Penne with Broccoli

I know I've written about this recipe before, but I love one pot meals so much I can't help but share it again.I've increased my workout schedule so I can not die running a 5K in 6 weeks. By the time I make it home from work and the gym, it's almost 7 p.m. So, quick meals are definitely the way to go on weeknights.

There's not much quicker than this Penne with Broccoli. It cooks quick and cleans up quick, too. That makes it a winner in my book.

I washed it down with the last of the super classy wine from a box. It was suprisingly pretty good, and in my defense, it came from World Market. This was no Franzia.

What's your favorite one-pot meal?

A post not about food

I'm kind of like my parents' dog. I need my exercise. (That's my dad, btw.)

Today SERIOUSLY feels like it's lasting forever and not in a good way. I totally blame the fact that I was at work by 8 a.m. today.

This week has been my start to a self-imposed Operation On-Time for Work Week. I'm not sure why I'm calling it that because it's not like I was ever LATE to work. But whatever.

I'm beginning to think I'm nuts. My body is already confused and revolting against losing an hour and then I go and add insult to injury by forcing myself to get to work half an hour earlier than I usually do. Which, because I'm slow moving and not-a-morning-person-at-all, that means I'm waking up an hour earlier. Net loss = 2 hours.

So why did I decide to come in half an hour earlier? Because the work gym is a madhouse by 5 p.m. and it's MUCH more tolerable at 4:30 p.m. And, I'm really hoping increased exercise helps me sleep better.

So far, it kind of has. Usually I'm a zombie the week following the time change in March. This week I'm only a partial zombie. Definitely an improvement.

I was talking to my dad the other day when I'm realized I'm not all that different from their dog. In order to be able to relax and fall asleep somewhere before 1 a.m. I need to get my energy out. Lately that includes "jogging" (I use the term loosely.. I'm sure there are many who WALK faster than I run) and swimming.

Unfortunately for me, this week is still pretty rough. I would have had a food post today only, I was too pooped to post. Or edit my photos. Or even download from my camera for that matter.

So hopefully I'll have one for tomorrow. Unless I fall asleep at 8 p.m. like I'm an 82-year-old.

BBQ Pulled Pork

Today, I did something I haven't done in a long time.

I swam laps.

It seems like a lifetime ago, but in high school, I joined the swim team for a season. I wasn't awful, either. I was in the upper crust of the newbies. I would have done even better if I had actually applied myself. But if you were to talk to my mother, she'd same could be said for my school work.

I wanted to come back to the team the following season, but schoolwork won out. We practiced until 10:30 p.m. on some nights and when school started at 7:30, it was hard enough to get the sleep I needed let alone time to do homework. I knew swimming wasn't going to get me into college — my grades were. So as much as I liked it, I had bow out after just one season.

I still love to swim. I did about roughly an hour total with a minute or two of rest every 15 minutes. The old guy next to me asked me how far I was going.. and honestly, I didn't know. I was just swimming back and forth for the fun of it.

Then I came home to a dinner that had been bubbling away in the crockpot while I was at the gym - BBQ pulled pork. We had this recipe for my mom's birthday and I knew I had to make it for myself. I still had a giant pack of western style ribs leftover from the ribs I made a few months ago, so I decided to throw it all in the slow cooker so I could freeze the leftovers for a night I don't want to cook.

The recipe doesn't call for it, but I added a medium onion, a few garlic cloves and a dash or two of red pepper flakes to the crockpot and then shredded and added the bbq sauce like the recipe calls for. I also used chicken broth because I never have beef broth on hand and I forgot to pick some up at the store.

It's maybe not the leanest thing in the world. You could certainly try using a leaner pork. My mom used a pork loin, which I believe is much leaner than the western style ribs. It calls for boneless, but mine had bones and I just picked them out. No big deal.

Use your favorite BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays) or take the time to make your own. Either way, these are really simple and really fantastic.