what i ate wednesday + remembering 9/11

okay, so technically i ate this first recipe on a tuesday but it was too good to leave out! i have been craving a savory breakfast for dinner night and last night i came up with this variation of tupelo honey's breakfast bowl! it turned out delicious and was very filling, especially with a cantaloupe, honeydew and strawberry fruit salad!

breakfast bowl for one

1/4 cup grits

1/2 cup black eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3 strips crispy bacon 

handful of spinach 

1 fried egg

pepper relish, tabasco for topping

pepper, to taste

1. cook grits according to directions. stir in spinach and allow it to wilt in grits. 
2. warm black eyed peas, paprika and garlic powder in a saucepan. stir to coat peas with spices. 
3. when grits are done and black eyed peas are warm, make your breakfast bowl. layer grits, then black eyed peas, then egg and top with pepper relish and tabasco. sprinkle with pepper and serve with bacon on the side. 

second recipe of the day is what i had for lunch today! i had seen some various black eyed pea salad/dip recipes floating around and since i had leftover peas from last night, i decided to make one of my own! i topped it with cottage cheese for some additional protein and dairy and had a mango as my fruit. 

leftover black eyed pea salad

1/2 cup black eyed peas, rinsed and drained

handful of spinach

chopped lettuce

4 cherry tomatoes, diced

green bell pepper, chopped

banana pepper, sliced

1/4 avocado, diced

onion, diced

1/4 cup cottage cheese

pepper, cumin, to taste

1. combine all ingredients in salad bowl. refrigerate until ready to serve. 

and finally, for dinner i fixed this thai pork in the crockpot. we love this dish. its also great because you put it in the crockpot before you leave in the morning and when you come home, your house smells amazing and supper is ready. we usually have this with brown rice or cauliflower rice (for a low-carb option, just put cauliflower in a food processor, process until fine, then season up and sauté until slightly browned in a pan) and with some stir-fry vegetables. this recipe also freezes well, both after cooking or before cooking if you want to just have on hand!

thai pork with peanut sauce

2 lb lean pork tenderloin, cut into 4 pieces

1/3 cup low-sodium teriyaki sauce (use a high quality brand)

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup creamy peanut butter (i used Better N Peanut Butter)

¼ cup dry roasted peanuts

½ cup green onions, thinly sliced

sliced bell peppers

1. place all ingredients (except peanut butter, peanuts, and green onions) into the slow cooker. cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. keep your eye on your slow cooker so that your meat doesn't dry out.
2. remove pork from slow cooker and chop into bite size chunks. add the peanut butter to the sauce. stir until it dissolves into the sauce.
3. return the pork to the slow cooker and toss with the sauce. serve over brown jasmine rice. sprinkle with peanuts and green onions.

(recipe courtesy of Skinny Mom's Kitchen)

on a more solemn note, today is september 11. 12 years ago, that piece of information was nothing more that just a date, but on september 11, 2001, it became much more. i can remember exactly where i was and what i was doing when america was attacked by terrorists. our lives as americans were altered forever. this past spring break, my mom and i had the privilege to visit the 9/11 memorial in new york city. though not entirely finished, the names around the infinity pools that were once the foundation of the world trade center towers was both moving and humbling. i am glad that we had the opportunity to visit the site, and also to see the new world trade center that recently was completed, showing that if you knock america down, we will only rise back up, stronger than before.

reflecting pool

new world trade center

mom with the "survivor tree" that withstood the 9/11 attacks

today i took the finance exam i had been studying my life away for and only time will tell how i did. i am looking forward to not looking at anything that has to do with finance tonight and taking my mind off of school after i finish up an assignment or two. its wednesday so that means the week is half over and its smooth sailing until the weekend!

xoxo,
clp

ps: if you are on facebook, help a girl out and vote alpha chi omega for the next Lilly Pulitzer print! i would DIE if we got one!

vote here: Vote Alpha Chi Omega for the next Lilly Print!