Tonight, when my frittata came out of the oven, I thought I actually made a pizza.

Ironically, I was also watching the movie Premonition and thought maybe I had dreamed up the entire frittata-cooking experience. Turns out it was very real, based off the pictures from my camera.

I started simple with some minced garlic + mushrooms.

Then added a boatload of spinach. I love watching spinach wilt.

Then it was time for the most important of ingredients: the one that binds. I used 5 eggs, which always seems like too much but never is, plus a mix of munster and feta cheese.

When I put the skillet under the broiler, I never expected it to ever look this good.

And then even better on the plate? You have to be kidding me.

Dinner was divine tonight.

Doctor’s Visit

I mentioned in earlier posts that I was going to the doctor today about my back. For starters, the doctor was really awesome. It was the first time I ever went to him, and he spent a good 20 minutes talking to me about my issues. Most doctors only spend about 5 with me ever.

He gave me a lot of suggestions and recommended that I get an x-ray if it doesn’t get better within the week:

• Yoga
• Deep breathing exercises
• A chest brace for posture
• Ice – and lots of it, especially after running
• Sleeping on my side (I’m a stomach sleeper)
• Posture

I have always had very poor posture. It’s a continual struggle.

The good news?

He said I can keep running if the pain subsides. If not, I’ll be in for trouble. I’m feeling positive about the whole thing.

Do you have a good doctor?

There is something to be said about getting back into the swing of things. Even when you don’t want to, a little dose of regularity can set things in motion.

After work, I decided to go running for at least 10 minutes. I ended up going for almost 30 and felt hot, sweaty and wonderful. The outside is so beautiful. I think I had forgotten that.

When I got home, I decided to unpack my suitcase from the Summit. It turned into a series of little organizational projects. For starters, I hung up all my necklaces that have been lying around in random locations. I am not very good with taking care of things sometimes.

I use a wine rack. We took this down after getting a nice picture from my mom, and I repurposed it this way. It works pretty well.

Then I cleaned out the space in my closet. This might not look miraculous, but before – I couldn’t walk in there. Thanks, Caitlin, for the motivation.

Then I cleared off the work station, which was entirely necessary if I’m ever going to make a book again.

And spent a good chunk of time admiring Scone.

Have you ever seen anything so perfect?

Then, for the first time in nearly two weeks, I had this urge to just cook something from scratch. It was fun being in the kitchen, looking around at the goods and deciding what might work best. Since Bill is out with friends tonight, I took advantage of the use of kidney beans in a frittata. I also included mushrooms and spinach. And lots of garlic. No one’s around to smell my breath at the moment.

Before:

After:

While cooking, I sipped on a splash of wine. This red wine was just sitting on the counter, so I figured what the hey. ‘Ello, Scone.

That picture was definitely on purpose.

Then it was time to feast on a brand new lobster placemat.

Do you know how good it felt to eat something I cooked with my own hands? It’s been too long.

Now I’m just waiting for laundry to finish tumbling, and then it’s off to call my mom. Sometimes you just need a night with Mom, you know?

And if you’re in the mood for something moving, read Betsy’s Most Honest Post.

Also, Bill is getting into twittering and wants everyone of you to follow him @wlharder. He writes mostly about harmonicas, garbage (literally) and being a student. Trust me, it’s fun.

I’m taking some initial steps to improving my health throughout the work day. For starters, I have never eaten a packed lunch outside of my office. The only time I “get out” for lunch is if there is a meeting of some sort. I decided to change that today by bringing my laptop to work with me and taking an actual short break for lunch.

I found a top secret picnic table with few people around, so it’s nice and quiet. The only problem is that it’s windy, and my hair is already ridiculously curly today. I should look great when I go back inside.

On today’s lunch menu was a dish I whipped up last night before bed.

Zucchini, Spinach and Caper Pasta

I added a can of tuna on the side for some extra protein. I loved this dish because I ate it cold, and it was nice and refreshing for summer.

Some tuna on the side:

And I’m drinking from my trusty Klean Kanteen, which I love oh so much.

Bookmaking
I finished my bookmaking project this weekend and thought I’d show off a few pictures. I’m happy with how this turned out.

You can read more about the process here.

Do you eat lunch outside? in your office? Where’s your location?

I have an article to work on for work, and I’m thinking about finishing it up out here. I should work outside more often!

It warmed my heart to read that many of you wanted the recipe from last night’s dinner.

Without further ado, here it is. I ate a container of this for lunch today

Salmon Pasta Salad with Spinach, White Beans and Cucumbers

Ingredients

• About 1 cup of Whole Wheat Bow Tie Pasta
• 1 can of salmon or tuna
• 1 cup of white beans
• 3 cups of spinach
• 1 cucumber
• 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons, capers
• 1 tablespoon, olive oil
• minced garlic (to taste – I use a ton)
• parsley (fresh or not)
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Prepare pasta according to ingredients on the box.
2. While the pasta is cooking, sautee the olive oil, garlic, capers and the juice from 1/2 lime in a pan. After it’s slightly browned, add spinach.
3. Once spinach is wilted, add white beans and stir over a low heat.
4. Cut your cucumber. I left the peel on and cut it into fours for bite size appeal. This is entirely up to you.
5. Remove spinach and white bean mixture from the stove once the beans look like they’ve soaked up some of the sauce. Give it time to cool, as this dish is better while cooled.
6. Drain pasta and run under cold water.
7. Combine spinach/bean mixture with pasta. Add salmon/tuna and cucumbers.
8. Squeeze the other half of your lime on the mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with parsley.
9. Stir until coated. You may need to add additional olive oil depending on your taste.

Notes

• This dish tastes best when chilled overnight.
• If you are going to chill, be sure to let the spinach and beans cool down before refrigerating.
• You could remove and/or add vegetables to this dish as you like. For example, you could swap carrots for the cucumber.
• This dish takes about 20-25 minutes to prepare.

OTHER

Be sure to check out Meghann’s Blogging Bake Sale II today and bid on your favorite item! I have my eye on Heather’s Maple Nut Butter Cookies.

(Happy Birthday, Veggie Girl!)

Let’s just face the facts right from the get-go: I’m in a lousy mood. On top of having a stomach ache all day, I just realized that I have a ton of reading to do for my class tomorrow. I don’t know how, but I let a million essays slip by and totally forgot to read. I feel like a bad student today. Sometimes it’s so hard to keep it all straight, you know?

On that upbeat note (I promise more fun throughout this post), today’s eats were just the way I like ‘em: veggiefill and filling.

Lunch

Last night I decided it was time to eat tofu in the raw (if that’s the right expression). I sliced some up and threw into a wrap with spinach and hummus.

At lunch I later realized I put way too much tofu on this wrap – I ended up throwing some of it out. I also ate the rest of my salad from yesterday.

I’ve had these Kashi crackers in my desk for a while and decided to have a little crunch.

Snack Factor

Chobani helped me through the afternoon. My stomach was growling – yet I felt sick at the same time. A terrible predicament.

Dinner

When you have a container of garlic this size, there’s no way you won’t overuse it.

Tonight I made a mix of items I was craving: spinach, asparagus, rice and sweet potato fries. I call it Mix and Chips.

Check out the pecan wonder.

Delightful.

Shredding

I finally tried out Jillian Michael’s 30-Day Shred today. I liked it! Some of the moves were hard for me (the side to side lunges, for some reason), but I liked the quickie workout. It made me feel like less of a sick slob

I wish this post was more inventive and full of better stories, but I need to get back to that reading. Grrrr. These are days I wish I was done with school….

Are you in school? What are things like for you?

If you love vegetables as much as I do, you must give this recipe a try. It’s a vegetarian dish and could be vegan depending on the “cheese” you use. It takes less than 40 minutes to make. It’s ultra-green so it’s perfectly festive for St. Patty’s Day – and it really hits the spot like none other.

Time: 35-40 minutes *depending on how fast you chop!

Ingredients

• Polenta
• Spinach
• Chick Peas
• Carrots (2)
• Leeks (1)
• Mozzarella cheese
• Bread crumbs or bread (or both)
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper
• Garlic Powder

Directions

1) Layer the base of the pan with sliced polenta.

2) Add spinach.

3) Add chickpeas, leeks and carrots. 

4) Because I knew Bill would want some carbs, I added some potatoes from a mixed frozen bag. This is optional.

5) Drizzle with olive oil and spices. Then add the cheese and breadcrumbs and/or bread. I used both to experiment.

6) Bake for 25-30 minutes (depending on your stove) at 375 degrees. The carrots may be a bit crunchy, but the rest will be perfectly cooked.

Talk about easy to make – and easy to clean. I love meals that are self-contained like this because you only have to wash one pan and a few plates. 

The perfect plateful for any lobster placemat, especially if you love vegetables as much as I do.  

I plan on spending the rest of the evening (a.k.a. the end of my “spring break”) reading the rest of my book, maybe watching a movie and just relaxing. I know work is going to be super busy tomorrow, and I’ll need to be on my game. Ah, I love breaks. But I sure do hate when they’re over. Good thing this is a short week. I am leaving work early on Friday to go visit friends at my alma mater. I can’t wait for the weekend!

Question of the Night: What’s your favorite vegetable to eat? What’s your favorite vegetable to look at?

I think leeks are absolutely beautiful. But I would have to say that any kind of bean is my favorite to eat (and there would have been more on this dish if Bill weren’t around!). My favorite bean right now is Dark Red Kidney.

***

THANKS: to everyone who responded on the post about my accident. I really appreciate your concern! I did get the total today – and it’s quite high for me at this time. But like my mom reminded me, it’s just money. I’m just happy to be safe – no matter the cost!