First off:

Look! A different breakfast!

One egg + egg whites (about 1/3 cup) + an english muffin with wildberry jam and peanut butter. Still not particularly creative, but it counts as shaking things up, right?

Wow, those are some green eggs. I went to add a dash of dill while the eggs were cooking, but I accidently opened the wrong side and dumped a whole bunch on top. This is why I shouldn’t be allowed to cook before 8 am.

Still tasty, but I kinda felt like I needed to throw some ham in there too (who doesn’t love a Dr. Suess reference?)

Dinner

So with Sandy bearing down on all of us yesterday (I hope everyone managed to stay safe!) I knew that a homey, warm, comforting meal was in order. Something that the boyfriend and I could hunker down with in our apartment and eat while we caught up on The Walking Dead and Dexter. (My favourite shows involve serial killers and zombies. Yup, I’m an odd one).

I had noticed shrimp and crabmeat on sale at the grocery store on Sunday, so I wanted to work with those. When I think of comforting, I also think cheesy, buttery sauce…so I went with a seafood lasagna with white sauce. I used whole wheat lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese, and added snap peas and spinach to keep the nutrition level high. The result? A delicious, homey pasta dish that the boy literally raved about for hours – he’s super excited for leftovers all week.

Bad-Weather Seafood Lasagna

(serves 8. Adapted from the Looneyspoons Collection)

Ingredients

• 11 whole wheat lasagna noodles (you’ll use 9, but I like to make extra in case some break)
• 1 cup snap peas, ends cut off
• about 1/3 package frozen spinach
• 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (you can take this down a bit, but I  love garlic)
• 1 1/2 cups 2% milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dill
• 1 lb shrimp, de-tailed and thawed
• 1/2 lb imitation crab meat, in chunks (could substitute for the real thing, but I’m cheap)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Place lasagna noodles in boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water – set aside. Mix ricotta, egg and parmesan cheese in a medium bowl and et aside.

2. Put spinach and snap peas in microwave safe dish with a bit of water. Microwave for about 3 minutes, drain and set aside. Melt butter in pan on medium low. Add garlic and cook for one minute.

3. Mix milks in medium bowl. Add flour and stir to combine. Add to butter/garlic mixture and whisk in. Cook until thickened and bubbling, about 5 minutes.

4. Add chicken bouillon cube, salt, pepper and dill. Stir to combine. Add shrimp and cook until pink, about 5 minutes.

5. When shrimp is cooked through, add peas, spinach, crab meat and 1/4 cup cheese. Cook until cheese is completely melted. Remove from heat.

6. Layering time! Spray a 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray. Place 3 noodles on the bottom layer. Add 1/3 of the seafood/veggie sauce.

7. Add another layer of noodles, then layer the ricotta mixture. Cover with another 1/3 sauce.

8. Add the final layer of noodles, and then the final layer of sauce. Top with 1/4  cup shredded cheese.

9. Cover with tinfoil and place in oven for 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Cook for 35 minutes. Remove and let stand for at least 5 minutes.

Umm, how freakin’ delicious does that look?!

Easily one of the best meals I’ve made in a long time. Eric and I could not stop mmm-ing through dinner! So, so good. The most exciting part? A lasagna that makes 8 servings + 2 of us = lots of leftovers.

FreEDom From Perfection

So a little while ago, I got an email from a delightfully awesome blogger (the wonderful Sloane) about an amazing campaign she was starting. The official launch is next week, but I wanted to get the word out as much as possible about her little project. Whether or not you’ve had an eating disorder, everyone has little secrets they feel ashamed of. Well, guess what? There is absolutely no reason to be ashamed! Your perceived “flaws” are part of what makes you beautiful! Here’s the adorable Sloane herself explaining her campaign a little further:

I will definitely be contributing to this campaign, and I hope you do too! So what’s my first “secret”? Sloane actually mentions it on the video – I didn’t contribute it, but I completely agree with it. It might make me a bad healthy living blogger, but it’s the truth.

I hate kale.

I’ve tried it cooked, I’ve tried it raw, I’ve tried it massaged…I can’t do it. I know how good it is for you and how nutrient dense it is, but I hate it. #sorryimnotsorry

Make sure you click over andcheck out the campaign, mmk?

<— For my photography lovers: how do you deal with nighttime food photography? I cannot for the life of me make my meals look pretty lately. How do you work around the lighting issue?

<— Give me a healthy food that you don’t like. I can also add eggplant to that list – unpleasant.