I had such a packed schedule this week and weekend! I filled in
for multiple people at work and ended up working four days. I
"tried" to begin the "studying" thing. I attended my little
cousin's high school graduation party. I attended my friend's
wedding on Sunday. And I got together with friends and family to
make my own unique wedding invitations! Whew! What a
mouthful!
Memorial Day weekend was an amazing time to revitalize myself.
Although it sounds like I had a completely busy weekend, overall, I
loved it! This week at school, however, I did not love. I could not
seem to push myself to enjoy waking up for 8 o'clock classes, and
begin to study for classes.
I am genuinely terrified of this trimester because this is the
time in the program where the true transition from basic sciences
to clinical sciences must be made. For me personally, I did not
like the heaviness that came with basic sciences, but I felt
comfortable. However, clinical sciences scare me because this
trimester we have to prepare for our first OSCE (Objective
Structured Clinical Examination), which mimics Part IV boards. We
encounter our first simulated patients, and basically we are
expected to know everything from the first four trimesters! Right
now, it just feels like a lot of pressure.
My problem is confidence. Although I know the material, I
second-guess myself 100% of the time. I am so concerned with being
perfect and acceptable to the professors, that I feel like I am
lacking the bigger picture. I hope that through more practice and
interaction with patients I receive out of school, especially at
work, I am able to gain the confidence.
So I promised you my recipe for yummy lasagna that is healthy! I
got the original recipe from a friend, but I changed it around to
make it healthier.
Lasagna Primavera
Prep: 40 min; Bake: 45 min; Stand: 10 min
Ingredients:
- 4 Tbsp of Smart Balance Butter
- 2 organic zucchini (thinly sliced)
- 1 package of organic mushrooms (sliced)
- 1 organic medium red pepper (cut into long strips)
- ½ lb organic asparagus trimmed and cut
- 2 large organic tomatoes (cubed)
- 1 large organic white onion (diced)
- 2 Tbsp organic crushed garlic
- 2 cups of ricotta cheese
- 3 cups of organic Italian sauce
- 12 uncooked no boil wheat lasagna noodles
- 1 bag organic shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions:
- Heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Heat butter in 12" skillet and add all the veggies (except
tomatoes), garlic, nutmeg and black pepper. Lightly coat veggies
with butter and cook for about 4 minutes.
- Layer ½ cup Italian sauce, 4 noodles, another ¾ cup sauce, ½
cup ricotta cheese, ½ cup veggies (with non-cooked tomatoes), and
sprinkle cheese in a 13"x9"x2"-baking baking dish. Repeat all the
layers.
- Loosely cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
That's it! It seems like a lot of ingredients but it's all
vegetables. Make sure not to overcook the veggies. Also, I use all
organic ingredients; however you can substitute for non-organic due
to cost. If you make your own Italian sauce, that's even better! I
make my own sauce so that also makes it healthier!
I hope you will explore new foods and ingredients! Always try to
figure out how to make the heartiest home-cooked meals healthy! Two
weeks from now, I will give you a breakfast recipe for French
Toast! Stay tuned.
Tip of the week: Explore the different ways you can use food to
make you happy and healthy. Healthy food does NOT have to taste
bad!