You know, I think this has got to be the first Sunday in a long time where I’ve actually taken the time to make myself a full lunch and dinner.
Typically on Sundays, we’re either running around, or our usual eating schedules are thrown off, or we’re hanging out with friends and snacking all day long on things like garbage bread and ugly but tasty cheese. Not today though, my friends!
Lunch
I had a few things to take care of this morning, so by the time I got home a little after 1:00pm, I was famished. I’m not going to lie. I was *this close* to diving head first into a box of cereal for some immediate satisfaction. BUT, I thought better of it (darn you, Jim!) and took the time to make myself a big ‘ol salad, made with lots of veggies, a Dr. Praeger’s veggie burger, and some hummus as a dressing.
I actually enjoyed my salad while browsing through the Sunday paper, clipping coupons, and making our grocery list for the week.
I also printed out a couple of recipes over the weekend that I want to try soon (one of which actually happened VERY soon!).
After lunch, I was still in the mood for something else, so I broke into my stash of goodies that Love Grown Foods sent me and dug out the kettle corn. This particular brand of Oogie’s Kettle Corn is probably one of the best pre-packaged ones that I’ve ever tried. No joke.
So good, in fact, that I made sure to measure out my portion so I didn’t wind up going balls-to-the-walls on that bag.
After lunch, I took care of the grocery shopping, which got me everything I needed to make tonight’s brand-spankin’ new dinner.
Oh baby, was this meal delish!
Tonight I cooked up a recipe that I found on EatingWell.com (<—awesome site, by the way!) for Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Vegetables. I halved the recipe, but kept everything as it called for, serving it with some quinoa on the side. Believe it or not, this was actually my first attempt at cooking with fresh asparagus!
Usually when it comes to dinners, Jay and I tend to gravitate more towards chicken, as well as things that are flavored/seasoned with something balsamic, tomatoes, or basil.
Tonight’s meal was definitely not our usual style, but it was quite refreshing and we both loved it. I think I may just have to incorporate lemon into my meals more often? Yum!
Nothing major planned for the rest of the evening except probably catching up on some magazines and just relaxing. Just what I was hoping for.
Questions for the Evening:
Do you tend to gravitate toward any particular meat and/or seasonings and flavors when you cook?
Lena @Fit on the Rocks says
Wow…I’m surprised you’ve never cooked with fresh asparagus before! I never knew how much I underestimated lemon, especially with fresh veggies, until my friend made me a veggie mix with lots of fresh lemon. It just made it taste so fresh and all of the other flavors popped, too.
Candice says
We usually always gravitate towards chicken, I grill a ton and keep it in the fridge for quick easy meals!
chelcie @ chelcie's food files says
that meal sounds delicious! I normally stick with chicken too just because cost wise it seems the cheapest to budget? But I really need to start making more shrimp because I love it!
Ashley @ My Food 'N' Fitness Diaries says
i definitely gravitate more toward chicken for dinners… i intend to use other meats, but either don’t feel like spending the money or putting much effort into it. chicken is just so healthy, easy, and affordable! this dish looks fantastic! i’m a huge fan of shrimp and asparagus, so i’m sure i’d love it.
Julie H. of Spinach and Sprinkles says
LOVE eatingwell! It has such great ideas, in fact- I was JUST on there searching for some inspiration for dinner tonight! The usually only downer to Eating Well recipes, I have to plan waaay in advance because I don’t have the items in the house and they can be pretty lengthy. Your dinner looks delish!
Kristen @ notsodomesticated says
I do tend to lean toward chicken meals, and recipes requiring certain spices … mostly because I don’t want to go out and spend a ton of money on ingredients I don’t have. But I also like cooking with shrimp … so easy and delicious! :)
Brittany @ GOtheXtraMile says
I love fresh asparagus! I tend to go towards lean proteins like chicken, turkey, and fish. I love shrimp, it’s definitely a treat for me to get it because I don’t too often.
Courtney @ Pursuit of Healthiness says
I always gravitate towards chicken when cooking dinner. I love using red wine vinegar or lemon as flavors, which are both delicious but I’m getting a little tired of them! I’ll have to check out Eating Well, thanks for posting about it.
Colleen @ Jimmy Choos on the Treadmill says
I love creating stir-frys with shrimp and including asparagus in the mix. Being from Baltimore, I almost always season my foods with Old Bay!
Courtney says
I need to try using Old Bay more often. I bought it months ago and I actually don’t even know if I’ve even opened it yet!
colleen laquay urbaniuk says
we had shrimp for dinner too, although ours was the low country boil type where you throw it all on newspapers in the middle of the table…my two boys think it’s great though i usually cave in and get a plate!!!
Jana @ Newly Wife Healthy Life says
I tend to make a pretty equal amount of chicken and beef, but I try and use light cuts and types of beef when I do. Our taste isn’t too refined and I’d say we enjoy lots of lightened up comfort food, if that counts as a flavor of food! lol Macaroni and cheese, burgers, pastas, tacos etc can always be re-created and lightened up in a new way!
Kristin @ FoodFash says
I eat mostly vegetarian and use seafood as my going out for dinner thing. As far as spices, I use crushed red pepper on everything lately. I can’t seem to get enough!
Lauren @ Chocolate, Cheese and Wine says
I definitely gravitate towards chicken when I cook (since I rarely eat beef). It’s always nice to step out of the ordinary with your meals every once in a while – it keeps the taste buds guessing.
Paige @ RUnning Around Normal says
Eating Well is hands down one of my top three recipe websites. I don’t think I’ve cooked anything not tasty from it!
Mary @ Bites and Bliss says
I tend to always go for spicy seasoned salts. It’s weird but I always sautee with them!
Brandi @ Faith Fitness and Laughter says
Mostly toward chicken. Somewhere along the way I just stopped eating read meat. I will have it every now and again, but mostly stay away from it. Mom is always telling me that I just need a good juicy burger!
Lynn says
I have a question… I see that you often include a veggie burger in your salads, but I thought that I’d seen posts previously that you eat meat? If so, is there some sort of nutritional significance to the veggie burger as opposed to adding chicken to a salad? I’m really trying to hunker down and cut out the junk and make wiser, yet still delicious, food selections and seeing this option (that I never would have thought of) keeps piquing my curiosity. Thanks!
Khushboo says
I love the sound of this recipe – I need to replicate it this week! And nice going on not dividing head first into the cereal box :)
MizFit says
**hangs head**
S
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:)
Erica @ For the Sake of Cake says
Love Sunday coupons!
The dinner looks great! I love asparagus, but I think I’ve only tried my hand at it once! Maybe it’s time to give it another go!
Becky @ Fit Chick on the Fly says
This looks super yummy, I love anything with lemon or lime involved. :) Thanks for sharing!
Arimey says
This looks so yummy! Did you use fresh or frozen shrimp? I ask because I’ve never liked seafood, but just recently started eating shrimp after giving it another shot and realizing it’s really not so bad! This seems like the perfect meal to get my foot in the door cooking it since I love asparagus and lemon! Any cooking tips would be much appreciated :)
Laura@mypurposefullife says
Oooh I love EatingWell.com! That dinner sounds delicious! Lemon is an ingredient (flavor?) I forget about often, but when I use it it’s so good I always wonder why I don’t use it more often. I am thinking this recipe is going to have to make an appearance at my apartment. Thanks, Courtney! P.S. Mad props for measuring out the Kettle Korn and not going “balls to the wall” (haha). I would have destroyed that bag. :/
Courtney says
Haha, thanks Laura ;)