Crispy Eggplant with Spicy Marinara and Feta

Ingredients
1 eggplant, about 1 lb, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp dry basil
2 cups marinara
1 cup feta cheese

Directions
1.  Mix milk and eggs in a small bowl.  Mix wheat germ, parmesan cheese, basil, and pepper in a second bowl.
2.  Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, then coat both sides in the wheat germ mixture.  
3.  Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Eggplant should be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
4.  Add red pepper to the marinara and warm over low medium heat.
5.  Top eggplant with marinara and feta cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Vegetarian Cooking for Today (1993).

Immanuel's House Race for a Place 5k

Yesterday, my family ran their first 5k race.  Sort of.  We were all registered.  Jason drove up the night before with the jogging stroller. 

And then I tore the meniscus in my left knee. 

Well, I was determined to earn my t-shirt, so I packed the babies in the stroller and was set to walk it with Kaelin and my mom.  But when we got to the race, it turned out to be on a massively steep trail that wasn't really jogging stroller friendly.  Plus, Noah puked all over himself (and the stroller) as soon as we got there. 

Oh well.  I helped out the other volunteers and cheered on the finishers.  I guess that means I can wear the shirt, right?

My dad, mom, and Jason finished.  Kaelin didn't.  I was disappointed that she didn't at least walk it, but it was much warmer than usual and we weren't expecting the hill.  At least she tried.  She would have been the youngest finisher in the race's history, though. 

Flat area to the finish. (26:08 and 26:11)

Crossing the finish line. (45:41)

Homeowners

It's official.  We now owe more money to Wells Fargo than we do to the federal government. 

Yay?

Anyways, I'm completely in love with this house.  The location is perfect.  Six playgrounds within 2 miles.  Starbucks is two minutes away.  You've got the interstate, grocery stores, and a mall in one direction.  Farmland and orchards in the other.  The front is a quiet cul-de-sac with lots of kids.  The back overlooks the water.

The move... not so much love there.  We were scheduled to close on Monday morning and we were going to get a U-Haul on Friday.  Jason and his work friends were supposed to be off for a long weekend and I hearts me some free labor.  Then the Navy changed it's mind and took back the day off.  Jason requested leave to help me move, but it was denied.  Well, I wasn't about to move by myself.  I mean, I'm pretty buff and all, but I'm not carrying furniture up stairs by myself.  Especially with three kids clinging to my ankles.  Plus, my treadmill weighs something like 8 tons.  
I broke down and hired movers.  Scheduled them for Tuesday morning.  Everything was packed up and we were sitting on boxes waiting.  I called the company and was told the truck was on it's way.  Waited some more.  And more.  Called back and was informed that we were actually on the books for a Thursday move and our liason was no longer working with the company.

WTF?

After some screaming (and maybe a little crying), some movers show up at 5 PM.  It took 3 guys 6 hours to load up the truck and another 4 to get to the new house and unload.  The best part is that all of this cost twice as much as we were quoted because we had to pay overtime.  It cost us $1,000 more to move across town than it did to move from Kansas to Virginia.  I was not happy, but at 3 AM, there was no management available to talk to me and I was too tired to put up much of a fight. 

We still love the house, though. 

 

 

Strawberry Banana Spinach Smoothie

Lately, I’ve been hearing about Green Monsters. I must admit, I’m not a huge smoothie person, but I was curious. So, I got out the blender and gave the original Green Monster a go. It wasn’t bad. It definitely wasn’t good, but it wasn’t repulsive. Of course, the recipe made like 4 cups and I wasn’t about to chug it, so down the sink it went.

This morning, I decided to tweak the recipe and give it another go.

YUM!!!

It made enough to for two cups and I had no problem drinking it all. You seriously can’t even taste the spinach in it. Plus, the health benefits are amazing. Spinach really is a superfood and since I’m not a fan of green leafies, it’s great to hide it in a drink.  Even the kids love it! Anyways, here is the version I made this morning.


Strawberry Banana Spinach Smoothie
2 cups raw spinach
1 banana
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup milk
1 cup ice

194 calories, 0g fat, 7 g protein, 42 g carbs, 6 g fiber

Vit A 119%
Vit C 102%
Vit D 13%
Vit E 7%
Vit K 363%
Thiamin 11%
Riboflavin 25%
Vit B6 34%
Folic Acid 41%
Vit B12 11%
Pantothenic Acid 9%
Calcium 22%
Iron 12%
Magnesium 27%
Phosphorus 17%
Potassium 33%
Sodium 4%
Zinc 3%
Copper 9%
Manganese 47%
Selenium 7%

You could easily add in some protein powder, different fruits, and some flax or other seeds for a dose of healthy fats.  It's like having a salad for breakfast!

First Day of School

Homeschooling officially begins today!

4th Grade

Crispy Eggplant with Spicy Marinara and Feta

Ingredients
1 eggplant, about 1 lb, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp dry basil
2 cups marinara
1 cup feta cheese

Directions
1.  Mix milk and eggs in a small bowl.  Mix wheat germ, parmesan cheese, basil, and pepper in a second bowl.
2.  Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, then coat both sides in the wheat germ mixture. 
3.  Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Eggplant should be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
4.  Add red pepper to the marinara and warm over low medium heat.
5.  Top eggplant with marinara and feta cheese.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Vegetarian Cooking for Today (1993).

Happy Birthday, Kaelin!

Today's Kaelin's birthday, and since I've never posted her birth story...  Well, here it is!  

August 2, 2001

I woke up this morning with really bad cramps.  It was 2:00 AM and everyone else was still asleep.  I didn't want to wake anyone up if I wasn't in labor, but after I got up and started walking around, the pain got worse.  I woke Grandma up, and she said that she thought I was having a baby!  The cramps hurt so bad that I laid in bed with Poopie and cried.  At 4:00, we called the hospital and Dr. Duda said to go ahead and come in even though she doubted that I was really in labor.

On the way to the hospital, Dad and I were stopped by a train.  Then, the main hospital doors were locked!  We walked around the building for half an hour looking for an entrance. 

After I was admitted, things went slow at first.  The nurses kept asking me questions while I was having contractions and got annoyed with me when I couldn't answer.  All I wanted to do was to curl up in a ball, but they wouldn't let me because of all of the straps.  They finally gave me a shot of Demerol and I went back to sleep until I was able to get an epidural. 

Once the epidural was in place, I went from 4 to 10 cm in 45 minutes!  After an hour of pushing, you were born -- a baby girl!  Grandma and Dad were so surprised that you weren't a boy.  You were our daughter, our little Kaelin Blaire.