Lots of Cheese, Please

The burrito salad staved off my hunger for a whopping 6 hours, so there was no need for an afternoon snack today. I did, however, sip on a small pour of pinot grigio before making dinner. There are times when I enjoy drinking wine with dinner, but I typically prefer to savour a glass beforehand.

If you are a fan of wine, do you prefer to drink a glass before or with dinner (or both)?

John and I once again find ourselves cleaning out the fridge, freezer, and cabinets…. this time in preparation for our wedding in PA and our honeymoon in Jackson Hole, WY (I am getting SO excited!).

I found a bag of Putney Pasta Three Cheese Ravioli in the freezer, and used that as the base of tonight’s dinner.

While the ravioli cooked, I wilted a bunch of baby spinach into some warmed red pepper flakes-spiked marinara sauce in a skillet. I added in the cooked ravioli, and topped the pasta with TJ’s shredded “lite” mozzarella cheese and a grating of fresh parmesan cheese. The “skillet lasagna” went into a 350* oven for about 5 minutes, until the cheese melted and the “lasagna” was warmed through.

I threw together a quick side salad of:

• baby spinach
• goat cheese
• dried cranberries

Mmmmmmelty cheese! All in all, my meal included 5 types of cheese:

• ricotta cheese
• romano cheese
• parmesan cheese x 2
• light mozzarella cheese
• goat cheese

Love it.

The ravioli have both a great flavor and a list of all-natural ingredients. I got a kick out of the website, which lists not only pasta sauce suggestions for their different pasta varieties, but also the ideal setting, beverage, and soundtrack to enhance your pasta enjoyment. Though I didn’t follow the “wildly creative serving suggestion” for this ravioli, we did enjoy our meal! I’m going to keep my eyes peeled for Putney Pasta Whole Wheat Spinach & Cheese Ravioli and Butternut Squash & Vermont Maple Syrup Ravioli – yum!

I fed my sweet tooth Peanut Butter Puffins & semi-sweet chocolate chips for dessert – always a winner.

Gearin’ up for my last day of nannying tomorrow.

Burrito Salad

In an effort to make the leftover 1/2 burrito from last night’s dinner at La Verdad a bit more aesthetically pleasing, I cut it into slices and served it atop a salad:

• baby mixed greens and spinach
• 1/4 of an avocado, sliced
• Fage 0% plain greek yogurt
• Mrs. Renfro’s Jalapeno salsa
• TJ’s peach salsa
• paprika

Now, I love eating with my hands – but this was another fun way to enjoy a burrito! The flavors were just as good as they were last night, and the salad additions were yummy.

This meal should definitely hold me over through afternoon errands.

Oats for Life

*Edited to add: check out my newly added page “oats for living”, where I’ve posted some of my favorite oats recipes.

I think I could eat oatmeal every day for the rest of my life and not tire of the vast array of fun and delicious ingredient combinations. This morning’s bowl of oats ranks as one of my favorites – along with the pumpkin pie flax oatmeal I made yesterday. I’m thinking about devoting a whole page to my top oatmeal creations!

Stovetop:

• 1/3 cup each rolled oats, water & Silk Light Chocolate Soymilk
• 1 banana, sliced thin
• about 1 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Mix-ins/Add-ons:

• a few drops of pure coconut extract
• 2 heaping Tbsp Fage 0% greek yogurt + a sprinkling of unsweetened cocoa powder + a few drops of pure coconut extract
• 1 Tbsp Naturally Nutty White Chocolate Coconut peanut butter
• an extra sprinkling of unsweetened shredded coconut

Chocolate & peanut butter is obviously a widespread favorite flavor combination, but throw in coconut and you have absolute perfection!

Enjoyed along with coffee + Silk Light Chocolate Soymilk.

Fantastic.