Relief From the Heat

Saying it’s hot in Texas probably seems like a no-brainer, but this summer has been HOT. Like, triple-digit temps for over a month straight. It’s also been incredibly dry, so when we woke up this morning to find out it had rained we were thrilled! It also meant that the day wasn’t a complete scorcher, so we jumped at the chance to head to the park so J could finally really break in his new bike we got him for his birthday.

I walked beside C, who wasn’t too sure about those weird red pedal things and much preferred to just walk along while sitting on his little bike. That quickly turned into me holding him on one hip and carrying the bike in my other hand. We all had a lot of fun and decided we need to do this on a regular basis. It was around 83 degrees and breezy when we were out there, so it felt amazing! It was a huge blessing to have a break from the heat.

I was glad to get some exercise in, and it made me think of a question I’m going to ask Freshology. If I’m eating a reduced-calorie meal plan each day, and I exercise, do I need to somehow replace those calories with a healthy snack so I’m not ending up with too large of a calorie deficit? I’ll find out the answer and let you know.

Breakfast: Carrot Walnut Muffin with Vanilla Ricotta, Turkey Bacon, Strawberries & Kiwi (380 calories)

I loved this breakfast! The muffin was slightly sweet and the turkey bacon offset that perfectly. Strawberries & kiwis are two of my favorite fruits, so this was a trifecta of greatness for me! I could seriously eat variations of this breakfast every day and not get tired of it.

Lunch: Vietnamese Noodle Bowl with Shiitake Mushrooms, Edamame & Ginger Ponzu (380 calories)

Lunch was totally out of my comfort zone! I have to admit this is a meal that I didn’t eat a lot of, and it’s totally due to my own picky tastes. Brian ate some of what I didn’t eat and loved it. I at the noodles, cucumber, carrots, and a little sprouts and edamame. I wished this dish had assembly instructions. I assumed you were supposed to just mix everything together (although I didn’t, because I knew I wanted to eat only certain parts), but the contents of the bowl to the right also looked like they could potentially be a salad of sorts. There was a sauce, but I wasn’t sure where to use it exactly. A little label with preparation suggestions would be really helpful for more complicated dishes like this. I love that Freshology pushes the envelope and doesn’t just deliver chicken for meal after meal, but this wasn’t my favorite. Brian, however? He gave it two thumbs up.

Dinner: Roasted Turkey with Broccoli, Roasted Yams & Fresh Herb Gravy (340 calories)

Great dinner that felt like Thanksgiving on a plate. I heated this in the oven for a bit and the turkey came out very flavorful and not dry at all. This was a meal that didn’t fill up my plate as much, but it was very filling and so good. I could’ve eaten a whole plate-full of the yams alone! I thought the broccoli was cooked to the perfect level of tenderness. C apparently did too, because he kept snagging pieces of it!

Dessert: Marble Cheesecake (160 calories)

I don’t know if you remember, but I had a non-dairy cheesecake last week that I was less than fond of. When I saw cheesecake on the menu again, I was a little hesitant. I was very happily proven wrong for having worried, because this was great! It had the consistency almost of a cheesecake pudding, if there were such a thing, and was light while still feeling creamy. It was pretty rich and the small portion was perfect. I may have flipped the wrapper inside out when I was done and licked it, though. Maybe. Yup, it was that good! A nice end to a great day.