Thursday, October 14, 2010

Makes a Difference.

I made Sloppy Joe's and Sweet Potato Fries last night. I only made enough "Halloween Fries" for 3ft and I (husband doesn't like them). When I served up the plates and we sat down to dinner, 3ft informed me that he "doesn't actually like Halloween Fries." Really? He ate two helpings of them last time I made them but okay, whatever. So I tell him he can eat 4 because he wasn't honest (that'll teach him) and I took the rest of them.

Instead of putting them back on the counter where the other food was I just put them on my plate. Then I preceded to eat all of them. All, but two, because I realized what I was doing. It was a little late as I'd almost eaten them all, but instead of finishing them I stopped. I wasn't hungry. The old Lisa would've ate them anyway, they were on the plate, but the new Lisa stopped. Sure there were only 2 left but it's still progress.

It makes a HUGE difference serving from the counter or serving "family style". If it's on the counter I eat my serving, enjoy it, sip on my water, visit with the boys, and am fully satisfied. If it's at the table I hork down my portion and then help myself to more because, hey, it's there. Next time 3ft doesn't like something I will take the extra time to put it back on the counter instead of putting it off to the side on my plate (which was what I did with the fries) and then find myself absently eating it.

The sandwich was ingenious, if I do say so myself. Normally when you think of sloppy joes you think: messy, fatty, meaty, and not necessarily healthy. Well, I did 1/4lb extra lean ground beef and 1/4lb extra lean ground turkey. But the sauce was where my genius comes in. The sauce instead of a standard ketchup, tomato paste, mustard, vinegar, brown sugar sauce (which unless you buy manwich is pretty much how you make a sloppy joe), I made it with a tomato vegetable puree with lots of hidden veggies. I took roma tomatoes, celery, carrots, zucchini, garlic, and onions along with a bunch of seasonings like oregano, salt, pepper, and basil (almost like a marinara sauce but not quite) and then I cooked it down for about 1 1/2 hours and then I pureed it.

I threw that on the meat, added a little ketchup, dijon mustard, and about a tablespoon of brown sugar and cooked it down. The boys didn't know how good it was for them and it was sloppy like any good joe should be.

Sloppy Joe's w/ Sweet Potato Fries


--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise - 30 minute walk, 30 minutes on the Wii, 250 crunches, and 60 push ups.

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 128

Only Water - Day 123

Total Pounds Lost - 48

Meals:
Breakfast - bowl of FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade Almond Milk
Morning Snack - FiberOne Granola Bar
Lunch - Ham sandwich, pickle, carrots and hummus
Mid-Afternoon Snack - 1/2 banana, cranberry scones, and hot tea w/ vanilla creamer
Dinner - Sloppy Joe's with sweet potato fries

2 comments:

Turkey girl said...

Mmm... sloppy Joes are yum-my. Something I do with my girls when they are finished with dinner, they take their plates to the counter. That way, I am not tempted to snack. (Although, on occasion I might steal a fry or a pizza "bone" ie.. uneaten crust.) My kiddos don't like the orange fries either. Eldest will eat them, but youngest instinctively knows they are way too nutritious for her.
;)
I'm guessing you get yours from Costco too. Love em!

Lisa Dovichi said...

The sweet potato fries? Nope. I buy a sweet potato, peel it, slice it, and dump it into a ziplock with olive oil, garlic salt, and pepper. Then bake them at 425 for about 20-25 minutes flipping them occasionally.

All homemade baby. :D