Hit the Road Jack...

"You work impossibly fast. And your power over me is strong. You make my eyes close, against my will. And sometimes you take me away to a different time. you never eat or drink any thing. you don’t go into the sunlight. I know what you are."

"Say it. Out loud."

"Sleep Monster"

"Are you afraid?"

"No."

This morning, I totally gave into the power of the sleep monster. The bad part? I got up out of bed, brushed my teeth, got into my running clothes, had 1 shoe on and then took the shoe off and went back to bed in my running clothes. While sitting in the chair putting my shoes on I was hit with a wave of exhaustion, not just regular sleepiness, but absolute exhaustion. I don't have much exercise guilt about it because I have a 3 hour drive tonight after work and I would rather skip my run than fall asleep during the drive. Sometimes your body just lets you know when you need an extra hour of sleep.

I'm driving to Greensboro tonight to spend the weekend with these characters...


Please pardon my "wine lips" in the above pictures.

My Family! My sister (by choice, not by blood) Jen, my brother Ritch and my Mom, Mom. :) I always have so much fun when I go to visit! I miss them all terribly. It's only a 3.5 hour drive but due to my work schedule I don't get to visit as often as I'd like, which is probably a good thing because my healthy eating habits tend to go by the way side when you put me in their house which is always filled with goodies.

Last night's dinner was yummy!! It's a weight watcher's recipe for Creamy Butternut Squash Orzo. I made 1/2 of the recipe and I made note of my changes in bold.



Creamy Butternut Squash Orzo

1 spray(s) cooking spray
2 cup(s) butternut squash, cut into small cubes
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter (I used Brumel and Brown yogurt butter)
1 cup(s) uncooked orzo
1 1/2 cup(s) water
1 cup(s) canned chicken broth
1 tsp thyme, fresh, or 8 whole sprigs (sprigs preferred) (I used dry)
2 Tbsp fat-free half-and-half (I used 1 Tbsp Fat Free Ricotta Cheese)
1/3 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup fresh spinach chopped

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a small rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, toss squash with oil and salt; spread in a single layer on prepared baking sheet, leaving space between squash cubes. Roast, stirring halfway through, until squash is tender and lightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add orzo. Stir constantly until orzo begins to smell toasty, about 3 minutes. Add water, broth and thyme sprigs and garlic; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is nearly absorbed, about 15 minutes. Add chopped spinach for the last 5 minutes.

Remove thyme sprigs; stir in half-and-half (or ricotta cheese), cheese and roasted squash. Season well with salt and pepper; serve. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.

This was amazing decadent, simple and delicious. I will definitely be making it again. This is a great dish for entertaining because it's impressive. Not very pretty to look at, but amazing to taste!

I also made some roasted brussels sprouts (yes it is brussels sprouts not brussel sprout, although both are totally acceptable I think) which I tossed in 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, couple dashes of worcestershire, salt and pepper. I just threw them in the oven along side the squash, in a separate pan of course.

This would make a great Meatless Monday meal too, of course you could have it any day of the week!

How do you guys prepare for road trips? Do you bring a snack or grab something at the store? I try and bring a piece of fruit and a drink (either Diet Snapple or Water) from home. I find it helps, but sometimes the lure of the fast food temptress is a powerful thing.