Why I love my parents so very, very much…they still send my 26 year old self Valentine’s Day care packages!! (and my soon to be 30 year old sister too!)

Ghiradelli Dark Chocolates, post-it dispenser, make-up wipes, and a picture of the the love birds… they know the way to my heart..

Sorry about the glare

I’ve already had about 10 students inquire about my new desk accessory…who knew middle schoolers could be so nosey.

The other night I made some delicious meatballs…I was kind of bummed because when they were done cooking I went to scoop them out and they sort of crumbled and it’s now just a beef spaghetti sauce…oh well…it is still delicious! I also made a spaghetti squash the other night so I just threw a few of these over top. Delish.

(do you like my photo skills? Always a shadow to remind you of me)

Middle Eastern Meatballs

Ingredients

1 pound ground lean beef (7% fat or less)
1 large onion, chopped
1 large egg
½ cup bulgur
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (I used parsley)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin (I used Mediterranean 7 Spice)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 (14 ½ -ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

Directions

1. Combine beef, on half of onion, egg, bulgur, cilantro, 1 garlic clove, cumin, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper in large bowl. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Shape into 30 meatballs.
2. Heat oil in large deep skillet over medium heat. Add remaining on half of onion and 2 garlic cloves. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add meatballs and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until meatballs are cooked through and sauce thickens slightly, about 20 minutes

I decided to try and give up chocolate and “sweets” for lent…we will see how this goes…so far so good! BTW chobani yogurts do not count as sweets to me…nor does cereal…I am sure I will be adding to this list as the next 40 days go on…;)

Sunday I ran 9 miles on a treadmill and it really wasn’t that bad…it is not how I would prefer to do a long run, but at least I got it in.I played with the pace and watched The Biggest Loser…and I decided I need my own personal Jillian Michaels screaming at me and smacking my treadmill to go faster…

xoxoxoxo