Health knowledge made personal
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We have had a very productive weekend and I am happy to report that I have successfully passed my first Institute for Integrative Nutrition exam. Woo hoo! I am so excited. I passed with flying colors and am excited to start with the next set of Modules this week. I LOVE this program and studying for it is fun and interesting.
So before taking the exam this morning, I thought it would be a great idea to clear my mind and get some fresh air by taking a nice run in Laurelhurst Park. It was a slightly rainy day but I suited up and took Gumbo (my dog) on a 7 mile run. I need to start adding a few extra miles to my run to train for the Shamrock Run. I will have to add in a 9 mile run this week.
Anyhow, we spent the afternoon working on a school project with Emmet. Don't you just love it when you find out your child has a BIG project that is due tomorrow and he/she just started at 2:00pm? We were not happy campers about this but we got it done and will be more on the ball next time:)
In between working on the project it was the perfect day to make the ultimate comfort food- Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs. We all needed a comforting bowl of spaghetti and meatballs to get over the mind-boggling math project we had all worked on!
 Meatballs: Cooking spray 1 pound ground turkey meat 1 pack of turkey sausage, meat extracted from casings 1/2 cup rolled oats 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving 2 large cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves, salt and pepper- to taste 1 egg, lightly beaten
1 pgk- Barilla Multi-Grain Pasta- we used Angel Hair, cooked according to package
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil for pasta.
Make Sauce:
In a 4-quart saucepan heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Bring all the ingredients to a low boil, reduce heat and cook for approximately 15 minutes, until liquid has evaporated slightly. While sauce is cooking, make meatballs.
Meatballs:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Combine the turkey with all other ingredients in a large work bowl. Form into 2 1/2 -inch balls and place in a baking dish. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until browned and almost entirely cooked through.
Add the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and cook additional 10 minutes, or until sauce has slightly thickened and meatballs have absorbed some of the sauce. While the meatballs are cooking, cook the spaghetti according to package directions.
Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the sauce and meatballs, toss and heat through over medium heat. Divide evenly among 4 pasta bowls and garnish with grated parmesan cheese.
There is something so classic about spaghetti and meatballs and every once in a while you just gotta have some! I served the Spaghetti and Meatballs with a fabulous spinach salad loaded with goodies. 
Loaded Spinach Salad 3 cups fresh spinach 1/2 cup chopped carrots 1 cup broccoli slaw 1 cup chopped mushrooms 1 cup red bell peppers handful of cherry tomatoes Dressed with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar In my attempt to eat more fruit-based desserts, I served fresh strawberries with a dollop of whipped cream. This was perfect. 
The whipped cream added just the right amount of decadence to make this into a "real" dessert without adding a ton of calories. I bought the Whole Foods Light Whipped Cream in a can and it says that 2 tbsp are only 15 calories. The kids loved this and asked if we could have strawberries and cream tomorrow night as well. It is amazing what a little whipped cream can do for you. Have any of you watched the HBO series called Treme ? My husband and I are a bit obsessed with it since we lived in New Orleans. Treme is set in post-Katrina New Orleans. It chronicles the struggles of a diverse set of residents as they rebuild their lives and their city. Treme is the name of one of the oldest neighborhood, an historically important source of African- American music and culture. The show is addictive and we watched two shows from season 2 last night and plan to watch 1 or 2 more tonight. So I am off to watch Treme but hope all of you had a great weekend! |
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