Food so good you want to share it
Sometimes you have a day of food so incredibly good, that you’re really glad you have a blog to share those photos after the fact. This past Sunday was one of those days for me. Evidence below …
But seriously, for those of us who are hopping back on the healthy eating bandwagon after the holidays — how’s it going so far? I guess it’s going well for me just a couple of days in. After more than a month of fun travel, holidays parties, events, etc., I was actually ready to get back to my general eating rule of thumb: No dessert, no wine and no junk, except for the weekends. Let’s see if I can hold strong!
This week’s “What I Ate Wednesday” recap
Food inspiration or judgment? Whatever you get out of it, almost every week, I share a full day of all of my meals for this regular feature on the blog.
I’m sharing a look at all of my meals from this past Sunday. A day in which I did a brief yoga session at home, ran some errands and made only one of my own meals. It was a three-meal day with no snacks, but included some extra good stuff like sweets and wine in the evening.
Breakfast at 9:30 a.m.
This is a variation of my favorite 5-minute protein pancake. I put a little bit of everything in a bowl, mixed it together and cooked it in a pan. Contents include protein powder, veggie powder, chia seeds, oats and an entire egg. It worked out well, and then I topped it with almond butter and a banana and ate it with a smile. Of course, served alongside a mug of green tea, sweetened with stevia and vanilla cashew milk.
Lunch at 2 p.m.
I can’t take credit for this delicious plate of food, because I ordered it off the menu at Sunrise Bistro in downtown Walnut Creek. What you see is an omelet full of smoked salmon, roasted peppers and several eggs. That was served with more roasted veggies and an entire grilled sweet potato, with some beautiful black grill marks. I left about one bite on this plate and was so incredibly full at the end. But boy, it was worth it.
Dinner at 8 p.m.
I can’t take credit for this delicious plate of food either, because it was entirely prepared by Dave. He had a craving to make something new, so he opened up our “Newlywed Cookbook,” chose a recipe, purchased the ingredients and cooked up this masterpiece — much to my pleasure. It was a roasted whole chicken, soaked in nearly a bottle of merlot, with onions and prunes, served alongside the most delicious butter-coated white sweet potatoes. I’m basically foaming at the mouth while thinking about this eating experience. He did well. Of course, enjoyed alongside a hearty pour (or two) of Chardonnay.
Dessert at 9 p.m.
UN-PICTURED: I had a warmed-up mug of vanilla cashew milk, some leftover Christmas chocolates and two caramel-covered date rolls. And that little selection was just delicious. (And no, I am not including almond milk and dates in my “no dessert on weeknights” rule … just the extra chocolates.) These few sweet bites concluded my day of eating, and it was an awesome one. Have you have a great one as well, my friends!
Delicious food pictures for #WhatIAteWednesday #food #eeeeeats ... Click To Tweet
Check out more food posts
Why the food pictures? Each week, “What I Ate Wednesday” is a chance for bloggers to showcase their eats to their readers. If you want to see more food recaps to get some meal inspiration, check out some of my posts from the past here. Eat up!
Questions of the day
What’s the best thing you’ve eaten lately?
Do you eat differently on the weekends than on the weekdays?
Wow you’ve got quite the gourmet chef on your hands, Ashley…that dinner looks fab! The best thing I’ve eaten was a calamari salad with sun-dried tomatoes & olive tapenade at a restaurant here- I need to try and recreate it!
Ohhh yummy stuff, K! That sounds delicious! 🙂
I’ve done pretty well staying on the bandwagon through the holidays but I need to up my veggies lately. Dave is quite the chef!
Good for you, Megan! I did NOT! I skipped tons of workouts and ate a bunch of junk, and it was MAGICAL. hehhehe! 🙂
Too funny that you included that little “And no….” at the end. When I was reading the first paragraph of this post, I LITERALLY thought to myself, “hmmmmm, I wonder if she includes her almond milk swigs and date rolls in her definition of dessert.” So thank you for clearing that up!
Date rolls are my weeknight dessert staple. I just found a new limited edition flavor, orange chocolate. They’re good, but not great. #bringbackthepumpkin
Ha! Well by dessert, I mean my large slabs of carrot cake that I’ve been eating multiple nights a week lately … notice those haven’t been featured on a healthy “What I Ate Wednesday”?? hahaha And orange dates sound quite yummy .. I’m intrigued! 🙂
Oh both that restaurant and Dave’s creation look delicious! Yum!
I know, Hilary! And they tasted even better than they looked! 🙂
When you posted that Dan was like, “I want to roast a whole chicken,” I was super impressed. If Alex wanted to roast a whole chicken, he would go buy one… Also, smoked salmon in omelets is soooooo gooooood.
Hi Susie! I know! It was strange that he came up with that plan, but I certainly didn’t complain! And I’d buy the pre-made chicken too … heheh 🙂
Wow, I want that dinner Dave made! It sounds like every bite was delicious!
I don’t eat different on weekends. Mi drink wine every night and have an occasional dessert when I feel like it, but it’s not planned. I believe in moderation all days so I don’t feel the need to overdo on weekends. (Although might have a little more wine than on weeknightso ?)
Hi Mo! That’s great you have a little treat each day! I think that’s a great plan. And yes, MORE wine on the weekends for sure. 🙂 Have a good one!
Wow, Dave is quite the cook. My husband made my supper last night and it was interesting. I’ll give him credit for trying.
I’m sure he gets an A for effort though, Jen! 🙂 That’s sweet of him!
Ohhh what I wouldn’t give to have someone else cook dinner for me! I do pretty well with breakfast and lunch, but my motivation runs out by dinner… which is why I have cereal or oatmeal so often 😆 Hope you’re having a great Wednesday, Ashley!
I totally understand, Amanda! I tend to eat PBJ for dinner when Dave isn’t here and I get home late from teaching at the gym hehehe. Sometimes you just gotta reach for whatever is easy! 🙂
I have that cookbook, too (wedding gift!) and will definitely be trying that chicken. I hardly ever eat prunes normally, but I actually really like them in roasted chicken dishes. I’m always surprised how soft and sweet they are and how well they pair with the savory meat.
I couldn’t believe how good the prunes were in a roasted dish! LOVE IT! 🙂
We don’t eat very different on the weekends. If anything we tend to skip lunch or eat snacks, and have a bigger evening meal. I made some yummy banana oat cake Monday night for my boyfriends birthday, so we enjoyed that :).
I seem to skip snacks on Sundays for some reason too … probably from the bigger meals. Banana oak cake sounds yummy! 🙂 Happy birthday to your boyfriend a couple of days late!
Um…can you just come over and help me fix these meals? Seriously though, way to go sticking to healthy, yummy meals right after the holidays. My weekly meals have looked so boring this week because I just have been cleaning up from the leftovers from New Years and haven’t gotten too creative on dinners yet. Thanks for the reminder on the 5-minute pancake too! Yum!
Hi Kalee! I actually love to eat leftovers, but we rarely seem to have them heheh! Thanks for saying hi, lady! Happy eating!
That chicken looks and sounds delicious!! What a nice hubby 😀
My eating habits on Sundays tend to be a little different from the rest of the week, mostly just because I’m not working on a schedule and I have the day to spend with my man so we might have an indulgent breakfast or dinner.
Hi Ariana, Yes, being at work or not can make a big difference on the time you can spend in the kitchen too! Sundays are great days to spend with your man. 🙂
Can Dave teach Aaron to cook? Actually, can he teach him to open up a cookbook? haha Everything looks delicious! I’ve actually stayed pretty consistent in my eating over the holidays. We didn’t have any holiday parties to go to, and besides a few days of having a couple appetizers before dinner, nothing is too out of the ordinary. I’m still easing into my workouts.. well, making sure I am not overdoing it. It’s working for now! I have been trying to make sure I’m eating snacks throughout the day and making healthy choices for my meals (aka prepping breakfast).
Hi Heather! Good for you! I bet it’s not easy to get back into the fitness thing, but will feel good as soon as you hit your groove! And I am always impressed with Dave’s cooking! I think he is better than me!! 🙂 hehehe!
I LOVE that dinner idea! You may have inspired mine tonight. I have a half a bottle of red begging to be used. Happy Hump Day!
Hi Laura! Who would’ve thought so much wine can go into a meal? LOVE IT! Happy WIAW to you, lady! 🙂
What a yummy day of eats! And your date-dessert sounds yummy 🙂 That would be a nice way to end the day on a sweet note!
I have dates every night to end on a sweet note. They are SO delicious! Happy eating, Liz! 🙂
That lunch looks AMAZING. Upon first glance, I didn’t think it was an omelet, but now I want an omelet that looks exactly like that!
Hi Julia! I know! It was a messy omelet. 🙂 Happy eating to you, lady!!
Omelets and sweet potatoes with char marks? Sign me up!
No kidding, Alyssa. I need to figure out how to do those marks on my own taters at home!
My favorite meal is when we just roast a whole chicken and veg. So good, so easy, and amazing leftovers. Also, your lunch looks amazing. I need an omelette now..
We didn’t have as many leftovers as expected from the whole roast chicken! Guess we ate too much during the first sitting heheh! 🙂
holy crap! i just took a look at sunrise and wish i had something like that closer. lucky you 🙂 also lucky that you got that amazing dinner made for you- i want that book now haha.
Hi Lady! We’ve been married three years and this was the first time we’ve made a recipe out of the book heheh! Now I want to try more:)
Yummin, those protein pancakes look fab!!
I’ll be back on the healthy-eating/living way of life on the 9th (7 months until the wedding, hey-ooo)… until then, hand me that glass of champ, please!! 😉
WOW!! It’s coming up soon! YAY for weddings!!!! 🙂 I hope I get invited to one this year … seems like everyone is already married now. Darn!
I try to follow the same eating habits, not dessert, wine, or snacks during the week and then treat myself a few times on the weekend. Lately for a treat dessert I have been eating these dark chocolate caramels my mom gave me when we were home for the holidays. They are delicious! I actually have the newlywed cookbook, but haven’t tried any of the recipes yet. Any other favorites?
Hi Patricia! This was the first time we’ve ever opened the book and cooked from it heheh! The potatoes and the roast chicken are from there — two separate ones. HIGHLY recommend them both! 🙂
Wow! Kudos to Dave – that looks utterly amazing!! Nice job! So, the best thing I’ve eaten lately is okonomiyaki – it’s a Japanese pancake and it is amazing! It’s a mix of lots of different stuff, veggies, eggs, etc. with some kind of mix to hold it together. Then, it’s cooked right in front of you on a griddle set down in the middle of your table. So fun and yummy! So, I used to be so good at making sure I only ate sweets and junk on the weekend and I have fallen off that bandwagon hard. I really, really want to get back to that good place. It’s just so hard when we are out and see all these amazing Japanese things and I want to try it all! But, I’m trying really hard to get back to that rule because I think it’s a great one to live by. It’s interesting trying all the sweets and desserts here in Japan. They don’t taste like they have near as much sugar or fat in them as in the USA. They have a donut shop here called Mister Donut and the donuts are so good – but no where near as sweet as the states.
I bet the food options there are much lighter and healthier. And the veggie pancake sounds awesome! I hope you are taking tons of pictures of all the things you are experiencing! Am I following you on Instagram? I want to see what you post (Are you on Instagram?) hahahha??? ENJOY those sweets, Melissa!!! Don’t worry about sticking to your rule right now, Japan is still so new! I’m sure you’re still quite healthy!
I don’t know if you are following me – but I’m melfrank78 and I posted a food picture today just for you! 😉 But, it’s kind of hard to see. I am not very good about posting on social media. I need to post more though because my parents want pictures!
GOT YA!
YUM! How good does that pancake look! I kind of want it right now (it’s 8:50pm here). Think I need to go to bed so breakfast comes quicker! xx
I’m always in the mood for breakfast food, Krissy! I feel ya! 🙂
Dave’s recipe looks like a winner! Yum!!!!
He can’t take credit for it though … it’s from a book. 🙂 hehehe But he did an awesome job cooking it!
Yes, I can completely resonate with having food so good that you want to share it. This year I’m going to get better, Lord willing, at taking pictures of it so it looks really delicious to my readers too!
Natural light is the best thing to have for food pictures, but it’s a struggle this time of year for sure!! Have a great day, Emily! 🙂
You’re husband did WELL! My husband can’t quite cook, but I love seeing when other husbands do:) Very impressive!
Oh thanks, Faith! He does well in the kitchen, that’s for sure! 🙂 Happy eating to you, lady!
Everything looks delicious Ashley! I wish I was having as easy of a transition back to my cleaner routine…I’m in a bit of a slump with nutrition and workouts. But I’ll let my mind and body catch up to one another and not stress out about it. Those white sweet potatoes look so heavenly btw. Thumbs up Dave!
Hi Cayanne! That is totally normal and natural, so don’t stress. We all go through those slumps sometimes. Hope you have a great week, lady! 🙂