I’m gonna miss my cat, Jack Donaghy

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m gonna miss my cat a lot. I got the cat FOR him, so I realize I have no right to fight for him…he was a gift. And chances are I’d end up moving into an apartment that wouldn’t allow pets anyway since they tend to be a bit cheaper.

He’s just a really really cool cat.

He’s snuggly and playful and cute. He likes to be held and scratched and loved. He likes to keep me company while I’m in the kitchen and lay on my feet while I’m chopping veggies and mixing batters. Sure, he’s in the way. He gets slightly stepped on sometimes. But he just wants to be part of what I’m doing. And I DO feel he is part of my cooking experience now. It would be odd for me not to have to constantly look down in the kitchen to make certain I don’t squish him. And to reach down every once in a while and pet him to let him know that I see him and realize he’s there.

We shall see what happens. It will certainly feel a little empty in the kitchen without him.

Breakfast:

Apple Banana & Carrot Muffins

Taken from: http://thedailydish.us/breakfast/apple-banana-carrot-muffins/

INGREDIENTS

Batter:
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 c. grated carrot (1-2 carrots)
1 ripe banana, mashed (the browner the better)
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. low fat milk or soy milk
1/4 c. sugar
2 t. pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 t. Featherweight sodium free baking powder

Topping:
3 T. sugar
2 t. ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a standard size 12 muffin tin or line with paper cups; set aside.

To make the batter, place the chopped apple, grated carrot and mashed banana in a bowl and stir to combine.

Measure in the remaining batter ingredients and mix well. Spoon evenly into the muffin cups. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping, then sprinkle evenly over top of the muffins.

Place tin on middle rack in oven and bake 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and place tin on wire rack to cool. COOL FULLY before removing from tin and/or consuming!!

*LOVED these! Definitely bake them for the full 25 minutes, since there is no egg it takes a while for it to set properly. The fruit and veggies just married beautifully and was just sweet enough, even for me. ^_^ I even only used about 1/2 t of cinnamon sugar on each and it was still perfect for me! And they were so pretty!

Lunch:

Tuna Apple Wrap

Well, I can list what I put into these because honestly couldn’t tell you amounts, I just used what look right. It had 1 can of tuna, light mayo, sweet pepper relish, celery, 1/4 of an apple (I ate the last 1/4 while making this), chopped walnuts, lettuce and 3 slices of muenster cheese. It was delicious, light and refreshing! The only thing I would change would be to use a sharper, stronger cheese next time. There were 3 slices and I could still barely taste it! All in all it was super good, LOTS of protein, lots of good things for my body!

Dinner:

Zucchini and Broccoli Casserole

Adapted from: http://www.hammertown.com/2009/09/this-weeks-recipe-postmaster-debs-zucchini-casserole/

Ingredients:

• 8 cups sliced zucchini (the smaller the zucchini the better) (I grated mine)
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 cup mayo (I used half light mayo, half ricotta cheese)
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped (I only had yellow pepper)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Butter (I used margarine)
• Bread crumbs (I omitted these and topped it with a little more Parmesan instead)

Directions:

1.  Bring zucchini in enough water to cover to a boil.  Boil until just tender–not too long!  Drain WELL.
2.  In a large mixing bowl, combine egg, mayo, Parmesan cheese, onion, green pepper, and salt & pepper.  Mix well.  Add drained zucchini and mix.
3. Butter a large pie plate and pour zucchini mix into pie plate.  Top with dots of butter and spread bread crumbs over the top.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour until bubbly.

Enjoy!

*I was trying to steer clear of the carbs and breads and flours in my dinner since I had them in both my breakfast and lunch. I’m not sure why, but I wasn’t really in a meat mood either. I’m glad I found this nice, simple vegetarian casserole recipe without any pasta or bread. I cooked it for the 45 minutes, which seemed perfect to me! It tasted like comfort food while being healthy for you at the same time!

 

I need to call my dad tomorrow to let him know whats going on. I’m hoping he can help me get out of here ASAP. I’m ready to go. I want my British telephone booth mirror that’s on clearance at Hobby Lobby. I want my own kitchen. I want my life back. My dad is rich. He could probably help me with a security deposit on the apartment that I want. I’ve got one in mind in an area where everything wonderful is within walking distance, including a farmer’s market. ^_^ I want to live over there. I want to remain happy.

I’m also certain now that I can trust living by myself. I don’t have to worry about my eating anymore. I’m going to be ok. If I can handle a week going through what I’ve been going through without binging, I’m going to be ok.

Exercise: 1/2 hour of yoga, 1/2 hour of stair-stepping (couldn’t make it to the gym today, that’s ok, my ankle could use the rest)