A new format

So, I started this blog last winter when I was on break from school...probably somewhat out of boredom, and my need for fulfillment during a time when I had no homework and few deadlines. I wanted to prove that I could stay within the USDA's "thrifty" food cost budget while still fulfilling my nutritional requirements. It was fun, but also a lot of work. I had to keep track of what I was eating by taking pictures and entering all of the foods in the MyPyramid website. Then, I used an Excel spreadsheet to cost out all of my meals and compare my weekly total with what the USDA said I should be spending on this budget. It was actually very much like a project I did at school my sophomore year.
I had myself kind of stuck on the idea of keeping this thing up, even when school started again in January. Little did I know, this would be one of the most challenging semesters ever!! I started to fall behind in my schoolwork when I was blogging, and behind on the blogging when I was doing schoolwork. It just wasn't going to work out...one of them had to go. Unfortunately, having a blog won't get me that degree that I've been working toward (and paying 20 grand a year for), so the logical choice was to cut it out. I really missed it, because it was a nice creative outlet for me and definitely kept me in check on my eating and spending habits (I sure felt guilty when I had to post pictures of takeout more than twice a week, but it happened).
I really learned a lot during my little "blog experiment", and I did pick up some new habits that helped me spend less and eat better. For example, I no longer need the MyPyramid site to count up my servings...at any point during the day, I can tell you where I'm at with grains, fruits, etc. I have also become very adept at planning meals that will fulfill my requirements; I hardly have to think about it now.
I have decided to start this new blog with a much looser format; I will not be "forced" to post every day, or weekly, or any time at all. I will post when I have an experience to share...a particularly successful shopping trip, a highly nutritional and satisfying meal, or just really interesting things I read or learn about at school. I have added "be happy" to my title, because that is a very important element to the equation that I have decided represents what I believe in...cheap+healthy+happy.
Cheap: To some, this word is synonymous with "crappy". To me, it signifies non-wasteful spending. I will mostly relate this to food, but I also believe in low cost clothing, furniture, dishes, etc. If it can be purchased used, that's all the better....reduce, reuse, recycle!
Healthy: I'm an avid label reader, and I decide whether to buy something based on what I see there. In certain cases, I may choose the higher priced item so as not to sacrifice this element.
Happy: A very complicated term indeed; happy to me might not be happy to you, and vice versa. I seek to reduce cost and increase nutrition only to the extent that I remain happy doing so. No, I'm not going to eat something I don't like just because it's good for me. Yes, sometimes I just feel like going out for dinner instead of cooking at home. That's life though...nothing is flawless!
So here begins my new venture in blogging. Please comment as you feel necessary.

I am taking a short hiatus from blogging, so that I can get caught up with some things in school and my personal life. I plan to be back in a couple of weeks...probably over spring break. Rest assured, I will still be eating cheap & healthy, and I encourage you to do the same! See you soon :)

Breakfast
Today was my early day at work, and I hardly got any sleep last night...so I'll go ahead and apologize for the shortness of this post.
Breakfast was eaten in two shifts, as I typically do when I have to get up at 5 in the morning. I need something to get me going this early, but then I need more "fuel" later in the morning so I can make it through lunch.
Breakfast # 1: a cup of fat free (Dannon) vanilla yogurt mixed with a cup of frozen (thawed) strawberries and blueberries, 1/4 cup of granola cereal, and 11 almonds.
Breakfast # 2: a small bran muffin and a 2 egg omelet made from egg substitute (compliments of the kitchen after breakfast ended).

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 oz whole (1/2 from granola cereal and 1 1/2 from muffin)

Fruits: 1 cup (blueberries and strawberries)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 1 cup (yogurt)

Meats & beans: 3 oz (almonds and eggs)

Oils: 1 teaspoon (almonds)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.39

Lunch
I had a piece of leftover veggie lasagna from last night, along with a cup of raw baby carrots. I forced myself to walk on the treadmill for 45 minutes, even though I would rather have taken a nap. The walk actually gave me some energy...funny how exercise works that way! I will definitely be taking a nap when I get home, though.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz (about 2 lasagna noodles)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 2 cups (veggies in lasagna and carrots)

Milk: 1 cup (mozzarella and cottage cheese in lasagna)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 1 teaspoon (pesto sauce in lasagna)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.63

Snack
I did take that nap when I got home, and I think I slept a little too long! I had to "start over" when I woke up by having some coffee and juice. I made a latte with a cup of skim milk and had that along with a 6 ounce cup of OJ. We're going to a 30th birthday party for a friend tonight, so I needed to get going again!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 0

Fruits: 3/4 cup (juice)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 1 cup (skim milk in latte)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.47

Dinner
We were kind of in a hurry to get going tonight, so rather than cook dinner we went by Crazy Bowls & Wraps (CBW). I got a power bowl this time, which the menu boasts is "everything your body needs in one bowl!" Well, I'm not sure I agree with that statement, but it's a pretty good mix: brown rice, beans, chicken, romaine lettuce, corn salsa, and a little cheddar cheese. It comes with corn tortilla chips, which I like to dip in their awesome hummus and salsa. I estimated what I ate from the bowl (it's a pretty big portion), and also counted about 6 of the chips that I had.
I didn't get to do my nightly yoga poses tonight, because by the time we got home from the party it was pretty late, and I was completely beat! I'll try to make up for it tomorrow. Right now, the biggest gift I can give myself is some sleep!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 1/2 oz, 1 1/2 whole (1 from chips and 1 1/2 whole from about 3/4 cup of rice)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1 cup (beans, salsa, lettuce and hummus)

Milk: 1/4 cup (cheese)

Meats & beans: 3 oz (chicken)

Oils: 1 teaspoon (fried chips)

The cost of this meal (if I had prepared it at home) was approximately: $1.47

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 oz out of 6 oz (5 were whole)
Fruits: 1 3/4 cups out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 3/4 cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 3 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 6 oz out of 5 ½ oz
Oils: 3 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $5.96

Breakfast
I had oatmeal this morning: 1/4 + 1/8 cup of quick oats cooked with a cup of skim milk, with 3 tablespoons of walnuts and a medium sliced banana added. I also had a cup of OJ.
This is going to be a very long day, because I have an appointment this morning, then I have school, then practicum in the evening. It's not even lunchtime yet and I already need a nap!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (oatmeal)

Fruits: 1 3/4 cup (banana and OJ)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 1 cup (skim milk)

Meats & beans: 1 1/2 oz (walnuts)

Oils: 1 1/2 teaspoons (walnuts)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.13

Lunch
I had enough time to come home for lunch before running off to school. I made a peanut butter & jelly sandwich on toasted whole wheat bread (Sara Lee). I love PBJ like this, because the peanut butter gets all melty and gooey...yum! I also had an ounce of baked potato chips and a cup of fat free Dannon yogurt topped with a little cinnamon. Adding the cinnamon makes it seem more like a treat for some reason!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 oz whole (bread)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1/2 cup (chips)

Milk: 1 cup (yogurt)

Meats & beans: 2 oz (peanut butter)

Oils: 2 teaspoons (peanut butter)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.52

Dinner
I've been thinking of making veggie lasagna for awhile now, and was fully inspired tonight when I saw this dish all evening long at my practicum. I went by the store and picked up the rest of the items I would need, and threw together a quick dish when I got home. I kind of made it up as I went, but I think this is what I ended up with, layer by layer:
marinara sauce
noodles (no-boil kind)
cottage cheese mixed with pesto sauce
fresh spinach
noodles
cottage cheese w/pesto
frozen peas & carrots
mozzarella cheese
marinara sauce
noodles
spinach
marinara sauce
I baked it, covered with foil, at 375 for about 45 minutes. It turned out great! I only made an 8X8 dish, and cut it into 4 portions. I had one square, along with a Boca "chicken" patty to add some protein to my meal, and a 6 ounce glass of Old Orchard 100% berry juice blend.

The yoga series I chose for this evening was Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (One-legged king pigeon pose); Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog); Balasana (child's pose). I mostly chose pigeon because it is one of my favorites and I haven't done it in awhile-the other two are just nice transitions for it, although child's pose is great anytime. I was sad to find how much flexibility I've lost in pigeon. I am going to have to start practicing this one more often so I can get it back!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz (about 2 lasagna noodles)

Fruits: 3/4 cup (juice)

Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups (marinara,spinach, peas and carrots)

Milk: 1 1/4 cups (mozzarella and cottage cheese)

Meats & beans: 2 oz (Boca patty)

Oils: 2 teaspoons (Boca and pesto)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.64


How did I do today?
Grains: 5 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (4 were whole)
Fruits: 2 1/2 cup out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 3 1/4 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 5 1/2 oz out of 5 ½ oz
Oils: 5 1/2 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $5.29

Breakfast-introducing the "Dena McMuffin"!
I tried something new for breakfast today. I topped a toasted "light" multi-grain english muffin with a fried egg (I don't know the proper name, but I cracked it in the skillet and broke the yolk so it would be flat), a Morningstar Farms soy sausage patty, and a slice of fat free American cheese. I also had a whole orange and a cup of fat free vanilla yogurt. This meal ended up being a little expensive (those Morningstar Farms products are a bit pricey), but it was delicious!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (English muffin)

Fruits: 3/4 cup (medium size orange)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 1 1/2 cups (1/2 from cheese and 1 from yogurt)

Meats & beans: 2 oz (1 from egg and 1 from "sausage" patty)

Oils: 2 teaspoons (sausage patty and the egg was fried in Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.60

Snack
I had a mixed berry Nutrigrain bar as my late morning/early afternoon snack before I went to the workout room during my lunch.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1/2 oz whole
The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.31


Lunch
I did about 30 minutes of very brisk walking on the treadmill today, followed by 15 minutes of ab work. It was a great workout! I brought some leftover whole wheat spaghetti (1 cup) and pasta sauce (3/4 cup) for lunch today, and topped it with a tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. I knew if I left it in the fridge much longer, it would get thrown away and I have been trying to be better about wasting food. There is really no excuse for it! I also had a banana and a 6 ounce cup of fat free blueberry yogurt. This day is going by so fast...I suppose that's a good thing when you're at work :)

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 oz whole (spaghetti)

Fruits: 3/4 cup (medium size banana)

Vegetables: 3/4 cup (marinara sauce)

Milk: 1 cup (1/4 from cheese and 3/4 from yogurt)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.39

Dinner
Matt already had dinner going when I got home from work (he is so awesome!) We had Morningstar Farms soy veggie burgers with fat free American cheese on whole wheat buns, with Alexia potato wedges and steamed broccoli. I had about 1/2 cup of the potatoes and a cup of broccoli with a teaspoon of Smart Balance Light. I also decided to finish up the grapes-there was about a cup left, but I only ate about 3/4 cup because some of them were a little too squishy for me. These probably wouldn't have made it another day either...no wasting!!
Tonight I did 3 hip-opening yoga stretches: Baddha Konasana (bound angle pose)
, Gomukhasana (cow face pose), and Agnistambhasana (fire log pose). I chose these because my hips have been feeling very tight lately (probably from sitting too much), and also because these are all good for stress relief. I can never get enough of that! I stayed in each one for about 2 minutes. It felt so good, and really made me want to get back into a regular practice.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (bun)

Fruits: 3/4 cup (grapes)

Vegetables: 1 1/2 cups (broccoli and potatoes)

Milk: 1/2 cup (cheese)

Meats & beans: 2 1/2 oz (veggie burger)

Oils: 2 teaspoons (1 from burger and 1 from Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.56

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 oz out of 6 oz (all were whole)
Fruits: 2 1/4 cup out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 1/4 cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 2 1/4 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 4 1/2 oz out of 5 ½ oz
Oils: 4 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $6.86

Breakfast
I was in a hurry to get out the door this morning (no big surprise there!) so I didn't have much time to get creative with breakfast. I made oatmeal with a cup skim milk and threw in 1/2 cup of (thawed) frozen blueberries. I also had a cup of 100% OJ. I get to go to my favorite class this morning (Community Nutrition), followed by my least favorite class (Biochem). It's going to be a long morning/afternoon!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz whole (oatmeal)

Fruits: 1 1/2 cups (blueberries and OJ)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 1 cup (skim milk)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 0

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.24

Snack
We had a very interesting guest speaker in Community today. One of the counselors from my school came and spoke about eating disorders. She gave some very startling statistics as far as the prevalence of these disorders, and told us how to recognize signs in our future clients. I've never really thought about how I would handle it if someone told me they were experiencing disordered eating habits. It was good to plant that seed just in case, as well as get some advice on how to handle it. Very good information!
I had a Fiber One bar (oats, strawberries and almonds) as my pre-biochem snack. I needed something to get me through, since I won't be eating lunch until later in the afternoon.

All together, this meal provided:
Grains: 1/2 oz whole
The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.50

Lunch
Matt and I went on our usual Tuesday date today. These have become very important to us; it's a day that he's off work, and I get finished with school relatively early, so we have some time to spend together. Yes, it usually involves going out somewhere and yes, it involves spending money...but with my school schedule becoming so hectic, I need to set this time aside especially for us. I would like to come up with some inexpensive/free date options, though. This might be more feasible once the weather gets nicer so we can spend some time outside. I am so ready for spring!!
We went to Cicero's in The Loop for lunch. I have lived here all my life, and I'm pretty sure this is the first time I have eaten there. I ordered the salmon wrap with a salad topped with fat free raspberry vinaigrette dressing. The wrap was awesome, and just the right size for a meal! I estimated the fillings...about 5 ounces of salmon, 1/4 cup of cooked spinach, and a spicy cream cheese sauce to dip in. I didn't really need much of the sauce...the wrap was great by itself! I had nearly the whole wrap, and about 1 1/2 cups of the salad.
After lunch, we went down the street to Meshuggah's coffee house, where I treated myself to a cafe mocha made with skim milk. It was so yummy and chocolatey! I don't know when the last time was that I had such a good mocha. We hung out and made good use of their free wireless internet for awhile before heading out. It was a really great afternoon!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 1/2 oz (tortilla)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1 3/4 cup (spinach in wrap and salad)

Milk: 3/4 cup (skim milk in mocha)

Meats & beans: 5 oz (salmon)

Oils: 0

The cost of this meal (if I had prepared it at home) was approximately: $2.15

Dinner
I made my whole wheat pizza crust for dinner tonight. I topped it with pesto, canned (no salt added) diced tomatoes, broccoli and mozzarella cheese. I suppose this can count as my "made from scratch" meal for the week, since I prepared the dough myself. I had two slices and about 3/4 cup of grapes on the side.
I did do a few yoga stretches tonight, as I promised myself I would. My leg muscles have been getting so sore from my lunchtime treadmill excursions, so I did some leg and hip stretches tonight. I really need to remember to stretch more often, because I could definitely feel a difference afterward.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 oz whole (pizza crust)

Fruits: 3/4 cup (grapes)

Vegetables: 1 1/4 cups (broccoli and tomatoes on pizza)

Milk: 1 1/4 cups (mozzarella cheese)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 3 teaspoons (pesto sauce and olive oil used on crust)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.77

How did I do today?
Grains: 5 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (4 were whole)
Fruits: 2 1/4 cup out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 2 1/4 cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 3 1/4 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 5 oz out of 5 ½ oz
Oils: 3 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $5.67

Breakfast
I have my presentation today...I think I'm ready, but I just want to get it over with! It's not even a big deal, only about 10 minutes...but still, that whole public speaking thing is never fun for me. Today I had 1/2 cup of scrambled Better n'eggs with a slice of whole wheat toast and a cup of fat free vanilla yogurt with 1/4 cup of granola cereal mixed in. Have I mentioned I really like the Dannon Light & Fit? It's definitely going on my shopping list for this week. I used about a teaspoon of Smart Balance Light between the scrambled eggs and the toast. I also had a cup of OJ.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 1 oz whole (toast)

Fruits: 1 cup (OJ)

Vegetables: 0

Milk: 1 cup (yogurt)

Meats & beans: 2 oz (Better n'eggs)

Oils: 1 teaspoon (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $1.58

Lunch
I had a meeting for one of my organizations today, and this time they actually served what I expected them to-pizza (last time they threw me off with nachos). I had two slices of cheese pizza (not pictured because it didn't seem appropriate to pull out my camera during the meeting), and a cup of baby carrots that I brought along from home. I figure it's not bad etiquette to eat your own food as long as you eat something that was offered along with it. Am I right here?
It was hard to concentrate on the meeting, because from there I went straight to my class to give the presentation! Why do I get myself so psyched up about these things?! I just need to relax!

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 1/2 oz (pizza crust)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1 1/4 cup (pizza sauce and carrots)

Milk: 3/4 cup (cheese)

Meats & beans: 0

Oils: 0

The cost of this meal (if I had prepared it at home) was approximately: $0.96

Snack
The presentation was a success!! It went better than I could have imagined. I still have yet to receive feedback from my instructor and classmates, but I think it will be pretty good overall.
When I got home, I snacked on an ounce (about 30 total) of unsalted, dry roasted peanuts. Whew! I'm just so relieved about that presentation! Too bad it's really just a dry run...I still have to do it for the employees of my practicum site next month. One thing at a time, though...

All together, this meal provided:

Meats & beans: 1 oz

Oils: 1 teaspoon

The cost of this meal was approximately: $0.19

Dinner
One of my favorites..."fake chicken Parmesan"! A Boca "chicken" patty topped with 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese, over a cup of whole wheat spaghetti with 3/4 cup of marinara sauce (Classico, tomato & basil variety). I also had a cup of frozen, steamed peas & carrots with a teaspoon of Smart Balance. So easy to prepare, this meal is becoming a weekly staple for me-especially when I'm busy and don't have a ton of time to plan out meals.

All together, this meal provided:

Grains: 2 oz whole (spaghetti)

Fruits: 0

Vegetables: 1 3/4 cups (peas & carrots and marinara sauce)

Milk: 3/4 cup (mozzarella)

Meats & beans: 2 1/2 oz (Boca patty)

Oils: 1 teaspoon (Smart Balance)

The cost of this meal was approximately: $2.09

How did I do today?
Grains: 6 1/2 oz out of 6 oz (4 were whole)
Fruits: 1 cup out of 2 cups
Vegetables: 3 cups out of 2 ½ cups
Milk: 2 1/2 cups out of 3 cups
Meats & beans: 6 1/2 oz out of 5 ½ oz
Oils: 4 tsp out of 6 tsp

Total cost for the day: $4.82