But before we get to the star of the post…..
Snack
This afternoon I had mango (frozen and thawed), hemp milk and TJ’s high fiber cereal for a snack. I heated it all in the microwave – just like melted vanilla ice cream! I also nibbled on 4 Kashi crackers. Not photographed but mentioned for accountability!
After our errands, the husband and I went for a nice walk. We went walking EVERY night last summer – it’s a great way to spend time together and just talk rather than always being on computers, TV, reading, etc. I can’t wait for the warm weather!! (No, 60* is NOT warm yet!)
Dinner
The husband made me (and photographed!) a tiny Old Fashioned like my grandmother drinks! It’s bourbon with a splash of sweet vermouth. Too bad we didn’t have any cherries! I have never really enjoyed liquor drinks except for the occasional Cosmopolitan and Whiskey Sour, but I’ve really grown to love bourbon (in small amounts!)
We stole our dinner tonight from Robin Miller, my favorite Food Network chef. We watched her make this chicken last week and I knew I had to have it soon! Here’s a link to the recipe – we only made a few minor changes: Grilled Chicken with Brie and Baby Spinach Salad.
Our biggest change was the addition of apricot preserves to the chicken for a marinade and in the hot dressing istead of honey. Sweet!!! It was the perfect balance with the brie. The husband grilled the chicken on our gas grill while I pan-fried 2 pieces of turkey bacon and prepped the salads.
For the dressing we used garlic instead of shallot (ewww oniony flavor!). I heated 2 tsp of olive oil in a skillet and when it was hot, I added a mixture of 1 garlic clove, minced, 1 tbsp melted apricot preserves (15 seconds in the microwave) and 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar. Plus some S+P. The spinach didn’t wilt much, probably because we didn’t make a huge amount of dressing, but since it was baby it was tender and fine to eat salad-style.
Just look at this delicious brie!!!
We chopped the chicken and layered on top of the salad –
I also had a tiny piece of ciabatta –
Yum!!
Other than the fact that my mouth is fuming from basically raw garlic, this was a perfect salad! (I can taste garlic – and onions if they slip into something – with every breath for HOURS after eating it – ewww!)
This dinner was 480 kcal, 5 grams fiber, and 53 grams protein. Wozers! 42 of those grams are from the chicken (6.5 oz breast) and 6 from 1 oz of brie. I think if we made it again I’d add some more veggies – perhaps some steamed green beans or sugar snap peas?
Evening Outing
We went to a favorite Italian restaurant’s wine bar for a glass. Yum “to the 10th power” as I always say (nerd alert!) This was a delicious blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Syrah but the name has slipped my mind.
I LOVE wine <3
See you tomorrow for a workout at my mother in law’s condo gym, brunch, relaxation, studying, tempeh, and more!
Annie says
That whole menu looks so good, I dont think I would ever be able to make up my mind if I was you! Have fun, dinner looks awsome.
VeggieGirl says
Oooh, the mango and hempmilk combination in your snack sounds HEAVENLY!! I love using both ingredients in my nightly smoothie (I prefer fresh mango though; but frozen works too!).
I like your idea of adding more sugar snap peas next time, to your dinner meal – yum!!
Oooh, I’m quite anxious for the tempeh tomorrow!! :0D
Have a lovely Saturday evening!
Tina says
That salad looks awesome! I love brie!
Sara M says
Kath, I see how much you like grapefruits (we all do)! That’s why I thought you might find this article, which I just came across, interesting/disturbing:
“Eating grapefruit can increase breast cancer risk by a third”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=468559&in_page_id=1774&ICO=HEALTH&ICL=TOPART
Yikes! (Not that we’ll stop.) Nutrition is so dynamic.
Maddy says
Do you the count calories from wine you drink?
Marcy says
Hi Kath! I have two questions.
Also, I was ordering oatmeal and noticed that oatbran has lower calories and higher fiber than oatmeal, which made me wonder why you prefer oatmeal? Is oatbran a faster digested carb and not a whole grain?
Also, I once bought cracked wheat hot cereal and really didn’t like it because it was not creamy at all and more gritty, if that makes sense. Before I buy, do you think I will not like steel-cut oats either? I heard (you may correct me if I am wrong) that steel cuts are more satiating, but you may not have found that.
Thanks for all your hard work!
Susan says
How many cals do you aim your snack to be and when do you typically eat it? when do you typically eat dinner?
I eat my snack so early and as a result am hungry for dinner early! Its hard to wait b/c I know a chocolaty treat (ie lara type bar) is waiting for me, so I eat snack before I am hungry. Maybe you have some advice? thanks 🙂
Annie says
Susan, why dont you try to eat half at one time and half later. That way you dont have to be sitting and waiting, and you can look forward to chocolate twice!
Sorry I know im not Kath, but somtimes I will do that to get rid of a craving and it works for me.
one food guy says
Hey Garlic Breath, that chicken looks awesome! 🙂
Lauren says
Yum! Your meals always look and sound amazing.
Random question: How long do you typically take to eat each of your meals? I always feel like I eat too fast and don’t give myself a chance to decide if I’m full or not.
Thanks! 🙂
kay says
Do you buy organic milk/dairy products? I have been reading about milk and cows (sounds funny but it is serious)… and dairy farmers even milk the cows when they are pregnant so they have all the hormones going plus the natural hormones too.. I read it in “Eat, Drink and be Healthy” and I am just shocked.
Once you become and RD, would you have to follow the mypyramid plan? For example, would you have to recommend your “chewing clients” to have three glasses/servings of milk/dairy products a day as the government states or could you use your own judgement and go against the gov. recommendations? I was not sure since you would be registered and they would be the authority.
Thanks!
Jen (Simpsons quote girl) says
Oh, grapefruits, you tasty killers…or something. See, that is why I want to quit my job and go to grad school.
So grapefruits raise estrogen levels…estrogen = increase of breast cancer cause “About 80% of breast cancers, once established, rely on supplies of the hormone estrogen to grow: they are known as hormone-sensitive or hormone-receptor-positive cancers.”
But decreased estrogen levels bring a whole host of problems too. (i know, i’ve been there! you want the sordid details of what nonexistant estrogen in a 25 year old does, just ask. you think eating/exercise disorders just make you too skinny, think again!). The fuctions of estrogen are too numberous to list. i wish that article had a little more detail.
::thinks about complexity of body/food relationship…smacks head against wall:: ugh, ever sit back and think about how the human body is nothing but a mass of chemicals and electical impulses. it is an overwhelming reality.
sorry for the rant. there’s just so much out there to know and never actually be sure of!
Laura says
A few times you have made steel cuts the night before, isn’t it hard in the morning when you wake up? It’s def. more efficient, so I would like to try it.
Kiala says
Kath, do you ever put vanilla or almond extract in your oatmeal? I can’t remember if I’ve ever see you do that.
It’s weird we’re all talking about breakfast on your dinner post, isn’t it?
Kath says
Veg,
We’ve cooked with tempeh before and really like it!! It’s been a while though, so I thought it was time to bring it on the blog 🙂 Maybe it’ll be the hemp milk of next week!
SaraM,
I did not realize that grapefruit had the estrogen affectors, but I won’t stop eating it. I think the lesson learned is EVERYTHING in moderation (except oatmeal 🙂 )
Maddy,
Of course I count calories in wine!!!
Marcy,
I prefer the taste and texture of oats, but I do like oat bran a lot. I think they both have pros and cons. I think the bulgur (cracked wheat) we buy is similar in texture to steel cut oats – chewy little granules. Give steel cut a try though – you never know! Lots of stores sell it in bulk so you can only buy 1/4 a cup for one portion to try it.
Susan,
I usually have 150-200 kcal for afternoon snack around 4:00 and have dinner between 7 and 8. Keep in mind that a 200 kcal granola bar isn’t going to be nearly as filling as a 200 kcal bowl of oatmeal, or a fruit smoothie, or yogurt with fruit and cereal or something “whole.” I like Annie’s suggestion of eating half at a time too.
Lauren,
I’ve slowed down my eating a LOT but it’s taken me a while to form the habit. I’d say, though, that most meals only take me 20 minutes or less to eat. It depends on how many “parts” there are to it. I think my lunches take the longest because I have 4-5 parts and breakfast are about half the time because I only have one bowl of oats.
Kay,
We go buy organic dairy – always milk, most of the time yogurt, etc. We try to always buy at least “all-natural” meats as well and things that say “no hormones” on the package. I do NOT want that stuff trickling into my body!
I think when I’m an R.D. I will recommend the eating plan that I think will work best for my clients. If they like math and organization, I’d suggest calorie counting or an online food journal, if they hate counting, perhaps just a food journal notebook to keep track of their meals for a while. Weight Watchers and counting food groups a la MyPyramid both seem to work well for some but not others. It will all depend on the client’s goals and personality type.
Laura,
I’m not sure what you mean about “it being hard” in the morning. Do you mean the oats? You’ll want to add a splash of milk to soften and fluff them before microwaving. I think it’s easier to prepare them when you have time – if that’s on the weekend or in the morning is up to you.
Kiala,
We put Williams-Sonoma vanilla extract in our oats almost every morning!! I love the scent it gives off, but it doesn’t do much for flavor. Breakfast is my favorite meal, let’s talk about it all the time!
Kath