Product Placement

Hi! My name is Busy.

I hardly have any time for you, blog-a-boos, but I ate a deRicious dinner and we should talk about it.

It started with "Not Vegan Vegan Caesar Dressing" adapted from OhSheGlows, the very best blog on the internet. The recipe started off vegan, but I have a cheese addiction, so... Yeah.

It went like this (visually), cause I don't have time to italics and bolds and bullets and all that jazz.

In a food processor (or a Ninja!), emulsify 1/2 c. water, 1/3 c. fresh lemon juice, and 2 tbsp EVOO.

Before. 

After. 

Add in a heaping 1/2 c. raw cashews, 1 clove of garlic, salt, pepper, and 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese.

Then stick it in the fridge for about 20 minutes. It will thicken up from the cashews absorbing the moisture.

I really loved this dressing, and it made a TON of dressing. Leftovers! Probably won't keep that well for long, though.

Here's the thing. I'm still getting into this grad school swing of things. Yeah, I'm busy. I work 30 hours of week. Luckily my very short commute only takes about 2 maximum hours total a week. I have 9 hours of class a week, plus 2 hours total per week commuting there and back. I try to exercise at least 5 hours a week. At least. I like to sleep 8 hours a night, or 56 hours a week. I eat three meals a day. That's 11 hours per week of eating. At least! (Ps. maybe I should workout more hours than I eat... just a thought?) My dog needs 2 walks per day. I totally short her and take her on sad fifteen minute walks. That's about 4 hours a week. It takes me half an hour to get dressed and do my makeup in the morning. You should see me before that routine... That's about 4 hours. I require showers in the evening. They take at least 1 hour a total per week. I once read that the average woman spends 1.5 hours a week using the... ahem... facilities. I drink a LOT of water. Let's make than 2. Too much?

That leaves roughly 42 hours a week to do what I want. That sounds nice. If I'm productive 6 hours per 2 days on the weekend, that leaves 30 hours during the week for me to get stuff done, or 6 hours per day. Yet somehow I end up with like 3 hours a day MAX to get my life in order. Can someone explain how that works out, please? Where did those precious hours go?

Sigh.

Back to product placement.

Sometimes you have to accept help where you can get it. And tonight, mine was in the grocery store.

This Tofurky Italian sausage was "amazeballs". I'm tired and saying stupid things.

Getting crispers!

DeRicious.

If you haven't tried that version of the Giada pasta sauce, (I got it at Target), you need to go buy it NOW. It is yummmyyyyy!!!

I'm going to go do homework now and lament over how much I miss you, my little blog of mine. My, my time flies when you're having fun!

Garfield's Choice

Word, Garfield. Lasagna IS good. A theme you may be noticing is that I like to make customizable food. This is why you don't catch me baking that often, and if you do, it's something that I can customize like scones. Lasagna is another one of those foods that you can do one bazillion ways. That is, after all, the key to cooking. Cook what sounds good to you . . . and it will be good. 


 I made lasagna for an army of eight last night, so though my photos may reflect food preparation for an army, the recipe is written for one tray of delicious lasagna.


Low Fat Spinach Lasagna


Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 12 No Boil lasagna noodles (Thank you Trader Joe's!)
• 28 oz. of marinara sauce (TJ has a good canned one that is low in fat)
• 15 oz. fat free ricotta
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. low fat milk
• 1/2 bag frozen spinach, thawed and moisture squeezed out in towel or fine strainer
• 2 1/2 c reduced fat shredded mozzarella
• 3/4 c grated parmesan
• 2 tsp each: dried basil leaves, italian seasoning, onion powder, and granulated garlic
• 1/2 tsp each: salt and pepper 
• 1 package hot or sweet italian turkey or chicken sausage

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 F
• Sausage fest: remove sausage from casing and brown on the stove
• Mix ricotta, egg, spinach, 1 cup of mozzarella, 1/4 c. of parmesan, milk and spices
• Spray a large glass baking dish for your lasagna
• Layer like this (listed bottom to top):
• Thin layer of marinara
• One layer of noodles
• Cheese mixture about 1/4" thick
• Sausage
• 1/2 c of shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 c of parmesan
• Marinara to cover
• Layer of noodles
• Remaining cheese mixture
• Remaining sausage
• 1/2 c mozzarella
• Layer of noodles
• Remaining marinara
• Remaining mozzarella
• Remaining parmesan
• Bake uncovered for 45 minutes
• Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving!

Assembly line: assemble!

Before oven.

 In forty five minutes you will be savage just like Garfield.

After oven.

helloooooo, leftovers!

Now, I don't think I need to state the obvious, but you could do this with any meat of your choice, any sauce of your choice, any veg of your choice, any cheese of your choice. I've done this lasagna with zucchini  onion, and mushroom instead of meat and a goat cheese/ricotta mixture. You could use a white cheese sauce. I've read tasty looking recipes with white sauce and butternut squash. Yummers. Just not quite as figure friendly as my super low fat version. 

Have a wonderful Sunday, friends!

Hippity Hop

Wow! I have been busy like a bunny!

Yeah, like that.

New job, school, keeping doggy entertained, trying to fit in workouts, homework and oh, sleep!
I love sleep. Siggghhhhh....

I work at 7:30 which is early for someone like me who likes to wake up early, take the dog for a walk, COOK breakfast, watch a little bit of the Today show, drink 2-10 cups of coffee... And then it's GO GO GO til about 10 PM! This is probably a reality for 95% of people, but i'm just coming down from a stint with unemployment, so bear with me, peeps.

Luckily, I found a quick and easy breakfast that keeps me full and energized and is also portable! I tend to see smoothies as a big waste of calories because I end up hungry in an hour, but not this one! PS- protein powder is NOT an option: 1. I don't work out enough to warrant protein powder and 2. It makes my tummy hurt.

This smoothie will transition well into Fall because of the pumpkin flavor. Yum!

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cocoa Power Smoothie


Ingredients

• 1 banana, cut into 1" slices and frozen (<--- preferred, but fresh works, too)
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp creamy natural peanut butter
• 1/2 tbsp agave syrup to less to taste
• 1/4 c. pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling!!!)
• 1 c. soy milk
• 1/2 c. ice
• dash of cinnamon
• splash of vanilla extract
• water as needed to thin out smoothie

Directions

• Put all ingredients in blender
• Blend . .  .
• . . . until you don't hear ice chunks
• Pour in wonderful to-go cup
• Drink
• Yummmm

Today I made it with no cocoa and extra pumpkin and cinnamon for a super pumpkin-y flavor. This smoothie has lots of fiber from the banana and pumpkin, protein from the PB and soy, and tons of vitamins from all of the above. You could further superfood it up by stirring in a tablespoon of chia seeds. I do NOT recommend blending with chia seeds unless you want to scrub gummy little chia seeds off of your blender blades. Personal experience. Still annoyed.

And now I must read read read! I have not gotten to the oven baked chicken that I bought corn flakes for three weeks ago. And I have not had time to make a cocktail for cocktail time. I pay people to do that for me.

It's only been three days of my new schedule, so I'm getting used to it. Hopefully recipes will be flying out of my butt more rapidly soon!!!

Night Night Sleep Tight! yeah, it's 8:52. what.