I am so late on posting this, I feel terrible! Things have been so hectic and crazy around here I haven't even had time to THINK about getting a post up. Between school, work, and the gym by the time I get all of those tasks finished I am ready for bed, or asleep on the couch. I promise I am going to try to get better at more consistent posts, but I can't guarantee anything!
Anyways I know I prefaced in a previous post that I was going to share an eggplant lasagna recipe, and here it finally is. This eggplant lasagna is probalbyl my favorite type of lasagna to make. As I've mentioned before I like to eat pasta, but I know that pasta can be detrimental to weightloss, so I have found a simple solution in substituting various veggies for pasta. Eggplant is one that is really easy to use as a pasta substitute because it has very little flavor, consists of mostly water, and if sliced thinly has a very pasta like texture. It also has so many nutritional benfits as well! Eggplant also only has 20 calories per 1 cup.
This eggplant lasagna is so easy you are going to wonder why you didn't try it before! Also, have I mentioned it's tasty?! Tee night I made this pasta one of my very good friends was at my house. I informed him I was making eggplant lasagna and asked if he would like a piece. He scrunched up his nose and shrugged informing me he'd at least try it. I knew he was hesitant, but I also knew once he took a bite he was going to be in love.I handed him his plate he took his first bite with caution, carefully examining the contents of his bowl. After he consumes the first bite, the rest was history, as he inhaled the remainder of the bowl.
Ingredients:
1 Large eggplant (2 if they are smaller)
Jar of Spaghetti Sauce (You can make your own if you are that ambitious!)
1-2 Cups Cottage Cheese
1-2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese (The amounts for this and the cottage cheese are really based on your preferences and how cheesy you want it!)
1 Lb Ground beef or Ground Turkey (I use turkey instead of beef in most recipes, so much leaner and you can barely tell it's not beef)
1. Peel the skin off the eggplant and then slice thin, long pieces.
2. Line the bottom of a casserole dish with a layer of eggplant slices.
3. Add a layer of meat, sauce, cottage cheese, and mozzarealla.
4. Layer the eggplant slices on top of your mixture.
5. Repeat step 3 with remaining meat and cottage cheese, keep a little bit of sauce and mozzarealla to top everything off.
4. Repeat step 4.
6. Use remaining sauce and mozzarella to cover the top of the lasagna.
7. Bake at 375 for about 45-60 minutes, or until the cheese is nice and bubbly.
8. Slice it, plate it and let your taste buds enjoy.
Today's entry is a little bit different from the ones in the past. Today I tried out a new workout class at the Cedar Valley Sportsplex and I wanted to provide my feedback on the class. Typically my daily workouts include about 20 minutes of cardio (usually treadmill running or arc trainer) 45 minutes of weight lifting, and about 15-20 minutes of core. Occasionally I will attend one of the classes offered by the Sportsplex to switch it up a bit. Tonight I did just that and was very pleased with the class.
I attended the Barre class, which is full body work out which focuses on what I can only describe as "dancers" moves. We alternated between the barre and working out on our mats. At the barre we were doing pliate squats, kicks, pointing our toes, and even more squats. Within less than 5 minutes of being at the barre my legs were SHAKING. These moves were so great because they were so different from any kind of moves I would do during my normal routine. They really had me working. I do squats regularly, but the variations and twists on these squats were what really made them challenging. I was dripping in sweat and I hadn't even lifted a weight! On the mats we worked out arms, using only our body weight, as well as our legs again.
I have actually been eyeing this class for a few weeks, and was always hesitant about trying it out because I am in no way a dancer, nor do I move like one. I was really nervous that I would get in there and make a complete fool of myself. I was so pleased to find a relaxing fun environment. The instructor was fun and engaging, and very helpful in making sure you were doing the moves correctly. She was also very encouraging when it came to difficult moves (her name escapes me right now, I'll have to update that later!) There was no judgment from anyone if you couldn't do the moves, it was a great learning experience.
It has been 3 hours and I can already feel my muscles reacting to the exercises. I used some muscles that I haven't used in a while and it feels great! I really enjoyed this class and switching up my routine a bit. I am excited to go again! So if you are in the Cedar Valley and looking for a fun new workout I highly suggest giving this a shot. It is so different from any workout class you will attend!
