I'm back!!

I finally got a pack of batteries so I'll be sure to take pictures of my meals starting again tomorrow!  I have a very yummy breakfast planned so I can't wait to share it!  Yippee!!

Dinner 30/3/12 -- Homemade Focaccia Pizza!

I dearly wish I could take pictures of tonight's dinner!  Oh well, just an excuse to make it again since I know it will be absolutely delicious.  I've been planning and looking forward to this homemade pizza all week.  Ever since taking the first bite of that homemade focaccia, I couldn't stop thinking about how delicious it would be as a pizza crust.  Well, the dough has been rising all day and it's almost pizza party time!

I mixed up half a recipe of No-Knead Focaccia from Budget Bytes, with a few minor tweaks.  I used one cup of wheat flour, 3/4 cup white flour, and 1/4 cup cornmeal.  I love crunchy pizza crust so I hope the cornmeal adds a nice crispness!  I also sprinkled some garlic powder, dried oregano, dried basil, dried rosemary, and thyme into the dough.  I sneaked a sniff of the dough and it smells incredible.  Gets my tummy rumbling already!

I cut up a small green bell pepper, small red onion, and sliced a roma tomato very thin.  I also grilled two links of Italian sausage and cut them into small slices.  After a very thin coat of tomato sauce, I'll sprinkle shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese on top, along with more dried Italian herbs.  I'll brush the edge of the crust with a thin coat of olive oil and slide it into the oven to get crispy, crusty, bubbly, gooey, and delicious!

Oh how I can't wait to sink my teeth into that pizza...

I don't think I've ever been so excited for a meal!

Breakfast 30-3-12 -- Chocolate Wheat Crepes with Bananas and Cinnamon Greek Yogurt

Still no batteries for my camera, boo!  On the upside, I'm feeling a bit better today so should be able to get out and buy some batteries (and more yummy groceries!) soon.

This morning I was craving crepes again.  Big surprise, huh?  I can't seem to get enough of them lately!  I used this recipe for basic crepes but instead of using half white flour, I used all wheat flour this time.  The wheat flour tasted wonderful!  I liked it even better than using all white flour or half-and-half.

We're out of bread and the halved crepe recipe makes two very large crepes in my non-stick pan so the first one was plain and reserved to be used for a wrap for lunch, with leftover steak.

In the remaining batter, I added a dash of ground cinnamon, vanilla, sugar-free sweetener, and a generous amount of cocoa powder (probably about 2-3 teaspoons).  The crepe smelled heavenly while cooking!  For the filling, I mixed a small amount of sweetener with plain greek yogurt and added a generous shake of ground cinnamon.  The cinnamon yogurt was smeared on the fresh chocolate crepe and topped with a sliced banana.  I rolled this crepe burrito-style and took a big bite!  Sooooo delicious!

Hope to have pictures again soon!

Dinner 29/3/12 -- Teriyaki Sirloin with Teriyaki Sweet Potatoes

My camera is out of batteries!  I was excited to take pictures of tonight's dinner but I am sick with the flu and probably shouldn't go out to buy batteries, as much as I really, really want to.

The nearby grocery store had a fantastic sale last week on sirloin steaks so we stocked up!  I'm using the last package tonight, trying a teriyaki marinade for the first time.  I've ordered teriyaki steak at restaurants and always loved it so I'm hopeful my homemade version will be just as tasty, if not better!

I tweaked the teriyaki marinade from Budget Bytes (a recipe I dearly love!) to use on my steaks.  I used a bit less sugar and added sesame seeds, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.

I'm so excited to finally try Budget Bytes' Teriyaki Sweet Potatoes to pair with the steaks!  I do plan to cut down the sugar and oil but otherwise will follow the recipe as written.  I've had my eye on this recipe for a while and it will be absolutely delicious with the steak.  There's something about the combination of steak and potatoes that makes my mouth water.  I especially love sweet potatoes for both the taste and extra vitamins!

I'll grill up some of the frozen asian vegetables I have in the freezer and that will complete a delicious, healthy dinner!  Sorry I can't share pictures!

Breakfast 29/3/12 -- Wheat Crepes with Strawberries and Coconut Greek Yogurt

I absolutely love crepes.  They're light, crispy, thin pancakes and are perfect for any fruit filling.  For whatever reason, crepes tend to be expensive to buy in restaurants so recently I decided I needed to learn how to make them at home!  I was amazed to discover the recipe is very simple and easy, so now I can enjoy crepes at home anytime without spending a fortune.

I used this recipe for basic crepes, with a couple minor tweaks.  I made only half a batch and substituted whole wheat flour for half the flour in the recipe.  I also added a tiny splash of vanilla and a pinch of sugar free sweetener, since I would be having my crepes with fruit instead of savory fillings.

Crepes are typically served with cream or chocolate filling and sweetened fruit but I wanted something light and healthy.  I still had a few strawberries to finish and a nearly empty container of plain greek yogurt.  What perfect fillings for my wheat crepes!

I mixed a tablespoon of unsweetened dried coconut, a dash of coconut extract, and a pinch of sugar free sweetener into the plain yogurt.  YUM!

Once my crepe cooled a bit, I was ready to begin working -- and eating!

I spread the coconut yogurt mixture onto one half of the crepe...

...and topped the yogurt with a generous amount of sliced fresh strawberries.

My non-stick pan is very large, which makes my crepes large.  I folded it into fourths to be more manageable!  I paired the crepe with a protein smoothie made of vanilla protein, milk, and half of a frozen banana.  Time to dig in!

Dinner 28/3/12 -- Stuffed Pepper Soup with Brown Rice

Ever since a couple weeks ago when I saw the recipe for Stuffed Pepper Soup on Skinny Taste, I've been dying to try it!  I was always lacking some ingredient so last time I went to the grocery store I was sure to pick up anything I was missing.  Let me assure you, excitement was completely justified!

This soup is somewhat similar to how I make chili, except without the beans and chili spices.  It's hearty, chunky, and very tasty.  It actually does taste like a stuffed pepper, only much easier to make!

Stuffed Pepper Soup with Brown Rice on the bottom!  Can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Lunch 28/3/12 -- Turkey Gruyere Apple Wraps with Mixed Berry Protein Smoothie

Today for lunch I wanted something very simple so I looked in the fridge to see what needed using up.  Voila, deli shaved turkey!  I also had a very tiny piece of gruyere cheese left from a dish I made a couple weeks ago and while it's somewhat of a waste to use such good cheese on a sandwich, I knew it would be delicious with the turkey.  I love both turkey and chicken paired with apple and cheese so I also grabbed a lovely mottled red and green apple.  I wish I could remember the type of apple; it was beautiful!

I layered lettuce, turkey, gruyere, and apple into a whole wheat wrap.  I didn't use any other condiments.

I made a smoothie with vanilla protein powder and frozen mixed blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.  I cut the rest of the apple into slices and also added a small bunch of grapes.  The lunch was simple, delicious, healthy, and -- of course -- pretty!