Getting Rolling

It's been a week since I last post. Granted, I am not the most regular blogger. But, still, a week is a long time.

I have a good excuse, though. I have not stopped moving. In a week.

It's been exhausting, exciting, and emotional. Full of fun stuff, work stuff, and school stuff. Wow, things are really starting to get rolling for the school year!

Here are some highlights. Sorry for the photo dump. Yea, not really:

Val came to visit!!! My biffle from college. 

We went to dinner where I did something I never do. Ordered pasta. Major fear food there, but it was delicious! Then, I got made fun of for being vegan. Enter butter face with sausage eyes. Thanks, friends.

I ran 7 miles!!! I know, right!? Incredible. I totally surprised myself, but I had 7 in my head, and I did it. felt awesome.

Val and I hit up some of our fave food spots. Starbucks for breakfast after my run (brought my own protein oats), Panera for lunch, and, of course, Mexican for dinner.

Then, a little too much fun with some black light putt-putt.

Saturday, I took a quick trip to Athens for one last hoorah before the school year begins. It was a crazy night, but totally worth the pain the next day. Good times with good food and meeting up with some old friends. Couldn't ask for a better night.

I made some "I'm Too Poor to go Grocery Shopping, Clean Out the Fridge" vegetable soup. I'll put up a lesson plan for that one in a few days. It was a life save this week!

After all of that, most excitingly, staff meetings and professional development has started for the year!
Starting on Monday with meetings, then a staff retreat at the beautiful park below, and culminating in new teacher orientation on Thursday and Friday.

So far, I have to say I am completely in love with my school district. The people are one big amazing family who are all so happy to be working there. I am so excited and feel so blessed to be part of this team, and I can't wait for school to actually start!

Here's to the beginning of something great!
~ Rach

Chicago and the Doobie Brothers

This weekend, my whole family went to the Chicago and Doobie Bros concert that I bought my dad for Fathers Day! It was a big thank you for everything he has done for me, especially in the last year.

Let me tell you, it was a blast!

The night started out at the broski's house (his part of the gift) with a little cookout, and a couple of beers.

I started out the night with a sentimental, college throw back... that was quickly replaced about halfway through with a much tastier and far classier, Stella Artois.

We did burers on the grill, and buried under that pile of jalapeños, tomato and pickle is a Boca vegan burger. The condiments are necessary to make it taste less carboardy. Everything was also promptly covered in salsa and mustard.

Good family time: Mom and dad loading up their plates, me and my bro's GF who might as well already be part of the family, me and my friend-date for the night (who I actually came friends with through the brother and is always my date at things like this... you know, because I can't seem to find my own dates haha), and the obligatory pic of the pup, Jolene, since my bro refused pics at this point.

After dinner, we headed to Riverbend for the concert where, naturally some shenanigans continued:

Some photo bombing

Some dancing

please ignore my platypus feet...awkward

Some lovin'

Ah there's the Bro/Sis pic I was looking for

get a room!

 It was an amazing night! Perfect weather, great music, awesome company. Who knew I could have so much fun with the family!? Oh yea, I did! Nothing is more important, and I am so blessed to have a family that is so close and genuinely like spending time together!

Here's to cherishing the love of family!
~Rach

Lesson Plan: Single Girl's Lasagna

One of the things I love about living on my own is having total control over the kitchen. No awkward tango with roommates (who I love and miss dearly) in the tiny apartment kitchen. No changing what I'm making for a hulking (now ex)boyfriend that hates mushrooms.

It's all about me and what I am craving at that moment. Although it makes me feel a little bit selfish saying it, it's awesome. Sorry, I'm not sorry.

Cooking for one can be tricky though. Certain dishes are more appropriately prepared for a crowd. Like, lasagna, for instance. But, in this past year of being super-single, as I like to call myself, I have a couple of tricks that help me taper these recipes down to a perfect single-girl size.

So, without further ado, today's lesson, class, is lasagna. Single girl-style.

*********

Lesson: Single Girl's Lasagna (makes 2 servings)
                (vegan, gluten-free, low fat, low cal, budget friendly; see accommodations section for suggested   
                     modifications)
Necessary Materials:

•  one small eggplant
• 1 zucchini
• 1/3 bolck of extra firm tofu
• ~cup jarred tomato sauce (I used Classico Tomato and Basil. Use your favorite)
• garlic powder, italian seasoning, red pepper flake
• 2 ramekins
• mandoline slicer or sharp knife

Procedures:
1) Wash veggies, peel eggplant and use mandoline to slice them into thin slices.
    If you don't have a madoline, used a sharp knife to slice the veggies into ~1/8 in slices.

 2) Slice tofu into 6 thin slices and press between paper towels.

 3) Layer.
      Starting with a bit of sauce, begin layering the ingredients. I did sauce, zucchini, sauce, egglant, sauce, crumbled tofu, etc. I like sauce.

 On top of the tofu, sprinkle the seasonings.

 Finish the layering with a layer of sauce.

 4) Bake at 350 for about 40 min.
    I baked mine in my little convection/toaster oven , but a conventional oven would work also.

 5) Top with nooch, and enjoy!

Yummmmm!

Accommodations:
- If you are a meat/cheese eater, you could replace the tofu layer with a couple of your favorite stuffed ravioli.
    I used to do this for my ex-boyfriend, and he loved it. It's an easy way to add in the pasta and cheese      
    or meat with out having to cook the noodles. Ravioli layer really well, too!
- Also, add in layers of cheese (vegan mozz or dairy cheese if you want).
     I would have loved to add some daiya mozz, but I didn't have any, and on my budget, it wasn't 
     really an option.
- Add in whatever veg you have on hand.
     Thin sliced mushrooms would have been a great addition.
Assessments:
     I think this recipe was a great success! It was a lightened-up-for-summer version of the Italian comfort food I was craving. I have also recently developed a dislike for eggplant (it's a texture thing), and with this one, I was able to not waste it and disguise it in a tasty tomato-basil sauce costume. The best part, it made 2 perfectly-sized portions for dinner tonight and leftovers for tomorrow. It reheated beautifully.
       Overall, I give this one a solid A!

*********

On another note, I am spending the next 4 days babysitting hanging out with my Rabbi's (who is also a close family friend) 13-year-old son while the parents are out of town. Someone tell me, what am I supposed to do with this kid! Hopefully we can hit up a Red's game and the pool. Eh, at least it's some solid money to get me through the rest of the summer.

Here's to embracing single-girl life, and making the best of doing what's best for me more a change!

~ Rach

Screaming "Summer!": Italian-Style Lentil Loaf

It's sweltering outside. Temperatures in the low 90s.

Perfectly sunny sky. And, I just finished cleaning 30 chairs out in the garage.

It's safe to say I'm *schvitzing*. Sweating my balls off, if you will.

Sounds like the perfect time for some hearty, home-cooked, comfort food, right?

Eh, not exactly. Normally, I would have been wanting something cool and refreshing for dinner, but tonight, I had one thing on the brain. Meat Lentil Loaf. For no explicable reason. I had found a recipe that I wanted to change (always), and it's one of my Dad's favorite meals. Done and Done.

Lesson: Italian-Stlye Lentil Loaf

Materials:

• 2 c. cooked lentils
• 1.5 c. old fashioned oats
• 1 small onion chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic
• .5 c shredded zucchini
• .5 c shredded carrot
• 2 flax eggs
• 3/4 c jarred tomato sauce (I used Classico Tomato and Basil)
• as much as you like- dried basil, oregano, and parsely (feel free to use fresh if you have it)
• salt and pepper

Activities and Procedures:

• Preheat the oven to 375 and grease a loaf pan.
• Sauté the onions and garlic until soft, about 5 min.
• In a food processor, blend 1 c of both the lentils and oats until roughly ground. (This is personal preference- however fine you want it.
• Empty this into a bowl and combine with remaining lentils and oats. Add the cooked onions and garlic, zucc and carrots, and 1/2 c of the tomato sauce and stir to combine well.
• Dump it all in the pan, and cover with the remaining tomato sauce.
• Bake that sucker for about 4 min.
• Let stand for 10 min before cutting in so that it can get solid again.
• Enjoy!

This was a mighty tasty one, and a homerun with the Pops. He likes my vegan cooking but often complains that it isn't substantial enough. This one though was perfect for him. A great combo of protein and carbs. And, warm and comforting.

I enjoyed mine along with some crispy salad, steamed greenbeans, and some more, sriracha-spiked tomato sauce. Hit the spot! And the veg kept it light and cool for summer. A delightful dinner!

Here's to enjoying some awesome- and unseasonal- dishes on the parents' tab!
~ Rach

WIAW Summertime

When I was a student, and now teaching, one of my favorite things about school was the routine. I liked going to the classes everyday, and now I like my routine of teaching each class everyday. One of the hardest things about summer break is the three week stop in that schedule. To help keep me sane, I try and keep on somewhat of a daily routine during the summer, too. It makes the back-to-school transition much easier.

What better way to outline that schedule than with the best link-up party of the week! Having the time to creep on everyone's daily eats is definitely one huge plus to Summer vacation!

Thanks again to Jenn for hosting!

Some where between 8:30 & 9, I get my patooty out of bed. I like to let myself enjoy sleeping in during summer, but not too late. 

At 9:30ish, breakfast ensued. That totally awesome OU mug was first filled with hot lemon water that I sipped on while I waited to get hungry. Just haven't been waking up ready for breakfast like I usually do. Late night snacking might be the culprit. The mug's second fill was black coffee alongside some oatbran cooked with 1/2 scp. Vanilla Sun Warrior (seriously, obsessively in love with this stuff. More on that later) and a random assortment of berries. 

Breakfast was the perfect thing to power me through and exceptionally sweaty workout at my new gym. I don't know what it is about this place, but I feel like I sweat more than I did at the gym at school. Whatever, it feels amazing!

Came home, showered, and lunch was on! This is my go-to summer salad that never fails. Base of chopped greens, add in last night's dinner leftover veggies (this time it was grilled zucchini, yellow squash, and asparagus), chop some cukes and tomatoes for a little fresh crunch, and finish it off with some raw tofu for that protein. Soooo good! Dressed with italian seasoning and balsamic.

 My lunch "desert" was a serving of yellow corn tortilla chips and an almost-too-juicy-but-that's-impossible orange.

After lunch, I got set to my project for the day. Mom and Dad like to leave me these when I'm home. Like they did when I was in high school. Six years ago. Ugh. Not too much complaining this time since those two awesomely-retro chairs on the right and two others are becoming mind (for free!) and finding a home in my new apartment!  I scrubbed that whole pile you see there, and in this freaking heat, worked up quite a sweat.

When I was done, I had worked up an appetite for a snack, but couldn't decide on one thing (I really wanted cereal but there was no non-dairy milk in the house). So, I snacked through the kitchen: carrots and pickles, apple with cinnamon and PB2, raisins strait up. Random smattering, but I would say all on the healthy side.

Dinner was a bit of an experiment (that I didn't take the time to photograph very well. Not one of my strengths). I concocted am italian-style lentil loaf that was a surprise hit! I'll post a recipe tomorrow. It was accompanied by a simple salad and steamed greenbeans. And, although lentil loaf doesn't scream "summer!", it hit the spot!

My sweet tooth was satisfied with one of my mom's sinfully delicious "Everything Cookies" straight from the freezer. I wish I could say this snack was healthy, but not a chance. They aren't vegan either, but they are just too damn good to pass up. My plan is to enjoy these little pleasures while I'm home, and then do better when I move. 

This is pretty much what my summer days have looked like around here. But not for long...4 days till I move to my own place!!!

Here's to making time move magically faster!

~Rach