Menu Plan Monday ~ August 30

First week of menu planning was great! I totally, totally, totally LOVE coming home from work, having groceries in the kitchen and having a plan. It rocks and it shall continue.

Not all things happened exactly this past week. For instance, on Wednesday, I was supposed to make acorn squash and didn’t get home until 8. So, that wound up being a Lean Cuisine. I wanted to spend Sunday trying the butternut squash, but MC needed to run some errands. She started at UNC this past week so I picked her up and we had some Sunday Funday Tacos. YUMMY!

I also tried a Tomato Turkey Sausage Pizza on Friday night with Kara. It’s a recipe from Cooking Light (sorry, but I can’t find it online). Potential is there. I think I need a different, thicker crust so the tomatoes can cook longer and get wrinkly without the crust burning. Then, it would be spot on.

And, of course, an oldie but a goodie.

Well, that’s that and here’s this week’s menu plan. I did it in 30 minutes, so I’m not 100% sure I’m totally excited about everything I’m cooking. But, all in all, this week was pretty easy to plan. Last week’s girl’s dinner was pushed out a week so there’s Thursday and we have a four day weekend on the horizon! Mr. Huff is turning 30 and we’re planning on celebrating with him at Lake Norman.


Monday: Grilled Halibut with Peach and Pepper Salsa, Salad

Tuesday: Barbecue-Rubbed Pork Chops, Cucumbers Vinaigrette

Wednesday: Grilled Chicken and Lemon Salad

Thursday: David’s Noodle Bar with the girls

Friday: Huff Island

Saturday: Huff Island

Sunday: Huff Island

Did anyone else start menu planning? If so, how did it go?

I Just Have To Say

Last night was one of the most stress-free, nice, relaxing nights of my life.

Leaving work at 5:30, heading home, not having to stop at the grocery and figure out what to eat.  Going straight home and having a plan was the. best. thing. EVER.

And, I'm whipping up my Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Shiitake Mushroom Sauce (which were pretty tasty yet I failed to take a picture) when a friend of mine calls.  Hey, I'm cooking dinner.  Wanna come over?  Awesome I tell you.

This morning, I put out my chicken to thaw.  I plan to leave work at 5:30, head home and get to cookin.'

I'm soooo keeping up this menu planning thing.  If it kills me.

DJ Got Us Falling In Love Again

If you haven't heard it, what are you waiting for? 

Menu Plan Monday ~ August 23

Hi, friends. It’s been a while, but I’m back. I’m alive and I’m well.


I know I owe you some details into how my personal training is going (which has been going for almost five months and I’ve YET to tell you anything about it).

Well, let’s stop the small talk and get to it shall we?

My trainer Barry (or Bo Barry Biscuit as I call him) is always getting onto me about my diet habits. They are no good. He’s always saying it’s ‘80% diet, 20% exercise.’ I told him that I begged to differ. I think it’s ’90% diet, 10% exercise.’

But, I love food. I love to watch Food Network. I love to read cookbooks. I love to try new foods. I love to eat at neat restaurants.

However, I do not love to sit down and make a plan. Lack of planning is hurting me. I spend many a night leaving work at 7:00 wondering what in the world I’m going to eat. So, I do one of two things. I pick up take-out or I simply don’t eat. I went through a spell of not eating dinner. Not good.

Over the past few weeks, I keep saying to myself and friends that I need to plan my meals. I need to plan my meals. Well, I said it to Shelly and she said ‘Me too! Let’s do it and hold each other accountable!’ She’s my friend that loves to do stuff like this that all my other friends are like “you wanna do what?” That’s why I love her!

Here are the house rules we came up with:

1. We menu plan for dinners only to start with.

2. We load our menu for the week on our blog on Monday mornings (see Menu Plan Monday hosted by orgjunkie.com).

3. We are required to confirm that we have stuck to our meal plan (blog/post pictures of our meals as we go or on our next Monday menu plan post, we recap the previous week). Sure we can abandon a meal here or there, but this will help us stick to it.

So, here you have it. My first Menu Plan Monday. I’m excited and hope to make it better as time goes on.

A few things to point out about my first meal plan. Barry tries to get me to eat only protein after 5:00 p.m. I did it for a week straight back in July and saw some good results. The downside though is I get bored and then, I pig out. So, I’m going to try to get more creative with it and eat only protein after 5:00 p.m. Sunday-Thursday leaving to weekends free to have fun. So, if a dinner recipe calls for things other than protein, I will probably double the protein, eat only the protein for dinner and take the protein/veggie/side for lunch the next day. Weird, I know. We’ll see if it works and if I can stick to it.

Monday: Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Shiitake Mushroom Sauce, Spinach Salad, New Potatoes


Tuesday: Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Wednesday: Stuffed Acorn Squash

Thursday: David’s Noodle Bar with the girls

Friday: Two-Tomato Turkey Sausage Pizza, Salad

Saturday: Annual Euchre Tournament and Cookout – hot dogs!

Sunday: Butternut Squash Ravioli, Spinach Salad (I’ve been dying to try to make this and I need a lazy Sunday with some time to get it done!)

My Swagger

I just ordered this ottoman from Wal-mart.  I've been stalking it out for months and when it hit clearance, I had to get it.

The plan is to pair it with a hot pink tufted chair a la Krista Ewart.

Play on player.

Why I Run

'Cuz this could soooo happen if I didn't.

Via Lesh's Fat Booth app.

If I Want to Keep a Bobcat in My Coat Closet, I'm Gonna Do That

Three months out from your 30th isn't too far ahead to start planning is it?  So far, there's a trip to the Dominican in the works and I found out today that my favorite comedian Jon Reep will be in Clayton on October 23rd!  Birthday tickets please!  Clayton apparently has a civic center.  Go figure.

Please take a moment to enjoy my favorite bit.

An Email to My Co-workers

Dear Friends,

Throughout the sands of times, there have been many champions distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength who have faced an evil agency whose glory was found in our hero’s destruction - Gadget and Dr. Claw, Optimus Prime and Magatron, Cinderella and the Ugly Stepsisters, Rapport and the BP Zone.

I have my own arch nemesis – the MMC candy jar. Yes. You now know who stole the candy from the candy jar. As I walk to the Situation Room, it whispers its teasing taunts from behind its cabinet door offering ‘just one little indulgence of chocolate, caramel, nougat, peanut goodness.’ One piece leads to another that leads to another. Next thing you know, I’ve fallen off the wagon and headed into a downward spiral of flat belly destruction.

Why should you care, you ask? Because every Batman needs a Robin. Someone to hold them accountable and to keep them in check. Still, why should you care, you ask? Because I’m offering an incentive. Should you catch me pilfering from that jar or its friend The Candy Closet, I will pay out to you $10. Yes. I’m that serious.
We must have courage, Friends. We can’t ignore the danger. We must conquer it.

Thank you for your support.

Faux Jack Rogers

I was ordering my bridesmaid shoes for Lori's wedding and was excited to see that target.com has the faux Jack Rogers back in stock.  I tried to get them a while back and their was nada.  I ordered them in gold to get free shipping on my other shoes and...uh...'cuz I ain't about to use the equivalant of my monthly gas allowance on a pair of sandals.  Maybe a purse, but not sandals.  Use code: MT9ZC7RW at checkout to save 10%! I love an exciting deal!  (Maybe I shouldn't be telling people my shoes are fake?)

We Gotta Make a Change

That's what 2Pac said and that's what I'm doing. 

Last time I was around, I announced that I was hiring a trainer.  Well, thanks to this guy, I'm down seven pounds and 6% body fat.  Holler!

There's been some ups (and a down) and I'm learning a lot about myself in the whole process (which I promise to share if I can get 2 seconds of free time).  But, all in all, I've enjoyed the experience and can't wait for the guns to really blow up!

PS - He's not a scary as he looks although, he does have this sick enjoyment of making me run up a hill with 16 lbs.  Yea.  I said 16 lbs.  Don't mess with me.

Texting With Vicki

Saturday night at Anna's wedding reception

Me: Cupid Shuffle followed by Apple Bottom Jeans. I said 'where's Vic?'
Sticky Vicki: I always miss the party. No Lil Wayne?