Spaghetti Squash Casserole

So, I teased you yesterday when I posted a picture of the meal I made on Tuesday night, so I figured it was only fair for me to share it with you now! We are in the midst of getting ready to host Amy’s sister, and our dear friend, Sara’s baby shower, so things are likely a bit hectic in our household!

I bought a spaghetti squash last week, but never got around to making anything with it (I made this meal instead.), so I figured this was a great week to use it before it went bad.  Plus, after I’ve been away on a little trip where I’ve eaten out and eaten more indulgent foods and desserts than normal, I always like to “detox” a bit upon my return by eating loads of veggies.  This meal certainly helped to get me back on the right track! Loaded with veggies, chicken breast and some light cheese, you can enjoy a generous portion, guilt-free.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

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Ingredients:

  • 1 small-medium spaghetti squash
  • 1/2 cup onion
  • 1/2 cup green pepper
  • 1/2 cup zucchini
  • 1/2 cup summer squash
  • 3/4 cup broccoli
  • 1-2 tsp minced garlic
  • 2-3 thinly sliced chicken breasts, cut up into small cubes
  • 2 tbsp reduced fat cream cheese
  • 2 tbsp goat cheese
  • 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp Italian bread crumbs
  • Oregano
  • Basil
  • Italian Herbs & Seasoning
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 1-2 cups of pasta sauce
  • Little bit of shredded cheese

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Directions

1. Start a pot for the spaghetti squash (refer to this post for better instructions!) and begin to cut up your veggies. Heat a pan with a little bit of EVOO and add in the onions and minced garlic. Let those soften and cook for about 5 minutes. Next, add in the green peppers and let those cook with the onions for another 2 minutes or so.  Finally, add in the remainder of the veggies. Add in your spices of choice. I like to add in a couple heavy dashes of wine, because well, “wine not” (as my mom says).

0412. When the water is boiling for the spaghetti squash, place it in the pot and boil for 15-30 mins (depending on the size of the spaghetti squash that you get).

3. When the veggies are cooked, remove from the pan and set aside. Cut up your chicken and cook it in the same pan you cooked the veggies in.

0444. Once the spaghetti squash is cooked, remove, let cool and use a fork to get the “spaghetti” out. Once the chicken is cooked, add it to the veggies and mix together. Add in the cheeses, bread crumbs, 1 tbsp or oregano and 1 tbsp of Italian Herbs & Seasoning and a few dashes of basil. Stir well to ensure that the cream cheese and goat cheese melt. Add in 1-2 cups of sauce and place mixture into a baking dish. Top with cheese and bake for 20 mins at 375*. I broiled mine at the end to get that nice, crispy topping.

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046Get a bowl, serve yourself a nice heaping of this, and add some extra sauce on the side if you need more (I always need more sauce).

049Voila! here you go. This meal did take some time, but it was worth it. My sister came home from travel and had some and was raving about it! I think this would also freeze well, so if you made a big batch, you could have some for later.

Questions for you: Do you feel like you need a “detox” when you get home from a trip? What’s your favorite healthy meal to make or eat? I love Life Alive if I’m not cooking:)

Scenes from NYC

Hey everyone! Over the past weekend, I had the pleasure of going to NYC for a little birthday getaway weekend.  I’ve been to NYC on work many times, but, if you can believe it, this was my first time going for fun! I know, it’s crazy! I’m going to let my pictures do most of the talking… hope you enjoy!

Walking around Chelsea Market

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Times Square-

008(Outside of the Renaissance Hotel, which was right in the heart of Times Square- Love those Marriott points!. For a first time visitor to NYC, I was totally in heaven! One of the bars in the hotel had walls of windows overlooking the square. So many people. So many signs. So many things to see.)

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Dinner at Maialino

My friend Jess’s sister was so helpful in suggesting good, non-touristy restaurants in the city. And, even more helpful with securing a reservation at Maialino which was in the Gramercy Park Hotel. The food was absolutely delicious and it was pretty cool to have the Chef send out so many complimentary tastings! The best part of the night, though? The fact that Katie Couric walked in and literally sat at the table next to us. Yes, you read that correctly. Katie Couric was there. She was so pretty! I didn’t have the chance to get a picture or talk to her, but just seeing her was cool enough!

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(Fried artichokes and bread topped with whipped potatoes and cod)

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(Pasta dishes)

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(chocolate croissant bread pudding with hazelnut gelato. I died. So good.)

Jogging through Central Park

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(The coolest part about this run was that there was a race going on that was dedicated to BostonStrong. Very emotional feeling jogging with a bunch of New Yorkers all wearing BostonStrong shirts.)

Well, that about sums it up, or at least what I had pictures of, haha Sometimes I forget to take pictures or think it’s not worth taking a picture of another glass of wine or another plate of food or another scenery photo, but when I go to write up a post, I kick myself because I really wish I had taken those pictures!  I know some people would rather blog through words, but I tend to be someone who enjoys looking at pictures, so that is why I like to put a lot in my posts. Rant is over.

Questions for you:Are you a NYC fan? What is your favorite restaurant in NYC? How was your weekend? Any good eats or drinks to share?

Boston Has My Heart.

**edited to add- As I posted on Facebook yesterday, I had this post all ready to go up yesterday, but after Monday’s horrific events in Boston, I just couldn’t do it. I wasn’t sure what to say or how to say it, so I ended up doing my best to avoid social media all together. I realize for most people, this was a source of comfort and way to express emotions and connect, but I really just had to step away for some time. To all my readers out there, I hope everyone is safe and that your friends and family are safe as well. The texts, emails and phone calls I received to make sure I was safe were overwhelming. I was, and am, safe and am fortunate that all of my friends who were at the marathon are safe as well. Boston is the strongest city around, so I know we will overcome this.

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I’m not the best with words or transitions, and am not even really sure how to segway into my original post, but here goes nothing…

Hey everyone! How’s it going? I swear the birthday talk and posts are almost done:) Even though I nursed an awful headache all morning, I pulled myself together to go out for a birthday lunch. I had really wanted to go to Local 149 in Southie, but since I knew my patience was low, I opted to avoid the parking and probable lines and suggested that we go to Not Your Average Joe’s right near us in Medford. The greasy food and fountain soda did the trick. I felt a million times better not long after we got there!

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Yes, all 3 of those drinks are mine. I needed a lot of liquid and wasn’t sure what was going to do the trick so I went for a variety: booze, soda, water. The Diet Pepsi did the trick! My sister’s recent hangover cure is a milkshake, so we swung through McDonald’s after lunch and I just had to get myself a sundae! I’ll tell ya, I felt human again after these! So much so, that I was able to come home, pick up around the house and clean my room! boom! Take that, hangover;)

I got a pleasant interruption midway through the afternoon. MORE birthday flowers… AND chocolate covered strawberries. I am a lucky girl!

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Rachel stopped by a little while later and it was fun catching up, hashing & rehashing, and playing with Millie (her sweet pup!).

After Rachel left, I started to make a healthy dinner to try to redeem my not so healthy lunch (I don’t regret any of it, though! It was just what the doctor ordered.). I stocked up on a bunch of veggies at the grocery store because I was not sure what I was going to be in the mood to make on Sunday night. I took my mom’s tip and sautéed up a huge batch of veggies (EVOO, wine, garlic, seasonings) to have handy for the week. I also had a few chicken sausage links leftover from when I made my Chicken Sausage & Veggie Sauce Spaghetti Meal, so I also cooked up some of those. To accompany the chicken sausage and veggies, I made a batch of quinoa/brown rice blend (love this stuff!).

I probably cooked about 3/4 cup of each veggie, few dashes of wine and garlic, and a few shakes of different herbs/seasonings and let everything simmer for about 30 minutes on med/low heat.

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039When the veggies were about halfway done, I started my quinoa and chicken sausage.

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041Once everything was cooked, I placed some veggies in a bowl, topped with chicken sausage and goat cheese and gave myself a serving of quinoa. I wasn’t sure what to use for a sauce for the veggies and chicken sausage, but out of sheer laziness, I settled on using a little marinara sauce which was actually a pretty good idea!

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045Yum! This meal was so warm and comforting. And it was really very easy! I packed up all the leftovers and am excited to have a bunch of nice veggies and quinoa handy for meals throughout the week. If any of you have any ideas/suggestions for how I can use these in a meal this week, please share! I also have a sweet potato that I want to do something with, too, as well as a spaghetti squash. So many options!

Questions for you: What was a memorable meal from the weekend? Do you like to “stock up” on foods so you can have quick and easy meals during the week?

Last day of being 27

Hey Burpees to Bubbly readers! Happy, happy Saturday to you! Have anything fun planned? I’ve got a busy day, but before I get to that, let’s catch up on yesterday! As most of you probably know, Friday’s are my “work from home” (WFH) days and after a full, busy week, it’s the best feeling to get home on Thursday after teaching a double and know I don’t have to pack a lunch or get up early to make the commute into the office. WFH on a Friday before my birthday is even better… treats and flowers and cards galore!

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When I finished my work day, I had plans of going to the gym near me since I am no longer teaching my Friday night UXF in Allston (so sad. I miss you guys!), but the weather was so gross that I decided to stay in and do an “at home” workout.  I was gchatting with Athena (but, let’s be honest, when are we NOT gchatting?!) and she said she was going to use the jump rope today. Ding, ding, ding! The light bulb went off and I decided that I could get a great workout done in the comforts of my own home. I can’t tell you how nice it was to have the option to go to the gym or to workout at home or to not do anything at all!

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So, I set up shop in the kitchen with my weights, jump rope and “Friday Five” Arms/cardio workout and got busy. I ended up doing about 60 minutes including warm up and cool down/foam rolling and time flew by!

  • 5 mins warm up (jogging in place, jumping jacks, squats, hamstring curls, knee lifts, etc)
  • 5 mins jumping rope (this is SO much harder when you use a real jump rope vs imaginary jump rope)- this round was tabata style with 20 seconds jumping, 10 seconds rest.
  • 15 minute Arm/Cardio/Core from April Arms Challenge (up the ladder)
  • 5 mins jumping rope (30 seconds jumping, 5 seconds rest)
  • 15 minutes down the ladder
  • 5 mins jumping rope (alternating leads and speed and direction)
  • 10 mins (abs, stretching, foam rolling)

60 minutes later, I was sweaty and tired and rope burned. Wait, what? You read that right, I clearly need work on my jump roping because I got whipped by the rope more time than I’d like to admit and boy did it hurt!

013After I showered, I headed out to the grocery store. On a cold, rainy, Friday night. REALLY not that fun, but it was dead and fully stocked, so I couldn’t really complain too much. As I was shopping, I thought about how great it would be if I could have a glass of wine. Wouldn’t that make grocery shopping so much better?

wine and groceriesI was so ready for wine by the time I got home that I poured myself a glass before I even took my jacket off! J.Lohr is one of my favorite wines- red and white. It’s delicious!

015I sipped as I put away all my groceries. It really made the process a lot more enjoyable, but then again, when doesn’t wine make things more enjoyable?

I was so in the mood for sushi last night, so I picked some up in my travels. It totally hit the spot! There is something about Chardonnay and Sushi. They go hand in hand in my book. Anyone else with me on this?

018Although I had somewhat wanted to go meet up with friends for dinner or drinks, the weather and knowing that I have lots of things on the agenda for today made me decide that staying in was more desirable than going out!

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Today’s agenda:

  • getting my BSC paycheck and going to the bank
  • tanning (yes, I tan occasionally…sorry if that offends anyone, but I want a nice glow for my birthday!)
  • teaching kickboxing
  • going to Jess’s first tasting
  • getting my hair highlighted and cut (!!!)
  • getting all done up in my birthday dress for birthday celebrations!!

A little serious talk…

So, today is my last day as a 27-year-old. It’s a little crazy to think about, but I am ready for 28. First off, I am a fan of even numbers, so right away 28 is better than 27, haha. Secondly, I am in a much better spot personally at this point than I was last year, so I am excited for what 28 will bring. I have a few things lined up (expanding and growing the blog, moving into my own place, etc- more on that later) for the next year and I hope you will all stick around with me as I share my journey. I have only been blogging for a few months, but I have had so much fun thus far and appreciate everyone who reads and follows me. You have no idea how much that means to me!

Questions for you: What’s a special meal that you’ll splurge on every once in a while? Birthdays- love them or hate them? What’s been your favorite year thus far?

Birthday Week!

Hey everyone! TGIF,right?! Remember how I said the week wasn’t going by slow? Yeah, I was so wrong. As soon as I wrote that, my weekly drastically slowed down and I felt a day ahead. But! Good news is that it is Friday! Birthday weekend officially kicks off at the end of the work day today. Woohoo!

Catching up…

Wednesday was a great workout day. Actually, the whole week has been awesome. I have been pleasantly sore all week, which hasn’t happened in a while so I must be doing different things this week that has “shocked” my body. Love that! Before class, I managed to run 3.25 miles. Nothing like being a sweaty beast before class even starts:)

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I taught UXF, but was able to incorporate some moves from Wednesday’s April Arms Challenge workout. I switched up the moves a little bit, but we got it all in!

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(Took this from Sunday’s 3-2-1 circuit. New favorite move!)

007(We just did side lunge and biceps curls, so I switched it to an isometric side lunge & 1-armed triceps extension. 30 seconds each side, 3 rounds)

008(Finishing off class with 3 rounds of 30 second wall sits & hammer curls, followed by 30 seconds of high knees)

The whole trip home (I have to get back on the T and then take a bus from Davis… really not that fun), I brainstormed what I could throw together for dinner. I am usually good at having enough leftovers from “Sunday Dinner” to get me through until Thursday, but not this week. I ended up throwing together a Caprese Omelette, which, even though it didn’t look that good, tasted delicious and was just what I wanted!

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Yesterday, my friend/coworker took me out for a birthday lunch at Miel which is the French restaurant at the Intercontinental Hotel (remember when I went there for a massage?). French cuisine is my absolute favorite (I blame it on the sauce and cheese that accompany every meal!), so I was really excited about this lunch. JP got the French Onion Soup to start and he said it was delicious (I mean, how can it NOT be delicious when it looks that cheesy and gooey?!)

015I usually get the Cobb salad, but yesterday I splurged on the Croque Monsieur. Best.Decision.Ever.

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And, no birthday is complete without dessert, right?

019This was a flourless chocolate cake and it was to die for! I am usually not a huge fan of flourless things, but this was amazing! I was thankful that I was teaching a double after work! haha

As for today, I am not digging the gloomy weather! I just hope it’s nice for tomorrow since I am celebrating my birthday at the Brahmin and want to wear my birthday dress without freezing to death. Tonight is the first night I am NOT teaching, and, I just don’t really know what to do with myself! I am pretty sore from workouts this week, but since it’s mostly my lower half, I’ll be fine to do today’s A.A.C. workout… and maybe some light cardio? Who knows!

I’ll check back in soon! To all my other April Birthday Buddies, I hope you’re having a great month!

Questions for you: What is your favorite cuisine? What is your favorite restaurant? Any good workouts to share this week?