Last night I walked into my apartment after work and was immediately met with a delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen. After taking a look at the deliciousness that my roommate was cooking up and knowing that I had to go to the grocery store that evening I decided then and there that I was going to do my best to make the exact same thing for dinner. Yes, I totally copied her.
The best part about this dish? It involves only a few cheap ingredients and little cleanup. Music to my ears. I'm not big on measurements and usually just go off of how hungry I am (usually hungry) but here's what you need:
Kale Greens
Butternut Squash
Potato Gnocchi
Parmesan
Garlic & Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (to taste)
First, peel the butternut squash and chop it up into bite sized chunks. Make sure you have a good knife and peeler for this! Throw it in a saute pan with some olive oil and garlic and brown the squash.
*Be careful working with the squash! I quickly noticed that my fingertips were starting to peel (didn't hurt) and learned here about the sap that they excrete as a self defense mechanism that was causing my crazy reaction. Maybe I'm too sensitive? / Has this happened to you?
Next, add about a cup of water and the kale greens to the pan and let them cook and wilt down. Add as much (or as little) of the greens as you want and some crushed red pepper flakes to taste! Once the kale is cooked down, add the package of gnocchi.
Heat the mixture of squash, kale and gnocchi through and let the remaining water soak into the gnocchi or eventually evaporate. I didn't really keep track of time during this part - just keep an eye on the water level and the gnocchi consistency. You don't want a runny-watery mixture or uncooked gnocchi!
Just keep stirring...just keep stirring...just keep stirring. Add some freshly grated parmesan cheese in as you go so it will melt down and make everything nice and gooey.
For the finishing touch, scoop everything into an oven safe dish, sprinkle some extra Parmesan on top and put it under the broiler for 5 minutes to let the top crisp up a bit. If you're not too cheap to own/buy a good, cast iron saute pan, I'm jealous....And you can just throw the whole thing under the broiler without using another dish you'll have to wash (sucks to not have a dishwasher).
This dish fills you up, leaves you with leftovers, and did I mention it was easy? Thanks to my roommate for much needed kitchen inspiration!
Check out my recipe featured at Weekend Potluck and share with your friends!
...Feel like a kid in a candy shop having just gotten tickets to Justin Timberlake in February?!
...Watch ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars as a guilty pleasure?
...Still enjoy fruit snacks as an afternoon pick me up once in awhile?
It seems like I'm at that mid-twenties age where many friends, classmates and coworkers are starting to get married, have kids or at least begin the conversations about settling down. I've thought about it; compared my life to others'; thought about it some more, and sometimes it's hard not to wonder if I'm on the right track.
Should those things be my priority right now, too? Should I be watching the news instead of Pretty Little Liars and eating fruit instead of fruit snacks? And then I remember that I'm perfectly content just where I am. I'm not too old for these things as long as I enjoy them.
It's easy to forget that what's right for one person might not be right for you. You can't plan everything out and expect your life to take the same course as others' who, on the surface, seem to be at the same stage in life.
Living the life that is waiting for me, rather than the one I had planned out years ago is what I'm focusing on now. In turn, I'm able to be genuinely happy with my choices and genuinely happy for people who just might be on a different track than me. I'm not too old to accomplish the goals I've set or to get where I want to be (I'm also not too young...). I'm just taking a different path than anticipated - one that involves a few extra fruit snacks and throwback JT songs.
...Or better yet, in your own life. Take action. Do something. Change things that you wish were different.
I promise I won't go all Gandhi on you.... BUT that one, simple statement is such a challenging imperative. I say imperative because it's necessary that we make changes - rather than just complain - if we want to live in a different world or picture our lives working out differently. It's easy to "talk the talk" but what matters is if you can "walk the walk." Realistically, a Facebook status or idle rant isn't going to change anything.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm guilty of it myself. I complain about certain obligations or responsibilities at work. I compare my life to others' lives and think everything must come easy to them. In reality, I (we) need to make things happen and be the change that we need in our own lives.
It's okay to start small. I've recently made a conscious effort to stop venting about things to my parents and I've noticed that not only am I sure they're happy not having certain things unburdened on them...I'm happier too.
As another example, I am getting my own blog off the ground rather than merely reading others' and thinking of the blog I have always considered starting. It's cathartic. I'm happy getting my thoughts out and having something that I need to hold my self accountable to. It's a change that I needed to make and something that I want to keep going.
I realize that this is easier said than done but I know that for me, it's time to practice what I'm trying to preach. Why not make some changes in my life to help me live the life I want to lead?
