Stuck between a wok and a hard place

Ok, I searched long and hard (actually, for about 5 minutes) and couldn't come up with a good wok pun, so you can thank M for the title of today's post.  His other option was "Wok it off."  That just seemed....wrong.

Tonight was another crazy day and night where there was no time for a long meal prep.  However, I have had the ingredients for a good stir fry for a few days in the fridge and I didn't want them to go to waste so I was determined to stir fry it up tonight, even if it meant eating at 7:30pm.  Interestingly, it went much faster than I had remembered!

I have a few more days until the wedding, so technically the Experiment is supposed to be over by this weekend.  HOWEVER, it's going so well and I have a whole new plan that I'm starting up on Monday that I'm keeping it going and I have been collecting more recipes to try.  M is on board and very supportive, so I'm very excited.  I may have to rename the blog...any suggestions?

Ok, on to tonight!

The meal:  Chicken stir fry with white rice.  Normally I would make brown rice, but I just feel like sometimes stir fry needs white rice.  And tonight was that night.  I don't have a set recipe that I use, but tonight I threw some carrots and broccoli into the wok with some chicken and stir fry sauce that I found in my cupboard and it was delish!

Why is it challenging:  M is not a big chinese food fan.  I wouldn't really call this chinese food, but to M it's close enough.  Actually, he's not a big ethnic food fan in general, unless it's Italian-American or Irish.  The day I make an Indian dish will be a very entertaining night in this house.

ESL:  A 6.

ASL:  A 7!  He gave a little shrug and said "I'd give it a 7."  So I'd say it's a "lite 7."

So K says "A 10!"
Then M says "You give everything a 10."
And K responds:  "That's because she's awesome.  You don't rate her high enough."

At least I know my child's got my back.  And just so you know the kind of guy I'm married to, throughout me writing up this post, he kept providing terrible wok puns.  If there's one thing the man loves, it's a bad pun.  This is a favorite of his:

So before you feel bad that I feed him food he doesn't like, just remember that this is what I get 24/7.  

Give me a short stack of blowout patches with a side of eggs and wreck 'em!

Some days (Mondays), things just don't go as planned.  As hard as I might try to schedule everything down to the minute, the rest of the world just doesn't always get on board.  And I'm left scrambling (oooh, pun not intended but definitely leaving it there) to get dinner on the table.  Tonight was one of those nights.  I just didn't have the time or the brainpower to make what I was planning on, so I threw up my hands and said "That's it!  We're having waffles.  I just don't even care."  There's just something about breakfast for dinner that is comforting.  Poor M.  He was left in a difficult position.  Push the Experiment and the recent Challenge or not get his head bitten off by what had become of me:

He balanced it nicely.  With some humor, he put that little nugget of reason in my head that said "you will regret tomorrow pigging out tonight just because you're stressed."  Damn him and his voice of reason.  People wonder how we're together.  This is why.  I'm the crazy, everything-at-the-last-minute, hates-schedules, overreacting person and he's the calm voice of reason in my life.   Together we make sense.  

I still didn't have time to make the meal I had been planning on, so I had to regroup and figure something else out.  I was still kind of craving waffles, so I looked for a healthy waffle or pancake recipe and I added eggs for 2 reasons:  1) Protein, always protein!! and 2) It'll make me eat fewer pancakes (even though they're healthier, they still have calories)!

So I present:

The meal:  Whole Wheat Pancakes with scrambled eggs

Why is it challenging to M:  Pancakes can be a tricky thing and I know how much I love a stack of homemade buttermilk pancakes.  These are not those pancakes.  These are made with whole wheat flour, VERY little sugar and are thick and very wheat-y tasting.  

ESL:  This was tricky.  At first, I was all, "oh yeah, solid 7 here," despite the fact that these are whole wheat pancakes.   Then I made the batter and it was very whole-wheaty.  Then I made one pancake and tasted it dry and was very concerned and I dropped my ESL down to a 4.  I underestimated the power of pure maple syrup.

ASL:  A 7!  I guess I should have stuck with my original and had a little faith in the recipe.  While he admitted they weren't as good as regular pancakes (seriously, can't fault him for that, it's just plain fact), he thought they were quite good (especially with nice pour of maple syrup).  I was happy with them too.  

These aren't something that I would plan out ahead of time but it's definitely a nice quick recipe to have on hand for when Mondays happen.  And I am satisfied and still on program.  And I can feel good stepping on the scale tomorrow morning, knowing I am not bloated with fat and sugar in my system!  Sometimes it's almost like M knows what he's doing.  

I get by with a little help from my friends...

A friend of mine sent this amazing-looking meal to me a week or so ago and I've been dying to try it.  Tonight seemed like the perfect time because I was looking for a good break from chicken breasts.  As much as I could eat the same thing every day, this Experiment is about increasing the variety of foods we eat while maintaining a healthy lifestyle, so I was feeling the need for a little ground beef in my life.

The meal:  Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
I would love to credit whoever sent this to my friend but we just can't figure out where it came from.  So if you're reading this and you're like "Hey!  That's my recipe!" please let me know and I will be happy to give you your props.  One thing I loved about this was how quickly it came together.  K had dance again tonight so we didn't get home until late and I threw this together very quickly.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
1-2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small cabbage, chopped
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup water (I forgot this but it still turned out great)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation:
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add the ground beef and onion and cook, stirring, until ground beef is no longer pink and onion is tender.
Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.
Add the chopped cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, pepper and salt (and water if you're using).  Bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cabbage is tender.

Yield:  Serves 6 to 8

I served ours with brown rice:

Why is this challenging:  Although M is 100% Irish, he has not inherited any love for cabbage.  In fact, when he makes his one dinner per year for St. Patrick's Day, he makes corned beef (gray) and cabbage and he eats a teeny tiny piece just because.  This is also one of those dishes where everything is thrown together and M is not a fan of that kind of meal.  Apparently everything should be separated WHERE IT BELONGS.  

ESL:  6.5

ASL:  6.5!!!

I'm happier with the fact that I guessed right than I am with the actual number, to be honest.  But I'm very pleased!!  This was absolutely delicious and M was very surprised that he liked it too, haha.  He said he would definitely eat this again.  K devoured her bowl (minus the rice, which she said she didn't like) and gave it a 10!  What a happy dinner time we all had, and it makes my little black heart beat with delight that my family thoroughly enjoyed a healthy meal!  

Oh yes, I'm not done!  A couple of days ago, I noticed we had a bunch of bananas that were super ripe and I knew the kids wouldn't eat them because they had so many brown spots on them.  I remembered a bunch of pins on Pinterest about using frozen bananas to make "ice cream."  So I tossed them in the freezer and pulled them out tonight to try it out.  I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical.  But whoa....seriously?  The texture was the most impressive part of it.  Not only did it come out super smooth, but it was so creamy and rich-tasting, very much like soft-serve ice cream.  I added a little bit of Nutella and peanut butter.  Kaelan loved it, M was actually impressed as well.  I was thrilled because ice cream is definitely my weakness and this is a fantastic alternative.  

One more bonus before I sign off:  4 pounds down in 4 days.  Boom.

A challenge!!!!

So yes, it's been a little while.  I assure you that we did not give up on The 5 Week Experiment, but it has been CRAY-ZAY here and we've pretty much been fending for ourselves and keeping the little ones alive.  I'm happy to say that we're all here and ready to get back to business.

Because the wedding I'm in is only a week and a half away, M issued me a challenge this weekend:  lose 10 pounds before the wedding.  M is a smart man.  He knows that the 2 best ways to get me to do something are either to tell me I can't do it or to challenge me.  I'm not quite sure why it works because I'm well aware of this strategy, it's not a secret, and yet I just can't say no.  I happen to think it's quite charming, but I'm sure there are sometimes when my need to "win" or accomplish something that someone says is impossible is completely infuriating and frustrating to M.  However, in this case, it's a win-win.  I really needed a little jump-start, and it's a good number to shoot for.  And just to add, in case you haven't read the About page (and I highly recommend you do!), M is not "making" me lose weight or anything like that.  He knows I want to lose and get more fit and he's being a wonderfully supportive husband.  Now, on to the torture...

When M came home tonight and asked what was for supper, I grinned and said "Hey, you challenged me, I'm bringing it for dinner tonight!"  He looked genuinely scared.  I think he was afraid of another soup night.

I've had my eye on this recipe for a while now, but I didn't dare try it because I thought M would think I was trying to starve him to death.  I am SO glad I did tonight because WOW was it tasty!!!

The Meal:  Skinnytaste's Baked Chicken Milanese with Arugula Salad and Tomatoes

Why is it challenging to M:  This is a small plate.  We're talking a piece of chicken with a small salad on top.  This is what M would call an appetizer, and not one he would order at a restaurant.  Also, it's breaded baked chicken, which, for some bizarre reason, M does not like.  Who doesn't like breaded chicken?  It's delicious so if you don't like it, you're just wrong.  M has never really had any strong feelings about arugula, but I don't think I've ever seen him eat it, so I just wasn't sure if he'd like it or not.

ESL:  A 4.  A generous 4.

ASL:  A 5.5!!!

So here's what happened...

This meal was so delicious that I wanted to eat about 5 plates of it before bringing K to dance.  And then when I got home, I wanted to take it out of the fridge and eat the leftovers.  It was that good.  It was PACKED with flavor.  I knew it was going to be good because it was from the Skinnytaste website, but I just was not prepared for the deliciousness.  I can't wait to eat it for lunch tomorrow.

Oh yeah...M.  He actually liked it!  He wasn't as crazy about the chicken, which he described as "tough." This chicken was about as tough as Richard Simmons.  And if you need a reminder of how tough that could be, here you go:

When I cook chicken just enough so that it's super moist, M says he doesn't like it because it seems "raw" when it's moist.  But when it's cooked a few minutes more, he says it's tough.  The man doesn't know chicken.  He also is apparently trying to send me to the nuthouse because he doesn't know how he likes his own chicken.  Wait, I do.  He wants his chicken to be beef.  In the form of a hamburger.  But I digress.

Not only did he like it, but he said he really liked the salad and went back for seconds on that!!!  This says a lot about the flavors because he said he really liked the dressing I used, and the recipe is basically olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tomatoes and onion.  But when they come together....again, WOW.  Just make this dish.  You will be so happy.

My favorite part of the night?  When M said he'd eat this again!  Thank you and good night!

Déja Food...

Whew, it's been a few days!  K and I spent the weekend out of state for a bridal shower/bachelorette party.  Side note....we stayed at the most beautiful, amazing house I have ever been in.  No joke, this house should be in an issue of something like Architectural Digest.  Just saying.  It was fantastic, we ate absolutely delicious food, like sweet potato and 3 cheese frittatas (AH-MAHZING) and it's been a little crazy since we got back.  Incidentally, I called home and asked M what he ate for dinner, and if I could have put our life savings on my answer in a quadruple to one bet, I would be living large right now.  Because I would have guessed that he had....a sandwich.  And I would have been right.  It's fast, it's easy, it doesn't require cooking or any effort on his part.

Needless to say, after my indulgent weekend, I was ready to get back into it.  M was too, actually!  He's been so positive and encouraging of my efforts, it makes it a lot easier to stay on track.  So he actually suggested that I make....wait for it....a salad for dinner!!  I was positively giddy with excitement.  M has always said that salads are not substantial enough for dinner ("a salad is not a meal!!!!!!!" he would shout), which I have never understood because I would eat salads for every meal if I could and I'm always stuffed.  M does eat salads, but always as a side or starter, and usually just a plain green salad.  I knew we weren't going to repeat the soup fiasco from last week because his reasoning for excluding salad for dinner is much more rational and reasonable than his soup prejudice.  I thought this would be a great opportunity to try a salad that was a little outside of his comfort zone but that might turn him onto the idea of salad for dinner, which would make me the happiest person on the east coast.

Here we go!

The meal:  Coconut Chicken Salad with Warm Honey Mustard Dressing.  I got some nice crusty bread for him as well to kind of bulk up the meal and salad is always good with a piece of buttered bread.  This salad recipe is from Skinnytaste's website and I mention it not only because of this recipe, but because literally every single recipe I've ever made from her has been drop-your-fork-on-your-plate-because-you-can't-even-stand-it delicious.  Seriously.  Just pick one of her recipes that sounds good, try it and be happy.  Here's my salad:

Why is this challenging:  M has always said that salad isn't a meal.  Plus, the chicken was coated with coconut and baked and the honey mustard flavor is one he hasn't always been too keen on.

ESL:  I gave this a 5.  I wasn't sure how he'd feel about the coconut coating on the chicken and the warm honey mustard dressing.  I thought I'd get the standard "eh."

So...here's how the fight started.  I asked him how he thought he was going to like the meal and he said "well considering I've already had it, I think it will be okay."  There was a good 5 second pause when I bent down to pick my jaw up off the floor and put it back in place because ohmygod I have never made this meal ever.  In fact, I clipped this recipe off of the website and printed it out probably a year or so ago because it sounded so delicious but I knew I couldn't make salad for dinner.  Never mind the fact that I am the one who cooks and I know what recipes I make and don't make.  Even after pointing all of this out, he still insisted he had eaten this before.

Whatever.  Sometimes it's easier (and safer for all those involved) to just walk away and know that you are right.  

ASL:  This is where M redeemed himself.  A 7!!  A solid 7!  He said it was "pretty good" and that he was happy to have the bread to beef up the meal a bit.  He did say that he'd probably be hungry later, after I asked him if he thought it was a substantial meal.  But the flavors were good and he enjoyed it.

Despite M being wrong (so, so, SO wrong), tonight was a success and I think I can say we can do salad for dinner again!!

I can get by on baloney and cereal

If you know that title quote, I'm impressed.  If not, you can borrow my Cosby Show DVDs.  Best show ever.  But I digress...

I'm off for a few days.  K and I are heading out of state for my cousin's bridal shower, so M is home with Mr. Man, the dog, 2 fish and 2 guinea pigs for the weekend.

I could have been one of those wives that cooked a few casseroles for him and left him instructions to bake at 350 for an hour, but I can say with a high degree of certainty that they would remain untouched.  So M can fend for himself, or, more likely, go eat with his parents.  As long as everyone is still alive when I get home, that's all I care about.

No soup for you!!

So the day has arrived.  The day I knew would be one of M's biggest challenges:  Soup for dinner.  It's hard to believe that someone can hold such contempt for an entire genre of food.  I'm not quite sure what his aversion is.  He's given me many reasons:  "It's gross," "It's not a meal," "I don't want to drink my meal."  You get the idea.  The man hates soup.

So of course I made soup tonight!  And not just any soup.  Oh no.  Creamy Taco Soup.

Let's get this party started:

The meal:  Creamy Taco Soup

Why is this challenging?  Hahaha, where to begin?  I could just say "because soup" and that would really be enough.  Just the word sends shivers up his spine.  Well, maybe not, but that thought makes me giggle, so we'll go with it.  In addition to the general category, it basically has everything he hates:  chicken that is not grilled, roasted, or baked plain, everything is all mixed together AND to top it all off...he has to use a spoon.

ESL:  I went with a 4.5.  I didn't think he would hate the flavors as much as the fact that it was soup.  I was wrong about this...as I explain below.

ASL:  A 5.

M's reaction:  First of all, when he got home, he asked what was for dinner and when I told him, he face went from interested to utter defeat.  He had been beaten down by a meal before he even took his first bite.  From his standpoint, I might as well have poured 6 cups of water in the slow cooker and walked away.

What followed might be the best part of the night.  After he ate and gave me his ASL, we had a conversation about the meal that had me almost crying I was laughing so hard.  And I still don't understand where he was coming from.  Apparently anything in a broth of any kind lacks flavor...not because of actual lack of flavor, but just because of the existence of the broth.  Stay with me, it gets less rational.  The fact that it is a soup means that the potential flavors are somehow sucked out through some kind of broth vortex and sent to some alternate universe where flavors chill out.  The soup never had a chance.  Anyway, with that in mind here are a couple of highlights from our discussion.  How do you even argue with this?

"I couldn't get past the wetness."
"It was bland and wet."
"I don't want wet food.  If I want something wet, I'll get a drink."

Notice a theme?  Isn't soup supposed to be wet?  What an odd thing to say.  What an absolutely bizarre way to critique soup.  Or maybe he's just ahead of his time and I have a future Gordon Ramsay on my hands?

Either way, I think the next soup is going to have to be a lot less soup-y.  But I'm not ready to give up yet.  Challenge accepted!

That's a spicy meatball!

It's been a few days....I promise I have not gotten lazy.  Once a year, on St. Patrick's Day, M cooks dinner.  And by "cooks," I mean he throws everything into a pot, adds some water, and lets it boil until its done.  Incidentally, I did not find out until I married him that red corned beef is NOT okay to eat on St. Paddy's Day.  It must be grey corned beef.  Grey meat.  Weird.   Anyway, that's where I've been - eating grey meat and boiled potatoes and carrots.  Honestly I can't really complain, it's actually pretty tasty and it gives me a couple of days off from cooking.

Today's meal comes from a friend of mine who sent me this recipe.  She eats very healthy and I walked into her house a week or so ago and this heavenly smell met me at the door.  She said it was a turkey meatball recipe and that's pretty much all I needed to know.

Is this a challenge to M?  Eh...not so much.  These are pretty much an Italian-style meatball (meaning there are things like garlic and basil and cheese in them) so it's not a flavor profile that is very different from what he likes.  However, The 5 Week Experiment isn't necessarily all about watching M attempt to suppress making hilariously disgusting faces at my choice of meals.  It's really about me making healthier choices without the constraints of his pickiness.  Making him squirm a little is just a bonus that I had to forego tonight.  But don't fret, tomorrow is another day and I have a huge collection of challenging recipes to which I am constantly adding.

So I present:

Crock Pot Italian Turkey Meatballs served with Barilla Plus spaghetti and a mixed green salad.  Sorry, no pic, we were starving and dove right in!

Why is it challenging?  It's not.  The only thing I can come up with is that they're made with ground turkey and he might feel it's not "beefy" enough.  But yeah, I think he'll like them.

ESL:  An 8.  Solid 8.  I'm not worried.

ASL:  He was pleased, and he agreed, an 8!  He would eat them again.  Again, not surprised.

I actually thought these were a little spicy, so I'm surprised K ate them.  And the bonus for the night:  R ate them!!!!  My picky little child who only eats chicken nuggets ate spaghetti and meatballs.  That right there is huge.

Bean there, done that

Last night M had a dinner meeting, which I'm sure he was thrilled about because he got to eat steak, which I never ever cook.  I'm sure he enjoyed every single bite and was very sad when it was gone.  K and I used a Groupon and went out to dinner for a little mother-daughter night.  It was fab.

So on to tonight!  During Lent, we don't eat meat on Fridays.  Well, I should clarify.  M doesn't eat meat on Fridays.  I usually get a phone call at about 1:30on a Friday afternoon from M reminding me not to eat meat....after I've already downed a chicken sandwich or something similar.  Listen, I keep the laundry clean and the children alive, I can't be expected to remember everything.

Anyway, I came across a recipe for Black Bean Burgers on Pinterest and the picture totally sucked me in.  They.  Looked.  Amazing.  And the recipe apparently came from the eMeals Clean Eating plan so I figured it was tested and approved.  I thought tonight would be a great chance to try it out, but I was a bit nervous.  M is not huge on beans, unless they're baked and out of a can and served with a hot dog.  But he signed on for this and I thought it had a chance of expanding his mind a bit about how you can serve something like beans in a completely different way.  Hey, I enlighten.  It's what I do.

The meal:  Black Bean Burgers (I served these with a slice of Swiss cheese, a dollop of salsa, tomato and lettuce).  Side of homemade oven roasted potato wedges.

Why is it challenging:  M has stated repeatedly that he thinks veggie burgers are....well, not for him.  He is an Irishman who needs beef.  This is a bit too "crunchy" for him.
ESL:  6.  I was optimistic but I didn't think I'd totally win him over.  I figured it would be one of his "it's passable as a meal but it's no hamburger.  I'd eat it if I had to" kind of things.

What happened:
So M came home from work starving, which I think worked in my favor.  He asked what I was making and I paused.  I thought maybe I should lie, or maybe mumble incoherently so that I would appear to answer and appease his curiosity without actually giving it away.  But I didn't - I owned up and told him I was making bean burgers.  His response was much more positive than I was anticipating.  "I'm intrigued."  Oooooh!

ASL:  8!!!!  We both actually really really liked these.  They were very hearty and meaty in texture, each burger was really big, and I like that they don't shrink like beef burgers.  Super tasty.  M said that he thought they were very good and he would definitely eat these again.

Veggie burger success!!!  I never thought I'd see the day when M would eat and enjoy a veggie burger.  These will probably become a regular in our house, they are so healthy and very yummy.

Tonight is a HIIT!

Nope, that title isn't a typo.  I'm a very big fan of HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training).  If you're not familiar with it, basically it's a form of exercise where you alternate periods of very high intensity with periods of recovery.  It's a shorter workout than the traditional hour-long cardio sessions lots of people are used to, and it gives great results.

Why am I talking about HIIT training on this blog?  I'm glad you asked!  If you read last night's post, you'd know that it wasn't exactly a success.  I wasn't surprised, I really threw a lot at him at once.  So as I browsed through my recipe selection last night, trying to figure out what to make for tonight's dinner, I thought maybe I should try to apply the HIIT philosophy to my meal selections.  My high intensity selection would be a really challenging meal, something I know would really be a stretch for M.  My "recovery" selection would still be outside of the proverbial box, but a little closer to his comfort level.  Hopefully that makes sense.

I have to admit, I thought this one was going to be a hit.  My only reservation in ever making it prior to tonight is M's repeated declarations of hatred for Chicken Parmigiana.  As an Italian, that hurts.  It hurts deep inside where my little Italian heart beats.  At the same time, however, M loves meatloaf.  And then on the flip side of that, he really loves my standard meatloaf, which is a pretty basic no-frills meatloaf.  For a side, I chose to make broccoli with garlic and olive oil, which M usually doesn't like because it apparently has too much flavor and deliciousness.

Anyway, on to it:

The meal:  Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf and Broccoli with garlic and olive oil.

Why is this challenging to M?
1)  He hates chicken parmigiana
2)  He is not a big fan of chicken used in a meatloaf
3)  He is not a fan of sauce on his chicken

ESL:  I gave this a 7.  I had a pretty good feeling that, despite his hatred of chicken parm, he would like this because it's in loaf form and wasn't a piece of chicken.  I did not think he would like the broccoli because he always tells me that he likes his broccoli boiled with nothing added, and prefers it without garlic and olive oil (just typing that makes me shake my head in confusion).

So M was late getting home from work so I had to leave him a dish while I took K to dance class.  When I called him later about something, he said "don't you want to know what I thought of the meal?"  I had totally forgotten!  Ready for this??

ASL:   An 8.5!!  He said he really liked it, even the broccoli and he even had seconds of the meatloaf!!  I actually had to ask him twice if he really meant it and he said yes, he really enjoyed it.  And the bonus?  He didn't miss the starch he usually feels he needs!!!

I guess that means tomorrow I have to turn up the intensity again.  Hmmmm.....

By the way, if anyone has any recipes that they think would be great for The Experiment, please don't hesitate to send them to me!  My only requirement is that they be healthy, as the entire point of this is for me to lose weight.

Jumping in with both feet

So last night, I was enthusiastically scrolling through my Pinterest page looking for some recipes to try for The Experiment, and M was looking over my shoulder. He was not as enthusiastic, to put it lightly. As I looked at recipes with ingredients like mango chutney or spaghetti squash, I could overhear the soft mutterings of M: "oh boy" and "oh geez, what have I gotten myself into?" And then I found it. I found the one. And I knew he would not be pleased. And this pleased me greatly, because let's face it, I'm kind of mean in a loving way.

I knew tonight was going to be rough. But I also knew I had to pull this one out and just dive right in. Introducing Pinch of Yum's Butternut Mac and Cheese With Caramelized Onions, Bacon and Apple.

I was hoping to prepare this all and just set the dish in front of M, without him having any knowledge of the ingredients, but he is not one for surprises. He is persistent. It's slightly frustrating and when I'm cooking and rushing around, I just don't have time to fight it. So I tried to be coy: "It's a variation of mac and cheese." There. That was good. Nope. He was on to me. "Is this the one with butternut squash?" "Ummmm...." Yeah, I had no out. But I did not divulge the rest of the ingredients, hoping once again that he would evacuate the premises and let me get to work. No such luck.

So while I was trying to finish things up, I had to chop the apples. "There's APPLES in this? Oh man." This was not looking good. "I hope you know your ESL is going to be pretty low." Yes, yes I know, M.

Without further ado I present the Butternut Squash Mac And Cheese with Caramelized Onions, Bacon and Apple:

Why is this meal challenging to M?

Where do I begin?? 1) Butternut Squash. His hatred of squash is enough to make me stop right here. But oh no, it gets better. 2) Apples. Let me put this right out there. Other than the occasional banana, I cannot recall a time when M voluntarily ate a piece of fruit. It's freakish. Maybe if it was baked into a pie, but no, no regular fruit. 3) I messed with a comfort food. I took mac and cheese, a dish he usually loves, and I basically turned it upside down. M is not a fan of change, especially when I put stuff he doesn't like in it.

M's ESL I went between a 2 and a 3 on this one because I was kind of hoping the bacon would help pull the number up. But as I made the dish, I fell back to a 2. It was so squash-y. I knew it was going to be a challenge.

So before I even go on to his ASL, let me just say that I thought this dish was DELICIOUS!! And my daughter gobbled it up. She gave it a 10/10! I definitely will be making this again....

....but probably not for M.

M's Reaction and ASL

When I first asked M what the ASL was, he replied, "I'm not sure yet." Hmm. Interesting response. After a few more bites I got a "I'm not digging the apples." And then the gem: "If you could take all the other stuff out and leave the mac and cheese, it would be fine." HAHAHA, very typical M statement. However, his ASL? A 3.5! Higher than I expected, so I was a little happy about that. He did elaborate: "If I came home and you said this is what was for dinner, I'd eat it, but I wouldn't be happy about it." Ok then.

Once a month, M has a dinner meeting for some water-lovers club or something. I guess I'll be saving this dish for a mother-daughter night.

Baby Steps

Before I even get started on what the dinner was for tonight, I thought it would be best to have some way to measure/evaluate M’s reactions to the meals.  After all, this is an experiment, right?  So with that, I present the following statistical components I will use to evaluate each meal:

1)    The name of the meal
2)    Why this meal is “challenging” to M
3)    M’s expected satisfaction level (or ESL) (on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being fabulously satisfied) based on #2 and my knowledge of him
4)    M’s actual satisfaction level (ASL) after the meal

I’m using the word “satisfaction” to describe several things:  satiety, taste and likeliness/willingness to eat it again.  I realize that this is not very scientific, but hey, it’s my blog, I do what I want.  I’m also planning on trying to update with my weight loss progress once/week since that is kind of the point of the experiment, but we’ll see how that goes.

On to today!!!  Today is not a very challenging day, but I didn’t want to throw him into Chicken Tikka Masala on Day 1.  Oh yes, that dish will happen at some point and that night will be extremely entertaining.  But for today, I wanted to start out slowly, and ease M into the experiment.

One of my favorite websites is Gracious Pantry and it’s a popular one amongst clean eating enthusiasts.  I’ve had this recipe on my Pinterest page for a while, but I’ve always been held back a little by a few things.  First, I’ve never had chicken and dumplings before and I have no idea how it should taste.  Also, M’s not a big fan of chicken stew type meals and if it’s soupy, forget it.  However, I felt like this was close enough to a chicken pot pie situation to try it out on him.  It’s pretty basic, no crazy spices (although my first time using marjoram, I think) and no weird grains or beans that might freak him out.  I almost feel like I’m cheating a little bit with this meal because I do think he will like it, but it also might wind up being one of those “it’s ok, I’d eat it if I had to” meals, which aren’t exactly super encouraging.

So here we go:
1)    The meal:  Gracious Pantry’s Cleaning Eating Chicken and Dumplings
2)    This is challenging to M because he is not a big fan of chicken stews or creamy dishes
3)    M’s ESL:  I’m going with a 5 on this one.  I’m optimistic but cautious.  It’s still a bit like a chicken soup and he’s just not into that.  But this recipe is highly reviewed so fingers crossed he surprises me.

THE OUTCOME

Well, this is probably not going to be the most accurate assessment.  Apparently, my Crock Pot is terrible.  It overcooks everything, which is what happened with this tried-and-true recipe.  It overcooked it a bit.  I had to run out to a meeting so I left M home with the Crock Pot full of chicken and dumplings, and hoped for the best.

M’s ASL:  6.  I’m actually a bit surprised it was even that high given the fact that I thought it was overcooked.  However, when I pushed further for more details, I got “it was ok.”  Twice.  I’m not sure if he was trying to make me feel better or if he was distracted by Wile E. Coyote and The Roadrunner on tv.  I asked him how much he ate and he said “a bowl.”  I have a feeling he was trying to make me feel better, so I don’t think his 6 is really a 6.

Lesson for the day:  no more slow cooker recipes until I get a new one!