Day 102: Freezer Mad

I’m really into freezing foods lately. I noticed how great my butternut squash tortellini were saved that way and have been packing the freezer full ever since. To date, I have small versions of several casseroles, coconut black beans, a loaf of homemade wheat bread, lunch-size portions of chili and curry with rice, frozen choc. chip cookie dough, the tortellini, and a set of oregano-ricotta stuffed shells that I made on Monday. Not only is it economical (I was throwing out loads of food because I made too large a casserole for G and I to finish, even with leftovers for two days), but it’s nice to have homemade things that can hop directly into the oven without thawing. And the lunch portions stack up nicely in their plastics, so I toss them in the fridge (or on the counter for quicker thawing) and microwave them the next day. Now the problem is the lack of freezer space. . . .

Today was my last day of early-morning rising for the week, and I’m thrilled. I barely made it on time to my 10:30 interview, and crashed immediately when I got home from there. So I didn’t end up eating lunch at all, but I did have a tea and scone snack at 3 p.m., being the faux British gal I am. I’m running down on my stash of portable breakfast burritos, and I have to congratulate myself on that idea. They were delicious each morning and provided enough protein and carbs that I avoided snacking — did I mention that I found out my classic coffee cake had over 520 calories! So I obviously need to avoid that one, forever, if possible. On my luxurious ten-minute break, I ate a banana and a small dish of leftover tater tots with a sprinkle of kosher salt, one of my favorite snacks. I’m also learning, whether or not this is a good thing remains to be seen, that I can handle more espresso in my drinks. For example, lately I’ve been doubling or tripling the shots I take in everything without changing the amount of syrup. Ideally, I could drink straight coffee, but I’m just not there yet. And it’s not comforting to me anyway. Regardless, today I had another quad venti coconut white mocha (this time with whip, opps!), and I could almost add another shot to that. I can’t seem to leave without a large drink though. I have no self-discipline.

I read the other day that flax seeds (and the oil too) have more omega-3 oils than fish. I’ve long been a fan of the Great Harvest Bread Co.’s flaxseed bread, so I picked up a loaf today on my way home. It’s really heavy bread, but I like to toast a piece and eat it with a salad. I froze the bread in sets of 6 slices (2 sets) and kept a few pieces out for now.

I found this recipe in one of my magazines for pumpkin-spiced oatmeal, which I’m planning to make on Sunday for next week’s round of portable early-morning breakfasts. I’m determined to use those steel-cut oats, but I will probably mix them with regular oatmeal, along with a small can of pumpkin, brown sugar and some cinnamon. Doesn’t that sound good? If only I had some praline to crumble over top, it would be perfection.