neverhomemaker: busy

I've been meaning to share more recipes, but actually haven't been making anything remarkable to share. We've packed away at lot of our kitchen to "stage" our house for sale (whenever that happens), we've been in/out depending on evening showings, and I've also lost the charger to my Nikon, making good photos almost impossible to capture.

So, I thought instead I'd give you guys 6 of our current favorite meals that get us through the busy weeknights. These dishes earn points for being relatively inexpensive, quick to prepare, and a breeze to clean.

#1. EGGS + TOAST

Breakfast for dinner is actually one of my all-time favorite meals. I fry up a few eggs in coconut oil, toast some thick slices of bread, and spread with mashed avocado. We can go quite overboard, often making our own sweet potato hash browns, adding salsa, and using whatever else we have on hand to bulk up this simple meal.

#2. FREEZER STIR-FRY

If we're really pressed for time, we cube up + fry some tofu and then toss it with whatever veggies we have in the freezer (we have a few Asian mixes we bought in the winter at Wegmans). Sort of like my Lazy Woman's Stir-Fry, just easier. Sometimes we'll just mix together some sesame oil and soy sauce for flavor. Other times, I'll make a simple peanut sauce or red curry or green curry to accompany.

#3. VEGGIE-TOPPED PIZZA

If we know we're going to be busy on any given night, I'll try to think ahead and mix together a pizza dough. I roast vegetables at the beginning of each week -- so all that's left to do is bake the pizza with the veggies, cheese, and canned tomato sauce on top. It takes 20 minutes tops.

#4. PASTA

I think I've covered before that I actually sort of hate pasta, but wow is it convenient and fast. I like easy dishes, like this $5 Family Meal. And now that I've discovered that delicious Pesto + Avocado Sauce, I don't mind eating noodles so much anymore. Oh, and I also tend to top my pasta with eggs. I am freaking obsessed with eggs.

#5. VEGGIE BURGERS

Thank goodness I was so into freezer cooking last fall and into the winter. We have quite a stock of veggie burgers in our freezer that cook up in a flash. Our most recent creations include these delicious (gluten-free) Zucchini Burgers and these nutrient-dense Lentil + Quinoa Burgers. If you'd like more ideas, head over to our burger/sandwich recipes .

#6. QUESADILLAS

On Cinco De Mayo, I was figured I got a free pass for skipping Mexican food because we've eaten our Veggie-Loaded Quesadillas, like, 20 times in the past month. We definitely had our fill, so this item won't be on our tables soon again . . . but it has certainly served us well (and for such little money!).

// RELATED

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I gave myself the morning off. We had both accidentally slept in until 6:30 AM anyway, so it was the perfect excuse to take things somewhat slower than usual. You see, this past month has been exhausting. Normally, it's quite insane. But with PT added to the mix . . . I can't catch up.

Newton's First Law: A body in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force.

I guess this morning, that outside force was my alarm clock. It didn't go off. Now, some of you were wondering what a typical day-in-the-life looks like for me right now. Here it is . . . in excruciating detail:

Wake up between 5:30 AM and 6:00 AM.
Bike at home for 30 min to an hour. Or aqua jogging at the Y.
Shower and get ready from 6:45 AM to 7:15 AM.
Eat breakfast, prepare lunch, and scramble to leave the house by 7:45 AM.
PT from 8:00 AM to 9:15M.
Rush to work. Stay until lunch around 1:00 PM.
Errands (bank/post office/x-mas shopping/blogging) during lunch break.
Stuff down a sandwich at my desk while answering voice mail and email.
At work till 5:00 PM.
Gym by 5:15 PM. Home by 6:45 PM.
Shower. Make dinner. On the couch eating by 7:30 PM.
Baking and blogging and TV time until 9:30 PM.
Random before-bed stuff (cleaning, cat duty, etc.) until 10:00 PM.
Bed by 10:30 PM.

Something's gotta give. Eventually. Or I may pass out someday. Someday soon. (I'm being completely serious!) I think I may need to modify my workout routine. When I was marathon training, a single run could suffice for my daily workout. I could get fit it in one big chunk of time. Now, I don't exercise at the same intensity, and I'm left feeling restless. But working out is taking up SO much time!

And two showers a day? Ugh. My skin is begging with me to change. Or buy a new moisturizer.

(Also: No, mom. I'm not addicted to exercise. Mostly, my schedule is a little gym-heavy because I'm trying to keep some of my endurance . . . and check to see if my knee is cooperating with running. So, sometimes I get two solid workouts a day. Most times, only one. I stretch and do my PT exercises when my knee hurts. And I take off two days per week.)

A.n.y.w.a.y. I gave myself the morning off. And it was glorious. I took a long shower. I took time blow-drying my hair. Using hairspray to keep a style! Putting on makeup -- eyeliner and all!

Then, I cooked breakfast in our sunny, bright kitchen.

TIRAMISU OATMEAL BAKE FOR TWO
(Printer-friendly version!!!)

What you'll need . . .

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup almond milk
1 large banana
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder

Method . . .

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. In the meantime, take the rolled oats, 1/4 cup water, and 1/2 cup almond milk. Mix together and cook in the microwave for around 5 minutes.
Slice a large banana into coins and set on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil. Spritzed with a bit of canola oil.
Mix together the cocoa powder, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Then shake the mixture over the bananas and use a fork to poke into each and press into the powder to coat well. Set in the oven for three minutes.
When the oats are done cooking, pour in the extra 1/4 cup almond milk and the coconut flour. Stir in the vanilla and baking powder.
Remove banana slices from the oven. Save four to six of the coins for after the bake. But take the rest and mix into the oats.
Lightly grease two ramekins. Divide mixture evenly between them. Then bake for 10 minutes.
Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Top with the remaining banana coins. Sprinkle a bit more cocoa powder on top for extra deliciousness.

No. The oats don't taste exactly like tiramisu. So, don't be disappointed. The cocoa-covered bananas, though, do remind me of that amazing Italian dessert. Plus, the whole thing is so warm -- incredible on a day when the temps are in the 20-degree range.

YUM! Check out that steam!

How do you cope with a fuller than full schedule? Do you map out your time? Do you sacrifice any certain activities? For us -- we often leave cleaning for the weekends (boo -- because that's supposed to be our time!). So, our house is seriously messy mid-week. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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