A Cozy Friday Night Indoors!

Graham and I have always looked forward to the weekend because it is a time to relax, spend time with each other without distractions, and of course cheat (just a little!) on our diets. I have grown into a more comfortable place with the phrase "diet" because I can now look at my diet as the food I eat from week to week, not the food I have to "exclude". When we shift our attention of eating for optimal heath and not to "how skinny can I be?" or "how much can I look like that model on the cover of Shape magazine?", we not only become more comfortable in our skin, but we also grow in acceptance with what we have been blessed with.

This weekend, as we all know, was a snowy blizzard and not the prime time to be going out for dinner and a movie, right? It is hard to stay within your portion size when we going out to a restaraunt that serves a meal hovering over the entire plate! And not to mention all of the FREE bread, I am such a sucker for bread. I love the feeling of knowing what ingredients are in my food and when I cook at home I am at ease.

One of my favorite blogs (http://www.thisisvegan.com/) posted a delicious meal a few days back, pesto pasta with baby tomatoes and kale. I decide to change it up a little bit so I headed to the store and picked up some tomato pesto and pasta (vegetarian).

Is pasta good for you or bad? Many people have their own opioion on this subject and mine happens to waivor both directions. Whole grains contain three layers: bran (outer layer), endosperm (middle layer), and germ (grain core). Each layer provides us with specific nutrients and health benefits. The bran provides fiber, phytonutrients, B vitamins, and minerals. The endosperm contributes carbohydrate, protein, and B vitamins. And the germ supplies vitamin E, B vitamins, unsaturated fat, phytonutrients, and antioxidants.
Refined grains (think white flour and white rice) have the bran and germ layers removed, which means that many of the nutrition and health benefits have been removed, as well. So always go with the WHOLE grains!

Here is my recipe:
*Cook Pasta according to directions on the box
1 box/container of organic baby tomatoes
3 large organic Kale leaves
1/4 c. Pesto (I used OrganicTomato Pesto)

    Saute tomatoes and kale for about 3 minutes

Stir pesto into pasta and then add the kale and tomatoes

This meal was so filling!!!

Oh...and of course don't forget dessert!

Chocolate chip cookie squares with peanut butter chocolate frosting..YUM!