It’s a rainy Friday here in Charlotte (and most of the Southeast) with Tropical Storm Hermine passing through. I checked in with my family yesterday and all is good in Florida. Luckily the storm just missed them and made landfall east of where they are.
Our rain started last night with a band of heavy thunderstorms. Zoey and I had to venture out in the stormy weather because she’s had an upset stomach this week and it got pretty bad yesterday. At 5 p.m. I dropped my evening plans, called my vet and rushed her in before they closed at 6. They were so kind to agree to see her as long as we got there before they closed.
Of course once we got there she showed no signs that she was feeling bad. I think she went into adrenaline/anxiety overload. She investigated everything in the room and did a lot of whining and pacing.
Zoey’s like, “I’m so independent but I really need my mom and dad.” She kept coming over to check on me and would stand watching the door while she leaned into me. Does anyone else’s dog lean like this to touch you? My parents goldens have all done it too.
We got good news and she just needs a round of antibiotics, probiotics and we’re doing a de-wormer for 3 days just in case for parasites but she should be feeling better in a few days. In the meantime, she’s off dog food and gets a bland diet and she’s excited about that. She’s feasting on oatmeal, ground turkey, bananas, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, eggs and all sorts of other yummy dog-friendly stuff. She thinks it’s amazing.
Switching gears to what we’ve been eating lately…it’s been foreverrrrrrr since I’ve shared recent eats!
Breakfast
I’ve still been working on upping my breakfast game over here with a mix of new and old. This is a new…leftover chorizo and peppers scrambled with eggs and spinach and served with salsa and cilantro.
This is old. Sweet potato breakfast bowls and scrambled eggs.
Lunch
Salad with spinach mix, arugula, walnuts, hard boiled egg, cucumbers, dried cranberries, avocado and tahini turmeric dressing.
Another salad with spinach, cucumbers, pine nuts, kalamata olives, and smoked salmon.
Turkey sandwich with avocado, mayo and tomato on sourdough with a pickle and fruit.
Salad with yellow tomatoes, arugula, spinach, avocado, sliced raw okra, blueberries and shredded chicken thighs.
Sushi from Namastay Kitchen (salmon lovers roll).
Another tomato sandwich with mayo and basil and a pickle.
Salad and Perrier. Spinach blend, pineapple tomatillos, walnuts, tomato, blueberries, radishes, sliced raw okra and cucumbers.
Dinner
I did a spin on shrimp and grits with mashed cauliflower, shrimp, scallops and fresh corn and tomatoes.
Pork tenderloin, roasted potatoes and roasted broccoli.
This dinner might not look like much but it was AMAZING! Spinach gnocchi tossed with a mixed mushroom sautee with sun dried tomatoes and lots of fresh herbs.
Buddha bowl takeout from Namastay Kitchen. Salmon on top.
Baked chicken thighs in this marinade, sauteed squash and shishito peppers and sliced tomatoes.
Sauteed cod over sun dried tomato and basil quinoa blend with roasted okra and sliced tomatoes.
On my weekly menu plan I shared that I was going to make a chorizo sweet potato skillet with eggs but I bagged that and used what I had in my fridge to make quinoa taco bowls. They were AMAZING! I sauteed chorizo with hatch chili peppers and then served it over quinoa with salsa verde, lime crema, avocado, shredded cabbage and cilantro.
This is just a sampling of recent dinners. I have quite a few more to share with you later, including a recipe for my favorite bone-in, cast iron pork chops.
I hope you have a great long Labor Day weekend with some sunshine and relaxation!
What are your Labor Day weekend plans?
Would you rather have tacos in a tortilla or in bowl or taco salad form?
Do you feed your dog a special diet when they are sick?
my mom used to baby our toy poodle, cindy, back in the day. she would cook her boiled chicken and rice all of the time for her sensitive stomach! my cindy rarely ate dog food, it’s so funny to think about it now (she passed away in 2003 so she was puppy growing up). she lived to be just about 16 so I guess the diet worked well for her!
Ha! My girls would be in heaven if they could not eat dog food and have me cook for them every day. 😉 Your mom is sweet to do that for your childhood pup.
No Labor Day plans other than my sorta long run 🙂
My Grandfather’s golden also leaned into us! Our little shitzu-poodle does it only when we’re petting him.
The shrimp + cauliflower “grits” looks amazing…hope you’re tweaking the recipe soon and sharing!
My dog does ‘the lean’ only if she likes you. This is the first dog that I have had do this. And since she is medium-large, I’m glad she does that instead of jumping. Thanks for your breakfast ideas and your meal posts. They inspire me to cook in other ways and to occasionally, just clean out the fridge. For many years I started each day with a smoothie. In April I quit my job and quit the smoothie routine. Time to mix things up! I’m finding new breakfasts but haven’t found a new job (yet)!
Hey lady! It’s great to hear from you. I hope things are well in your world. I have majorly cut back on smoothies since doing the Whole30 but it’s been so hot this summer that I have them a couple of times a week.
You’re meals look amazing as always. I’ve been spending a lot more time in the jitchen these days now that I’m home more and I’m really enjoying it. I’ve been applying a lot of Ayurveda principles like cooking/eating without distractions and setting the table even when it’s just me and I swear it makes the food taste so much better. I’m glad everything is okay with the pup!
Hey Brittany – my fiance has been all about the ayurvedic style of eating lately. He’s making all sorts of teas and concoctions! 🙂 I love your idea about eating without distractions and the taste of food.
The shrimp and mashed cauliflower sounds great! What’s your cauliflower recipe?
I chop up a head of cauliflower and boil it. Once it’s tender I place it in the blender with a little butter or flavored oil and salt and puree until smooth. You can also add a little sour cream or goat cheese for some “tang.”
Looks delicious, but no dairy or cheese! Are you staying away post-Whole 30?
Hey Acadia –
I’ve mentioned this quite a few times on my blog over the past few months but the only thing that I’ve really limited post Whole30 is dairy due to skin issues. I’ve discovered that it results in a huge improvement when it comes to breakouts for me. I still do a little dairy here and there (sour cream in the lime crema, a sprinkle of parmesan here and there, occasional goat cheese, use protein powder with whey, etc) but for the most part I don’t eat yogurt or cheese anymore or drink milk.
I finally had a chance to make your one pan roasted dinner (I’ve been waiting for the weather to cool off) and it was great! The second time I made it I squeezed half a lemon over everything after I took the pan out of the oven and it was even better.
Thanks for the feedback DeeDee. I tried the lemon squeeze last time I made it per your suggestion and it was good!
Girlllll, you have me craving a burrito bowl or a taco salad now! I haven’t had a taco salad in ages, so I know what I’m having later this week!
Poor Zoey! Puppy tummy issues are the worst! You feel so bad for them…and yourself! Haha! Nothing like that feeling when they are finally better. 🙂
Hey Jen!
Longtime reader here and still loving your blog! Do you have a post about “should I take yoga teacher training?”.
Hey Erika, thanks for reading. I do not but if your asking the question my response would be yes. 🙂 Email me if you need any extra guidance.
I hope Zoey is feeling better.
I don’t have a dog, but my cats get chicken and rice when they’re not well. They love it! Well, they love the chicken and manage to not eat most of the rice…
Your food, especially the sushi, makes me so hungry just looking at it!
I don’t have tacos often, because it’s something I never think to make, but I love the tortilla. It’s a treat in our house!
I finally tried your sweet potato breakfast bowl idea yesterday. So good! I love it!
So glad you liked the sweet potato bowl! It’s a great breakfast! 🙂
All of your meals always look so amazing!!! Can you share your recipes for the gnocchi and your sun dried tomato and basil quinoa? Or where you purchase them?