The Lazy Chef

on October 13, 2010
in All Posts

Hi, friends!

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I had a lovely day.  I actually got a ton of work done, which is always nice… sometimes writing goes so slowly.  It was also a rest day for me.  Rest days are so important for marathon training (and fitness in general!).  I was definitely in need of a break today because yoga really handed my bootay to me yesterday.  The back of my legs were so sore and in desperate need of some quality office chair time.  🙂

 

Afternoon snack was some dates:

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And – I’ll admit – I was feeling so lazy about cooking tonight.  I broke all budget rules and ordered takeout.  I felt a little guilty breaking our budget rules (we are trying so hard to only eat out once a week!), but it was SOOO worth not dirtying up the kitchen!  And heck, stir fry always tastes better whenever someone else cooks it.

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Tofu with mixed veggies and brown rice from the local Chinese place. 

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My fortune cookie read, “Somewhere, someone is thinking nice things about you.”  🙂

 

My personal goal is to get to bed early tonight.  I really need quality sleep!

 

Any other lazy unchefs out there tonight?

{ 78 comments }

 

  • carlee October 13, 2010, 8:27 pm

    me! haha
    your dinner looks delicious!

  • holly @ couchpotatoathlete October 13, 2010, 8:30 pm

    I am with you on needing quality sleep! I’m shooting for 9:30pm bedtime…

    Takeout is ok, now are you going to NOT go out to eat next week to make up for it???

    • Caitlin October 13, 2010, 8:35 pm

      oh man… i guess i should, right? but that sounds so lame…. ah.

      • eatmovelove October 13, 2010, 9:43 pm

        Don’t make up for it! Just keep on and get back on your budget plan…y’know what “compensating behaviors” can lead to…OBSESSION 🙂

  • Sarah @ Sarah's Shaping Up October 13, 2010, 8:31 pm

    I’m on fall break right now (thank god!) and definitely indulging in a rest week. 🙂

  • Heather in Seattle October 13, 2010, 8:32 pm

    I am all for an early bedtime too!

  • Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday October 13, 2010, 8:35 pm

    I wish I had take-out too. All my leftovers are going bad because my fridge is broken, so I`m eating a lot of questionable foods right now.

    • eatmovelove October 13, 2010, 9:44 pm

      Holy crap – I’m the same way – my fridge is like leaking all the time…that probably explains (well kinda) the proverbial sickness and woes I have…yipes.

  • Sarah October 13, 2010, 8:35 pm

    I did the same thing for lunch! I couldn’t bear the thought of cooking and went out with some co-workers. My fortune said “It takes rain and sunshine to make a rainbow”.

  • Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine October 13, 2010, 8:36 pm

    Love dates as an afternoon snack. Have you tried them with PB? So good. Hope you get a good sleep tonight!!

  • Evan Thomas October 13, 2010, 8:38 pm

    At first I thought that fortune was really sweet. Then my 9th grade self reminded me to add “in bed” to the end of every fortune. Now I think it’s a little weird 🙂

  • Krystina October 13, 2010, 8:41 pm

    Cute fortune 🙂

  • Mary (What's Cookin' with Mary) October 13, 2010, 8:43 pm

    I AM! lol

    I made that black bean and sweet potato casserole last night and blogged about it, which means it took MUCH longer to make it… It’s close to 6pm, I’m hungry… guess what I did… poured a glass of wine ;P Maybe I’ll be inspired…?

  • Erin (Travel, Eat, Repeat) October 13, 2010, 8:48 pm

    Great fortune!

    Dirtying up the kitchen is my least favorite thing about cooking, especially since we don’t have a dishwasher. There’s a stack of dishes from dinner just waiting to be washed right now. 😕

  • Lisa (bakebikeblog) October 13, 2010, 8:49 pm

    What a lovely fortune 🙂

  • Stacey October 13, 2010, 8:51 pm

    Dinner was frozen veggies and a quick tempeh sloppy joe. I LOVED it..it’s one of my fav meals, but Jason hates tempeh so this wasn’t a good dinner night for him haha 😀 oh well!

    Glad you had a good relaxing day and were able to get some work done 🙂

  • Hope October 13, 2010, 8:54 pm

    mmm stirfry is so much better when someone else makes it!! Plus, mine never tastes as good as takeaway ones!! AND you always have lots leftover for lunch the next day – if I can hide it from hubby that is!

    We’re heading to a celebration tonight and am totally too lazy to cook when I get home…takeaways for us too me thinks! Feeling a lil thai today 🙂

  • yummieecupcake October 13, 2010, 8:56 pm

    tsk tsk tsk! you could buy some frozen food like ravioli with flavor packet!

    i made a huge batch of vegetarian sloppy joe and freeze half of it last week. i had some tonight 🙂 just put it in the microwave!

    btw – did you make it to round 4?!

    • Caitlin October 13, 2010, 9:16 pm

      No 🙁

  • Jamie @ Food in Real Life October 13, 2010, 8:56 pm

    I try all the time to make good stirfry, but seriously, it’s so much better when the experts do it 🙂 I’m just eating leftovers, which is an easy way to be lazy!

  • Kathryn @ Foodies Not Fatties October 13, 2010, 8:57 pm

    I am being a lzay chef but only to let my hubs cook dinner. It is nice to let him do that every now and then 🙂

  • Lauren October 13, 2010, 8:58 pm

    So glad you enjoyed a restful day! You definitely deserved a day of pure relaxation. 😉

  • Charlie October 13, 2010, 9:03 pm

    I ate out tonight (partly to avoid cooking and having dishes to clean ;)).

  • eri October 13, 2010, 9:08 pm

    i’m a lazy unchef EVERY NIGHT! hahaha.

  • sarahMTSBB October 13, 2010, 9:09 pm

    yup…veggie pizza and cinnamon breadsticks…but that’s b/c i didn’t want to clean my kitchen to cook, so i am higher on the lazy scale. :p oh well, i had an annoying day at work and it was so gorgeous outside that a walk in the park with the pup was priority. i can cook when it rains! 🙂

  • Jenn @ LiveWellFitNow October 13, 2010, 9:10 pm

    Oh I say tonight is just the kind of night you needed! Budget or not…all you ordered was Chinese takeout. That couldn’t have been a huge deal breaker in terms of expense. Then again, I’ll rationalize just about anything! 🙂

    Lazy chef tonight? Oh yeah..I had 2 tortillas smothered in earth balance with a sprinkle of sugar + cinnamon. Thrown in the microwave for 30 seconds alongside greek yogurt w/ vanilla protein powder. LAZY!

    • Caitlin October 13, 2010, 9:17 pm

      rationalization is why i am broke.

      • Jenn @ LiveWellFitNow October 13, 2010, 9:20 pm

        Oh me too darlin! How ’bout this. Take that one meal and make it into 3! Savings savings!

        • Caitlin October 13, 2010, 9:20 pm

          I ate it all 🙂 Marathon appetite!

  • Manon October 13, 2010, 9:17 pm

    I was lazy too!!! It was a Subway night for this girl 🙂

  • Exercise and Eat October 13, 2010, 9:19 pm

    I got Subway for dinner!

  • Clare @ Fitting It All In October 13, 2010, 9:22 pm

    I’m usually so lazy – frozen meals or sandwiches for me – but my new blog has made me get more creative!

  • Cynthia October 13, 2010, 9:42 pm

    I know exactly what you mean. My husband and I are on a budget as well. Last night, we were actually the lazy chefs. Instead of cooking, we ordered takeout and got some chicken fajitas from this Mexican place that we love. Definitely tasted better than what we could have made. 🙂

  • eatmovelove October 13, 2010, 9:45 pm

    Looks good to me. Enjoy it, it’s food :).

    P.S (I know that’s annoying 😉 ) – did you make it to the next round for the Food Buzz Project??!

    • Caitlin October 14, 2010, 10:14 am

      nope

      • eatmovelove October 14, 2010, 10:23 am

        Oh sorry shouldn’t have asked by your response…, your food looks great anyways 🙂

        • Caitlin October 14, 2010, 10:26 am

          haha no worries, i am just not yet awake yet. i dont mind! it was fun while it lasted and the marie claire shit went down in the middle of cooking my dinner party so i’m not surprised i didn’t get through.

        • eatmovelove October 14, 2010, 11:34 am

          You had every right to express your opinion Caitlin and a lot of people agreed with you. There are always two sides to every story of course, but standing up for yourself is admirable and a reflection of a strong character.

          …y’know, just saying ;).

          Now go get more of those sticky buns and wake yourself up!

  • Cyndi @ Weightless Life October 13, 2010, 9:46 pm

    The husband and I went out for dinner tonight. It was much more fun than anything I had planned.

  • Lori Lynn October 13, 2010, 9:50 pm

    Being single, I have a hard time cooking for just myself. I know how to cook. My mom made sure of that, growing up, but it just seems hard to go to all the effort of cooking for just myself. So, I do a lot of Lean Cuisines, Lean pockets, fruit, frozen veggies, yogurt, etc. to compensate. It helps me with portions too, but there are times where I think I should be practicing my cooking skills!

  • tina October 13, 2010, 10:03 pm

    omg, i totally am a lazy chef during the week! i made banana soft serve with peanut flour topped with coconut peanut butter for dinner!!! delish, but lazy nonetheless!

    and you totally deserve a more than one night to relax! 🙂

  • Lauren October 13, 2010, 10:04 pm

    i saw your tweet about matthew shepard–his story is especially powerful for me since i was a sophomore in high school, four years ago. we tried to put on the play based on his death, the laramie project, at my high school, and we were censored. ever since then, i’ve been trying to advocate. i’m happy that you remember him, too.

    • Caitlin October 14, 2010, 10:14 am

      i’m glad you remember, too. i can’t believe your play was censored. wtf? that is horrible.

  • Angela (Oh She Glows) October 13, 2010, 10:06 pm

    I love your fortune cookie. 🙂
    I was just thinking today about how I missed you!

  • Michelle... October 13, 2010, 10:09 pm

    Right there with you, except I got Thai instead. I just got back from a long weekend away and also had kickball tonight, so kicking wasn’t on the table. Plus now I’ve got leftovers and don’t need to cook tomorrow either :-D. As much as I love creating delicious meals in the kitchen, sometimes I just have NO desire.

  • Jasmine @ Eat Move Write October 13, 2010, 10:11 pm

    I’m a lazy chef, but I buy pre-made “fresh” meals from Fresh & Easy and microwave them on my lazy nights. They are about 10,000 times better than frozen meals and my husband LOVES them.

  • Camille October 13, 2010, 10:20 pm

    I was craving a meal out tonight but money doesn’t allow. I was required to be a chef tonight!

  • Nikki M. October 13, 2010, 10:22 pm

    I just tossed some sweet potatoes in the oven and plopped a frozen veggie burger in the skillet……dosen’t get any lazier than that!

  • Madeline October 13, 2010, 10:27 pm

    Yes! It is rainy and cold here this evening – my roommate and I ordered Indian to go!

  • OIivia R. October 13, 2010, 10:48 pm

    Thats so funny! My dad made a stir fry tonight…unfortunatley I got my braces tightened today (only 3 more weeks of hell!) so I couldnt eat anything REMOTELY crunchy. While I ate my carrot cake oatmeal in silence my dad enjoyed a big stir fry **sigh** it was good oats though. Looks good 😀 And I loove dates.

  • Ellen October 13, 2010, 10:50 pm

    i have to say, exercising a lot combined with healthy eating makes a girl VERY expensive! i am a college student and often wonder how much money i’d save if is topped doing cardio. haha

    i was sort of lazy tonight. i knew i wouldn’t have time to make much for dinner as i was getting home after 7 pm, so i made a giant pot of black bean soup while i was studying. makes enough for dinner and lots of great freezer leftovers!

    here’s the recipe. it rocks.
    http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/01/black-bean-soup-toasted-cumin-seed-crema/

    • Ellen October 13, 2010, 11:00 pm

      i have add: its cheap! and vegan!

  • Babs October 13, 2010, 10:55 pm

    easy, cheap meal–black beans, brown rice (the kind you can microwave), roasted sweet potato

    SO, SO, SOOOOOO good!

  • Jessica @ The Process of Healing October 13, 2010, 10:58 pm

    ME!!! Enter Kashi frozen dinner..

  • Diana @ frontyardfoodie October 13, 2010, 11:03 pm

    Getting Chinese carry out is the only way to do it.

  • Jenne October 13, 2010, 11:15 pm

    I made your sweet potato and baked beans combo….pretty tasty, and lazy….although I’m having a hard time getting the sweet potato to cook all the way through. It’s usually a hard raw lump in the center, even though I microwave for 8mins….Is it possible to over microwave it??

    • Caitlin October 14, 2010, 10:16 am

      oh definitely. i have done that before. try wrapping it in a wet paper towel and stabbing with a fork and testing every minute after 5 minutes. microwaves have different cooking times!

  • Julia October 13, 2010, 11:49 pm

    My husband and I are on a strict budget too, and it always amazes me how quickly we go through the money set aside for “going out”. We have no dishwasher, so it happens frequently that we don’t want to dirty the kitchen. On our last trip to a restaurant, we split an entree, making it a $15 meal instead of $25, but it still hurt knowing that that was $15 we couldn’t spend somewhere else.
    If you have any tips for how to make going out less expensive, I’d love to hear them!

  • Allie October 14, 2010, 12:05 am

    I’m a poor college kid (In Boone, NC :D) and I feel your pain! It definitely sucks to be in a place with a lot of unique, yummy places and not have the money for it! Daaah.

    (Being a Charlotte native), where’d you get take out from?

  • ashley October 14, 2010, 12:16 am

    Definitely unchefs tonight- rotisserie chicken and broccoli. Boring but quick!

  • Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca) October 14, 2010, 12:32 am

    I picked up a pizza from Costco tonight. I was lazy, worked all day, and had class tonight. The hubby was craving pizza and he told me it made his day 🙂

  • Candice October 14, 2010, 1:09 am

    Glad I’m not the only one who was feeling lazy and tired tonight – but luckily I had leftovers in the fridge! Love leftovers!

    And stir fry definitely tastes better when someone else makes it – no doubt:)

  • emma-kate October 14, 2010, 2:11 am

    we had indian takeout! yum, luckily it was cheap. also, sidenote – i wrote to you a while back for some advice on my marathon training for my very first marathon. well, i ran my marathon this past weekend, and it went SO well – finished at 3:57:49! yay! so, thank you so much for your advice, and also for all the inspiration for running and eating healthily that i find on your blog 🙂

    • Caitlin October 14, 2010, 10:17 am

      ohmigod! epic finishing time 🙂 congrats.

  • Courtney (Pancakes & Postcards) October 14, 2010, 3:13 am

    I’m pretty much always a lazy chef. have you had dates dipped in nut butter?? they changed my life.

  • Mo October 14, 2010, 3:24 am

    I cooked beef and green pepper stir fry tonight. It always tastes better than any takeout. 🙂

  • Orla October 14, 2010, 4:22 am

    I was epically lazy last night.
    Had a tough day at work and had no energy at all when I got in so I had…..
    a large bowl of cereal with granola topping! whoop whoop – breakfast for dinner is my fave!

  • Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down) October 14, 2010, 6:12 am

    I love, love, love to cook. Absolutley love it.

    But I also get my lazy moments when nothing but takeout or something quick and easy will do. Your choice looks fabulous! 😀

  • Sarena (The Non Dairy Queen) October 14, 2010, 7:26 am

    Haha, I have been working on our office/studio renovation for a week officially now and last night was another night of salads with chickpeas (from the freezer). My husband and I looked at each other last night and commented that we were over this and are in need of some new food!

  • Courtney @ Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life October 14, 2010, 8:03 am

    Absolutely! It was reheated leftover chili for me…which, while it was lazy, was totally delicious. 😛

  • Allison B October 14, 2010, 8:13 am

    I was going to be an extremely lazy chef/mom last night and make pb&j’s for the girls and I before my oldest soccer practice and gym BUT then my mother-in-law (MIL) called and asked if we wanted to go out to eat…HECK YES! Soccer practice got cut short by 15 minutes and the gym session got cut short by 30 minutes – oh so worth it!! It was great to not think about budget (especially since I just strained the budget further by hitting a deer yesterday morning! “Hello, insurance co? Yes, I would like to give you $500 now. Thank you.”), cooking, dishes, cleaning up after a toddler, etc. Man, I cannot wait for the husband to come back from training. I need a glass of wine and a quiet evening on the deck.

    • Caitlin October 14, 2010, 10:08 am

      aww i’m sorry about your accident.

  • Beth @ 990 Square October 14, 2010, 8:18 am

    I was totally lazy last night…Annie’s frozen pizza after the husband and I did our run. Not great, but it works when you’re starving!

  • Kelly October 14, 2010, 9:01 am

    I rarely order take out when I don’t feel like cooking instead I typically go for a bowl of cereal or a PB&J….eh…probably not the best choices but whatever. When you’re tired, you’re tired!

  • Sara October 14, 2010, 9:20 am

    Most always a lazy chef. Blue box mac and cheese (Toy Story shapes!), sweet potatoes and cucumber salad. L-a-z-y. But the alternative was ordering out … (We too are trying to only buy food out once a week.)

  • Amber K October 14, 2010, 10:27 am

    I was the ultimate in lazy cooking last night! I popped a gluten-free Amy’s frozen dinner in the microwave. It was yummy. 🙂

  • Lisa October 14, 2010, 1:28 pm

    Yep! I’m very lazy. Last night we had boxed mac n’cheese and a hot dog. 😉

  • Ravenous Rowie October 15, 2010, 11:11 pm

    Oh no, that takeout sounds like such a treat! I think something similar might be in my immediate future!

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