Day 12 - Cleansing - Wednesday

Prepping for Thursday...back to school

Tuscan Bean Dip. Salmon Patties. Edamame Succotash.

First drain and rinse the beans. I chose to use black beans.

I only recently learned how to spell vegetable correctly!

I love it.

I am a huge fan of the Balsamic Vinegar! (I think I'll add more next time.)

I only used half the amount of basil it called for, and it was perfect.

I'd say this is a pretty guiltless bean dip. I think you could get away with only

using one Tsp. of olive oil, instead of two.

The plan is to dip veggies in it. The beans will be filling and

this will be a nice change of pace on the snack front. 

Next Up: Salmon Patties

I found this recipe on simplyrecipes.com.

In the scheme of things, the only thing that took time was dicing the peppers (red & green) and the green onions, but mixing and cooking it took no time.

Make patties and place in olive oil to cook for about 3-4 minutes on

each side on medium-high heat.

I was able to make 5 patties from the mix.

Man, what a hit. To think the basis of this meal was canned salmon just amazes me.

I won't add a whole Tsp. of salt next time. You can salt it according to your own taste.

It's a potent little patty.

I need a new vegetable...

I'm getting tired of peppers and lettuce.

Welcome succotash!

This is the simplest dish to make!

I found it on recipe.com

Surprising ingredients, which is why this little veggie dish caught my eye:

• Salsa
• Edamame
• Vegetable Stock

Well, I am well pleased with myself. I have three entirely new dishes to either make a meal out of, or just a nibble. Tuesday and Thursdays are my busy days. This should make it a little easier, while still keeping it healthy.

Day 9 - Cleansing - Sunday

Breakfast:

This one is straight from my Daddy. He always recommends (more like guilts me into it) having tomatoes on my egg sandwiches. But, it really does enhance the flavor.

I used Roma tomatoes (I would suggest using a different breed).

I'm still learning portions, because I used to eat much bigger portions in all the wrong ratios.

I usually double up my egg sandwich (2 fried eggs) to ensure that I wouldn't be hungry once at work. Well, that did not work as well this morning. I couldn't even finish my second half before I was stuffed. So just one egg next time.

Also, I resisted the temptation to add cheese, but I felt like it would be okay to smear just a tiny bit of mayonnaise on one slice of bread.

Lunch:

A salad with some fruit in it wasn't going to cut it today.

I was hungry for something a little heavier...black beans did the trick.

I just used my leftover sauteed green peppers and onions (with garlic) and some chedder cheese to combine with the black beans and it was delicious. I used a wonderful spinach and herb wrap as well. Here I resisted the urge to incorporate sour cream (darn).

Dinner:

This was the easiest recipe ever. Really quick, except for the 1 hr. it takes to bake.

It's turkey meatloaf!

It's Ellie Krieger's recipe on Food Network.

I have saved a dozen recipies by her...so prepare for some Ellie Krieger to hit the fan!

This is not my photo, I was too lazy to take my own. In her recipe it takes to make patties (about 6) so it's good to help regulate portions.

To make this even better (because I thought it could use a little more tomato-something) I sauteed spinach leaves with garlic, and tomatoes in olive oil, then placed on top. It was MUCH better that way.

This meal was great because it provided something Warm to eat. Finally. I've noticed with all this healthy eating that you can eat so many cold-based meals, so this was a nice change.

Also, good for leftovers!