Menu Plan Monday! ...errr Tuesday :)

• Monday: Baked Asian Chicken, Brown Rice & Zucchini casserole, homemade applesauce
• Tuesday: Taco Salad
• Wednesday: Chicken Parmesan, sautéed Asparagus
• Thursday: Veggie Lasagna (if I’m feeing ambitious)
• Friday: My hubby usually surprises me with bringing home pizza or some other such yumminess because he knows how much I don’t feel like cooking by the time I get home from work on Friday night!
• Saturday & Sunday: To be determined

My dearly-beloved & I are trying hard to eat healthier and be more aware of what goes into our mouths (…and stomachs). Portion control, better ingredients, lots of fruits & veggies, plenty of water, and exercise (when we can squeeze it in) all play a roll. But let me tell ya, it’s a lot of work! Making stuff from scratch instead of just pulling out Cream-of-Mushroom soup to dump over some chicken, or a container of Cool Whip for a dessert takes time, planning, and energy. But it’s SO worth it because we end up feeling better, have more energy, plus the satisfaction of knowing what actually went into our system was good for us. In addition to the above menu, I’ve been experimenting with healthy energy smoothies, easy-but-healthy breakfast foods (muffins, bars) to grab while we’re running out the door for work in the morning, and trying to make sure there are healthy alternatives to chocolate & chips in the house! So far so good. This has whole endeavor has been a work-in-progress for me over the past year but every once in awhile I get reenergized with inspiration and I set to work on it full-force again. What really surprises me is how good you can make healthy stuff taste! The Rice & Bean casserole I made last night was delicious and completely healthy! It had carrots, zucchini, beans, rice, and seasonings, and although it looked healthy, it was amazingly good! “Healthy” food has been stereotyped as being boring and either flavorless or icky. This doesn’t have to be the case! Don’t get me wrong, I love Ranch dressing, sour cream, cream cheese, brownies, ice cream and Doritos as much as the next person (maybe more so…LOL), but there are things that are more important and that I love more than those things. Like taking care of my husband, giving him the best start to his day that I can, and helping us both look better, feel better, and trying to care for what God has entrusted to us – each other. That does not mean that I never eat those foods I enjoy – quite the opposite actually. Did you see the Friday menu…that it often includes pizza? Yeah, I adore pizza, but I try to only have two slices. I might enjoy a brownie or cookie out, but I rarely make them myself so there isn’t a whole pan sitting around. Portion control is a big part and learning not to be controlled by the food. I am a work-in-progress, ever pressing forward on this road of life, striving each day to do it a little better, make improvements in the areas I fail, and trusting God for the strength in all things, for I can do nothing on my own. What do you do to avoid the temptation of “favorite” foods that you know you’ll end up eating more of than you should?

My own version of Fashion Friday

I was very excited to learn this morning that the color Red is listed as one of this fall’s top fashion “trends.” To be a current trend, that would usually imply that it wasn’t one previously, which apparently I was rather clueless about since I love red and wear it quite often. Or maybe I just didn’t care that it wasn’t “in.” That being said, all of us red-loving-people will fit right in this fall with our already red wardrobe. Leggings, of all fabrics and patterns, are also one of this fall’s trends (a continuation from last year I’m assuming) but that is definitely a trend I’m leaving on the shelf. Here is a couple ideas of how to incorporate Red into your life:

Try these shoes like these for a dressy night out

You could sport a cute bag with a pop of red in it, adding a bit of pizzazz to a weekend outfit

You could sport a red apron for your days in the kitchen:

Or you could go for the classy red dress, which is always a fun thing to have available in your closet (red car not included).

What are some of your favorite colors to wear?

Directionally-Challenged

I have a love/hate relationship with technology, but for the most part, I love it. There are times I can’t imagine a world without cell phones and computers, but there are also times when I would like to just throw them out the window. I sit in front of a computer for 8 hours a day, and feel tethered to my cell phone because we don’t have a landline in our house. All that being said, this post in all its shallowness, is about my iPhone, probably my most favorite piece of technology ever.

My hubby bought me an iPhone last summer, about two months before we got married. They have endless capabilities, the apps are loads of fun, and he had one so of course I thought the idea of us having matching phones was great. But the real reason for the purchase was because it had built in GPS (that being significant because I get lost in my own town on a very regular basis). He informed me that because he wouldn't be able to be by my side every waking moment even once we were married, at least my very-cool iPhone could be there, and it would cut down on my long drives down random streets because I got lost trying to find the dentist office or friend's house. And as usual, my husband was correct. Since bonding with my beloved iPhone, I have saved hours of frustration and developed a renewed sense of confidence in my navigational abilities, not because I'm personally any better at knowing which way is East, but because of that little piece of technology that goes with me wherever I am. Thanks honey, for always making sure I’m taken care of. Does anybody else struggle with being directionally-challenged?