Pizza Casserole

I spent a little time browsing on Pinterest today.  After the kids and I spent 2 hours weeding and watering our little garden.  And I saw that one of my friends had pinned a recipe for a pizza casserole.  A casserole that was filled with three types of meat and two different cheeses.  It looked delicious.  It looked gooey.  It also looked so very unhealthy.

So I quickly headed to My Fitness Pal and entered the recipe exactly as it was given.  You will never guess how many calories are in one serving of this recipe.

Go ahead.


Take a guess.



You don't have to say it out loud.

1647 calories.  In ONE serving.  That is wrong.  So very wrong.

But by this point I was really craving a pizza casserole so I decided to make my own, healthier, veggie filled version.  It turned out pretty good.  By that, I mean, I liked it, the kids ate it with no complaining about the veggies (other than Kel searching for hidden mushrooms).  

• 1 box Ronzoni's Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Penne 
• 1 jar pasta sauce (I used Naturally Preferred Organic Italian Herb)
• Pineapple (I used frozen-thawed in microwave but fresh or canned would work)
• 1/2 package Uncured Italian Dry Salami (I thought I had pepperoni but this tasted great!)
• 1 small onion, minced (my daughter won't eat it if she sees it so I mince, feel free to chop)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Frozen spinach, thawed and drained (fresh would work too)
• 3/4 C cheddar cheese, grated

Cook the pasta until it's almost done (otherwise it gets squishy).  Meanwhile put a little sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.  At this point I started chopping the onions and garlic.  I thawed the pineapple, salami and spinach in the microwave.  Once the pasta is done, drain it really well so your dish doesn't get too watery; between the pineapple and the thawed spinach you are already fighting against water so don't make it worse.  Be sure you drain these as best as you can.  I put the spinach into a towel (yes it stains) and squeeze it out but whatever method works best for you.  Add the onion, garlic and spinach to the sauce (it hides it better from the kids).  I was planning on straight up lying and telling them the green stuff was herbs from the sauce but they never asked.  I even left the jar on the counter so they could see that it had no spinach or mushrooms or onions in it.

Ready for kid inspection.

The rest is simple.  Layer sauce, then pasta, then meat and pineapple and then some cheese.  I used 1/2 the package of salami which isn't a lot so I ripped the meat into smaller pieces which makes it go so much further.  Repeat until you are out of ingredients.  Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes at 350.  

Ready to go in the oven.

My kids ate this with some corn on the cob that we had leftover while I had some tossed baby spinach and cherry tomatoes.   And the best part of this recipe?  I was able to cut the calories down to 565.  That is still high, but it is loaded with veggies (green, yellow, white and red if you follow the eat the rainbow theory) and it is quite filling.  

Just enough melty cheese to satisfy but not so much as to cause a heart attack.  :)

So good.  Paper plates = no dishes.  Even better.  

Plus, if you are weeding (squatting, constantly moving up and down, pulling, using the hoe etc...) you can burn up to 500 calories per hour.  Now, as long as I don't go back for seconds later on tonight I will still be 255 calories under my max goal (set by my nutritionist).          

It took a village

My family is my village.  Mom has been in town for a few weeks waiting for one of the sisters to have her baby (she did btw- a beautiful 7 lb 12 oz little girl).  Another sis & her husband came over with their gorgeous 6 month old son.  My kids were home and we got to work.  Mom spent all day, scrubbing and reorganizing my entire kitchen.  It actually shines.

The sis headed for the basement and I now have a floor.  The kids' desks are organized and ready to be used.

The bro-in-law and my son headed upstairs, pulled the old toilet out of the bathroom and installed the new, pretty, low-flow one somebody gave to me.  He also hung up my sunflowers picture which I have had sitting around for almost 3 years.  

As for me?  I sat on the couch and my little sis just kept bringing me papers to go through. Boxes and boxes of paperwork was sorted through, organized, filed, recycled or shredded.  There must have been 4 full copy paper size boxes.  It was awful.  Freaking awful.  But it is done.  And it is gorgeous.

And it would never have happened without me swallowing my pride and asking my village to come and help me dig my way out of what was quickly becoming an upcoming episode of Hoarders.

Shelves are no longer overflowing with paperwork.

I didn't even realize they hung this up.

:)  Just sayin'

Sick Day

You may have noticed that I don't get to post on here very often.  Senior year is kicking my butt.  I am taking 15 credit hours of a very heavy science load, working 20 hours a week and both kids have busy schedules.  Neva has karate 2-3 times a week and softball 3 times a week although I only get to attend practices on Friday nights thanks to my crazy schedule.

So why do I get to post today you may be wondering?

Only because I have been up since 3 a.m. (it is now 8) with a very sick little boy.  He has already vomited nine times.

Nine.  Freaking.  Times.

I emailed my professor, Endocrinology lab TA, nutritionist and writing partner to let them know about my very sudden change in plans.  Now the boy is laying on the couch moaning (literally moaning baaaabaaaabaaamaaaaalaaaaaaalaallalalalalaa) in his typical smart aleck way while sipping on a coke and watching some television.  The daughter got up and got herself out the door thankfully able to catch a ride to school with a friend.

As for me?  I'm about to crash out on this couch and try to get a little rest.  Maybe I'll throw a little something into the crock pot before I do. 

German Sausage Potato Soup

It's been pretty darn cold around here.  Last week we got about 16 inches of snow in a day and a half.  It has continued to snow off and on giving us another 6 inches through the week.  The temperature doesn't seem to want to get above 25.  What does all of this mean?

It was time to make a big ol' pot of potato soup, that's what it means.

I also happened to have some homemade German Sausage that my MIL gave me.  So, putting these two delicious foods together I decided to make the soup for the week a German Sausage Potato Soup.

As always, I used my crock pot.

• 5 potatoes, peeled and diced  If you have organic potatoes, you should leave the skin on.  Lots of nutrients.
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• Combo of water and turkey stock to cover.  You could use veggie or chicken stock or broth too.  I just happened to have homemade turkey stock from Thanksgiving in the freezer.  
• Sausage, casing removed.  I used an uncooked sausage but I'm sure any kind would work.  Brown it if its pre-cooked it tastes so much better that way.
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Veggies I added some frozen spinach and green beans but add whatever kind you like.
• Salt & pepper to taste

I crumbled the sausage and cooked it over medium-low heat.  No need to use oil when browning sausage.  Once the sausage is no longer pink, add onions and cook for a couple minutes more until they soften.  Add minced garlic and cook for another minute or two.  Drain this mixture to get rid of any excess fat from the meat.  Add all of the ingredients except the veggies into the crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours.  Now, I live at a pretty high altitude so things take a bit longer to cook.  Just cook your soup according to your crock pot settings (mine doesn't have hi or low, just time increments).  

I didn't want to make this a cheesy, thick or cream-filled potato soup but I did want some creaminess so I decided to simply stir in a small spoonful of plain non-fat Greek yogurt into the bowl.  So creamy and yummy.  Greek yogurt is packed with protein (2.8 grams/oz) and unlike cheese has no cholesterol.   I forgot to take pictures, I was too busy inhaling but this is what it looks like without the yogurt.

  

Ok.  Now time for a confession.  I had planned on having this for dinner that night but the darn potatoes weren't cooked all the way through when it came time for dinner.  Boo.  So I let it keep cooking and we ordered take-out.  

Letting it sit in the fridge over night did not hurt the flavor at all.  It probably enhanced it.  I have been eating this soup for lunch for 4 days and am still not tired of it.  Make yourself a loaf of crusty bread (or buy it--no judgement here) and enjoy.       

'Fraidy Cat

It's the start of a new year.  Fresh start.  Clean slate.  And all that jazz.  I don't do resolutions.  I figure that's just setting myself up to fail.  I have failed at enough and don't really see the need to go out of my way to do it.

I'm not really afraid of a lot of things.  And I mean things literally.  The things that are typical phobias.  Bugs, clowns, water, dogs.  Spiders can freak me out if they catch me off guard, like crawling under my sheets or dropping down on to me.  Clowns?  I'm not really a fan but I can keep from a panic attack when at a circus.  Water?  I don't like the idea of being in the water where an eating machine could get me but I'm fine with the actual water.  But for the most part?  I am ok with things.  A few movies might get to me and I'll want to sleep with the lights on, but I don't.

So what do I fear in this life?  I am afraid of wasting my time.  I've done that enough.  I'm afraid I'll completely screw my kids up.  They deserve so much better than I can give them.

I don't fear things.  I fear the results of my choices.

Song For a Fifth Child

Mother, O' Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth.
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due,
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek - peekaboo.

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew,
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo.
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow,
But children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

~ Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

Truly Thankful

We have 3 days until Thanksgiving 2011.  For the very first time ever I know 100%, with no doubt whatsoever, that I am truly thankful this year.

My inner shamemaker says "What.  The.  Hell.  You have two beautiful, healthy children.  You have a home.  You have family."

I know all of this.  I'm not saying that I'm not thankful for all of those things.  I'm not even saying that I haven't been thankful for them in the past.  This year is just different.

My little sis, my amazing, beautiful, strong, courageous 19 year old sister has joined the United States Army.  She is home for three weeks.  Then she heads overseas for a year.
This is why I know that I am truly thankful.  She is here.  She is strong.  She is healthy.  She is safe.  By the time Christmas rolls around I won't be able to say that for sure.  I won't know because she will be so far from me.

We are going to have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration.  We are going to play games as a family.  We are going to laugh and argue about rules and have a blast in the borderline dysfunctional way that we always do.  We are going to decorate the crap outta my home while she is here.  We are going to celebrate Christmas before she leaves.

We are going to be thankful to have her here with us.  Healthy and strong and safe.

I am truly thankful this year.