Days 5-7

This is my first week back at school. I thought I had it all planned out. I packed the large cooler full of all our food and ingredients (or so I thought), brought the recipes, brought the blender and some other items I needed. When we tried to make dinner on Monday I realized I was WRONG! UG! So we have not done so great trying to improvise with this new healthy eating without everything we need. It is so hard living in two places! We have managed a few of the meals and snacks, and done well substituting when we were missing things. Here is what the plan WAS:

Monday - Breakfast: 6 oz. low-fat vanilla yogurt mixed with 2 TBS. granola, 1 TBS ground flaxseed, and 1 TBS sunflower seeds (SUPER YUMMY); Snack: 2 large rice cakes (forgot them, so I used one slice of whole grain bread) and 1/4 avocado or string cheese (the avocado was so yummy); Lunch: Leftover soup, whole grain roll, and small salad; snack: 1 orange (I had an apple because I don't like oranges); Dinner: Baked Cod with Tartar Sauce, 3/4 C. roasted yam, sauteed Swiss chard and 1 C of milk (don't like seafood, so we had baked chicken, forgot the Swiss chard so we had corn, and tried the yam and realized Cameron does not like it and I could only eat a few bites); dessert: fruit smoothie made with 3/4 C. milk, 1/2 C. berries, and ice. It did not have much flavor. Oh well.

Tuesday - Breakfast: 1 serving Puffy Frittata with Ham and Green Pepper (did not bring a utensil needed -- electric hand mixer -- so we just scrambled the eggs, but they were amazing!) **See recipe below** and a slice of whole grain bread with 1 tsp. of nut butter or apple butter; Lunch: 1 C. low-sodium vegetable soup and 1 whole grain pita stuffed with 6 TBS hummus, lettuce, tomatoes, and chopped cucumbers (forgot the cucumbers and the store here does not have pita bread, so I went with whole grain sliced bread -- it would have been delicious though); snack: a peach; Dinner: Pasta Saute -- saute garlic and onion in olive oil, add 2 C. of dark leafy greens and saute for 5-10 minutes. Add 1 TBS of pine nuts, 2 TBS sun-dried tomatoes, and 1/4 C parmesan cheese. Serve over 1 C. cooked whole wheat pasta(forgot the pasta!, but will definitly try this one at a later date); Dessert: 1 sliced apple in 2 TBS vanilla yogurt.

Wednesday: Breakfast - leftover eggs (thank goodness we had some because we woke up 15 minutes before I had to leave to go to work!) We were supposed to have Crepes with Banana and Kiwi, but we will have to do that tomorrow since tomorrow is supposed to be 1 egg prepared any style and a whole grain english muffin with apple butter. Snack: 6 oz. vegetable or tomato juice. Lunch: We did not have what the menu suggests, but had leftovers from Tuesdays dinner. Dinner: Grille dFlank Steak with Chile Tomato Salsa, 3/4 C. brown rice, and steamed asparagus and carrots. Dessert: 1/2 C. sliced fruit with 2 TBS low-fat sour cream or low-fat plain or vanilla yogurt.

***********Puffy Frittata with Ham and Green Pepper (Serves 4)******************

2 TBS butter 8 slices (6oz.) ham, chopped 1 small onion, chopped
8 lrg. eggs, room temp. 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1/4 C. water
1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese (optional, but who wouldn't want it?)

Melt butter in skillet over low heat. Add onion, bell pepper (we used red because I like it better than green), 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the ham and cook for 1 minute stirring occasionally. Transfer to a plate.

Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a medium bowl and the whites in a large bowl. Lightly beat the yolks with the water and the remaining salt and pepper. Beat the egg whites until they form stiff, but not dry peaks. Fold the yolks into the whites.

melt remaining butter in skillet over low heat. Pour in eggs and spread evenly with spatula. Scatter ham mixture and cheese (if using, but why wouldn't you?) over the top, cover, and cook until the eggs are set, for 25 to 30 minutes. Slide the frittata onto a plate and serve immediately (puffiness will subside in 5 to 7 minutes).