Unfortunately, I don't have super human strength, yet. I barely have normal human strength. You see, the problem is that I enjoy food, TV, sleeping, and really, I mean, really hate exercise with a passion of ten thousand burning flames. I guess I could say that exercise is one of my many kryptonites. In order to show myself that nothing can take me out, (I know my head is a tad big, right now. I believe it is due to all the fat I'm carrying around as a fat girl) and due to the fact that next year I will be teaching first grade and will need to be able to get on the floor and back up again as quickly as possible, I decided that I needed to get my almost superhero body back. When I say back, I mean that once upon a time, long, long ago in a country far, far away.... I was actually...dare I say the word...SKINNY! (gasps all around!) Yes, I was skinny and was very close to my superhero body. Unfortunately, when I came home I became very lazy again and food became my sidekick.
So, in order to jazz myself up about confronting my kryptonite, I found a picture of a superhero and glued my face onto so I can look at it everyday and convince myself that I will survive! (cue the "I will survive" song). I also started a new exercise regimen. Needless to say, yesterday was pathetic. I only made it through 5 minutes of the exercise video. Today, I pulled myself up out of bed and with the help of my super puppy, Millie, (who stayed by my side throughout the entire video and gave me encouragement every time I would groan, gasp, and curl up into the fetal position on the floor) I made it through the whole entire video! (Applause fills the air and everyone begins to chant my name!) Of course, after having done the video, which by the way, is the best video I have ever found, every muscle in my body felt like cooked spaghetti. When I told my sister about my experience, she told me to post a spinach pasta recipe. In honor of my spaghetti noodle muscles, I have decided to take her advice and post a recipe for a pasta dish that I found in one of my cookbooks and tweaked it to my liking. In the future, I will post the coolest idea for making your very own superhero shoes while surfing the net! Until then, have fun and may the force be with you! (yes, I know they aren't superheroes, but everyone can use a little help!)
Spinach-stuffed Shells
15 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
*1 jar marinara sauce
1 cup cottage cheese (8 oz)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
dash of pepper
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 tablespoon shredded parmesan cheese
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, heat up the marinara sauce in a pot.
2. In a small bowl, combine the cottage cheese, mozzarella, egg white, basil, garlic powder, pepper and half of the spinach. Pour half of the sauce into a greased 11 in. x 7 in. pan.
3. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water. Stuff each shell with 2 tablespoons of the spinach mix. Arrange the stuffed shells over the sauce in the pan. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells.
4. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until it is completely heated. Sprinkle it with parmesan cheese. It should give 5 servings of pasta.
*If you don't like marinara sauce, you may substitute it with 1 envelope of a white sauce mix. Follow the instructions on the mix to make the sauce.
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