3/24: Meals and fitness for the week
Every time we get back from vacation, I’m ready for some home-cooked eats again. It’s fun to dine out, but I often feel like I could make the same things at home, with a much smaller toll on the ol’ wallet. When we got back from La Jolla, I was READY to start making some real dinners again! That is, until I did a poor job replenishing our fridge, the Pilot flew two nights in a row and before I knew it, Liv and myself magically ended up at the Whole Foods hot bar. (For the record, their chicken gumbo soup is amaaaaazing.)
(Lots of girls’ nights lately!)
Then, Friday night we had Sauce.
As delicious as everything was -they have kale salmon salad and the best GF pizza I’ve had in Tucson- I’m ready to get back on the wagon again. I want to cook dinner here at home and start off the week with a full fridge and prepped eats. It’s funny how a short weekend vacation can snowball into eating out every single night. Also, I’ve noticed that with a toddler, I’ve really prioritized errands -our max is two- so I often feel like if we have to go pick up groceries and come home and cook it, why not just skip a step and pick up food that’s already prepared? It’s silly, really.
Here’s what’s on the plan for eats this week:
–Mexican lasagna (I’ve been dying to make some and have had most of the ingredients on hand)
-My uncle’s turkey bolognese sauce with pasta and roasted veggies
-An attempt at Burger Lounge’s quinoa burgers (if they’re successful, I’ll post the recipe!) with sweet potato fries
-Chicken gyros with chopped Greek salad
Plan and prep:
–Tempeh bacon (I blame Jessica for my BLT craving)
-Wash and chop veggies (bell peppers, cucumber, carrots)
-Make Livi some pancakes and oat bars
-Roast chicken
The tentative fitness plan:
-Sunday: Upper body and HIIT
-Monday: OFF
-Tuesday: Runday (aiming for 5 miles)
-Wednesday: Teach Zumba and Barre
-Thursday: Easy cardio
-Friday: OFF
-Saturday: Total body circuit and intervals
What’s on the menu this upcoming week? Any new fitness classes or recipes? I’d love to hear what you’re up to! Last week for March Greens, too!
xoxo
Gina
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This is a really lame question, but I’ve just started cooking, and I was wondering: how do you cook your chicken breasts? They always look so delicious. Mine are usually not so appetizing.
not lame at all 🙂 i just season them with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and whatever spices i’m feeling, and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes. i use a meat thermometer to make sure they’re perfectly cooked
Thank you! I’m really excited to try that now. It will make my salads a lot more versatile.
Oh, and what temp do you cook them to?
165
I need to remember to make some Amazeballs! They are awesome and I always forget about them when it comes to snack planning.
I agree- it is always fun to eat out, but I am ready to get back to cooking after a vacation! I love the way Liv is sitting like you in the picture- so cute! 🙂
what is on the last salad picture?? Beets, goat cheese and tempeh on kale? I couldn’t find the recipe, but that looks amazing! Hook me up with the recipe or whatever it is..looks delish!
yep that’s exactly it! i just cooked the tempeh in olive oil with spicy rub, topped everything with balsamic and oregano. i might have it for lunch again today 🙂
Just found a great recipe for grilled zucchini with cilantro pistachio pesto and salmon! Yummy!
I just prepped a batch of low fat curd cheese savory dip to have around and to dip with raw veggie sticks, plus a pretty eggomelette with peppers for tomorrow morning.
I feel you in looking forward to eat the homemade meals! Eating out is great, but expensive too and sometimes homemade just tastes better! I got a new EMOM (Every minute on the minute) upper body workout from my trainer, will di that twice this week, it hurts, but good 🙂 And I am planning to decrease my Cardio since I read your post this week!
My meal plans are:
TacoBell Crunchwrap Supreme (La Tortilla Factory Wraps and Ground Sirloin)
BBQ Salmon
Chili
Crock pot Italian Beef
and….chocolate covered oreos for a work-lunch.
Just to name a few. 🙂
Your menu for the week sounds amazing! I totally agree that eating at home is often so much better than eating out – the hot bar / salad bar at Mother’s Market is one of my go-to favorites if I’m on the run and don’t have time to cook at home. Thank you for inspiring me to start my menu planning for this week! 🙂
I’ve got an 19 month old and I’m just getting back into proper fitness. Before the baby I worked out with a personal trainer so I’ve never really had to plan my workouts before. I’ve still got twenty pounds to lose (I weight the same now as I did at my six week postnatal checkup). How depressing is that?!
Anyway, do you think the following is sensible?
Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday: 45 minutes of weights (upper & lower)
Monday & Wednesday: 40 minutes brisk walking & an hour of easy-ish yoga
Friday: Rest
Sunday food: smoothie for breakfast, but then we went out for lunch so I had calamari, seafood pasta and red wine followed by carrot cake & coffee. And I’m going to have dessert with dinner. So a cheat day!
For the rest of the week it’s: smoothies for breakfast (protein powder, spinach, blueberries, almond milk etc); homemade organic pitta pizzas for lunch (pitta, tomato paste, veggies, feta); homemade veggie, lamb & chorizo stew for dinner. Dark chocolate every night (a girl’s gotta live, right?), and probably one or two instant coffees with cow’s milk (almond milk does not work in coffee).
On the menu this week is lots of roasted veges, salads and some protein.
Classes this week I will be reaching is barre x, pilates bootcamp, cardio core circuit.
And will be taking 2 Zumba classes and trying to run st least 10 miles minimum this week
Meant to say classes I will be teaching:)
It’s so common to come back from a trip and easily allow our home cooked habits to fall by the way-side, especially when we come back to life in full swing. But I agree that it’s about having a full fridge and pantry otherwise cooking seems SO inconvenient when it’s really not that bad.
I didn’t see any yoga in your weekly fitness plan! 🙂 I know you are strapped for time, and I was thinking that Yoga Glo might appeal to you. It’s a website with thousands of classes, and it has seriously turned my yoga practice upside down. I don’t have access to a studio, so I decided to try the free trial last year. I was instantly hooked! There are classes from ten minutes to two hours, in a variety of styles and levels. I am currently obsessed with Kathryn Budig’s classes. I think she has magical powers. 🙂 It is worth checking out!
i can’t wait to try it!! i’ll probably get in one hot class, but i don’t put it on the plan because i never know if i’ll be able to make it
So excited to try this site!! I’m getting a little tired of yogadownload.com and need some new class choices.
i have been eyeballing Yoga Glo too. I really need to get more yoga in my life and truly can’t afford the studio.
Ooh, I need to prep some good meals for the week. The last couple weekends I failed on the planning thing and have been doing way too much takeout and quick, crappy eats. Time to “clean house” again!
The eats for the week: Homemade chicken noodle soup (we’re all sick) with homemade biscuits, veggie lasagna, shepherd’s pie and greek pasta salad! Can’t wait!
I really need to go shopping today to plan out some healthy meals. I just took a new job much closer to home so instead of getting home at 8 and quickly throwing something together I’ll be home closer to 6 and can take some time to prepare my meals!
That photo of Olivia sitting like you on your lap is too cute! Love your meal ideas for the week. Thanks for the inspiration!
Gina! I’m curious. Do you reuse or wash+reuse your plastic bags? Or does that freak you out (germs and such)? I know this is a random question, but I saw the chicken up there in a plastic baggy. I never know what to do with plastic baggies… I feel like I’m hurting the environment when I throw them out after one use but they also look so scuzzy after they’ve been used and I never know about washing them. Random, but I’d love to hear what you do! (or any other commenters!)
They’re recyclable.
i usually use them for the dogs’ business when we go on walks. that way, they get two uses. otherwise, i’ll take them to target to be recycled
Where I live (Northern Ontario), there are reusable produce bags that are sold for like 2.00 at my local grocery store. I get 5 reusable bags per package. I was feeling super bad about using all those produce bags. Now the thing is to remember every single time I go grocery shopping. But I do have a bunch of plastic ones that I will recycle.
I love the Whole Foods food bar, especially the tofu, but it can get expensive really quick.
I followed the link hoping for the bolognese sauce recipe… sadly, it was just a photo of it. 🙁 Will your uncle let you post it?? Looks delish!
i tried to make it tonight doing what he told me last time but alas, it was not the same. when he’s here, i’m going to ask him to do a video post with me!
I’m so excited for when Josh and I live near a whole foods! We’re moving right by one this summer!
That picture of you and Liv is too cute. As much as I love eating out during a vacation, it’s nice to return home for homecooked meals!
Oh, I remember the days when my boys were really little and my husband was either gone or night flying, we grabbed food a lot then because it was so much easier. Now they are older nd help me make dinner sometimes (especially during deployments!).
that’s good to know! you’re totally right though- for now, it’s just so much easier to go grab something
This week I’m trying out CrossFit with a Livingsocial deal I purchased for the intro classes! Yay for trying out new fitness classes. We did a bunch of (not so healthy) feasting this weekend, so I’m definitely looking forward to stocking our fridge and cooking this week!
I have a pretty awesome quinoa burger recipe – my hubby gets excited when I tell him they’re for dinner:. I kinda of play around with a mix b/w these 2: http://www.workitweariteatit.com/2012/06/13/im-obsessed-with-veggie-quinoa-burgers/ and http://www.chatelaine.com/recipe/vegetarian/quinoa-veggie-burger/ (the 2nd one is where she based her recipe off of). They are deeeelish! Good luck!!
My favorite mexican lasagna recipe is this one from the LA times. The only thing I do differently is cook the corn over high heat until it caramelizes. It’s amazing!
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/07/food/la-fo-mexican-vegetarianrec2-20110407
I see a great salad in my future (mixed greens, beets, feta cheese, tomato, cucumber, and grilled tri-tip with red wine vinegar). Yum. Other than that, I better get planning!
I love eating out, but after doing it too much, I’ve always ready to return to home cooked meals too. This week I have a quinoa white bean and dill salad, salmon with kabocha and brussels sprouts, and a tofu rice bowl on my meal plan!
Hubby was gone this past weekend and was so happy to have a home cooked meal last night. While I love eating out, dining is so much better!
This weekend I did all the meal prep for this week so all we have to do is heat up stuff for dinner and enjoy tons of leftovers for lunches!
I am really looking forward to brinner tomorrow! YUM!!