Weekly Menu, #21 +T25/P90X3 Schedule Week 3

Before I get on to business I feel like this weekend's epic-ness deserves a little recap..

Friday I wasn't at home all day. I started it off with a 5 a.m. bike ride picnic with the teenager. It was the best. Next time we do this we are going to bike all the way downtown to see it over the Ij. The teenager thinks I'm a little insane but deep down I know she loves it. 

Then, I rode a total of 36km +/- with my friend to Muiderslot Castle. 

After that the teenager and I headed to the beach. Still pretty epic, but as soon as we got there the skies opened up on us. We still enjoyed the opportunity to sit in the ocean-front restaurant and enjoyed watching the storm. 

We did manage to put our feet in the ocean before we left though!

Saturday we went to a polish-style housewarming. I brought my typical Dutch treat housewarming gift/what I lay out for guests when they come to our house the first time and are new to The Netherlands. It consists of Vla, these s'more's -ish waffles, and stroopwafels, usually I put some haggelslag in there as well, but I forgot sadly.

Sunday was Amstelanndag which was a festival highlighting all the fun stuff to do near my house. This is the same area as I take you through in my post from last week, a Spring Bike Ride through the Dutch Countryside.

It was a packed weekend, I am hoping to make this next week a little more low key, but since quite a bit of sun is predicted I doubt that will happen! haha

One more thing before moving on..if you haven't linked up your travel posts with our #Reasons2travel link-up please to so here!

Last week was very successful. I joined a group of ladies who are determined to work out everyday this month, even if it is just an easy walk or stretching. Just doing something everyday to keep in the fitness groove and remind us why we aren't hogging down on hot dogs and m and m's! haha So, even though my workout schedule wasn't exactly like I had planned here is what I did do...

Sunday: Rest/Stretch-Yoga
Monday: T25 Alpha Cardio/P90X3 The Warrior-Piyo Sweat (late, late, late at night) plus 10km biking running errands
Tuesday: T25 Lower Focus/P90X 3 MMX
Wednesday: T25 Ab Intervals/P90X3 Agility X + 50km biking and sight seeing-I was exhausted
Thursday: T25 Speed 1.0/P90X3 Pilates-Workout with the teenager-HIIT Run and a half hour stair workout
Friday: T25 Total Body Circuit/P90X3 Dynamix-36+km bike ride sightseeing...I decided to sleep when I got home to recover after being in the hot, hot, hot sun all day.
Saturday: Blogilates 100 Burpee Burnout/T25 Cardio-Yoga. I was really sore and my hips were all out of whack.

I've learned a bit about myself this past week. I am going to keep up the double workouts as I've been completing a lot, but I do need to focus and start getting up earlier to get my workouts completed before I start going for the day. I hate working out late in the evening, so getting up with the sun will be helpful for me I think. 

This week's workouts:

Sunday: P90X Stretch

Monday: Dynamic core/MMX

Tuesday: Speed 2.0/Accelerator

Wednesday: Core Cardio/Decelerator

Thursday: Pilates X/Cardio

Friday: Total Body Circuit/Agility X

Saturday: X3 Yoga-then we are sight seeing so keeping it short :)

Goals

Last week: 

• Get gifts mailed out (one is really belated, so I really have to get to the post office)-Done!
• Stick to workouts and menu-Done!
• Get the courage to list a few items I've made in my Etsy store-Still not done :(
• Visit two more museums on my list-Done! I managed the Hermitage and Amsterdam Museum
• Take two bike rides-Done! One to Amsterdam Noord, the other to Muiderslot.

This week:

• Visit two more museums on my list
• Sight seeing trip to Enkhuizen
• Stick to menu and workouts
• Increase unique page views by 100 this week
• Actually list the items in my Etsy shop
• Find at least 3 link parties to link up to each day
• Post more content on my Facebook page, increase interaction

Breakfast:

• Sunday: Granola with banana slices
• Strawberries and cream oatmeal x2
• Acai Bowl x2
• Friday: Egg scramble with toast
• Saturday: French toast with berries

 Lunch:

• Sunday: Omelettes, toast (homemade bread), nectarine slices
• Monday: Half a baked potato topped with mixed veggies
• Tuesday: Sandwiches
• Wednesday: Leftovers
• Thursday: Sandwiches
• Friday: Leftovers
• Saturday: Picnic of hard boiled eggs, bread and butter, fruit, cheese

Dinner:

• Sunday: Tacos/taco salad
• Monday: BBQ chicken breasts with sugar snap peas and brown rice
• Tuesday: Lentils topped with BBQ chicken (leftover), and mixed veggies
• Wednesday: Hubby's last night here so we will eat out
• Thursday: Coconut crusted fish with mango rice
• Friday: Veggie pad thai with any leftovers
• Saturday: Eat out...will be doing a lot of sight seeing so hope to find some where scenic and unique to eat dinner.

That is it for me this week! Tell me, what makes for the perfect weekend for you?

P.S. Linking up with Mommy Run Fast, Jill Conyers, and I'm an Organizing Junkie and Single Mother Ahoy.

Menu Plan Monday 2015 #12

Wow! It has been a while since I have written one of these! I wasn't feeling well there for a while and fell a bit off the wagon...but, I'm back!

So...on the menu this week...

Breakfast
Sunday: Cereal
Monday: Same; applewich for kiddo; cereal for hubby
Tuesday: Apple cinnamon oatmeal
Wednesday: Applewiches
Thursday: Peanut butter banana toast
Friday: Apple cinnamon oatmeal
Saturday: Egg sandwiches

Lunch
Sunday: Avocado toast with fried egg
Monday: Leftovers/eggs/smoked meat
Tues-Friday:
Kiddo: Sandwich with egg and fruit or leftovers
Hubby: Hard boiled egg with cheese and nuts
Me:
Tuesday: Avocado toast with egg
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Ladies lunch...still not sure what I will make yet
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Broccoli rice noodle soup

Dinner
Sunday: Easter...eat out
Monday: Tacos
Tuesday: Chicken legs with potatoes and broccoli
Wednesday: Hamburgers with rice and squash
Thursday: Rotisserie chicken with potatoes and broccoli
Friday: Pizza and salad
Saturday: BBQ chicken with rice, salad, whatever leftover veggies there are

Snacks
Hard boiled eggs
Cheese
Apples and pb
Pepperoni
Nuts

Workout Schedule

• Sunday: 5 mile run, challenges, and stretch
• Monday: Warm up, quick sweat workout, 5 minute workouts, challenges, stretch
• Tuesday: 2 mile run, challenges, stretch
• Wednesday: 3 mile run, challenges, stretch
• Thursday: Warm up, quick sweat, quiet apartment workout, challenges
• Friday: 5 mile run with a boot camp in the park
• Saturday: Stretch and challenges, possible bike ride
• Sunday: Challenges and yoga

Goals

• cut final bit of added sugars {my one cube of sugar in coffee is all that is left *le sigh*}
• no processed foods {gotta get off the cereal, which is a recent reintroduction and I do not feel well after eating it}
• finish Hawaii section of scrapbook
• get balcony set for spring
• organize craft supplies...don't have many but the few I do have are a bit out of control ;)
• make packing lists and itineraries for Berlin and London
• keep up with A to Z Challenge

Weekend Fun

• Saturday: Bike ride to enjoy the sun and 60 degree temperatures
• Sunday: *possible* trip to Keukenhof, but may put this off until next weekend

Doesn't look to be an incredibly busy week, but should be relaxing and full of getting stuff done! What are you up to this week?

P.S. Linking up with Mommy Run Fast, Jill Conyers, and I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday 2015 #8

So, I won't lie, I started this post Sunday, but didn't get past the first sentence and inserting a couple of images. I have been so incredibly ill since last Tuesday. All I really managed to do was boss around the husband and teenager, watch Netflix, and go see a couple of movies...both of which I was so tired I almost fell asleep during them...but honestly Jupiter Ascending was just terrible and even hubby ranked 50 Shades as the better movie :P

So, now that I am feeling a bit better I will say the kiddo and hubby have kept this place running and have done whatever I request. They have sat through a many night of cereal or leftovers from the freezer for dinner or picking something up. I really appreciate the break but I am so ready to feel better.

Last week I accomplished nothing outside of catching up on Mad Men, catching up on Downton Abbey, starting House of Cards, and drinking insane amounts of Sleepytime Extra tea.

The rest of this week here is what I would like to accomplish:

• Type up itinerary for a day in Brussels
• Get back into light workouts
• Cook dinner each night 
• Plan a fun, but easy date night depending on how I feel

Workouts

Since I got sick I only got in one workout from Week 2 of my Fit Tutor workouts so I will pick those back up and do some heavy walking and light jogging maybe.

Thursday: Walk around downtown with my friend, kiddo is out of school early so we will do a bike ride when she gets home to the forest

Friday: Day 1, Week 2 Fit Tutor, Walk

Saturday: Day 2, Week 2 Fit Tutor

Sunday: Day 3, Week 2 Fit Tutor, Walk

Breakfast:

Thursday: Currant toast with peanut butter and bananas for the kiddo, creamy oatmeal for me

Friday: Currant toast with peanut butter and bananas

Saturday: Omelettes, bacon, toast, fruit

Sunday: Cheese crescents

Lunch:

Thursday: Apple-pb wrap with orange slices and chips for the kiddo, I will eat out

Friday: Superfood Crunch Salad with a slice of chicken breast, kiddo will eat out

Saturday: Panini's with veggie soup and salad

Sunday: Easy snacks: baguette with a new dipping sauce I found, smoked meats, fruit slices, cheese

Dinner:

Thursday: Glazed Pork Chops/Lentil burgers with home fries and green beans

Friday: Steak bites with gravy/black bean balls with carrots, wilted kale or creamed kale and potato rounds

Saturday: Date Night! If I feel good we will go down to an area of town we haven't explored much and grab dinner and go to a comedy show that is in English, if I still feel like I should rest (which will most likely be the case) we will just grab dinner and go for a walk around the canals downtown if it is nice, if it is crummy weather we will see a movie and get dinner at a nearby pub.

Sunday: Chicken Wings/cauliflower "wings" with salad and root veggie fries

This week is coming at you late, but at least it is all planned out. What have you been munching on this week?

Check out the parties over at Mommy Run Fast, Jill Conyers, and I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Menu Plan Monday #7 +weekly goals and workouts

Weekend Recap:
This past weekend was a great time. I spent Friday night with some lovely ladies from our parent group at school while the hubby and kiddo spent some good one-on-one time together checking out Jupiter at an observatory in Utrecht.

I learned to make Japanese hot pot they got to see storms on Jupiter. It was a win-win for everyone!

Saturday night hubby and I reinstated date night. We'd sort of gotten away from our formal date nights as the kiddo has gotten older we just sort of go out whenever we want. However, we were doing more day time stuff and weren't really getting to dress up the way we like and we've been missing out on the dancing we used to do.

So, here we were ready for date night:

We didn't have a plan just played it by ear and wound up at a great wine bar for our first course called Bubbles and Wines.

They have all sorts of wines of all sorts of prices. You can even get a flight of different types of wines to try. They had all sorts of appetizers and we got a cheese fondue type thing, was quite delicious!

We then wound up over at CAU, which the last time we were there was one year ago when we went to Cambridge, which is what started us on this entire crazy journey! So, it was a fitting meal. The place is amazing. They have great quality food at a decent price, really something for everyone on the menu. The fun thing about this place is it is 3 stories high so if you are on the 3rd floor you have a fun view of some great Amsterdam architecture.

Posts this week:
In the even you missed it here is a review of some posts earlier this week:
Currently, Vol. 3
WIAW
Flawless Review
Fit Tutor Review

Upcoming workouts:
Monday: Fit Tutor Day One, Week 2, plus lots of walking for groceries
Tuesday: Interval run, foam rolling, lots of walking downtown
Wednesday: Fit Tutor Day Two, Week 2, stretching
Thursday: Yoga, mile walk, bike ride if it is nice
Friday: Fit Tutor Day Three, Week 2, Two mile run, stretching
Saturday: Yoga, bike ride if it is nice with hubby
Sunday: Rest day, stretching

Other Goals:

• Finally get some work done on my Etsy shop and have it go live
• Get my bedroom closet organized and see what we need for spring
• Get Berlin itinerary written
• Secure details for day trip to Brussels over Feb. break

Weekly Menu

Last week was an odd week and I was horrible about sticking to my menu. This week I am determined to be much better!

Breakfast:

Monday: Museli with added chia seeds for protein

Tuesday: Oatmeal power bowl

Wednesday: Smoothie power bowl

Thursday: Oatmeal power bowl

Friday: Peanut butter fruit bowl

Saturday: Omelette's and potatoes

Sunday: Leftovers

Lunch:

Monday: Veggie quinoa salad; kiddo: mixed veggies and apple with peanut butter plate

Tuesday: Light lunch out

Wednesday: Macadamia Nut Chicken Salad

Thursday: Macadamia Nut Chicken Salad

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Bread, fruit, cheese snacks

Sunday: Snacks, early dinner

Dinner: 

Monday: Chicken Wings and roasted Cauliflower with fried rice/quinoa

Tuesday: Quinoa Stuffed Peppers (made these a few weeks ago-delicious!) with shaved cucumber salad, hubby will have pork chops with salad and rice

Wednesday: Lentil Walnut Loaf/teriyaki beef for hubby with homemade apple sauce and salad

Thursday: Breakfast for dinner-omelette for hubby with potatoes, sweet potato pancakes, mushrooms, and onions

Friday: Panini's with soup and creamed spinach

Saturday: Leftovers, hubby and I have reservations at studio-k here, it is a special event on Valentine's for 24-hour oost...seating is at 10:30, first course at 11...they request everyone bring a record for the music during dinner. Late seating, but should be such a fun and cool experience, I can't wait for such a unique date! What surprised me is our kiddo is especially happy, after 16 Valentine's Days together we usually skip out because of crowds but the kiddo said we were being party poopers haha

Sunday: Tacos with salad

That is it for me this week....do you do anything special for Valentine's Day? If so, what?

P.S. As usual I am linking up with Mommy Run Fast, Jill Conyers, and I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday 2015 #6

Week 6 of 2015! Hard to believe. How is your year coming along? Accomplishing all you'd hoped?

I am and I'm not, so we will see where this year goes.

Goals

Last week I set the following goals:

• Continue Dutch try and go for 5 times this week.-Nope
• Get Etsy shop designed and live-Nope
• Follow menu and go for 7/7-Mostly but cut out two days and ate leftovers because there was so much food! haha
• Start to get some running miles in, despite the cold.-Nope lol It snowed people, I am a Floridian.

I will say this about my running goal, I hate running, I loved it so much in FL because I had my best friends in this world to run with, without that camaraderie running sucks. I am looking into a running group. I hate paying for stuff like that but it may be the only option to find some running buddies...that ya know, don't come from Craigslist haha

Anyway, this weeks goals:

• Actually do some Dutch. I've gotten much more comfortable with basic phrases and even did exact change today when the woman told me the cents in Dutch and I was able to figure it out, after accidentally giving her 5 cents instead of fifty she said the word twice more and I had it, won't make that mistake again. She was sweet though and was patient. 
• Get that Etsy shop up and going
• Stick to the menu

Fitness Goals

• Complete all days in the Fit Tutor
• Get some running in, find a running buddy, possibly join a running club
• Stretch & stick to healthy eating.

Breakfast

• Oatmeal
• Apple Tart
• Blueberry Squares
• Acai bowl
• Weekend: blueberry muffins

Lunch

• Eat out
• Hubby comes home I will make us teriyaki chicken, mine will be served over spinach with peppers, his with rice; kiddo took a mix of apples and peanut butter with snap peas and peppers
• Rest of the week for me will be a variation on spinach salad each day except Thursday when I meet friends for lunch
• Veggie panini with salad and leftovers rest of the week for kiddo
• Weekend: we will probably eat a late breakfast so will snack for lunches

Dinner

• Vegan Red Pepper Pasta with spinach
• Regular/black and white veggie burgers with sweet potato buns, green beans
• Quinoa stuffed peppers with salad
• Teriyaki beef with rice and salad/veggie fried rice and salad
• Soup and sandwiches for hubby and kiddo, I have a ladies night out
• Date night, kiddo will heat up leftovers
• Chicken wings/cauliflower "wings", potatoes, veggies

Snacks

• Granola
• Pumpkin pancakes
• Fruit

So, that is what we are cookin' up this week. What are you making? 

Also, I am linking up with Mommy Run Fast, Jill Conyers, and I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday 2015 #5

So, do y'all realize this week is the last week in January?! Last. That means there are only 11 more months left in this year people. I need to check back over my goals and seriously reassess. Get some balls rolling as the year is just disappearing!

Life Goals

Speaking of disappearing, how is your goal planning going if you do that sort of thing? Last week I set the following goals:

• Last week
• Last week I reevaluated some business goals and instead of playing catch up I set new, more manageable goals. 
• Worked on Dutch 3 times-getting some of the basics. 
• Stuck to my menu 6/7 days, not too shabby...the one day I didn't follow the menu we really needed to use up leftovers!
• This Week
• Continue Dutch try and go for 5 times this week.
• Get Etsy shop designed and live
• Follow menu and go for 7/7
• Start to get some running miles in, despite the cold.

Fitness Goals

• Vertical Plyo +1 mile
• Back to core, 2 miles and relief
• Vertical Plyo and relief
• Speed and agility, 1 mile
• Game day, 1 mile, relief
• Rest/Relief
• X-Trainer (Asylum Vol. 2)

Anyhoodles. We are back at menu planning. I feel like I did great at sticking to my menu last week. I am pretty sure it is all due to the prep. Easy, healthy meals were had and there was no "oh-mi-gosh it is 5pm what do I eat now?!". So, that prep will be happening yet again.

Breakfast

• Apple banana quinoa cups with potatoes x3
• Acai bowls x2
• Apple and spice breakfast lentils
• Leftovers...we have a cheer competition so it will really all depend on the times there.

Lunch

• Me:
• I will prep these ahead then eat them all week changing out the protein and other additions on my salad all week.
• Make a big batch of kale and quinoa minestrone
• Big spinach salad and dressing 
• Kiddo
• PBJ on leftover sweet potato pancakes with chopped fruit and kale x2
• Leftovers x2
• Eat out one day
• Weekend
• Vegan pizza buns and salad
• Sunday will depend, I will try and bring stuff for us but if there will be restaurants nearby the venue we will just eat out.

Dinner

• I'm really going for cleaning out the pantry and freezer here so most of this stuff I already have on hand, grocery trip will be small and easy on the budget!
• Maple baked lentils
• Vegan fried rice  (this will use up any leftovers and any veggies that are about to go bad)
• Stamppot (I've been seeing stuff for this in the grocery store. It is a dutch dish that I will post more about later)
• Lentil-bean tacos with steamed veggies (this dish uses up the triple lentil soup I made two weeks ago and froze and some black beans I've had in the freezer)
• Soup and panini's...we will use up the kale and quinoa minestrone I made for lunches earlier this week
• Roasted red pepper pasta with spinach
• Sunday will be leftovers. Just raid the fridge and pantry and eat whatever, I doubt we will be hungry if we eat while we are out, so going simple here.

Well, that is it for me this week, what do you have going on?

P.S. Join the rest of the party over at Mommy Run Fast, Jill Conyers, and I'm and Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday #64

This weekend was a full one! We honestly thought we were going to have a nice quiet relaxing weekend, but it sort of took on a life of its own! 

Friday started with a visit from Sinterklaas...

Then a crisp, slow 2 mile run where I found this beautiful canal. But it was the slowest 2 miles of my life.

Then, since work and school ended early we headed to the hubby's work to see Sinterklaas visit all the kiddies and bring presents to them. We don't have little ones but it was even fun for the teenager to watch all the excitement. 

Isn't Sinterklaas a regal looking fellow?

Then, as hubby finished up work we went shopping and stopped at Europe's largest Starbucks and goofed around.

After shopping and much goofing around we headed Graceland BBQ to bring lift back to New Restaurant Friday...like much the rest of the food in Amsterdam we quickly realized why we don't eat out much anymore. It was too far out, service was terrible (I will say though we were late to our reservation but they still fit us in which was kind, but after that the service was horrendous), and food was mediocre. But, we did get in a nice walk as a family and even got stuck on a drawbridge hehe

Saturday we participated in the production of a little promotional video about a cheerleading competition coming up next year. This is my crazy mini-me:

After the big production we had to downtown for hubby to pick up some work stuff and I caught this stunning photo with my phone, the clouds clearing away from that full moon was amazing! But, explain the crazy bikers! haha

Sunday we had more cheer and after the kiddo and I relaxed all night and watched elf and made some delicious hot cocoa using a Tony Chocoloney bar! It was slightly amazing. 

This week has filled up to be a fun and busy week! Here is what I've planned for my workouts:

• Max Interval circuit and a one mile run
• 2 miles and max cardio conditioning
• 1 mile run and max interval plyo
• 1 mile run and max recovery
• 1 mile run max interval circuit
• depending on weather a 4 mile run or max interval plyo
• 4 mile run and stretching

Exercising everyday has really helped me deal with the cold and cloudy weather. I'm staying positive and motivated to get out and enjoy the goings on in the city!

Now, food. Must have food this week. The people of the home demand it. So, here it is.

This week I am linking up at Mommy Run Fast, Jill Conyers, and I'm an Organizing Junkie.

We are in our last week before Christmas holiday's so I am stoked for some days to sleep in!

Breakfast Options

Smoothies, hard boiled eggs, toast, cereal, pancakes.

Lunch Options

For me everyday this week will be some sort of ginormous salad. I've really enjoyed putting salads together so I will keep up that trend this week.

Kiddo: 

Grilled cheese and apple slices and tomatoes X2

Peanut butter and honey sandwich with a clementine and tomatoes

Box of leftovers

Dinner:

Monday:Roasted root veggies and kabocha squash

Tuesday: Meatball sliders with a big salad

Wednesday: Honey balsamic chicken tenders with roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes and sugar snap peas

Thursday: Burrito bowls with creamy chipotle sauce

Friday: Steaks with salad and corn

Saturday: Chicken wings with pizza and a big salad.

Sunday: If it is nice we will go to the market across the street and have a picnic there otherwise I will put together some sort of soup from all our leftovers and make a loaf of bread.

Like I said our experience eating out this past weekend was so horrendous that I am not making that mistake again! 

So, tell me, what is your most horrible dining out experience?

Recipe Round Up!

This is a round up sorts...

Last week in my weekly menu I tried a TON  of new recipes. Each of them were very good, so I wanted to highlight them, show you my finished product, and let you know of any changes I made.

Recipes I tried this past week:

Angela's Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate over at Oh She Glows:

I did the coffee concentrate exactly as described in the recipe, I made no changes. The coffee I used was Kati Kati from Starbucks. It is their summer blend (at least here in The Netherlands) and it is amazing! It has great citrus notes to it which you think would not be good, but oh my word is it ever the best! Cold brewing it like this takes away any acidity it may have, which is usually my biggest problem with Starbucks coffee's is the acidity. 

How I made my coffee: 

Lots of ice

1/4 cup-1/2 cup or so of coffee concentrate

1oz maple syrup

1/2-3/4 cup Oat milk

Dallop of coconut cream (I put mine in a pastry bag & dispense that way)

How teenager makes hers:

Lots of ice

1/4 cup-1/2 cup of coffee concentrate

1oz vanilla, hazelnut, or caramel syrup from starbuck (can use Monin or whatever your preferred brand but we don't have access to that here)

1/2-3/4 cup whole milk (Yes, we use whole milk *gasp*)

Spritz of real whipped cream

...and Megan's Blueberry and Coconut Coffee Cake Breakfast Bars

I didn't change a single thing about this recipe I followed it almost exactly. The only thing I cannot find here in Amsterdam is liquid egg whites in a separate bottle so I used two whole eggs and two egg whites.

Combine these two and you have the most amazing homemade breakfast treat you could ever imagine and they are healthy to boot!

People often think when you live a healthy lifestyle and eat food that is good for your body you never get any treats...well, there is balance and there are ways to make your favorite foods healthier so you can eat them more often. Coffee cake is something I haven't had in year so this was a fantastic treat without spending a ton on going out...because, as I've mentioned before, eating out can be very expensive in the Netherlands.

Baked Eggs with Farmhouse Cheddar and Potatoes

So, I pretty much didn't follow this recipe at all, except for the seasoning. I chopped the potatoes real small...I did regular and sweet potatoes. When the potatoes were done, I then cracked the eggs over the top & let them cook for a while until they were *almost* done and then I sprinkled with cheese & let it sit until it was melted and the eggs were totally set. It was really good and very filling.

Steak bites and potato bites

This was quite delicious. The only problem I had was deciphering the cuts of meat at the grocery store since, well, they aren't in English and the butcher didn't really understand what I was asking and my phone wasn't charged so, ya know,just a good ol' case of a calamity of errors! But, even said they were delicious. I also couldn't find the bottled marinade she had so I used some teriyaki marinade and I crush garlic in to the teriyaki sauce. It was delicious and made a great glaze on the steak. 

For the potatoes, since I wasn't doing an appetizer like the author of the recipe,  I just made the regular twice baked potatoes my family enjoys which pretty much follows her recipe only I included bacon.

Sausage and Potatoes Au Gratin

I'm not including a picture because my pictures do not do it justice. Just visit the page and look at Christine's photos because her photo's are way more awesome than the ones I took...in fact, mine made it just look gross...probably because it is dark! lol

I found this recipe when Christine, over at Foody Schmoody posted on Facebook asking if we would like to see more of different types of recipes or something (it was a while ago) and I mentioned that my husband is totally a meat and potatoes kind of guy. She linked me to this recipe for the Sausage and Potatoes Au Gratin and suggested I give it a try. So, I pinned it...and like all things on pinterest it got lost in the shuffle and I forgot about it! Well, I was needing some inspiration and since smoked sausage is HUGE here in my area of Europe I figured why not give it a try!

Changes I made:

• I left out the onions because my husband HATES them with a thriving passion lol I did throw in onion powder because he loves that...go figure :-/
• I used organic unbleached flour
• I used half unsweetened almond milk and half full fat cow's milk to cut the cals a bit ;)
• I can't find bricks of cheddar or shredded cheddar in my local grocery (have to go to a specialty store for it) so I use gouda.

Did you try any new recipes last week? Any worth putting on a menu this upcoming week?

Goals, menu, and workouts-Oh My!

What a fun weekend we had! We started out Friday night with an impromptu date night where hubby & I totally dressed it up and went out for some great pasta, wine, and then walked all around downtown and even some in the red light district. It was packed, the weather was nice, it made for the perfect date night!

The sunset from our train station. There was a storm moving it but it never did anything!

Saturday we got some bikes so we could finally be proper Dutch expats! They are fantastic and I couldn't be happier about them! After that we went downtown as a family just before the Netherlands world cup game and it was totally packed but so worth it to be around all the people. We ate at this great sports bar then grabbed Sundaes at Ben & Jerrys! ;) 

(Those are like the Fort Knox of locks...hopefully our bikes will be ok!)

Sunday hubby and I had a birthday party to go to for a guy he works with. It was super fun...it was at the Rijksmuseum...they hired a tour guide and we learned so many interesting things! Tour guides are totally worth it when they know what they are talking about. Since we bought museum cards while we were there I can't wait to go back, there are a few paintings I want a closer look at! Then we had a nice dinner as a family and went on a very long bike ride and taught the teenager how to lock up her bike properly!

How was your weekend? Were you active?

Goals for this week:

• Follow workout schedule
• Get stuff moved over to new apartment
• Follow meal plan
• Get in green smoothies & one salad everyday-IMPORTANT!
• Get back on to working on my Index Card a Day project

Last week I didn't write down my goals so I sort of lost sight when we got busy. I kept my clean eating up most of the time and enjoyed how busy we were settling into our new life and then end of school.

Now for what you really came here for....

Go check out more menu's over at Org Junkie!

Breakfast:

Egg white scramble with tomatoes and spinach & half a spelt bagel with avocado (MWF)

• Teenager has two scrambled eggs with tomatoes and half a bagel with butter

Seeded spelt toast with avocado, Green smoothie (T, Th)

• Teenager will have cereal with banana slices

Saturday: omelets (egg white for me) with ham, bacon, cheese, and veggies (everyone will have something different), with coffee and toast

Sunday: Blueberry coconut coffee cake breakfast bars with coffee

Lunch: 

Spinach apple tuna salad with green tea green smoothie (M-W-F)

• Teenager is at her friends most of the time this week they have lots of plans but if she is home she will do ham sandwich with spinach, peppers, cheese

Sweet potato with bbq chickpeas and a spinach salad (T, Th)

• If the kiddo is home she will just eat this with me

Saturday: (this may or may not happen depending on what time we eat breakfast) Chicken sausage coins with potato/sweet potato fries

Sunday: (again may or may not happen depending on when we eat breakfast) Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches

Dinner:

*We won't be eating out all this week, my goal is to cook everyday

Meal 1: Baked eggs with potatoes 

Meal 2: Tacos/Taco salads...I think this is one of my most favorite meals when I cook it ...I love a homemade taco salad

Meal 3: Cheese chicken finger crescent rolls, fruit

Meal 4: Bacon cheese potatoes/sweet potatoes with burgers

Meal 5: Raclette: leftover chicken/burgers cut up and seasoned, potato pieces, veggies, bread to dip in the cheese from the raclette (I will have to take a picture it is similarish to fondue but you don't dip directly into a pot)

Meal 6: Grilled steak bites with spinach salad and brown rice

Meal 7: Smoked sausage & potatoes au gratin

We are trying to eat a home more as one thing about living in The Netherlands is food at the grocery store is really cheap, but food out in restaurants is ridiculously expensive and the service is frustratingly bad. Plus, the amount of people they try to squeeze into a dining room or on a patio is a bit ridiculous. So, we will be homing it and enjoying it!

Hope you all have a great week! 

Menu Plan Monday Week 50: Eating Clean and Healthy

Happy Monday! Wow, what a weekend this has been! Explored a beach somewhat near us, date night, and lots of working out!

As you all know I am very active. Most of my hobbies involve being on the go and my love for all things beachbody keep me toned up. Also, I eat fairly healthy 80% of the time...right now it is more like 95% of the time as I have a little more fat on my abs than I prefer and I'm trying to get that to go away. I don't eat 100% clean all the time because I am human and I love things like cinnamon rolls and cookies so right now I am allowing my self one cheat meal one time per week. This takes some serious planning and some sacrifice on my part as I really love food...really, really bad for me food. But, I know this doesn't make me feel good. It really makes me feel quite awful. So before I put something into my mouth I ask myself last time you ate this did you say you shouldn't eat this again? If I did I either cut it in half & just savor a small amount or usually I put it away entirely and find something else because I don't want to feel horrible later.

Now, because most people have the misconception that eating clean can leave you hungry and that you don't eat much I am going to bust that myth with my schedule:

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor nor a health & nutrition expert by any stretch of the imagination. I have just played around over the years and know what works for ME. Take this advice with a grain of salt and play around and see what works for you. Always consult a physician with any drastic dietary changes.

7 am or so: chug 8oz of water I keep by my bed
7:20am: warm cup of water boiled with lemon & cinnamon
8am: breakfast
10:30 am (Post workout): Protein shake
12:30 or 1:00pm: lunch
3:00pm: snack
6:00pm: dinner (I usually have a glass of red or white wine with dinner, whatever will complement the meal more)
8:30pm: snack, but only if I am hungry.
Throughout the day I drink an additional 2-3 liters of water.

My 8:30 pm snack does not always happen. If I am feeling tired and know I will be going to bed around 10:30 or 11:00, if I am feeling peckish I will just tough it out because if I eat too close to bed time I will have really weird dreams and they will disturb my sleep and I am like a princess and need my beauty rest...especially as I've gotten older and more active. Remember sleep is a great way for the body to recover so make sure you are getting enough! I know situation for some of us can sort of mess that up, but get as much as you can!

So, anyway moving on....here is this week's menu!

Go to Org Junkie to see other yummy meal plans!

Breakfast:
M-W-F: Egg burritos with sweet potato pieces and fruit.

Egg burrito
Serves 1
1 Egg
3 egg whites
Burrito fillings such as:
Diced tomato
Diced onion
Black beans or kidney beans
Avocado
Dash of Cumin
Salt & pepper
Salsa (if you don't make your own read the label & make sure there isn't any added crud in it like sugar/high fructose corn syrup)

Combine the egg & three egg whites and whip with a fork. Pour into a pan sprayed with non stick spray and let cook for a few minutes as if you were making an omelette. Once set a bit toss in a bit of your favorite burrito fillings like tomato, onion, a sprinkle of beans, some avocado. Season with a sprinkling of cumin, salt & pepper. Fold over the sides like you would a burrito and let finish cooking, flip when you feel it is ready. Put on plate and pour a bit of salsa over the top. Serve with some diced sweet potato and a bit of fruit.

Tues-Thurs Banana Pancakes with nut butter & berries

Banana Pancakes
Serves 1
2 eggs
1 banana
1 Tablespoon nut butter of choice
Handful of fresh berries

Mash banana until nice & liquidyish, in separate bowl whip the two eggs. Combine with a whisk until mostly smooth & outside edges are a bit foamy. Cook as you would pancakes in a lightly greased skillet. Cover each pancake with about half to 1 teaspoon of nut butter. Sprinkle some fresh in season berries over the top.

Saturday: This is usually my treat meal. I freaking love cinnamon rolls and the grocery store here sells some chemical laden high fructose corn syrup no doubt made custardy cinnamon rolls that I LOVE. So, I usually have ONE of these with a green smoothie.

Sunday: Egg white omelettes (for hubby & the kiddo they will be regular egg omelettes because they need more fat in their diets) with a combo potato/sweet potato hashbrown mix, and a strawberry spinach salad.

Lunch
M-W-F: Turkey & cheese sandwiches with green smoothie & side salad.

Sandwiches
Serves 1
2 slices whole wheat bread (read ingredients make sure tit only has good stuff)
Mayo (read label again)
Dijon mustard (again, read your label)
2 slices nitrate free turkey
1 slice cheese of choice
Sandwich add on's:
Onion
Lettuce
Tomato
Red pepper

Spread mayo on one side, mustard on the other, put down cheese on one side (I like to spit the cheese in half so I have some on each side). Lay down the turkey on one side, put in the add on's you want on top of the turkey, top with other side. Cut in half if desired.

Side salad:
Serves 2
Diced cucumber
Diced tomato
Green onion, sliced thin
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Combine the cucumber, tomato, and green onion. Top with a drizzle of olive oil, balsamic vinegar. Add salt & pepper to taste. (I like to make this the  night before so I can let the oil & vinegar really settle into the cucumber because secretly I hate cucumber lol)

Tuesday: Green smoothies from the Vitamin shop and a big green salad to go from the grocery store. We are going to our new apartment to wait on our furniture that day so no telling how long that will take and what all I will have managed to get in the house before then.

Thursday: Green smoothie with egg white omelette stuffed with tomato, onion, peppers

Friday: Tuna salad served on apples with green smoothie 

Tuna Salad
Serves 1
1 can of tuna in water
1 hard boiled egg
1 teaspoon of mayo
1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
1/4 of an avocado
Diced onion

Drain the can of tuna and put the tuna in a bowl. Gently cut the hard boiled egg in half & separate the yolk, dice the egg white. In a small bowl mash the quarter of an avocado with the yolk from the egg. Combine avocado/yolk mixture with the tuna and egg whites. Add in the mayo, mustard, and onion. Serve on apple slices.

Saturday: Soup & sandwiches

Sunday: Out for a late lunch/early dinner if it is nice. If it isn't nice I will grill up some chicken breasts & serve with brown rice and some mushrooms and onions.

Dinner

Monday: brown rice veggie mix (brown rice with a bag of mixed veggies), zucchini on the side topped with cheese and a side salad...hubby will have chicken satay, rice, and corn

Tuesday: Will probably eat out. Having furniture delivered that day & will have to be out & about getting things like towels and what not for the new place.

Wednesday: Homemade veggie burgers/regular burgers for hubby with leftover brown rice mix and a cup of sugar snap peas

Thursday: Chicken breasts with homemade fries and side salad

Friday: Pizza and a giant salad (I will make the dough in my bread maker and will serve with a big side salad) or baked potato bar....we will be watching The Neverending Story with the teenager since she hasn't seen that one yet.

Saturday: Will try my hand at a homemade alfredo sauce. The husband has been dying for some good alfredo & none of the restaurants around here serve it & the stores don't sell any. If you have a tried & true recipe that has no veggies in it for my picky husband please leave it in the comments! I will serve the sauce over spaghetti squash for me. Will serve with a big salad.

Sunday: We will have a big late lunch/early dinner out somewhere. For snacks at night we will munch on fruit and any leftovers in the fridge.

Snacks
**Post workout will always be a protein shake** 
Apples & pb
Sugar snap peas, hard boiled eggs
Avocado toast
Leftovers

My week in workouts coming up:
Monday: Run for 20 minutes (2 30 second sprint sessions in there), insanity cardio abs
Tuesday: Insanity Cardio Power & resistance
Wednesday: Run for 40 minutes & Cardio Recovery
Thursday: Insanity Cardio Circuit
Friday: Run 30 minutes and Insanity Cardio Power and Resistance
Saturday: Insanity Pure Cardio
Sunday: P90X, X-Stretch

Busy week coming up! I am most looking forward to playing around with making the Alfredo Sauce. I know it won't be amazing for us, but it will be a nice treat to have! I am going to try and make it with all whole foods so it is more filling and we need to eat less.

What are you cookin' up this week?