Some thoughts for the day:

I’m learning it is ok to be vulnerable. Trying to keep it all in all the time is emotionally exhausting. Not to mention, when it does finally come out, it will be ridiculously dramatic at the perfectly wrong time in front of the worst possible person to see it. Who’s been there?

Find a way to communicate your feelings with the people you love. It’s unfair to them not to understand what you’re feeling and yet be held accountable for not being supportive. It’s unfair to you feel like you have to lock your pain inside to protect someone else. That pain comes out anyway, in some form or fashion, so you’re really not doing anyone a favor.

I feel like we create these scenarios in our head that things will be so horrible if we admit our feelings out loud. But, think back to the last time you had a hard conversation. Was it really as bad as you imagined it would be? And even if it was bad, guess what … you’re still here.

Trust in your ability to navigate hard situations and let yourself be vulnerable. Like I tell my kids, use your words.

Now, let’s talk this delicious casserole dish of yumminess…

I ate something similar to this at a party recently. It wasn’t dairy-free, but the person who held the party went out of there way to buy something vegetarian for my husband and me. It was absolutely delicious and I knew I would need to recreate a vegan version pronto. Last night I did just that, and I want to share it with you! You can easily use low-fat cream cheese and real cheese if you are not cutting dairy. I’m not gonna lie – it’s hard to give up cheese. The vegan kind only barely cuts it for us, if I’m being honest. But, wrapped up in this casserole, it was truly delicious and hit the spot!

Veggie Quinoa Lasagna (Vegan)

Ingredients:

One cup quinoa

2 cups Vegetable Broth

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1 TBSP Oregano

1/2 TBSP Minced Onion

1 Jar Chunky Vegetable Marinara Sauce

4 Zucchini, coined

2 cups spinach, chopped

1/2 cup Vegan Cream Cheese (I used Go Veggie!)

1 1/2 cups Vegan Shredded Cheese (I used Aldi brand)

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Instructions:

If using Instant Pot, add quinoa, broth, tomato sauce, oregano, minced onion, and salt to liner pot. Stir, and replace lid. Set pot to 2 min manual high pressure. Allow a natural pressure release. Remove lid when timer reads 20 min.

Preheat over to 400.

Stir cream cheese into warm quinoa until it is well combined.

Time to build your lasagna! In a 9X13 casserole dish, spread a layer of marinara sauce. Line sauce with a layer of zucchini coins. Spread layer of quinoa (about 1/2 of it) across zucchini. Spread all of the chopped spinach over quinoa. Spread another layer of marinara sauce. Spread a layer of cheese. Add another layer of zucchini coins. (This should use up all your zucchini.) Add another layer of quinoa (using the rest of the quinoa), followed by a layer of sauce and then cheese. Finally, sprinkle the bread crumbs across the top of your casserole. (If your bread crumbs aren’t seasoned, add some salt, pepper, and oregano to them.)

Bake for 30 min. Then, raise the temp to 425 and bake for another ten minutes.

Serve with some crusty bread and salad. Enjoy!

I admit it. I have a bit of a girl crush on PaleOMG, blogger Juli Bauer. She is that girl you just want to hang out with because not only is she creative and quirky, she is also athletic, a great cook and not afraid to drop the F bomb at any given moment. Her engaging blog has definitely inspired me to pursue my own! She expanded from mainly Paleo recipes into celebrating many other topics about which she is passionate. And, you know I love that!

In addition to her booming blog, a fun social media presence, and a brand new podcast, Juli also has three cookbooks under her belt. And, I happily own all three! One of her recipes, Buffalo Chicken Casserole, was a lifesaver when I was eating Paleo and has become a staple in my house. (On and off, I will eat Paleo throughout the year. We can talk about that another time!) This recipe, along with many other delicious dishes, can be found in her latest cookbook, Juli Bauer’s Paleo Cookbook. I made it last weekend and my husband said it should stay in rotation. Always a good sign! Fair warning, the buffalo sauce does make it pretty spicy. If you are sensitive to spice, I recommend starting with a half cup the first time you make it and then adding additional hot sauce in your single serving.  I have found that 3/4 cup of hot sauce is the right temperature for yours truly. I served this dish with some sprigs of cilantro and a drizzle of Greek Yogurt Dill Ranch Dressing. Delicious!

Here is the ingredient list as shown on Juli’s PaleOMG website:

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Ingredients:

1 medium spaghetti squash (about 21⁄2 pounds)

4 tablespoons butter, ghee, or coconut oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium carrot, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1⁄2 medium yellow onion, minced

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1 pound ground chicken

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup hot sauce

1⁄4 cup Super Simple Mayonnaise (page 274 in Juli’s book) or store bought mayo

3 large eggs, whisked chopped scallions, for garnish

sliced avocado, for garnish

Click here to get the instructions for this recipe from Juli’s blog!

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I tried to take some photos for you off my iPhone. This dish is not very photogenic so I didn’t bother with trying in vain to use my professional camera. The photos are crappy, but all you need to know is it tastes better than it looks! Juli’s photos in the cookbook and on the link back to this recipe on her blog are absolutely gorgeous, however. The photography work was another reason I bought the book.

Let me know if you give this recipe a try! And, more importantly,check out PaleOMG! Even if you don’t eat Paleo, you will make a new friend out of Juli Bauer!

xo Jaime