Quick summer time lunch
So because it's getting hot here (and because I'm pregnant), I'm craving lots of cold, fresh foods. Side note, I had Jason's Deli for lunch the other day with a friend for the first time in like 10 years, and the salad bar was SO refreshing!! I'm trying to remember what all I put in my salad so that I can recreate it, because it was super delicious. Do people even go to Jason's Deli anymore? I'm okay with the free ice cream that comes with every meal....🙋
Heyyyy guys!! How are things going in your neck of the woods (who says that?)?? Over here in Oklahoma, we went straight from winter to summer with only a few days of spring. And to that I say, "BOOOOO!!". Spring is my favorite season. I love seeing all of the dead trees and grass come to life with a bright green color. And the weather is absolutely glorious--it's a break from all of the cold weather and instead has a nice crisp air that isn't cold, but refreshing. Welp, I only got to enjoy that a few sporadic days. Welcome to Oklahoma weather 🙄.
So because it's getting hot here (and because I'm pregnant), I'm craving lots of cold, fresh foods. Side note, I had Jason's Deli for lunch the other day with a friend for the first time in like 10 years, and the salad bar was SO refreshing!! I'm trying to remember what all I put in my salad so that I can recreate it, because it was super delicious. Do people even go to Jason's Deli anymore? I'm okay with the free ice cream that comes with every meal....🙋
Today's recipe isn't as much of a recipe as it is a guide for creating a delicious and easy lunch that can easily be prepped ahead for multiple lunches. I receive periodic packages from Bolthouse Farms (I was not compensated for writing this post) and the most recent package had their new organic vinaigrette dressings. I'm a big fan. I got this three herb and a lemon basil one. They also send us delicious juices and smoothies that Isaac loves as snacks (I liked their green juice one).
For this batch, I used Banza pasta to give it more fiber and protein and really enjoyed the hearty texture. I also used some pimiento-stuffed green olives that we had on hand, but you could use any olive to give it a nice saltiness. Feel free to use whatever veggies you wish. I wish I had had artichokes, because I think that would be a nice addition. If you try them in it, you should let me know what you think.
P.S. Baby will be 17 weeks tomorrow and we find out the gender in 3 weeks. We are SO excited!!!
Quick Summer Time Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz spiral pasta, cooked according to package instructions (I used Banza)
- 3 cups chopped veggies: spinach, broccoli, carrots, cherry tomatoes, olives, whatever YOU want
- Crumbled feta cheese
- Bolthouse Farms Three Herb dressing (amount depends on your preference)
- Squeeze of lemon
- 3 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- Optional choice of protein: I think chickpeas or shrimp would be delicious in this!
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to directions and rinse in cold water to cool the pasta down. Chop your veggies of choice and combine with the pasta, feta cheese, dressing, squeeze of lemon, basil leaves, and protein, if using. You can eat immediately or leave leftover in the fridge for several days. If you are packing for lunches, you could put the dressing on the bottom of your container with the salad on top and shake right before serving.
A day in the life...
I get questions all the time about what my schedule looks like. Goodness, it looks different EVERY day and every week. I'm still in the process of building up my clientele, so there are days when I have 6 clients and other days where I have none. There is no real consistency, which can be difficult and discouraging at times, but I also like that it keeps me on my toes. Anyways, I thought I would share a day in the life along with the foods I ate. Hope you enjoy!
6:00 AM Alarm went off
6:10 Got out of bed (mornings are a little more rough now that it's dark outside when I wake up)
6:20 Made Isaac breakfast
6:35 Curled hair, put on makeup, and got dressed
6:58 Poured myself a cup of iced Vietnamese coffee for my first session, because coffee...
7:00 Online session with an out-of-state client
7:35 Ate breakfast-soaked oats and chia seeds in almond milk with pb2, maple syrup, blueberries, and pecans. Not pictured is a turkey and cheese rollup for some protein. 💪🏻
8:00 Left for work at my office
8:30 Client session
9:05 There is a Great Harvest Bread Company across the street from my office that I enjoy sitting outside at, so I walked over, got an iced latte and worked on some things on my laptop until my next appointment.
10:00 new session
11:00 client session
11:45 Headed home after my last session to get some lunch. I was getting really hungry so I ate half of a homemade rxbar to keep me from getting too hungry before lunch.
12:00 PM Made lunch: threw a bunch of leftover veggies in the skillet with eggs and topped it all with avocado, blue cheese crumbles, and pepitas. Served with a thin slice of banana zucchini bread and two chocolate covered almonds (not pictured).
I've got a little inside info for you. I felt a little uncomfortably full after this meal. Now, I don't want anyone comparing their usual lunch to mine--there are days when this wouldn't be enough. But on today day, it was a little more than enough. I just want you to know that I don't always "get it right" when it comes to my fullness cues. But instead of judging myself, I observed what led to me eating a little too much at that time. And guess what? Fullness subsides. I got hungry again later in the day. That discomfort of being a little over full goes away 😊
12:40 Washed dishes, vacuumed, etc while catching up on a show
2:15 Left to run some errands downtown
Can we just celebrate my parallel parking job?!
3:20 got to the YMCA to work out. I was a little sore from my workout yesterday, so I decided it would be a cardio day to work out the soreness. It felt really good to move my body
4:20 I ate the rest of my homemade rxbar while driving to get some last minute dinner ingredients at the store.
5:00 Started to make dinner
5:40 Isaac and I sat down to eat dinner. I had tried leftovers of this dish with my sis and wanted to make it afterwards, so I made it for the first time this night. So delish!
6:10 Talked to my sister-in-law on the phone about plans for getting together in a few weeks. She's the absolute best.
6:15 My 3rd night of cookies and cream ice cream with frozen cookie dough added 😍 while Isaac and I sat outside and I hung out on my laptop
7:05 Went for a walk around our apartment complex. It was 80 degrees outside and felt glorious!! I'm really going to miss the regular walks and incredible beauty when we move to our house.
7:35 We just hung out: worked on this blog post, web surfed, watched Friday Night Lights (SUCH a great show...so many warm fuzzy feelings..and a few tears). Had another thin slice of zucchini banana bread with peanut butter.
10:00 Hopped into bed. I meet with a girl from my church every week at 6 am, so it's gonna be an early morning.
Hope you all have/had a great day!!