Budget Success, Health and Bento Boxes !!

I am so excited about my grocery budget ...
read why at my Simple Beauty blog ... go on, I'll wait 'til you get back.

Isn't that cool ??

Another one of our goals for this year is to eat healthy.
We do pretty well already but we want to do better.

I read this book a couple of years ago and found it to be full of lots of really good info. I also subscribe to Dr. Furhman's blog ... it is packed full of lots of good stuff. Recipes too. His website is good too although I think you have to become a member to see some things ... I haven't done that. This section gives you a good synopsis of the book, if you are interested.

So ... the food pyramid below is from his book ... or site ... I don't remember now where I found it. But ... it's how we are trying to eat this year. Lots of fruits, veggies, legumes ... well, look at the pyramid, you'll see.

It makes sense ... eating the food that gives you the most nutrition per calorie ... You don't fill up as fast so you eat more which gives you more nutrition. As opposed to eating the high calorie, low nutritional value foods that fill you up quick and don't give you the nutrients you need ...

As you would have read in my other post that you went to and read before ... right ? You went there, didn't you ? Alright ... go there now. I'll wait. AGAIN.

You back ?

So, you read about how we want to reduce waste. Reduce it to none at all.

One of our strategies is to eat dinner leftovers for lunches. All of us. Kids too. For ages, I've been wanting to get some bento lunch boxes. To make lunches like these or these or these ... But, the boxes are not cheap, so I've not bought them.

Well ...

LOOK . WHAT . I . FOUND !!

At the grocery store !! 50% off ! For $3.25 each. The perfect little bento boxes !! I bought one for each of us and we've used them almost every day since !!

I just love them. Watch for them as I continue my "What's For Lunch ?" series ...

Spanish Tortilla and Salad

Here's what I took to Spanish class last night.
My Aunt Lissa taught me how to make it ~ it's easy peasy !
You can add whatever you like.
For last night I did one with just potato and two with potato and chorizo.
The second one was for my family !
Ok ... here's how you do it !

~Tortilla Espanola ~
Slice a potato, an onion and a few cloves of garlic.
Throw them in a frying pan with olive oil.
I usually let the potato cook a bit before I add the onion and garlic.
You don't want the potato to get too brown so do this on a lowish heat.
(If you are adding chorizo, do it in this step too.)
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat 4, 5 6, eggs ... however many you want ... and a bit of salt.
When the potato is cooked to your desired tenderness, pour it into the eggs.
Then pour that mixture back into your frying pan.
Don't add more oil ... you just use what's already there.
Let it cook 'til it's pretty much cooked through ~ but don't burn the bottom !
Put a dinner plate on top of the frying pan.
Pick up the frying pan and turn it over so now the tortilla is on the plate.
Now, push the tortilla from the plate, back into the frying pan.
IS THIS MAKING ANY SENSE !?!
I found a tutorial for you ... I've linked those two steps so you can see photos !!
Anyway ...
Once the bottom is cooked, tip the whole thing out onto a plate and you're done !
~
So ... the finale of Spanish class was so much fun !!
I did not eat according to the Eat To Live plan ~ not AT ALL !!
But I'm not going to be so strict that I can't enjoy special occasions !
I was straight back into today though.
Here's what I had for lunch.
A slight variation on what I had for dinner last night.

Yum Yum Yum !

And just look at how many nutrients went into my body !!

Lots and Lots and Lots !!

Monday's Dinner

Here's what I had for dinner last night. It was delicious.

A salad consisting of :
spinach and rocket (arugula)
cucumber
alfalfa sprouts
tomato
mandarin
AND
asparagus, spring onion and slivers of carrot baked in the oven
TOPPED WITH
balsamic vinegar
soy sauce
sesame oil

Roasted Cauliflower

Grilled Baby Bok Choy

So yummy ! I want to write more but it will have to wait til tomorrow. I've got my last Spanish class tonight but I'm feeling a bit blah so am going to go sit in the tub and read my book for a bit before I start cooking. We have to take something with us. I'm making Spanish Tortilla ...

Menu Plan Monday - Bonnie - Edition 20

Have I really planned 20 weeks worth of Menu Plans !? In a row ?! Wow !!
~

Meals will be changing around here.

I've just re-read Dr. Fuhrman's book Eat To Live and have decided it's time to change my eating habits again ! I felt so healthy last time I ate like this ! Maybe posting about it will help me to be a bit more committed ! (kinda like the menu plans !)

I'll tell you all about what I'm doing ... what the 'plan' is ... later in the week.

For now, I'll just post the menu for this week.

Friday
Home Made Pizza

Saturday
Hamburgers cooked by Rory's sister ! Thanks Gina !!

Sunday (the day I re-read the book !!)
Rory ~ left over egg curry


Bonnie ~ Salad with lettuce, tomato, shredded carrot, mandarin, asparagus, garlic and onion

Monday
Bonnie ~ Salad
(like the photo ... but without the feta cheese)
Grilled Baby Bok Choy
That bok choy recipe is from one of my NEW FAVORITE cooking blogs !
The Kitchen Sink.
Go check it out !!!



Tuesday
Bonnie ~ Salad and tapas at last Spanish Class
Family ~ Salad and Tortilla Espanola ~ I'll make them one and make one to take to class.

Wednesday
Bonnie ~ Salad



Family ~ Meatballs
(we froze the leftovers last time)

Thursday
Quinoa Vegetable Soup

Roasted Cauliflower


I'll be making this too ... to eat with my lunches !


I plan to try and update this blog once a day (or so) with what I've eaten for the day ~ with photos and recipes too. And also bits and pieces of what I've learned from Dr. Fuhrman's book.

I'm after some links ... do you all have any good ones for fresh salad or fresh fruit recipes ? I'd love to know about them if you do ...