Back on Track

I'm just not going to keep a real-time blog with the recipes. haha. Don't forget, if you're following the original plan (or trying), all of the recipes in it are listed at my Pinterest food board. That said, I will be including my favorite recipe so far: Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf! I have had a surplus of leftovers, even while bringing my lunch to work. So I actually was able to skip a cooking day Saturday, which was nice. Given, we did make additional food (grilled cheese sandwiches to go with a soup on the meal plan), but I thought we'd eat away at the leftovers before making more meals.

I will say that using my entire food budget for the groceries on this meal plan has definitely helped me feel and look better. When you've got real food on hand, you're a lot less likely to overeat or run out for fast food "snacks" five times a day. I'm still in the phase of my new job where your income hasn't caught up with your bills (most companies delay your first check), so I literally have no money left for unnecessary food. I've lost some weight and had more energy. Plus, I feel like an actual adult and get to brag about my chef skills--another win. On the not-so-bright side, I have carved a couple of chunks out of my fingers. haha. See, I'm used to cooking with old, cheap knives. Lately I've been using new, very sharp ones--and I'm accident-prone. My hands look a little rough.

It's only slightly less terrible than this.

Since I didn't have to make dinner on Saturday, I made [what were supposed to be] oatmeal cookies. Now, I'm a great cook. Admittedly, however, I am quite the mediocre baker. You can't toss in random ingredients without disturbing the delicate chemistry, but I always feel like a robot when I don't throw in something of my own. Sometimes, it works out wonderfully. Others, it turns into something completely different than what I set out to do. In this case, the "cookies" turned into more of a teacake/muffin top sort of consistency; they were way more bread-like than dense. I did substitute applesauce for one of the eggs. And yeah, I didn't measure that amount of applesauce. They're still delicious, but next time I think I will just go get eggs instead of trying to improvise with what I have. haha. You can find the recipe I used here. I also added blueberry-flavored Craisins. I think that adds to the muffin top feel flavor-wise, but I assure you they will not ruin the chemistry. If I could have foretold the texture, I would've turned it into a cake and made a cinnamon cream cheese icing! However, I am not clairvoyant. Alas.

Before I get to the CPM recipe (mmm), I'm going to do my spiel on green tea. I've been trying to drink between 1-3 cups of it a day (and lately have been slicing lemon to put in it to increase the diuretic/nutritional effect). But why? Well, did you know it fights bad breath? Or that, if you don't enjoy the flavor, its neutral flavor blends well with other flavors of tea (including herbal, black, white, and red teas)? Here are some other reasons to drink it:

I only started drinking it for the fat-burning bit--then I found out all of these other great things. For those of you who don't care about your health, but care about being skinny (which, I'm sorry, is really stupid), I lost weight before I started my meal plan because I was drinking a ton of green tea. I was eating terribly, not exercising, and still managed to shed a few pounds. I attribute it to green tea. I try to tell everyone about it, but they really don't listen. Don't do some stupid diet. Eat healthy foods, reduce processed junk, and drink green tea (in addition to plenty of water).

Okay, Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf (it'll change your life):

Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf
original Joelen recipe

1 lb ground chicken (ground turkey can be substituted)

1 egg

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 small onion, grated

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup pasta sauce (homemade or store bought)

1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend

minced parsley for garnish


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan with cooking spray, set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. To not over handle the mixture otherwise it will get tough. Place the mixture in the greased loaf pan and form into a loaf. Top the meatloaf with pasta sauce.

Place filled loaf pan on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted.

Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving/slicing. Garnish with parsley if desired.

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Prepare the meatloaf mixture as directed and place in a disposable loaf pan. Cover and freeze.** When ready to prepare and serve, defrost the meatloaf completely and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Top with pasta sauce and place filled loaf pan on a baking sheet.  Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving/slicing. Garnish with parsley if desired. 

** Alternately, you can top the meatloaf with pasta sauce before freezing and then bake from frozen, uncovered for 55-60 minutes on a baking sheet. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving/slicing. Garnish with parsley if desired.

So freakin' good.

I did the second freeze-ahead option and it was so easy. I served it with asparagus pan-cooked in olive oil with salt, pepper, a dash of garlic, and grated parmesan cheese. I also used skim mozzarella, so this meal was nice and healthy. Plus, think: easy-peasy Chicken Parm sandwiches with the leftovers! A couple of days later, I made a nice weekend lunch by heating up the leftovers and serving them with boxed white cheddar mac and cheese (to which I added mozzarella and parmesan)--fattening, but delish (and hey, it was the weekend).

Last, but not least, I heard a country song talking about Jagermeister (the official drink of d-bags everywhere). Phil from Modern Family would probably be the level of upset I was when I heard it.