I Made ‘Em Extra Sloppy For Ya

“Have some more sloppy joes! I made ’em extra sloppy for ya!”

(Name that movie!)

To me, sloppy joes are a summertime staple.

They remind me of coming in for dinner after a night of playing neighborhood games outside (kick the can and ghost in the graveyard, anyone!?).

I know it’s not quite summer, but the warmer weather had me cravin’ the good stuff.

I set out to make a healthier version of the ol’ joes.

Into a skillet went 1.5 pounds of lean ground beef, followed by 3/4 of a large, sliced onion.

I like my sloppy joes on the vinegary side, so once the meat was browned, I added 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar and 1/2 cup ketchup to the skillet and let it simmer for a bit while I roasted squash and zucchini in the oven.

Sloppy Joes

In no time at all, we had a summertime feast!

My Plate

I went back for two more spoonfuls of sloppy joe meat.

What foods remind you of summer?

To me, summer is epitomized by watermelon and ice cream on a stick, a la the ice cream man.

Kinda Like Crab Meat

I absolutely love imitation crab meat (also known as krab or surimi), the yummy meat often found in California sushi rolls.

While there’s no substitute for real crab, sometimes I crave imitation crab meat!

I picked up a small pack of the good stuff in the seafood section at the grocery store yesterday and used several of the “crab sticks” in a crab salad sandwich for lunch today.

Crab Salad

I enjoyed my crab salad on a lightly toasted whole wheat Arnold sandwich thin with a cup of Chobani Greek yogurt and a side of apple slices for dipping on the side.

Crab Salad Sandwich

Fresh Apple Slices

Greek Yogurt

That imitation crab meat sure made me want sushi for dinner!

Do you like sushi? What are your favorite rolls?

I love the California roll, the rainbow roll and the spicy tuna roll. So tasty!

Of Possible Interest:

• WebMD’s list of Spring’s 10 Most Fattening Foods
• Race commentary from the Boston Marathon (Ryan Hall finished 4th!)
• 5 fast, light and fresh dinners from Health.com

Mom’s First Green Monster

In Case You Missed It This Weekend…

• I did a fun At Home Cardio Blast workout
• I visited the University of Florida for a girly weekend with my mom and sister and ate copious amounts of cake at The Dessert Lady
• I met the designer of my wedding dress

Breakfast

After my sister left last night, my mom, Ryan and I hung out for a bit before Ryan headed up to bed and my mom and I watched several episodes of wedding-related TV (Platinum Weddings and some show called Girl Chooses Gown maybe?) while munching on peanut butter filled pretzels. How good are those!?

Needless to say, after visits to The Dessert Lady, an indulgent brunch, cookies last night, apple fritters, and a huge bag of kettle corn from the Farmer’s Market this weekend, we were both ready for some nutritious fare this morning.

Why are the weekends always packed with the “good stuff?” 🙂

After raving about Green Monsters to my mom, she was excited to try one for herself.

I made both of us breakfast smoothies with lots of spinach!

Green Monster

Drink Up

Our smoothies contained:

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
• 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
• Several handfuls of fresh spinach
• 1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
• Cold water
• 2 ice cubes

As always, you couldn’t even taste the spinach flavor, though the putrid green color is proof of its presence.

My mom took a sip an instantly became a fan!

Smoothies Make You Smile

Green Monster Fan

(Picture challenge: Can you spot Sadie?)

Workout

Though I got to bed a little later than usual I slept like a rock and woke up ready for a good workout!

Initially I figured I’d do my own weights routine, but when I got to the gym and saw everyone filing into BodyPump, I headed in to take the class as well.

I felt like my mind was racing throughout the class this morning. I was thinking about just about everything other than BodyPump, so the class really flew by!

I finished up my workout with 25 minutes of light cardio on the elliptical with the latest issue of Brides magazine. I think I’m in full-on wedding planning mode after this weekend!

Question of the Day

Do you eat differently on the weekends than on weekdays?