Yes, that is a Bible verse. However, no, I was not reading the Bible today...although I'm looking to pick up one of those free Bibles old men give away on street corners (I never wanted one when they were available...and thus is the story of my life).
The verse, along with many other inspirational quotations, appear in Sandra Lee's memoir Made from Scratch. I have been casually reading the story of Lee's life over the past few weeks and finally finished it today. Talk about inspirational: Sandy grew up in poverty on food stamps with nonexistant parents and - miraculously - became a millionaire selling homemade window treatments. She lost her millions in that business only to find success once again as the creator of Semi-Homemade, the famous cooking and lifestyle brand we all know today. The book is not well written, per se, but the story of Lee's triumphs and tribulations is incredibly captivating and inspirational.
I finished the book early this morning (darn daylight savings meant I woke up at 7:00 a.m.) and it totally ushered a pep into my step all day long. The rest of the day was spent doing fun things: running with my friend Emma, driving around with David, and - of course - spending quality time in my kitchen. People often speak of their kitchens as being "the heart of the home." Even though I don't have a large family to feed, I do spend most of my free time in the kitchen. I feel more comfortable standing up in front of my sink than anywhere else in my house. Is there something wrong with me?
Regardless, here's what was on the menu today...
New-Age Tuna Noodle Casserole
This recipe is taken from Eat What You Love, a phenomenal healthy cookbook by Marlene Koch. It is the epitome of an easy, throw-everything-together sort of meal. And it's delicious.
- 10 oz can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup fat free mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots, thawed
- 2 cups fiber-enriched pasta, cooked
- 12 oz water-packed tuna, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and spray an 8x8 inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Combine the soup, milk, cheese, and thyme in a medium-sized bowl. Add the thawed vegetables, noodles, and tuna, stirring until completley combined.
Pour into the casserole dish and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 more minutes. serves 4
Chocolate Chip Meringues
These meringues, from Joy Bauer's The 90/10 Weight Loss Cookbook, are completely addictive. I couldn't stop eating them all day long.
- 3 egg whites
- Pinch salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup Splenda
- 1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and spray two baking sheets with nonstick spray.
Make sure your standing mixer is completely clean and dry...any crumbs or moisture can keep the meringue from forming!
Attach the whisk attachment to the mixer and add the egg whites, salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla to the bowl. Whisk on high speed until soft peaks form, then add 1/4 sugar and beat again until stiff peaks form. add the remaining sugar and Splenda and beat until completely combined.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently stir in the chocolate chips. Drop the meringues by the tablespoon onto the baking sheets and bake for twenty minutes, rotating the pan twice during the cooking process. Turn off the oven, crack open the oven door, and let the meringues rest in the hot oven for 30 additional minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. makes 24 meringues
As hard-working Americans, we tend to spend our entire weekends recovering from busy weekdays. I'm sure many people scoff at the idea of exercising on weekend time. But I like to keep up my exercise routine throughout the weekend because it brings me extra energy. I also have less on my agenda during the weekends, so the exercise isn't wedged between meetings or classes and can prove quite enjoyable. That being said, I don't normally choose Saturday or Sunday for my most intense exercise regime of the week. Instead, I stick to jogging with friends or calming yoga videos...things that can be relaxing and fun (while still counting as exercise).
As mentioned earlier, I went on a run with my friend Emma in the morning. In the evening, I chose to do a yoga video to wind down. Quick-start Yoga for Weight Loss by Suzanne Deason is a quick, relaxing video that manages to tone and stretch the muscles without ever getting too rigorous. It's the perfect kind of exercise for a Sunday evening. Check it out!
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A great book, some delicious food, quality time spent with friends, and some soothing yoga = one heck of a nice and lazy Sunday. I wish they were all like today.
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