Before I share my mother’s amazing lentil recipe, I will give a short recap of my day (fitness wise).
Day 2
Working from home has its perks. One of which being I have time to go to the gym in the morning. I woke up around 6:30 to prepare for my 7:30 date with the gym. My workout focused on shoulders, forearms, and abs. I end every workout with abs. *Remember that you do not want to do the same workout every single day for weeks at a time. Change it up every so often so you do not plateau.* In order to target these muscles, I did military press, Arnold press, lateral raises, decline abs (with 25 pound plate), curls, leg raises, farmer walks, and forearm curl (with barbell). I would be more specific and explain each exercise, but I will save that for another blog. If you would like to know sooner, please comment below and I am happy to explain!
As for my diet today, I realized a couple of things that have been helpful. Today, I was tempted by chocolate. I chose the wrong aisle to walk down at the grocery today. Can you guess which one? My dieting kryptonite… the candy aisle. I closed my eyes and walked quickly. To curb the craving, I popped a piece of gum in my mouth. The sweetness from the gum was just enough to take my mind off of the chocolate. When I finally had an opportunity to eat, I decided to slow down. Normally, I eat so fast you’d think you never handed me a plate of food. I found it very helpful when I slowed down my eating. I was not hungry immediately after finishing my plate. It was great! This evening at dinner, I was famished again. With my mom’s lentils, I decided to drink seltzer water. I stopped drinking soda around 6th grade and never looked back. Seltzer water is an awesome alternative if you crave the carbonation, like me. It also helps to fill me up so I am not begging for another bowl of lentils! I have read negative comments regarding seltzer water. I found an article busting those myths, though. If you are interested, check it out.
Mommy’s Lentils Recipe
Every year for my birthday, I request this recipe for dinner. It is my comfort food (other than a mommy-made PB&J). Below is the recipe and simple steps to cooking this great meal.
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 medium carrots, chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
4 slices of bacon, cut (1 inch squares) *You can substitute bacon with Italian sausage or no meat at all
1 can of small diced tomatoes (no salt added, 14.5 oz)
1 cup and a half of rinsed lentil beans *Be sure to check for foreign debris (stones, usually)
1 can of low sodium beef broth (14.5 oz)
1 can of water (14.5 oz) *Use the tomato can and fill with water after using tomatoes
1 tsp finely chopped oregano
1 tbsp Sun of Italy Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
Add pepper to taste
1 pound of elbow macaroni
2 tbsp (or more) of grated Parmesan cheese
Step 1: Cut your vegetables/seasoning (onions, carrots, garlic, oregano)
Step 2: Rinse your lentils (be sure to check for stones)
Step 3: Place all ingredients in a crock pot (vegetables, seasoning, beef broth, water, lentils)
Step 4: Turn crock pot on low and let simmer for 6-8 hours. Check the pot and add water if ingredients start to absorb liquid. If you would like a soup-like consistency, feel free to add more beef broth and water. We prefer a thicker mixture.
Step 5: About 30 minutes before choosing to serve the meal, bring 4-6 qts of water to boil and add salt to taste.
Step 6: Add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente (usually about 7 minutes).
Step 7: Drain the pasta well and serve in pasta bowls. With a ladle, spoon the lentil mixture on top of the macaroni. I prefer more lentils vs macaroni. Others prefer more macaroni. This is all preference!
Step 8: Add Parmesan cheese for extra (awesome) flavor. If you are serving for guests, garnish with chopped, flat leaf parsley
Step 9: ENJOY!!! :)
If you try this recipe, please let me know what you think! This is a great meal to come home to after a long day at work. Thanks to the crock pot, the cooking process is simple. Bon Appétit!