Done.

I'm exhausted and irritated and really really really ready for the weekend.

Oh, it's Monday morning.  So I have a long time to wait.

I just am so tired.  I have had a full house since Thursday afternoon and it's still full.
Tonight things will return to normal but I am just so tired.  So, so tired.

This week's menu:

Monday: 
Turkey meatloaf, Steamed Potatoes and Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

Tuesday:
Tilapia on Winter Greens and Tomato Couscous 
Beef and Broccoli
(We've made Tilapia just like this before and it was not our favorite... so we substituted for beef and broccoli instead - which is super good and I only needed to get two ingredients)


Wednesday:
Portobello Pizza and Side Salad

Thursday: 
Two Bean Turkey Chili
(We're going to use ground beef for the chili, because we have a LOT of it already!  I did get ground turkey for the meatloaf, but it saves us a little bit of money to use what we've got already!)


Friday:
Mushroom Pasta and Cucumber & Bell Pepper Slices


... something else really exciting... I made a whole freakin' chicken yesterday.  Then guess what I did... made my own stock!!  Well... am making... it's in the crock pot ready for me to come home and finish!  I'm pretty excited about that.  I just need to spend this morning calming myself down and unwinding or else I am going to go absolutely batshit on someone who probably doesn't deserve it.

I'm just so tired.

Just Let Me Stay!

Ok so today was one of those mornings.  I used to have them ALL THE TIME - but now they are few and far between.

The alarm goes off at 5:15, like usual.  I hit snooze, like usual.  The alarm goes off again 9 minutes later.  Usually at this time I get up and walk to the other side of the house to get my fitness on... but not this morning.

I decided it was much more important to stay in bed and cuddle with husband.  

So that's what I did.  I wish I could say I got more sleep, but I just kind of tossed and turned while "the freshman" was stuck on repeat in my head.  Once I heard the coffee maker beep that the coffee was done (6:20-ish) I got up and decided to make breakfast.  Fried some eggs and made some toast for Brandon, scrambled up a breakfast burrito for myself, and we sat there at the kitchen table and ate breakfast and watched the news and drank coffee and it was awesome.

After breakfast I was cleaning up the kitchen and just hated the fact that I had to go get dressed and head to work.  What I wanted to do was pack husband a good healthy lunch, and then get our nonexistent kids ready for nonexistent school, and then drop them off, and then run errands, and vacuum the living room and do a load of laundry, and then go run or go lift or both, and then pick the nonexistent kids up, and then get started on dinner...

I was talking to Kristin the other day about how I feel guilty wanting to be a SAHM so badly... and how I feel like it's a "waste of my education"... and she said "Just the fact that it is a decision you will make and not something you HAVE to do because you have no other options proves that you are educated".  I love her.

While being a SAHM isn't anywhere in my near future (we don't even remotely have kids, so right now I would be a SAH-wife and that's ridiculous)... it still kind of bums me out that I'm not one yet.  I may never be one.  And that's okay... it just kind of sucks.

So yeah, this morning was one of those mornings.  I kind of just wanted to sit in the corner and pout, "just let me stay at home and cook and clean and stuff!!!!!"

(DISCLAMER: I know if I am able to do this one day, I'll probably complain about missing what I have now.  I know.  You don't have to tell me.  :-) This is my blog and I'll whine about whatever I wanna whine about!!)

*sigh*

OK.  ON TO FOOD!  (Because I know you're dying to know what we've been eating...)

Monday - Honey Lime Shrimp with Tomato & Cucumber Salad.

YUM!!  It didn't look like much, but man that shrimp and quinoa had a TON of flavor!!!  I also liked the tomato & cucumber salad, but I think it would be better in the summer (because it was cold)... we had no leftovers.

Last night - Veggie tacos.  

Another win.  Brandon LOVED these!  And I learned a new trick with corn tortillas - brush them with a little bit of olive oil, warm them up on a skillet... and they wont crumble into a thousand pieces.  I always get nervous when I cook a meatless meal that it won't be filling enough... but it sure was.  We have a bunch of leftovers that I will be eating for lunch today (as long as B didn't take them!)

Delish.

Tonight is chicken enchiladas.  I'm pretty stoked about this recipe - and it's crazy because all the prep work is already done.  Sauce is made, chicken is cooked... all I have to do is put them together and stick them in the oven! 

Day 5 Fail

MAJOR FAIL.

I totally didn't take a picture of the beef and broccoli - and it was so picture worthy - and delicious - and I failed.

I failed mostly because I had a girlfriend come over for a glass of wine at about 5:00..... and she left at about 11:00 after several glasses.  We had a blast.  She is fantastic.  I have a lot of good friends, but every once and a while I will meet someone and we will immediately be BFFs.  That's what happened with Catherine when we moved to Dallas... and that's what happened with Ashley.  She's just one of those.  I adore her.

Even though she made me forget to take a picture of my beef and broccoli.

Anywho - on the topic of food... here's Saturday's creation:

Not on the meal plan, Brandon and I just threw this meat sauce together.  It was pretty good... not super healthy... but it was yummy!

I was so excited to start the meal plan for real this week... I started a day early!  Well, my aunt is coming to town on Thursday and my guess is we will go out to eat either Thursday or Friday night, so I wanted to get a jump on the week to give us an extra day.

Last night - Chicken and Dumplings.  

I made dumplings.  FROM SCRATCH!!!  Yeah, I know.  I'm awesome.

my dumplings.  NOT cute... but they tasted good.  Next time, I would make them smaller... and maybe make the dough in advance and give it some time in the freezer or something to harden up so they are easier to shape...

YUM.

I actually cooked up a storm on Sunday doing the prep work for this week.  I made enchilada sauce for Wednesday's enchiladas, and I made the quinoa for tonight's shrimp and Thursday/Friday's sausage casserole.  AS WELL AS making the chicken and stock for the chicken and dumplings.  And extra chicken that I will use for the enchiladas. 

Here's my sauce!  There's a LOT of it, and I really hope the enchiladas don't swim in it because it didn't get as thick as I wanted it to...... stay tuned.

Fun times.  I'm so into cooking right now it's not even funny.  LOVE it.  AND I'm glad that I have been able to have enough time for it.  Not to mention I've been great about my workouts - morning circuits and afternoon runs.  I'm finally back in that spot where I enjoy it again and it's putting me in such a good place mentally...... aaaah.  :-)

Day 4

Meh.

Wasn't great.

Can't win 'em all now can we??

And it wasn't mustard greens I had, it was collared greens.  I used too much red pepper and they were too spicy for my taste.  I think I would have liked some type of seasoning on the fish itself.  It wasn't BAD... it just wasn't anything special.  

I did sign up for the program yesterday, so I am just beyond excited.  Next week's plan should be posted sometime today and I can't wait! I am going to go grocery shopping first thing on Saturday morning.  

Fun fun fun fun fun.

I also think I am going to get a pedicure today.  I haven't had one in almost 2 years.  How sad is that?  I got one with Kristin the day after I left my job in Dallas... a LONG time ago.  I was going to get one with my mom on my birthday, but didn't.  Well....... I think I am going to do it today!  As long as I leave the office early enough and get a run in this afternoon.  Then I'll go if I have time.  I hope I have time.  My toes deserve it... and my dang fingers do too.... maybe I'll do both my fingers AND my toes.

Tonight is beef and broccoli.  I'll try to post about it on Saturday, but I don't spend much time on the computer over the weekend so chances are you will hear all about it on Monday!

XOXO

Day 3

Aaaaaaand... we're sold.  Last night Brandon got on board and is totally okay with me paying the membership fee to do this meal plan every week.  We're going to start out with the three months, and if I stick to it and we love it, then we will cave and buy a whole year.  Last night's dinner was just as super awesome as the previous nights.

Veggie Tostadas.  HOLY YUM.  They were fantastic.  The only thing I would have changed is the beans.  I heated them up but had a hard time mashing, so they weren't as spreadable as I would have liked them to be.  But still though, it was SO good.  

I was extra proud that I was able to make tortillas that could hold up to the massive quantity of deliciousness I placed on top of them.  Sorry I look like poo ..... I had just ran, and I would have smiled bigger but my tooth was out.  Because I can't eat with it in.  Wah.

I'm digging writing about our dinners... It may be boring to everyone else but it's so much fun for me.  AND that's what this blog is about. ME!

Tonight is fish and greens.  I'm cooking mustard greens for the first time and honestly it's a little overwhelming.  I have a lot of them in my fridge and they have been staring at me all week.  Fingers crossed that it's good...... but judging by what this week has been like so far, I'm not too worried.