Meatless Monday | Barr & Table

Happy New Year week! I don’t know about you, but I have some big plans for this week.

Last week I got sick and it knocked me on my butt for longer than I had expected. It pretty much hit Monday night and I was out of commission for a few days; though that didn’t stop my Christmas plans! It did, however, stop me from hitting the gym. I went Monday after work, but haven’t been back since. I know I needed to rest and not push my body; I know I needed to just let whatever was in my system play out and not stress about getting in a workout. And I’m sure my body was craving a full week of rest.. the last time I took this long off, it was for the honeymoon! So we took time off and we relaxed. A lot.

We made a roaring fire!

We baked some get-better quick chocolate chip cookies [I swear, they worked!] with a side of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout and Ratatouille.. the movie, not the dish 😉

We had a quiet Saturday and a nice lunch out.

And we made a special Sunday morning trip for fresh bread and breakfast. [I need to make some 5-grain porridge!]

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of my rest and relaxation. There was something just so nice about not having to set my alarm each night to make sure I get in my workout before our day’s plans. That said, it’s time to get back on track. But I’m lacking some serious motivation. I have my workout plan in place for the week and my big goal for the week with my diet is to chillax on the extra snacking. I think once I get back into the gym for the first time, I’ll get back into the swing of things, but I’m also hoping I can count on some extra push from all of you! Commit to 30 minutes of fitness each day this week with me, will ya? Let’s start off 2015 on the right foot!

And start your day off on the right foot too; don’t forget to eat breakfast everyday. Need a new oatmeal recipe? This one uses my favorite flavors of the season and is packed with protein and fiber.

Gingerbread Molasses Oatmeal

Serves 1

Ingredients
– 1/2 banana; mashed
– 1/3 cup almond milk [I love Califia Farms Coconut Almond Milk]
– 1/3 cup water
– 1 tsp ground cinnamon
– 1/4 tsp ground ginger
– 1/8 tsp ground allspice
– 1 tsp blackstrap molasses
– 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
– 5 egg whites

Direction
Place a small pot over medium high heat and add the mashed banana, almond milk, water, and spices. Bring to a boil, stir in the oats, and lower the heat to medium low. Allow the oats to cook for a few minutes until they begin to thicken up. Add the egg whites and stir continuously so the whites to set.

When the oats setup to the thickness that you like, about another 5-7 minutes, remove from heat and scoop into a bowl. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy! I topped mine with a sprinkle of sea salt, golden raisins, candied ginger, and coconut flakes.

Nutritional Information
Per bowl of oatmeal without toppings

278 Calories / 4g Fat / 42g Carbs / 9g Fiber / 13g Sugar / 22g Protein

Looking for some more #MeatlessMonday inspiration? Check out Tina’s weekly link up!

Don’t forget a successful week also comes from a bit of planning. I like to have a set plan for our dinners, not only to know what’s on the menu each night, but it also helps to save money at the store so we don’t just pick up random items. We also have a bunch of leftovers from last week/weekend cooking so we’ll be taking full advantage of that this week too!

Weekly Meal Plan

Sunday – Moroccan chicken stew with rice pilaf [Nathan] & zucchini noodles [me]
Monday – Leftovers
Tuesday – Turkey bolognese with zucchini noodles
Wednesday – NYE!
Thursday – Leftovers
Friday – Out!
Saturday – Leftovers

Alrighty, friends. Let’s do this thing! I’ll be posting my workings on Instagram all week.. feel free to check up on me and call me out if I miss my 30 minutes 😉