How My January 2024 Is Going

 

The ingredients I had on hand for Mexican night!

January 19, 2024

Welcome back Friends!

Here we are for another exciting adventure of "What didn't go as planned!"

Let's back up a bit.

My month started great. I was excited about my goal for the month ahead, and maybe even the following month as well. I made a couple dishes using ingredients from the pantry. And then I was sick, again! 

And we all know, that when you're sick, cooking is harder because you don't have the energy, and you crave "sick" foods, like soup, grilled cheese, and other mild flavored foods.

So, I ended up finding some cans of soup at the store that were friendly for me, and bought a loaf of gluten free bread to make some sandwiches and toast. Hanover tomato soup was both organic and gluten and dairy free, and had no bad additives. Campbell's Well Yes Chicken and Rice soup was delicious, creamy, and yet still dairy and gluten free as well. You would be shocked just how difficult it truly is to find soup without gluten and dairy!

Then, the following week after I was off sick, I received some test results from my doctor that were not favorable. As a result, I have to alter my "no spend" plan, and become much more strict with my lifestyle.  I am still planning on incorporating what I have in my pantry as I can, but unfortunately, it won't be to the extent that I originally intended.  

While I am figuring out my menu will look like next week, in the meantime, I have my pictures from my pantry cleanout and sick food! Enjoy!

This is the result of my Mexican night ingredients! I ended up with two meals from the can of beans and the can of tamales, and used one cup of rice.

This is my favorite dish to make! Artichoke pasta with lemon garlic sauce! This is from one of my favorite blogs, Love and Lemons. I have made this recipe multiple times through the years. I used up my package of gluten free pasta from Trader Joe's and a jar of artichoke hearts from Sam's Club.

This was one of my "sick" meals...Hanover tomato soup that I enhanced with dried basil and oregano, and then I accompanied it with my gluten free bread and dairy free cheese to make a grilled cheese with pickles. Yum!

I began transitioning my diet this past week, and so this was my breakfast and lunch everyday.

Breakfast consisted of pasture raised eggs with fresh vegetables and a small side of bacon.  

For lunch, I have many cans of chickpeas in my pantry, so I made my own hummus, which is another Love and Lemons recipe! I also had ingredients to make my own sushi on hand. I bought the viral sushi maker from TikTok, and it couldn't have been easier! I am focusing on fresh, raw, vegetables and fruit as well. So, I had a container of berries, olives, tomatoes and sweet peppers to enjoy as well. I would also like to add that my efforts this week were rewarded with a minus four pound weigh-in this morning!

Well, until next time, 

XOXO Margie