Making up for being a slacker

Due to sickness, taking lots of naps in my free time, and the husband being out of town, I have been a total and complete slacker on the blog! So today I will share a work out and a recipe to make up for it :) I have still been working out although I am so much slower already that I was a few months ago! No fun. I absolutely love being a mother, I would not change it for anything. But the toll it takes on the body is unexplainable unless you have gone through it before. Pregnancy instantly slows you down because you have less oxygen for yourself. I get winded just walking up the stairs. Not only that but you have the pains of your body expanding and organs moving around and I will not forget that fact that I have a giant peach right on top of my bladder! Say goodbye to jumping jacks people! Anyways not going to bore you with my aches and pains but being a mom, being pregnant, and trying to stay healthy and in shape is difficult. And that includes eating healthy. Right now my tummy wants nothing to do with salads and veggies. Instead it wants Chimichangas and Steak! Creating life is a miracle and a mystery to me. Anyways, hopefully I get back into the swing of things now that I am in my second trimester and back to giving you guys some healthy recipes to try!

This one is one of my families favs! Its simple and the BEST way to eat veggies!

• Get any kind of veggies you want. 
• We use:
• Broccoli, Cauliflower, Beets, Carrots, Zucchini, Onion, Asparagus, and Brussel Sprouts.
• Put them in tin foil, drizzle with olive oil, put salt and pepper on them and any other seasonings you want (we sometimes use garlic salt or crushed red pepper), put tin foil on the top and seal, and then put them in the oven at 450 degrees for about 25 minutes or until you can stick a fork through them.
• Seriously people. AMAZING. 
• Another thing we love is Veggie Lasagna. Creamy and full of veggies.  Our kids love it too!
• 2 cups chopped onion
  4 cloves garlic, minced
  2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
  2 cups chopped zucchini
  2 cups chopped yellow squash
  2 cups thinly sliced carrot
  2 cups chopped broccoli
  1 teaspoon salt, divided
  1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  3 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
  1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
  1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  dash of nutmeg
  1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat cottage cheese
  2 cups (8 ounces) pre-shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
  9 pre-cooked lasagna noodles, divided

  Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

  2. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Spoon onion mixture into a large bowl.

  3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and yellow squash; sauté 4 minutes or until tender and just beginning to brown. Add to onion mixture.

  4. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced carrot; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add chopped broccoli; sauté 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add to onion mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss well to combine.

  5. Place flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg; stir until smooth. Stir in spinach.

  6. Combine cottage cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella; stir well. Spread 1/2 cup spinach mixture in bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over spinach mixture in dish; top with half of cottage cheese mixture, then half of vegetable mixture, and about 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining spinach mixture on top of noodles; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.

  7. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
• WORKOUT
• Here is a workout to follow your incredible dinner :)
• 20 Burpees
• 40 Sit-ups
• 20 Push-ups
• 15 V Push-ups
• 25 Sit-ups
• 30 Lunges
• 30 Squats
• 1 minute wall sits
• 30 High Knees
• 30 High Jumps (try touching your ceiling with both hands)
• Hope you guys enjoy and I will try my hardest to keep this up! Not only is it therapeutic for me but I really enjoy seeing people happier and I do believe exercise and eating healthy makes you happier. Happy Monday! 
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