Stuffed Shells

This recipes has all of my favorites! Cheese, more cheese, ground turkey, artichokes and ricotta. All of these combined make a decadent pasta dish that you will want to make again and again. This isn't the simplest recipe. I use it for special occasions, but you will find yourself making any day a special one just so you have an excuse to make this. Best part is that it makes a ton, and is a perfect freezer meal- making the extra labor even more worth it.

Ground Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

1 box jumbo pasta shells 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
1 package frozen artichokes, thawed and coarsely chopped
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
5 cups marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still very firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until the onions are soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is slightly golden and cooked through. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

To stuff the shells, cover the bottom of a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of marinara sauce. Take a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full, about 24 shells. Drizzle the remaining marinara sauce over the shells, top with the grated mozzarella. If freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until the shells are warmed through and cheese is starting to brown- about 20 minutes.

If baking from freezer, preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 60 minutes covered. Last 15 minutes remove foil to let cheese brown.

Corkboard Clock

I recently made a corkboard clock. This is not the only clock I am in the process of working on. If you check out our Facebook page, or my friend Tara's blog you will learn about another clock that I am currently working on. But the one I am sharing with you today is fun, because it is unique and completely made from scratch. (Well sort of… I’ll be honest, I don’t know how to make corkboard from scratch :)

I started with the materials listed above. The corkboard for this clock is actually an Ikea cork hot pad or heat trivet as Ikea calls it. They come in packs of three. The second that I saw them I knew that they wouldn’t be used to keep heat off of my table. As soon as I got home from Ikea I started to transform the pieces of cork. One of them I decided to turn into an awesome clock.

1. I took the cork, placed it on top of my paper and then I traced around it.

2. I then cut out my traced circle.Then I put the piece of paper to the side for a moment.

3. Then I measured to find the exact center of the cork circle.

4. I drew a circle in the middle of the circle.

5. I used my knife to cut out the drawn circle.

6. I then placed my clock piece into the hole.

7. I pushed it and turned it until it came through the other side.

8. I cut out numbers on a blank piece of paper. Then I tapped them to where I wanted them on the clock.

9. I cut out all of the numbers.

10. I pushed the piece of paper down until it broke through the middle. You want to make sure the center piece for where you will put the clock hands is showing through.

11. I used Mod Podge to glue down the paper to the cork.

12. I screwed on my clock hands.

And then I was done! I love how the numbers look like they are hidden in the design.

The cork did come in a pack of three so here is what I did with the other two.

And are these really hanging on a shutter that sits in my back yard? No. But they will soon be hanging on a shutter that sits above my bed. The shutter is actually going to be used for a future headboard. I just need to get around to painting it. Then find the time to have my husband mount it to the wall. Our home was built in 1904 and I don’t know what they used to make their walls back then, but man our walls our basically impenetrable. I have to rely on my husband to hang anything.  

I love my new corkboard creations!

You know that I love a good competition! Keeping my fingers crossed that I get to participate in this one!

Finding Inspiration in Exercise

Many of us say that exercising is a chore; that it's something we put at the bottom of our list, and if we get to it, we get to it. This is the completely wrong mindset.

We need to say that exercising is the only way that we function properly and the only way we can stay mentally and physically strong.

Begin to look at exercising as an inspiration. Use it as a time to rejuvenate yourself and allow yourself to feel confident in your skin.

For me, there is nothing more mentally calming, physically empowering and overwhelmingly inspirational than running down this trail:

Hobble Creek Canyon, Springville, Utah

As it turns to fall, I feel my body ache to run, walk or bike down this beautiful trail. It clears my mind, makes me feel strong and most of all, it inspires me.

 

Allow this to happen to you in your exercise. Find a location in your town that allows you to look forward to getting out and exercising because of the inspiration it brings.

 

Many times we find that we have tried to exercise, we get in a good routine and then we just get plain burnt out. It happens. It sure has happened to me. Don't let this stop you from allowing exercise to become an inspiration.

Here are some great ways to get you out of your exercise funk and to make exercising rejuvenating and fun again:

 

• Switch up your exercise music playlist
• Try something new that you have never done before (like Zumba or yoga)
• Get your kids or spouse involved by going on a brisk walk or a bike ride in the evenings
• Change the location of your exercise. (Drive to a trail to run or bike or do yoga in a park instead of in your living room. Take advantage of new places while on vacation, or participate in races that are not in your area to make the race more fun and exciting!)
• Find an exercise buddy or running group to join. Who said you have to do it alone?
• If you are a runner, try swimming for a few weeks; it will sure give your knees a break, and allow your body to overcome a plateau that comes from doing the same exercise over and over again.

 

There are so many things that we can do to stay inspired by exercising. It is just of matter of getting out there and doing it! Let your mind be creative in what it can do and let your body reap the benefits.

 

Give these tips a try. I am continually inspired every day by exercising and allowing my body to get the workout it needs. It is such an awesome thing!

 

So tell me, what inspires you?

Bow Tie Tee

I had this turtleneck, but It had been years since I had worn it. In fact as I put it on and was looking at it in the mirror trying to decide what I could do with it, I noticed my husband looking at me strangely. I asked, “What are you staring at?” He replied, “What shirt is that? I don’t think I have ever seen you wear it.” Well my husband and I have known each other for almost 5 years. So needless to say it has been a while since this has come out of my closet.

Let me show you how I got from turtleneck to bowtie tee. I am not sharing an exact tutorial. But you should get the gist of how it was created. Then if you have any specific questions later, feel free to ask.

First, I cut down the middle front of the turtleneck. Then I cut about 3/4 of the way across the front of the neckline.

Next I chopped off the sleeves and then added them to them to the neck of the shirt.

That didn’t give me enough length to tie a bow, so I added some black fabric to the ends of the sleeves.

Then I was done. Now I have a cute new tee to wear.

The Debate On Carbs

As a personal trainer I get asked a lot from clients, are carbs really that bad for you? My answer to them is yes and no. Carbs are absolutely essential in the recovery of your muscles from exercise. Without some carbohydrates in our system it takes longer for the energy in muscles to be restored. Eating carbs will also help reduce the soreness we feel after we exercise.

Now here is way I say yes and no as my answer. White "refined" carbs or calorie dense carbs such as a piece of chocolate cake or a blueberry muffin from costco are not going to do you much good.

Listed are some key characteristics of a good "wholesome" carb:

high in fiber: helps you stay full longer (and avoid overeating), provides sustained energy, lowers cholesterol levels, helps to remove toxins from the body
low glycemic index: stabilizes blood sugar levels and insulin production
high in nutrients: natural vitamins, minerals & phytonutrients promote health and help to prevent chronic disease
low 'energy-density' (except nuts & seeds): provides sustained energy, promotes healthy weight loss and long-term weight maintenance
greater 'thermic effect': naturally stimulates metabolism and promotes fat loss

You can find good carbs in light or fat free dairy products, whole grain breads, fruits and veggies, legumes (beans), brown rice, oatmeal, granola, whole wheat pastas.

Eating these good wholesome carbs will help you feel fuller longer and help you have more energy throughout your day. Eating the right carbs is the key to success in recovery of muscles so you can keep exercising daily. It is recommended that 60% of our diet is carbs throughout the day, so make sure they are good ones!

Have a good labor day weekend!