Menu Plan Monday: Week of July 30th, 2012

My hubby is officially thinner than he was when I first met him.  I wanted to clarify something from last weeks post.  My hubby is 23 pounds away from the weight he plans to be comfortable at.  This planned goal weight is a very nice stopping place for a large framed male such as himself.  For him, his healthy BMI is way to low for his body type.  He could probably get to that weight, but we are choosing not to. The thinnest teens I know his hight (6'3") are way too thin at that "healthy BMI weight". He will be thin enough at his goal weight, very thin in fact, it is only 20 pounds above the weight he was when he was dismissed from the army (which was still not as low as this suggested BMI weight).  Honestly that scale should account of bone size and body structure. LOL.

I on the other hand am just at tiny 5'3" tall and weight is cruel to small chicks like me.  LOL.  At my goal weight I may just look like a decent weight.  Tho now that I told you that I must confess, I have plateaued at only 10 pounds from my healthy BMI.  I need to research what to do when you plateau.  My hubby says he "heard" via podcasts that this is the time when I loose inches so I guess I need to get the tape measure out.  I have seen the re-emergence of a waist line (or hour glass figure) again!

We had a lovely play date last Thursday with two ladies who I just adore.  Honestly I have not enjoyed myself that much since I moved here. Usually I am the type to feel uncomfortable in my own skin but since it was at MY house I was able to relax and enjoy it immensely.  In conversations it was brought up that I do Once a Month Cooking (these underlined bits are links ~ for those of you who did not know that) and was interested in exploring OAM Cooking for herself.  I graciously offered to help, since you all know I LOVE to cook!!!  Now I want you to know that Once A Month Cooking Mom is the way to go when pursing this on your own.  But for those of you who are interested in how WE are going to go about this, I will blog along the way.  I don't always cook a month ahead, tho I do think it is a great idea.  Sometimes we just shop for food once a month, sometimes I will cook one meal with several nights in mind and freeze the rest.  Sometimes I use one meat type for several dishes like I did last week.  But if you are the sort that is always turning to fast food because of your limited time to prepare meals at night, you really should find a buddy and give OAM Cooking a try!

It is official, my son loves his school.  Our old public school is a great place to go but he says this new school makes learning fun.  They have the best teachers who are so motivated and full of energy!  We are so excited for him!!!

Sunday:

Fried Pork Chops, Cauliflower Rice and Spinach

Monday:

Buffalo Chicken Nuggets, Celery Sticks, and Green Salad

Tuesday:

Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf, Mashed Cauliflower, Sauteed Zucchini

Wednesday:

Grilled Skirt Steak, Baked Sweet Potatoes & Broccoli

Thursday/ Friday/ Saturday & Sunday I am going to try a new coupon-less Money Saving Idea!   While this is not a new idea to some, it is for me.  Our local supermarkets have 5 for $19.95 section where you can choose from any selection of meats from the cooler.  The selections vary from week to week.  This weeks selections were pork chops, bacon wrapped filet minion, hamburgers, ground meat, chicken legs.  I am challenging myself to feed my family of four for under $60 a week for one month.  YIKES!  Can I do it?  Well its not going to be organic meat thats for sure but if you are on the paleo diet and can't afford the specialty meats, this experiment will help you understand that participating at the level you can afford will still enable you to loose weight!

Looking for inspiration? I can help in three different ways.

1. Head on over to Orgjunkie.com and visit Laura's Menu Plan Monday.
2. Visit Heather at Celiac Family, the Gluten Free Menu Swap headquarters!
3. You can also view my past menu plans here 

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Shrimp Tempura

Prawns and shrimps are my favorite food, next to chicken. Since chicken is somewhat staple at home, so whenever we have shrimps or prawns, I always consider it a time for indulgence.

Last Friday, there were shrimps at the market selling for 80 pesos per 1/4 kilo, 150 per 1/2 kilo. Of course we went to go for 1/2 kilo, half of which we cooked for Saturday's lunch. The next day, I found myself alone in the house, and seeing more shrimps, I just attempted to do something I always crave to eat -


Shrimp Tempura. 

We don't have Tempura Mix here at home so I just searched online for easy tempura batter. Well, it didn't result to the kind served at Japanese restaurants, but I think I did good for this batch. An online friend told me it looked more like Camaron Rebusado than a Tempura, which I agreed with. I guess I really need to practice how to do restaurant-style Tempura. :)

Well, for a shrimp lover, this one was heaven.

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Max's Restaurant Merienda Mixes

During the time when there were very few food places near our place, our family would always celebrate family events at Max's Restaurant. I admit the family would often go there to eat either lunch or dinner, but not once did we eat snacks there.


If you're just like me who always visit Max's Restaurant to eat lunch and/or dinner, here's one reason for you to eat your snacks there, too. Introducing the Create Your Own Merienda Mix, where you can choose what mix you want to have!


First, choose your Max's Corner Bakery treat. It can be Ensaymada, Cheese Roll or 1/4 Cake Roll (choose between Chocolate, Mocha, Ube, Jelly, Ube, or Mango flavor)...


Pair it with your choice of Main Merienda - Pancit Canton, Champorado, or Pancit Luglog...


Then finish it with your choice of drink - Pepsi, Brewed Coffee or Sago't Gulaman.

The price? 95 pesos. Believe it. :)

So many ways to mix and match that would fit one's satisfaction! During the launch of the promo, food were served ala buffet, so we can just have whatever we want, but bloggers at our table asked for a little plate and bowl of each main merienda so we can present the Merienda Mixes like these:


Pancit Canton was cooked so good! It wasn't saucy, but not too dry either. It had quite a lot of liver slices, but it was okay... it had some chicken cuts, dimsum balls and shrimps for me to eat (I don't eat liver, that's why).

The ensaymada, it was so soft and fluffy, delicious!

The Sago't Gulaman, I loved that it had a lot of sago and gulaman, but it was a little too sweet for my liking.


Champorado was really good! I loved the consistency and how the rice are oh-so-soft! Actually, this tasted like they used melted chocolate (like Toblerone), which made me love it more.


When it comes to Pancit Palabok or Pancit Luglog, I always go for the thick noodles. This was the very first time to try their Pancit Luglog and I was so pleased with it. Thick noodles, flavorful sauce, shrimps, egg slices, spring onions and chicharon powder. Awesome!

As for the Chocolate Roll, it tasted like the typical cake roll, minus the frosting outside the cake.

By the way, the main merienda you will get should you order the Merienda Mix will be much more than the ones in the pictures I have. Like I said, the food at the event were served ala buffet, so these pictures are just for presentation.

The Max's Restaurant Create Your Own Merienda Mix is available at all Max's Restaurants from 2 to 6 pm. It's valid for dine-in, take-out, and delivery transactions. You can also order deliveries online, but it cannot be combined with any other promos and discounts. This promo runs until 16 September 2012... but another good thing that comes with it is that for every purchase of the Merienda Mix, you stand a chance to win a trip to the US to visit the Max's Restaurant branch in San Jose, California as well as watch a concert. So keep your receipts and head on to Max's Restaurant Website or http://www.facebook.com/maxsrestaurant for more details.

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Menu Plan Monday: Week of July 23rd, 2012

Well its another beautiful week here in the Mid South.  My son starts school on Monday and I guess I will miss him madly but I have play dates and big projects planned while he is gone!

I lost 13.5 pounds so far.  Hubby lost 40.5.  I have only 10 more pounds until I reach the upper limit of the BMI doctors suggest I be.  Hubby has 23 I believe.  Not bad for only dieting 11 weeks.  Hey once I reach my goal weight I can get a physical!!!! ;-).  Don't you just hate getting a physical and and the doctor tells you that you are obese!  LOL.. Yea so do I.  But I still encourage everyone to go ahead and get those physicals anyway.  Getting a physical is what found my cancer and saved my life.  SO go ahead and get your physical anyway!!!  I was just saying that to be silly!!!!  OK, that disclaimer out of the way...

It's funny but 13.5 pounds really don't make me look like I have been dieting. I just look slightly less swollen I guess.  ;-/ Feels like I SHOULD be massively thinner looking for all the work and weeks I put into it!!!  LOL.  I was wheat and corn free already so I guess the biggest difference was done when the kids and I first converted to a gluten free lifestyle.  I lost an easy 15-20 pounds back then and it stayed that way.  Actually with my GF bread recipes it felt pretty easy to do! This is hubby's first time being gluten free though!  Hubby on the other hand, with his 40.5 pounds gone in 11 weeks, looks like somebody else!  Everyone who sees him is absolutely shocked at what he has accomplished and most want to follow the diet too. I WISH we took a before picture!  Following this paleo diet really works!  Recipes like Elana's Banana Cake recipe and my ice cream recipe really really helps curb that sweet tooth!  Elana's banana bread is really a lifesaver I tell ya!!! Pure heaven and better than any other banana bread recipe I haver ever tried.  Almond Flour was born to make cakes I think!!!

I have had people in my life try this diet and wonder how we made it so far.  Three days in and they are ready to toss in the towel with wheat addiction withdrawal.  They are wheat free for the first time and starving.  So here is what I do.  I probably eat way too many eggs but two eggs scrambled up with a 1/2 cup of veggies is what I eat for breakfast every day!  Throw away that bread momma, just eat the eggs!  ;-). A bed of lettuce hosts whatever meat I decided to have for lunch.  Yesterdays for example was Green Goddess Avocado Chicken Salad and it was pretty awesome!  Just make an extra chicken breast next time you have a chicken dinner and you are all set.  If I go anywhere I pack a lunch.  I do not expect anybody to feed us properly.   A meat and two veggies make up our dinner.  Growing up I was taught that Protein, a carb and two veggies should make up your dinner plate.  I just ditched the carbs is all.  And last but not least we always try to have some sort of paleo snack like suggested above for those days you just need an extra bite.  In-between meals I usually stick with nuts.

We try very hard not to make this the all protein and not so healthy Atkins diet.  You CAN harm yourself with too much protein!  I like to explain it as a vegetarian diet minus the beans/sugar and add meat!  In my house its veggies first, fat second, meat third.  I also try and stay away from nightshades because I am riddled with Autoimmune. Autoimmune was the root of why I ever got sick with cancer in the first place.  I wish I could say Paleo fixed this for me but it was wheat/corn alone that brought my antibodies back to normal.  I know this is not the case for everyone tho I wish it were.  I suppose those two things alone where what was disturbing my body.  Maybe I also made changes I am not really aware of that helped, like living organically.  We are not starving we appear to eat hearty portions of regular food and definitely being gluten free already helped make this diet a raging success.  I was used to eating minus the wheat. easy peasy!!!

Summer School session hours are 8 to 2 and a packed lunch is still needed so I will follow up with a Lunch Box Experiment with what I packed.

Sunday:

Strip Steak Sauteed Mushrooms and Broccoli

Monday:

Steak Strips Stir Fry.  I am making a bunch of steak Sunday, two dinners worth and some will even show up as a kids lunch. 

Tuesday:

Green Leaf Lettuce Tacos stuffed with taco seasoned beef, tomatoes and avocado.  Our favorite meal made even better without the corn shells!!!  I can't fully explain it, but when we first could not have any sort of taco shells it made us sad.  We did not realize at the time that what we really LOVE in the taco was the lettuce anyway!  This combination was meant for each other!!

Wednesday:

Roasted Chicken Legs, Mashed Cauliflower and Spinach

Thursday:

Paleo Stuffed Peppers.  I made Bolognese Meat Sauce for our spaghetti squash on friday and with the leftover meat sauce I tossed in the cauliflower ice and stuffed the peppers! Viola its two easy paleo dishes!  

Friday:

I am supposed to have Paprika Roast, but mom asked me to make Spaghetti Squash every friday!  LOL.   So I guess it's spaghetti squash.  My son wants you all to know that serving it in the shell is a great idea!  LOL.  I tell my kids that this is how god intended spaghetti to be.  God's spaghetti. ;-)
Used my own sauce recipe minus the sugar.

Saturday:

Hungarian Pot Roast with Sour Cream and Paprika Gravy

I think Sour Cream is the "grey area" of Paleo so I'm using it.... ;-).
Served with a side of Sauteed Mushrooms.

Looking for inspiration? I can help in three different ways.

1. Head on over to Orgjunkie.com and visit Laura's Menu Plan Monday.
2. Visit Heather at Celiac Family, the Gluten Free Menu Swap headquarters!
3. You can also view my past menu plans here 

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Yummy Magazine July 2012

Ten more days left before the month ends, but I would just like to share to you guys the magazine I am reading just now -



Yummy Magazine July 2012 issue. I do appreciate every food and dining magazines available - both locally and internationally published - but Yummy Magazine has got to be the one that I always read. I look forward to its different recipes and features. Another knowledge-filled issue, I must say.



Of course, I won't share away all the details about the magazine, but here are some interesting things to look forward to for this issue.

• Easy dishes to prepare. The theme of this issue centers on stress-free cooking, and I really think almost all of the recipes are indeed easy to prepare.
• Creative way of preventing watery drinks at your party - Flavored Ice Cubes!
• Quick-fire recipes. Yes, I did say almost all recipes are very easy to whip up, but the magazine has devoted a segment featuring recipes you can cook in under an hour.
• Eggs! Recipes featuring eggs... and I am so looking forward in cooking that Fish Cakes with Poached Eggs.
• Tips and tricks from chefs, bakers, food experts, and Yummy Magazine staff. Wanna know the secret  how to make a killer Kare-Kare or how to tend herbs at home? 

Another thing featured at the magazine was about their iPad App called "Yummy Filipino Recipes".

Released two weeks ago, Summit Media’s Yummy Filipino Recipes app skyrocketed to the top of the App Store charts, peaking at number two under the ‘Top Paid iPad Apps’ category and maintaining its week-long position at the top 10 of the charts. It joins App Store luminaries such as Temple Run, Where’s My Perry?, Plants vs. Zombies HD and Apple apps such as Keynote and Pages.

Thanks to its engaging layout and nifty interactive features coupled with the mouthwatering list of 101 recipes spanning five major food categories, customers have given the app a perfect score of five stars, with user Orlan saying “It’s worth the price! Lots of local recipes to choose from. Nice presentation and good layout.” Another buyer of the app, Izhiang also gave the app five stars and commented “Been waiting for this app!”

Designed to make learning new Filipino recipes and making them your own engaging and fun, the Yummy Filipino Recipes app sure looks like it is hitting the spot! The full version of the app is now available at the iTunes App Store for the retail price of US $3.99. The App Store link can be found at: http://bit.ly/MzrLtv.

For more information about Yummy’s upcoming series of apps, visit www.summitmedia.com.ph/apps/yummy.



On a personal side note... what I love about culinary magazines aside from the recipes and the lessons are the newest products I could try. One that got me so interested is this - Korean flavored fried chicken mix! I still haven't seen this in the nearby supermarket, but hopefully soon, I can use this to jazz up my fried chicken.


This issue of Yummy Magazine is available at bookstores, magazine stores, and newsstands nationwide. Go grab your copy, you'll love it for sure! To get more YUMMY news, you can check their website at www.yummy.ph or follow them at Twitter - twitter.com/yummyph or like their Facebook page - facebook.com/yummymagazine.

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The Lunch Box Experiment.....Two Years Later

Here I am two years later and still packing my children lunch every day.  You know it is funny.....when I look back at how nervous I would get about packing lunches.  Will they get bored of what I am packing?  Will I come up with enough interesting ideas?  Will they eat? I don't know about your kids but I honestly can pack the same two lunches for them every day and they will never be bored.  Of course I know that NOW! I guess I impose my need for variety on them.  In fact the more creative I get the more picky of an eater they become.

So lets see, when I started this experiment I had three lunch boxes.

Number One

First in line was a target purchased lunch box with a glad 3 compartment container.  The containers are of a thinner quality but lasted regardless of the cracking at the joint issues.  The compartments were perfect for the main item, a fruit and a veggie side.  The lunch boxes from target held up though the size of the item to the right was narrow and short to really be useful even without the insert.  The lunch box to the left was not very insulating tho the size was accommodating at least.  I still own only the lunch bag to the left.  The bag to the right started to rip inside.

Number Two

The second was an Easy Lunch Box with their brand of containers.  The container had a nib that helped you remove the lid.  That nib is gone on every container.  Otherwise nothing else cracked and the functionality of the container is still excellent.  In fact this container is my "go to" container to pack up leftover dinners.  I don't really like to pack each dinner item individually, I would really rather have a home made frozen TV dinner! ;-).  One of the bags ripped inside on the liner and both frayed at the grommet on the handle.  I still own and use both bags however because the bags are nicely insulated and really work well in that respect.  The size of the bag is nice for when you want to pack more than just a container.  I believe these bags have now been redesigned to fix the handle issue.  You really can't beat the price of this kit and if you buy them on Amazon the shipping is free!  Would I buy them again, yes!  In fact I am getting ready to order a new bag in Pink!

Number Three

The last one was the PlanetBox.  My son still LOVES his PlanetBox.  The size is sort of on the small side for a bigger boy with a more hearty appetite.  The lunch bag size also does not accommodate anything inside except that tray so if you are the type to pack "other" items like am/pm snacks, this unit will not be the one for you.  The lunch bag has pockets on the outside that were really not good for holding much.

I recently learned that the design has since been improved and the pockets on front are more accommodating.  You can actually put a smaller type drink bottle in one pocket and maybe a small glass container in the other if you need to pack items that need microwave heating.

In fact this company now makes a larger type PlanetBox that holds a glass container with lid on the INSIDE!  This way you can re-heat your lunch if you wish.  My son really is not too fond of the bags that they sell with the bigger box but I suppose they at least solve the where do you put your OTHER items at issue.  I will be ordering the larger unit in the very near future.  Is it worth the pricey $70.  I would say so, the insulated lunch bag really does a good job at insulating the contents.  The bag held up over the two years of my literally scrubbing it with a brush on the inside with some stain treat.  In the end the whole unit looks good as new and is every bit as functional and durable as the day we got it.  I really do like the smaller sized kit because of how conveniently it fits INSIDE the backpack.

In fact it is now time for my daughter to own her own PlanetBox and Pottery Barn Kids sells a kit that matches the backpack she fell in love with (chocolate owl ~ odd for the "pinky girl").  You can see from this picture that the drink bottle does fit now in the front pocket and the case is a bit larger to hold you "other" snacks.  The handle seems to have been improved too which is good.

Summary:

My kids will have two lunch bags this year.  A PlanetBox and an EasyLunch Box kit.  I have my eye on a new contender called Lunchbots.  They have a leak proof container I would be interested in trying out.  The issue is still that it is stainless and whatever you pack could not be re-heated.

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