Zucchini Lasagna

I made some fantastic lasagna the other night.  Only it didn't have any noodles.  So my husband said it wasn't really lasagna.  Even though he liked it a lot. 

So, subtract pasta and add veggies, and lasagna becomes pretty darn healthy. 

And all you do it swap out the ingredients and proceed with your favorite lasagna recipe. 

Here are some instructions for creating zucchini "noodles"...
Cut ends off the zucchini, and then slice the long way into thin slices.  Discard the end slices that are mostly skin.  (I used about 3 medium zucchinis for one lasagna, and could have probably used another one.)

Pat the zucchini slices dry with a paper towel.  All the extra liquid will make your lasagna watery otherwise. 

You can stop there, but if you really want to make sure it's not runny, continue by laying zucchini slices on a greased baking sheet, lightly salting them, and baking them at 350 about 10-15 minutes. 

Then layer up your lasagna and bake as usual!  Yum! 

Burger and Fries: the Super Food edition

You know how sometimes it's just a burger, fries and shake kind of night?  And you know how a burger, fries and a shake are probably the worst things you could put in your body?  The other night, I came up with a super-food alternative.  Not that you should never indulge in the real thing.  But this was fun, delicious, and SO healthy! 

Here's the menu:
Black bean cheeseburgers
Oven baked sweet potato fries
Blueberry-banana smoothie

Super Foods!  Da-da-da-DA-da-da!

Looks good, right? 
And because I love you, here are some recipes...

Black Bean Burgers
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped veggies (I like sweet peppers and corn)
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
salt & pepper to taste

Sautee onions, garlic and veggies until tender.  Add black beans and cilantro and season with salt and pepper.  Mash slightly.  Form into patties, and cook stovetop, or on the grill.  Make sure you use cooking spray, or they will stick!

Melt cheese on top, and add mayo, lettuce, and tomato on a bun (I used a potato roll).  Yum!  And for any carnivorous husbands (or wives) out there, this does not taste like meat!  It tastes like a really delicious way to eat beans.

Sweet Potato Fries
 2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into "fries"
2 Tb olive oil
Adobo seasoning

Toss sweet potatoes in olive oil and adobo seasoning (or use another seasoning of your choice...lots of possibilities!).  Spray baking sheet (I always line with foil) with cooking spray and arrange fries on sheet.  Bake at 350 40 minutes or until crispy. 

Blueberry Banana Smoothie
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 ripe banana
2 cups milk
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup agave nectar (optional)

Toss it all in the blender, and blend away! 

Black beans, sweet potatoes and blueberries are all "super foods".  Aka, SUPER good for you.  So have your burger, fries and shake guilt free!  Yum!

Choices

I'm not sure if there is anything more fulfilling in life than watching your children make good choices.  While I am rather inexperienced in this area, Olivia is learning to make good choices more and more.  Usually they go like this: 
-"Olivia, do you want to sit nicely in your stroller, and go to the park, or do you want mommy to carry you, and go straight home."
-"Umm..stroller."
-"Good choice!"

Recently, though, she has made a couple of choices that have made my heart glow with happiness. 

She has a special stuffed "ducky" that she sleeps with every night.  She loves her ducky.  We are also in possession of a run-of-the-mill rubber ducky that both girls like to play with in the bath tub.  The other night after bath time, the rubber duck had found its way to Anna's floor.  As I sat rocking Anna, Olivia and Jon read some stories together next to me.  When they were done reading, Olivia exclaimed: "Olivia's ducky!"  Seeing the rubber duck on the floor, I replied, "That is Olivia's AND Anna's ducky.  You both share the ducky."  After a moment, Olivia ran into her own room, returned with her special stuffed ducky, and gave it to Anna.  She ran back to her own room, and cried softly, but didn't return to reclaim her toy.  I immediately realized my mistake: she had been talking about her stuffed duck, and I responded by talking about the rubber duck.  But I was immensely touched that she was willing to share her prized possession with her sister, even though the thought of sleeping without it, apparently brought her to tears.  It was especially meaningful and surprising since I find myself asking her to share with her sister many, many times a day, usually without optimal results.  We thanked her so much for sharing, and told her that Anna was done using her ducky and that she could have it back.  


The second good choice she recently made blew me away.  Saturday, we made a day of visiting the LDS Washington DC temple, Jon and I taking turns participating in ordinances there, and watching the girls outside.  Olivia loves the song "I Love to See the Temple", and asks to go there on a regular basis.  While Jon was in the temple, the girls and I walked on the beautiful grounds, and Olivia said repeatedly "I go a temple!"  I replied that we were at the temple.  But she persisted, "I go a temple!  Doors!"  Since children are not permitted into the temple until age twelve, that was a bit of a problem.  So I kept reminding her that we were already at the temple, and finally distracted her by going inside the Visitor's Center instead. 
Our plans for that day included a trip to the nearby Cafe Rio for dinner, and then returning to the Temple Visitor's Center to watch a flute performance by our good friend.  As we loaded the car to head out for dinner, Olivia was heart-broken.  Apparently, the distractions had only been temporary.  "I go a temple!  Doors!" she sobbed.  It was then that I remembered that I could take her inside the lobby of the temple, and that she could use the bathroom or drinking fountain there, and sit in a small waiting area.  Desperate to calm her, I promised, "When we come back, you can go inside for a minute, after the concert!"  She was appeased.  But after the concert ended, it was late, and we were very aware of the hour-long drive home.  Some friends had brought cupcakes, and invited us to come share.  So, knowing we didn't have time or energy after a long day to do both, I gave Olivia a choice.  "Olivia, we don't have very much time, so would you rather go inside the temple, or have a cupcake with your friends?"  Upon hearing the word "cupcake", she perked up and said "ohhh...nummy!" (and since having a cupcake is a very special treat for her, I was sure she would go for it) but she paused, and decidedly said, "I go a temple!"  So I took her into the lobby of the temple.  And we talked about what a special place the temple is.  And she never once asked about the cupcakes.  And my heart melted. 

I feel so blessed to have such a sweet daughter who is learning to choose the right, one day at a time.  And since she is two, and fiercely independent, these moments are absolutely priceless.