Public Stoning

Back to reality today!  So the McGhee family has had the last 9 days off for spring break.  I had plans of having a nice and relaxing week at home, which we did not.  We were on the go for 9 straight days, spending over 30 hours in the car.  And we fell off the wagon.  Like, really fell.  Fell off the wagon and rolled over the cliff.  In the last 9 days, the McGhee family has eaten

• McDonalds's (more than once!)
• carry out pizza (twice!)
• movie theater popcorn
• Dairy Queen
• wheat thins
• twizzlers
• honey nut Cheerios

I think this calls for a public stoning.  

The good news is we all feel terrible.  No, really, we literally feel terrible!  At some point in the week, at least one of us had a tummy ache from all the junk we were eating.  Needless to say, everyone was quite agreeable when I said we are getting back on track.  Starting today.

Breakfast was eggs and pancakes.  I made myself a quick scramble, by wilting some spinach in a skillet, adding eggs and goat cheese.  Once it was done, I topped it with peppadews.  An absolutely delicious way to start the day and it got me through a killer workout at the gym.  I even managed to workout on the stairclimber without falling off.  I'll credit the spinach for that as well.  

Yeah for spinach scrambles!  I guess Popeye knew what he was talking about.....although canned spinach.  *gag*

Today's lunch was fruit and veggies.  The minis got peanut butter to dip the fruit in and hummus to dip the veggies in.  For those of you that worry that I am starving my minis, I did pack peanut butter sandwiches on bread.  I can almost certainly guarantee those will be returned this afternoon without a bite taken.  My minis prefer fruits and veggies.  They eat like birds.  But birds are cool, so I'm okay with that.

Tonight's dinner will be deli-style.....egg salad and tuna salad on homemade honey wheat bread, quinoa salad, and to drink...shamrock smoothies.

Honey Wheat Bread

• 1 1/8 cups water
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon dry milk powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons shortening
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1. Place ingredients in bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select Whole Wheat setting, and then press Start.    

Tuna Salad (my bestie made up this recipe)

• canned tuna
• capers
• olive oil
• onion, diced
• salt and pepper
• fresh dill

I realize I didn't give you measurements.  She didn't give me any either.  But, I am assuming you all  know how to open a can of tuna, put in a little olive oil, some capers, diced onion, salt and pepper, and fresh dill.  Put in a lot of the stuff you like, a little of the stuff you don't.

Egg Salad (from Pioneer Woman)

• 8 whole Hard Boiled Eggs, Peeled
• 2 whole Avocados, Pitted
• 4 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
• 3 teaspoons Red Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Sald
• Black Pepper To Taste
• 1 teaspoon Chives, Chopped

Preparation Instructions

1.  Combine all ingredients (scrape avocado from skin) except for chopped chives in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times, scraping the bowl once or twice if necessary. Continue pulsing until salad reaches the consistency you want: chunky or more smooth!

2.  Remove blade from bowl and stir in chives. Check seasoning and adjust as necessary.

3.  Serve on a sandwich (spread bread with a mix of Dijon and mayonnaise) or serve on a thick slice of tomato as a cool salad. 

The best part about this egg salad recipe is this review that someone posted on her blog.....

DEAR PONIES. I love eggs. I love avocado. I love salad. This recipe is a wet dream for me!

I don't know who this person is, but I would love to track her down and beg her to read my blog and leave comments like that for me.

Give leftover avocado to your mini.  It will make them happy.  It will make you happy.  The world will be perfect.

International Quinoa Salad (from Fat-Free Vegan blogger....this made me laugh really hard.  I am pairing a recipe from a fat-free vegan with a recipe from pioneer woman that includes eggs and avocado.  Ah, ying and yang!)

Quinoa:

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed very well
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 1/2 tsp. salt (optional)

Vegetables:

• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 2 medium-large tomatoes, finely chopped
• kernels of 2 ears of cooked corn (about 1 cup)
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
• 1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced
• 2/3 cup parsley — minced
• 1/3 cup fresh mint — minced
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced (reserve a few slices for garnish)

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (NOT lemon)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable broth or bean cooking liquid (Sorry Fat Free Vegan, I will totally be using olive oil instead!)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste (optional)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper

1.  Cook quinoa following directions on the package.  (I am going to try adding the garlic to the cooking water).
2.  Cool quinoa.
3.  Combine all of the vegetables in a large bowl. Add the quinoa and mix well.
4.  Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad. Mix well and refrigerate until chilled. Taste before serving, and add more lime juice as necessary (you want it to be tangy). Garnish with avocado slices and serve. Makes about 8 servings.


EDITING TO ADD:  I was not crazy about this quinoa salad.  I thought it was really bland.  I didn't add the jalapeno peppers since my minis aren't a fan of spicy food, so maybe that is where I went wrong?!?!


Shamrock Smoothies  (Now, before I post this recipe, I need to say something about these smoothies.  I get emails every single day from readers about every single recipe I post...who likes it and who doesn't.  Do you know the ONE recipe I haven't gotten an email about is my shamrock smoothie?!?!?!  What is wrong with you people?  This may be my yummiest recipe yet and NOBODY has tried it?!?!?)

Ingredients:

• 2 bananas, frozen
• 2 HUGE handfuls spinach (you won’t even taste it)
• 1 cup milk (almond, soy, cow, etc)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Add all ingredients into a blender. Blend until mixed. Serve in tall glasses and enjoy.

So we're back on the wagon!  Join us.  And for crying out loud, make the shamrock smoothie and email me about it!

Shamrock SMOOTHIE!!!

I told you on Monday that it was my mini's birthday.  We celebrated Sunday with family.

We celebrated Monday at home with tacos and baseball in the backyard.

We celebrated Tuesday with the Rockford Icehogs.

And we celebrated today at school was his classmates.  My mini got to bring in treats for his birthday at school, and he requested Shamrock Shakes.  My mini loves shamrock shakes.  With a last name like McGhee, it was bound to happen.  I thought bringing shamrock shakes to school was a great idea and found a recipe online.  I even pinned the recipe, that's how committed I was to these shakes.  We all know that pinning something is like publicly shouting, "I WILL DO THIS."

The shakes needed to be there by 12:30, so this was my plan.  Spin class at 7, shower, oil change, grocery store, make shakes, deliver shakes.  This is what happened.....spin class at 7, shower, oil change, find out I need new brakes on my car.  Normally, I would have said "not today, I'll wait and come back to get them done someday when I desperately call you from Interstate 90 because my brakes don't work."  But, this weekend we are going to visit my bestie and I can't feel good about putting my minis in a car for 7 hours that has questionable brakes.  So, I tell the guy, I've got an hour and 15 minutes.  He promises me it can be done.

So, at that point, I completely abandon all hope of delivering homemade shamrock shakes at this point, and resign myself to the fact that I will have to stop by McDonalds and buy the shakes.

An hour and 15 minutes pass and my car is still up on that thingie.  I ask the guy how much longer.  30 minutes.  I tell him that isn't going to work, I need my car now.  He tells me there is no way he can give me the car now, it has no brakes.  I tell him, "dude, you don't understand.  I am a mom that made a promise to my mini.  I don't care if the car has brakes or not.  It's got a horn, that'll work."  The guy gives me the keys to their rental car (a minivan with 450K miles on it) and I peal off to the golden arches.

At this point, I have the shakes.  I am mortified to be seen in public carrying $60 worth of McD's shamrock shakes, and I am paranoid that the middle schoolers are going to see me and think I'm a fraud.  I am calmly doing my 4-7-8 breathing exercises, and I tell myself maybe I can discreetly drop them off.  And then, the door to the school was opened by that guy.  You know, that guy that is the type of person that looks into the box and says, "well, well, well, what do we have here, Heids McGhee?"  I took off running for the classroom and was met by people who already knew Heids McGhee was in the building with McDonalds food, asking me questions like, "are you freaking out about all that food coloring?"  I dropped the box off and ran back to my crappy rental car.  I made it back to the car shop, got my own car and raced home.

I was a mess when I got home and knew I needed to rid myself of all the McDonalds cooties I surely had all over my body.  So, I did 100 jumping jacks, 100 situps, 100 pushups, and then I tried to do 100 pullups, but I only could do 3.  I still didn't feel better, but then I remembered a green smoothie recipe I have been dying to try.

Ingredients:

• 2 bananas, frozen
• 2 HUGE handfuls spinach (you won’t even taste it)
• 1 cup milk (almond, soy, cow, etc)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Add all ingredients into a blender. Blend until mixed. Serve in tall glasses and enjoy.

Oh. My.  Delish.  Seriously, seriously the best green smoothie I have ever had.  And I feel so much better now.  In fact, if the entire school is pointing and laughing at me in the carpool lane at pickup today, I am totally okay with that.  Like, I'm not even worrying about that.  That's how okay I am.

And next year, I am totally showing up with a box of 26 shamrock SMOOTHIES.  And, now, this birthday is officially over.