Spring Produce

I am a girl who plans her weekly meals based on what fruits and veggies are on sale at the grocery store every Sunday. This means that when the seasons change and different produce becomes in season (and therefore on sale) my purchases change as well.

Oh So Fresh!

The warmer weather in Central Florida got me thinking about spring. With the first day of spring rapidly approaching (it’s Saturday, March 20, by the way), I’m anxiously awaiting fresh spring produce!

Of the following spring produce, which are you most excited to enjoy?

• Apricots
• Asparagus
• Spinach
• Avocado
• Vidalia Onions
• Radishes
• Strawberries

(Is anyone going to pick radishes? I mean really… 😉 )

I am definitely most excited for strawberries!

Lunch

Lunch today featured fresh veggies and pasta… Shocking, I know. I never eat this meal. 😉

Lunch Time!

Today’s noodle bowl included:

• Carba Nada egg fettuccine pasta
• Classico four cheese pasta sauce (My new obsession!)
• Steamed broccoli
• Sautéed portobello mushrooms
• Parmesan cheese

I ❤ Parmesan Cheese

Stirred Up

Is it weird that I really think I could eat this every single day for lunch? I am a big advocate for variety, but this is one meal I get really excited to eat every single time.

For dessert I enjoyed a cup of sugar-free Jello and a mini apple pie Larabar that I received yesterday in my race packet for Saturday’s 10k race. Gotta love free samples!

Mini Apple Pie Larabar

All in all, a tasty lunch!

Use ‘Em or Lose ‘Em

For lunch today I knew I had to use up some veggies that were threatening to go bad before I abandoned them in my fridge for the weekend and they stunk up the joint.

Well, I guess they wouldn’t really stink, but they would shrivel up a bit and look like wrinkly skin. I’ll deal with wrinkly skin in due time, just not in my fridge… and not when I’m 24.

The looming overly ripe veggies made the decision to make a veggie bagelwich for lunch an easy one.

I toasted a sweet wheat Alternative bagel before spreading it with a French onion Laughing Cow Swiss cheese wedge.

Laughing Cow & Bagel

Cheesy Bagel

I used yellow squash and portobello mushrooms as the “meat” of my bagelwich and dug in.

Veggies

Cheese and Veggie Bagelwich

This was pretty darn good, but I’m glad I had a bowl of my cocoa oats at 11:30 this morning, otherwise I think I’d be hungry in no time.

I’ll see ya later from my parents’ house in St. Pete.

To my family: “Get ready, ’cause here I coooome!“

Comfort Food

I’m not one of those people who dread leftovers. I actually love them!

I think this stems from my childhood when one of my favorite breakfasts was leftover spaghetti… I’d even eat it cold.

What are your thoughts on leftovers? Love ’em? Hate ’em?

Today my lunch included a hunk o’ BBQ meatloaf from last night’s dinner with sauteed portobello mushrooms and carrot sticks.

Leftover Lunch

Comfort food to the max!

Comfort foods like mashed potatoes, pot roast and homemade chicken noodle soup make me smile. 😀 For me, meatloaf is one of those smile-inducing comfort foods. What are your favorite comfort foods?

Free Bag of Stacy’s Pita Chips

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Stacy's Pita Chips

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Soothing Dinner and Sleepy Sadie

This evening Ryan and I went to the grocery store hoping that our dinner would be inspired by something on the shelves.

Luckily one of the Monterey Pasta Company’s ravioli flavors that we haven’t tried called out to us.

Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Ravioli

We cooked up the pasta poofs and served them with tomato basil marinara sauce and lots of veggies.

Ravioli and Sauce

Mushrooms and Onions

Ravioli Topped with Veggies

Yum!

My Bowl

 Dinner was the ultimate soothing comfort food.

Now we’re cuddled up on the couch watching It’s Always Sunny in Philadephia on DVD with one sleepy little dog.

Sleepy Sadie

Messin' with Sadie

I love relaxing Sunday nights with my little family. 🙂

Acorn Squash Salad

Is a salad a salad without lettuce or leaves? I’m thinking yes because there’s chicken salad, tuna salad, fruit salad… all without lettuce.

Therefore my lunch today merits the term “salad.” 🙂

The base of my salad was a roasted acorn squash. Last night as I was makin’ pasta for dinner, I let the squash roast at 350 degrees face down on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray for approximately 30 minutes.

Roasted Acorn Squash

I then cut a grid into the flesh and scooped out cubes of the squash.

I topped my squash with sauteed onions, portobello mushrooms, yellow squash and creamy goat cheese.

Acorn Squash Salad Topped with Goat Cheese

Thursday's Lunch

I also added a big ol’ scoop of cranberry relish to this mix to round out my meal.

Squash Salad with Cranberry Relish

I love leaf-less salads!

What’s your favorite kind of salad?