Early Morning Chef

This morning I was up bright and early in hopes of a snow day.

 

No such luck.

 

Instead of pancakes and hot coffee on the couch, I decided to go with a quick shower and getting my lunch together.

 

Since we ate out a lot this weekend, we really don’t have any leftovers or lunch stuff for me to bring. I had to get a little creative.

 

I saw spaghetti squash.

I saw leftover mashed potatoes.

Could it work?

 

Yeah!

I first squeezed out the cooked spaghetti squash for any extra water. (Click here to learn how to cook one in the microwave easily.)

 

I mixed the squeezed squash with about 1/4 of a cup of leftover mashed potatoes, 1 egg, salt, pepper and a dash of garlic powder.

 

Sautéed on medium for about 5 min per side and voila!

 

Along side I packed a greek yogurt, an apple, a few leftover zucchini fries, a string cheese, and a banana.

 

For breakfast I broke into the stash.

Peanut Flour Spread on a bagel thin with some honey

Love starting the day with a little suga! And how cute is that bear?

Off to school in a few. I’m sure my students are just as bummed about spending the day inside instead of at home in the snow.

 

Oh well. At least I have some form of pancake to eat today.

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4 mile high and QSC Casserole

Hey guys!

Taking a break from studying and getting out a bit this afternoon was just what the doctor ordered. I feel like a new woman!

Around 4 I went to the gym with low expectations for what I would be able to accomplish with my tailbone pain. I hopped on the treadmill to test things out, and although I felt tightness, I felt no pain.

I ran at about a 10 min/mile pace for the first mile (my first mile in 2011) and the rush of running felt so good, I thought I might cry (i might be a tad hormonal). But honestly, it was an incredible feeling.

Even though I was inside, I pictured myself running the streets of Philly during my half marathon. I know, I’m a weirdo, but whatever gets you through, right?

Four miles went by really fast, and I was even able to pick up the pace quite a bit after the first mile and a half.

Now on to fuel…

Tonight for dinner I was feeling adventurous.  Earlier this week I saw this casserole on Meghann’s blog, and thought I would try something similar and incorporate some other leftovers I had in the house.

Quinoa Squash Cauliflower (QSC) Casserole – serves 3-4

I first started by cooking 1/2 cup of quinoa in 1 cup of chicken stock

Once it was done, I mixed it with the rest of the spaghetti squash I had in the fridge, and 2 Garlic and Herb laughing cow wedges.

I pressed this all into the baking dish and put it in the oven for about 6-7 minutes on 400.

After that, I topped the quinoa “crust” with some roasted cauliflower, and covered the whole thing in 2% milk shredded cheese and a sprinkle of parmesan.

Bake in the oven for 15 min on 350 until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

And there you have it! A delicious casserole that was super easy (and cheesy)

I served mine with 1/2 a whole grain roll, and some cucumber for a little crunch.

Did you get in a workout today? If so, whaddya do?

Any favorite casserole recipes to share? Go ahead, link away!

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Perfect Spaghetti Squash in 16 minutes

Here are some common misconceptions about spaghetti squash:

 

1. It is an adequate substitute for pasta

Um, no. It is still a vegetable and it still tastes like one no matter what shape it is in. Is it delicious and tastes good with marinara? Sure. But let’s not get carried away, ok?

2. It takes 40 minutes or so to cook face down in water in the oven.

NO WAY!!! Here’s how to make spaghetti squash perfect every time right in the microwave.

First, take your spaghetti squash and jab a knife into it to make some holes. Be careful, these things are wobbly so go slow and use a small knife that you can control.

 

Place the squash in a glass dish and put a little water on the bottom to help facilitate steaming.

 

Start with 8 minutes for side #1

 

After 8 min, (USING POT HOLDERS!!!!!) flip the squash to the other side and put it back in for another 8 minutes. Be careful because hot steaming water can leak out of the holes. I use my pot holder gloves or tongs when handling the squash at this point.

 

Once the squash has cooked for another 8 minutes. Let it sit in the microwave for as long as you can stand it. It will cool down and continue to steam. I usually wait about 10 min.

 

Cut into the squash using a knife. It will be steamy so be careful. It should be soft enough to cut easily all the way through. (A million times easier than trying to cut the entire raw squash in half.)

Use an ice cream scoop to take out the seeds

Then start to scrape at the squash and it will come apart in spaghetti like strands.

Top it however you like.

 

My favorite ways to eat it are:

 

With tomato sauce and parmesan

or

With laughing cow cheese, parmesan, butter and black pepper

 

Enjoy!!

 

Have you ever used this method for spaghetti squash?

What are your fav recipes with it?

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How to cut a butternut squash and still have 10 fingers

As I’m writing this, I’m finishing up a delicious post workout snack.

Honey flavored Chobani with Mariani Cinnamon Raisin Bread flavored raisins. I got these as a free sample, and they are incredibly delicious!

 

Oh and yes, I did workout today! 35 easy minutes on the elliptical and 10 solid minutes of stretching. My muscles feel loose and I feel refreshed.

I also just spent some time in the kitchen prepping some veggies for roasting. And I thought it might be a good idea to show you my favorite way to prep butternut squash. These things are tricky to cut, and hopefully this will simplify things.

 

First things first. You will need:

A cutting board

A big knife

Start by washing the squash. You are going to keep the skin on, so it needs to be cleaned. I did eventually remove the produce sticker as well.

 

Cut the ends off the squash. You don’t want to eat these, and this will also help you maintain a sturdy cutting surface.

 

Now cut the squash in half. Not down the middle (that’s dangerous), just cut at the narrowest part of the neck, so you’re separating the neck and the bulb. Then cut the bulb in half.

De-seed the squash. I like to use an ice cream scoop.

Now flip the bulb over and cut into half moons. When you’re done, cut the neck in half and slice the same way.

There you have it! All about the same size/thickness, all fingers in tact.

 

Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Roast at 425 for 40 minutes.

Enjoy!

 

Have you tried butternut squash with the skin on? – Best thing ever!
What are your favorite kitchen tools?- I love my big knives and kitchen scissors are great too!

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Sink In

Usually when I’m running I try and tell myself to "Sink In" to my pace. What that means is that I just need to relax, and settle into a comfortable pace. This helps me to focus less on how fast I’m going and to be more aware of how I’m feeling.

 

HOWEVER, I’ve been having a little trouble with that lately. I am starting to run a little faster and I like the way the pace feels, but I can’t completely sink in.

I used to look down at my Garmin and always see 10:19 or 10:08 no matter how fast or slow I thought I was running. Now I’m a little all over the place. Today I ended up walking .5 of my 5 mile run because I got a little winded and needed to walk.

Mile 1- 9:06/mi

Mile 2- 9:23/mi

Mile 3- 9:51/mi

Mile 4- 9:33/mi

Mile 4.5-9:17m

I think being in-between paces is like losing weight and being in between sizes. It’s a good thing..but it’s a little annoying.

I also might just be overthinking it. I think having a Garmin can contribute to that.

 

Speaking of sinking in..I sunk my teeth into a delicious lunch today.

I reheated some kabocha squash and doctored it up with balsamic glaze and goat cheese.

I also had an apple that I smeared with a new creation.

Cinnamon Maple Peanut Spread

15 grams or 1/8 cup of peanut flour

1-2 tbsp of almond milk

squirt of maple syrup

dash of cinnamon

The spread is only 2 grams of fat and has 8 grams of protein. And it tastes great!

 

For a snack in class tonight I’m going to grab a handful of these

Roasted Kabocha squash seeds with kosher salt. Good stuff!

 

Do you have any running mantras?

Do you use a Garmin, and if so, has the overthinking ever gotten to you?

Do you like roasted squash/pumpkin seeds?

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Overrated?

So…I really didn’t enjoy my Kabocha squash all that much.

 

It was kind of mealy, not sweet but not savory, and just overall nothing to write home about.

 

I roasted it on 425 with olive oil, and salt. That’s my typical squash roasting routine.

 

Did I do something wrong?

I served it with leftover Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Chicken and brussels sprouts.

Halfway through though, I decided that the squash needed a bit of doctoring.

 

Enter the condiments.

They helped. Especially the syrup. But really, when does maple syrup NOT help?

 

What are your favorite condiments?

What is your favorite kind of squash? I think mine is officially butternut (w/skin on)

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Initial Thoughts on Kabocha

This damn squash better be good. Because I almost cut a few fingers off trying to cut it up.

 

It’s hard. It’s round. Its wobbly.

 

 

 

It’s got a lot of seeds. I’m going to roast those later.

I meant to take a picture of it all cut up before I put it in the oven, but I guess I was too flustered over the orange explosion in my kitchen…and the fact that I almost lost a digit or two.

 

Ironically, my free pomegranate from POM wonderful arrived today

But, I’m a little gun shy right now. Plus all 10 of my knives are dirty since I tried each one as a way to pry open the Kabochamonster.

 

It’s in the oven now. I’ll let you know how it turned out later!

Any tips for cutting oddly shaped, hard and wobbly produce?

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Some new arrivals

Thankfully we had enough in the house for me to whip up an old favorite for lunch. Yummy Stuffed Eggplant with some brussels on the side.

Man those veggies tasted good! I was starting to think I was risk for scurvy when I was in Miami.

 

After lunch I needed to hit up the grocery store in a major way! We were pretty much out of everything.

Oh and look what I found!

I’ve been hearing about kabocha squash for quite sometime now. I can’t wait to try it out! It kind of looks like the Buttercup Squash my father in law gave me. I wonder if it will taste similar.

 

I also got some new tea that sounded good and was only $2.

I’m not a huge tea person, but every now and then a cup sounds good. Today might be one of those days. It’s freezing outside.

 

Time to get ready for class…and oh no, I think it’s getting dark already!

 

Are you a tea drinker?

Have you ever tried kabocha squash?

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She’s a Maniac

Lucky for me, I don’t have class on Fridays. So while I should be catching up on work, I usually just run errands like a maniac.

Want to maniac-it-out with me?

First stop:

Gas station. Got to fuel up Rhonda the Honda.

Second stop:

Return the husband’s nice birthday scotch for a different nice scotch. I love scotch…

Third Stop:

Library for school stuff. I check out a lot of children’s books for my school projects, so I needed to return and get some new stuff. Have you been to the library lately? It is such a great alternative to buying books and magazines.

Fourth Stop:

Old Navy!

I had a rewards card and a 40% off coupon. Got new pants and a shirt for $17

Fifth Stop:

ROSS. (think lots of random crap. like TJ Maxx without any of the glitz). Needed to exchange some shorts I bought Joe.

Sixth Stop:

CVS. Gotta get some stuff to protect my blisters for the race tomorrow.

Seventh Stop: (YOU TIRED YET???)

Pier one! I had a gift card and wanted to pick up a delicious sounding Pumpkin Caramel candle that Tina mentioned on her blog as well as some new hand soap for the bathroom.

Golden apple orchard scented. Mmmm

Eighth Stop: HOME!

Time to pull out a few Halloween decorations. I’m too cheap to buy a pumpkin for outside this year. Plus if I’m buying squash these days, I’m going to eat it, not decorate with it.

Glass pumpkins for the coffee table

Green witch candle for somewhere else (WOW-THE DUST ON MY TABLE IS EMBARASSING!)

Then it was time to EAT!

For some odd reason there were two REALLY random wedges of pizza leftover, so I heated them up alongside a spinach/arugula salad with pear, goat cheese, butternut squash and balsamic vinegar and oil.

 

Now I’m off to DUST my coffee table and light that pumpkin candle.

Have a great afternoon!!

What errands do you have on your list?

How are you decorating for Halloween/Fall this year?

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Crockpot Confessions

I’m not really a "beef" person, but now and then I like a change. My friend Katie made this roast beef recipe when a bunch of us were away for the weekend, and it’s a keeper.

Just a few ingredients

Beef (rump/bottom round)

Beef Stock (or red wine, I didnt have any wine)

Lipton Beefy onion soup mix

Pickle juice (YES, Pickle juice)

 

Put the beef, soup mix, 1/2 cup stock or wine, and 1/4 cup pickle juice in the crock pot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours until the beef shreds and falls apart.

I’m eating mine on a sandwich thin with provolone cheese and spinach. On the side, leftover brussels and roasted squash. And some baby pickles.

I’m also going to dig in to that pumpkin mousse for dessert.

 

Now, it’s time for a few confessions (more to come):

 

I’d be a fat vegan

Does anyone else find that the majority of vegan recipes seem to be amazing desserts? I know there are other options but I think if I was vegan, I’d live on those little peanut butter balls.

I really want my blog to help people

As a recovering emotional eater and binger, I have often felt really alone. This is actually the first time I’m really coming out about this stuff in a more public way. Its hard because it’s embarrassing and scary to admit some of the things I’ve done and felt, but I know that it’s important I do it. I think being honest about what I’ve gone though (and am still going through) is a part of my recovery as well. I just hope that I can at least reach one person. If I can help one person feel that they are not alone in this, then this is all worth it. I think sometimes it seems that people in the healthy living blogosphere have it all together. And that’s just not true. (for me, anyway)

I’m scared of what pregnancy will do to my body

As I move towards having kids, I can’t help but be scared of what pregnancy is going to do to me. I often wonder how much weight I will gain, what my eating habits will be like, and how long it will take to lose the weight. I feel that I’ve gotten to a good place physically and mentally, and I really don’t want pregnancy to flip my world upside down. But at the same time, if I’m blessed enough to be able to have children, I’ll do whatever it takes since it will no longer just be about ME.

I’m scared that I will pass my food issues to my kids

This is a big one. I spent so much of my life struggling with my self image and learning how to love myself. I remember coming home from school crying all the time because kids would make fun of my weight. I just wanted to be "normal". I pray that my kids get my husband’s fast metabolism and never get made fun of.  I pray that they will learn to have a positive relationship with food and exercise. I hope that the balance I am finally finding will be what I convey to them and I don’t somehow mess that up.

 

Any confessions you’d like to get off your chest?

If you have any other questions for me, please feel free to ask anonymously by clicking HERE

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