Planning for the Work Week Ahead

I'm so fortunate to have gotten enough groceries and recipes to last me for almost 2 wks, when I went to the grocery store last week. Do you understand what a huge relief it is not to go grocery shopping??? It brings back memories when I thought it was so 'cool' to go to the store for my mom. When I'm on my own, it's not that fun anymore... and it takes A LOT of time! And then, what if you forget something? You have to go back to the freaking store! UGH! Maybe I should have a kid so they can do all of this stuff for me.

For dinner I made Gluten Free Goddess's- "Roasted Corn Chowder." It was totally not a hot soup kind of night in the BFlo/JFlo household. After eating my first bowl (yeah, I ate 2 and 1/4 bowls- I'm such a pig!) I was sweating so much that I had to get a napkin to wipe my face. Note to self- "There might be fall-like temperatures elsewhere, but not in Texas, where it's still summer!"

Credit- GlutenFreeGoddess.blogspot.com

Here's the recipe: "Roasted Corn Chowder"

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 to 1 teaspoon curry or chili powder or paste, mild or hot, to taste

4-5 cloves fresh garlic, chopped

1 medium sweet onion, diced

3 ears of corn, roasted, kernels removed

1 large sweet potato, peeled, diced

1 14-oz can Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles

1 cup seeded, chopped fresh heirloom tomatoes- I used yellow and pink

4 oz. chopped roasted green chiles

1 quart light vegetable broth

1 14-oz can coconut milk

2 rounded cups torn cooked chicken pieces

Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

A quick drizzle of organic raw agave, to taste

To serve:

3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

Fresh lime juice from 2 juicy limes

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and stir in the cumin and curry or chili powder; cook for one minute to infuse the oil with spice.

Add the chopped garlic and onion. Stir and cook for five minutes. Add the roasted corn, sweet potato, canned fire roasted tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, green chiles; stir for a minute. Add in the broth.

Cover and bring to a high simmer. Lower the heat and simmer gently, until the sweet potatoes are tender, about twenty minutes or so.

Add the coconut milk and cooked chicken pieces. Stir and season with sea salt and ground pepper; and add a drizzle of organic raw agave to taste. Heat through gently- please don't boil it.

Just before serving, add the chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice. Stir. Taste test. Adjust seasoning. The lime juice brightens the taste and accents the spice. Agave cools the hotness.

Garnish with a lime wedge and pass out the spoons. Slurp. Smile.

Serves 6-8.

What I changed- because I didn't have all of the ingredients. I used frozen corn instead of roasted, regular tomatoes instead of heirloom, chicken broth instead of vegetable, no agave and no cilantro (I pulled out my cilantro and it was brown, slimy and stinky! EWWW!) This was so delicious! I can't wait to make it when the weather is much cooler.

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On Mondays I usually get up at 5am so that I can beat the traffic into the office for my weekly 9am meetings. So, I try to prepare ahead of time as much as possible. I showered and washed my hair tonight- Sunday night. And I ironed my outfit. Here's my outfit:

Basic Smock Top that I got today @A'Gaci for $16.50

This $118 BCBG skirt that I got at Marshall's for $29

And these shoes that I got @Nordstrom Rack

How do you finish out the last night of your weekend? 

Do you make work preparations?