DInner Detox

Yesterday’s spin class was just OK. You know those days where you feel great, nothing is sore but it is just an OK experience? That was yesterday.

I wanted to walk out. I spent the first 30 minutes plotting my escape. At the 45 minute mark, I was still mapping out my route around the bikes to get to the door without being noticed.

But I decided to stay. I decided to finish it out and be proud of my serious spinning achievement for the day. As unhappy as I was to be in the class, I did keep up with the resistance levels and I felt that I put in a decent workout – I even worked up a little sweat (we know I do not like to sweat and do not sweat easily).

On my walk to the locker room to take a shower since I was dripping (or so I thought) in sweat, I ran into a friend.

She asked me if I was just getting to the gym to workout. 

I like to think I am in the exception to this rule. 

I spent the rest of the day relaxing and prepping dinner for the little boy’s return home from a long weekend.

I have a rule. I do not ask much about his weekend. I let him tell me what he wants to share.

Based upon the information he provided, it sounded like he was at some sort of 48-hour carnival.

In addition to the cheeseburger deluxe and chocolate eclair on Friday, Snickers and Valentine’s chocolate and candy with breakfast Saturday, he also had:

• 3 donuts (and oh how he loved the new Dunkin Donuts brownie batter donut)
• 2 chicken sandwiches from Wendy’s (2? It was bad enough when he said Wendy’s)
• unmentioned number of slices of pizza

Where was the funnel cake? 

Now, don’t get me wrong, any of the above (Ok maybe not the fast food from Wendy’s) but any of the above I am OK with – just not all to be consumed in less than a 48-hour span.

But I say nothing. Instead, I was glad that I always have a dinner plan for when he returns home.

Sunday nights I aim for a meal that achieves two things:

• It must be overly appealing to the boy – when he returns home from a weekend away, he is usually in a tired, cranky, everything-mommy-does-is-wrong kind of mood. It is an adjustment period coming back home. The last thing he wants from me is a whole wheat pizza or meatless meatball.
• The meal must serve as detox – After a weekend of less than stellar foods, don’t we all need a good detox in the form of a healthy, wholesome home cooked meal?

Last night’s dinner – Sloppy Joe’s

He has been asking me to make Sloppy Joe’s like the recipe he saw advertised in a Pillsbury commercial (of course).

So, Sloppy Joe’s it was. But not just any Sloppy Joe.

I made vegetarian Sloppy Joe’s using Kidney Beans and he hasn’t a clue. All he knows is that he liked it and was super happy that I made him what he had been asking for.

My version of a recipe  (I am known to just throw things together rather than follow a recipe):

I chopped up a full can of kidney beans and threw them in a pot that already had chopped onion and carrot cooking. I stirred in some Muir Glen tomato paste and low sodium diced tomatoes, ketchup, a little Trader Joe’s BBQ sauce, chili powder, and several different shakes of various italian type seasonings.

In between a whole wheat roll and dinner was served. I would have a picture of the sandwich but he grabs his plate as soon as he sees dinner is ready. Such a man.

Since there are plenty of leftovers, he asked to have his Sloppy Joe’s again this evening.

It will give him something to look forward to while he sits in school on President’s Day!

I need to know:

Are you off today for President’s Day? 

Do you ever make Sloppy Joe’s or create your own version of recipes?