Fruits, Veggies, Whole Grains, and Green Tea

i did spinning today for the first time in several weeks and it felt good to sweat! i'll be fitting that back into my schedule more often for sure.

for lunch, i had more of the moroccan buffalo stew. that stuff has some spice to it but it is so good! i had it with some popcorn on the side (hey, it's a whole grain:)

speaking of whole grains, i have set a new goal for myself, 3 servings of whole grain, 3 servings of fruit, 3 servings of veggies, and 1 cup of green tea a day.  i have been wanting to eat more veggies every day and i figured i needed to have a solid plan to follow. i even made a chart to keep track and keep me accountable.

mine is on the right and E's is on the left - good goals are contagious! so far so good. i don't reach the goal every day but i'm on the right path.

make your own pizza night is tonight and i'm going to load my whole wheat pocket-less pita up with veggies to get the rest of my servings.

Moroccan Buffalo Chili

well, even though the sun isn't showing it's face today, the temperature is still warmer than usual march weather. i even saw these today in our back yard peeking up from the once snow covered ground.

 

the possibility of spring is refreshing. even dignan can feel it as he spends all day sitting out in the yard keeping watch for birds, squirrels, bunnies, and his favorite, the fox.

 

i had some wonderful moroccan buffalo & chickpea chili for lunch. again, this recipe is from the clean eating magazine.

i am getting my monies worth out of this issue. the chili was more like a stew but it was wonderful. its heartiness and spicy kick warmed my insides after a brisk bike ride outside. it is packed full of veggies and the lean buffalo was still tender thanks to a 30 minutes simmer over low heat.

if my high ratings of many of this months recipes don't encourage you to pick up this magazine, maybe the cookie recipe in the back will. i cannot wait to try these almond butter chocolate chip cookies!

this afternoon, i was excited to try angela's energize me creamy fruit dip. she just posted this yesterday but i couldn't resist trying it today based on her raves. plus, i happened to have one apple left in my fridge and the rest of the ingredients on hand. you must try this dip - it is fabulous!!

i used peanut butter instead of cashew butter and added just a 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract and it was to die for. again, throw some bananas in the freezer now so you can make this tomorrow:)

Orange Ginger Beef with Broccoli

last week my wonderful neighbor gave us a loaf of homemade banana nut bread. it is delicious and we have been enjoying it all weekend. thanks neighbor!!

this morning, i warmed a piece of the banana nut bread and had a naval orange to go with it. it held me over past 11am - no small feat for my tummy:)

i cooked all day long today and my feet were tired. for dinner, i made something super quick and easy but very tasty. i based this recipe on another one i found out of the latest issue of clean eating. in the magazine, it's called beef & broccoli orange stir-fry. i added some ginger and increased the amount of sou sauce a bit. i also threw in more vegetables and it was delicious. E said he liked it too.

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Orange Ginger Beef with Broccoli (adapted from clean eating magazine)
(serves 4)

12 oz soba noodles
olive oil
1 lb skirt stead
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cups fresh broccoli
1/2 yellow pepper, julienned
1/2 red pepper, julienned
1/2 cup carrots, julienned
juice and zest of 1 orange
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs minced ginger
2 tsp honey
4 tbs tamari soy sauce
2 tsp whole wheat flour

cook soba noodles according to package directions.

meanwhile, sear steak in wok for 2 minutes on both sides. remove steak from wok and add in chopped vegetables.

cook, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes. meanwhile, whisk together orange juice, zest, garlic, ginger, honey, soy sauce and flour. add sauce to veggies.

slice steak thinly and add to wok with veggies. when noodles are finished, add them to wok and stir well until coated with sauce.

remove from heat and serve.