gather up some confidence

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells

Since being home, my mom and I have been experimenting with new recipes. Both of us are wanting to change things up and we needed some "pin-spiration." I came across this recipe and it seemed like something the whole house would enjoy (it was). Served with a spring salad, these stuffed shells were delicious!

Here's what you need:  Serves 10
30 jumbo pasta shells
15 oz fresh spinach (steam until wilted and dry with paper towels and chop)
15 oz Ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 1/2 TBSP chopped fresh basil
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
3 C (12 oz) mozzarella cheese, finely shredded, divided
1 C (3.5 oz) Parmesan cheese, finely shredded
3 cups marinara sauce

Here's what you do:
1. Cook shells according to package instructions and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a bowl blend the Ricotta cheese and egg, using a fork. Next, add in the basil and thyme. Then stir in 2 C mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and toss the mixture to combine. Next, mix in the prepared spinach and then season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spread 1/3 C pasta sauce along the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
4. Stuff each pasta shell with cheese mixture (about 2 TBSP each).

5. Arrange the shells in the baking dish side by side and cover shells with remaining marinara sauce.

6. Sprinkle with remiaining 1 C mozzarella cheese.

7. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

I was lucky there were left overs because I can't wait to have it for lunch today!

June's Resolution

This is my 6th month of resolutions and I am pretty excited I have kept it up. It gets hard to think of ideas but resolutions should be challenging and get you out of your comfort zone!

Do you get in a habit of ordering the same thing when you go out to eat? I have a "favorite" at just about each restaurant I visit regularly. I always order it because I know I will like it. Well this summer is all about trying new things for me and I think I need to start by actually experimenting with these menus I so frequently never look at. So for June my goal is, when I go out to eat, to order something from the menu that I normally wouldn't try. What can you change up?

Last month my goal was to read 3 books for fun and I did it!! I read:

If you  need something to read this summer the Divergent series and each of these short books are easy reads and hard to put down!

Resolution recap:
January: use my cell phone less
February: take Denny to the park twice a week
March: avoid eating chips
April: dress like an adult
May: read 3 pleasure books

My First Week with WIC

Well I went to college, graduated, and have now I started working at the Mobile County Health Department as a Nutrition Associate for WIC. For those of you that don't know, WIC stands for "Women, Infants, and Children" and is a nutrition supplement program for qualifying women. I am SO excited and grateful to have this opportunity and can't wait to see what I learn!

There are a few things I learned within my first week of work:
1.  Write down your co-workers' names. You will meet so many people, they will remember your name, and you may not remember theirs. It gets awkward when you keep referring to Annie as Claire. I even made a chart of where people sit in the office so I could remember who they were.

2. Bring your lunch and pack it the night before. The best graduation present my parents gave me was my lunch box. I bring my lunch every day and that way I know exactly what I'm eating and don't have to spend any extra money going out for lunch. Chances are, the lunch you pack for yourself will be healthier than the lunch you go out and purchase during your break. I also recommend packing a small snack. Each day I have gotten hungry between when I arrive and when I eat lunch. I make sure to pack something small (granola bars, trail mix, etc.) for the midmorning. Packing your lunch the night before will eliminate having to plan in the morning and will save you some time.

3. Exercising is easier in the morning. If you can drag yourself out of bed, you will NOT be sad when you get back home and are able to completely relax. After exercising in the morning I find that I have much more energy throughout the day. I think the extra hour to fully wake up and get ready for work has a big part in that. Some days I can't make it happen, and it isn't horrible going in the afternoon, but I definitely appreciate the days I can come home and just hang out and not have to stress about it.

4. Coffee is magic, just magical.

5. Try to learn from everybody you are interacting and working with. They've worked there longer than you and, even though you're fancy and graduated college, they know better than you how to do their job. Their job may not be your job but it will definitely help you in some way.

May's Resolution

I am so proud to say that I graduated from The University of Alabama with a BS in Food and Nutrition! These past four years flew by and I can't believe I have already completed undergrad. Everyone tells you that it goes by quickly, but you really don't know until you do it yourself! I enjoyed every moment at The University of Alabama and am excited to see what the future holds for me.

Roll Tide!!!

With everything being crazy because of graduation it has taken me a few days to come up with an appropriate resolution for this month. After having been in school my entire life, I think that for this month my resolution will be to read 3 books just for fun!!! I need a break from the text books, reports, and exams and this is the perfect get-away from all that. First on the list is the last book in the Divergent series (Allegiant) and I can't wait to bask in the sun and get started.

Resolution Recap:
January: spend less time on my cell phone
February: take Denny to the park twice a week
March: avoid eating chips
April: dress like an adult
May: relax and read 3 pleasure books

Local Honey is Awesome

With spring in full swing and the pollen making everything a strange shade of green, I went to my favorite most natural way to combat allergies: local honey. By eating local honey your body can help defend you against the local allergens. It's kind of how when you get the flu shot and it has some of the flu in it. You have to take it in to protect yourself against it. Pretty cool, right? Local honey is especially easy to obtain now that the local farmers markets are opening back up.

Need to find a farmers market near you?

1. Visit the Local Harvest website and type in your location. It will bring up a list of your local farmers markets, where they are located, and when they are open!

2. Download the Farmstand App on your smart phone. It will also give you a list of where the farmers markets are in your area and allow you to see when they are operating!

Need some ideas? My favorite, easy ways to eat honey!

1. Coffee and tea sweetener: every morning I make coffee and every morning I sweeten it with honey.

2. Sandwiches: honey on dry toast OR honey and banana slices OR peanut butter and honey 

3. Oatmeal and honey: making plain oatmeal can be relatively bland, adding honey can put a little bit of a sweet taste into this easy breakfast!

4. Energy Bites

What are some other ways you incorporate honey into your daily diet? 

Happy spring!!

300 Abs!

Warm up with 20-45 minutes of cardio before doing one of my favorite ab workouts!

Last weekend was the first I was able to lay out at the pool. It made me realize how quickly summer was coming up and how I need to incorporate more strength training into my workouts!

What are your favorite ab workouts?