The Holiday Bonus Effect

Posted: July 5, 2011 at 8:00 am

You know what? I think moving back into a regular schedule after a holiday weekend is harder for me than after a week-long vacation! With vacation, you miss the comforts of home and feel ready to return to “normal”. With a weekend full of fun with friends, unplugging, good food, and relaxation – I just didn’t want it to end! Catching up on my fun?

Luckily some of the holiday fun will carry over. I like to call it the holiday bonus effect.

For example, this morning I woke up more refreshed than I have in a long time. I think unplugging the last couple of days and then napping yesterday were just what I needed. Plus, the knowledge I only have four more days until another weekend makes the whole busy routine thing a little easier to swallow.

Just like all the holiday summer cookout deals I scored on fresh fruit at the grocery stores this weekend. Berries and watermelon will appear in many meals this week no doubt. 

4th of july oats

 watermelon lunch

Delicious fresh fruit to satisfy my taste buds all the week long? Holiday bonus, indeed!

Yet another bonus? Recipe inspiration. Twice baked potato casserole over the weekend? Why not turn that idea into a twice baked potato with a protein punch for dinner? Oh. So. Good!

potatoes

Twice Baked Protein Potato

  • 3 baking potatoes
  • 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup skim milk
  • 1 bunch green onions, chopped
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Wrap potatoes in foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

potatoes baking

While potatoes bake, drain and rinse the white beans. Mash beans with a fork until relatively smooth. Add to a bowl with 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and the chopped green onions. After potatoes finish baking, slice the potatoes in half and scoop out the insides into the mixing bowl leaving about 1/4” on each side to remain sturdy. Add milk and mix the ingredients together.

mix

Spoon mixture back into potato skins. Top with a sprinkle of cheese and more chopped green onion. Return to oven for 15 minutes.

in oven

Serve up with some delicious veggies. My choice? Sauteed mushrooms and roasted green beans. Two of my favorites!

potato dinner

And one last holiday bonus? Great food like this just gives great fuel for a great workout. Which I will share with you later, don’t you fret.

  • Best part of your weekend? Clue me in!
  • Best thing you ate this weekend?

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59 Comments to “The Holiday Bonus Effect”
  1. watermelon is indeed a holiday bonus! so tasty and you can just eat eat and eat some more.

    i just enjoyed spending time with friends at the lake–even though i had to study most nights and mornings! 🙂

  2. I unplugged B.I.G. time this weekend too – it felt so so good. I don’t even remember the last time I did that.

    Those potatoes look so good – I’ve never thought about stuffing them with white beans!

  3. Robyn says:

    Tina
    Looks like you had a great weekend! Savor the memories.

    The best part of my weekend was having my Sister and Brother-In-Law here.

    The best thing I ate this weekend was the grilled pork sirloin and cheesecake. (See today’s blog post.)

  4. I am making those potatoes this week! they look so good!

  5. That’s a GREAT way to incorporate beans… never would have thought of it!

  6. I feel so lucky to have had a great weekend all the way around. It was just one of those weekends you don’t want to end: family, good friends and good times.

  7. Jolene says:

    What a great way of putting it… I didn’t go anywhere (usually to Maine) and stayed local, hitting the beach etc, and it DID feel good to be home, in my own bed, own food etc. Those potatoes look delish!

  8. Great potato recipe! I may make that this week!

    Glad you had a great weekend!! 🙂

    I had fun cooking out with the family, getting together with some girlfriends and drinking way too much, and just relaxing for an extra day.

  9. Mrs. Fish says:

    I love the idea of adding beans to twice baked potatoes, protein punch! 🙂

  10. Oooh, that twice-baked potato looks delicious. Twice-baked potatoes are a guilty pleasure of mine. Mmmm…

  11. Ohhh all your eats look wonderful Tina 🙂

    I agree with holiday weekends being harder in terms of getting back into routine. I think it’s because I want them to last a week! 😛

  12. All the fruit looks so good! I’m going to be sad when this season is over.

    Best part of the weekend was definitely the Peachtree Road Race. Best eats was that chipotle corn hummus I made. I surprised myself – lol!

    • Tina says:

      I know! I cannot seem to eat enough fruit in summer. Probably because I know it won’t be so ridiculously good in a few months.

  13. We have tons of watermelon too — it tastes so good this time of year!

    Best part of my weekend — swimming and relaxing yesterday!

  14. Oh yum those potatoes look tasty :). I think the best part of my weekend was just getting to see a bunch of my family! Since I’ve been in Boston, I haven’t seen a lot of them since Christmas or spring break

  15. Missy says:

    This is so true! I never thought of it but Holidays DO produce a lot of leftovers and it’s more than just the food!
    You feel energized and I often feel all warm and cozy after spending time with family and friends.
    The only leftover I could do without is maybe a few hang-overs I’ve dealt with!

    • Tina says:

      Haha! If I wasn’t breastfeeding I would likely have had a bit more sangria consumption than I did this weekend. 🙂

  16. 4 more weeks till a weekend?

    Is there another holiday im missing?

    Please tell me there is 🙂

  17. Can you believe I did not have ONE piece of watermelon this weekend? Not one! There was none to be found 🙁

    I did, however, indulge in a lot of good eats, so i’m glad to be back to the norm today.

    Those protein potatoes are looking pretty fantastic right now! YUM! 🙂

  18. I ate and ate and ate this weekend and it was glorious! Best thing though might have been a coconut macaroon from a great bakery in Tahoe…or perhaps just the pounds of fresh berries I consumed!

    Definitely agree it’s hard to get in the swing of things after a fun-filled family/friends weekend!

  19. Whitney says:

    It looks like you had a great weekend! We did too! Now i was not very good this weekend as far as my eating goes. But I wasn’t terrible either. So I think that’s a plus! 🙂 The food looked yummy that you were eating. I’m all over that twice baked potato!!! I’m ready to get back to normal because drinking too much wine does not make a great day for work!! boooooo!!!

  20. I wish I’d had one of those killer potatoes! We had so much fun just resting and laughing with friends…I love long weekends!

  21. Anna says:

    I made your Hawaiin tofu and it turned out great! Very yummy! I am passing along the recipe to my co-workers! Next up to try is the smoothies with spinach. I am in a bit of a breakfast rut so I am trying to eat new things.

    • Tina says:

      Yay! So glad you liked it. And definitely give the smoothies a try. Just be sure to start out with one handful of spinach to make sure it blends in well and to gradually figure out how much works well in your smoothies. 🙂

  22. Erica says:

    mmmm fresh fruit! So awesome 🙂 I had a ton over the weekend and plan to have more this week! The potatoes look seriously divine. I’ve never made twice baked.

    Best part of your weekend? Tough one! We had a great dinner with friends on Saturday night and fun party at my Aunts yesterday
    Best thing you ate this weekend? Taco salad at my Aunts !

  23. LOVE this recipe. I’m kinda obsessed with baked potatoes this year and adding beans in this way would be fab. Will have to try this one a day when the humidity isn’t too ridiculous and I can turn on my oven!

  24. Sarah says:

    Unplugging from everything is always nice to do sometimes. I always seem to come back so refreshed and ready to tackle new projects!

  25. I unplugged this weekend, too. 🙂 I love the idea of adding beans to a twice baked potato. Genius!

  26. best part of my weekend was hanging out with my cousins all day on Sunday and drinking long islands and playing badminton. Best day ever! 🙂

  27. Heather says:

    Best part was the splash contest we had at our 4th of July party on Sunday. The adults against the kids. It was hilarious!!!!!!!!

  28. Elizabeth says:

    Those baked potatoes look SO good! I am having some company this weekend, and I think that this might be a great meal to make, cheap filling, and delish, my fave!

  29. Groff's Girl says:

    Those potatoes look amazing!!! I just refreshed myself with a vow to get back in the kitchen now that we are getting settled in! I will have to work those twice baked into mext week’s menu plan (this week’s is already done)! I was proud to say that I made my own croutons, and caesar salad dressing to go over some fresh greens tonight along side some yummy Salmon! Tomorrow I get to have my first batch of Overnight Oats in over a month!!!! Nothing like getting back at it after a long weekend 🙂

  30. Lauren says:

    THose potatoes sound awesome! What a great hearty main dish you’ve turned them into.

  31. Jessica says:

    Those potatoes look awesome! Best part of my weekend=watching the fireworks display in my town! 🙂

  32. Those potatoes look wonderful!

    The best part of my weekend was hanging as a foursome when we could!

    The best thing I ate this weekend was a carrot cake cupcake. OMG. So good.

    Glad you are rested! I am the opposite (but I was by myself with the kids for the majority of the weekend). I seriously don’t know how you do it mama!! *bows down in exhaustion*

  33. Errign says:

    Best parts of my weekend: all the yoga I did and seeing a best friend from back home.
    (worst part: the kidney stone I had yesterday)

    Best thing I ate: Hmmmm…I don’t know? I didn’t eat anything special this weekend – no celebrating for me!

    • Tina says:

      Eep! Kidney stone! Ouch. I haven’t been able to do much blog reading the past few days so I must have missed that. Hope you’re okay!

  34. I sooooo agree with your first paragraph! Too true!

    The best thing I did this weekend was get some sunshine at the beach. The best thing I ate was actually in liquid form – Mai Tai from the beach bar. It really hit the spot – instant relaxation!

  35. I love that you added beans to those taters – they look delicious! We just had an all round great weekend. We had lots of good eats, got in some quality time with family and friends and enjoyed some gorgeous weather!

  36. Sam says:

    anything with a protein punch wins my vote!!

    oh, and i’ve been eating watermelon like a crazy lady recently. can’t get enough 🙂

  37. i love the idea of the protein potatoes! genius!

  38. Kara says:

    My big bonus is that my husband already had Friday off and Monday off this week, so he decided to take the whole week off. That means I get a whole week of showering when I want and running alone! I’m going to get spoiled 🙂

    • Tina says:

      Spoiled indeed! I always love around Christmas and Thanksgiving because all the time Peter gets off. Its so nice!

  39. Love this idea for the twice baked potatoes! Genius! I had such a nice long weekend spending time with family and eating a LOT 🙂

  40. We have a total abundance of fruit at my house right now, too. Such a wonderful problem to have (as long as we eat it before it goes bad, that is). Also, those twice baked potatoes sound ah-mazing. Must try.

  41. Dorry says:

    the best part of my weekend was just relaxing! Sleeping in with Billy, a few yoga classes, lots of home-cooked meals, family togetherness, pool time, and bike rides!

  42. Those potatoes look soooo tasty! I unplugged for the most part too this weekend and it was so nice. I totally agree with your vacation vs long weekend theory – I didn’t want it to end!

  43. […] eats yesterday. I could even say my meals yesterday rivaled the ice cream, cheesecake bars, and healthified /proteinified twice baked potatoes from this weekend. I know I had quite the full, satisfied belly all day long. Also not a complaint […]

  44. Anna Crouch says:

    Oh my gosh! I was looking for a dinner idea for Friday that was something different than usual. It’s me and my hubby’s first year anniversary in a few days, so I wanted to cook him a yummy meal before we leave for our vacation–I’m thinking these potatoes will be good! He’s a potato and cheese fanatic, so it’s a win win 🙂

  45. […] Twice Baked Protein Potatoes by Tina of Faith, Fitness, Fun […]

  46. Stephanie* says:

    Saw this when u posted it and making it tonight!! Adding a little turkey bacon too 🙂 yum!!

    • Tina says:

      sounds amazing! Let me know how it turned out. I so would have done bacon/turkey bacon too if we had it!

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