Dinner with Maran and Joe was so fun!! They are fun and easy going, and we had lots to talk about (lots of man-to-man cooking discussions since Joe worked as a sous chef for many years).
I started to get pretty hungry around 5:30 and at the same moment I got a blog comment about the pumpkin cake – which reminded me I had pumpkin in the fridge!! I made some with Kashi Heart to Heart on top and a little maple syrup. Thanks for the suggestion, readers!
Dinner @ M5
We had dinner at M5, a Mediterranean restaurant that opened in SouthPark this summer. The menu has SO many appealing options (and lots of small plate type offerings) and the husband and I literally took 20 whole minutes to weigh our options. We finally decided on….
Wine – A fruity, medium bodied grenache.
And a piece of bread, which probably wasn’t worth it..
I had a poached pear salad with frisee, walnuts and bleu cheese. I gave 1 pear and some bites to the husband and didn’t have any dressing. (Does this plate look familiar!?! It’s the same one we have from Crate and Barrel!)
The husband got potato gnocchi with mushrooms (and BUTTER). I had 3 gnocchi and a mushroom.
For our entree we split a whole yellow snapper cooked with chickpeas, roasted tomatoes, chorizo, and piquillo peppers. I’m so glad we split it because it was the perfect portion! We do this a lot in restaurants so we can try more things from the first course menus, and save money and calories while we’re at it. I ate the whole dish – the fish was on top of a pile of tomatoes and beans, so it’s not quite as thick as it looks. I tried to avoid the delicious butter that was all around the edges, but I inevitably ate some.
Happy Birthday Maran!! This used to have a little molten chocolate cake that was instantly devoured. I had two bites and the strawberry!
Once home, we invited them in for decaf cappuccinos – it was a nice ending.
What’s sad is that I’m not really even full! I’m sure this meal was around 1,000 calories, which puts me between 2,000 and 2,200ish kcal today. Not bad for a Saturday out, but you can see how restaurant food is just waaaaay over oiled and buttered for the portions, which weren’t really that filling. But it was delicious and we had a great time!!
Cheers – it’s past my bedtime!
Karen Downing says
Love that Crate and Barrel plate too! Everything and anything looks great on it. A nice cap is a great way to end the evening with friends.
KJ says
Hi Kath! Glad to hear you had a good night out. Looks like dinner was great fun. I have a couple of questions for you. First, how long does your pumpkin keep in the fridge after you open it?
Secondly, I working at listening to my body and what it wants. Tonight, about 3 hours after dinner I was really craving some ice cream so I had some cookies and cream ice cream on a cone. Then, I still wasn't satisfied so I had two of those Kashi Oatmeal Raisen Flax cookies (that makes three total today). Then I topped it all off with an apple and I was finally satisfied. That's about 600 calories of post dinner snacking. This is VERY RARE. I very rarely do this. Most of the time it's just 1 cone, 1 cookie, or frozen grapes, piece of chocolate, etc.
Do you ever have nights (or days) where you just can't get satisfied? I don't binge or anything like that but sometimes it takes a few sweets before my body says "much better". Anyone else experience this?
Eliza says
haha Yesss..and the more I think about it and feel guilty about it the more often it happens to me!
DONT worry about it..that really is my own honest advice. you just werent satisfied. no big deal.
🙂
Michelle says
I was just curious – what time do you usually go to bed? Since you usually wake up so early, I'm guessing around 10PM…?? I'm the same way! Get to bed early, wake up early – that way, I can jumpstart my day!
Meg says
I thought I'd share this because I think its funny that Kath's picture popped into my head!! I just got home from seeing the movie Atonement…this is silly but I swear the younger 13 year old version of the blond sister looked just like a mini Kath! Hahah if anyone has seen it maybe they'd agree! Anyway, its a great movie!
Also Kath, I was just at Costco last week (here in California) and they were also sampling the Mrs. Mays bars. I bought the box and I LOVE them! They are super filling to me. As far as I could tell they seemed not bad health wise…6g of protein and 3 g of fiber seem pretty good…8g of sugar but I think that comes from the fruit in the bar and cane juice is one of the last ingredients. Anyway I recommend them!
I love the blog, keep up the good work… you are inspiring not just food wise but your positiveness too! 🙂 Have a great Sunday!
Fig says
cute new picture…you need one of the hubby w /you also…but NOT the one of him eating a few days ago (ha!)
HealthyEater says
Hi Kath! Thanks for all you do in this blog, it's the best!
I wanted to ask you, when you do the assisted chin-ups and dips, how much weight do you add?
Thanks!
PS. How many push ups do you normally do?
Kelly says
It's cold here in Houston. Does anyone have any good recipes for minestrone or vegetable soup? I'm thinking about cooking up a big pot of it. Thanks!
HealthyEater says
Hi Kath! I LOVE your blog. My question is, what weight do you use for the assisted pull ups and dips, and how many push ups do you do, approx.?
THANKS!! 🙂
Andrea says
how much oatmeal do you usually make? it says half a cup is the serving on my quaker oats… is that enough if i put fruit/nuts in it?
Monica says
I had THE BEST salad at Panera–The Orchard Harvest. You can make it at home for super cheap, and it is AMAZING! Dried cherries (or cranberries which are cheaper), a pear, a few walnuts, sprinkle of gorgonzola, spring mix salad, and dressing (I used Newman's Light Cranberry Walnut). It is SOOOOOOOOOO FREAKING good especially during the winter when I have a hard time getting the fruits in. I bet it would be FAB w/ the husband's bread. ANyway, your dinner salad reminded me to share.
Marcy says
Monica, how do you buy gorgonzola if you only want a little (I am a college student so I'm used to buying Sliced cheese).
Marcy says
Kath maybe you know?
Fig says
Marcy:
When I want something in a small portion for a receipe I usually check out the salad bar at my supermarket.
Everything there you buy buy weight so If I only want a small amount of pepperoni or a small amount of crumbles cheese or olives etc..I go there. You truely pay pennies
Monica says
I do the salad bar thing as well or I just buy it at the deli (where you can also get a tiny amount). Right now I have been buying the 1 cup container (on sale at Harris Teeter for 3.50) and it has been good for a couple of weeks.
Kath says
KJ,
Pumpkin keeps a while, I'd say. Maybe 2-3 weeks at the most? I'm not really sure though, and like most things it's probably better eaten sooner rather than later. Just look out for mold!
I do have those "can't get un-hungry" nights on occasion and I've found they are almost always linked to not eating enough during the day. This past Thursday, for example, I couldn't eat my whole lunch and was starving during my 2pm class as a result. I never really recovered my hunger and had to eat extra that night. See if that might have something to do with it – or if you are low on whole grains during the day your body might crave more fuel (I think this was my problem on Thursday).
Michelle,
I’m usually in bed by 9 and asleep by 9:30. It sounds early but if you just make an effort to shift your cycles it’s just the same as going to bed at 12 and getting up at 7.
Meg,
I'll have to see that movie. Who was the actress? I am often compared to Clarissa Explains It All!
The mrs. Mays bar was good, but I didn't want to buy a ton (literally!) I'm going to look for them individually. Thanks for the compliments!!
Fig,
I got one up for you!! And his whole new page!
Kelly,
You should try the recipe we made on Friday night -butternut squash and kale. YUM! Try CookingLight.com for healthy recipes of your favorites.
Andrea,
Yes, I made 1/2 cup of old fashioned oats. With 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup water on the stove top until thick and creamy. Add whatever you like!
Monica,
Sounds great!!! I love Gorgonzola.
Marcy,
Fig is right about the salad bar – it's a great place to look. Crumbled cheeses usually last a while though, and you can use it on sandwiches and stuff too, so if you can't find it you could get a small tub.
Kath
svc says
Your videos are great! You and The Husband missed your callings. You’re naturals…pardon the pun! Keep up the good work. Thanks for the recipes too.