Food | BulgingButtons

September 24, 2015
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When Life Gives You Chicken, Make Chicken Salad

The grocery store had a sale on chicken breast, so naturally I stocked up. It didn’t even occur to me that the package weighed roughly the same as a cinder block, it was a good deal, and it looked fresh. I was sold.

I dusted off my go-to cookbook, Saving Dinner, and flipped to the dog-eared, stock-stained page with the garlic lime chicken recipe. I measured and mixed up the spices, then got to work cutting up the chicken breast, my own variation on the original recipe. There sure was a lot of chicken, but no worries, I would simply cook it in two batches.

It wasn’t until the second batch was in the pan that it dawned on me that I should have doubled the spices. Duh. Regardless, it turned out fine, and there were zero complaints at the dinner table. Still, I was disappointed.

The next day at lunch I choked down some leftover chicken, tasting regret with each bite. I silently berated myself for my oversight, taking my penance in the form of bland chicken. It was a bleak moment.

Sadly, the regret only intensified several hours later as I steeled myself to prepare dinner. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t eat that sorry chicken for a third meal in a row, but I couldn’t throw it out either. There was nothing technically wrong with it, it just wasn’t quite right.

That’s when inspiration hit, in the form of a tub of pesto. What if I cut the chicken into very small pieces and added some mayo? What if I mixed some pesto into that? What if I made pesto chicken salad? I didn’t have any bread, but I did have fresh spinach and romaine. Yes!

I mixed up the chicken salad and was surprised by how good it tasted. My teenage son not only devoured it, he asked me to add it to the list of recipes to make again. The combination of the chicken salad and the greens was perfect, and the pesto brought out the best of that formerly sorry on-sale chicken.

Redemption was mine that night, won with the help of a few spoonsful of pesto and a glob of mayo. Who would have thought that condiments would become my heroes, but in this case, they truly did save the day.

September 20, 2015
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Honey Roasted Chipotle Almonds

I tried a brand new snack, and I’m pleased to report that I loved it! Honey roasted chipotle almonds are so incredibly delicious that I’m a little miffed that nobody told me about them. I, my friends, will not do you the same disservice. I’m here to announce their fabulousness. You’re welcome .

There we were, walking up and down the aisles of the grocery store when we happened upon the nut section. As part of my recommitment to trying to improve my health through better eating habits, I’ve been snacking on nuts from time to time. The other day I ran out, so there I was, faced with about 4,000 varieties from which to choose.

Now personally, I love cashews. In fact, the last can I bought was a can of cashews. That made me think that maybe it was time for something different. A friend at work shared some Wasabi almonds with me not too long ago, and those were pretty good. Still, I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to commit to a whole can of them.

Then my eye rested on the honey roasted chipotle variety.

“Hmmm,” I thought, “I like honey roasted. I also like the smoky taste and subtle bite of chipotle. Maybe these will be good.”

I took a chance and bought them, and am I glad I did. The sweetness isn’t overpowering, and the smoky flavor enhances it perfectly. The little bit of bite from the chipotle comes at the end, just before you pop another sweet morsel in your mouth. They’re heavenly.

Long story short, get these nuts, they’re fabulous. Now that that’s settled, what other healthy snacks do you enjoy? Please share your ideas in the comments, and enjoy your delicious almonds.

September 9, 2015
by BulgingButtons 11 Comments

The Nightly Struggle with Dinner

I breeze through breakfast, sail through lunch, and even manage a couple of healthy snacks each day, but dinner? It’s my downfall.

First of all, it comes at the most inconvenient time. By the time dinner rolls around I’m worn out from the day, and in no mood to cook. Add to that the fact that I don’t particularly like to grocery shop, and we have a real issue. Each day I face the fridge and wonder, “What’s for dinner?”

There have been times in my life when I’ve made menus and followed them, but that hasn’t happened for a long time. It just seems like whenever I make a plan, life gets in the way. Twice a month I’m in a writing group, once a week I take a writing class, and I regularly spend the “dinner hour” in my car waiting for my son to return from some sporting event or other. How can I plan dinner?

I know, I know… sounds like a lot of excuses to me too. So what do I do? Frozen dinners? Crock pot meals? Sandwiches? I’m trying to eat well, so I really want to incorporate fresh vegetables and lean meats and fish, unfortunately those ingredients just don’t last. I hate to buy food then throw it out, and shopping each day is out of the question.

Last night I had a wonderful fish dinner (out) and the night before I had delicious beef and vegetables (out). This can’t go on. I need a solution, and I need it soon. My budget and my waistline are both in danger. Maybe this will be the topic for my next visit with the nutritionist. In the meantime, I’m open to your suggestions. Bring on the dinner ideas, I’m hungry!