Learn from your mistakes - and then don't look back!

Two years ago, I weighed 240 pounds and got winded going from the 1st floor to the 2nd floor of my house.  Today, I ran 9.13 miles at a 9:38 pace! 

What a difference a couple years can make!!  Nothing has given me more quiet time and reflection than when I am running.  During those miles, I reflect on a lot of things....my kids, my family, my friends - but mostly, myself.  Today while I was running, I started to wonder why I didn't treat my body better in my 20's.  I realized that I had wasted almost a decade of my life being unhealthy.  I ate terrible foods, rarely exercised, and smoked the occasional cigarette.  Why??  Probably, because I wasn't very smart.  Probably because I didn't really care about my body.  Mostly, because I was in my 20's, and age wasn't really something I thought of very often.  I had the "I'll live for forever" mentality.  But luckily, I got wiser....and luckily, I started to care more about myself.  Now, I have a choice.  I could spend a lot of time looking back and wishing I did things differently....or, I could move forward - learning from my poor choices and living to make better decisions.  I've chosen the latter!

I don't want to sound cliche - but truly - every day of this life is a gift and a blessing from God.  Why look back on your life and wish you would have done this, or tried that, or taken better care of the body God blessed you with?  There is no time like today...USE IT.  Learn from the mistakes of the past, and then forget them and START TODAY.  Challenge yourself, take a risk, and be happy with your decisions.  By now, you know what has worked and what hasn't worked for you.  Don't repeat what hasn't worked.  Keep moving forward.  Keep learning.  Keep growing.  Live every day like YOU are worth it....because you are!

Recipe: Skillet Pasta Florentine

Hey friends!  I tried a new recipe last week that I wanted to share.  For those of you who are not meat lovers, this is a meat-free recipe.  I also think if you wanted to tweak it to add some ground turkey or chicken, it would be delicious!  I did make a few changes to the way I prepared this, because I wanted to make it ahead in a casserole dish and bake it in the oven instead of in the skillet.  I've noted my changes in red.  Hope you enjoy!

Skillet Pasta Florentine

From:  Taste of Home Healthy Cooking

Prep: 20 minutes  Cook Time:  30 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups uncooked spiral pasta (I used whole wheat rotini)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 2 cups (16 ounces) 2% cottage cheese
• 1-1/2 cups reduced-fat ricotta cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 jar (14 ounces) meatless spaghetti sauce
• 1 teaspoon each dried parsley flakes, oregano and basil (I used 3 tsp. Italian Seasoning)
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the egg, cottage cheese, ricotta, spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella and herbs.
• Drain pasta. Place half of sauce in a large skillet; layer with pasta and remaining sauce. Top with cheese mixture.  I used a 13 x 9 dish.  Spread about 3/4 cup of sauce on the bottom of the dish, layer the pasta and pour the remaining sauce over the pasta.  Top with cheese mixture.
• Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 25-30 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°.   I baked at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella cheese; cover and cook 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving equals 383 calories, 9 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 73 mg cholesterol, 775 mg sodium, 47 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 27 g protein.