April is Healthy Eating Month
I'm back from Spring Break Cancun! As you can see, I've posted entries from my vacation. It's always so difficult to return after a vacation, but mid-MO is warm and balmy right now, so the transition wasn't too traumatic. Last time I went to Mexico was in January (with Black Cake and Red Meat). We returned to cold and snow. I was sick for about a week. And we looked so strange, with nice suntans in the middle of January. I told people I spent my Christmas vacation in a tanning bed. Anyway, with no pool outside, I don't know what to do with my days. I don't want to hang out inside all day. Yesterday, Gentleman Caller and I played disc golf. Today we walked downtown for lunch. My big plans for today are to go to the grocery store and to get out my warmer weather clothes and pack up my winter sweaters. Big fun.
Something I'm discovering about myself is that I like structure. I often balk at rules and restrictions, unless they are self-imposed. So, I'm declaring April to be healthy eating month. Now that my cupboards have been stripped of almost all junky food and decadent treats, it will be pretty easy to change eating habits. On vacation, I read a slow food magazine and some magazines I picked up at Whole Foods, so I'm gung-ho for simply prepared fresh foods. No deep fryers or processed snacks for me! I'm not so good at outright denial, though, so I'm allowing myself to eat whatever I want on Sunday. Today, that meant a grilled ham and Swiss on rye with fries for lunch.
The Banana Bread Snackdown will continue. I took two loaves of banana bread to Cancun. Here are the results:
Banana Bread #6, Polka Dot Banana Bread
Recipe source unknown. The recipe called for half whole-wheat flour and half white all-purpose flour. The wheat flour didn't significantly alter the taste, but did make it a bit healthier. The recipe also called for yogurt to cut down on the amount of butter, another healthy change. I omitted the nuts. The "polka dot" in the title refers to the addition of mini chocolate chips. The bread was definitely good, but not superb.
Banana Bread #7, Cardamom Banana Bread with Pistachios
Recipe from Cooking Light. I'm a big fan of both cardamom and pistachios, but both were too subtle. A waste of both. I would either have to increase both significantly, or just eat the pistachios and save the cardamom for a different application. I'm leaning toward the latter.
Dinner last night: Garlic and Indian-spiced roasted chicken; corn on the cob; oven baked potato wedges