Week of October 26, 2014

This week seemed like it lasted 100 years. It didn’t. I’m certain because I still have a haircut that leads one of my coworkers to tell me, “Your hair looks very nice. You look just like a little boy.” His nickname has been demoted from “Sunshine” to “Dr. Jackass.” He is not the type of doctor I ordinarily call names, but I believe in treating all jackasses equal.

On some good notes: Mr. Rutledge helped me recover the chili last weekend when I accidentally added 6 cups of chicken broth rather than the 4 cups the recipe called for. Mr. Rutledge, who follows all recipes to the letter, seemed a bit too smug about this, so I added a little extra spice to his portion. The lasagna and pecan-crusted halibut were exceptionally delicious! Mr. Rutledge and I were imagining some kind of sauce for the recipe. I’ll have it figured out before it’s back in the rotation. We did get back to our workout routine. I stopped making fun of people- and by this I tried really REALLY hard to only make fun of people to their faces. This gives them an opportunity to defend themselves; thus relieving my guilt.

Speaking of my guilt- I have an ice cream addiction, but I’m going to a conference on Obesity, Food Addiction and Diabetes next month that should cure me. In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy chocolate almond ice cream. To make up for this, I’m trying to be more consistent with my exercise, maintain those fluid goals from a few weeks ago, and I try to purchase lean cuts of protein, whole grains and low-fat versions of dairy products to save calories where I can. Let’s be honest, I’ll continue to eat ice cream even after the conference.

This week we are having some old favorites and trying one new recipe. Mr. Rutledge and I haven’t been able to keep up with 5 recipes a week when travelling on the weekends, so we will only be making 4 of these. However, I’ll share 5 recipes and the coordinating grocery list.

Chicken Taco Salad (1) – I love taco salad. My little brother does as well. I never eat it without thinking about him. He is the prettiest Trout around. Seriously, adorable. Mr. Rutledge on the other hand firmly believes that anything involving the word taco should have a tortilla involved, so I let him make tacos with corn tortillas. I found this recipe when I was an intern out in Tampa, FL. I thought of it again when I was making the dressing for a taquito dip a couple of weeks ago. For the chicken, I’m going to try and prep it in the crockpot (chicken breasts, taco seasoning packet, packet of ranch mix and broth on high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours) while I’m at work. That’ll make this meal a breeze!  Oh, and I skip the salt in the dressing. Some food scientist might say there is a reason for it. It’s useless to me. Use frozen corn also, because canned corn is mostly gross. Another way to cut out sodium is to make your own taco and ranch seasonings. I’m headed out of town this weekend so that won’t be happening for us!

Feta & Sausage Casserole (2) – We’ve been making this casserole for a couple of years now. It’s a little silly because the measurements are odd. I round up on everything – a whole pound of turkey, a can of broth, whole box of pasta, etc. I don’t really care much for measuring. You can also make the casserole on Sunday and bake it off the evening you want to eat it. Per the usual, if your family is bigger than 4, you will probably want to add another vegetable on the side. The Rutledge house likes one pot meals- especially on week nights.

Butternut squash soup (3) - As for this recipe, I think it is not at all spicy (making the authors liars). Since I add chipotle peppers in adobo to every recipe that ever existed, I think it works here, too. I think Mr. Rutledge prefers a little cayenne instead.

Baked Cod, feta & tomatoes with couscous (4) - This is a new recipe, so I’m going easy on the sides- just a box of couscous- and I have a bag of broccoli I’ll probably steam up, too. I’m lying to you by saying cod here – we will keep using the fish in our freezer, but you should mix it up!

Crockpot French Dip (5) – I started making this recipe when I lived with my Aunt and Uncle. Their kids refused to eat vegetables, which I took personally offensive. So, I started making this, but added in a sliced up bell pepper, onion and a pint of mushrooms. They didn’t have a clue. You would probably enjoy the veggies more if you sautéed them. However, I’m lazy and dumping them all in the crockpot is way easier.

Produce

Cilantro (1)
Lime (1)
Romaine (1)
Cherry Tomatoes (1, 4)
Avocado (1)
Red onion (1, 4)
3 zucchini or squash (2)
Garlic (2)
1 butternut squash (3)
Yellow onion (3)
Parsley (4)
Bell pepper (5)
Onion (5)
Mushrooms (5)

Deli/Meat Counter

Chicken Breast (1)
2 lbs spicy turkey sausage (2, 3)
Cod (4)
2-3 lb beef roast (5)

Dry Goods

Chipotle in adobo sauce (1)
Whole-wheat ziti (or penne) pasta (2)
Cooking spray (2)
Olive oil (2, 3)
1 can chicken broth (2)
1 box of chicken broth  (1)
Flour (2)
Long-grain white rice (3) – or brown rice!
Couscous (4)
White wine (4)
2 cans beef broth (5)
1 can black beans (1)

Spices/Seasonings

Taco seasoning (1)
Ranch packet (1)
Cumin (1)
Chili powder (1)
Crushed red pepper (4)
Salt, pepper
Onion soup mix (5)

Fridge/Freezer

Salsa (1)
Light sour cream (1)
Frozen corn (1, 3)
Feta (2, 4)
Reduced-fat mozzarella (2)
Heavy cream, optional (3)
Broccoli or other easy veggie (4)
Provolone slices (5)