Its all about the cooking lately!

I am still looking to find that inner (skinnier) me!
I also spend a LOT of  time watching The Food Network!
Here's another awesome recipe...of course, its not EXACTLY how I saw it on the program...but its close.  One thing The Food Network does...is inspire me.

For an 8x8 casserole, you will need 2 good size eggplants.

Preheat oven to 375

Slice eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices then slice in half lengthwise.

Roast slices on a medium high temp cast iron pan or grill pan, no oil needed) until they start to turn a toasty brown, flip and brown the other side.

Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, put 1 small container of ricotta cheese and about a half cup of chopped dried or fresh parsley, mix well.

Brown 1 pound ground beef (93/7 so there isn't any extra grease in it),

Add 1 tbsp fennel seeds (or to taste, I like mine fennel-ly),

Add 1 tbsp chopped garlic at the end so you don't burn the garlic.

Immediately stir cooked meat into the ricotta/parsley mixture and mix well.  

Let cool for about 10 minutes.

Stir in 3 egg whites.

Layer 1/2 cup sauce on the bottom of dish, layer half the eggplant, 1/2 the meat/cheese, the remaining eggplant, remaining meat/cheese mix and cover with 1/2 cup of sauce.

(You won't need much sauce with this because there is some moisture in the eggplant plus it doesn't soak up liquid like pasta would)

Top off with cheese of your choice.  I used about 1 cup of low fat parmesan cheese (you seriously cannot taste the difference) and bake for about 30 minutes until cheese is golden brown.  

After baking, let it set up for about 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Serving size is 1/4 of the casserole dish!  No carbs!  Or serve with a carb on the side....Yay for garlic bread!

                  

Sweet Potato and Flax Pancakes

1 cup flaxmeal (already ground up, don't try to grind the seeds yourself, its impossible!)

1/4 cup protein powder

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 cup mashed precooked sweet potato (cooled)

1/4 tsp baking soda

Water, almond milk or rice milk to thin the batter out to your preference...I like mine rather thick.

Mix all ingredients together and let sit for a couple of minutes while you heat the pan, fry in a bit of margerine or oil...I use peanut or canola oil.

                        Pictured here with some nice fat blueberries!

WTF is wrong with people?!?!

OK, maybe I am just overly sensitive today...but I really don't think so...

Phone rings:

Me: Carencro Builders

Guy: You all are going out of business...do you have any gas stoves?

Me: We aren't going out of business, let me go check.

Guy: You guys are closing, thats why you have the white closing signs up in your window. I can read.

Guy: mutters: Its not Mr. Gerald's daughter, she doesn't know anything.

Me: I don't have any signs up in the window nor have I had any closing signs posted, I had 20% off sale signs posted.

Guy: WHY ARE YOU EAVESDROPPING ON MY CONVERSATION? I wasn't talking to you, you just do your job!

Me: Uh, yea, we have 1 stove and its $495.00

Guy: Thank you

Me: *Hangs up on him*

THEN the jackass doesn't even have the balls to come in, he sends some woman in and offers us $200.00!

Good thing Timothy waited on her....I would not have been pleasant.  

Seriously!  Why the hell do these people think they can come in and play 'Lets Make A Retarded Deal'?

Can you go to Lowe's and make up a stupid price?  Not last time I checked.

Can you go to the Dollar Store and make something up?  Not last time I checked

Walmart? 

Someone...please stop me if I am getting warm...

Target? 

The Gas Station?

OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who was St. Valentine?

One legend identifies St. Valentine as a priest in Rome during the reign of Claudius II, during the 3rd century A.D. Claudius was aggressive and ambitious and believed that single men made better soldiers. He pressed his men so hard that those who had families became disheartened and could not fight to their potential. This did not sit well with Claudius II who placed a ban on marriage. 

A ban on marriage was outrageous to the priest Valentine. He continued, despite Claudius II's decree, to marry young lovers in secret. When Claudius II became aware of the priest's actions he was taken prisoner and sentenced to death. Legend has it that appreciative young couples whom the priest Valentine had wed visited his cell giving him flowers and notes to encourage the dear old soul. 

It is believed the priest fell in love with his jailer's daughter. Having no other way of demonstrating his love toward her, Valentine wrote her a note on the day of his execution, February 14th. The note to his beloved was signed, "Your Valentine." This could have given birth to the tradition of giving and receiving love notes and flowers on February 14th. 

Excerpted from:  http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/7688014/st_valentines_day_born_of_legend_or.html?cat=4

On welfare fraud.

I learned this while searching a bit on repercussions on Welfare Fraud.

Qui tam comes from the Latin phrase "Qui tam pro domino rege quam pro se ipso in hac parte sequitor,” which means "he who brings a case on behalf of the King, as well as for himself.” Qui tam dates back to 13th century English common law and was incorporated into the U.S. legal system by America's founding fathers. The law allows a private citizen, known as a ‘relator,' to sue on behalf of the federal government.

Since 1986 more than 4,000 qui tam suits have been filed and the government has recovered more than $6 billion. Whistleblower rewards total over $1.4 billion.

http://www.8009endfraud.com/falseclaimsact.php

Sweet!