Healthy Happy Weekly Menu

Each week Jeff and I sit down and make a menu that includes six dinner items, one big pot of something for lunches and breakfast cookies. Then we make a grocery list and go shopping.

 

I'm sure a lot of you guys out there already have a system in place, but if you don't, here's why you should consider making a menu and grocery list:

• Only one trip to the store per week
• Healthier eating - no eating crap food just because it is convenient and didn't think ahead
• Less food waste  
• Lower grocery bill - you'll buy fewer impulse items when you plan ahead

We write out our menu on the dry erase board in the kitchen and cross off the meals as we make them. It’s simple and efficient.

 

Here’s what is on the board for this week:

 

Menu

1. Grilled fish (farm raised catfish, trout, tilapia, arctic char, or barramundi), roasted butternut squash, and broccoli
2. Eggplant curry (Baigan Bharta) over brown rice
3. Mushroom burgers with roasted winter vegetables
4. Vegetarian lasagna
5. Pizza topped with apple/feta and mushroom/pepper/onion
6. Stir fried vegetables with bean thread noodles and peanut sauce

Lunch: Lentil Soup
Breakfast: Breakfast Cookie

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Returning to Garden. Cook. Write. Repeat.

Hi guys! I've enjoyed my foray into minimalism. It was a good time. I will continue to embrace the simple life and openly explore the balance of too little and too much. However, I miss my food and garden blog. I have all these great recipes and photos to share with you that have been building up over the last three months. Plus I am planning a new garden! Actually lots of garden plans are in the works.


Here's what you can look forward to:

More Vegetarian Recipes Wait until you see the mushroom burgers!

Vegetable Gardening for Small Spaces I'm teaching a class this March and I'll share with you some of the specifics of using the space you have to grow vegetables and herbs.

Worm Composting Kitchen Scraps Why worms make sense for folks living in apartments or condos. I'll show you my wormery and how I use it.

Quick Wholesome Meals: Recipes that come together in 30 minutes that are tasty, affordable and mindful of your body and social impact.

Miniature Gardens Think bonsai, alpine, garden scale trains and fairies. I'm helping the arboretum launch a Railway Garden this spring and it's my job to keep the plants alive and to scale. You can learn what works and what doesn't along with me.

Ideas for Nourishing Packable Snacks and Lunches I have a full time job and I'll reveal to you what I bring to work for breakfast, lunch and snacks that are easy, wholesome and healthy.

Foraging for Wild Fruit, Fungus and Fronds As we head into spring it'll be time to gather fern fronds, wild onions, ramps and wild berries.

Well, I think that should keep me plenty busy.

By the way, what do you think of my new blog design? I'm still working on the heading. If you notice anything that isn't working or confusing let me know. When I'm knee deep in formatting sometimes I miss the obvious.

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Minimal Wardrobe - Project 333

Welcome to the New Year!  Today's my birthday and it felt fitting to start a new challenge.  In my last challenge to reduce what I owned by one third I found some new blogs and people with great ideas about how to live with less.  Here are some of my new favorites:

• Brilliantly Better
• Far Beyond the Stars
• Less Please
• Man vs. Debt
• Roudy Kittens
• Zen Habits

I was particularly enchanted with Be More with Less.  She challenged herself and others with Project 333.  The goal is to only wear 33 items of clothing over a 3 month time period. 

Challenge accepted!  Today after Jeff did all the laundry (Aren't birthday's nice?), I reduced my wardrobe to 33 items.  This was thornier than expected, but after a couple hours of deliberation here's what made the cut:

1. Black Close Toed Heels - Nicole (7.5 M)
2. Black Water Proof Boots - White Mountain (7.5 M)
3. Tan Suede with Lace Cut Outs Ballet Flats - Aerosoles (7 M)
4. Black and Gray Lily Scarf - Merona
5. Browns, Reds and Blacks Knit Scarf - unknown
6. Blue and Green Scarf - Zara
7. Black Pea Coat - London Fog (M Reg)
8. Khaki Fitted Four Button Jacket - Talbots (12)
9. Brown Jacket - Studio by Liz Claiborne (M)
10. Aqua Linen Jacket - Liz Claiborne (M)
11. Jeans Dark Indigo Boot Cut Stretch – Calvin Klein (10/30)
12. Jeans Medium Blue Straight Leg - Relativity (10 P)
13. Jeans 515 Nouveau Boot Cut Medium Blue – Levis (8 S)
14. Jeans 515 Nouveau Boot Cut Slightly Darker Medium Blue - Levis (10 S)
15. Jeans Midrise Boot Cut Medium Blue – Lee (10P)
16. Black Slacks - Classic Blues (13)
17. Striped Blue Button Up Long Sleeves - Fred David (L)
18. Brown Zip Up Long Sleeves - Danskin (LG 12/14)
19. Brown Long Sleeve Line Drawing of Red Lotus on Back Bottom of Shirt - Royal Robbins (L)
20. Pale Green Button Up Sweater ¾ Length Sleeves - Christopher & Banks (M)
21. Green Sweater with Rolled Neck - Christopher and Banks (S)
22. Blue Sweater Cable Knit - L. L. Bean (M)
23. Black Short Sleeve Boat Neck - Merona (M)
24. Coral V-neck Short Sleeve - Old Navy (L)
25. Purple ¾ Length Shirt - Merona (L)
26. Purple Shirt with Embroidery at Neck - Gap (M)
27. Lime Green Tank Top - Mossimo (L)
28. Green Tank Top - Daisy Fuentes (S)
29. Red Tank Top - Maurices (M)
30. Black Tank Top with Red/White/Tan Floral Detail at Neck - unknown
31. Purse, Plum Leather - St. John’s Bay
32. Sunglasses Brown - unknown
33. Black Driving Gloves - unknown

If you'd like to know more about Project 333 check it out here.

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