dan was sleeping soundly with no plans of waking until 10am. At least he’s promised to have dinner ready and on the table for me every night this week!