Put Some Spring in Your Step!

I can't believe it's already March! The old adage, "time flies," is actually true, who knew?

Apologies for not writing, especially to you, Miss Anastasia Beaverhausen, who await new blogs with baited breath. Sometimes, I just get tired talking about myself! However, let's chat about... me!

Amen!

When I last posted, I was talking about my aspirations for the year and about beginning anew. I have done some of that: writing in my journal, focusing on my spirituality - yoga, meditation, going to Church regularly, and getting back in shape by jogging and I started going to kickboxing classes. The classes are really exciting and so fast-paced, the hour flies by! This is definitely a workout that I can see myself doing long term; it goes in intervals, so you don't get bored and your muscles sure get a workout. Other than that, I have been focusing on finding a job. I definitely get frustrated some days, but then I take a breath and look around at all the blessings in my life. Also, I try to remember the psalm 112:7 (see right). I know that all I need is patience and faith; I will get a job that will be awesome and I will be even more blessed!

In other news, have I mentioned my personal "cookbook"? If you're like me, you see awesome recipes everywhere. In magazines, in family members' or friends' cookbooks and kitchens, on the cooking shows, etc. I find them everywhere, but I was having trouble finding them. For those of you who know me well, I LOVE to be organized, so I started to organize them in a folder. That folder became multiple folders, which turned into my current 3" binder filled with hundreds of recipes!

My cookbook!

There are days when I stick to classic recipes that I grew up with, the ones handed down by family members. However, other days, I love to try something new and that is when I consult my "cookbook".

About a month ago, I decided to try a new meal: Kale and Walnut Pesto with Gemelli Pasta and Sweet Sausage. Well, I decided the sweet sausage was a good addition, because, why not add some meat, right? I truly enjoy kale, but I know many people who are not so thrilled about it. This recipe called for boiling it for several minutes in salted water. I find that kale can have a bitter taste, but I used the recommended amount of salt (generally I use less because growing up my family did not put salt into anything) and I also boiled the kale for several minutes longer than required; I found this took away some of the bitter flavor. I loved the combination of this meal: the sweet of the sausage, the slight bitter of the kale, and the savory flavor added by the walnuts in the pesto - this recipe definitely earned its way into my recipe box!

Kale and Walnut Pesto Gemelli Pasta
 with Sweet Sausage

Again, I absolutely loved this meal. It was perfectly savory, which was awesome for this cold winter!

I did also make my farro mac and cheese with bacon (sorry again, vegetarians and vegans!) that I have previously posted in the blog. It was delicious, as usual, and yay to the fiber! Then today, I tried an appetizer and it, also, was DELICIOUS! I made spinach and artichoke dip today, served with some whole wheat pita slices (toasted), and I even adjusted the recipe - look out world, I'm a wild child!

Okay, maybe not so much, but it was delicious - the recipe called for a small amount of mayo and cream cheese instead of sour cream - I did not use the reduced fat versions as the recipe wanted. Instead I used a little less of these ingredients than called for and used a bit more of actual Gruyere cheese. Yum! I also used more artichokes and chopped them instead of dicing them or pureeing them - I love artichoke, so this worked perfectly for me, but obviously you could adjust it if you preferred it a different way. Also, the recipe called for using an actual onion rather than using powdered onion soup mix, which just makes sense ... I love using fresh ingredients rather than processed foods. Which makes me think of Spring and the farmers markets that will start to open weekly! Yay!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Well, I think that's all that is new with me and my cooking adventures. I hope your lives are carrying as many blessings as mine and that you are able to take some time to notice! Happy March and welcome to Spring (almost)!