I’m making this quick because the Mister and I are planning on heading out for a walk so we can enjoy this beautiful weather before House starts (love that show!).
Not wanting to spend a lot of time in the kitchen today, I looked to my freezer for guidance. Luckily I picked up some salmon skewers this weekend at the grocery store. So yummy and tasty! The marinade, Bourbon BBQ, tasted fresh and flavorful and I didn’t have to do anything but take it out of the package and throw it in the oven.
Craving some fresh veggies, I roasted some asparagus with equal parts olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice. I sprinkled with salt and pepper and roasted in the oven for 12 minutes at 400 degrees.
All plated up 
Salmon skewers (2 of them were 300 calories, with a fantastic amount of omega-3 healthy fat!)
Close up on asparagus!
This meal was light and satisfying and has left me plenty of room for a treat later! I LOVE having little snacks while watching TV! Seriously, it makes me so happy and content to sit down with a lil healthy snack plate and sink right into all the drama!
What are your favorite healthy TV snacks?
Good morning! Happy Monday! It is HOT! I’m all for fantastic weather, but what happened to Spring? Last week it was snowing and this weekend it got up to 90 degrees! Crazy, crazy! The Mister and I were SWELTERING last night. We rent an older house that is very poorly insulated (if at all!) and we certainly don’t have central air! (This is #1 on both of our lists for when we buy our own house!)
Anyway, we obviously haven’t had a chance to put in our window unit(s) yet (we have three!), so I had planned on relying on the ceiling fan and open windows. At about 10:30 last night (yes, I’m 80 years old), I ascended into the 3rd circle of hell our upstairs to open the windows.
“Hmmmm that’s funny,” I thought. I had remembered the windows opening much more easily.
Looking closer to see if something was off-track or stuck, I noticed white putty JAMMED into the window trim, preventing the window from opening. “Of course,” I thought. The Mister.
Side note: the Mister doesn’t half-ass anything and he always takes all precautions to keep us safe, save money, etc. While this is one of the very reasons I love him so much, it doesn’t always jive with my “fly-by the-seat-of-my-pants-no-worries-here” attitude.
True story: A few weeks ago, our neighbor got “robbed.” I say “robbed,” because I think it was one of his many friends he has over at all hours of the day/night. Also, he lives on the third floor. Why would someone bypass the first and second floor of a house to rob someone on the third?
Anyway, the Mister immediately panicked and started thinking we’d be next. So naturally, when he got home from work he dead-bolted the door. After all, isn’t he our most valuable possession?! Note: We have lived in the house for 3 years and have never once dead-bolted the door. I’m sure you can guess where this is going…
He locked himself inside the house. Yes, you read that correctly. INSIDE. Who does that?
Apparently, when he wanted to get something from his car, the lock got stuck. Since the Mister is incredibly impatient strong, he freaked out and broke the lock. But after a visit from the locksmith and a new deadbolt, we were good as new!
Anyway, the Mister had clearly gone the extra mile yet again with the windows. Upon further examination, I also realized that he had installed little brackets and drilled the windows shut. Remember that terrible insulation I mentioned? Yes, this is the Mister’s way of keeping the heat INSIDE the house. Pretty clever, right?
Maybe in the WINTER! Spring has sprung, Mister — heck, SUMMER is upon us! It is time to de-winterize the upstairs. I know you helped keep me warm all winter and I’m grateful, but it was hard for me to feel that way as I was BAKING in our 88 degree bedroom (I’m not making that up, the thermometer doesn’t lie).
Cursing the Mister and his responsible handiwork, I ripped out the putty, breaking a few nails in the process (don’t feel too bad for me, my nails are pretty hideous, anyway), and managed to get one of the windows open. Now soaked in sweat and dust, I plummeted to the bed praying for a cool breeze. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. ARGGGGHHHH! I tossed and turned all evening waking up caked in sweat — I’m sure I was a gorgeous site to see this morning! (p.s. – I love you Mister!!! Thanks for taking one for the team and letting me share your stories )
So how did all of you sleep last night? Similar problems? Beating the heat?
As I was getting ready for work this morning, I was running through some dinner ideas in my head. While I love to cook, I just can’t imagine laboring over an oven or stove top in this heat! I remember mentioning my low-fat basil pesto sauce a few weeks back and wanted to share the recipe with all of you, since it doesn’t require stirring anything over an open flame – which honestly gives me nightmares right now to even consider!
This sauce is great on top of pasta and also works great on top of pizzas or mixed in with cooked veggies. I’m sure it would also make a great sandwich spread! I would love to try it with some goat cheese on top of some crusty bread—yumyumyum!
You’ll need:
- 1 package (about 10-ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed (make sure to drain it or the sauce will be too watery)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup fresh basil
- 1/3 cup fat free cottage cheese
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
Add to your favorite pasta, pizza, bread or vegetables.
Low-fat basil pesto sauce with whole wheat pasta
This takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and it is packed full of flavor and nutrients, while being very low in calories and fat. Enjoy!
What is your favorite way to beat the heat?
The Mister and I have nothing to eat! This always happens to us. We always *think/plan* for going grocery shopping on Saturdays. Naturally, we are stupid enough to put up with the crowds go on Sunday. This means that on Saturday we have no fresh veggies or fruit! You would think we would have learned our lesson by now…I guess we’re just stubborn slow learners.
Luckily, after my amazing experience with Amy last week, I had stocked up on some more of her ‘meals’. I saw today as the perfect opportunity to test one of them out. When I originally spotted the chili and cornbread combo in the grocery store freezer, I knew I had to have it! Let me tell you, I was NOT disappointed!
Amy's chili and cornbread meal
I apologize for the sub-par pic! My camera’s battery was dead and I had to use the Mister’s iphone!
This was so incredibly delicious! I was worried that the cornbread would dry out, but it stayed moist and incredibly flavorful! — with ACTUAL corn kernels baked right in! The chili was packed with savory spices (but not too spicy for my wussy palette!) and filled my empty tummy up quickly! My only complaint was that the rice dried out a little, but it was still tasty You can check out the ingredients and nutrition stats here – pretty impressive, eh? Thank you, Amy, for having such fantastic go-to meals
When do you go grocery shopping? What is your go-to meal when you cupboards are bare like good ol’ Mother Hubbard?