Great Grains Batman!

So the hubs and I have been trying new grains.  Some we've tried before but put down for budgeting reasons.  We picked them back up when we decided to revamp the budget to include foods higher in nutrition and less fattening.   Here is our introduction. 

9 Grain Hot Cereal. 

I thought it would be a nice change from the same old oatmeal.  It's OK.  Not mind-blowing or anything.  I may have to find other ways of using it in a recipe.

Farina Wheat

One of my favorites.  I have it for breakfast often and also us it when baking.  Even use it in pizza crust.

Millet

This one is not new to the husband but I think I'm a bigger fan than he is.  I like it cooked, cooled and then added to yogurt as a snack.   Also it's good as a substitute for rice.

Couscous

We eat this one a lot.  Mostly when we have fish.  Great in all ways as far as I'm concerned.

Quinoa

I can't say how much I love this in a cold salad.  I cook it in a large quantity and then refrigerate it.  On a rushed work morning, I toss in beans, tomatoes, avocado, vinegar and a little olive oil for a quick brown bag lunch. 

There will be more additions but we need to make use of this before going out and buying more.  Next up: amaranth grain.

Quick and Healthy Lunches and Snacks

Because work takes up 9 hours of my day, I do the best I can to make up for sitting on my butt all day.

Fat Free yogurt with a few sprinkles of granola for a snack (or fast lunch when I've filled lunch break with a workout session).

Cucumbers provide a good crunch while passing the time at my desk.  I sent this pic to my sisters as a reminder that I was sticking to my part of our Combat the Fat Challenge.

Lots and lots of water.  I love water so drinking it all day is no problem.

Cold quinoa salad.  High in protein and fiber and full of goodness.

Boiled egg and berry smoothie. Another easy and cheap breakfast.

Fast dessert. Canned peaches in reduced juices with cinnamon.

Work snack of cranberry/pumpkin/oatmeal muffin.  This was from a box mix where I added pureed pumpkin, carrot juice (instead of milk), cranberries and ground flax.

Simple Soups

Soups are a great way to fill up when the budget is running low.  Here are a couple that often make it to my dinner table or the lunchbox.

Chicken noodle soup.  It's leftover roast chicken, frozen mixed veggies, a low-sodium chicken bouillon cube and a 25 cent bag of pearl pasta.

Pumpkin Carrot Soup.  This is easy to throw in a mug and microwave for a quick lunch.  It's just a few spoons of pureed pumpkin, carrot juice, onion and garlic powder, pepper, and a bouillon cube.  It's an incredibly easy and delicious soup.

Something New

I've been trying to make an effort to learn how to prepare some of my husband's favorite (and traditional) meals.  Here is one that his sister makes every holiday.  This one was made to be included in our Thanksgiving Feast.

It is called Tchep Djen.  It is traditionally a Senegalese dish but Ivorians seem to like it as well.  It has also become one of my family's favorites. 

Veggie Basil Soup

I'm a huge fan of tomato basil soup and have an awesome recipe.  Unfortunately, lately I've not had the time, energy, or ingredients to make it.  So I have learned to improvise with what I have.  Not exactly the same but a really good alternative.

I always have half and half and some V8.  Most times I have pesto somewhere in there.  I took a cup of veggie juice and about a teaspoon of pesto and heat them together.  I think the low sodium works well for this since the pesto has just enough saltiness.  I add a few drops of the half and half just for some creaminess.  It's pretty darned good.  Sometimes I even ad a chopped tomato when I need a little something to chew on.

This is the finished product.  I had a quarter tomato hanging out in the fridge and tossed that in.  I highly recommend this to anyone short on time and on a budget.

The French Connection

My husband grew up eating French food.  He still loves it.  Unfortunately for him, I know next to nothing about french food.  Every now and again he will have mentioned something he likes and I'll find something like it at the grocery store.  This weekend I must have had him on my mind because I came across a couple of treats he might like.  Although prepackaged, he said they were good.

Madeleines are his favorite.  I've not tried them yet because I've yet to purchase a proper Madeleine pan.  That will be on my list of things to find today.  He liked the palmiers OK.  He said they were best with coffee.

    

Obviously we aren't sophisticated coffee drinkers.  He's not big on black coffee so we buy this brand because it's pretty creamy and only slightly sweet.  Though he still adds milk even to this one.  I'm partial to the tea of course.

It took some doing but I finally found a location where he can get a decent baguette.  Of course it's out of the way but it really is the better option.  He announced today that he might cut back as he seems to be eating too many carbs.  That's new but I respect it.  We only purchased 4 loaves for the week.

Instead of our regular omelet for breakfast, I threw together a frittata.  It has one potato, one tomato, 1/4 C peas, 1/4 onion and egg whites and seasoning.  Not french but we both enjoyed it. 

The finished product. (I forgot to take a pic before we cut into it.)

Obviously my French connection to food is lacking. That is why I have decided to try some french recipe.  Of course I'll be picking the husband's brain before making the selections.  After all, he will be the guinea pig!

Intro to Fast Tuna

Tuna salad and tomatoes on double fiber wheat, plum, and celery.  A mighty fine lunch for a lazy Sunday.  I enjoyed it!

It was noon on a Sunday. I was hungry and the hubby was sick.  This was the perfect day to make something just for me and leave him to his West African comfort food.  I did try to keep it lower in fat by using Light Miracle Whip, mustard,sweet pickle relish, celery, and onion on the tuna.  I don't measure when making this.  I just eye everything.  I figured since the realization my clothes are getting snug, chips should not be included in this lunch.  Instead I finished off the celery and found the last plum in my crisper.  It was scrumptious!