The Report: Sunday, January 6, 2008

I just realized this has been really lifeless for the last couple of days, so I’m going to try to get to it a little earlier in the day so I’m not trying to squash it in right before bed, because that’s when you get the “I ate this. I ate that. I regret the [dumb thing]. I was glad about [smart thing].”

BREAKFAST: Whole-Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

This was a Cooking Light recipe, and although I made it with buttermilk substitute instead of actual buttermilk, it was still good. No, very good. Very, very good. These taste kind of…hearty and whole-grainy — they’re not as light as regular pancakes, but they’re more substantive. I had three, along with one tablespoon of real syrup. It was absolutely grand. I shared some with the roommate, and I still have five left. I’m not sure at all how they’ll reheat; that will be the next test. I’m thinking I’ll try a very light setting on the toaster and see what happened — they’re in the refrigerator, not the freezer. I also might try wrapping one around one of those chicken-apple sausages with some syrup. This was a highly successful pancake venture, as it didn’t involve either pancakes as heavy as bricks (which happens with many wholegrain recipes) or pancakes cooked wildly wrong (which happens with many pancakes that are cooked by me, because I am not always good at pancakes). This recipe also is pretty simple, with about the most straightforward two-bowl (dry, wet) preparation that scratch pancakes can present. It was definitely well worth it, and not complicated. Not necessarily something I’d do before work, but not a big hassle for a weekend day or a day I’m staying home.

LUNCH: Apple-Cheddar Sandwich

This, if I do say so myself, was inspired. Ever since I got a block of delicious-tasting (based on a taste while using a tiny bit on the Boca burger the other day) cheddar cheese, I’ve been wanting to try it on a grilled cheese sandwich, since it claimed to be cheddar that melted well. (I wouldn’t say well, but I’d say better than most cheddars, by the way.) I also had a pack of apples I haven’t used any of yet.

So I took the apple and used the corer/slicer to cut it in eighths, then I snacked on half while I made the rest of the sandwich, and took the other half and peeled those pieces and cut them in half again. I cut an ounce and a half of the cheddar and used it to make a grilled cheese with double-fiber bread and a very small amount of butter. I added the apples and grilled it in the little nonstick. As it was getting finished (and I burned it slightly, dammit), I realized that what it needed was a touch of mustard, so I used the champagne-shallot again. I realize today is sounding like a giant self-congratulatory parade, but it was so, so very good. I mean, it was on the generous side when I figured the calories and fat, but nothing I can’t handle as a treat, and it had ten grams of fiber from the bread as well as whatever’s in the apple, and it was rich and wonderful with only an ounce and a half of cheese. The mustard was really needed; I think it would have been bland without it. It really went beautifully with both the apple and the cheese.

AFTERNOON SNACK:

I got hungry, so I started with a handful of baby carrots with a dab of balsamic vinaigrette. That didn’t do the trick. I ran the counts for the day thus far and saw that I was a little short on protein, so I scrambled up a half-cup of Southwest Egg Beaters and stuffed them in half a white pita. Ideally, I would have found a better solution for a little less bread, like half an English muffin or something. But I didn’t. So this was a good snack. (Also: ideally, whole-grain.) It was satisfying and didn’t just make me feel like I was nibbling rabbit food. (I realize “rabbit food” is a horrible cliche.)

DINNER: Lime-Cumin Steak And Fingerling Potatoes

I’ve had, in the freezer for probably a month or two, a frozen broiled steak that I’d only eaten one serving of. It was a lime-cumin marinated skirt steak from Fresh Direct, and I’d already broiled up the steak, so it was fully cooked and frozen. I defrosted it in the microwave, and then I gave it a couple more jolts to warm it up. It survived surprisingly well, I think because it’s so well-marinated and because of the cut. That’s a good way to remember I can have a little steak from time to time. It’s expensive to buy, but then by the serving, it’s not bad. It would also work in a salad or in a fajita dish or something. I think I’ll try another flavor when I run out of this. I don’t eat red meat often at all, but I have to say, this was very, very good. That lime-cumin marinade was really impressive.

Meanwhile, I roasted four fingerling potatoes. 400 degrees, about twenty minutes. This is for ones that actually are roughly the size of my fingers. They were very tasty — I’ll have to remember those, too. And because they’re small, they don’t take as long as the big russets, so they’re a bit easier to manage.

EVENING

Three Hershey kisses and a half-cup of light ice cream.

And a beer.