You know the phrase, “eat the rainbow”? It’s one of those things I know I am supposed to do, but struggle with sometimes. Especially when it comes to anything in the purple family. Like eggplant. When it’s on sale, I make a point of buying it, but rarely do much besides making a GF eggplant parm. It was getting old. I like new. So, as I was making twice baked potatoes, and meatloaf, I daydreamed about how I could make eggplant in a similar fashion. Thats when this recipe was born. Much like twice baked potatoes, I wanted to use the skins to up the fiber levels. So, I cut off the stem, cut it in half, gave it some EVOO and salt and pepper, then popped it in the oven. Once out, I let it cool, scraped out the flesh, chopped it up and added it to the rest of the filling. Then I filled the shells back up and popped em back in the oven. No joke, it might be my new favorite (and cheeeeesy) way to eat eggplant! Ingredients1 medium eggplant - I like the short fat kind 2-3 T EVOO (split) 1/2 t salt 1/4 t black pepper 1/2 white onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic , minced or 1/2 t granulated garlic 1 C shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 t dried basil 1/2 t dried parsley 1 egg , beaten 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese (reserved) Directions Preheat oven to 400 F
Cut off the stem and end of the eggplant, cut it in half, drizzle the cut side with EVOO, salt and pepper, then pop it cut side up onto a cookie sheet and into the oven. Let roast for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 1 T of EVOO in a medium saute pan, over medium heat and saute onions until softened. Add garlic and saute another minute. Remove from heat and add to a medium size bowl. Once cool, scoop the eggplant out of the shells, taking care not to damage the skin. Chop flesh into 1/2 inch cubes and add to onion and garlic. Add the remaining ingredients, and stir until combined. Spoon mixture into eggplant shells. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Place eggplants onto a baking dish and bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and begins to brown.
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A lot of students ask me how I study for college exams. Be it a midterm or final, I study the exact same way. So, I wanted to share my tips with y'all. The thing is, if I am being honest, I start on the first day of class... By showing up, taking notes, participating and setting myself up by getting ready for the semester, then staying organized - a lot of the work is already done. Once it is time for the Midterms and Exams, I follow this outline.
Related Posts: HOW TO READ YOUR TEXTBOOK & UNDERSTAND IT TIPS FOR STARTING A NEW SEMESTER Did you know that the 2nd Monday in January is National Clean Off Your Desk Day? Me neither! But, what a PERFECT opportunity to organize before the new semester gets started. It's almost like it was planned that way! I don't know about you, but an excuse to organize and get things in order is like the best thing! Who else thinks that their best Christmas present of 2018 is a dry erase monthly wall calendar? Okay so maybe I'm the only one who gets that excited, but clearly my best friends know me WELL!! Maybe you aren't as enthusiastic as me about clean things, and scientific reasoning is more your thing. Psychotherapist and professional organizer Cindy Glovinsky says, "order feels good, in part, because it's easier for our brains to deal with and not have to work so hard," Apparently clutter is linked to anxiety and increased due to cortisol levels in our bodies. Yes, that same stuff that is released when we have a fight or flight response is also activated by clutter. In my family, growing up, we had stuff. Lots of stuff. There was the room with books and collectibles, and we even had a special room off the garage called the storeroom for stuff we couldn't fit in the house. Just thinking about it gives me heart palpitations. Enough about that. Breathe. Before I tell you how I go about cleaning off my desk, let me show you a little peek into what I was dealing with.. Oh, they look like nice neat piles, but I literally had NO idea what was in them, except for the binders which I knew had pages removed and those pages were somewhere in that mess of nonsense. So, I decided to make 3 piles. It ended up being 4, because there was a need, but your piles might be similar.
In the words of Mary Poppins, "Well Begun is Half Done".... but there was still more to do! Next came the actual cleaning of the desk. I LOVE me a pencil, but that means my desk not only had dust, but also about a mol of eraser dust in the crevices. (note; I may want to get some Plexiglas to cover the desk cuz cleaning that out was a pain!) I scrubbed it with my favorite cleaner, and then gave it a bit of wood polish to make it look pretty. Only things I needed at my fingertips got a place on the desk. Everything else got to go to its actual home. Sorry random stickers, nasal spray, and leftover Christmas cards. Finally, I emptied the trash and admired my handy work. There you have it, another holiday celebrated. Joy and exuberance felt when the job was done. What are you waiting for? Go! There's nothing stopping you from making your work area a nicer place to sit and make magic happen. A new semester approaches! It’s time to get things in shape for new classes - a little planning and organization! I find that organization is a huge part of success for students. When tutoring, it’s easy to see who is struggling due to poor organization, as it seems to be a symptom of a larger issue with focus and attention. At the bottom of this entry is a checklist, but keep reading to understand what those items mean. As mentioned in a a previous post, (How to Read Your Textbook) I use one spiral notebook for each class. It helps me keep all of my lecture notes, textbook annotations and study materials in one place. It’s magical if you like to be able to find things! The first couple of pages are reserved for my table of contents. Following that, pertinent information from the syllabus, and then numbered pages. On the cover I write the class name, Professor, room number and time of the class. Maybe you can memorize and keep it all straight, but I cannot. Too many other things to keep track of with my Full Plate. My next steps in getting ready seems silly, but, for me they matter! I like to sharpen all of my pencils, set up folders in Google Docs for each new class, and clean and sanitize my backpack. Everything gets a good wipe down before the bag gets re-packed. Finally, I add a "Go Bag" which holds some basics like hair ties, an emergency coffee stash, phone charging supplies, and tissues. The final thing that goes into my "Go Bag" are contact cards. They are simple. Just my name, phone number, email, and that I am a dietetics major. On Day 1 of classWhile I am still in the classroom, I try to hand out my contact cards and get at least 3 in return. Having contacts in each class is important when the flu hits and you need lecture notes! Once I get home, I put important dates (like tests, assignment due dates, etc.) into my planner and write important syllabus information in the first couple of pages of my class notebook. Now that I have my syllabus, I generally order my textbooks (depending on the class I'll either rent or purchase). Why do I wait until the first day? Because I cannot tell you how many times last minute changes have left me with the wrong book, and some are not returnable!! If I order them online, I also go to the school library or a program on campus that has books available to borrow so that I do not fall behind in my readings By the end of week 2If there is one thing that I stress to students that I tutor, it is that they need to visit each professor during office hours to introduce themselves. Each class for which I have done this has paid off in spades. During this meeting I ask questions. Lots of questions! From their tips for success in the class to how they would study for one of their exams, it always provides insights into that professor's expectations. This is also a great way to build rapport with professors, which will come in handy when you need a letter of recommendation! Next, I make sure to reach out to the classmates I have contact information for. Personally, I use Google Hangouts to communicate with classmates, and find that it works out well. I have also used apps like GroupMe, Skype and such. Use what works best for you! Finally, because I am a tutor on campus, I speak with my work supervisor to set realistic hours (because there are only 168 hours in a week) that allow for adequate study time and to be the best tutor I can be. I look at my planner and ask for days off around my midterms and other key event dates. I hope this helps! Please let me know in the comments if you have specific questions.
Resolutions? Nope. Not something I do... They tend to be lofty ideals that are set ups for failure. Sabotage. Instead, I like to do a closing ceremony for last year. Look at all that was beautiful as well as what sucked a giant bag of donkey balls! It helps me reflect, see where I’m on the path I want to be - what was completely outside of my control, and where I can make improvements. Then, I like to visualize the year ahead. Close my eyes and feel how it would feel if I could have my best year. How would my body feel? What emotions would be the basis for the year? THAT is my start. After that, I think about goals, adventures, books I want to read, and try to set tangible ways to get my intentions in line with how I want my body to feel. This is is my plan for 2019 Rituals. Daily Focus. Just one small thing per day. Smiling Saturday
The daily practice does not have to be one of the bullets. There are hundreds of ways to do each of the basic intentional and underlying motivations. The bullets are only suggestions for the days I am stuck. Because let's face it. Stuck happens! I want to live in a body that feels good, light, flexible and resilient, which means it cannot be fixed on shame, self-loathing, amygdala hijack, or other negativity breeding states. One. Just ONE intentional thought per day. That is all I am asking of myself this year. |
AuthorI'm Michelle, and I've got a full plate! As a full-time dietetics student, step-mom, wife, study coach, and tutor in my late 30's, some days I'm barely scraping by. But, no matter what is on my plate, it's always gluten free! Categories
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