[2Bees]

Lets see how this transfers from an open office ss

eggs
red wine vinegar
lemon juice
olive oil
kosher salt
parchment paper
dijon musted
black bean soup
black beans
canola oil
evoo olive oil
bottled roasted red peppers
chicken broth low sodium
white tuna water pac
white wine vinegar
olive oil cooking spray
garbanzo beans
capers
walnut
soy sauce
spinich
romaine
tomatoes
cucumber
red onion
radishes
asparagus
pea pods
cherry tomatoes
flat leaf parsley
green onions
lime juice
mushrooms
broccoli
green onion
green beans fresh
tomatoes
eggplants
asparagus
jalapeno chile
yellow bell pepper
cucumber
brussels sprouts
red bell,green bell pepper
zucchini
napa chinese cabbage
whole wheat pita
whole grain bread
whole wheat tortilla
bulgar
lentil
olives
feta cheese
chipotle chile in adobo
goat cheese crumbled
crumbled blue chees
reduced fat cheese
yogurt plain fat free
laughing cow cheese
shrimp
frozen articoke hearts
chicken breasts
flank steak
pork loin chops
sirloin chunks

fresh mint
oregano
kosher salt
ground pepper
marjoram
garlic
paprika
crushed red pepper
cayenne pepper
cinnamon
marjoram
ginger

[2Bees]

I didn't get every thing on my list and I got a few things (ricotta cheese and canteloupe) that don't show up in the recipes. I also don'g have much of a spice rack and what I have is years old.

I just bought my first ever real parmesan cheese chunk. It DOES taste better then the powder in a can and I think you use less since it is hard work to shave a whole ounce off.

I bought 10 boxes of whole wheat pasta-more then a years supply, for $1 a box. Safeway usually has them for $2-3. I bought too much laughing cow cheese-it's really for later and then is a snack.

I bought frozen chicken breasts for $1.79 a pound and monkfish for $18 a pound.HUH Still I paid 8.45 for the fish and got at least two probably 3 servings.

I also bought Wheat thins(what an oxymoron name)Fiber selects 5grain crackers. 13 crackers=120cal with 5g fiber. But crackers portions can be deadly to me.

Anyway- My fridge is full my pantry is much better-now I need to get cooking.

[2Bees]

I made a whole wheat spaghetti with portabello mushrooms and ground turkey.
Hard to decide what to use for a portion size. It fit on the plate-thats all I'm sayin'

I had shrimp the other night- seafood allows a larger portion for the calories involved. When you don't drown things in tartar sauce the calories are under 250 for the full dinner.

[Hyacinth]

Hi 2Bees, it sounds like you're off to a great start!

I agree, the Sonoma portions are subjective. I've addressed this by following another diet's portion sizes (the ADA diet, I think) and got a good feel for how that looks on the plate. I'd measure every meal for a few days/weeks, and then I'd eyeball it after, going back to measuring every now and then just to make sure portions don't get inflated.

A note on spices/herbs - old ones, just use a little more (if they're dried). They don't tend to go bad, in my experience, just lose a little potency. I also mix my own spice blends (lemon-pepper, italian, etc) following internet recipes. Have you ever grown an herb garden? I've started one this year, but haven't gotten into the habit of picking them regularly yet.