Spring Has Sprung

The weather man promised it would be a warm and sunny day. Sixty degrees to be exact! Running in shorts and a t-shirt today was a real treat. Actually felt 10 pounds lighter with less clothing! Early this afternoon I headed down to the lake and sat with Bike man as he waited for the perch to bite. Enjoyed a fragrant merlot....Bota Box (2010), very nice and I highly recommend for relaxation time!

Fishing activity was on the slow side, but sitting in the sunshine and beautiful blue sky was so worth it.

Didn't go overboard on relaxing since I headed back to the house to take advantage of the beautiful day. This warmer weather brings on the cleaning urge, so I took the time to clean a few windows, cleaned the house, purge personal belongings in one closet and hung out two loads of laundry. Just so you know, hanging out my laundry is my favorite thing to do. I love the fresh air smell when your clothes are dry. We country folk get high on the most trivial tasks!

Finished out my day with grilling marinated chicken breast along with grilled sweet potatoes for a tasty dinner tonight.

I think spring has sprung, especially since I heard some sandhill cranes. Couldn't see them, but certainly heard them. An hour ahead tonight.....welcome to spring!

Bike Man Was in the Kitchen

Polenta Lasagna

Bike man was in the kitchen tonight! I was excited to hear he wanted to make his unusual lasagna dish. I LOVE this lasagna. So tasty, so healthy and so totally different!

He started with sauteing red peppers, onions, garlic, and one jalapeno pepper (optional). Add some fried pork sausage....or not. We've made this lasagna without meat and it's still delicious.

With a jar of marinara sauce or spaghetti sauce, add a little sauce to the bottom of an 8 inch baking pan.

Carefully slice prepared polenta, about 1/2 inch thick slices. We love the basil garlic polenta. Bike man uses a serrated bread knife to cut the polenta.

Place your first layer of sliced polenta in the baking pan with the spaghetti sauce.

Spoon 1/2 of the veggie & pork sausage mixture over the sliced polenta. Carefully spoon some spaghetti sauce over the veggies.

Sprinkle a layer of shredded mozzarella & cheddar cheese over the first layer. Top with a second layer of polenta slices.

Add remaining veggie/sausage mixture, more spaghetti sauce and more shredded cheese. I'm a Penzey's spice freak, so I like to sprinkle a little "Mural of Flavor" herb mix over the top. Cover pan with foil and bake 30 minutes......another 15 minutes or so uncovered, for a total of about 45 minutes. Honestly, this is the best alternative to traditional lasagna. The first time I had this polenta treat, I just feel in love with it. Don't worry, I think the Italian's would approve, despite the lack of pasta!!!

My Secret Revealed

It's official as of tonight, I am now a Board of Director for the Menomonie Market Food Co-op! I gave you all a hint about six weeks ago with my Lego accounting workshop. I have to admit that I was giggling when some of you commented back thinking I was leaving my job!

After attending six board meetings of observing and learning, I was excited for tonight. Finally, the night of membership elections and the annual meeting. Did I vote for myself.....I sure did!!! The annual meeting lasted two hours and consisted of the General Manager's report and financials for 2011, and lots of stories from co-op members looking back to the 70's. My first co-op experience was in 1981 when I moved to Menomonie, Wisconsin. I still remember the small store and discovering carob chips.....a nice substitution for chocolate.

We were all treated to healthy snacks tonight, which is always the highlight of any meeting. So as of tonight, I will now be involved in the future expansion of our food co-op, which is very exciting for our local community. I love to be around people that believe in sustainability of our environment , local foods, and organic foods. I'm looking forward to the next three years!

Food Game

I really didn't have a plan, but just decided to use what was in my refrigerator. It's kind of a game I play with myself. What can you make for dinner based on what is in your refrigerator, freezer or pantry? I love this food game.

So I grabbed some sliced red peppers from my freezer, some fresh jalapenos, mushrooms and onions. I sauteed all the veggies in olive oil, adding seasonings to taste. My last step was to add freshly chopped kale!

Decided to make veggie pizza with my special sauteed mix. Added some feta cheese, a little mozzarella, and that's it......a tasty, antioxidant meal. The kale made the pizza extra special with it's sweetness and nice rich green flavor.

Rejoice

We people from the great white north, rejoiced today. With the temperature hitting 52 degrees this afternoon, everyone walked around with a smile! As I headed out the door for my early evening run, I felt 10 pounds lighter and had that extra zip in my stride. Saw another robin today.....does this mean an early spring? Even the wasps came out of hibernation!

I know the warm up was short-lived, but I'll take it for now. Hey, even Bike man went out for 3+ mile run/walk today. His first run in fifteen years!!!!!

New Week

Typical Monday.....my eyes are wide open for a new week ahead!

My Thoughts

By March I'm starting to feel restless. With the days slowly getting longer, I get that urge to be outdoors. I admit bicycling has been on my mind lately. Both Bike man and I are getting eager to ride as soon as the roads are salt-free and snow-free. We need to get back on our bikes since we know we want to do a two-week bicycle vacation in early June (self supported). Remember the bike trip we postponed to Dubuque, Iowa in 2010? We were going to ride to Dubuque in search of good ice cream! I think we need to reschedule that trip. Two weeks on the bike.....is like carefree living!