OMG, the work week is almost over and I am thrilled with my schedule. Wednesday nights used to be a mess of rushing home, making dinner, eating dinner, making breakfast, getting ready for bed, picking out clothes for Thursday, packing Thursday’s workout bag, writing blogs, reading blogs, checking email, crashing into bed, reading, sleeping…
Instead, last night I came home and the BOY had dinner (grilled salmon and broccoli) ready. I cleaned up a few things, got into my comfies, and sat on the couch to watch the Hawk’s game. Any other cleaning and meal prep could be done today! I almost didn’t know what to do with all of my time, but I liked it!
I was not able to stay awake for the entire Hawk’s game, but the BOY reported their win when he came up to bed. Despite the big storms rolling through last night, Thursday appears sunny. My first thought this morning (after tea of course) was to get started with dinner. I found a fun looking recipe that would allow me to use my mint plant for the first time. I have been working so hard at keeping him alive that I forgot I should be using the mint.
I began with the non-meat related ingredients and got stuck when upon cleaning out my spice cabinet (yikes…there were things that expired 2 years ago and at least 3 cumins) discovered that we have no oregano. Since I was planning on running out this morning anyways, I stopped dinner (putting the bowl in the fridge for later) and got started on breakfast.
Another eggie concoction consisting of a Dr. Praeger’s Veggie Burger with 1 egg + 2 egg whites and a splash of seasoned salt.
After breakfast, it was off to the pool for one last swim after a stop at Target for a few things, including oregano. I am a tad worried about Sunday’s swim portion of the triathlon. Should one really swim for the first time in a brand new wetsuit in a race? I have used wetsuits before, so it will have to be okay and thankfully it is only a 1/3 mile swim. I can float my way through that, right?
This morning, I had the most amazing swim epiphany. In the past, I have prepared minimally for the swim section of the triathlon (seriously only swimming twice before last year’s tri) and it is typically in a pool. This year, I have been swimming almost every week since March so I should be much more prepared. Expect this morning I realized that I am not as prepared as I thought when I attempted to swim a few laps in a row without stopping. See…I can’t do the flip turns because my goggles fill up with water and then my contacts hate me, so I typically touch the wall, grab a few quick breaths of air and then continue on my way. I didn’t fully understand how limiting that was (I mean it’s not like I was hanging out for a full minute after each lap) until this morning when I pushed on without the extra air. I kept my same slow steady pace, but my heart was racing, and I when I got to the next walk, I lunged at it gasping for air. Ahhh…It all makes sense….why when I am in the water for the triathlons without walls to grab ahold of, I struggle with my breathing, end up getting nervous, and pop my head above the water anxious and sucking in air. Maybe it’s the runner in me that is used to breathing in/out nonstop throughout a workout that makes swimming even tougher, but it was clear to me today, 2 days before my triathlon, that I do not train properly in swimming.
With that being said, I swam my 15 minutes, eventually building up how many laps I could do without rest, before lazying in the hot tub for a few minutes. At this point, there’s not much I can do before Saturday and I’m hoping my wet suit will help. Plus, I know how to breast stroke when I need the air. But as I am considering another late season tri, I will definitely have to make some changes to my training. Suddenly, ladder drills are making a whole lot more sense.
I returned home starving, so I threw together a Cucumber Mango Green Smoothie before hopping into the shower. I had plenty of time to finish putting together the meatballs for tonight’s dinner before work. My thought is that the BOY can make a Greek meatball pita and I will use my leftover lettuce from the Teriyaki Chicken Wraps. But, I’m guessing these meatballs would be great over pasta or spaghetti squash as well. I rolled the meat into balls and left them in a baking dish where the BOY could find them when he got back home after school/work.
I’m not sure how he is feeling about it, but I am loving this tag team dinner prep!
I ended up staying later than expected at work, but the BOY was all set at home sticking the meatballs in the oven for 25 minutes.
And dinner was served! These meatballs are seasoned perfectly, very flavorful, and super tasty! I highly recommend them for your next week night meal!
The BOY and I are enjoying a quiet night in with Downton Abbey before our busy weekend! It’s been a fantastic first week of summer scheduling including some delicious dinners. Enjoy!!!
Greek Turkey Meatballs
From The Eat Clean Diet
Ingredients
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 cup low-fat feta cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (12 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry and chopped (I used an 8 ounce jar which was sufficient)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix lean ground turkey, feta cheese, parsley, mint, oregano, lemon juice, lemon pepper, garlic and roasted red peppers together in a large bowl, blending in cheese until no chunks remain.
Using a 1/8 cup to measure, roll into 16 meatballs and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake until browned and cooked through, about 25 minutes.
Serve with Greek yogurt cucumber sauce!
