NOTE: I actually started this challenge a few days ago to give me enough time to write up the descriptions and get the photos done.
SNAP Challenge Day One
Day One, here we go. Started the day off with a quick and easy breakfast muffin that rivals anything you can get at a fast food restaurant. Total time to make it was about 2 minutes (and most of that time was spent waiting for the English muffins to toast.)
But here’s the thing. I didn’t just grab it and eat it on the go. I sat down at our dining room table, practiced a bit of mindful eating and truly enjoyed my breakfast with a cup of tea (the cheese was surprisingly good and I could really taste that apple slice.)
A big part of enjoying your food is enjoying your food.
For the record, I’m a black coffee drinker and my breakfast usually consists 3 cups of black coffee (I know, I know) but for this week, I’ll drink tea without milk or sugar (which is fine with me) to get my caffeine fix.
Breakfast –
- Melted ham cheese, apple breakfast sandwich on a toasted English muffin.
Toast an English muffin, on one slice layer ham, apple slice and cheddar cheese, cook in microwave for about 15 seconds until cheese has melted.
- Rest of half apple quartered and sprinkled with cinnamon.
- Cup of tea
Used:
- 1 English Muffin
- 1 Slice of Deli ham
- ½ slice of Deli Cheddar Cheese
- ½ apple cut into one large slice and then quarters
- Cinnamon (on hand)
- Tea bag
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Lunch required that I set some time aside to actually cook it. Not a problem, with prep and cooking, it took me about 25 minutes to make my meal. The added bonus was that I got to smell the food cooking which added to the anticipation. (How often do we miss that important part of meal prep because we order our food precooked?)
Again, I ate my meal while sitting at the table and I have to tell you that I was full after eating that enter plateful. (And on a personal note, I may never go back to sautéing my veggies in olive oil again. Warm vegetables in butter, yum.)
To drink I had water which had been infused with some Lemon Mint that was still growing in our yard.
Lunch –
- Bread, Salami, Onion, Cheese, Egg Cups
Tear up a toasted English muffin into shreds, cut 2 slices of salami into small pieces, dice a slice of onion, tear cheddar cheese into bits. Beat 2 eggs in a bowl. Place ½ the bread into two cups of a muffin tin. Layer bread, salami, onions, cheese, and more bread. Carefully pour one beaten egg into the cup and place anything left over (onions, extra bread, cheese on top. Cook in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 16 minutes or until eggs are set.)
- Sautéed Green beans with Onions
Sauté beans and onions in a bit of butter until tender
Used:
- 1 English Muffin
- 2 Eggs
- 2 slices of Salami
- ½ slice of Deli Cheddar Cheese
- Green Beans
- 1 slice of an Onion
- Butter for greasing pan and cooking beans
To drink – Lemon-mint water
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I normally don’t eat snacks but I know a lot of people do so I included a tea and cookie snack for each afternoon.
Afternoon snack
- 11 Vanilla cookies (1 serving)
- Cup of tea
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The kids didn’t think it was fair that I get to eat “all the good stuff.” So they are having the same dinner I am, baked chicken wrapped in bacon, roasted potato, and salad with tomato. I didn’t have salad dressing so I just used some of the meat and mixed it in with the salad to give it flavor.
Note – I cooked three chicken thighs so I would have food ready to use on other days. Once the meat had cooled down, I created four servings (1/2 thigh each) in baggies and placed one in the fridge and three packets in the freezer. In each packet, I included the skin and a teaspoon of the chicken fat for cooking and flavor.
Dinner –
- Chicken thigh wrapped in bacon
Wrap chicken thigh with two slices of bacon cook in 375 oven until skin is crispy
- Salad with tomato
- Potato
Cut potato into 8 pieces,roast in pan alongside chicken
Note – Cook two additional Chicken thighs at the same time to be used for other days.
Used:
- 3 chicken thighs
- 2 slices bacon
- 1 potato (Cut up and roasted – reserve half and put in fridge for another day)
- Handful of escarole
- ½ tomato
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Again, I don’t normally snack after dinner but I know that many others do, so I’ve include this snack.
Evening snack
- 1 slice hot buttered toast with garlic salt
