A Little Spark!

After much pondering, I've decided to start using Sparkpeople as my main support group and tracking tool. I joined Sparkpeople years ago and always enjoyed visiting there but never really used their program. Since I need more accountability right now, this seems like the perfect time to heat things up and use the site to it's full potential!

Feel free to take a peek at my Sparkpage if you'd like to explore further.


And, to tantalize your taste buds, look at this deeelicious recipe from Real Simple I found yesterday! Please note, my computer is still not back in my hot little hands so I'm unable to redux this recipe for you. I will be substituting part-skim ricotta but otherwise I think it stands on it's own as a pretty healthy dish.


Eggplant Lasagna With Herbed Ricotta and Asiago

Serves 4
Hands-on Time: 20m
Total Time: 45m

Ingredients

* 1/2 pound plum tomatoes, halved and seeded
* 1 clove garlic
* 4 tablespoons olive oil
* kosher salt and black pepper
* 2 eggplants (about 3 pounds), sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick
* 1 cup ricotta
* 1 large egg
* 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
* 1/4 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan (1 ounce)
* 4 cups mixed greens

Directions

1. Heat broiler. In a food processor, puree the tomatoes, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

2. In 2 batches, arrange the eggplant on a broilerproof baking sheet, brush with 2 tablespoons of the oil, and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Broil until charred and tender, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, basil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

4. Spread half the tomato sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. On top of it, layer a third of the eggplant and half the ricotta mixture. Repeat with another layer of eggplant and ricotta. Top with the remaining eggplant and tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the Asiago.

5. Reduce oven to 400º F and bake until bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Divide the greens among plates, drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil, and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the lasagna.

Tip:This lasagna can be easily made in advance. Refrigerate it, wrapped, up to 2 days. Reheat at 350º F for 20 to 30 minutes.

Rapunzel's note: I'll be substituting part-skim ricotta to cut down on fat & calories.

Nutritional Information: Calories 378; Fat 26g; Sat Fat 9g; Cholesterol 91mg; Sodium 782mg; Protein 15g; Carbohydrate 27g; Fiber 14g


Doesn't that look amazing? Guess what I'll be having for dinner tonight? Mmm....but in the meantime, it's off to work for me, hope you all have a Beauty-Full Day!

Beach Beauties

For your viewing pleasure...



Enjoy!

Stuck on the Beach

Yesterday Beren and I decided to take the jet ski out for a little ride around the ocean so we loaded it up on the trailer, got it into the water and away we went..about a yard from the dock we noticed that something was wrong. The jet ski felt heavy & sluggish, difficult to steer and balance. Beren turned around quickly, headed back to the dock but only made it halfway there before tipping us over. *giggle* Soaking wet, we managed to get the little boat back on the trailer at which point Beren discovered that he had forgotten to close the plugs on the back, therefore letting in gallons of water. Oops! No wonder we were sinking! Ah, well, stuff happens, plans change. Back at home, we had lunch and decided we'd head down to Main Street for some live music and a cocktail. We hopped in the car and quickly discovered that something was wrong with the clutch...it had been acting up for a while but Beren was nursing it along, hoping for a car repair reprieve. No such luck. So...instead of heading home last night, we spent another night and today will find a mechanic who'll hopefully make the necessary repairs and get us back on the road. Is it awful that I was more-than-slightly happy about being near the beach for one more day? *grin* What a terrible hardship, right?

In other news, I did pretty well eating-wise this weekend. Other than a small serving of Beren's irresistible homemade french fries, I stuck to my plan and didn't feel terribly deprived. We tend to eat more simply here when it's just the two of us, fewer recipes and kid-friendly dishes, more grilling and fresh vegetables. Unfortunately this one good weekend did not affect the scale..I'm ashamed to admit that the number this morning read 172.4. Never in my life did I think I would be this heavy, don't even think I reached that weight when pregnant. I'm disgusted over it but not going to sit around and whine, that doesn't do any good. I just need to take action.


Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Back to the Basics

My laptop is still out of service, have a wonderful Geek friend attempting to repair. I don't care what else is lost, I'm just begging him to save my pictures! Keep your fingers crossed, dear friends, that it's returned to me with all of my precious pin-ups intact! In the meantime, Beren has been generous about allowing me to use his, probably since he knows I'm downloading all kinds of sexy pin-up ladies onto his hard drive. *wink*

After a week of no weight loss and much frustration, I'm going back to the basics this week. Lots of lean protein, fruit & veggies. No processed white stuff. Exercise. It sounds so easy, doesn't it? Then why the heck can't I manage to do it? I'm sick & tired of dealing with this weight, tired of looking at myself in the mirror with total disgust. Can't stand the sight of my body in a bathing suit or, worse yet, in the nude. Angry about the closet full of cute clothes that I can't fit into, and the larger sizes I continue to buy out of necessity. Something has got to change, I can't live this way anymore.

So, tonight I'm having Beren grill some chicken for me, using tips posted by one of my favorite bloggers, Kalyn. I'll serve it over a big green salad and fresh fruit for dessert. Simple. Tasty. Good for me. Period. Since we're in Ormond this weekend, some beach walks are definitely in order as well.

Hope you're all having a Beauty-full day so far, TGIF!

Under Construction

Please forgive my absence, everyone, but my computer has been broken for over a week now! I'm going crazy without it, relying on occasional use of my work computer and Beren's laptop. I hope to be back in action soon, miss you all!

Rapunzel~

Wonderful Wednesday

I have a very busy day, girlfriends, and need to get my tush ready for work pronto but just wanted to pop in and report that I'm down another pound! Yippee! Again, I'm not going to think of it as "only" one pound, especially when I see exactly what a pound of fat looks like....



Ugh! I am happy as heck to have that off my hips & thighs but hmm...check out this interesting butter commercial..giggle....



Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Fitness Tips for Vintage-Lovin Gals

Have a Beauty-Full Day,

June!

Don't look now but a new month is upon us! I can't believe that half the year has passed, six months since many of us made those New Years Resolutions to lose weight, get healthy, etc. etc. I'm wondering, how many of you kept those promises to yourself? Can you look back at the beginning of 2010 with pride, knowing that you've stayed on the right track? Or, like me, did you find yourself starting over & over again?

Well, nevermind about the past, let's start anew right from here, June 1, 2010! How about a fresh new recipe to kick things off?

This was originally published in Weight Watchers Light & Easy Cookbook, 1997.


Saucy Chicken Casserole

-------- ------------ --------------------------------
vegetable cooking spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic -- minced
15 ounces canned crushed tomatoes -- undrained
1/2 teaspoon fresh marjoram
1/4 teaspoon fresh oregano
3 cups boneless skinless chicken breast -- cooked and chopped
1 tablespoon smart Balance Spread
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup skim milk
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon bread crumbs

Coat a medium saucepan wth cooking spray and add oil; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until onion is tender. Add tomato, marjoram, and oregano; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. Stir in chicken; set aside.

Melt spread in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat add flour. Cook, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly, and cook 5 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in mustard. Add to chicken mixture, stirring to combine. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray.

Combine cheese and breadcrumbs; sprinkle evenly over chicken mixture. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Serves 4.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 307 Calories; 6g Fat (17.9% calories from fat); 46g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 105mg Cholesterol; 334mg Sodium.

Enjoy!