Monday, April 12, 2010

Activity check and a yummy Greek recipe!

Hello dear peeps! How was your weekend? What did you do for fun, and to get moving? I thought I would do a week starter post just to keep you motivated. I spent the weekend on the run. Saturday, I had a workshop in the morning and then it was off to officiate a derby bout. Well, 2 actually. I didn’t do much but sit Saturday night, but I was active. Dodging chairs being pushed into me from fast skaters sliding in for the penalty they didn’t want to serve is hard work. Luckily, none of them were mean to me. One was even laughing with me on her last penalty, with just a few seconds left in the game I felt it was okay to joke with her. Yesterday was laundry day. I also did yoga both Saturday and Sunday, and I even went roller skating yesterday with a friend. I was able to do it, only went down once trying to stop, and it felt darn good! So, look for me on a local derby team in a year or so.




I had a moment of revelation yesterday. I still see my midsection as pretty big. I am certainly carrying the unhealthy fat, and always have. But, the top I wore to skate in was swimming on me. I got it from a friend in August that had cleaned out her closet after losing weight. I think I need to gift it to someone. It is huge! And it wasn’t that loose when I received it. My arms are still tight in it, but the unhealthiest area to carry fat is much smaller.



I have to say, I never had this much focus and determination before. I was willing and determined to count and weigh in and lose, but I did it without activity and that is a huge difference this time. It is clicking! My head is clicking too!



I planted some beet seeds this weekend, hopefully they will sprout! My pea shoots will be ready to eat tonight, and then more tomorrow! Maybe some more by the end of the week. I have 4 pots going now. I also have 2 beet pots going. I tell ya, I love sprouting!



I made this delicious WW recipe this weekend. If memory serves it is 6 pernts per serving. Oh, I just figured it up for real and my calculations are 32 for the whole recipe, 8 servings is totally doable, so it’s 4 per serving! Yippee! I am off to update my tracker. I counted too much! It’s decadent and rich. Make sure to use lots of cinnamon and a little more nutmeg. So delicious!



WW Pastitsio



Sauce:

3 cups light soy milk - 6

1/4 cup cornstarch - 0

3 eggs, lightly beaten - 6

4 TBSP parmesan cheese - 2

salt and ground pepper

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg



Filling:

1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil - 3

1 onion, chopped

3/4 pound ground meat substitute, like Boca crumbles - 6

1 pound plum tomatoes, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced (although I used more--probably 4 or 5)

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

salt and pepper



1/2 pound whole wheat spaghetti or elbow macaroni - 8

2 TBSP parmesan substitute - 1



Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.



Meanwhile, combined the milk, cornstarch and eggs in a large saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. This took me a while, but I think I turned the fire down too low--I was warming, not cooking--so make sure the heat isn't too low. When thickened, remove from heat and add the Parmesan sub, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Place a lid on the pot and set aside while you make the filling.



At this point, you'll want to preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 7 by 11 inch baking dish with non-stick spray.



For the filling, heat the oil in a large skillet and saute the onion until softened. Add the remaining filling ingredients and cook until heated through, and the liquid from the tomatoes evaporates. Stir often.



To assemble the casserole, start with half of the pasta, then top with all of the filling and the other half of the pasta. Pour the béchamel sauce over the top and sprinkle with the last 2 tablespoons of parmesan. Bake until golden, 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving, to set the casserole.



Have a great week and remember to sprout something (seeds or seeds of change)!

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