Hello!
This is a photo of an estuary that we found in the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes National Wildlife Refuge. Perhaps because it was later in the day or because it required a bit of hike, but we had this beautiful beach mostly to ourselves.
Plus, it was covered in sand dollars! I had never seen sand dollars in the wild before. I guess they wash up on shore when they die because they were everywhere. Have you ever seen a live sand dollar move? It’s pretty cool – here’s a YouTube video. They have little tiny legs all over their bottom!
Workouts
Fri – Stage 3 of the New Rules of Lifting for Women (full-body strength training).
Sat – Rest.
Sun - 30 minutes running.
Mon – Stage 4 of the New Rules of Lifting for Women (full-body strength training).
I recently finished the third stage of my strength training program. It’s hard to comment much, since I made some changes to it, like swapping a few exercises and adding in more upper-body work. In general, though, I’m feeling much stronger (and my training log agrees). I can notice a little bit of definition/shaping, but nothing too dramatic, which is unsurprising as I haven’t been very strict on my diet.
Eats
1) The usual weekend breakfast of sautéed veggies, a dippy egg, PB toast, and coffee.
2) A horribly blurry photo, but wonderfully delicious pot of chili.
Our stove is tucked away in a dark little corner with sloped ceilings and no photos ever look nice. womp womp. Sorry, guys!
Meal Planning
I started my graduate classes last week (lucky me!) and on class days, I eat 100% of my meals out of the house, making a streamlined meal plan imperative. Some concepts that I’ve been working around:
1. Economies of scale: Allie and Michelle both prepare their lunches all at once, which is a great idea. Wash the cutting board once!
2. Having a variety of salad dressings: I can easily toss together multiple containers of a protein, veggie and starch, but having different types of salad dressings helps me feel like I’m not eating the same thing (even though I am).
3. Focusing on big batches: A huge pot of chili easily packs lunches all week for both me and my husband. I’ve been researching more recipes that have huge outputs like this.
Do you have any meal planning tips? Any “big batch” recipes?
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I’m the worst at planning ahead. Especially now that I teach late, I need to work on improving in this area too. I definitely should do some big batch chopping!
I never really did it much before, but it really is such a lifesaver! Especially when you’re super hungry and want to grab the first thing you see.
Good to hear about the progress you’re making, keep it up! As for salad dressings, I’m exploring different home made healthy dressings – any ideas? As for big batch and meal planning, my husband do that once or twice a week and then try to weigh and package them all in containers so they are ready to eat for the whole week! We usually make big batches of fish and chicken, rice, yams, or pasta.
Thank you, Kym!
Salad dressings: The only thing that I’ve worked with so far is extra virgin olive oil + some sort of vinegar. I’ve done balsamic and red wine so far. Extra virgin olive oil is supposed to be really good for you. I would like to find a creamy dressing based on Greek yogurt.
What kind of food scale do you use? I really need to invest in one so I can get a better grip on portions!
Those photos are stunning!!! I love the idea of using different dressings. Simple but genius!!!
Thank you, Jess! I’m trying to keep it easy
Ugh I wish I had advice for you! This is a problem I’m facing as I start my new job. We’ll see what I figure out…
Also, about sand dollars: I am OBSESSED with them. I don’t know why, but all my life they’re the only thing I look for at the beach. I’ve never seen one move, and I usually only find pieces of them so I’m super jealous you saw so many!
You still have some time to figure out a lunch packing system before your new job starts
You must visit southern/central California! You would be in sand dollar heaven. One other commenter said that she saw LIVE ones on the beach in Florida!
This past weekend, a made a huge batch of quinoa, and I’ve been eating it for lunch at work. Like you wrote, Alex, it’s much cheaper than eating out everyday, and it’s a heck of a lot healthier, too.
That’s a great idea! I love having premade ingredients in the fridge.
woohoo! how was your first day of class??
my dad says what he likes to do is:
cook big pots of things, saran wrap it into individual meal portions, then freeze it. THUS, over weeks, he has accumulated VARIETY- that way he doesn’t have to eat the same stuff all week long. i have never tried this myself though- seems like a great idea theoretically.
Class was…okay
I’d rather be at home, but it’s not so bad, all things considered.
Your dad’s method is such a great idea! The only problem with cooking big batches is that you eat the same thing every. single. day. Which isn’t REALLY a problem, but not ideal. I bet his freezer looks like a grocery store!
Good luck with your classes this semester! I never thought about packing all my lunches one one day- that’s actually quite genius! My biggest tip is to double your recipe for dinner the night before and pack the leftovers!
Thanks, Alisha! I’ll need that good luck
I had never really thought about packing all of my lunches, either. But, I kept seeing it pop up on other blogs and now I’m a total convert!
I love making a big batch of homemade soup or pasta salads for lunch. they are so easy and make me look forward to lunch!
Such a timesaver, too! I’m definitely a conver to the “big batch” way of packing lunches!
I saw live sand dollars when we used to go on training trips for swimming in Florida! So freaking cool!
So cool! I still haven’t seen a live one in person. Wish I was in Florida RIGHT NOW!!!
A great staple is crock pot roast. I usually get a medium pot roast, sprinkle with Lawry’s seasoned salt and add veggies. Let it cook 8hrs on low and come home to a wonderful meal that freezes well and it good all week long! I’ve used onions, potatoes, carrots and zucchini in mine, but you could easily add anything from legumes to squash. I also sometimes pair it with buttered toast for different flavors. You could eat a bowl alone one night, on top of rice the next, in a pita, etc. so you can change it up.
Pairing the same roast with different starches is a really great idea! Even if it’s basically the same thing, I could see how that would help with boredom.
I’ve actually never cooked a roast before! Since I only recently started eating meat again, the only thing I have been brave enough to try is chicken. I’ll have to branch out!
That’s so cool about the sand dollars!! I’ve never seen one, but I’ve seen them washed up, as you said. Gorgeous pic!
Thanks, Sara! They’re such funny little creatures
I am terrible at meal planning and never do, I tend to just want different things so I don’t really do anything ahead of time. the one thing I will do is hardboil eggs but that is all
I’m terrible at it too! I don’t mind eating the same thing, but I do sometimes crave something other than what I’ve packed
I’ve never seen a sand dollar move! Crazy.. Also awesome tips with meal planning, I totally need that with classes too.
I had never seen one before, either! They’re such strange animals.
And yes – meal planning ahead of time REALLY helps when you’ve got a crazy schedule of classes!
I really want to get better about making big batches of things like soups and casseroles and freezing them. Such a time saver!
I tried it for the first time on Sunday and I’m definitely a convert! I feel like I have so much more time every evening!
Salad dressings? Make a couple batches of hummus! One garlic&red pepper, one chili&black bean, etc. My favorite salad toppers, protein kick, super-tasty, can make big batches at once, all that good jazz. And chili, curries, stews, casseroles? Won’t lead you wrong.
I had never thought to add hummus to salads! That’s a great idea.
Do you have a hummus secret? I can never get mine very smooth! Maybe I need to add more extra virgin olive oil.
Casseroles & chilies are my big batch time savors. Easy to portion out for the week
This is an awesome idea! I made two casseroles on Sunday
Once again, gorgeous pictures! You’re making me wish I were on the west coast right now. Sand dollars are my favorite.
I’ve been all about big batch meals lately and becoming seriously obsessed with my crock pot. I have a feeling I’ll be making soups and stews all winter long!
Thank you, Angela!
I’m so glad that you finally got a crockpot! It’s a definite necessity for us working gals
Oh–yes, I still most definitely prep for the entire week on Sunday. I’d go crazy otherwise. Some other tips, besides my week of salad bases that I just add protein and dressing to, are to stock up on portable fruits and veggies. So, I bring an apple and orange with me every morning when I leave the house. They don’t need to be refrigerated, and are very easy to throw in a bag or set on my desk. Another idea is carrot and celery sticks–again, easy to throw in a baggie, and carry with me. Lastly, my purse ALWAYS has a baggie of pistachios and almonds for an emergency on-the-go snack.
My protein is typically big batch: beans, quinoa and chicken are what what I cook most often. I make a big batch on Sunday, and divide them up into individual containers for me and my husband. When I’m in a pinch, I’ll grab a can of tuna or protein powder. Super portable.
These are some awesome tips
I pretty much eat my breakfast/ lunch/ dinner outside of the house because Monday-Wednesday I’m on campus 8:30am-9:30pm plus commute time. My fav breakfast is muesli, I make it in a massive batch and then just add some yogurt the night before and eat on the bus. Fruits are awesome because they’re portable and require no prep. I also carry a little container with nuts/ dried fruits or sometimes granola bars for emergency snacks (trying to stay away from granola bars). As for lunch and dinner I cook them on Sunday and portion everything out. I find that most whole grains keep quite well and so do bean/lentil dishes. If I’m really in a rush- canned tuna, or even canned beans ^^ Veggies… eat raw- I just grab a pepper, a slab of cucumber, some carrots, tomatoes… and just eat them as they are… Probably not an option for everyone but works for me.
Gee… I should do a post on this too
Nadiya, those are wonderful ideas! You really should do a post!
I especially love the tip about cooking lunches and dinners on Sunday and then portioning everything out. When I come home, I’m often so hungry that I eat the first thing I can find – it would be nice if it was a healthy dinner instead of junk food.
I was in such awe when I saw your post about making a week’s worth of salad bases ahead of time. It looked so fresh, so healthy, and so easy!
Keeping a high protein snack in your purse is a really great idea. All too often, I let myself get too hungry and then I eat the first thing that I can find. My problem, though, is that I have absolutely zero restraint and I’d eat the almonds on the first day! I can’t keep snacks in my office for this reason