a day off kind of lunch

I spent the morning at my church’s ‘Moms 2 Moms’ group as a guest speaker talking about nutrition and fitness. Does that mean I’m really a professional now? I had a great time talking nutrition, answering questions and even motivated myself to eat well, too!

After running a few errands, it was late and I was HUNGRY. When I got home, I whipped up (ha!) a salad and topped it with fried eggs. I had made no-sweetener-added banana muffins for the group, so I had two small ones with a dollop of gingerbread peanut butter–YUM.

Blog about banana bread coming soon–Happy Monday, all!

sardine salad

Yup, you read that right. And it’s not the first time I’ve made it; I got curious and used Kath’s recipe years ago and didn’t hate it.

I’ve had a can of sardines in the pantry for a little while now (our co-op sells them 2 for $4) and felt the need to break it open sooner rather than later. While I could have simply pretending I was making tuna salad and mixed it with some celery, dill pickle, egg white and onion, I decided I’d break out some of my cookbooks to see if they had anything to say.

For Christmas, I received Run Fast. Eat Slow. from a girlfriend and it featured an ‘Omega Sardine Salad’ that sounded good. (It was slim pickins’; I’ll be honest, not many of my cookbooks have recipes that include sardines.)

So, I whipped up the salad with some homemade mayo (instead of the plain Greek yogurt) and served it in various ways: with crackers, on salad topped with crackers (below) and on a whole-wheat English muffin.

I’d like to challenge anyone who already eats canned salmon to try sardines. The authors note in the book that sardines are sustainable and don’t have mercury (because they’re at the bottom of the food chain and don’t concentrate heavy metals). Sardines are high in protein, omega-3 fats, Vitamins B12 and D and calcium. They only have a *slightly* more ‘pronounced’ flavor than tuna or salmon, and–in fact–I’d say it’s less fishy and more brine-y or salty.

So, give it a whirl! I loved the mix-ins with this salad, which included mashed hardboiled eggs, parsley, celery and toasted walnuts and olives with a little bit of Dijon mustard. It was salty and rich and paired really well with wheat crackers.

artsy

I have a friend (who has since moved away–sadness) who was incredibly talented and filled her home with creative paintings featuring florals, people and different quotes and Bible verses. I used to babysit her three little girls, so I saw these pieces of art all the time, and was eventually inspired to create some of my own.

Little-known fact: As a child, I wrote/colored/drew/painted up a STORM, although I never considered myself particularly gifted. It’s always been my dream to one day write a novel, but that’s been shelved in order to pursue other interests, including nutrition and fitness, right now. One day. Maybe.

Anyway. A few months ago, I took a trip to Hobby Lobby and picked up some supplies to create some ‘art’ of my own.

I started with a blank corner of our kitchen island countertop. It faces the TV room but since we eat most of our meals sitting across from each other at that countertop (Andrew in the TV room, me in the kitchen), it seemed like an appropriate place for a food-themed piece. I knew I wanted to create something that would inspire me to eat healthy food in a healthy way, which is why I chose Psalm 107:9.

The only challenge was that the teal was so dark, I couldn’t see any pencil marks, so I had to free-hand the entire thing. I think it turned out rather well, despite feeling terrified I was going to spell something wrong the entire time!

My second project (click for a larger photo) is in the laundry room and I was inspired by different things I’d seen in stores and online lately. Pineapples are so hot right now–I must be a trendsetter. The quote is: ‘Be A Pineapple: Stand Tall, Wear A Crown, Be Sweet.’ Again, I thought I could embellish with Bible verses, so I found different ones that were appropriate for each portion of the quote.

My last piece is in the kitchen itself, and another food/Bible-themed project. Who knew ‘eat, drink and be merry’ is from the Bible?? I didn’t. I made this canvas a gradient with lighter colors on top, and made the text color match the beige of our walls.

I can’t say I’m in love with any of the pieces, but I’m happy with how they turned out and like having my own original ‘artwork’ on my walls instead of generic items purchased at big-box stores. That’s how Andrew and I decorate anyway, mostly with photos or maps or other items that harken back to our European travels. In fact, we have some maps being framed right now for our bedroom!