WIAW: Sweet 'n Spicy Asian Glazed Grilled Drumsticks

Hello again!!! Well, we made it halfway through the week!  Time for What I Ate Wednesday fun :)

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Breakfast: Egg on Toast & Smoothie

For breakfast you know I had to have an EGG!!  I had an over easy egg on wheat toast with a super thick fruit smoothie.  The smoothie contained 1 frozen banana, about 3/4 cup of frozen fruit mixture (that had strawberries and mandarin oranges), a little honey for sweetness and 1 cup (approx.) of almond milk.  I also had coffee on the drive to work.

Snack: Nectarine

For morning snack, I enjoyed a super ripe nectarine.  It's hard for me to transport this type of fruit in my bag because it always gets torn up, so I cut it at home and brought it in a tupperware.  Loving peaches and nectarines lately!

Lunch: Salmon & Asparagus Salad

My boyfriend and I walked the dogs at lunch (it was very hot and humid outside) and then I made us some refreshing salads with leftovers.  I used leftover salmon (made from this Bobby Flay recipe), spring mix, goat cheese crumbles, radish sticks and leftover sauteed asparagus and peas.  Such a good salad!

Because lunch was so healthy and all...we could justify a vanilla cone from McDs!  I never eat at McDonalds--I think it's gross, but the 59 cent vanilla cones are ON POINT!  And I think they are in the 150 calorie range--SCORE!!!

After lunch, my guy and Bizzy came up to the office (nobody was there, so no big deal) and we booked some stuff for our vacation coming up in August!

I loooove having these two visit me at work! :)

Snack: Cream of Wheat

Around 4 p.m., I made an instant cream of wheat packet (maple & brown sugar flavor) and topped it with a few strawberry slices.  It was a pretty satisfying snack!

Dinner: Sweet 'n Spicy Asian Glazed Grilled Drumstick, Rice & Veg

For dinner, I grilled some chicken.
More specifically, I made Skinnytaste's Sweet 'n Spicy Asian Glazed Grilled Drumsticks(<--click for recipe).
These drumsticks were really tasty.  I love grilling!!
While the chicken was on the grill, I threw some rice in the rice cooker and sauteed some veggies.

Soy and Garlic Veggie Saute
serves 4-6

1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
2 heads of broccoli, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
2-4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 cloves garlic
olive oil, for the pan

Coat a large skillet with olive oil and heat to medium.  Once the pan is hot, put the cabbage in to sear for 3 minutes or so, then slide the broccoli in.  Add soy sauce and garlic and saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Throw in the peas and cover for about 5-7 minutes or until all veggies are tender.

I could seriously just eat these veggies for a meal--so yum!

After dinner, I had a glass of homemade sangria (<--click for recipe--it's a winner, although I used amaretto instead of elderflower liqueur because I'm not rich lol) and watched Sons of Anarchy.  I just started watching it on Netflix and it's really good so far!

Have a great week!!

Bonus Bizzy Picture!!  I love her face!

WIAW: Happy 4th of July..and Sausage & Quinoa Stuffed Portabella Mushroom

Hello there!
I usually like to start my What I Ate Wednesday posts with my favorite picture I've taken this week...and this one is one of my favorites EVER!  These are flourless chocolate brownie cookies with beautiful, crackled tops and a sprinkling of sea salt--I mean, come on!  Recipe will be at the bottom of the post.

So, it is July and Bizzy just wanted to say "Happy Birthday, America!"

She really loves pictures..can you tell?  She obviously is not a huge fan of the headband I got her, but that's okay ;)

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Breakfast: Cereal & Berries

For breakfast I had a cup of the new Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch.  It was pretty good, kind of like mixing Cheerios with Honey Bunches of Oats.  I had some strawberries on top..and I added almond milk after the picture.  I had some coffee on the way to work, too.

I woke up with indigestion (which is strange--does not happen often to me) that continued throughout the day, so I did not eat a snack..unless you count Tums!

Lunch: Lettuce Wraps

For lunch I prepared some leftover ground lamb (the possible culprit of the indigestion? maybe) with black olives, cheese and sour cream in a lettuce wrap.  Carrots and a few flatcrisp crackers on the side.

After lunch we went to Starbucks to get a tea.

This is their new blackberry mojito tea lemonade.  I did NOT like this the second time around.  I tried it last week and asked the barista to make it unsweetened and it turned out perfectly herbal with just a hint of sweetness from the blackberry and a pop of tartness from the lemonade.

So, the deal with this drink is there's tea and lemonade--both which can be unsweetened, leaving the only sweetness to be the blackberry syrup.

The lady who made it for me yesterday insisted that unsweetened was not an option.  I should have argued with her but I was in a hurry to get back to work.

Long story long, this was waaaaay too sweet and speak up for yourselves..even if you're late..or you will spend $4 on an undrinkable tea!

Aaaand...rant over!

Snack: Cherries & Granola Bar

My afternoon snack included beautiful fresh cherries.  I heart cherry season.

And a granola bar.

Dinner: Sausage & Quinoa Stuffed Portabella Mushroom

Oh, my stars, these are some simple and delicious stuffed mushrooms!

 Sausage & Quinoa Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms
serves 4

4 portabella mushroom caps
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
1 lb turkey breakfast sausage (I got the lean kind in a tube)--you could use any ground meat, really
3 wedges Laughing Cow-Swiss Lite
1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup liquid egg whites (or two egg whites)
1-1 1/2 cups Italian blend shredded cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Cook your quinoa in the chicken broth.  I put mine in my cheap-o, little rice cooker I bought at Aldi a million years ago, and it cooks it perfectly.  Or you could cook it per the package instructions on the quinoa.  Cooking it in chicken broth adds alot of flavor!

Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel.  Remove the stem and carefully scrape a spoon along the gills (underside) to remove those, as well.  Salt and pepper your mushrooms on both sides and set in a casserole dish.
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
Cook your breakfast sausage, breaking it with a spatula as it cooks.  Sprinkle salt and pepper on the meat.
Combine cooked quinoa, cooked sausage, cheese wedges, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan and egg whites in a big bowl and mix until combined.
Scoop a heaping cup of mixture into each upside down mushroom cap--if you have extra mixture, distribute it evenly among the shrooms or save it for your morning omelet the next day.  Top with shredded cheese.
Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

YUM!  I had a little spinach salad on the side.

*if you wanted to make this a meatless meal, add a can of beans or some crumbled veggie burgers in place of the sausage (and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth for cooking quinoa)

For dessert, I had a big ole flourless cookie (as seen above).  They are so rich and sweet that you really only need one.  I'm kind of obsessed with the flourless cookies at Starbucks, but they are usually pretty crusty and dry from being out in the display case all I day (or just being old..I don't know for sure--I don't really mean to be dogging SB today, but whatever).  So instead of spending $2 for a dry, crusty cookie I made these fresh, chewy and choco-licious treats!

Also, they are a decently healthy cookie with NO flour and NO butter!  What what?!

Without further ado, here is where I got the cookie recipe--it's so easy!!  Barefeet in the Kitchen Blog

Thanks for reading and have a great Independence Day!

WIAW: I'm Back...with a Turkey Burger

Guess who's back?
Back again?
WIAW's back!
Tell a friend ;)

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Sorry, I had that Eminem song stuck in my head..and what is a more appropriate place to type rap songs than my very own food blog?!

Well, it's been a while since I posted on the ole blog, huh?  I wish I had a good reason for ya, but lack of motivation is really what is to blame.  In fact, almost every Tuesday since my last post, I will take pictures of my eats with the intention of posting them on WIAW, but then it comes time to do it and I'm like "meh."  I think it's because I haven't been making too many dishes that I feel are spectacular, ya know?  Just the same old same old.  Maybe that's not entirely true, but whatever.  I'm back and happy to share my eats with you once again!

Breakfast: Waffles

I've been loving frozen waffles lately!  These are multigrain waffles from Aldi topped with a smear of natural peanut butter, some banana slices and a smattering of sugar free syrup (<--seems like an oxymoron, no?).

Snack: Pineapple

Now, I rarely buy precut fruit at the store, but I just HAD to this week.  I needed to force myself to eat some fruit.  I've been buying the usual apples and oranges, but just had to throw away a few that were withering away in the fruit bowl.  I figure if it's already cut for me, I just might eat it.  I ate about half of this pineapple, then stashed it back in the work fridge for later.

Another Snack: Fiber One Bar

A little while later, my tummy was still hungry, so I noshed on a snack bar.

Lunch: Salad

After a very hottt walk with the dogs (heat index of about 97!) I put together some salads with chopped romaine lettuce, leftover grilled chicken, broccoli/cauliflower mixture and lite poppy seed dressing.  My guy and I noshed on some pita crackers with hummus, also.

Snack: Yogurt

Later in the afternoon, the hungry monster started stirring once again, so I enjoyed this yogurt.  I like the strawberry one better, but this one was alright.

Dinner: Turkey Burger with Veg

Dinner tonight was quick and easy, thanks to my lovely indoor grill (this one from Cuisinart, if you are interested).  I grilled up some zucchini while I partially cooked a big sweet potato in the microwave, then I sliced the sweet potato in wedges and grilled them, too.
For the turkey burgers I mixed together the following..

3 Cheese Turkey Burgers
serves 4

1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp grilling rub
salt, pepper & garlic powder once pattied

So, yeah, mixed it all together and grilled until done.  Can't get simpler than that ;)

I topped mine with avocado and went bunless!
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For dessert, I could not decide between these two ice creams...so I had a scoop of each in a cake cone.

Bizzy will never give up begging for ice cream!

Speaking of Bizzy, here's a few pics after our walk yesterday for your viewing pleasure.

Do you know that Shakira She-wolf song?  I was making the howly noise from that when she made the above face-lol (Ah-woooo!)

She is my little love!

Ok, hope you have a fantastic rest of the week!  Thanks for reading! :)

WIAW: {Healthy} Grilled Turkey Meatball Subs

Hey, hey, hey!
It's time for What I Ate Wednesday again!  Yay :)
My eats aren't too exciting today, though.  They are almost a version of last week's post.

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Breakfast: Egg White with Cheese on English Muffin

Seriously with the eggs.  I cannot stop!  This week I bought the egg whites in the carton, because I was feeling bad about wasting yolks.  So I had 1/3 cup of liquid egg whites with some shredded cheese mixed in on a whole grain English muffin with some cilantro on top.  Yum yum!

Once again, I had no time for a morning snack.

Lunch: Fish Taco Salad

I made extra fish taco fixins on Monday night and turned it into a salad today.  In the mix was spring mix lettuce, cauliflower rice, smashed black beans, sauteed zucchini and onions, seasoned pan seared fish (tilapia) topped with sour cream and cilantro.  It was a really good salad!

After lunch, we played with the dogs in the backyard.  I had an iced coffee and some of these candies! I ate half of the 200 calorie bag and then saved the rest for later.

My sweet Bizzy girl loves spring weather!

Afternoon Snack: Grapes

I ate these grapes while driving home.

Dinner: Grilled Turkey Meatball Subs & Roasted Veggies

Sometimes you just need a meatball sub, am I right?

Well, I tried my hand at a healthier version, and it turned out pretty good!

Grilled Turkey Meatball Subs

serves 4

1 12" loaf of bread (I used some sourdough I got on markdown)

premade pesto (optional)

marinara or spaghetti sauce

shredded mozzarella cheese

4 slices provolone cheese

for the meatballs:

1 lb lean ground turkey (I used 93% lean) 

2 slices of 35-45 calorie wheat bread, toasted & ground in a processor (or just use 1/2 cup of premade breadcrumbs)

1/8 cup liquid egg whites 

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup cheese (grated parmesan would be best, but I used mozzarella)

generous sprinkle of the following spices: salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder

Mix all of the meatball ingredients together and form into golf ball sized balls.  Mine made 15 meatballs.

Cook in a grill pan for about 4-5 minutes on each side or until done.  Assemble!

1-Split the bread into four slices, hollow out the middle of the bread and discard extra bread.  

2-Smear on pesto and top with a sprinkle of mozzarella.

3-Place 3-4 meatballs on the bread.

4-Spoon on a little (or alot--whatever you like) marinara sauce

5-Top with a slice of provolone and melt in the oven (or in the microwave-whatever)

This might not be too pretty, but it sure was tasty!
I served mine with roasted brussels and broccoli for a perfectly balanced meal.

For dessert I had a 160 calorie toffee ice cream bar.

Thanks for reading!  Hope your day is filled with sunshine and happiness!

WIAW: Healthy Eggplant Falafel "Burgers"

Hello, hello!
It's time again for another What I Ate Wednesday!  Yay!

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Breakfast: Egg White Sandwich

For breakfast I cooked up 2 egg whites and topped them with colby jack cheese.  A whole wheat English muffin makes it a yummy sandwich!  I put the berries on my plate, but totally did not feel like eating them, so I saved them for later.

No time for a morning snack today!  The office where I work is very busy this time of year.  Sometimes I lose track of time when buried in paperwork.

Lunch: Salmon on Salad

For lunch I brought out some leftover Pesto Baked Salmon (<--click for recipe by GZ on The Kitchen!  Love that show!) and a little leftover spinach brown rice and broccoli.  I put it on a bed of romaine lettuce and baby spinach with a little lite caesar dressing.  Very fresh and delish.
Oh--I totally forgot to take a picture of my dessert, which was a chai latte powder mix.  It was a nice, sweet finish to the meal.

After lunch, I started snacking on candy--dangerous!

Lemonheads are my absolute favorite candy (and have been for years).  Although I could go nuts on them and eat a million, I portioned out exactly 20 pieces for 100 calories.  #treatyoself

Afternoon Snack: Yogurt & Berries

Around 4 p.m., my tummy told me I needed a snack.  Out came the berries from breakfast and a yogurt I had stashed in the work fridge.

Looks gross, but it did the trick.

Dinner: Eggplant Falafel Burger, Sweet Potato & Roasted Veggies

Sometimes I want something a bit different for dinner.  We had some wheat buns that we didn't end up using last week, so I was trying to think of an easy veggie burger to make.  So, I made this delicious greek inspired "burger" along with a microwaved sweet potato and roasted cauliflower & broccoli.  Winner winner, veggie dinner!!

Healthy Eggplant Falafel "Burgers" 
makes 4 patties

1 medium-large eggplant, peeled & sliced into circles
1 can chickpeas, drained
1/4 cup diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
handful of fresh herbs (I used parsley and cilantro)
1/2 tsp greek seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
1 egg
1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
olive oil, for cooking

Brush the eggplant circles with olive oil on both sides and salt and pepper lightly.  Cook the eggplant until done.  You can roast it in the oven if you want.  I used my stove top grill pan and just grilled it on both sides until it was done (maybe 5 minutes on each side).
Throw cooked eggplant and all other ingredients in food processor and blend until combined.  Split the mixture into 4 and patty it out.  It would be ideal to chill this for a little while in the fridge..but ain't nobody got time for that.
Cook your patties on an oiled griddle and be very careful when flipping them.  Cook for about 8 minutes on each side.
Serve with lettuce, tomato and tzatziki sauce on a wheat bun!

tzatziki sauce
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup cucumber innards (split the cucumber longways and scoop out the middle with a spoon)
pinch greek seasoning
salt & pepper

Mix it all up with a spoon and you're done!

These veggie burgers were super simple, yet full of flavor and very satisfying.  Try them!!! :)

After dinner, I enjoyed one of these tasty beverages.

So good!
Then I had one of these ice cream sandwiches.
I love ice cream sandwiches, because they are preportioned treats.  Sometimes I might go overboard portioning out my own desserts ;)
So for 180 calories, these babies are worth it!

Well, have a great rest of the week!  Here's a Bizzy picture...just because.