Challenge Day 4

This is the current status of my kitchen counter.  I spend much of my spare 

time preserving all of this to see how long it will last us throughout the year.

Breakfast:
Yes, I did it again.  I had three eggs, over-easy. It was not an exciting breakfast but it got the job done and I was very full right up until lunch.

Lunch:
I have so much lettuce growing in my garden that I thought it would be best to have another salad today.

Mixed lettuce growing in my garden.

I made my salad with mixed lettuce, beet greens, cherry tomatoes, green peppers, orange lunchbox peppers, green beans, cucumbers, and leftover chicken.  And, of course, I finished it off with the blueberry, strawberry, and maple syrup dressing.

My favorite lunch with lots of different veggies.

Snacks:
I enjoyed last night's maple carrots so much, that I had them for a snack today. I also had a few wax beans and green bean that I picked while I was in the garden.

Dinner:
I put a lot of effort into dinner tonight. The meal had several components, which all needed to be prepared and cooked separately.  I started with eggplant, which I peeled, sliced, and baked in the oven for 25 minutes.  I seasoned it with salt and baked it on a non-stick mat so that the eggplant wouldn't stick to the cookie sheet.

Sliced eggplant baking in the oven.

While that was baking, I prepared a quick tomato sauce.  First, I sauteed onion and garlic in a pan using chicken fat.  Then I added San Marzano tomatoes, which I first peeled and diced.  I seasoned this with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.  I brought this to a boil in order to break down the tomatoes.  I reduced the heat and let the sauce simmer on the stove while the eggplant was cooking. Lastly, I cooked corn on the cob to have as a side dish.

I assembled my dinner with the cooked eggplant on the bottom, followed by leftover shredded chicken, and then topped with tomato sauce. The flavors were all great and I had more food than I could eat.

Another great dinner. Eggplant with chicken and tomato sauce

with corn on the cob as a side. 

Summary:
I cannot believe how much food I eat every day during this challenge.  I feel like I'm eating a huge variety of vegetables and today, I felt very full after each meal. I think it's really helped me to vary my flavor profiles and add in different types of vegetables. I have been staying very busy during the day, working in my garden, hiking, and even playing tennis.  My energy levels feel great and I've been sleeping better at night too.