Laundry and Two Recipes For You!

This morning started out really well. I actually got up when my alarm went off and didn't hit snooze a dozen times.
I got up and had some yummy oatmeal with ground flaxseed and blueberries.

After breakfast we took the hubster to work and then headed to Costco.  I think I deserve some sort of award for making it through Costco with all 4 kids without losing or one of them or my mind!
We got home and I was famished so I made up a Falafal Salad with Cucumber Dressing.

Yes, that's a lot of dressing, but I'm going to show you what's in it and then you won't think it's so bad!
I've never made cucumber dressing before so I kind of just winged it, and it still turned out pretty darn good.

First, put about 1/2 cup of nonfat greek yogurt and a clove of garlic that's been put through a garlic press (or just minced really really small) in a large bowl or glass measuring cup.

Then add a handful of chopped, seeded cucumber.

Next, use a hand held blender (or if you don't have one you could do all this in a regular blender) and blend up the three ingredients.

Taste it and realize it's missing a little something and add about a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and a dash of kosher salt.  Blend it all again and taste it again.  Ah...perfect.  Now cover your Falafal Salad in your perfect Cucumber Dressing.

After lunch we headed to the gym where I did 20 minutes on the Elliptical and just wasn't feelin' it.  I don't know what the problem was (I can do an hour on that machine), but today it just work for me.  So I hopped on a bike and rode for 4.5 miles (it took about 21 minutes).

I got home and was starving.  Have I mentioned that I'm always starving after I workout.  So I had a fuji apple smeared with a tablespoon of all natural organic peanut butter.

Are you ready for some "life of a mom with 4 kids?"  After my apple and peanut butter I folded and put away all these clothes:

It's kind of hard to see in the picture, but there were at least 10 towels, 15 pairs of shorts, 20 pairs of underwear, 10 pairs of socks, 20 sets of pajamas, and 15 shirts.  If I ever go missing from the blog come look for me under a huge pile of laundry.  It never ends!

For dinner I knew I'd want something easy.  With taking the hubs to work, going to Costco and gym, and then picking him back up I had been in the car for over 2 hours today.  Way too much!
So, I grabbed some left over brown rice from the fridge and pulled apart a rotisserie chicken we got at Costco and stirred it all together.  Then I cooked up some fantastic summer veggies and tossed them in a dijon mustard vinaigrette.  Here's my dinner plate...

Here's how you make the yummy veggies and vinaigrette.
First take whatever summer veggies you have on hand and scrub them til they're nice and clean.  I just happened to have some zucchini, squash, red bell peppers.

Then cut it all up!  Cut the ends off the zucchini and squash and then cut them in half long ways.  Then start cutting them into half inch half moons.  Like so...

Then cut up your bell pepper into nice big chunks.

Throw all of that into a big bowl and drizzle with olive oil and add a pinch of kosher salt and some pepper.  Then toss those yummy veggies!

Once they're coated with the olive oil then lay them out on a foil lined baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.  After 20 minutes turn your oven to broil and move the veggies under the broiler for another 10 minutes until they're browned a little.

While your veggies are cooking prepare your marinade.  Grab the following 3 ingredients:  one lemon, dijon mustard, and olive oil.

Use the juice of the lemon, a tablespoon of mustard and about 2 teaspoons of olive oil.  Whisk in a bowl.  Taste it and realize it needs something more and add a teaspoon of honey.  Ah...perfect : )

When your veggies are done cooking take them out of the oven and they should look like this:

Put them in a big bowl and drizzle with the vinaigrette.  Enjoy the yumminess!

I don't usually make up recipes on the fly, but I was pretty pleased with how both of my fly recipes turned out today.  Oh, it's 10pm and I've had 96 ounces of water.  I'll probably have at least another 8 before bed.
Today was a great day.  (I'm refusing to acknowledge the laundry!)