Friday Fotos: 2/24

...

courtesy of... somuchpun.com

Scrambled Eggs Casserole

The following is a recipe I came up with to take a different spin on the usual scrambled eggs routine.It includes: scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, spinach, and feta cheese. I originally came up with this to stuff into the calzones I like to make, but I have since found a variety of ways in which to use it. 
For example, you can:

• Just eat it from your dish
• Use it as a casserole (brunch idea)
• Use it as a stuffing in burrito shells (brunch idea)
• Use it as a pizza topping (my kid's favorite)

• Make calzones (use your favorite pizza dough or make your own. Here's a link to my Pizza Dough Recipe)
• Try it as a sandwich
• Use up pie crust by making it into a pie (I did this as well. I just topped it with mashed potatoes, cheese, and baked)

As you see, there are several things you can do with this recipe. Since this recipe makes so much, you can experiment with several ideas from just a single batch. Also, once made, this recipe keeps well for several days in the refrigerator. Just remove the portion you want and microwave to heat. Now, onto the recipe...

What you need:

• 12 Eggs
• 1 Cup buttermilk (adds a great tang flavor to the eggs)
• Sausage...use your favorite
• 6 Slices bacon (or more if you want)
• 2 Handfuls of fresh baby spinach...(see photo below). You can also just use frozen spinach that has been thawed and drained. It will work just as well and you won't have to cook it :)
• Feta Cheese...again, a few good handfuls (adjust to suit your taste)
• Salt...to taste
• Pepper...to taste
• Rice wine vinegar...for spinach (Optional, but adds a great taste)
• Minced garlic...for spinach (optional)
• 6 Tbsp. Ranch Dressing (optional, but really adds a unique flavor).

Now that we have our ingredients, let's begin. What we will do is cook everything separately and then, once the eggs are cooked, we will combine all the elements together.

Bacon: 

• Pre-heat oven to 400°
• Place your bacon on a baking sheet (I line mine with foil, but parchment paper will work as well)
• Bake your bacon for 10 minutes, turn and then bake an additional 10 minutes (this will give you fairly crispy bacon. If you like yours less crispy, just reduce the bake time
• Remove and drain on paper towels, crumble, and set aside

Spinach: 

• Place two generous handfuls of spinach in the frying pan and season with salt and pepper

• Saute the spinach until cooked and then add some minced garlic (about a teaspoon) and rice wine vinegar

• Drain and set aside

Sausage:

•  Place sausage in pan and cook until done
• Drain and set aside

Eggs:

• Place the eggs in a bowl and, using a whisk or fork, break the yolks and beat until smooth

• Add the buttermilk (1 cup) and mix well
• Add salt and pepper and mix well

• Add the eggs to frying pan and cook until scrambled to your preferred level of doneness (some people like their scrambled eggs well done and dry, while others prefer them more moist).
• Drain any extra liquid if needed

Putting it together:

• With the eggs still in the frying pan, add the spinach and combine well
• Add the sausage, bacon, and mix well
• Add the Feta cheese mix well and heat until cheese begins to soften
• Lastly, add the Ranch dressing, if desired, and mix

You now have a very versatile dish that can be enjoyed in a variety of different ways. Have fun and try and invent new ways of serving this. If you do, please leave me a comment and I will add your ideas to this article, along with a nice link to your site. :)

Taking a Day Off from Exercising

I'm in kind of a funk today, because I'm not going to exercise. Yep, you heard me right! I'm taking two days off from my exercise routine. I've worked out every day this week and even though I'm feeling guilty about not exercising, my body is telling me to take a rest.




image courtesy of... icanhascheezburger.com

Since I started my weight loss regime and exercising a little over three years ago, my routine has changed drastically. When I first started, I concentrated on strength training and avoided cardio like the plague. Then, when I started feeling guilty about avoiding the cardio, I did that instead of the strength training. As you might be able to see, I did either one or the other during the week...not both.

Well, no more! Over the past few months I have been incorporating both strength training and cardio in my weekly work outs. I discovered a few good videos through Netflix; one is a Boot camp exercise video, which is 30 minutes of non-stop action and the other is a Pilate's/Yoga mix (40 minutes). I have to admit that when I first saw the Pilate's video, I didn't figure that it would give me much of a workout However, after doing it the first time AND only being able to make it through 20 minutes of it, I have a new respect for it. I have to say that when I finally finish the 40 minutes, I look like I have just gotten out of the shower! I combine these videos with my strength training, alternating each day, and I find that I much more satisfied with my workouts.

Now, back to the resting thing.

 I am at the point where I am so used to exercising each day, that whenever I take a day off, I feel guilty about doing so. Today, as I write this, I am again struggling with taking time off. My body is sore from my week's activity and I KNOW that I have to give my muscles a chance to recover, but I still feel bad for not working out. It may sound strange or even bizarre for me to feel this way, but I do. My mind is telling me that I have to rest, but my gut (as ample as it is) is telling me to ignore the aches and pains and just go for it.

Well, I am forcing myself to take time off and recover. It may not seem like it, but the recovery period is just as important as the actual exercising itself. Your muscles get stretched and torn while working out, that's how they grow, and they must have time to recover and heal. Otherwise, you could do serious harm to yourself. So,  instead of sitting here and feeling guilty over the fact that I'm skipping a few days, I'm going to enjoy myself. I'm going to focus on the fact that my muscles are getting a much-needed rest and that I will be ready to begin again next week.