Things I Do at Work

Work is work and I often spend too much of my day checking out some of my favorite sites. So... if you are bored at work, or even not bored, and looking for something to do, here's a few of my favorites.

For my much loved celebrity gossip, this is my all time favorite.

If you need to feel better about your situation, go here.

If you need to confess or what to see what people are confessing about check this out. There's something for everyone.

For the most wonderful handmade gifts, this is the go to place. Hands down.

Of course my Google Reader (which is pretty much the best thing ever) keeps me updated on all your blogs. It's amazing I get anything done at work.

They'll Eat Anything

We had some friends over this past weekend and I busted out this recipe which I’ve had for a number of years. A friend of mine had given it to me and although I had never tried it, I thought I’d experiment and try it. It’s from Cooking Light and turned out to be a real crowd pleaser. It’s one you can make ahead and then pop in the oven once your guests arrive. Although I used a different kind of pasta, there’s not much else I would change, as it seemed just right for me. I served it with roasted asparagus and a spinach salad with toasted pine nuts, mushrooms and a balsamic dressing.

If you try it, let me know what you think.

Mediterranean Spaghetti

Sweet spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg balance the pungent feta and Parmesan cheeses to give a bold, intriguing flavor to a familiar meat-and-pasta dish.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups).


Ingredients
· 1/2 pound lean ground beef
· 2 cups chopped onion
· 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
· 2 garlic cloves, minced
· 1/2 cup dry red wine
· 1/4 cup water
· 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
· 1/8 teaspoon pepper
· 1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
· 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
· 2 cups 1% low-fat milk
· 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
· 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
· 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
· 1 large egg
· 2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs, divided
· Cooking spray
· 4 cups cooked spaghetti (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)
· Fresh oregano sprigs (optional)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the first 4 ingredients, and sauté 5 minutes. Add the wine and next 6 ingredients (wine through tomatoes). Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until thick.
Combine the flour, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg in a medium sauce-pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and cook for 7 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove milk mixture from heat. Stir in feta cheese, 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, and egg.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs in a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Place 2 cups spaghetti in casserole, and top with 2 cups beef mixture and 1 cup sauce. Repeat layers. Combine 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs, and sprinkle over the casserole. Bake casserole at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh oregano, if desired.


Nutritional Information
Calories:
365 (23% from fat)
Fat:
9.4g (sat 4.8g,mono 2.7g,poly 0.7g)
Protein:
22.2g
Carbohydrate:
47.4g
Fiber:
3.2g
Cholesterol:
80mg
Iron:
3.7mg
Sodium:
709mg
Calcium:
281mg

More Fun with The Bride

I know it’s only Monday but, I’m psyching myself up for a weekend with The Bride. She’s flying out to California for a girls getaway weekend celebrating her 40th birthday. Yep, it’s a big year for her. I’ll be toting the blue dresses with me to see if she can come to any conclusion about what she wants to do. She did go back and looked at the room where the reception is going to be and there are blue curtains and blue in the rug. She mentioned she took some pictures that we can “stare at” this weekend. Doesn’t staring at pictures sound like fun? I really can’t wait. Oh yeah, that’s right, I’m suppose to be looking to be looking forward to all this, but in reality, I’m not.

I Look Young

Holy crap! I just got carded at Trader Joe's. Not bad for a 43 and 1/2 year old. I'm still laughing.

Updated after TJ's comment about how Trader Joe's "always" cards:


I shop at Trader's weekly and have for quite some time and can't remember the last time someone asked see my ID. Regardless, even if I look anything younger than my age, I'll take it, wouldn't you?

A Fork in the Road

I have a 10 year old niece on The Husband’s side of the family who was just told by her pediatrician she really needs to get more exercise, watch what she eats and to be careful of her weight. She is by no means heavy or over weight, but over the past 6 months or so I think she’s just beginning to get a little chunky. I can see what her doctor is getting at. Over the past several years her weight and height have not gone up proportionally and if that trend continues she will become heavy, overweight, fat or whatever label you want to apply.

My niece’s grandmother was appalled at the doctor for “putting so much emphasis” on her weight, “especially at that age.” Me? I was happy the doctor said something. If you look at my niece’s mother and her grandmother, you can easily see what the trend is, and it’s big. The grandmother has been dealing with weight issues for as long as I’ve known her and is scheduled for gastric bypass surgery in April or May. The mom is big, Rubenesque , round, curvy or however you want to describe her. Their diets are horrible. I watch the family stuff so much processed, fatty, fried food in their mouths it’s hard to imagine they are getting anything nutritious at all.

The Niece is coming up on the challenging pre-teen and teen age years ahead. I worry if her family doesn’t take this seriously it is going to spiral into many other issues. I don’t think it’s too early nor do I think anyone is putting too much emphasis on her weight. I don’t want her to have to shed tears about her friends calling her fat. I don’t want her to feel any less because she’s biggest one in the room and I don’t want her weight to keep her from becoming the person I hope and know she can become.

Is This What She Thinks About At Night?

The Bride is doing her job just splendidly. She’s driving me insane, but it is her wedding. I got a call yesterday from her and she’s rethinking the blue bridesmaid’s dresses because she thinks there might be blue curtains in the room where the reception is going to be held. These are the same blue dresses that she really liked on-line when we were together over President’s Day weekend. The same blue dresses I just happened to find on sale, the same blue dresses I happened to find 4 of, all in the right sizes for the bridesmaids and the same blue dresses I bought for everyone because it’s what she liked.

Maybe there’s something bad about wearing blue dresses in Washington DC.

Getting Back

I ate like crap while on vacation. Now, I feel like crap. I feel big, bloated and sluggish. It’s amazing how one week of eating copious amounts of hot dogs, hamburgers, miscellaneous fried food and pizza had really made a change in my mental and physical state of being.

It was super fun while it lasted, but I’m ready to get back to my routines. I’m ready to eat healthy and light. I’m ready to go back to no sugars and no sodas. And I’m ready to feel like me again.