March has been very busy. Every weekend we seem to be going out, eating out, staying out late and not sleeping as much. As fun as everything is, I can feel it in my body and the effect it is having. The first weekend of March we ate the 16 course meal at Eleven Madison, This past Friday we had burgers and fries before the Avett Brothers concert in Brooklyn, Saturday we went out to dinner with my parents and this coming weekend we have dinner plans Friday with friends and Saturday we are going to our favorite pizza restraint, Nizza, which now serves gluten free polenta crust before going to see Bryan Cranston in "All The Way." I love the excitement of being busy, seeing friends, having fun and living every minute of this month to the fullest, but eating out every weekend is not only expensive, but my body feels it as well. I feel the salt in the meals, the extra larger portions that I am not in control of, the appetizer, entree and desserts that I am eating and the tiredness I feel from being out late and not being able to wake up early for a Bar Method class the next day. Living a healthy lifestyle is about control and moderation though. I can't not go out with friends or to dinner with Ryan just because I don't want to eat badly. There are healthy options on all menus including salads, grilled chicken and fish. But it's also good to indulge and not deprive otherwise it does not become fun to live a healthy lifestyle because you end up resenting everyone else.
Because we have also been so busy on weekends, I have made it a point to cook meals at home for dinner that has plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day! We have done a few Fresh Direct orders and have purchased pre-marinated meats that require little effort other than to put them in the oven and create a side dish! Last Sunday (after our filling meal at Eleven Madison) I made peppercorn petite filet with a side of sweet mashed yams (Fresh Direct 4 minute sides in a snap) and a brussel sprout and red onion salad on the side. The meat cooked in the oven for 25 minutes and was a perfect medium rare. The meal was so simple and it came with 3 filets so we cooked 2 and froze 1. I was able to make steak salad for lunch Monday and Tuesday from the leftovers! It saved a lot of time, money and energy! And the meat was delicious!
Wednesday night I made one of Ryan's favorite dishes, tilapia with a balsamic butter sauce. Tilapia is really easy to make and does not produce a fishy smell when cooked which makes it the perfect protein! The sauce is really light and flavorful and the butter is so decadent! The sauce is made by melting 2 tbsp of butter in a sauce pan and letting it brown. You then add 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar and let it simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until it thickens. Pour it over the fish (or any protein or vegetables) and enjoy! Our meal (half a pound of tilapia each) was 7 points and we served broccoli and carrots on the side. Another easy meal to make at home. The fish took about 10 minutes to cook!
I also made a lot of Quest Bar desserts this past week. The protein meal replacement bar served as a great dessert because it kept me full later at night and helped energize me to get through morning bar classes. My stomach wasn't rumbling and I felt like I could go longer without eating between dinner and breakfast the next day. But rather than eat it as a protein bar, I tried to get creative.
My first dessert this week was a Quest Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough cookie - it is cookie dough after all! I cut the bar into 4 even sized and rolled them into balls to form cookies. I baked them in the oven (350 degrees) for 10 minutes and served with ice cream and frozen bananas! The bar tasted even better baked than it did raw!
The second quest dessert was strawberry cheesecake cereal. I cut the quest bar into small chunks and rolled them into balls. I baked these for 10 minutes in the oven and served with almond milk!
Another quick and easy dinner that we made last week was sesame chicken with stir fry vegetables. The plate was so colorful and vibrant with the mixture of vegatbales and the chicken was coated in a sauce made with 2 tbsp honey, 3/4 tsp rice wine vinegar, 3/4 tsp cornstarch, 1/4 cup water and sesame seeds. For 3 servings (Ryan had double what I ate), it was 6 points! The chicken cooked for 10-15 minutes on high heat and then I added the vegetables for another 2-5 minutes. The sauce I made while the chicken cooked and added to the pot with the chicken and vegetables and mixed well. I added sesame seeds at the end for garnish.
I went to Bar Method Tuesday morning, Wednesday morning and Thursday morning! I took Monday off because I wasn't feeling well and Friday I took off because we were going to Barclay's Center for the Avett Brothers concert and I wouldn't be able to bring my huge backpack with me inside.
Friday morning, I cooked breakfast with Ryan...egg white and oatmeal pancake with chia seeds, topped with chocolate pb2, coconut flakes and hemp seeds (5 points). I love this breakfast because it keeps me full and energized all morning long!
For lunch I had a salad from Just Salad so that I could keep my points low since I knew we would be going out to dinner before the concert! I had kale and spinach chopped with artichoke hearts, broccoli, banana peppers, asparagus and egg whites with a serving of honey-dijon herb dressing. I had 2 cups of Chia Pop Aged Cheddar (2 points). It was so flavorful and filling. I had never had it before, but will have it more often now. It was so delicious and was a perfect side to my salad!
For dinner, I can honestly say I had the best burger ever! We went to Pure Bistro on 5th Avenue only a few blocks from Barclay's. It was exciting to be back in Brooklyn, but we both really did not miss the long commute on the subway! We didn't even realize how long our daily commutes were until we now can walk to work! I got an 8oz. beef burger cooked medium rare with swiss cheese and portobella mushrooms. It was served with a small salad and pickle on the side and I ordered a baked sweet potato on the side. They are known for their gluten free breads and I can tell you that this was the best roll ever, gluten free or not. It didn't fall apart like a tapioca rice bun but was crunchy and hard on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. The burger was so filling and I could only eat half of my baked potato! Ryan got the western BBQ burger with beef cooked medium well, american cheese and bbq sauce! We will definitely be going back to Pure Bistro the next time we are in Brooklyn. I was so full the whole night and I was dreaming about that burger all weekend!! There were also some amazing looking entrees on the menu like a pineapple mango salsa salmon! As delicious as it sounds though, I want, no I need, another burger from there soon! I ate way too quickly and forgot to take a photo (which I'm sure Ryan was happy about since he is always embarrassed when I take pictures of my food), but I found a few online to show the wonders of the burger! They even had a juice bar making fresh juices and smoothies!
After this amazing dinner, we headed to Barclay's Center! The show started at 8pm and featured Old Crow Medicine Show opening for The Avett Brothers! The show was incredible. There was so much energy and happiness and Ryan and I could not stop smiling and singing along. We were dancing and singing and screaming and we loved every minute. The Avett Brothers had an amazing setlist which featured rock songs that transitioned smoothly into their softer ballads and then back again to the faster songs. The buidlup was incredible and we all stood in anticipation for what was next! The music was beautiful too! They had a double bass, drums, cello, banjo and guitars and during instrument switches, the cello played beautiful melodies that I could have listened to all day! The show's encore featured both bands on stage which had 2 fiddles, 2 banjos, 2 double basses, a cello, drums, keyboard...ahh it was so beautiful. I have been listening to Avett Brothers nonstop the rest of the weekend!
Saturday my parents came over in the afternoon to see the progress we have made on the apartment now that the desk and dining room table were built. Ryan hung photos which added such personality and flair to the bare walls and now it feels so homey! We went to Frank's on First for dinner where we went the first night they came over to help us unpack! I had the veal special with mozzarella, roasted red peppers and a putenesca sauce! I was so full and definitely felt this meal the next morning. It was delicious, homemade, salty and savory and after a long night out the night before, this meal was a good way to end the weekend! Sunday was relaxing - the weather was warm and sunny and we hung around the house - listening to the Avett Brothers of course. Fresh Direct delivered in the morning everything we need for the week to make salads, a few dinners (rotisserie chicken, pulled chicken, and maple mustard glazed pork). For dinner we had Maple Mustard glazed pork (which I will be having as a salad for lunch today) with mashed potatoes and asparagus. It felt good to be able to weigh my food, know the ingredients that I am cooking with and know the points! I gave up a lot of control the past 2 weekends and had fun and don't have any regrets, but it felt good to be back on track (at least until Friday when the craziness starts again).
Work has been busy and great, and I am having a positive attitude about everything. I feel good, I am working out, eating right (cheat meals on weekends) and am loving life right now. I had a great Bar Method class with Brittany this morning - my glutes were shaking the full hour - and I plan to go to class Wednesday and Thursday morning and hopefully Spin at Pablo Thursday night - I have to sweat off some of this delicious food I have been eating! Dinners will be Fresh Direct prepared meats (pulled chicken) with fresh vegetables and lunch will be salads with the premade rotisserie chicken! I hope the week goes by fast because I can't wait for this weekend! It makes everything so exciting when we have something to look forward to. We have been so busy though that it will be nice in April to relax a little when it's warmer out and enjoy the city!
XO
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