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Today and this week will be a shock to the system.

No cigarette smoke. More exercise. It’s a miracle I got in a run while in Vegas – our hotel didn’t have a workout room (!?) and it was cold, overcast, and rainy much of the weekend.

I am going to be eating things that are green and filled with fiber and nutrition…and don’t contain an abundance of butter and heavy cream like the pesto mashed potatoes they serve at the Bellagio. Sigh.

I’m going to sleep. Or try to, at least. Because a weekend with a 3-hour fall-back leads to very, VERY late nights and very little sleep. My body is completely confused.

I’m going to do laundry because even though I took twice as many clothes as I needed to…they all smell of smoky Vegas casinos.

I’m going to cook because I haven’t been doing much of that. My recipes in queue have dwindled to a whopping 1 and Mr. Prevention will be accounted for every evening this week. Healthy family dinners, here we come.

And after work, I’ll get to reunite with this girl.

Because, per the usual, any flight I’m on gets delayed and we spent much of yesterday in the Vegas airport instead of doing things like grocery shopping, laundry, exercising, etc. And of course, by the time we landed, Lily’s daycare was closed and I won’t be able to pick her up until after work 🙁

At which point she will be so sleepy from 4 days of play time that she won’t want to play soccer in the backyard like we’ve been doing, but instead, she’ll want to sleep and cuddle. And I will want to join her. Instead of working out. Or cooking.

But I know that getting back into the swing of things is a good thing. Veggies, and workouts, and normalcy.

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Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Portobellos slightly adapted from Annie’s Eats and Jenna’s Cooking Journey

olive oil spray (I used my Misto)

4 large portabello mushrooms, wiped clean and stems removed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 oz reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature

3 Tbsp low-fat canola or olive oil-based mayonnaise

3 cloves garlic, minced, divided

1 1/2 tsp dried Italian Seasoning

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 small jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup coarse Panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup (1 oz) Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Scrape the gills from the inside of the mushroom caps. Set the mushroom caps on a baking pan, gill side up, and spray with olive oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the filling. Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of the Italian Seasoning, and the spinach in a medium bowl. Stir together until evenly blended. Gently stir in the artichokes. Spoon the filling mixture over the roasted mushroom caps.

In another small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil with the breadcrumbs, cheese, and remaining 1 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning. Stir with a fork to blend. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the filling mixture on each mushroom. Bake for 10 more minutes or until golden and warmed through. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 large mushroom caps.

Nutrition Information (per cap): 228 calories; 14.5 g. fat; 30 mg. cholesterol; 576 mg. sodium; 15.5 g. carbohydrate; 2.8 g. fiber; 9.5 g. protein

Result: I was so impressed with these stuffed portabello caps. They were simple to make and packed with flavor. The caps were large enough to constitute a light entree so I served these with grilled asparagus — a perfectly light warm weather meal that is ready in 25 minutes or less. While the mushrooms are baking you have plenty of time to prep all the stuffing and topping. So simple…so good!

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Weekly Menu: April 16th – 19th

I think this week is going to be fairly calm. I should probably knock on wood, but I am very anxious for a slower pace this week and having Mr. Prevention home…and both of us staying put in Ohio for a few weeks.

Michele, Katie, Heather and Eva each won Bob’s Red Mill Hard White Whole Wheat Flour and Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. Sarah, Mackenzie, and Liz all won Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour and Xanthan Gum. Alida won a package including my favorite from Newman’s Own Organics. Michelle won the Bath and Body Works basket from Donna! Jennifer won Eggland’s Best eggs & other goodies! And lastly, Lindsay, Kierstan, and Randi won 6 Larabars a piece! Congrats to all of the winners! I will be in touch via email shortly!

Thank you for entering into the many giveaways! It’s not too late to enter to win Tropical Traditions or NuNaturals…or Food Should Taste Good or Coconut Secret items!

Back to the grind…

Be well,