I turned on the TV this weekend and it happened to be on Detroit public TV, which is odd as I don't watch that channel...for the most part. Anyway, Cook's Country was on and they had a recipe for easy manicotti. If you've ever worked with manicotti shells before you know that they're a pain in the rear. You have to boil them, dry them and then try and stuff them without busting them at the seams. It's not as easy as it might seem. Well, the fabulous people at America's Test Kitchen found a way to get around that problem. Instead of using manicotti shells, they found that you could use lasagna noodles and just roll them up. In fact, they found that you could even use no boil noodles and get the same results. I was a bit skeptical but after trying it, I will never make manicotti the old way again!
8 no boil lasagna noodles
0.5 pounds ground beef
0.5 pounds ground sausage (or you could 0.25 pounds pepperoni and grind it)
1 medium onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, diced or pressed
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
0.5 tbs. tomato paste
1.5 c low fat ricotta cheese
2 c Italian blend cheese
0.5 package frozen spinach
1 egg
salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning to taste
Place noodles in a roasting or large cake pan. Pour 2-3 quarts of salted boiling water over noodles. Soak in water until pliable (5-8 minutes). Remove from water and dry in towels. Cut noodles in half and set aside.
In a pan, over medium heat, cook onion and meat until no longer pink. Remove half cup of mean mixture and set aside. Add tomato paste, garlic, pepper flakes and crushed tomatoes to pan. Cook over medium low heat for 20 minutes.
In a bowl, combine ricotta, 1.5 cups of the Italian blend, spinach (thawed and squeezed dry), reserved meat mixture, seasonings and egg.
Lay noodles on counter. Evenly distribute mixture onto noodles. Roll noodles. They will stay because they're a bit tacky.
In a large casserole dish, place 1/3 of the meat sauce in the bottom of the pan. Lay the manicotti in a single layer. Cover with the remaining meat sauce. Cover and bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove cover, sprinkle remaining cheese over top and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
I found this to be pretty easy and incredibly tasty. It's a bit involved but served with a salad and garlic bread it's a great weekend dinner with really excellent leftovers for the week!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Recipe: Lentil and sausage soup
Happy snowy Monday all. I hope that you had a great weekend and that your week is starting off well. I had a decent weekend that culminated in a butt load of snow last night. We weren't actually supposed to get more than 3 inches but the warm front that was supposed to show up stayed too far south. So, instead of 3 inches of snow covered by ice we just got 9.6 inches of snow. I might be crazy but I think I'd rather have the excess snow and not have to deal with the ice. Anyway, my drive to work this morning wasn't pretty but I made it to work safe and sound and shouldn't really have issues on the way home.
I made my new recipe of the week yesterday which is a lentil and sausage soup. I know that lentils are crazy healthy and I love beans and bean soup so I figured I'd give this recipe a whirl. As it stands, I think I'd give the recipe B/B-, however, it's a good start and I think with some tweaking it could be pretty fantastic. My only concern right now is that I have a ridiculously large quantity of a soup that's just alright. My biggest issue with the soup is that by the time you add a whole package of lentils, the flavor loses a lot of its umph. I think it's partially my fault, I used turkey sausage instead of pork which I think would have held up better. The recipe also called for a half pound of sausage which when you consider that recipe filled my crock pot to the brim is not really all that much. I'd probably double that next time. Actually a lot of the commenters said they doubled the sausage. I had mixed feelings of sharing the recipe because it didn't wow me but it was good and very easy.
p.s. this version of the recipe contains some changes that I intend to make if I make this recipe again.
Lentil and sausage soup:
1 lb pork sausage
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery
3 garlic cloves
1, 16 oz. bag dry lentils
1 c. shredded or sliced carrots
1 can diced tomatoes
10 c. chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. each dried thyme and basil
1 tbs. salt or to taste
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tbs. garlic powder
In a large pan brown sausage. Add onion, celery and garlic, cook until translucent. Add to crock pot. Add lentils, carrots, seasonings and chicken stock. Cook on high for 3 hours. Add tomatoes and cook on low 4-5 hours.
This recipe makes about 10 servings. I would cut it in half or you'll be eating lentils FOREVER! It is very filling because each servings has about 15 grams of fiber.
I made my new recipe of the week yesterday which is a lentil and sausage soup. I know that lentils are crazy healthy and I love beans and bean soup so I figured I'd give this recipe a whirl. As it stands, I think I'd give the recipe B/B-, however, it's a good start and I think with some tweaking it could be pretty fantastic. My only concern right now is that I have a ridiculously large quantity of a soup that's just alright. My biggest issue with the soup is that by the time you add a whole package of lentils, the flavor loses a lot of its umph. I think it's partially my fault, I used turkey sausage instead of pork which I think would have held up better. The recipe also called for a half pound of sausage which when you consider that recipe filled my crock pot to the brim is not really all that much. I'd probably double that next time. Actually a lot of the commenters said they doubled the sausage. I had mixed feelings of sharing the recipe because it didn't wow me but it was good and very easy.
p.s. this version of the recipe contains some changes that I intend to make if I make this recipe again.
Lentil and sausage soup:
1 lb pork sausage
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery
3 garlic cloves
1, 16 oz. bag dry lentils
1 c. shredded or sliced carrots
1 can diced tomatoes
10 c. chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. each dried thyme and basil
1 tbs. salt or to taste
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tbs. garlic powder
In a large pan brown sausage. Add onion, celery and garlic, cook until translucent. Add to crock pot. Add lentils, carrots, seasonings and chicken stock. Cook on high for 3 hours. Add tomatoes and cook on low 4-5 hours.
This recipe makes about 10 servings. I would cut it in half or you'll be eating lentils FOREVER! It is very filling because each servings has about 15 grams of fiber.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Mhealthy + ActiveU = $100
TGIF!! What an amazing morning...well, mostly. When I woke up this morning for my workout I couldn't figure out why I was already sweating. That is, until I checked the thermostat in my apartment and it was 67 degrees. Now, under normal circumstances 67 isn't overly warm but I prefer my sleeping environment to be a balmy 64 degrees. I can't believe how warm is stayed overnight. When I stepped out the front door is was gorgeous. The over night rain had stopped, it was smidgen over 50 degrees and it smelled like spring! I know winter is not gone, it's probably going to rear it's ugly head this weekend but for now, I'm going to enjoy this! I even decided to turn the heat off and open the windows this morning. Sure, it'll be a bit chilly when I get home but it's going to smell so good!
Sadly my morning took a bit of a nosedive when I got to work. I'm in the Holter lab today and when I walked into the room there was a giant cockroach, belly up on the floor. Yes, it was dead this time as opposed to crawling up the inside of my pant leg but it's still gives me the heebee-jeebees. I'm not the biggest chicken in the world but when I'm face to face with a big roach I get all squeamish. Apparently you're not supposed to squish them because it can spread the eggs but that meant I had to deal with it without knowing if it was truly dead. Well, 1 Styrofoam cup with lid, 1 plastic fork and a lot of squirming later (me, not the bug...it was dead) I got that sucker and threw him out. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I didn't throw him in my garbage though. I walked him out of the clinic and threw him in one of the big public garbage cans. Those bags get changed more often than mine and that way he won't be in the room with me all day. I called pest control and they'll come in and spray over the weekend, which is good, but I have a feeling all day I'm going to imagine fictitious bugs crawling up my leg...ewww.
Anyway, on to other things. I am happy to report that I have enrolled for the Mhealthy/Active U program here at U of M. This program is sort of like Live Healthy Iowa in the sense that you enroll, you can form teams and you work to improve your health and well being by making changes in your life. It not only applies to people who are looking to change diet and exercise but they also have options for nicotine dependence, stress management, disease management, alcohol dependence and even back pain management. The best part is that there is a financial incentive for people to participate in the this program, unlike something like Live Healthy Iowa where you have to pay a fee, this program is free. I will also get $100 if I complete both parts of the Mhealthy experience. For the first $50 all I had to do was complete a personal health questionnaire. It took all of 10 minutes and was a pretty easy $50. The second requirement is to complete one of the many wellness activities that the university sponsors. There is an incredibly long page of options for this. Some of them are free, some have fees. Some of them are done in person, some via telephone or Internet. Some can be done individually and some need to be done by a team. It's great because there really are a ton of options available.
After reading through all of my options I decided to enroll in 2 programs. I have joined my departments Active U team, The Heart Beats, and have started to use the online weight loss program that they have. For The Heart Beats I just have to be physically active and log my minutes and any weight lost. That's easy enough. For the weight loss program, I have to keep a food journal, an activity journal and check 4 or 5 things off of a to-do list each week. It's only 12 weeks and I'm basically doing that on loseit so that shouldn't really be an issue. I figure the extra logging is way worth the $50, not to mention I get a free t-shirt and access to many articles, facts, recipes and other helpful things that will further me on my road to better health.
Anyway, that's all I really have for now. I hope you all have a wonderful Friday and a great weekend!
Sadly my morning took a bit of a nosedive when I got to work. I'm in the Holter lab today and when I walked into the room there was a giant cockroach, belly up on the floor. Yes, it was dead this time as opposed to crawling up the inside of my pant leg but it's still gives me the heebee-jeebees. I'm not the biggest chicken in the world but when I'm face to face with a big roach I get all squeamish. Apparently you're not supposed to squish them because it can spread the eggs but that meant I had to deal with it without knowing if it was truly dead. Well, 1 Styrofoam cup with lid, 1 plastic fork and a lot of squirming later (me, not the bug...it was dead) I got that sucker and threw him out. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I didn't throw him in my garbage though. I walked him out of the clinic and threw him in one of the big public garbage cans. Those bags get changed more often than mine and that way he won't be in the room with me all day. I called pest control and they'll come in and spray over the weekend, which is good, but I have a feeling all day I'm going to imagine fictitious bugs crawling up my leg...ewww.
Anyway, on to other things. I am happy to report that I have enrolled for the Mhealthy/Active U program here at U of M. This program is sort of like Live Healthy Iowa in the sense that you enroll, you can form teams and you work to improve your health and well being by making changes in your life. It not only applies to people who are looking to change diet and exercise but they also have options for nicotine dependence, stress management, disease management, alcohol dependence and even back pain management. The best part is that there is a financial incentive for people to participate in the this program, unlike something like Live Healthy Iowa where you have to pay a fee, this program is free. I will also get $100 if I complete both parts of the Mhealthy experience. For the first $50 all I had to do was complete a personal health questionnaire. It took all of 10 minutes and was a pretty easy $50. The second requirement is to complete one of the many wellness activities that the university sponsors. There is an incredibly long page of options for this. Some of them are free, some have fees. Some of them are done in person, some via telephone or Internet. Some can be done individually and some need to be done by a team. It's great because there really are a ton of options available.
After reading through all of my options I decided to enroll in 2 programs. I have joined my departments Active U team, The Heart Beats, and have started to use the online weight loss program that they have. For The Heart Beats I just have to be physically active and log my minutes and any weight lost. That's easy enough. For the weight loss program, I have to keep a food journal, an activity journal and check 4 or 5 things off of a to-do list each week. It's only 12 weeks and I'm basically doing that on loseit so that shouldn't really be an issue. I figure the extra logging is way worth the $50, not to mention I get a free t-shirt and access to many articles, facts, recipes and other helpful things that will further me on my road to better health.
Anyway, that's all I really have for now. I hope you all have a wonderful Friday and a great weekend!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Random thoughts on a Wednesday
Happy Wednesday all. The week is at that halfway point and it hasn't been to shabby. I want to blog but I don't have the brain power to sit down and write a nice long entry so here are some random thoughts for you on this fine winters day.
-I'm going to be an aunt again in August! My step-sister Crystal (on my dad's side) and her husband Charles are expecting their first. It's always exciting to have new babies in the family and I know they've been trying for quite some time.
-I talked to my cousin Wade this morning. It sounds like he's doing well. He's still in the hospital and will be away from his base for about 4 more weeks while he's healing. After that, he'll be on light duty for 2 weeks. If all checks out at that point he'll be back to work.
-I'm almost finished with The Monk Downstairs and it's been a good read so far. I'm surprised by how long it's taken me to read it, it's a fairly short book, but it's quite enjoyable. It's perfect timing too because two of my favorite authors have new books coming out next week.
-I'm leaving work early next Wednesday because Kim Harrison is going to be on tour with her new book and she's going to be in Ann Arbor! I've never been to a book signing before and I'm fairly ecstatic!
-I think I'm going to get a Sam's club membership. I feel like it will be helpful while I'm planning for Karla's shower...plus there are some really good deals that I wouldn't mind taking advantage of.
-I've really taken a liking to Cliff bars. If you're unfamiliar they are your standard health bar. Cliff has a line of bars (Luna) that are geared towards women that have a higher amount of iron and calcium in them. However, they make a z bar too, which I tried yesterday, that is intended for kids. They're just as healthy but taste even better! I love tasty stuff that is good for me too!
-I'm really digging this nice weather we've been having. However, walking outside in the dark is a little dangerous right now because of the ice patches. Note to self, walk very carefully.
-My step dad asked Tasha's mom out on a date! I don't know if she's decided yet but this is very exciting! It's kind of funny watching Bob try to date. I've kind of been hoping for this for a while and in a perfect world it would work out. I guess we shall see.
-In less than a month I have a fantastic friend flying to Michigan to see me! I can't wait...I better start cleaning now!
OK, that's enough randomness. I could keep going but I think I'll stop. I hope you have a great day and splendid rest of the week!
-I'm going to be an aunt again in August! My step-sister Crystal (on my dad's side) and her husband Charles are expecting their first. It's always exciting to have new babies in the family and I know they've been trying for quite some time.
-I talked to my cousin Wade this morning. It sounds like he's doing well. He's still in the hospital and will be away from his base for about 4 more weeks while he's healing. After that, he'll be on light duty for 2 weeks. If all checks out at that point he'll be back to work.
-I'm almost finished with The Monk Downstairs and it's been a good read so far. I'm surprised by how long it's taken me to read it, it's a fairly short book, but it's quite enjoyable. It's perfect timing too because two of my favorite authors have new books coming out next week.
-I'm leaving work early next Wednesday because Kim Harrison is going to be on tour with her new book and she's going to be in Ann Arbor! I've never been to a book signing before and I'm fairly ecstatic!
-I think I'm going to get a Sam's club membership. I feel like it will be helpful while I'm planning for Karla's shower...plus there are some really good deals that I wouldn't mind taking advantage of.
-I've really taken a liking to Cliff bars. If you're unfamiliar they are your standard health bar. Cliff has a line of bars (Luna) that are geared towards women that have a higher amount of iron and calcium in them. However, they make a z bar too, which I tried yesterday, that is intended for kids. They're just as healthy but taste even better! I love tasty stuff that is good for me too!
-I'm really digging this nice weather we've been having. However, walking outside in the dark is a little dangerous right now because of the ice patches. Note to self, walk very carefully.
-My step dad asked Tasha's mom out on a date! I don't know if she's decided yet but this is very exciting! It's kind of funny watching Bob try to date. I've kind of been hoping for this for a while and in a perfect world it would work out. I guess we shall see.
-In less than a month I have a fantastic friend flying to Michigan to see me! I can't wait...I better start cleaning now!
OK, that's enough randomness. I could keep going but I think I'll stop. I hope you have a great day and splendid rest of the week!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Research Study Update
I went in yesterday for baseline data collection in the weight loss study I signed up for last week. Some of the information was alarming yet informative. I'll start off with a good surprise. My blood pressure was great. The surveys I filled out about my motivation and family/friend support were also promising.
Onto the not-so-good information...my body fat % sucks. So does my BMI. My weight hasn't changed in months....more than 6 months at that but it's still way too high of course.
I didn't go into this study thinking I'd get healthy results but the numbers were surprising. I'm still waiting to find out about my bloodwork. My bloodwork will officially decide if I'm eligble for the study. I know my blood pressure has definitely kept me in the running. They are checking my fasting glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides. My triglycerides worry me but I think I'll still be in the participatory range.
They had a tough time getting a blood sample from me. They have a "two poke" protocol and neither arm wanted to cooperate. The tech even tried a vein in my hand. We then resorted to Plan B and I was taken to the hospital so a technician could draw my blood in that setting. They found a vein immediately and it was no problem. I think my fear and apprehension affected the tech at ISU so he was anxious about drawing my blood. They need to draw it again in 8 weeks so hopefully my blood vessels cooperate better then.
I am excited to get back on the treadmill and work periods of regular physical activity into my lifestyle. Jon officially purchased a seated eliptical for his home. It's primarily for his physical therapy but I hope to try it out for cardio work. He originally wanted to buy a exercise bike but was swayed by the new style of elipitcal. I hate the standing type so hopefully the seated version agrees with my coordination.
That's all I have for now....
Onto the not-so-good information...my body fat % sucks. So does my BMI. My weight hasn't changed in months....more than 6 months at that but it's still way too high of course.
I didn't go into this study thinking I'd get healthy results but the numbers were surprising. I'm still waiting to find out about my bloodwork. My bloodwork will officially decide if I'm eligble for the study. I know my blood pressure has definitely kept me in the running. They are checking my fasting glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides. My triglycerides worry me but I think I'll still be in the participatory range.
They had a tough time getting a blood sample from me. They have a "two poke" protocol and neither arm wanted to cooperate. The tech even tried a vein in my hand. We then resorted to Plan B and I was taken to the hospital so a technician could draw my blood in that setting. They found a vein immediately and it was no problem. I think my fear and apprehension affected the tech at ISU so he was anxious about drawing my blood. They need to draw it again in 8 weeks so hopefully my blood vessels cooperate better then.
I am excited to get back on the treadmill and work periods of regular physical activity into my lifestyle. Jon officially purchased a seated eliptical for his home. It's primarily for his physical therapy but I hope to try it out for cardio work. He originally wanted to buy a exercise bike but was swayed by the new style of elipitcal. I hate the standing type so hopefully the seated version agrees with my coordination.
That's all I have for now....
Monday, February 14, 2011
Recipe: Chicken Tetrazzini
My new recipe for this week was chicken tetrazzini. I remember really enjoying this dish when I was younger but not only have I not had it in years, I've never tried my hand at it. I found a 'made over' recipe that was supposed to cut down on some of the extra calories. Even though there were some changes made I found this dish to be very rich and incredibly tasty. It's a bit more caloric dense that some of the other recipes that I've been sharing but we deserve to treat ourselves every once in a while! The original recipe says that this should make 4 servings, I find it to be closer to 6. At six servings it's around 350 calories each.
You will need:
6-8 oz. cooked chicken breast (I used turkey because I had some in the freezer)
4 oz. pasta cooked al dente (this bakes so you don't want it completely done)
1-2 cups of chicken broth
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/3 c. diced celery
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
2-3 oz. white wine or dry sherry
1 Tbs. butter
approx. 1/3 c. flour
3 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 c. part skim mozzarella cheese
2.5 oz. French's fried onions
In a 4 quart pot heat butter and add in onion, celery and mushrooms. Cook until veggies are tender, about 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Pour in wine and melt cream cheese into pot. Sauce will thicken slightly. Add flour slowly until you have a thick mixture. Add broth to create a gravy. Add cooked pasta, chicken and Parmesan cheese. Mix thoroughly. Pour into a sprayed casserole dish and cover with tinfoil. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Take out of oven, stir and top with mozzarella (Jenny, you could easily leave this off). Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, top with fried onions and bake another 5 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy.
The prep of this dish is a bit more time intensive than most of the recipes that I post but it is so worth it when all is said and done. Enjoy!
You will need:
6-8 oz. cooked chicken breast (I used turkey because I had some in the freezer)
4 oz. pasta cooked al dente (this bakes so you don't want it completely done)
1-2 cups of chicken broth
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/3 c. diced celery
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
2-3 oz. white wine or dry sherry
1 Tbs. butter
approx. 1/3 c. flour
3 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 c. part skim mozzarella cheese
2.5 oz. French's fried onions
In a 4 quart pot heat butter and add in onion, celery and mushrooms. Cook until veggies are tender, about 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Pour in wine and melt cream cheese into pot. Sauce will thicken slightly. Add flour slowly until you have a thick mixture. Add broth to create a gravy. Add cooked pasta, chicken and Parmesan cheese. Mix thoroughly. Pour into a sprayed casserole dish and cover with tinfoil. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Take out of oven, stir and top with mozzarella (Jenny, you could easily leave this off). Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, top with fried onions and bake another 5 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy.
The prep of this dish is a bit more time intensive than most of the recipes that I post but it is so worth it when all is said and done. Enjoy!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Happy Valentines Day
Hey Ladies:
It's 9:30am on a very sunny Sunday and I actually have some down time prior to church. I woke up before 8am and was wide awake so I decided to get somethings done and be productive. I let the dog out, did some dishes, finished working on some salads we are taking to a church dinner tonight, started some laundry, and showered. I need some motivation to blow-dry my hair though. I made a mandarin orange fluff desert and made that Sniker/Granny Smith apple salad. It was my first time every trying to make that Sniker salad. I'm more excited to eat the orange fluff salad.
It was a rather stressful week...I was grateful for the weekend. Here is the breakdown of the eventful parts of my life this week:
--we had an undergraduate get serious hurt in a physical activity class at ISU. The instructor may be at fault for the incident so I was involved in a lot of paperwork and discussions about the situation.
--we worried about Jon's doc appointment this past Friday but received good news from the surgeon. He doesn't need another surgery!
--I was evaluated at DMACC on Wednesday night and got a fantastic evaluation from the Dean. Whew.
--I filed a complaint against the manager at the ISU bowling alley this week. Did you ever teach bowling Nicole? Do you remember the older guy that manages the place? I was a substitute for one of the graduate students that teach the class and wasn't impressed by his demeanor. The students taking the class made several comments about how he treats the instructor and does his job. I don't see why he has to make the instructor's uncomfortable or make the atmosphere unhappy.
--I enrolled in a weight loss study at ISU. It lasts 7 months. I'm quite excited for the most part but it includes blood draws. Bleh. I have my first fasting blood draw tomorrow right away in the morning.
--My apartment has once again fallen into disarray. It's a mess. I wish I had more time and/or energy on week nights to clean up a bit. My weekends have been busy and I haven't been able to devote the necessary time.
--Jon and I celebrated Valentine's Day last night. We went to a small Chinese/Thai place and had a very good meal. I ordered chicken pad thai. I had never had pad thai before and decided to be daring. It was delicous!! It usualizes peanuts in the recipe and had a sweet flavor. We also went to Bass Pro Shop to use some gift cards. Gavin is getting a full size sleeping bag for Easter this year. His kid size sleeping bag is getting rather small. I always try to give him something for camping at Easter. We also bought a metal grate for cooking on a campfire. We have high ambitions for camping this summer.
That's about it for now. I hope everyone has a good week.
It's 9:30am on a very sunny Sunday and I actually have some down time prior to church. I woke up before 8am and was wide awake so I decided to get somethings done and be productive. I let the dog out, did some dishes, finished working on some salads we are taking to a church dinner tonight, started some laundry, and showered. I need some motivation to blow-dry my hair though. I made a mandarin orange fluff desert and made that Sniker/Granny Smith apple salad. It was my first time every trying to make that Sniker salad. I'm more excited to eat the orange fluff salad.
It was a rather stressful week...I was grateful for the weekend. Here is the breakdown of the eventful parts of my life this week:
--we had an undergraduate get serious hurt in a physical activity class at ISU. The instructor may be at fault for the incident so I was involved in a lot of paperwork and discussions about the situation.
--we worried about Jon's doc appointment this past Friday but received good news from the surgeon. He doesn't need another surgery!
--I was evaluated at DMACC on Wednesday night and got a fantastic evaluation from the Dean. Whew.
--I filed a complaint against the manager at the ISU bowling alley this week. Did you ever teach bowling Nicole? Do you remember the older guy that manages the place? I was a substitute for one of the graduate students that teach the class and wasn't impressed by his demeanor. The students taking the class made several comments about how he treats the instructor and does his job. I don't see why he has to make the instructor's uncomfortable or make the atmosphere unhappy.
--I enrolled in a weight loss study at ISU. It lasts 7 months. I'm quite excited for the most part but it includes blood draws. Bleh. I have my first fasting blood draw tomorrow right away in the morning.
--My apartment has once again fallen into disarray. It's a mess. I wish I had more time and/or energy on week nights to clean up a bit. My weekends have been busy and I haven't been able to devote the necessary time.
--Jon and I celebrated Valentine's Day last night. We went to a small Chinese/Thai place and had a very good meal. I ordered chicken pad thai. I had never had pad thai before and decided to be daring. It was delicous!! It usualizes peanuts in the recipe and had a sweet flavor. We also went to Bass Pro Shop to use some gift cards. Gavin is getting a full size sleeping bag for Easter this year. His kid size sleeping bag is getting rather small. I always try to give him something for camping at Easter. We also bought a metal grate for cooking on a campfire. We have high ambitions for camping this summer.
That's about it for now. I hope everyone has a good week.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Recipe: Cabbage Roll Casserole
TGIF! It has just been one of those weeks and I'm so glad it's Friday. I don't have anything interesting or fun to share so but I wanted to post my new recipe for this week. I love cabbage rolls, my mom used to make them when we were younger. However, they are a royal pain to make. You have to boil the cabbage and peal the leaves. The process is not only incredibly time consuming but it's messy and the cabbage is fricken hot and I always burn my fingers. So, instead of doing it the hard way, I found a recipe to turn one of my favorite winter dishes into a casserole!! Here is the recipe, as always I made small changes but the integrity of the dish stands.
You will need:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 packet French onion soup mix
10 c. chopped cabbage, about 1 medium head
2 cans tomato sauce (15 oz. each)
1 can beef broth (16 oz.)
3/4 instant brown rice, uncooked
1 Tb. Italian seasoning
2 Tb. brown sugar (optional)**
1 c. 2% milk fat cheddar cheese
In a sauce pan cook ground beef, onion and soup mix over medium heat. When browned, drain excess grease. Mix in cabbage, rice, tomato sauce, broth, Italian seasoning and brown sugar (if you're going to add it). Pour into a sprayed casserole dish. Cover with tinfoil and bake at 400 for 1 hour. Take off foil and stir. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for another 30-40 minutes. This makes about 8 servings each around 285 calories with a whopping 5 grams of fiber!
**When I was growing up my mom added sugar or brown sugar to almost all of our tomato based dishes (spaghetti, chili, cabbage rolls). Because of this I prefer them to have a sweet taste now so I added this to the dish. Feel free to leave it out if you'd like.
You will need:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 packet French onion soup mix
10 c. chopped cabbage, about 1 medium head
2 cans tomato sauce (15 oz. each)
1 can beef broth (16 oz.)
3/4 instant brown rice, uncooked
1 Tb. Italian seasoning
2 Tb. brown sugar (optional)**
1 c. 2% milk fat cheddar cheese
In a sauce pan cook ground beef, onion and soup mix over medium heat. When browned, drain excess grease. Mix in cabbage, rice, tomato sauce, broth, Italian seasoning and brown sugar (if you're going to add it). Pour into a sprayed casserole dish. Cover with tinfoil and bake at 400 for 1 hour. Take off foil and stir. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for another 30-40 minutes. This makes about 8 servings each around 285 calories with a whopping 5 grams of fiber!
**When I was growing up my mom added sugar or brown sugar to almost all of our tomato based dishes (spaghetti, chili, cabbage rolls). Because of this I prefer them to have a sweet taste now so I added this to the dish. Feel free to leave it out if you'd like.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Die elliptical, die!
Hello. After a very crappy start to this week, things seem to be turning around a bit. Monday was a very long day. After a less than delightful day at work I got a message from my aunt informing me that my cousin has been involved in a roadside bomb explosion in Afghanistan. I was standing at the bus stop when I got her message and my heart stopped beating and I instantly has tears in my eyes. It took her a few seconds, which felt like hours, to gather herself enough to say that he was alive but seriously wounded. Around 12:30 that night, my aunt and uncle got another call from Wade's commanding officer. In the incident Wade sustained shrapnel injuries to the head, neck and leg, broke his foot, had many contusions and lacerations but was otherwise unharmed, thank God! We were relieved that Wade was going to alright, however, we were very sad because the other soldier that Wade was with didn't survive.
While this was the initial story that Wade's commanding officer told Sonija, the details have changed a lot since Wade talked to his mother directly. Apparently they were in the field and taking fire. Wade was on one hill providing coverage for another and he stepped on and IED. When the bomb exploded he was thrown into the air and landed, losing consciousness. When he awoke he jumped up to continue his coverage and it was then that he realized his leg was broken. As far as he knows, there was nobody else involved in the explosion and he doesn't think anybody else was hurt or killed, thank God again.
I can't even imagine how chaotic things must be over there. I am so grateful that both Wade and Dean's service will be up when they get back from their current tours. I couldn't be more proud of my brother or cousin but I'll be much happier with them here in the States. Speaking of which, my little brother gets to come home for his 2 week leave. He'll be back in Iowa very soon, he's actually leaving Afghanistan today!! I wish I could see him while he's back but I'm happy just to know he's in the country.
On a much less grim note, I have to tell you, I HATE THE ELLIPTICAL!!! To be fair, I might just hate the ellipticals in my gym. I used to use ellipticals all the time. It was, for a very long time, the primary source of my cardio. However, I don't know that I ever want to do it again! On Sunday, I was up earlier than normal so I got the gym at my apartment around 8:00 instead of 9:00. When I arrived, both functional treadmills were occupied. Instead of leaving and coming back I figured I'd just start on the elliptical and switch when one of the treadmills was free. OMG! After about 10 minutes one of the other girls left and I got down to head over to the tread, my legs were shaking. You know that feeling after really strenuous work when you basically have no real control over your limbs? That's how I felt. I could barely get my legs to do what I wanted. It took me 10 minutes of slow walking on the treadmill before I could start the rest of my workout. I did about 45 minutes after that and called it a day. I thought I was going to be OK, boy was I wrong. I woke up Monday morning and my calves were so sore. I couldn't believe it. It was even worse yesterday. Not only were my calves killing me, but my shoulders and neck hurt too. I assume it's because I was walking funny and ended up having referred pain in the upper body. I was stunned. I've been working out, regularly, for over 4 months. It's not like I do wimpy workouts either. I can't decided if I should stay away from the elliptical entirely or if I should start adding in small amounts. All I know is I apparently can't handle 10 minutes.
Anywho, I've had to postpone a few of my workouts this week. I could barely walk without wanting to cry so I figured it probably wasn't safe to be jogging. I don't want to actually injur myself. I think I'll be able to do the treadmill tomorrow and then next week I might start adding in small doses of elliptical each workout session.
Alright, I should eat lunch, I'm very hungry today. Have a great day ladies!
While this was the initial story that Wade's commanding officer told Sonija, the details have changed a lot since Wade talked to his mother directly. Apparently they were in the field and taking fire. Wade was on one hill providing coverage for another and he stepped on and IED. When the bomb exploded he was thrown into the air and landed, losing consciousness. When he awoke he jumped up to continue his coverage and it was then that he realized his leg was broken. As far as he knows, there was nobody else involved in the explosion and he doesn't think anybody else was hurt or killed, thank God again.
I can't even imagine how chaotic things must be over there. I am so grateful that both Wade and Dean's service will be up when they get back from their current tours. I couldn't be more proud of my brother or cousin but I'll be much happier with them here in the States. Speaking of which, my little brother gets to come home for his 2 week leave. He'll be back in Iowa very soon, he's actually leaving Afghanistan today!! I wish I could see him while he's back but I'm happy just to know he's in the country.
On a much less grim note, I have to tell you, I HATE THE ELLIPTICAL!!! To be fair, I might just hate the ellipticals in my gym. I used to use ellipticals all the time. It was, for a very long time, the primary source of my cardio. However, I don't know that I ever want to do it again! On Sunday, I was up earlier than normal so I got the gym at my apartment around 8:00 instead of 9:00. When I arrived, both functional treadmills were occupied. Instead of leaving and coming back I figured I'd just start on the elliptical and switch when one of the treadmills was free. OMG! After about 10 minutes one of the other girls left and I got down to head over to the tread, my legs were shaking. You know that feeling after really strenuous work when you basically have no real control over your limbs? That's how I felt. I could barely get my legs to do what I wanted. It took me 10 minutes of slow walking on the treadmill before I could start the rest of my workout. I did about 45 minutes after that and called it a day. I thought I was going to be OK, boy was I wrong. I woke up Monday morning and my calves were so sore. I couldn't believe it. It was even worse yesterday. Not only were my calves killing me, but my shoulders and neck hurt too. I assume it's because I was walking funny and ended up having referred pain in the upper body. I was stunned. I've been working out, regularly, for over 4 months. It's not like I do wimpy workouts either. I can't decided if I should stay away from the elliptical entirely or if I should start adding in small amounts. All I know is I apparently can't handle 10 minutes.
Anywho, I've had to postpone a few of my workouts this week. I could barely walk without wanting to cry so I figured it probably wasn't safe to be jogging. I don't want to actually injur myself. I think I'll be able to do the treadmill tomorrow and then next week I might start adding in small doses of elliptical each workout session.
Alright, I should eat lunch, I'm very hungry today. Have a great day ladies!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Super Sunday!
Happy Monday ladies! I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend and that you had a chance to enjoy a little bit of rest and relaxation. I had a good weekend which culminated in the Super Bowl last night. I have to admit, I went into the game hoping for a Packers victory (gotta support the NFC North), but I was really glad when the Steelers got back into the game. I always hate a landslide victory in a big game like the Super Bowl. There was certainly no lack of suspense in the big game this year! I hope for many more like it in the years to come. I was sort of hoping for a Steelers TD and 2 packer field goals in the 4th quarter (I would have won $105 in the work SB squares) but I'm OK losing $5.
Of course, more people are talking about the commercials today than the game itself. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the commercials this year. I feel like there was an improvement in the overall quality. I think my favorite commercial was the Chrysler 200 with Eminem. It was quite moving for a Super Bowl commercial. I also really liked the woodchuck commercial, which I only saw because Sheena showed it to me this morning. Apparently I missed it last night. It was fantastic. My bronze choice selection would have to be the Volkswagen Darth Vader commercial. I'm always a sucker for cute kids. The back story is even better considering the 6 year old who played little Darth is a congenital heart patient with a pacemaker.
On the other end of the spectrum were the Doritos commercials...the guy sucking the other guys cheese fingers was creepy. I found the Groupon commercial about Tibet to be of incredibly poor taste. I couldn't even believe they went there when I was watching it. The things some people find entertaining surprises me.
I watched Christina sing the national anthem, apparently I wasn't paying attention because I didn't notice the goof. I also watched the half-time show. I was glad that it was the first culturally relevant half-time act since Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. I will admit to getting a little teary-eyed watching it. My mom LOVED the Black Eyed Peas (I know, how random) and, while the vocals were a bit sketchy, the atmosphere was fun and I think my mom would have really enjoyed it. I thought Slash did amazing but Fergie, with all of her talent cannot sing Sweet Child of Mine.
All in all, it was an entertaining night and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I decided to splurge and ordered Jimmy John's for dinner last night...they make a rocken' good tuna sub. I'm glad that I had a good work out yesterday morning because while they're tasty they are a helluva lot of calories.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the game (I'm sorry your guys lost Jenny) and had a great time. Have a fantastic week!
Of course, more people are talking about the commercials today than the game itself. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the commercials this year. I feel like there was an improvement in the overall quality. I think my favorite commercial was the Chrysler 200 with Eminem. It was quite moving for a Super Bowl commercial. I also really liked the woodchuck commercial, which I only saw because Sheena showed it to me this morning. Apparently I missed it last night. It was fantastic. My bronze choice selection would have to be the Volkswagen Darth Vader commercial. I'm always a sucker for cute kids. The back story is even better considering the 6 year old who played little Darth is a congenital heart patient with a pacemaker.
On the other end of the spectrum were the Doritos commercials...the guy sucking the other guys cheese fingers was creepy. I found the Groupon commercial about Tibet to be of incredibly poor taste. I couldn't even believe they went there when I was watching it. The things some people find entertaining surprises me.
I watched Christina sing the national anthem, apparently I wasn't paying attention because I didn't notice the goof. I also watched the half-time show. I was glad that it was the first culturally relevant half-time act since Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. I will admit to getting a little teary-eyed watching it. My mom LOVED the Black Eyed Peas (I know, how random) and, while the vocals were a bit sketchy, the atmosphere was fun and I think my mom would have really enjoyed it. I thought Slash did amazing but Fergie, with all of her talent cannot sing Sweet Child of Mine.
All in all, it was an entertaining night and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I decided to splurge and ordered Jimmy John's for dinner last night...they make a rocken' good tuna sub. I'm glad that I had a good work out yesterday morning because while they're tasty they are a helluva lot of calories.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the game (I'm sorry your guys lost Jenny) and had a great time. Have a fantastic week!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Snowzilla...
Happy white and fluffy Wednesday all! I am happy to report that we've received the majority of the snow that snowmageddon is going to be dropping on us...yes, people around here are actually calling this storm snowmageddon, snowzilla and the snowpocalypse :) Monday evening through Tuesday a.m. we got about 2 inches of snow and then a small reprieve before we got dumped on. I'm happy to report that instead of the 12-18 inches that were predicted, we only got 6 over night. Thank God! I was up early today, hoping to be out of my apartment as soon as they plowed through the complex, and there is still the possibility of another 1-3 inches throughout the day today but by tonight it should be dry, cold but dry. I'm really looking forward to the dry, but cold weather. My drive to work today was a little dicey in some spots but once they catch up on plowing it should be OK. A lot of people from back home have been posting pictures and statuses on Facebook and it looks like it's pretty miserable there as well. I normally enjoy the winter and snow but this year I feel like spring won't get here fast enough. On a happier note, for those believers out there, the groundhog saw no shadow so we only have six more weeks of winter...right?!?!
I'm really starting to wish that I had enough PTO to have called in today. There is literally nothing to do. It's odd how people don't want to come in to the doctors when they get dumped on by snow. I had the majority of my work done by 10:00 this morning. I feel really bad sitting here doing nothing but I don't really have any other options. To be frank, I don't actually feel that bad to be sitting here doing nothing. While all of the other managers were going around telling their employees to be safe and not come in if they couldn't, our boss came around and told us that we were all expected to be here. It's his fault that we have a full staff of 4 for 3 patients today. At least I get to catch up on my blogging! I think I'll take a little of my free time and work on some plans for my sister's bridal shower. It's still 4 months away but I figure it's going to arrive faster than I'm expecting. I think I have the guest list finalized and I've picked out the paper for the invites. Now I need to work on the wording, after all it has to be approved by my step-mom (rolls eyes), and that could take a few edits and I need to think about the menu. We're doing an open house from 10:30 to 1:00 and I was thinking finger foods for the win! Karla and Tasha went to a bridal show in Independence this weekend and Kathy's Kakes had samples. We're not fond of her cake because she uses fondant which is really gross (not just hers but all fondant), however I guess she had these chocolate covered cheesecake bites that were amazing. Tasha really wants to get them for the party, they're a little on the spendy side but if we keep our cost down on other things it shouldn't be an issue. I really want to make cake bites which are so amazing but really cheap. I guess I'll have to see what Shirley thinks...
Now that I'm writing about this, I actually have a question for you. I'm polling as many people as I can. What are your thoughts on bridal shower games: good, bad or the devil? If you feel strongly that there should be some, any ideas for good ones? I'm leaning towards not having any but I know some people feel that they're essential. Now, bachelorette party games are a must. I'm open to suggestions for those as well!
OK, I think I'm done rambling. I hope all is well and that you're enjoying any time off that you might be getting. Have a great week and stay safe!
I'm really starting to wish that I had enough PTO to have called in today. There is literally nothing to do. It's odd how people don't want to come in to the doctors when they get dumped on by snow. I had the majority of my work done by 10:00 this morning. I feel really bad sitting here doing nothing but I don't really have any other options. To be frank, I don't actually feel that bad to be sitting here doing nothing. While all of the other managers were going around telling their employees to be safe and not come in if they couldn't, our boss came around and told us that we were all expected to be here. It's his fault that we have a full staff of 4 for 3 patients today. At least I get to catch up on my blogging! I think I'll take a little of my free time and work on some plans for my sister's bridal shower. It's still 4 months away but I figure it's going to arrive faster than I'm expecting. I think I have the guest list finalized and I've picked out the paper for the invites. Now I need to work on the wording, after all it has to be approved by my step-mom (rolls eyes), and that could take a few edits and I need to think about the menu. We're doing an open house from 10:30 to 1:00 and I was thinking finger foods for the win! Karla and Tasha went to a bridal show in Independence this weekend and Kathy's Kakes had samples. We're not fond of her cake because she uses fondant which is really gross (not just hers but all fondant), however I guess she had these chocolate covered cheesecake bites that were amazing. Tasha really wants to get them for the party, they're a little on the spendy side but if we keep our cost down on other things it shouldn't be an issue. I really want to make cake bites which are so amazing but really cheap. I guess I'll have to see what Shirley thinks...
Now that I'm writing about this, I actually have a question for you. I'm polling as many people as I can. What are your thoughts on bridal shower games: good, bad or the devil? If you feel strongly that there should be some, any ideas for good ones? I'm leaning towards not having any but I know some people feel that they're essential. Now, bachelorette party games are a must. I'm open to suggestions for those as well!
OK, I think I'm done rambling. I hope all is well and that you're enjoying any time off that you might be getting. Have a great week and stay safe!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Blizzard!!
Hey Ladies:
I feel a cold coming on...or maybe it's already come since my throat is sore and I'm all sniffly. I'm not feeling super motivated therefore I haven't touched the work I brought home this afternoon. I came home early since Ames dismissed schools at 1:30pm due to the splendid weather. Sadly I had to cancel Swim & Gym too since the last thing I wanted was families on the road trying to get to ISU to play. I'm wondering how tomorrow will play out...DMACC closed down today and Jon thinks they might alter their schedule tomorrow too. ISU even shut down tonight and canceled evening classes.
I had my first vehicle-related incident last night due to the snow. We came back to the apartment after basketball practice and I slowly...SLOWLY...turned onto 4th street. Before I knew it I spun around almost 360 degrees. Fortunately the car behind me stayed a good distance away and I didn't smack into the Cyride bus coming toward me in the opposite direction. I hate that things like that occur even when you're being cautious.
Sadly my exercise and diet are not improving. It really sucks that the new year begins in the winter...I want to be outside doing things. Going outside increases the risk of busting my ass on ice. I haven't gotten to a Weight Watcher's meeting yet. I appreciate their numerous meeting days/times but they aren't jiving with my schedule. I had hoped to attend the meeting at 12:15pm on Thursdays. I finish teaching a class at noon and I don't have time to change my clothes (it's an aquatic class), walk to my car, and drive to the center of Ames. Monday nights stink because of Gavin's basketball practice and I often work at the Red Cross on Monday evenings. I did some investigating though and found the location of the Weight Watcher meetings in Ankeny. Oddly enough, they aren't centralized. They are in a conference room at a hotel outside the city.
I hope everyone is staying warm and healthy!
I feel a cold coming on...or maybe it's already come since my throat is sore and I'm all sniffly. I'm not feeling super motivated therefore I haven't touched the work I brought home this afternoon. I came home early since Ames dismissed schools at 1:30pm due to the splendid weather. Sadly I had to cancel Swim & Gym too since the last thing I wanted was families on the road trying to get to ISU to play. I'm wondering how tomorrow will play out...DMACC closed down today and Jon thinks they might alter their schedule tomorrow too. ISU even shut down tonight and canceled evening classes.
I had my first vehicle-related incident last night due to the snow. We came back to the apartment after basketball practice and I slowly...SLOWLY...turned onto 4th street. Before I knew it I spun around almost 360 degrees. Fortunately the car behind me stayed a good distance away and I didn't smack into the Cyride bus coming toward me in the opposite direction. I hate that things like that occur even when you're being cautious.
Sadly my exercise and diet are not improving. It really sucks that the new year begins in the winter...I want to be outside doing things. Going outside increases the risk of busting my ass on ice. I haven't gotten to a Weight Watcher's meeting yet. I appreciate their numerous meeting days/times but they aren't jiving with my schedule. I had hoped to attend the meeting at 12:15pm on Thursdays. I finish teaching a class at noon and I don't have time to change my clothes (it's an aquatic class), walk to my car, and drive to the center of Ames. Monday nights stink because of Gavin's basketball practice and I often work at the Red Cross on Monday evenings. I did some investigating though and found the location of the Weight Watcher meetings in Ankeny. Oddly enough, they aren't centralized. They are in a conference room at a hotel outside the city.
I hope everyone is staying warm and healthy!
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