Boston Marathon 2013

Sooo, I have never run a marathon. I have run several 5k events and lately I have been running (and by running I mean wogging) 5 miles a few times per week. It’s such a wonderful feeling of accomplishment to finish and it always makes me feel like I can do anything, like there is promise just up ahead.

Which, is why (among many reasons) I think I feel so terrible for the victims of this Boston bombing. I can only imagine that so many of the runners probably trained so hard to participate in what was likely a life changing event, only to have it marred by this terrible, terrible tragedy.

I just can’t understand why people do terrible things. It’s truly hard trying to explain to your children why people would act this way. I know there is no answer but I’m hoping that the runners will soon run again. Also, I hope they know that while its easier said than done, the best revenge is to keep doing what you love….to run the next race and see the next finish line!

Congrats to all of the participants of the 2013 Boston Marathon, let not this shameful, vile, disgusting act of horror diminish what you have done! Sending true love and well wishes to the city of Boston, all of it’s residents and of course the victims & runners!

It’s Been A Long Time, I Shouldn’t Have Left You

Hi world! How are you? Me? I’m fine…well fine as you can be for someone who has had her world slightly upturned. Anyway, I’m not one to cry over spilled milk. That’s not to say I don’t cry over other things. However, I am not one to wallow, tarry and toil. I am one to work for what I want and what I deserve. So that’s that. On another note, I know I have neglected my baby blog but….ummm I’m back. Don’t know how long I will be back but I’m back. So Pennylovers let’s talk. I always love to talk about food but my pantry has many types of spices so feel free to crash the party with your favorite subject. I look forward to chatting with you. Oh, don’t forget to go on your Facebook site and like my page http://www.facebook.com/pennylovesblog . Thanks so much!

My Greek Inspired Chicken Dinner.

Tonight’s dinner was my version of a Greek inspired dish. It was simple and full of flavor. I simply took 2 chicken breast and sliced them so that they were about 1/4 inch thick. Then I lightly seasoned the chicken. You can use your favorite seasonings. I used a combination of black pepper, paprika and sea salt. I also added a little of the Wegmans Basting Oil. I actually used this basting oil for almost all of my dishes.

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I then sautéed it in extra virgin olive oil. I cooked the chicken for 5 minutes each side until it was golden.

I then wrapped it aluminum foil and put it in a 400 degree oven and let it cook for another 10 minutes. While the chicken was cooking in the oven, I threw in the naan bread. Note, I literally threw it in the oven directly on the racks and let it stay for 3-5 minutes until it was golden brown.

The chicken and naan were cut and placed on a platter that included cucumbers, brushetta, feta cheese, pesto and grapes. I also served a side of Kashi 7 Whole Grain Pilaf. The combination was a flavorful and enticing to the tastebuds.

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Hey all I just want to say thank you to all who read my little blog. I promise to try to keep it update. Please go to my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pennylovesblog and hit like to stay update of all my dinner creations. I love your feedback and discussions. So please go to my Facebook page and hit “like” http://www.facebook.com/pennylovesblog . Thanks so much:)

Kashi 7 Whole Grain Pilaf: A Whole New Way To Enjoy Whole Grains

Today I had a pleasant culinary surprise. I tried this Kashi 7 Whole Grain Pilaf and it was delicious. I was nervous about it being dry and rock hard. However, it was quite tasty. Now, I did boil it in chicken broth and I also added a teaspoon of the Wegman’s garlic parmesan cheese finishing butter. So, I definitely think doing those things added flavor. I also cooked it for 30 minutes instead of the recommended 25. It ended up being a tasty side dish and a nice healthy alternative to white rice and pasta.

A Culinary Tribute To Biggie…

It was all a dream, I use to read Cooking Light magazine… Rachel Ray & Nigella on the FoodTV screen. Hanging at Williams & Sonoma in the mall, getting my recipes and hanging them on the wall.

Way back then I had the George Forman from the infomercial, but never got the chopper from that one commercial.

Now I bake fish till the bubbles pop, pick my veggies from the best crop… And if you don’t know, now you know…Foodies, uh.

You know very well who you are, don’t let them hold you down, reach for the stars, you had a goal, but not that many… Cause you’re the only one I’ll cook halibut and penne…Juicy!

My Meal Planning Follow Up

Well, I must admit that while planning my meals in advance was a great tool in helping me to stay organized, I didn’t quite stick to the plan the entire week.

However, I will say this was quite a learning experience and I think the more I attempt planning my meals, the more successful I will be.

A few of the things that thwarted my efforts were:

•Not having all of the ingredients in stock. While I was writing out my menu, I should have also been writing a grocery list. In the future I’ll try to have my plan written before Sunday so I can buy all of the ingredients for my menu when I go grocery shopping.

•Not making enough food for leftovers. Well, technically I did make extra food. However, my husband ate it for his lunch the next day. So going forward I will keep this is mind so that I’m not thinking dinner is in the fridge, when it isn’t.

•Not taking into consideration that we had plans for Friday and Saturday. I think my menu will always have a takeout or rotisserie chicken day. This will be for those days when there is a Parent Teacher Night, practices, Holiday parties or whatever is going on at the time. My goal is to write down a list of places that has quality takeout that I can buy when I truly have no time
to cook. I am not a fast food fan so I’m thinking that my favorite grocer’s (Wegmans) salad bar, the rotisserie chicken dinner special sold at Whole Foods and the Thai restaurant that we enjoy, will all be on that list.

So, hopefully my next Menu Planning attempt will be even better. Of course, this experience was not a failure by any meals. I did manage to adhere to the following menu on Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday I switched it up and opted to serve a grilled chicken salad instead. I did this because I realized that Meatloaf takes too long to prepare the day of. However, later that night after the kids were in bed, I made the turkey meatloaf and it was served on Wednesday. On Thursday we did have the Quesadillas with various leftovers. On Friday & Saturday we had social events so I did not cook.

So all in all I think it went fairly well and I look forward to planning more often. Below are a few of the pictures I manage to snap of the dinners. Hope my experience helps you and I would love your feedback or ideas on how you plan out your weekly meals.

•Beef & Broccoli Stirfry
~~I used beef short ribs (which I cut into 1/2 inch cubes) for this dish because it cooks quickly and is quite tender.

•Grilled Chicken Salad
~~As you all know, I love making salads. They are quick, healthy and easy to make. Plus it’s a great way to add in lots of vegetables.

•Turkey Meatloaf
~~Making your meatloaf the night before allows all of the flavors to combine so that it’s perfect when you serve it the next day. It also makes it easier to cut.

A Failure To Plan Is A Plan To Fail…Time For Me To Plan My Meals.

Believe it or not, I’m really bad at planning my meals for the week. Which, usually leads to me trying to figure out what’s for dinner as I’m driving home from work. Even worse, that leads to me having to stop at the grocery store on the way home because I’m usually missing one or two ingredients. Having to go to the grocery store at the last minute usually ends up costing me more money and time. I try to work out 5-6 days per week. So if I have to stop at the grocery store then I am usually unable to workout and still have time to cook dinner.

So this week I’m going to try and plan for the week. Do you plan for the week? What’s on your dinner menu this week?

My Menu For The Week:

Sunday~ Shrimp Al forno with mashed sweet potatoes and spinach. Monday~ Beef & Brocolli with bean sprouts.
Tuesday~ Turkey meatloaf with mushrooms and yellow rice.
Wednesday~Hopefully leftovers with a garden salad.
Thursday~ Quesadillas with cheese and whatever is left in my refrigerator.
Friday~Naan Pizza and Salad.
Saturday~Turkey Meatballs & angel hair pasta.

I have high hopes for following through. I will update everyone and let you know how the week goes. I must say that by just writing down my plan I feel like I’m already ahead of the game. Sunday’s dinner plan was done earlier than usual because I had planned for it. I also took out the beef and the ground turkey for Tuesday and Wednesday’s dinner. This way both of those items will be defrosted when I choose to use them. So, cheers to starting off the week with a plan.

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