Spring Into Action

Hope everyone had a great holiday!

If any one saw this picture on my Instagram last week and wondered what it was, as promised here is the recipe.

Mediterranean Pasta

1 box of your favorite pasta ( I used Ditalini )
1 bunch of  broccoli rabe
1/2 lb of sun dried tomatoes
Yellow and Red roasted peppers ( made them myself but you can used jarred roasted peppers if you have them on hand )
1 can of black olives

I washed and trimmed the broccoli rabe with scissors. I used to hate this vegetable because of its stringy nature and tough stems. For this recipe I cut it into small pieces and did not use the thicker tougher stems. As a side note, you can save the pieces you do not use and add to other leftover veggies to make a stock. I then steamed them in water until they were tendered and drained and put them to the side. I cut up the sun dried tomatoes into pieces, sliced the olives lengthwise and cut the roasted peppers while the pasta was cooking. Once the pasta was done, I added all the ingredients and tossed them together with some salt and pepper, This dish can be served either hot with some oil and garlic or cold with your favorite dressing. I like this as a salad with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Salads are a great go to food as the weather gets warmer since you can make a big batch and have it readily available for lunch or dinner.

Mushrooms stuffed with Spinach

Maple Glazed Brussel Sprouts

Here are some pictures of some of the dishes that were on my table this past Sunday. If anyone wants any of the recipes, please let me know and I will include them in next week's post. I also made sauteed mushrooms with scallions and steamed corn on the cob.

Speaking of warmer weather, even though there is a threat of more snow coming our way, now is a great time to spring into action. I always think of this time of year as a time for renewal. Everything just seems to come to life, changes start happening so it is always a good time for us to change as well. Although everyone makes their New Year's resolutions on December 31st and vows that they are going to turn over a new leaf, many times these resolutions already been forgotten at this point. However, you can turn over a new leaf every day. Did you ever hear the phrase "Today is the first day of the rest of your life". So what, you didn't keep that New Year resolution, every morning that you wake up you have the opportunity to do things differently. You want  to start eating better, you can start today and if you mess up, there is always tomorrow. At some point you will get sick and tired of doing the same thing and getting the same result and then you will change. The key is never giving up and even if you change just a little at a time eventually you will see the shift you have been waiting for.



Think about where you want to be and and then work towards that goal. You have to believe in yourself before you can get anyone else to believe in you! One other thing that I find to be really important is to never stop being grateful. I have found it so rewarding to keep adding things to my gratitude jar. For anyone who did not see the original post where I talked about this, I will give a quick overview. In the beginning of the year, I decided to write down all the good things that happen during this year and then read them all New Year's Eve to remember all the things that I may have forgotten over the course of the year. Like most people I am guilty of focusing more on the negative things that happen and remember them more vividly then some of the good things. No matter how insignificant some of the items may seem in the scheme of things they are worth being celebrated. If I have a fun night hanging out with the girls, go somewhere different, feel good about something or someone does something nice for me, I add it to my gratitude jar. This will help me to remember that each day is a gift and not to take the littlest things for granted.

Hope everyone has a great week, until next Tuesday!

As always, thoughts, comments and ideas are always appreciated.

With Gratitude,

Trudy