Fresh Ingredients

As some of you know, I recently moved into a beautiful brick town home.  While there are many things I love, the open spaces, the lighting, the basement, I am most excited to have my own space again!

This month marks the one year anniversary of my dads death.  It’s been incredibly hard.  I have almost nothing in my possession through which to remember him, a few photos, a name tag from when he was in nursing school. . . I do however hold onto things that I know he loved; going with my boyfriend to blues shows, and spending hours experimenting in my new kitchen.

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One thing I learned from my dad is that cooking can bring someone a lot of joy and pride.  During my first few weeks here I’ve been experimenting with recipes that are both healthy AND delicious.  Don’t get me wrong, I love oatmeal for breakfast and chicken and broccoli for dinner, but that shit gets old.  I’m not buying steak and salmon over here, but I’m stepping up my game.

In our numerous trips to local farmers markets, here is one I have made that I’m really pleased with.  It next to NO effort and is pretty damn tasty:

Veggie Salad (i don’t have a clever name for this, but it’s delicious so who cares)
This is one of my boyfriends favorites. I love it because it costs next to nothing to make. It’s a perfect side, light and fresh.

This is it. Six things.  But honestly, do salt and pepper even count as ingredients? Regardless. . . Tomato and cucumber purchased at the farmers market, and a red onion from Kroger.  Dice the whole tomato and cucumber and half of the onion (I only use half or 3/4 because it is so potent by comparison).  Combine all of these in a bowl, add some salt, pepper, and olive oil to taste!

My bit of advice would be to strain the veggies before you add the oil, salt, and pepper.  The natural juices of the veggies cause everything to get soggy and go bad much more quickly.  This way, it will last in the fridge about a week or so, not that it ever lasts that long in my fridge.

What’s your excuse?

The number one thing I hear from people who say they want to get into shape or eat healthy is “I don’t have time!”  I’m now starting to realize that’s also been my excuse.  Every time I lapse, in either my exercise regimen or my diet, I find myself on that same script.

As some of you know, I serve and bartend at a local bar/restaurant which means I work nights and weekends. . . always.  My biggest challenge has always been a regular schedule.  I have no desire to workout before a weekend double, and no desire to cook when I have just worked 8hrs on my feet.  What to do?  What to do?

I never packed my lunch when I was a kid (sorry mom, if you made me sammiches and i  just don’t remember) so I am making up for that now.  Here is my first attempt at this “meal prep” business I hear so much about:

1) Get some good groceries!

Since I moved a few weeks ago, I am within walking distance of one of my favorite local farmers markets.  Tis the season to take advantage of what your local farmers have to offer.  The best tomatoes, potatoes, apples, and beans you’ll ever cook, are locally grown and sold.
Above is just a trip to Kroger.  I always go in with a game plan. 1) have a list.  2) have meals in mind, this keeps me from buying random foods then still having no idea what to eat! 3) shop around the OUTSIDE edges of the store; produce, meat counter, organic and health foods.  The only time I really walk down aisles is for peanut/almond butter or canned/frozen veggies and beans.

2) Plan out what you want to eat, decide you’re willing to eat that same things for a few days, and figure out how much you need.  Now I knew I could handle eating the same thing as long as it was tasty if I could feel good about eating it.

The meal I decided on was 1/2 of a seasoned chicken breast with some brown rice and broccoli, accompanied by a side of orange and green bell peppers and cherry tomatoes.

My tip: shop at TJ Maxx or Homegoods for spices! (thanks for that one Dad ❤ )  This bottle of Rosemary & Basil seasoning salt was only $3.99.  You can’t buy cinnamon at Wal-Mart for that price!  You may not find some of your more basic spices and rubs there but you will find great deals on all the fancy oils and seasons you can get your hands on for awesome prices.  As a recent college graduate without a REAL job yet, that’s saying a lot.

As for my veggies, I’ve become fond of steamer bags.  Not the nasty mixed vegetable medley (yuck!) but rice, broccoli, or corn.

 

 

Finally, after 45 minutes of slicing, seasoning, baking and making a huge mess, I finally had elements ready to package up!

 

 

 

 

By the end, I had 5-6 dinners with accompanying snacks.  When I had to work 5pm-1am there was nothing more satisfying than popping one into the microwave and having a homemade meal ready in less than 5 minutes.  Step one of conquering my excuses, done!