A Better Life with Burgers: Reconnected

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Reconnected

We're finally back online! Terry and I have survived without Internet and TV since Friday, and I'm grateful to be reconnected to the rest of the world. Honestly, though, this week has been so busy that stepping away from the electronics was more a blessing than a burden.

The big event this week has been unpacking as much as possible whenever we can. Sometimes it's deliberate, hour-long endeavors to unpack a specific room; other times we just realize we need something and unpack a box in the process of finding it. But ultimately, we're getting pretty close. Now that the Internet is set up, we can finish setting up the living room. Hopefully by next week I'll be able to snap a few photos that aren't just empty rooms with boxes.

Naturally, in the midst of the chaos, we've strayed from our usual routines. Instead of relaxing after dinner, we're back up in the kitchen or bedroom to unpack. This week is also unusual because I'm still getting over being sick, Terry just came down with (most likely) what I had, and Terry has a weird work schedule that required him to be up at 4:30 am a few days. I'm hoping that by the end of next week (maybe earlier for me) we'll feel settled enough to get back into our regular exercise routine, because I miss it!

This week's meals have been all about ease and convenience, too. We're doing great on our budget, though I'm missing the variety that comes from being able to buy whatever looks good (instead of what's on sale). You can see from today's meal that we're still keeping it interesting, though, and I'm excited to visit my parents this weekend because we always eat well up there!

So here's what I ate today for WIAW:

Breakfast--two scrambled eggs with a splash of milk and some pepper jack cheese, wrapped in a tortilla

Forgot to take a breakfast picture, so here's an old one of me

eating a breakfast burrito, which is also awesome

Snack--banana plus yogurt, peanut butter, and honey (my recent favorite snack)--also no photo (I was really rocking it today)

Lunch--leftover refried beans from last night's dinner on corn tortillas, with pepper jack cheese and greens

Snack--two mandarin oranges and some trail mix (sunflower seeds, almonds, and raisins <--I am so sick of almonds and sunflower seeds, so the raisins were a nice way to mix it up while I get my protein!)

Dinner--Italian chopped salad (this one had artichoke hearts, mozzarella, salami, turkey, garbanzo beans, red onion, roasted bell peppers, and lots of greens tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper)

Dessert--a hunk of Brix chocolate, a gift from my brother and sister-in-law from Christmas that we've been savoring slowly, while chatting with my friend Jenn, who just started her new job (congrats, Jenn!). YUMMM.

Of Possible Interest:
Since I'm in a bit of a rut as far as creativity for meals (apparently I can do a budget OR I can be creative, but not both), I checked out some resources online and found a wealth of ideas for cooking on a budget. Terry and I have never budgeted for food before (we cut back elsewhere instead), so it's new territory for me! We still want to eat healthy, varied meals, so I'm hoping these sites will help me think outside the box.