Dexter Themed

Any Dexter fans out there?  The season finale was last night and in honor of the event we cooked up a spooky-looking dinner.

Doesn’t this look appealing?

I’ll be the first one to say that no, it doesn’t look good.  It looks like a blob of red goop and that’s because, well, it is a blob of red goop but delicious and wonderfully colored goop.

Beet Risotto with Greens and Goat Cheese (from Cooking Light)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2t olive oil
• 1 cup onion (we used red)
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1T peeled fresh ginger (we used powdered ginger and probably only 1/2T worth)
• 2t fresh rosemary (we used dried)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups finely chopped beets (I had no idea how many beets it would take to get 3 cups.  I only got 2 cups out of 4 beets so I was a cup short but I thought 2 cups was plenty.)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4t salt
• 14.5 oz. can veggie broth
• 6 cups chopped Swiss chard (or just use the beet greens if you want)
• 2 ounces goat cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (we didn’t use this because I do not like walnuts!)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a pot then add the onions and saute for 3 minutes.
2. Add rice, ginger and rosemary and saute for one minute.
3. Add wine and cook until liquid is absorbed (~5 minutes), stir constantly.  I had to recruit Joey to stir while I chopped the beets and I don’t think he was pleased since he was trying to watch the Cowboys game.
4. Add beets, water, broth and salt.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Add chard and cook 5 minutes, then add goat cheese and stir until blended.
6. Serve with some Dexter (preferably beforehand if the likeness between your food and blood is too much for you to handle…) and a warning that it may look like you’re peeing blood later.

Well now that I’m done talking about pee and blood let’s move on to more food.

As promised, stew pictures.

This is Angela’s Blanket Stew and you must try it!  The broth is unlike anything I’ve ever had in a stew and it’s the perfect winter meal 🙂  We’ll be having the leftovers all week.  No, I won’t make you look at pictures of it everytime.

Check out all those veggies!

I ate a small bowl alongside half of a half of an Udi’s eggplant and goat cheese panini.  I think I had enough goat cheese yesterday.

Are you sick of seeing this sandwich yet?  Too bad, because I’m not sick of eating it.  And because I have another half of a half in the fridge.

I consider this a fairly light lunch, which I did on purpose because I was planning to go on a run!!

It was a nice day, temps in the high 40’s, so I pulled on my long sleeve running shirt, gloves, my earwarmer and my Garmin and headed out.

The Run:

• Mile 1 – 9:40
• Mile 2 – 9:45
• Mile 3 – 9:31
• Mile 4 – 9:31
• Mile 5 – 9:29
• Mile 6 – 9:18
• Mile 7 – 9:29
• Total time – 1:06:48

I didn’t plan on going 7 miles but I got out there and felt GOOOOD.  I’m extra proud of myself because this was the furthest I’ve ever gone solo.  Wahoo!

I rewarded myself this morning with some pumpkin oats.

In the mix:

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/3 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1 cup water
• 1t ground flax
• 1/2 cup pumpkin
• 1t pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2t vanilla

Topped with:

• 1T vanilla almond milk
• drizzle of maple syrup (I’m almost out!  Good thing I bought a 32 oz. jug of it yesterday…)
• pumpkin granola
• dried cranberries (because they make me feel festive!)

Did I mention I did 80 push ups and 197 sit ups.  Oh and I’m really confused because I thought this was a 200 sit ups challenge, there’s 2 weeks left and I’m already at 197… I’ll have to check that out.

I’ve got a list of things to do.  None of which involve school work because I’M DONE!!!

Happy Monday 😛