Cream of White Asparagus Soup

*I found this prepared post deep in my drafts. It may not be spring and there is certainly no white asparagus available at the moment, but I still wanted to share a simple, elegant, delicious recipe. I hope you all have had a wonderful start to your work week.

I love Italian and Indian food, both of which are very vegetarian friendly.

In the land of sausages and salami however, being a vegetarian doesn’t make traditional food very accessible.

I sometimes feel a bit guilty for refusing to eat the food that is so important to the German culture.

Luckily, there are a few traditional German dishes that I adore, in all their meat-free ways.

This simple, spring soup is one of my favorite traditional dishes, spargelcremesuppe or cream of asparagus soup.

Using the white asparagus from my CSA box, this recipe was not only traditional, but local, too.

White Asparagus Soup

Adapted from this recipe

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 c. chopped onion

2 Tablespoons butter

1- 1 1/2 pounds white asparagus, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces, heads reserved

2 small potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

4 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup cream

Salt and pepper, to taste

Dry white wine, to taste

Parsley for garnish

Method

1. Peel the asparagus from the head down. Remove the heads and reserve for later. Cut off and dispose the woody ends of the asparagus then cut the remaining asparagus into small pieces.
2. In a large saucepan, sauté the onion in the butter until soft. Add the pieces of asparagus (minus the heads) and the potatoes, steam for 5 minutes. Add the broth and boil gently for about 30 minutes, or until the asparagus is very soft.
3. Purée the soup using a hand blender.
4. Bring the soup to a simmer and add the reserved asparagus heads. Cook at least 5 minutes, or until they are fork-tender. Remove from heat and add the cream.
5. Taste and add salt and freshly ground pepper as needed. Stir in a splash or two of white wine or vermouth. Garnish with parsley.

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Help

I’m not technically gifted.

My blog is simple.

Simple I can do.

I’ve been wanting to re-do my recipes page for ages.

The last time I even updated the page was in October.

October was 6 whole months ago.

I’ve made a lot of recipes in 6 months.

Yesterday, I finally sat down, determined that updating my recipe page was going to be the big project I would finish before going back to work tomorrow.

I spent 12 hours recreating the recipe page in Window’s Live Writer yesterday.

Every couple of minutes, I saved the draft.

The program was running really slow due to the number of photos on the page, so I decided to create a new page for each food category which would be linked to the main recipes page.

When I went to create the first new page, even though I’d just saved the updated recipe page, the recipe page draft disappeared.

I’ve looked everywhere on the computer.

Sebastian, the computer genius, couldn’t even retrieve it.

My carbonite back up only had the very first save I made, not the additional saves with the changes.

12+ hours of work… gone.

Crap.

Can anyone help me?

I’ve sent help requests to both Window’s Live Writer and Carbonite but have not heard anything back yet.

Any blogger tricks that I don’t know?

On a lighter note, my Grandma sent an old newspaper clipping from 1995 along with my Easter card.

I’m the pudgy tall girl with her acid-washed jeans just below her armpits in the left. At least I look excited to be in the group.

The photo was from a music and theatre enrichment class I was in in 3rd grade. I was always one of the biggest kids. Even with boys and girls 2 years older than me in the photo, I was still the tallest.

I’m going to bring the clipping into school tomorrow to show my 3rd grade students what I looked like when I was their age.

While working on my recipe page, I found lots of great recipes that I’d long forgotten about. Lunch today was inspired by one of my favorite meals from last spring.

Ravioli with Asparagus and Arugula

I didn’t have ravioli so used whole wheat penne instead. The dish was still delicious!

The tomatoes and arugula are from my CSA box this week but the asparagus is from the store.

Alright, I have school tomorrow so better get off to bed.

Please let me know if you have any ideas on how to recover my lost/ deleted page draft in Live Writer.

Thanks and good night!

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Artichoke, Olive and Asparagus White Pizza

Boy oh boy, am I behind on pizza posts.

Usually, once we’ve finished eating our homemade pizzas and cleaning up, I’m so full and exhausted that I can’t be bothered to even post the culinary creations.

This week’s pizza was really special. It was inspired by a recipe I found on the vegalicious website for a white pizza with artichokes, white asparagus and green olives.

We used our standard fresh yeast pizza dough as a base and built on from there.

For my sauce, I made a white bean hummus by blending white beans, nutritional yeast, basil, olive oil, salt and garlic in the food processor.

I spread the bean sauce on top of the pizza dough then added my toppings. This sauce makes an excellent dip as well. I topped my pizza with blanched white asparagus, artichoke hearts, green olives, red onions, fresh parsley and basil. Sebastian made his pizza first and had some leftover goat cheese that he was just going to toss, so I used that on half of the pizza as well.

Waste not, want not.

Prebaking and post-baking.

Served with a salad and glass of wine, this was one fancy pizza. I enjoyed leftovers for lunch the next day.

Sebastian made a salami, red onion, cheese-stuffed pepper and goat cheese pizza.

He was pretty proud of this combination.

Although I didn’t share the pizza I made last week, here it is now.

I made a fake cheese sauce that ruined this beautiful pizza. It was a flour-based sauce and I just did not like it. From now on, I’m sticking to nut, seed and vegetable-based cheese substitutes.

Live and learn.

At least it photographed well!

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Vegan Asparagus Leek Risotto

I’ve always ripped out recipes from magazines, just ask my mom.

Somewhere in my room back in my parents’ house, a folder exists with about 10 years worth or magazine recipes.

No surprise, this next recipe comes from the pages of my all-time-favorite rippable recipe magazine. Back in April of 2008, Better Homes and Gardens published a recipe for Asparagus Leek Risotto.

April of 2011, in my tiny German kitchen, I made this recipe my own.

While in Italy last October, I learned how to made real, Italian risotto. The most important risotto making rule is to ALWAYS use homemade stock.

I started my risotto by making the stock using vegetables that were getting a bit old. I ended up only using the bottom half of the red onion pictured, and added another new red onion and a clove of garlic as well.

Toss the veggies in a pot with a heavy pinch of salt then top with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for at least 30 minutes.

You will also need 2 leeks, asparagus, Arborio rice, olive oil, black pepper, a lemon and parsley.

Evenly space the asparagus spears on a lined baking dish.

Brush with olive oil.

Sprinkle the spears with salt and black pepper then place in a hot oven to roast for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan and add the chopped leeks. Sauté until the leeks are tender.

Add the rice to the tender leeks and cook over medium heat until the rice begins to golden.

Grate 1/2 tsp or lemon zest then juice 1 Tbsp of juice. Chop the parsley and measure out the black pepper.

Risotto is an easy dish that seems more difficult because everything comes together suddenly all at once. By having everything measured out and ready to go before you start, life will be easier and you’ll enjoy the process or making risotto even more.

By now, the asparagus should be done.

Chop 2/3 of the asparagus and set the remaining 1/3 aside- spears intact.

Once the rice begins to brown, it’s time to start the action.

Stir in 1 cup of hot vegetable stock until all the liquid is incorporated.

Continue to stir in the broth 1/2 cup at a time. Stir until the liquid is absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup.

Just keep stirring.

Once all 3 cups of the broth have been incorporated, add the cut asparagus, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest and ground black pepper.

Gently stir the ingredients together, adding a little more salt if necessary.

To serve, top the risotto with the remaining asparagus spears, lemon peel and fresh parsley leaves.

For an extra zing, squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over top.

Thick, creamy, fresh and Springy.

This risotto is the perfect combination of Spring flavors.

 

Vegan Asparagus Leek Risotto

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens April 2008

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

For the vegetable broth

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into thick chunks

1 large red onion, halved

1 tomato, halved

1 garlic clove

1 handful fresh parsley

1/4 tsp. black pepper kernels

1 heavy pinch of salt

water

For the risotto

3/4 pound asparagus spears, trimmed

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups sliced, cleaned leeks

1 cup Arborio rice

3 cups vegetable broth

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

(if you eat cheese, feel free to add some grated parmesan)

Method

1. To make the vegetable broth, place all ingredients in a large saucepan, fill with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for a minimum of 30 minutes. More time is always better though.
2. Place the asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet and brush with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Lightly sprinkle the spears with salt and pepper then bake, uncovered, in 450 F oven for 10 minutes.
3. Cool slightly then cut 2/3 of the spears into 2-inch pieces. Set aside.
4. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook leeks in the remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil until tender. Stir in the uncooked rice. Cook and stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the rice begins to turn golden brown.
5. In another saucepan, bring broth to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer. Carefully stir 1 cup of hot broth into rice mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until liquid is absorbed. Then add 1/2 cup broth at a time, stirring until the broth is absorbed before adding more broth.
6. Stir in any remaining broth. Cook and stir just until the rice is tender and creamy.
7. Stir in asparagus pieces, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice and pepper. Top with asparagus spears and additional lemon slices to garnish.

On second thought, maybe this only makes 2 servings.

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Food for Thought

It’s that time of year that all teachers dread.

The time of year where my words can either make it or break it for the kids I teach.

It’s the time of year where I have to think about my colleagues who will teach my students next.

I have to think about the schools these kids will attend.

I must think about the futures, both right around the corner and down the road.

It’s the awful time of year where only one thing is on my mind-

reports

I was trying to explain to Sebastian the pressure behind writing reports but he got it before I even finished and said,

“You have to write each report like it’s the first and the last.”

Perfectly said. Yes, even though I’m writing 13 reports, they will each be read independently by one family effecting the future of one child.

Serious business needs serious food.

Let’s hope I had the right food for thought today!

Afternoon Breakfast

When I went to bed last night, my head hurt so bad that I knew I’d still be in pain the next morning. It’s a good thing we had today off otherwise I would have had to call in sick. I woke up at 9 with a terrible migraine. My teeth and eyes even hurt. I took two Excedrin Migraine pills and went back to sleep until 1 pm. When I woke up, the pain had reduced to a slight headache, thank God. Needless to say, breakfast was had around 2pm.

3 mini rolls with smoked cheese, peanut butter and blueberry jam, and nutella and cottage cheese.

Break time Snack

I took a little break after about 2 hours and made some fresh juice. One of the best combinations to date.

2 oranges, 2 carrots, 1 apple, 1 beat, 1 inch nub of ginger

I worked for a few more hours then took another break.

Sugar and Protein Fix

One of my mother’s best treats- peanut butter and chocolate chips.

Trust me, my students will benefit from this unhealthy mess.

I then extended my break by forcing encouraging Sebastian to go on a walk with me.

While walking, we organized a bet. Whoever lost was responsible for organizing a date night next week. It must be something new, interesting and exciting for both parties involved. Sebastian bet I wouldn’t be able to meet my goal of completing 8 reports before midnight.

Once back, I continued to work until 9 then took another break for dinner.

Dinner time

Brown rice, grilled asparagus and Asian marinated grilled salmon

I was hungry for rice-a-roni so improvised and added some vegetable bouillon soup mix to the rice. Although it wasn’t the San Francisco treat, it beat plain brown rice.

Asian Seafood Marinade

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 3 thin slices of ginger, 1/2 inch diameter
• juice and zest of one lime
• 1.5 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 salmon fillet

Method

1. Combine garlic, ginger, lime and soy sauce. Pour over salmon in a tight-fitting container.
2. Marinate for a minimum of half an hour.
3. Grill fish as desired.

It’s now 11:47 and I’m ready to call it a night.

Remember that bet I mentioned earlier? Well drum roll, please!

I’ve completed 9 reports! I can’t wait to find out what Sebastian has planned! I love surprises!

Tomorrow I have a staff in-service. We’re discussing EAL (English as an additional language.) The kids won’t be at school but the teachers will be. Hopefully I’ll finish the remaining reports tomorrow afternoon.

Have a nice night, all!

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Ravioli with Arugula and Asparagus

Monday crept up on me this week.

The weekend went simply too fast and my attention span for another Monday morning was too short.

Regardless, here we are. At the end of another Monday. I survived.

Breakfast started the whole thing off.

A banana boat with oatmeal, coconut, almond butter, chia seeds, flax, and strawberries.

Work was crazy. I snuck out on Friday without printing this week’s plans and resources that I’d prepared. Usually, I like to have it all laid out, ready for the new week. Last week, I was too exhausted. My plan was to get to work early today and do what I left undone. Well, I was running late today… and the printer at school wasn’t working. It’s a good thing that I’m flexible and quick with a scanner and smart board.

I munched on half the brownie and some more strawberries for morning snack.

Lunch was leftover soup from last night squeezed between literacy and digital photography club.

After school, I tutored then came home for a quick post-school/ pre-gym snack.

Toasted peanut butter and jelly.

Between delicious German bread.

After relaxing and digesting, I went to the gym then hit up the grocery store.

My shopping today included 3 new buys:

Sliced goat’s cheese

Truffle and mascarpone ravioli

And FINALLY… German grocery stores are now selling something other than flour tortillas.

I like to recreate meals. For this reason, I love to eat at places where I can watch my food being made.

Tonight’s simple dinner is an adaptation of a dish from Vapiano’s. It is healthy (once you ignore the butter and olive oil,) delicious, and on your plate in 10 minutes flat, including photo breaks.

I had to leave the sauna earlier than I’d wished today because my growling stomach was disturbing the peace. Dinner had to be a quick one.

Ravioli with Asparagus and Arugula

Makes 2 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 servings prepared ravioli
• 4 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 6 asparagus spears, woody ends removed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/4 onion, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1/4 lemon
• 1 handful arugula
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Prepare ravioli according to package directions, slightly under-cooking.
2. Heat the oil and butter in a large non-stick pan. Add the asparagus and onions and cook for about 4-5 minutes.
3. Add 3 and 1/2 of the tomatoes and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Flavor with salt and pepper.
4. Carefully add the prepared ravioli and spoon the vegetables and sauce over top. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over top and plate. Top with raw arugula and a couple quarters of raw tomatoes.

I used the truffle and mascarpone ravioli pictured above. I’ve never had truffles before and now understand why they come at such a high cost. I was impressed that on the packaging of the ravioli, the company reminded the consumers to thank the truffle hog which is used to smell out the truffles from beneath the ground. So, thank you little European Truffelschwein.

This dinner was so rich and fresh. I can’t wait to have the second serving for lunch tomorrow!

I decided to follow up my decedent dinner with a sweet dessert, 2 dates, 2 prunes, 2 dried apricots, and 2 blocks of dark chocolate. This. Hit. The. Spot.

Well, this Monday is nearly over. I guess it wasn’t as bad as I earlier said. Good food can cure almost any Monday morning blues.

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Grilled Eggplant, Tofu and Asparagus

It’s official, Winter is finally over.

What marks this glorious event? The reopening of my little balcony grill.

Before I get to this monumental event, let’s blow through the rest of the day, shall we?

Breakfast

Maple syrup, brown sugar, and pecan oats

Morning Snack

Pineapple

Lunch

Leftover Pasta with Asparagus, Peas and Herbs

Now on to dinner. My requirements for today’s meal included: use up the asparagus, eggplant, and swiss chard before it goes bad.

Maybe it was the influence of the grill. Maybe it was the simple combination of a few ingredients. I don’t know what it was, but it was amazing. If you are ever trying to convince someone that being vegetarian can taste good, this is the dish you should make. If I were to open a restaurant, I can imagine this being my signature dish. This meal was so delicious I could barely eat it.

Grilled Italian Marinated Eggplant

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp sea salt
• pepper to taste
• 1 eggplant
• 1 package tofu, smoked or plain

Method

1. Chop the herbs.

I place my herbs in a mug and then quickly chop up with scissors

2. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, parsley, garlic, and pepper. Set aside allowing the flavors to blend.

3. Meanwhile, cut the eggplant into 1/2 inch slices width-wise. Place the eggplant on a towel and sprinkle half the salt on each side. Let the eggplant rest for one hour to weep out the liquid. Release the liquid from your tofu by pressing it beneath a heavy pan.

4. After the hour, wipe off the salt and press out the liquid from the eggplant. Cut the tofu into triangles. Pour the marinade over the eggplant and tofu. Allow the marinade to absorb for 30 minutes, flipping the tofu and eggplant after 15 minutes.

5. Clean and heat your grill. Place the tofu and eggplant on the hot grill. Keep an eye on the grill and flip the food once it begins to brown. Periodically, brush on the remaining marinade.

Garlic Swiss Chard

Ingredients

• 1 bunch Swiss chard
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Thoroughly wash the chard and trim off the bottom 1/3 of the stalk. Cut the chard into ribbons.
2. Melt the butter and heat the oil in a large frying pan.
3. Add the garlic and red onion, cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the chard and cover with a lid. Allow the chard to wilt until it becomes a bright green and is tender.
5. Sprinkle apple cider vinegar over the mixture, stir, and serve.

The Whole Meal Plated Up

This was so good, it called for a glass of wine in celebration!

Seriously, if you attempt one recipe from this blog… please make it this.

From a cheap grill and almost past their prime veggies, this meal worked out to be very fancy tasting!

Just don’t forget to drizzle with fresh lemon juice!

Happy Monday, all!

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Pasta with Asparagus Peas and Herbs

Happy Saturday!

After a long and exhausting week, I spent last night cooking and relaxing with Sebastian. Let’s go back in time to the highlights of yesterday!

Breakfast

Celery ends, carrots, apples and ginger went into the juicer…..

and this beautiful juice came out!

I also ate a slice of bread toasted and topped with almond butter, 1/2 banana and cinnamon.

Lunch

When it comes to my colleagues, I keep my secret-blogger-life just that… a secret. Only two colleagues know about it, and those two happen to also be people I call friends. Every day, I prepare my lunch in the empty school kitchen, take my plate back to my classroom to snap a photo, then meet up with the rest in the staff room. No one notices my moment of absence. Yesterday, after just returning from the mini-photo shoot, the Year 5 teacher took one look at my lunch and said how it “looked good enough to teach with.” He mentioned that his class is currently learning about nutrition and healthy eating. He then nervously asked if I wouldn’t mind if he could take a photo of my plate before I began eating. He was VERY UNCOMFORTABLE and mentioned how he knew that it was a strange request and all. I wanted to say “Don’t worry, I’ll just e-mail you the photo I took for my blog.” I didn’t though. I let him leave his own lunch, walk to his classroom, get his camera, come back, and take a photo.

I return to my internal debate: why do I feel like I must keep this part of me a secret? Any who, here’s the salad.

Lettuce, carrots, cucumber, celery, orange, strawberries, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries and balsamic glaze.

Class Fruit Snack

Apples, pears, and bananas- oh my!

After school, I went to the Big Edeka with the Aussies. Going to the big grocery store is a big deal for me! The variety rivals a small grocery store in the US. Unfortunately, you need a car to get there so I wait it out until the Aussies go then I stock up on naan bread, soy products, and hard to find produce. While shopping, I picked up a bag of beets on sale for 99 cents. I’ve been wanting to try beets in my juice!

We had quite a bit of fruit left over after class fruit snack today, so I brought the remains home and added then to my beet juice. I love how having a juicer allows me to produce less waste.

The frog prince concurs- beautiful and tasty!

Dinner

Sebastian lost a bet which required him to make dinner last night. I helped out a little, but this delicious dish was of his doing!

Pretend Paneer Masala

Made with tofu rather than paneer- hence the pretend.

Ingredients

• 200 grams firm tofu – pressed to drain
• 2 large onions (pureed, I use a food processor)
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 3 large ripe tomatoes (blanch , de-skin and puree)
• 3 tbsps cashew nut paste or cashew butter
• ½ tsp coriander pwd
• pinch of haldi (turmeric pwd)
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• salt to taste
• 3 tbsps butter
• 1/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt

Directions

1. Heat 2 tbsp of butter in a large pan over medium heat, add the pureed onion and sauté until brown.
2. Add ginger-garlic paste. Saute for 2 minutes. Add chilli pwd and combine, followed by the cashew paste, stirring well.
3. Add tomato puree, bay leaves, coriander pwd, haldi, garam masala and salt. Stir and let it simmer for 4-5 mts.
4. Cut the tofu into smallish cubes and add to the mixture, simmer for 4-5 minutes.
5. The mixture will become a bit thick and dry, add a small cup of water and let it cook on medium heat for 10 minutes or until you get the desired curry consistency.
6. Remove from heat, stir in remaining butter and yogurt.
7. Let the curry sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rotis, naan , or simple steamed rice.

Dinner was awesome. I ate way too much and could barely move. Luckily, I had no where to go but to bed!

After sleeping for 10 hours (yikes, I must have been exhausted!) I woke up this morning with a bit of a headache. Too much sleep, perhaps? The intro and kick off to the new Body Balance class was happening at 1 so I got myself up and moving in order to make it to the gym on time.

Breakfast

Greek yogurt topped with 1/2 banana, strawberries, berry granola, and almond butter.

I have mixed feelings about the new Body Balance set. The moves are challenging at parts, but too easy at other times. I’m also not to excited about the music, hopefully it will grow on me. Today was a beautiful day in Germany! The sky was blue without a cloud of volcanic ash in the sky! Before class, I rode the stationary bike and watched the happy and bustling pedestrian street below. Everyone was out today enjoying the beautiful weather. There is a clown school in town for children. Today, the clowns were out making balloon animals, doing tricks, kids were on unicycles and stilts, it was a wonderful sight to be seen!

After the gym, Sebastian met me for a trip into town. We were out of ginger garlic paste so needed to visit the Asian grocery store. We were both hungry so went to our favorite bagel store for a quick sandwich. Like I said, everyone was out today!

Because it was such a lovely day, we decided to take a long walk along the Rhine.

It was great walking along and just chatting about life.

Sebastian was such a gentleman, carrying my huge gym bag in the hot sun for the two-hour walk.

This is the kind of day that makes me so thankful for the blessing to be happy right where I am in my life.

Today also marked the first flea market of the season! We walked through the park as the vendors were beginning to take down their stands. Isn’t this the most beautiful flea market setting?

Dinner

The beautiful spring weather inspired a fresh spring dinner!

Pasta with Asparagus, Peas and Herbs

Ingredients

• 8 stems asparagus
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small red onion, finely sliced
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 200 grams whole wheat pasta
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche
• 20 basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
• grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Boil a large pot of salted water and add the pasta, cooking according to package directions. Meanwhile, break off the woody ends of the asparagus, cut in half lengthwise, and then cut into 2 inch lengths.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan and add the red onion, peas and asparagus. Cook, stirring for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are bright green and have softened.
3. A few minutes before the pasta is ready, add the creme fraiche to the vegetables, raise the heat and bring to a boil. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Drain the pasta and return to the saucepan. Pour over the vegetable sauce and stir in the herbs and zest. Serve immediately, sprinkled with Parmesan, if you wish.

As if a beautiful day weren’t enough, when I went onto the balcony to take my dinner photo, this is the sight I was met by. God is good.

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Twice Baked Potatoes

It has been a good day!

Being able to take dinner photos at 8:30 in natural sunlight may have been the highlight. The days are getting longer! I love spring!

Want to know what else I love? Oatmeal

There is nothing like the prospect of a delicious bowl of oats to get me out of bed in the morning.

1/4 cup or oats, milk, and water

1/2 ripe banana, mashed

Dash of salt, heavy sprinkling of cinnamon

Topped with:

chia seeds, flax, hemp seeds, cinnamon, and almond butter

The school day went really fast. Apparently we all thought it was Thursday today as my classroom assistant wrote Thursday April 14, 2010 on the board this morning and no one noticed- not her, me, or the kids until about 2:30. I hope thinking it was Thursday on a Wednesday doesn’t make the week feel longer!

I forgot my camera at home so no snack or lunch photos. For snack, I ate a butter cookie from the staff room. During my morning break, I had a really nice talk with on of the assistants. She just came back from maternity leave and is the most peaceful, serene woman I know.  She asked about Sebastian and said that things must be going well since I always look happy. We then started talking about why some relationships last and others done. Emma said the most important thing to remember is to speak gently and simply take care of each other.  Good advice, Emma.

Lunch consisted of a tuna salad sandwich, an orange, and pumpkin seeds.

After work, I had an apple on my way to the gym. The trip was quick today as I had another dental appointment. I powered through 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer as hard as I could to try to get the most out of the limited amount of time. I then spent about 15 minutes on abdominal exercises. Sauna. Shower. Go.

After almost 2 months of jaw pain and 5 dental appointments, I have finally received what I hope will end all jaw pain.

Behold my TMJ night guard!

This transparent contraption fits over my lower teeth.

The doctor made a cast of my teeth then recreated my entire mouth/ jaw using measurements and other important dentist stuff. The Me Mouth was really cool. He showed that when I bite, my back molars do not have the same amount of space between the top and lower teeth on both sides. One side has a slightly larger gap between the top and bottom teeth. Apparently, while I’m sleeping, I subconsciously grind or clench my teeth in an attempt to “even out” the difference. This excessive muscular activity is what causes my pain. This guard was designed to a) protect my teeth from grinding b) make up for the difference in space. I hope it works!

After my jaw-inspiring appointment, I went to Aldi to do a bit of grocery shopping. Hunger led the way and I ended up leaving with way more than I needed, including these whole grain animal crackers.

Once home, I whipped up some dinner. Roasted broccoli and asparagus and a twice-baked potato. All drizzled with fresh squeezed lemon.

Broccoli and asparagus were misted with olive oil then sprinkled with sea salt and pepper before being roasted. Lemon juice enhances the flavor like you wouldn’t believe. Try it.

Last night we baked extra potatoes. Today, I scooped out the insides and mashed them up with 1 T. cream cheese, splash of milk, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and sea salt. Put back in the skins and baked.

Delicious!

The potato was so good that I immediately made another for lunch tomorrow. Technically, tomorrow it will be a once baked, once microwaved potato.

I also whipped up two for Sebastian’s midnight snack when he comes home from work tonight.

Final project of the day: more homemade almond butter!

This is probably my best batch yet! Perfectly roasted. My add-ins include a drizzle of agave nectar, cinnamon, flax, hemp, and coconut oil. Yummy!

Alright, I hope you have a great day! I’m off to try out my new night guard. Night!

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