1345 Dinners LEFT - Where I've been

 Life is never smooth, but lately it's been like those ridiculous endurance races run by bored middle-aged entrepreneurs. You know the ones called like Tough Mudder (subtitle "Dad, are you proud of me now?"). It's felt like I am scrambling over rocky terrain pursued by wasps, with a broken shoe on one foot and constant lower back pain.

(In this metaphor, only the lower back pain is literal. I had to start doing physical therapy for it. Getting old is hell. I've reached "my back hurts for no particular reason" years old. Between this and having to get glasses last year, it's been rough.) 

Anyhow, we have been going through it over here. Some plumbing issues in the kitchen were leading to a bug issue. Turns out that if you have a hidden leak, a soggy wall, and a slightly higher water bill, are not the only issues you may face. Bugs apparently look on leaks like conquistadors and the fountain of youth, willing to ruin everything to stay near their water source. 

My kitchen was closed for over a month, and I put everything in bins to deal with the bugs. We had a lot of takeout and convenience foods. The metaphor of a place I loved despite its flaws (my kitchen) being taken over by a despoiling crew of disease-ridden vermin seemed pretty apt for how I am feeling about another place I love (my country). We also had a solid month of volleyball tournaments every weekend, and that further put a crimp in my cooking style.

Last night, due to being down a car, everyone having a different place to be, and general malaise, I still didn't cook. I did have my Thai wonton soup for breakfast this morning with half of a ripe avocado sliced on top and dressed with a squeeze of lime. DELICIOUS.

Health-wise, I have been focused again on just adding to the foods I am eating. Sure, I made a carrot cake, but I added collagen powder and hemp hearts to the dry ingredients for some extra protein and fiber. My morning coffee has 2 teaspoons of real, honest-to-Maude sugar in it, yes, but also 2 teaspoons of Benefiber, collagen powder, and Ripple non-dairy creamer. It's still delicious, which is a strict requirement for me, but it adds some nutrition to my routine. I am in perimenopause and the last years of my 40s. If I am being realistic, I have limited amounts of time to build the health I need to carry me through the next 40-something years. I have to put on some muscle, deal with my chronic issues, and make sure I am considering my long-term bone health. I don't want to break a hip when I am 80, and now is the time to do something about that. 

Pictured here, an 8x8 carrot cake recipe I tried. It didn't fully bake, so I cut out the underbaked bits and frosted the perfectly baked picture frame left over. 

But some of you are here for dinner ideas, so to the best of my ability, here are some standout dinners we did manage to cook over the last few weeks.

• Outback style - "Alice Springs Chicken" with mashed potatoes and sautéd vegetables. 
• Breakfast for dinner - high protein pancakes (Kodiak mix) with fresh fruit and bacon
• Taco Tuesday - I chop up carrots, onions, and peppers into tiny pieces and mix them into the taco meat
• Meatloaf Florentine - Meatloaf stuffed with sautéed spinach and onions, with salad and vegetables on the side
• Irish Beef Stew- served over colcannon, which is a mixture of buttery mashed potatoes and braised cabbage
• Teriyaki chicken meatballs - served with sautéed pineapple bites, salad, and yellow rice.
• Spaghetti- tried a new thing where I blended a can of cannellini beans into a thick paste and added it to the spaghetti sauce for extra nutrition and fiber, it totally worked! 
• Baked salmon with fire-roasted vegetables - you're not cooking enough fish, it cooks in minutes, needs only simple seasoning (in this case salt, pepper, and lemon), and is so heart-healthy.
• Meatball sandwiches - I popped them on the rolls with sautéed onions, peppers, and fresh spinach before topping with extra sauce and cheese. OMG. Yum.
• Chicken fajitas - they cook fast, are loaded with vegetables, and can be eaten on salad greens or in a tortilla. Fabulous. 

In case you're keeping track: 1345 dinners left to go. 

Extra credit: Call your congress critter and tell them to reinstate the head librarian of the Library of Congress before they attempt to give Marco Rubio yet another job.