Dinner Archives - Miss Everchanging

Categories: Dinner, Friday Favorites, Life

Favorite Five Friday & Potato Arugula Salad

Per the usual, it’s been a hot minute since I created a Favorite Five Friday post. Sometimes, I just feel that my life isn’t worth documenting….like I’m the most boring person ever.

I did fall off of the golf cart last week, but we won’t talk about that…. if you don’t believe me, I have the road rash to prove it. And I blame it on the honeysuckles.

For some of us, quarantine boredom has gotten the best of us. Please tell me I’m not the only one who has made stupid choices during this time.

But since I love reading about other’s lives, I’ll just feel free to share, too. One day I will read my posts and laugh. Or cry.

Or both.

It’s good for us to take a minute to document where we are in life. Everything we go through makes us stronger. Even COVID 19.

We are making history, people!

Before I begin my FFF, I need to catch you up…

A week and a half ago, I got this cutie-pie. Please allow me to introduce baby #4, Zoey Chicken Nuggett Doggett. That’s Nuggett with two “g’s” and two “t’s”- like my soon-ish to be last name, Doggett. I let my future step-daughter name her. Her middle name, Chicken Nuggett, was all me.

Thank goodness I never had a real kid to name.

This week’s Favorite Five Friday…..

1// A Great Baby Check-Up

This week, Zoey got sick. She had a bad case of the dreaded kitten diarrhea. There was no part of it that was fun for either of us. She was a pooping machine for a few days. She felt so yucky.

Fortunately, the vet couldn’t find anything wrong with her. A couple of hundred dollars and a few preventative shots and meds later, I brought the sweet bundle of fur home. She is back to her usual playful self, and we are one big happy cat family.

2// Teacher Appreciation Week Feels

This week was Teacher Appreciation Week. I received the sweetest card in the mail from my principal. Wow, what an awesome thing to find in my mailbox! I also received the sweetest notes on Dojo from several different parents. I don’t do my job for any thanks or appreciation. I teach because I want the kids to have a fun break during the day that focuses on finding beauty in life. Sharing makes me happy. But when I do get a “thank you”, it is unexpected. And my heart overflows with gratefulness.

3// A Healthy New Start

I don’t know about you, but I crave routine and structure. Ok. I admit it. I’m a control freak. This quarantine has made me feel so out of control. I actually sat down on Tuesday and made a menu for the week, as well as a schedule that included exercise, my school work, and a little time for fun. I feel so productive now! I don’t expect to be perfectly disciplined every day, but I do plan to do my best to stay on a regular schedule and to find joy and purpose in everything I do. Check out this easy potato and arugula salad we made for dinner that was so yummy!

4// A New Wedding Date

We were finally able to book a new wedding date. We chose to do it a year out so that hopefully, the virus will be only a distant memory. I will be a June bride again. Isn’t that just the perfect month to marry? I should know because this will be the third time I’ve been a June bride. But no worries! The third time will be a charm and I have saved the best for last. All of my reserved vendors were available for the new date and I’m so grateful! I can’t wait for another full year of wedding festivities! Hello, pool parties, bachelorette parties, and bridal shows! Let’s do it all!

5// Sunday Funday

We had our first official Sunday Funday by the pool. We celebrated a birthday, too! Happy Birthday to Charlotte! I first met Charlotte years ago, when I taught her private art lessons. What a privilege to see this beautiful girl grow into an even more beautiful young lady. I love her sarcasm, her quick wit, and her attention to detail. She and her mom have been such a great addition to my life!

Eric’s kids were also here for the weekend. This is one of the very few pictures I have with Jack and me together. It was after I got thrown into the pool by my brother-in-law. Good times!

You can find this cute Cupshe swimsuit here. I think their sizes run a little large.

I challenge you to find five things in the coming week in which to be grateful. Please comment to share your blessings!

Categories: Dinner

Grilled Romaine Salad

This time of year, us teachers are super busy at school. There are so many deadlines and meetings. But, YAY! There are only 27 more days of school! That’s a good thing because, otherwise, I’m convinced I’d lose my mind. Just this morning, I found underwear in the towel drawer in the kitchen. As much as I wish there were a good story behind my underwear being in the kitchen, it’s only a result of my faulty attempt at multitasking. Although I haven’t checked, I’m sure there are kitchen towels in my underwear drawer. I’m just a one-thing-at-a-time person.

I’ve been grateful to have my fantastic BF cook for me when he’s been in town. I appreciate his love for healthy, low carb food. If you’ll remember from an earlier FB post, I promised to post a recipe for his grilled romaine salad. Yes, you heard me right….the BF grilled lettuce. And it was ever so tasty! The first time he made this salad, he used scallops. Those were amazing as well. There are no measurements. Everything was “thrown together”, so adjust according to your own taste.

Don’t you just love fresh, crisp romaine?

To make the salad, slice the romaine in half lengthwise. Keep the stalk intact. Don’t cut off the bottom!

Drizzle the halves with olive oil. Eric used the extra virgin olive oil. As many times as he explains it, I can never remember the difference between the extra virgin and the extra light. It’s a good thing he’s patient. Add Himalayan sea salt (my favorite) and pepper.

On medium heat, grill the romaine in a single layer for 3 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side for 3 additional minutes. The romaine should feel slightly warm and tender and it will look a bit wilted with a few brown edges. Transfer the cooked halves to a plate.

After peeling the jumbo shrimp, sprinkled them with a little lemon juice. Saute the shrimp on medium high in a tablespoon of butter until they become opaque. Remember that shrimp cook quickly!

While the BF purchases his pans based on quality, I chose mine because they were green and matched the accessories in my kitchen. I adore my green Rachael Ray cookware! You can find a set like mine on Amazon.

Sprinkle the shrimp with dill, old bay, salt, and pepper. I would’ve never thought of that combination, but it was yummy.

Top the grilled romaine with the shrimp, capers, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Everything is better with Parmesan cheese.

As we (he) cooked, we sipped on a little sangria that I made earlier that day. What a perfect meal to end our first pool day of the season!

Enjoy! Happy, healthy eating to you!

Categories: Dinner, Healthy Eating

Brussels Sprouts and Walnuts- I Think I Like You.

Mr. Brussels Sprout, I think I like you.

Recently, due to my interest in holistic cancer prevention, I’ve switched to a mostly plant-based diet. If you are interest in that type of thing, this is a great book that I’m reading, Radical Remission; Surviving Cancer against All Odds. It is very inspiring. Since I’ve began upping the fruits and veggies, I’ve discovered that this way of eating really agrees with me, at least for now. Not only do I feel livelier, I noticed that, for the first time ever, I didn’t experience any allergy symptoms while working outside last Saturday. Coincidence? Maybe not. It could just be that the plant based diet is improving my immune system.

So, back to the sprouts…

I’ve been trying to include more cruciferous vegetables into my diet. I came across a recipe for that called for Brussels sprouts and walnuts. However, the original recipe included maple syrup and some other random stuff. Being that I’m a keep-it-simple-girl and I’m not a fan of maple syrup, I did my own thing. Instead, I used my new Mission Fig Balsamic Vinegar from the Beaufort Olive Oil Company. I purchased my vinegar from the shop in Morehead, but you can also find it here. It ain’t cheap! Good think it only takes a small amount…I’m sure it would be tasty using the regular balsamic vinegar as well.

Yum! I loved the toasty-ness of the walnuts and the bits of browned Brussel leaves. Something about that combination just screams fall! I’m sure they’d be great, too, if you added a little bacon or a few dried cranberries. I always encourage creativity. This recipe is so easy!

First, I cut off the ends of the sprouts and quartered them.

I dropped them into a bowl and drizzled a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar over them. I added a handful of walnuts, sea salt, and pepper.

I spread them onto a foil-lined pan.

I baked them at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. I stirred them half-way through their cooking time.

Oh, the yumminess…

The Health Benefits of Brussel Sprouts:

High Fiber

Vitamin C

Folic Acid (promotes healthy cells)

Antioxidant

Anti-Aging Properties

How do you feel about Brussels sprouts? Yay or nay?

Categories: Dinner, Healthy Eating, Recipes

Maybe Mediterranean Pasta

Carbohydrates get a bad rap. Carbohydrates are like the thugs of the food world. They make you sluggish and fat, right? Let’s not be haters. The right carbohydrates have a place in our diets. They are actually beneficial to our health. That’s good news because who really wants to give up pasta? Whole grain pasta is loaded with fiber. Fiber lowers cholesterol, keeps you full, and actually aids in helping you maintain a healthy weight. I threw some things together for dinner the other night and came up with a tasty dish! It’s not that I was feeling creative. In reality, I didn’t want to stand in line at the grocery store. This sort-of-Mediterranean dish was born out of resourcefulness. I just threw together things that I had on hand.

While my whole grain pasta was cooking, I diced some zucchini, sliced some olives, and popped open a can of diced tomatoes from the pantry. I crisped up a few strips of pre-cooked bacon in the microwave. Bacon is one of the few types of meat I’m willing to eat. I have a strange texture thing with pork and beef. It feels like it grows in my mouth when I chew it. I sauteed the zucchini with a little olive oil on medium high heat.

I drained the pasta, then added it to the pan along with the tomatoes, capers, and olives. I stirred it around until it was thoroughly heated. I don’t normally add a lot of seasonings. For this dish, I added Himalayan sea salt, cracked pepper, and a few red pepper flakes. I considered adding a little wine, but decided against it since I knew I was going to splurge calorie-wise by adding cheese. It’s all about making conscious choices and striving for balance!

Before I served it, I sprinkled the crumbled bacon on top and added a little fresh Parmesan cheese. Bacon and cheese make everything better.

When eating pasta, make sure to watch the portion size as it is more calorie dense than vegetables. Usually, I consider one cup of cooked pasta a serving. If eye-balling it, one cup is about the size of a fist. If that seems inadequate, add a side salad to the meal. I always eat off of a small plate because it tricks my brain into thinking I am eating more. Even if I eat pasta out, I request a small plate. Pasta was meant to enjoy, so chew slowly and savor every bite!

Ingredients:

Serving Size- 2

2 cups of cooked whole-wheat pasta

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 T diced, canned tomatoes

1 T diced olives

2 teas. capers

3 slices of bacon, cooked

Directions:

Boil 1 cup of whole-wheat pasta according to directions on the box.

Dice the zucchini while the pasta is cooking.

Slice the olives.

Saute the zucchini in a splash of olive oil on medium-high heat until it is tender-crisp.

Drain the pasta.

Add the pasta, tomatoes, capers, and olives to the pan with the zucchini.

Heat thoroughly.

Add bacon and grated parmesan cheese before serving.

Do you have any ideas for seasonings or variations? If so, please share in the comments below!

Categories: Dinner

Cabbage Soup for Me

Hooray! Today is the first day of my classes at the Institute For Integrative Nutrition. Can you tell I’m excited? I am showing my school spirit with my new tee! I am so00 looking forward to learning everything that I can about holistic nutrition so that I can help others live healthier, happier lives. Not only will I learn about the different types of diets, I will learn how to create healthy minds, bodies, and souls. Who doesn’t need more happy and healthy in their life?

Not only am I starting school this week, I have been busily preparing for our upcoming cruise. Knowing I will be indulging on the cruise, and since I’ve been indulging in a lot of birthday dinners lately, I wanted to detox and drop a couple of pounds. Although I threw out my scales long ago, I can tell when my weight creeps upwards. I just have that uncomfortable feeling. Dieting can be very tricky, especially for me, since I have had a history with an eating disorder. Any extreme diet, such as the Cabbage Soup Diet, should be used only temporarily, so as to not deprive the body of all of the nutrients it needs. Short term diets can be a great way to kick-start a healthy eating lifestyle because they can help to break the habit of eating sugar and processed foods.

Yesterday, I began the Cabbage Soup Diet. I always do this diet the week before the cruise and the week after the cruise, if needed. The exact diet is here. I don’t follow this diet to the “t”. Instead, I eat the soup for all of my meals (or whenever I am hungry). For dinner, I add a lean protein, such as chicken or seafood, to go with the soup. This is my go-to diet when I feel I need to get back on track with healthy eating. After the five days that I am on the diet, I notice a drastic change in my sugar cravings. Also, I’m not hungry on this diet because I eat soup whenever I feel hungry, even if it’s ten times a day. Because I eat often, I don’t worry about my metabolism dropping, as long as I only do the diet for a few days. As always, you should consult your doctor before starting any diet. And, I don’t promise that it will work for you, because all bodies are different. (I just felt like I should throw that in there…)

Here is my version of the Cabbage Soup Recipe…..

Ingredients:

1 head of cabbage, cut into pieces

1 bunch of kale, torn into pieces (middle stems removed)

1 onion, cut into larger pieces

½ bag matchstick carrots

1 green bell pepper, diced

5 celery stalks, sliced

1 can of diced tomatoes

2 boxes low-sodium chicken broth

Salt, pepper

Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

Parsley

Oregano to taste

Directions:

Throw everything into a huge stock pot.

Add enough water to cover the vegetables.

Bring to a boil on high heat.

Simmer for 2 hours.

Season as needed. (Be creative!)

I experimented with different seasonings by adding them to my individual bowls I reheated, just to switch things up a little. I discovered that I liked adding a little ginger to my soup. Another time, I added turmeric. That was a hit as well. I added crushed red pepper flakes to my soup. Anything spicy speeds up the metabolism! Cruciferous vegetables (such as cabbage, kale, broccoli and cauliflower ) are known as super-veggies. If cabbage and kale could, I’m sure they’d wear a super hero outfit.

Also, I love using the Himalayan salt. It’s actually beneficial to the body and doesn’t have the negative effects of table salt. You can read about it here! I bought my Himalayan salt at our local grocery store.

At the end of my five days, I will know two things for sure.

1. I will be sick of cabbage soup.

2. I will feel better, and hopefully, a little lighter!

Happy Eating!