Vegging Out With Spirit

As the days get a little closer to Christmas, I am getting the spirit.  What I Ate Wednesday was great, thanks to everyone for your comments! I always get confused though with what I’ve shown you in the area of food.  I think I have this straight.

Tuesday night I was very hungry and didn’t feel like waiting for any kind of grain, even bulgur to cook.  I took the Veggie way out.  All veggies, all the time.

Started with garlic in olive oil, zucchini, yellow squash, garbanzo beans, edamame, veggie broth and spinach.  All sautéed up in the skillet.  Looked like this when it was done…

Topped with shredded cheese and sriracha sauce, it was delicious and filling.  I don’t always need to add a grain I guess, just up the veggie factor.  I can certainly save on Points that way, especially with the new Weight Watchers program lowering my daily Points.  Enough veggies and I’m satisfied anyway!

On Wednesday, Ralph and I had to run some errands and he decided we needed to eat as well.  I felt like breakfast and in deference to thrift, I suggested Dunkin’ Donuts.

I had their veggie egg white omelette flat bread and regular coffee.  The sandwich only counts for 7 points which was great.  Since it was basically breakfast and lunch, I thought it was a good use of my Points AND it was good! We both had a breakfast sandwich and medium coffee for under $10…Ok by me!

I had to stop at my sister, Ele’s later in the afternoon.  I went home with these…

Unwrapped because they were hot from the oven.  They smell wonderful and are made with Andes candies instead of chocolate chips.  I am Hugely proud of myself because I did not eat any even when I transferred them to a zip lock bag.  These were for Ralph.  I told her to save me some and I’ll eat them on Saturday after weigh in.  She said she’d save me some!

While out on my errands, I had gotten Ralph a hoagie so he was set for dinner.  I went with a salad…What A Surprise!! 😉

Romaine,  bell pepper, the biggest Roma tomato I’ve ever seen (!), canned black beans, shredded jack cheese and homemade dressing.  Made the same as before with garlic powder for some added zip. 

It was very good and filling too.

I did get a lot of my wrapping done throughout the day.  Only actual wrapping left is Ralph’s artwork, but I have to do that as he finishes it!

I hope to share our Christmas card with you all tomorrow.  Still a few people who haven’t gotten theirs and I don’t want to spoil the surprise. 

I’m feeling pretty Christmas Cheery today…How about you?!?

Happy Thursday!!  Three days to Christmas…Three Days to Christmas…

A Nutty Kind Of WIAW…Plus Brussel Sprouts!

It’s always fun when it’s time for What I Ate Wednesday.  What is WIAW you ask?  Why it’s the fun invention of Jenn at Peas & Crayons, that’s what!  When you’re finished getting all of the fun you can from BCDC, be sure to stop by at Peas & Crayons to check on and comment on all of the other lively blog participants.

Today, my version of WIAW is a little nutty.  I didn’t intend for it to be, but it’s like life, some days it’s not what we intend it to be.

I mentioned the other day that I finally had the opportunity to have overnight oats in a jar the way it was meant to be…in an almost empty peanut butter jar.

What did I think about it?  Do these next photos answer the question??

It was delicious!  Probably because of the protein in the peanut butter, it was much more filling and stayed with me longer than the overnight oats usually do.

Last night’s dinner was something that I thought about all day.  Sometimes that turns into something that doesn’t taste very good, the idea of thinking about it too much.

I had Brussel sprouts in the fridge since last week…oops…forgot about them.  I trimmed them and cut them in quarters.  Started to sautee them in olive oil and garlic.  While this was cooking up, I put a large potato in the microwave to partially cook.

Cut up some zucchini…

sautéed some more, then topped it with chopped scallion, salt and pepper and dried basil.  I cut up the potato and added it.

Sautéed some more and then added my new favorite, Cabot 50% reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese.

It was just delicious.  It smelled wonderful, too.  Ralph even commented on how good it smelled!  I will make this again!  Probably this week so that I can finish off the Brussel sprouts! 😉

This morning I was still dreaming about these…

The Honeycrisp apples I got yesterday.  I realized while moving some things around in a cabinet that I had Sunflower Seed butter!

I had gotten it several months ago on my pilgrimage to Trader Joe’s.  I noticed there was a lot of oil on top.  I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to mix it in or not.  I tried rather unsuccessfully so I just poured it off.  I thought later that I should have saved it and used it for cooking. 😦

Anyway, the sunflower seed butter and the Honeycrisp made a great breakfast combo!

Very filling, protein again, I know!

The SS butter was so good that I thought it sounded like a good option for a quick lunch…

…on rice cakes. 

So good!  Please note that I did measure it out.  The nut butters are a little pricey on Weight Watchers.   It’s 3 Points for a tablespoon, and I can get carried away with them so I measured.  4 points each but very tasty and filling.

A note for all of you who had to hear me whining yesterday about losing my CVS coupon.

I did go into my severely full recycling bin and went through several bags.  Of course only after doing that did I think to look in my wallet.  I remembered I tried to use it yesterday on prescriptions and that’s not allowed.  I had put into my wallet after not being able to use it.  I was so excited, but I sure wish I’d thought of it before diving into the bin!  Sometimes you have to get a little dirty!

So that’s my distinctly nutty version of WIAW.  Please hop over to Peas & Crayons and check out what everyone’s eating today.  It can only be an adventure.  I find the most interesting things when I visit over there! 

And watch out, because I also found Almond Butter in the cabinet!! 

Happy What I Ate Wednesday!!

Jersey Fresh

After my success at Weight Watchers on Saturday, the “tribe” Pat, Debbie, Kristen and I headed out to some local farm markets.  We had decided this last week at our breakfast meeting and it was the perfect day for it.  Blue sky, clear air (not always available in New Jersey!!) and comfortable temperatures (ditto!)  Pat planned it out because this girl knows her farm markets!

The Garden State has a well deserved reputation and yesterday it certainly lived up to the name!

Our first stop was Grasso Girls Farm Market in Mullica Hill.  (They made me drive PAST the county library with the sale going on to get here…not that I’m bitter…)  It was my first time at Grasso Girls…I never get past the library! 😉

Kristen and Pat shopping.

The Beauty and the Bounty.  Can you believe the colors and the freshness?!?  It’s quite an experience!

A wonderful corner cabinet filled with kitchen-y doodads…I Love It, it needs to live in my house in New Mexico!!

My haul, nectarines yummy…already tried one, zucchini, Chinese eggplant and a very cool eggplant, I forget what it is! 😦

Next stop, Moods Farm Market also in Mullica Hill. 

World Famous for their “pick your own” blueberries, strawberries and peaches.

I spy my favorite…blackberries…one of these lives at my house now…but NOT for long… 😉

They have wonderful recipes posted on the walls.  I guess you have to stand there to write them down, but we didn’t have the time for that.  Maybe I can read them off of the photos! 😉

All of my beauties waiting to be devoured…mmmm…The eggplants are so cool, they look like they were spray-painted!

My favorite photo of the day is coming up.  Pat and Kristen decided to buy and split a 20 pound container of blueberries.  It’s cheaper that way and makes a lot of sense.  Pat thought that Kristen and I were separating the berries.  Unbeknownst to Pat, Kristen had purchased one of the apple cider donuts that they make at Moods and are incredible (a little bag of them landed in my bag to go home to Ralph.)  I thought it would be fun to take a photo of Kristen sneaking her goodie.  As I did, Pat walks up behind and can be seen saying in disgust…”Is Kristen eating a Donut?!?”

Yes, She’s Eating A Donut!!

It was such a fun adventure and it is the kind of thing I’ll miss when we leave New Jersey.  I’ll just have to plan a visit back during the summer so that I can still have the experience.  Silver City, where we’re moving does have a fabulous farmer’s market each Saturday May through October.  You’ll be hearing all about that when we get out there this fall.  I Can’t Wait!!

More adventures later in the day, but I’ll save that for tomorrow!  Not sure what’s on the agenda today.  Looks like a beautiful day out…who know what could happen!!

Happy Sunday!