Happy Monday all! I secretly LOVE that I am NOT the only one who thinks Mangos taste like Christmas Trees….Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts on my last post. I am definitely someone who LOVES firm fruits (remember my blueberry conversation?! LOL), but, with mangos….I think the desire to not taste Christmas Trees outweighs the firmness issue.
This morning I couldn’t wait to get my crockpot on. I decided this weekend that lunches this week would involve Soup and Salad.
I have been craving that split pea soup ever since the last time I made it. I was secretly hoping The Husband would want it for dinner, but, I know he is against peas.
I am not sure I’ve ever been more in love with a GREEN soup….Thank you VickY for creating and sharing this recipe! (7 points+)
My morning was insanely busy at work and I honestly did not plan on missing breakfast or my workout. It is totally RARE for me and I was luckily not starving when lunchtime rolled around.
Yesterday I prepped a few salads that we will be eating all week. I find it really makes my week easier if I make a few grab/go things up at the beginning of the week.
3 Points+ Crunchy Greens & Apple Salad (I kept the nuts/dried berries and the dressing on the side to add right before serving and to keep the salad fresh).
4 points+ Harvest Grain Salad ~ The Husband has asked me to make more already LOL.
I am totally the girl who will turn on the GRILL to cook just one Chicken Sausage 
Casual Gourmet Roasted Red Pepper & Spinach Chicken Sausages.
I picked these up at Costco.
I LOVE the short, recognizable ingredient list and that they are ONLY 3 Points+ per link.
Lunch involved a BIG serving of the Crunchy Greens & Apple Salad. I ended up adding my POM Seeds (because I needed to use them up) and I used Trader Joe’s Berry Blend for the golden raisins. Oh and I also doubled the vinegar in the recipe….but everything else is the same.
1/2 cup of Harvest Grain Salad ~ LOVE! I ended up mixing this with my salad above.
Plus my 1 GRILLED sausage ~ I LOVE these sausages!
My afternoon snack didn’t come until after work ~ just in time to sort of ruin my dinner. I made The Husband some Triple Chocolate Walnut Chunk Cookies just because……
Would you believe me if I told you they are only 3 points+ each, even if you have more than one?! Check out the RECIPE over at Friends!
After having 3 cookies (I figured since I unintentionally skipped breakfast, I had the points+!), I got to work on dinner.
BACON Baked Vegetable Tortellini ~ I doubled the mushrooms this time around!
Crunchy, creamy, cheesy, BACON-Y, melt in your mouth good! 1/6th of the pan is 11 points+.
Dessert was an unpictured Mini BabyBel Cheese and a bowl of watermelon (1 points+)
NEW AT FRIENDS FOR WEIGHT LOSS
* My FAVORITE Cookies Ever ~ 3 points+ Triple Chocolate Chunk!
Some days are just delicious!
Q’s
Are you a planner or a doer? Do you plan your meals or do you prep your meals, snacks or fruit/veggies for the week?
If so, what are the staples your prepare for success each week?
I am a little of both. I ALWAYS plan out my menu even if I don’t stick to it 100%. I sometimes prep my meals/snacks (think hard boiled eggs, fruit, veggies) on Sunday so I have quick healthy options for the week.
Night all!
Hi Danica. I’m a doer, but really really want to be a planner. I find that by not having a meal plan, I never know what to grab for lunch. Breakfast & dinner are easier for me for some reason. Part of my problem is trying to pack lunch for hubby, then at 10PM, I’m struggling to figure out what to make him. For the last few weeks, I keep telling myself to plan out the week. It would probably save me time & money if I did!
I do cut up fruit for a few days, and if I’m making a grain (wild rice, lentils, couscous) I’ll make 4 servings, so that I can use the remainder for a lunch salad.
On your crunchy greens & apple salad, if you cut the apples up when making, do they end up turning brown and mushy, or do they stay white and crisp? In the recipe, I see the pineapple juice is used to prevent browning, just wondering if that will work for the few days while salad is around?
I do plan my meals, but I don’t necessarily stick to it. It’s just nice to know I have healthy options available.
I’m a doer, but I do a little planning. Mainly I try to pick out one recipe to make that I’ll eat throughout the week. Not really a great plan since I tend to get tired of what I made however!
Once i have that one main thing, I prep my lunches each night with the main thing and whatever else I feel like. I also make sure to have a bunch of vegetables and fruits on hand to toss in to bulk up my meals.
I’d really like to be more of a planner, I guess I just find it hard to commit to cooking a lot of recipes at once! Thanks for the inspiration, though! I really want to make a salad similar to harvest grain salad since I have no Trader Joe’s.
Hi Danica,
I love your snack mix that you make. I know you buy a lot of your ingredients at Trader Joe’s. Do you know if they sell the Crunch Coconut chips there. Having a hard time finding them in Massachusetts! Thanks!
PS. LOVE Your blog!!!! Read it daily! Thanks for all your pictures they are great!!
Beth
I am a little of both too. Some weeks I plan out everything and almost always have a list (I am a list person) but some nights I just don’t “feel” what I planned so then it is spur of the moment.
My staples are fresh veggies (hopefully cut up over the weekend) ,boiled eggs, frozen dinner or two.
“I was secretly hoping The Husband would want it for dinner, but, I know he is against peas.” – Brian is the same way! To be honest, I am not a huge fan of say peas from the freezer section micro-ed, but I love split pea soup and FRESH peas. Have you ever tried some. They started selling ‘english peas’ at my TJ’s, but they looked like they were about to spoil.. infact, the whole lot of them looked ready to spoil so they probably won’t be stocking them for long. Better pick some up!
I love the looks of your harvest grain salad… but… Brian doesn’t like couscous :l BUT, I’ve never tried Isreali couscous with him before. Maybe bc they’re larger he’ll give them a chance? Def need to try this. Hoping (crosses fingers) I’ll be back in the kitchen SOON. Feels like I haven’t made ‘real food’ in AGES UGHHHH.
I love being a planner… It’s so nice when there’s salad and fruit cut up for the week at a bare minimum. Such a time saver and it def encourages Brian & I to get our fruits and veggies in before it all goes bad (but that’s rarely a prob). As for meals, I like to have 4-5 dinner ideas and also like to prepare one on Sunday if possible, so even if I’m not up for cooking (arg injury)… there’s something we can just heat up. Planning = success no?
Split pea soup is one of my favorites! All of your salads look amazing and I like how you make them up ahead of time to make life easier through out the week.
I use to plan, plan, plan but have gotten out of the habit of it and need to get back as I do better when I plan ahead.
We cook up extra food on the weekends to help get us through the week. That does make life easier and I can take left over grilled chicken and turn it into several different meals so we don’t feel like we are eating left overs.
I’m both…planner and doer! Depending on the week, the mood and my schedule. Amazing looking meals as always Danica. Have a great day!!
I am definitely a planner – I feel lost without one, but I am not so rigid not to go with the flow if something doesn’t work out.
No exercise at lunch for me outside – the heat index is 105 right now! I’ll have to do a Shred when I get home. 😀
I’m a planner for sure…. my problem is crossing everything off my to-do list and/or living out my plan. Sometimes I spend all this time planning and analyzing but then don’t follow through with my plan.
I plan out my meals for the week each Sunday, but it’s more of a “here’s the food I plan to eat this week but I’m not sure in what order”. I usually create 2-3 options for each meal just to give me some variety.
Love the nutrition info on the sausages! Will have to keep an eye out for these!
Hi Michele,
This is the first time I’ve made it so we will see. So far, so good. I kept the dressing, dried fruit and nuts on the side to add just before serving. I just tossed the apples in the pineapple juice but scooped them out of the juice (not including it) when I added it to the salad. I also put all of the salad in a big ziploc bag and pushed out as much of the air as I could. So far, nothing is brown and everything is crunchy – yeah!
Danica
Hi Robyn,
You could totally recreate the salad by using a combination of Israeli Couscous, Quinoa and a little Orzo Pasta. Maybe make your own by mixing all 3 then scooping out just what you need to make the recipe. It’s worth it – I promise! 🙂
Danica
Hi Mary,
I bet Brian will eat the Israeli Couscous because The Husband doesn’t like couscous at all/won’t eat it…..he requests me to make this salad!
You should totally try it and report back 😀
Danica
You gotta try the new trader joe;s bistro biscuits ($1.99). They taste EXACTLY like Biscoffs!
Hi Danica,
I just have to say first of all, I LOVE your blog! I read it every day and you have given me so many new things to try, especially Trader Joe’s products! I love that place!
In regards to planning, I usually make the same handful of meals in rotation so I don’t necessarily plan the weeks menu in advance but because I am comfortable making these meals I tend to just know what I am making that morning.
I do need to try new things though. Things are getting a little boring!
Beautiful Harvest Grain Salad!!
I plan my meals, but I don’t do any of the prep work ahead of time. It keeps me from wasting time in front of the fridge deciding what to eat!
I am a planner, I add my lettuce in plastic containers and grape tomatoes in the same container. I make 5 on the go salads. Cukes and peppers I keep separate, and to be added last minute. Dressings I take along in a Tupperware midget.
I am going to try the recipes, they all look yummy!!!!
OMG OMG OMG! I used to live off of Casual Gourmet but then they disappeared and I thought they just discontinued making delicious chicken burgers!! BUT YOU FOUND THEM! YAY!!!!
Oh and I am MOST DEFINITELY a planner – I have 94398478348736 planners all around the house! ha ha.
Guess I’m a planner. I made the soup and apple salad this weekend for lunches this week. Love the Apple Green salad. I did a test run of this before making it for my daughter’s pot-luck banquet on Friday. My 16 y.o. loved it. I found the flavors blended better after sitting overnight. It’s definitely a keeper for us.