Tonight, I was determined and inspired to bring one of my 2012 resolutions to life: cook a homemade meal for Bo and I at least once a week.
This sounds like a simple task since there are five week nights in a week and that means I only have to cook 20% of the time, but it’s a very common week when we order in or pick up takeout every night due to our busy schedules, empty fridge, or lack of motivation. Even though we didn’t land back in NYC last night until past 9pm, I made a shopping list for the week last night and printed it out so I could reference it at the grocery store today. In addition, being able to leave work at 5:30 on a Tuesday made going to the grocery store and cooking much less daunting on a week night.
By 6:30 I was home and unloading four bags of groceries; enough ingredients for four weeknight meals as well as the components for breakfasts, lunches, and snacks.
Bo and I are lucky to have a kitchen which includes a microwave, dishwasher, and oven as many New Yorkers do not have these simple kitchen items which many Americans take for granted each day. The time I spent in the kitchen tonight was more relaxing than I remembered and was a wonderful way to relieve a Monday’s worth of stress.
Tonight’s menu was very simple and a perfect way to ease into week night cooking.
Menu
Simple salad (lettuce, tomatoes, herbs, shallots, salt, pepper, and Annie’s low fat dressing)
Steamed green beans dressed in Garlic Gold and olive oil
Grilled pork chops rubbed in Rub with Love
I referenced an old favorite cookbook of ours, Weber’s Real Grilling, for the pork temperatures and cooking times. If you find yourself grilling often, indoors or out, I highly recommend this beautiful cookbook. It is a dummies guide to cooking delicious meats and vegetables and after five years of use we’ve yet to find a recipe we don’t like.
Ten minutes later, from start to finish, dinner was plated. The pork chops only took 7 minutes to cook and I steamed the green beans at the same time. While the pork chop rested, I made my simple salad and set a place at the table.
Also, as part of the Food Journal 30 Day Challenge, I will be logging all my bites, nibbles, and meals on Weight Watchers. During my original weight loss journey, during which I lost more than forty pounds on Weight Watchers I tracked my food at least five days each week. I think this will be a great way to keep myself accountable as I begin training for my upcoming half marathon and focus on returning to my Lifetime Weight Watchers goal weight (150 pounds). I’m trying to figure out an easy way to share this with you each day so please let me know if you have any suggestions. For now, all I know is to snap a picture of my journal.
Question: Are you interested in seeing my food journal on my blog daily?
