Happy Friday all!
I am finally able to say that this week is behind me. If any of you have ever seen the movie “Groundhog Day’ with Bill Murray, you will know what my life was like this week. We had month end/year end close this week, and from Monday through Thursday, it was like one big, huge, never-ending day. I am emotionally drained! But, on the bright side, all reports and schedules have been delivered to the appropriate people, and in a timely manner.
I maintained this week, which, in and of itself, is fantastic. Also, our team is in the lead for the ‘Maintain Campaign’ that our fitness center launched in November. Our team is one of the few who actually lost over Thanksgiving and Christmas. I kept up with my physical activity, and we may have a shot at winning this thing. Have no idea what the prizes are, but still…bragging rights are awesome! I also started taking some of the classes offered down there. The one that I really am LOVING is the Bollywood/Bhangra dance class that Alex is leading. Very easy to follow and you work up a great sweat while doing it. For those who are coordination-challenged, this is a great one. Even I can keep up! Liked it so much when I tried it the first time that I actually rearranged my Weight Watchers meetings to accommodate this class. Switching to a Friday noon meeting for the next three weeks so I can get these classes in. Compromise. That’s what it’s all about!
Still living by my new mantra, and am loving it. This Saturday, I will be up before the crack of dawn to participate in the Bold in the Cold 5K race in Grapevine. A running group puts this one on in early January. I think we are supposed to be at a nice balmy 37° F when we start walking in the morning. Good thing I was able to get my running suit and Under Armour! Think I will manage to be nice and toasty.
I hope that all of you have had a great start to the New Year and if you need anything from me at all…program advice, a swift kick in the tushie or just an ear to listen, please call, email or come over!!! We are all in this journey together, and our goal? To get to OUR goal. I actually had one of my readers (and also a GREAT FRIEND) reach out to me this week to ask if I’d be her accountability partner. I am more than happy to do this for her and any one of you! Please have a fantastic weekend, and I will update you next week on how the race went!
Found this quote on a friend’s Facebook page. Loved it, and had to steal it for this issuance!!!
"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity!”
-author unknown
RECIPES
Wild Rice, Barley and Asparagus Pilaf
Soooo glad I found this recipe. It's a great and healthy alternative to plain old rice pilaf, and I love the nuttiness of the barley in this one. I had all the ingredients in the house. My pantry is pretty well stocked, and dishes like these come easy for me because of it. Our grocery store here carries boxes of wild rice, and you can buy pearled barley really inexpensively in bulk.
Hardly traditional, this hearty side dish could be a meal on its own, alongside a cup of soup or a light green salad.
PointsPlus™ Value: 3
Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 12 min
Cooking Time: 55 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
5 cup(s) vegetable broth
3/4 cup(s) uncooked wild rice
1 cup(s) uncooked barley, pearl-variety (do not use quick-cooking)
1 medium shallot(s), chopped
1 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
10 oz asparagus, pencil-thin spears, cut into 2-inch segments
* Bring the broth and rice to a simmer in a large saucepan; cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
* Stir in the barley, shallot, salt, thyme, sage and pepper. Cover and continue simmering over low heat for 25 minutes.
Notes
Use pure wild rice, not a blend of wild and brown rice.
Some things I did this time around:
1. I had no shallots, so I used red onion in this dish
2. I used beef broth in place of veggie broth
3. I let this simmer a tad longer than indicated, so that the liquid got absorbed.
4. Leftovers would be great in a chicken roulade. Use a tablespoon or two and roll up in a chicken breast pounded out to 1/4 inch thick. Fasten with toothpicks and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, until juices run clear.
Prosciutto Spirals with Balsamic Glaze
As most of you probably know, I am a bit of a Pampered Chef junkie, and I have almost all of their products and all of their cookbooks. Out of one of the last ones I purchased, an appetizer cookbook, I found this gem. I am having a great friend over tonight, and wanted to do a nice and simple appetizer, but one that would pack a big flavor punch. Here is what I ended up deciding upon!
The photo below is what the appetizer looked like right before I rolled it up. Very colorful!!!
Ingredients:
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4 oz cream cheese, softened (I used Neufchatel cheese instead)
1 (14.5-oz) can artichoke hearts in water, drained and coarsely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped red onion
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil leaves
16 slices prosciutto (about 8 oz or so) (I would ask the deli clerk to cut it on about a 1 1/2 on the slicer)
2 cups loosely packed arugula (I used baby arugula)
Prep time: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Instructions:
1. Prepare glaze and filling
Simmer vinegar in a 1 1/2 quart saucepan over medium-high heat for 7-9 minutes or until reduced by half, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and pour into a small bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk cream cheese until smooth. Add artichokes, onion and basil to the bowl; mix well (this filling is also makes a great dip for crudités!)
2. Assemble and refrigerate rolls
Lay sheet of plastic wrap over a plastic cutting board. Arrange four slices of prosciutto vertically over plastic wrap, overlapping slightly to form a 9-inch square. Spread 1/3 cup of the artichoke filling over prosciutto. Top with 1/2 cup of the arugula. Starting at side closest to you , tightly roll up prosciutto jelly roll style. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate until ready to serve. Repeat three times for a total of 4 rolls.
3. Slice and serve.
Remove each roll from plastic wrap and slice into 12 spirals for a total of 48 spirals. Place on serving platter and drizzle with glaze. A serrated knife works wonders on these. Also, chill very well before slicing!
Yield: 24 servings
Nutritional information: (per 2 appetizers) Calories: 50, Total fat: 3g, Saturated fat: 1.5g, Cholesterol: 15mg; Carb: 3g; Protein: 4g; Sodium: 270 mg; Fiber: 0g
