Zucchini Ravioli can be summed up with one word: yum!!! I am a fan of pasta, that is no secret. I grew up eating most Italian based foods and unfortunately, they aren’t always so kind to the waist line! Finding a way to cut down on the carbs and calories is always a goal of mine. As is incorporating more fun foods to our week day routine. Salads can get boring, you know?! Besides, Chris stated that this is one of his favorite new “healthier” things that I have made. So you know it is good! He isn’t going to throw those terms around lightly.
What you need:
2 zucchinis
1 15 ounce container of park skim ricotta cheese
shredded Parmesan cheese
Italian season
parsley flakes
Lawry’s seasoning
jar sauce of your choice (I used a low sodium, organic tomato sauce but would be fabulous with many kinds!)
olive oil spray
What you do:
–Preheat oven to 350
–Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray
–Mix the ricotta cheese, a handful of Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and parsley in a bowl
–Slice the zucchini lengthwise into thin strips using a veggie slicer
–Make an “x” with two pieces of the zucchini and place a spoonful of the cheese mixture on to the center
–Folder over each of the the zucchini slices and place fold side down on a baking sheet until you are out of cheese
–Sprinkle Lowery’s seasoning (or one of your choice) over the “ravioli”
–Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
–Top with a few spoonfuls of sauce and shredded cheese
Is it just me, or is anyone else super stoked about the three day work week?!?!? But I know you are all dying to know what kind of shenanigans I got in to this weekend, so let’s dive in. Shall we?
Friday evening we met some friends at World of Beer. I tried a Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout as per J’s suggestion…and it was awesome!
The rest of the weekend we hung around the house and it was a mixture of being productive and being lazy. It was perfect!!!
I watched I’ll be Home for Christmas with Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Such a great 90’s movie!!! It had probably been years since I have seen it last. I tried to watch Bridget Jone’s Diary but I wasn’t in the mood I don’t think, so I switched to Home Alone. I also watched Frozen for the first time! I know, I know…I hadn’t gotten around to it. But it was so cute and I am glad I saw it!
Elsa and I are kindred spirits…
Do yourself a favor and grab a can of this Trader Joe’s Peppermint Hot Chocolate. It was amazing and went along nicely with my movie watching!
It had been a long time since I have made a big breakfast for us, so I decided to surprise Chris with maple sausage,eggs and hash browns Sunday morning. Mine was sans eggs because I have been on an I hate eggs kick the last few months.
I got a lot of work done on a new side project!!! Laura and I have started a local food blog called Besties do Bham! It is in the early stages but it is live and running. It is going to be so fun to work together on it. Follow along if you want to see some Birmingham Food Porn!!
Other things that make me happy..
If things look wonky around here and pictures are missing, terribly sorry. I am working on fixing it. Linking up with Biana. I hope you all have a great, short week!
Favorite Song: Just go ahead and expect a Christmas song for the rest of the year from me! This is Justin Bieber’s Mistletoe. Don’t judge, it is so damn catchy.
Favorite Moment: Meeting up with Laura yesterday for the grand opening of a new breakfast/lunch spot, Feast and Forest. They didn’t have a huge selection on their menu the first day so I just got a ham and cheese sandwich but I also grabbed a Nutella Poptart from their bakery case. You guys!!! Yes, it is as amazing as it sounds!!!!
Favorite Beauty Product:I purchased the Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H foundation during the Sephora sale last week and I am in love!!! Not only does this stuff have amazing coverage, but it is super build-able, doesn’t irritate my skin, looks super natural and lasts forever. Seriously, when I get home from a long day at work and look in the mirror…my face is nearly as perfect as when I left in the morning!!! Also, this stuff doesn’t rub off like every other foundation that I have ever used. Usually when I wear my sunglasses, they leave marks on my face from where they sat. Now? Nothing!!! Super win for me. I think I found my holy grail foundation.
Favorite Mail: Black Friday ads are rolling in!!! Although, I don’t like to see places opening on Thursday during Thanksgiving dinner. Boo!!!! My mom and I will be out much later that night when all the world is tucked away to sleep 🙂
Favorite Recipe: After looking at this picture, I need to get some almond flour!!!
Favorite Work Out: Thanks to Kate, I tried a new Barre 3 video this week that I actually enjoyed. Even though it kicked my ass thoroughly and I nearly face planted once. Try this out to pump up the jam!
–I love a staged photo for Pinterest but I am so tired of seeing the same photos all over Instagram. I want real life!!! Laura shares her favorite Instagram accounts with real life pictures. What is yours?
As you all know, I try to stay on the healthy eating wagon (at least during the week). But let’s be real for a minute ok? It can get really boring. I tend to fall in to the trap of making the same recipes over and over for a month or so and finally either Chris or I will be like ummm let’s change it up this week!!!
I was really excited when I opened the box to my Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook! It has over 350 healthy recipes inside! There is a wide variety of different types of recipes from main dishes, drinks, sides, snacks, etc. Some of these recipes seem quick and easy and others are more advanced. Now, I knew nothing about Trim Healthy Mama before getting this cookbook, so I didn’t realize they have a whole blog and brand. I just get excited about healthy recipes!
At the beginning of the book it talks about the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle and talks about the different tags for the recipes. Like there is FP for fuel pull, S for satisfying, E for energizing, etc. It also tells you the tools and such that you will need in your kitchen. This book is all about lifestyle, not just a diet.
Some recipes that stand out to me:
-Just Like Campbell’s Tomato Soup
-Jalapeno Onion Burgers
-Banana Bread Pudding
-Drive Thru Sue Cheesy Crackers
One thing that really bothers me about most of the recipes is that they require Trim Healthy Mama products. These products have to be ordered online and they are a tad on the pricey side. See here. I can appreciate the healthy alternatives needed for the recipes but I don’t want to have to get on a website to order those things. What I will say is at the bottom of most of these recipes it will tell you substitutes so you can make it shopping from your regular grocery store. It is just most often, you will be adding calories/changing the nutrition of them.
There are also ingredients that I just don’t keep on hand or use for anything else. They give you a list of things that you may not have on hand that they suggest having for the recipes though, so at least you know in advance.
Now, I wanted to share a recipe from the book for your holiday gatherings!!!
Cranberry Wassail (makes 2 quarts)
What you Need:
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
3 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp who cloves
3 star anise (optional)
1/4 tsp pure stevia extract
2 tsp orange extract (or a few drops of pure essential orange oil)
What you do:
1.Put the cranberries, cinnamon sticks, cloves and star anise into a large pot and cover with about 1 1/2 quarts of water. Place lid on pot and bring to a rolling boil over medium high heat. Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and brew for 1 hour.
2.Fit a 2 quart jug or larger jug with a circle of fine cheesecloth, tying it over the mouth of the jar, or insert a funnel type coffee filter into the mouth of the jug. (You can use the permanent filter from your coffee maker.) Using a ladle, scoop the mixture into your filter to strain it into the jar. YOu might need to swish things around in the filter or remove mush to allow the liquid through occasionally.
3. Remove the filter and add very hot water to top of jar. Add the stevia and orange extract, stir very well, and taste.
Serving Suggestion: Pour the wassail into a warmed crockpot to enjoy on Thanksgiving or Christmas day with guests.
Read more about Trim Healthy Mama here. You can follow along with the Trim Healthy Mama on Facebook and Twitter!
**I received this book from Blogging for Books but all opinions are honest and of my own. **
It’s time to drop those confessions on to the interwebz! Link up with Kathy and I and get them off your chest.
–Having our Christmas decor up makes me so ridiculously happy. Every time I walk in the living room, I just smile and stare at it all. Such a cozy feeling! #christmascheer #nevertooearlytodecorate
–Do you know what drives me bonkers? Taking a sip of hot tea or coffee when I am wearing my glasses. They fog up every time! #nerdproblems #foureyes
–I haven’t ran in over a week. I am still working out, but I caught some kind of crud a few days ago and well….breathing is a chore basically all the time. If I tried to run right now, I would probably kill over! #asthmaproblems #coldssuck
–I did a Barre 3 workout this morning and that shit is no joke. Also it made me realize how terrible my balance has gotten. #notgraceful
How I look….
–Do you ever have some ideas in your head, but you don’t know how to make them a reality? This is random and open ended but I have so many ideas floating around and I just need to write them all down and focus on them maybe one or two at a time to bring them to fruition. #focus
–Speaking of ideas, I will be unveiling a new side project soon that I am stoked about! #stoked
–Every time some major tragedy occurs, I have a hard time putting in to words what goes through my mind so more often than not I say nothing at all. Don’t take that as my lack of thought or care but more that I am in a state of shock and sadness for the victims and full of anger and rage at the senseless of such an act.
