The last five months I've been working full time at our family business and while it's not exactly something I enjoy doing, I've been finding ways to make it better. It's a hard adjustment to be confined to a desk all day long staring at a computer and stacks of paper and I admire all of those who have been doing this all along. I'm much more used to getting the children fed, ready, and out the door for school and then having hours upon hours to do the chores at home, the errand running, working out and most importantly the baking and the cooking!
At the office for eight hours a day, I haven't been able to figure out how to fit in all that I'm used to doing in a day. The first few months I struggled a lot to get everything done and with some of the things--namely the chores and errand running--I'm still trying to figure it out. But I have figured out two things: working out and the cooking.
My dearest friend, Missy, who attended school with me from Kindergarten all the way through Highschool Graduation and now works at our office, has helped me greatly by being sweet and supportive of all of my griping. We have decided to use our lunch hour wisely and spend either the first 30 or the second 30 of it getting in a walk. Lucky for us, when we step out of the office there's a sidewalk for us to follow and if we keep our steps brisk, we can get two miles in and feel all the better for it. There's something about fresh air that really clears the mind!
Missy doesn't really enjoy cooking but she's happy to wash dishes if I do the cooking so we make an effective lunchtime team. Armed with a hot plate, toaster oven, and microwave I'm finding creative ways to cook healthy lunches with good wholesome food. My attitude at work is already beginning to improve a little now that I'm not feeling confined to cold sandwiches, processed foods, and dashes to local-bad-for-you eateries.
It's not so hard to do if you have a plan and do a few things ahead of time such as picking up your necessary ingredients and keeping that at hand in office kitchen. Missy and I are still on the plan a day or two at a time but we have aspirations to work on a weekly meal plan for breakfasts and lunches. I'm cooking for three of us--Missy, my husband, and myself--but it would be just as easy to cook for one or a couple more.
Baked Potato at 375
1. Two hours prior to lunch, toss a couple of foil wrapped fork pricked baking potatoes in the toaster oven and set for 375 degrees.
2. Thirty minutes prior to lunch*, place chicken breasts on lightly greased baking pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and/or choice of seasonings. Slide onto the second rack of the toaster oven and go for a walk!
3. Return from the walk, remove the potatoes and chicken from the toaster oven. Brush some barbecue sauce on the chicken and return to the oven for a few minutes while you cut open and fluff your baked potato. Cube the chicken toss on the baked potato and top with a slice of low fat cheese and enjoy!
If you don't want to bother with the chicken, skip this step and when you return from the walk, put a steamer bag of broccoli (plain, seasoned, or the sort that has cheese sauce) in the microwave and top your potato with that instead. Or in addition!
The only step not completed during the lunch hour is putting the baked potatoes in the oven and that literally takes about two minutes if you haven't wrapped them in foil ahead of time. No reason at all you can't detour by the toaster oven on the way to the water cooler or the coffee pot! No excuses!
