Cold Weather Cooking

Something about cold weather makes me want to cook.  And on the weekend I like to cook a lot of food to eat throughout the coming week so I can just warm up or add finishing touches for a meal.  Makes our weeknights much easier.
I've also been trying to plan some healthier meals and work out with my Sweatin DVDs.

Thursday was Salad Bar night but we got off work a little early so I had time to put a batch of fresh bread but did not have enough white flour so I tried a recipe in the bread machine book.  

Whole Wheat Rolls were delicious brushed with some honey butter.  Mouth-watering!

Friday was Nacho Bake - like nachos but made in a casserole.  I served it with some warmed black beans to which I added some cumin and garlic powder.  A small salad on the side and it was a meal.

Saturday I made some Creamy Tomato Basil Soup  The Whole Wheat Rolls left from Thursday were great with the soup.  My daughter made some Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter muffins so I splurged and had one for a snack later - after working out.

Today I tackled a couple of the challenging items in the produce basket from last week. Spaghetti squash and pears.  Tom is not a fan of squash so I keep looking for different recipes. Today it was Spaghetti Squash Fritters  Heard no complaint. 

He also does not care for pears - just not a fan.  I made some cooked pears the last time we had them and he said they were pretty good so went with that. Baked Pears with Hazelnut Yogurt Sauce 

Oh and Baked Fish with Mango Salsa.  The fish was just dipped in eggbeaters and then in panko bread crumbs to which I added some Caribbean Jerk seasoning.  For the salsa, I used the recipe from Orange Crusted Salmon with Mango Salsa but left out the tomatoes. I had some diced mango in the freezer that I thawed and used for the recipe.  Not as good as using fresh - but it was okay. 

To get a start on the week, I made some Quick Chicken Curry today too. It made the kitchen smell so good.   We will have it tomorrow evening on rice with some stir-fried snow peas (also from the produce basket) and a small salad.   I enjoy cooking so it was a fun weekend. I also fit in a few movies and finishing a book for our family book club - and of course, the Sweatin DVDs.

Week one of Weight Loss Challenge

I joined a 12 week weight loss challenge on Facebook a week ago.  It has helped me already as I am much more aware of what I am eating and the competition was just what I needed to get me serious about losing those 15-20 lbs that have crept back on. 

And it has me thinking about what I am cooking and looking for lower calorie recipes. I found a real winner today - raves from the whole family. 

Chicken Verde (my name for it) was pretty simple. Using the frozen chicken tenderloins made it even easier.   I thawed the chicken breasts then placed them and the marinade in a big zip-lock bag.  Placed that in the frig for 4 hours.

While the chicken was marinading I worked on other parts of the meal. 

French Bread Rolls was one of those items.  Using the bread machine to mix up the dough makes them really easy.  I brushed these with some beaten egg before baking and they have a nice shiny crust. 

So far I have lost 4 pounds - weigh in tomorrow morning.   At least my pants are fitting a little better.  I don't want to have to go shopping for larger clothes!