the dinner challenge. week 1.

Recently, Tim and I have been feeling really bored with our dinner selections. We've basically been eating the same thing since we moved in together last November, and it's been getting old. Work has been disgustingly slow for me lately and so I decided last Monday to find different things to make for dinner. I settled for cooking something new/different Monday-Thursday and then Tim and I agreed that Friday would be my/our day off. I think I did a really good job for my first week! I found a website that has helped me with this challenge immensely: http://www.skinnytaste.com/. Since I'm always struggling with my weight, it's really nice to have a website that provides me with information on how to cook delicious things but in a healthier way. Here was what I came up with for my first week:

Monday:
Monday I was going to make pasta with asparagus, but I had a change of heart come time to cook. I ended up cooking three cheese tortellini with a roasted red pepper alfredo sauce. I bought fresh three cheese tortellini from ShopRite earlier that day, for the sauce I sliced up a few pieces of roasted red pepper and mixed it in with a light alfredo sauce. I was really impressed with the flavor the roasted red peppers produced! Sometimes Tim and I will buy the roasted red pepper flavored alfredo sauce, but this was way tastier. Next time I want to make it a point to add something as a side for this dish, possibly some garlic bread.

Tuesday:
Tuesday the forecast was rainy and chilly, so I had planned on trying out the recipe I found for a broccoli chowder. I was really excited to try this recipe and was disappointed when Tuesday turned out to actually be a very nice, sunny, warm day. I ended up trying it out anyway and was impressed with my ability to not screw it up. This was my first time cooking a real soup; I've made a potato/cheese soup before, but never a soup with a bunch of different veggies. After it took me about an hour to chop up everything I needed (I sure can't wait for my wedding shower...I'm really pulling for a SlapChop!) I was able to get started. I cooked a grilled cheese to go with the chowder. I personally really enjoyed dipping the grilled cheese in the chowder. Delicious!
Wednesday:
Wednesday was just simply something different. It wasn't a recipe I found or anything, I just realized I have never made this for us to eat, so I went for it. I cooked up some chicken parm with a side of plain ol' pasta. I was very surprised at how well the chicken turned out. It was well cooked and nice and cheesy! I was really glad I enjoyed the chicken, because I've really had a hard time cooking it lately. I've really lost my desire to have it, mostly because I really don't enjoy cooking it. I do think I'll be making this a more regular meal, though, it was very yummy!
Since the chicken parm was so quick and easy to make, I was able to save some of my after work energy to bake my favorite fall time treat: pumpkin cookies! I found these cookies last year (during my baking phase, shortly before I moved out of my mom's house) from http://www.joyofbaking.com. This website is wonderful, but certainly not healthy! But what's life without a few tasty, calorie filled treats?! I'd like to bake the pumpkin cranberry bars they also have on their page (last year they turned out awesomely), when I have time.
Thursday:
Thursday I was looking forward to most! I had saved pumpkin spice pancakes until now! I found this recipe on http://www.skinnytaste.com/ and I was really excited about it. They turned out to taste not far off from regular pancakes, but with a little cinnamon-y kick to them. I enjoyed them, and I liked knowing they were on the healthier side of breakfast foods. However, we just used regular butter and regular syrup with them, against the recipe's orders.

Today I laid out the plans for this weeks dinners. I've cooked some of them before, but choices are getting slim! I'm trying really hard to stay healthy about it and I'm trying to mix up the week's food. I'm trying not to over-do it with one thing - meaning, chicken only once a week, pasta once or twice, I'm also trying to mix a breakfast dinner in too. As the weeks go on, I think it's going to get more difficult to find tasty things to cook for dinner that fall within the range of what I'll allow myself to eat (meaning, I'm a really picky eater). But I'm up for the challenge. Bring it on.