Swiss Chard and Butter Bean Sandwich

Good Afternoon! Lunch today was one of my favorite recipes from The Flexitarian Diet by Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D. I love this sandwich... it is soo good!

Swiss Chard & Butter Bean Sandwich

1 Tablespoons olive oil ? split
1/2 of butter beans, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups swiss chard, sliced into small, bite sized ribbons
1 tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar
2 slices Whole grain Miche Bread

DIRECTIONS

Heat 1/2 T oil in skillet and pan fry butter beans until crispy on edges (gently toss)about 6-8 minutes.
Set fried beans aside
In same skillet, add 1/2 T oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté 1-3 minutes.
Add greens to skillet. Sauté about 8 minutes until wilted & tender.
Top bread with greens and beans

This is definitely a MUST TRY sandwich. Even my husband likes it and he is suspect of most of my food.

Speaking of my husband, it is our 13th Wedding Anniversary today. It is so funny how fast time goes.. I honestly feel like we were just getting married on the steps of the Column's Hotel in New Orleans. But then I have a child who will be turning 9 in a couple of weeks and it puts it all back in perspective! I feel truly blessed, I love my husband very much and love that we still can laugh and have a good time together. We have two beautiful children that mean the world to both of us and I have to say, I have a pretty good life.

On that note, we are not doing anything special tonight....I am working and he is busy with work as well, so we will just celebrate this weekend for our anniversary/b-day.

I actually had an early dinner/late snack of:

Greek Banana Raspberry Goji Berry Cruch

1 container Fage 2% Greek Yogurt
1 small banana, sliced
1/2 cup of Yogi Goji Berry Flakes and Clusters Cereal
7 raspberries



I was all excited today, because I am always on the hunt for a new good cereal and I discovered that Yogi Tea is now making Yogi Cereal's as well. Well, you know I had to try it! I decided to start off with Yogi Goji Berry Flake & Cluster.

Start your day with the exotic taste and wholesome goodness of Goji Berry Flake & Cluster. Revered for their longevity-enhancing benefits, sweet-tart goji berries contain more beta carotene than carrots with more antioxidant power than blueberries. Indian gooseberry and free-radical fighting green tea combine with our blend of ancient grains and chia seeds to create a delicious cereal that is uniquely Yogi.



I was intrigued by all the flavors:

Cherry Almond Crunch
Walnut Spice Crunch

And then they have Granola Crisps that sound great as well in:

Baked Cinnamon Raisin
Fresh Strawberry Crunch
Mountain Blueberry Flax

Zoe said she would eat the Goji Berry Flakes & Clusters so we went with that and I have to say it is quite tasty. I put it on top of my yogurt fruit combo and I really enjoyed the flavor and crunch of the flakes and clusters. It has 220 calories for a 1 cup serving with 4 grams of fat, 4 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein. Not too bad.

I am looking forward to trying them all! I am such a sucker for marketing. I love Yogi Tea and so far the cereal is really good as well. I will give you the rest of the reviews as I cycle through the cereals. I was tempted to buy all of them but my kids were getting their own boxes of cereals, Honey Nut Cherrios and Uncle Sam and I thought 3 boxes of cereal is plenty for the day.

I was not able to find alot of the items that I discussed earlier in the day-- the snacks from Shape Magazine. I swear I need to live in the Mid-Atlantic because they seem to carry all the good stuff! I really want to try those Arnold's Sandwich Thins that many bloggers make their sandwiches on. They look like flattened buns....well now Pepperidge Farm's is coming out with their version of that which is also only available in the Mid Atlantic... I guess I need to go and convince Whole Foods or Central Market to make a version of these low-cal sandwich thins. Are they any good? or do I just want them because I can't have them.

So I got my workout in and am going to get ready for my clients tonight. I may indulge in dessert later on.... something small and light. I have set up a mini goal for myself, my 41st B-Day is a week from today and I would love to wake up wiser and "thinner", so I want to drop a few nagging pounds by next Monday. If it does not happen, no biggy, but it would be nice to wake up feeling healthy and "light" on my b-day. We shall see how the week progresses. Have a great evening and if I come up with any great light dessert.. I will share!