Tag: food

How It Begins

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June 1. Day 1. 

It’s 10:47 p.m. and I’ve just finished prepping breakfast and lunch for tomorrow. 

The boyfriend and I are starting the Whole30. It’s time for a food check-up, and this is one way I feel like we can both reset our bodies. 

I’m not a fan of fad diets, or diets at all. But sometimes it’s necessary to simplify. We’ve both been slim our whole lives, but our late-twenties and early-thirties metabolisms are making our pants a little tighter and brains a little foggier. 


I went to the store tonight with the Whole30 book, and I got all the stuff to get us started. 

There’s a very real possibility we both will be starving by the end of the day. But after a couple of days, I think I’ll get this meal prep down. 

I just have to get us to the weekend where I can really think about food. 

But I have to go to bed so I will get up to drink my creamless coffee. And I have to leave a note on the door for the boyfriend so he doesn’t leave his breakfast and lunch at home. Otherwise, his first day of Whole30 could be harder than it has to be. 

Follow along day-by-day to see how I navigate the Whole30. 

Here’s to a happier and healthier 30 days of June. And that beach body of my dreams. 

Weeknight Salad

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“What did you have for supper last night?”

“I had a salad.”

“Man, you must be starving.”

“Not if you do it right.”


This salad is huge. It fills the entire plate with mounds of delicious goodness. 

When I make a salad, which is often, they usually look something like this. Minus the eggs. And on a much smaller scale. 

So I thought I’d share my favorite salad fixings. You know, so you can recreate it at your house. 

What you need: 

  • Your favorite lettuce blend
  • One orange bell pepper, diced
  • One cucumber, diced 
  • Cherry tomatoes, halved 
  • Avocado, diced 
  • Your favorite shredded cheese 
  • 4 boiled eggs 
  • Your favorite salad dressing 

This makes enough for two huge salads. 

I whipped this up after the boyfriend and I went for a run. Today is my 5th running anniversary so I had to go for a run. I haven’t been logging as many miles as I use to, but it felt good to get out there for a quick run. 

Neither of us wanted anything heavy after the run, so this salad was the perfect fit. 

Light and fresh. A delightful supper to start my fifth year running. 

What do you put in your go-to salad? 

Butter Fried Yellow Squash 

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Some nights I don’t feel like making everything from scratch when I get home for work. I just don’t have the energy. 

Last week, in my haste to make a meal and save on time, I created something delicious by complete accident. 


Butter Fried Yellow Squash

What you need: 

  • 2-3 tablespoons Kerrygold butter
  • 2 medium yellow squash 
  • A spiralizer
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

I’m a little late to the spiralizing party, but I’m glad I finally got one. 

Spiralize the yellow squash. Heat the butter on medium heat until melted. Add squash to the pan. Season liberally with salt and pepper. 

Stir to coat and cover. 

Now here’s where I messed up. I kept the heat on medium-high. And I started messing around on my phone. I totally forgot the squash would cook faster since it was thinner than the half-moon shapes I normally cook. 

When I realized it, I ran to the stove to find my squash perfectly steamed on the top and deliciously fried on the bottom. 

Best mistake I’ve ever made. 

The butter brought out the sweetness in the squash. The little brown bits were full of flavor. Holy goodness. 

My advice is supervise the covered frying. It’s not a normal way to cook squash. But it’s one I’ll replicate again and again. 

I also enjoyed a nice piece of rotisserie chicken and crowder peas. 

What kitchen mess-up turned into something amazing for you?

Salmon and Dill Scrambled Eggs 

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When life gives you a leftover salmon fillet, you make breakfast with it. It really will change your life. And I’ll be honest, it’s the fanciest breakfast I’ve ever made. 


Salmon and Dill Scrambled Eggs

What you need:

  • One leftover salmon fillet, cooked the way you like it
  • 4 eggs
  • Fresh dill
  • Butter
  • Parmesan cheese 
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Prep the eggs by cracking them in a bowl and adding a little salt and lots of pepper. Scramble with a fork. 

Heat up a pan on medium heat and melt the butter. Add the eggs. Turn the heat down to low and stir. Crumble the salmon in with the eggs. Add Parmesan cheese. 

When the eggs are cooked like you like them, add the chopped fresh dill. Remove from heat, spoon into a plate and top with more Parmesan cheese and fresh dill. 

This was a delicious breakfast packed full of flavor. It makes me want to cook salmon in mass quantities all the time so I can have this for breakfast every day. 

Tell me about your fanciest breakfast. 

When the Boyfriend Cooks 

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I have the best Boyfriend. He’s pretty cool. Some nights when I don’t feel like cooking or I’ve had a stressful day, he handles dinner. 

I typically do most of the cooking. The Boyfriend usually helps me grill stuff. But I’m the one who usually prepares everything. 

Last night, he totally came through for me. I had worked late, drove my hour commute home, fed the dogs and poured a glass of wine when he told me he was taking care of dinner. 

I would usually help him prep stuff. But last night, I didn’t have it in me. All my leftover energy went to lifting the win glass to my mouth and back down. 

“What are we having?” I asked. 

He smiled and said, “I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry.” 

I mean really. He is the holy grail of men. 


He puts this plate in front of me 45 minutes later. 

Grilled Barbecue Pork Chops with a side salad. 

I’d give you the recipe, but I have no idea what he put on the chops besides homemade barbecue sauce. He cut up the tomatoes and cucumber and lettuce for the salad. He thought of everything, even the knife, fork and napkin. 

As much as I enjoy cooking and creating delicious food for other people, I felt so special to have him prepare a meal for me. 

It’s simple, sweet gestures like making dinner when I’d rather not that make him the ultimate. 

Who made you a meal that made you feel “taken care of?” What did they make for you?