Stuffed Baked Eggplant – #TuesdayTip

One of the things I’ve been trying to do as part of my health journey is to eat more vegetables. One way I’ve been doing that is by adding veggies like carrots and celery to some of my traditional recipes, like my bean chili. Another way I’m doing it is by making a meatless dinner at least once a week. Last night’s dish was a delicious stuffed and baked eggplant so today I’m sharing that recipe with you! This recipe can be doubled to make enough for a second weeknight dinner. I could just imagine Carlo from NEVER A BRIDE making something tasty like this for a dinner with Emma!

Ingredients

Sauce

1 14.5 ounce can of crushed/diced tomatoes (I love Hunts Fire Roasted for making a small pot of sauce)
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp tomato paste
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice the eggplant in half and cut off a bit of the skin side so that eggplant boat will lay flat. Scoop out the inside of the eggplant, but do not cut through the bottom.

Oil a baking pan and lightly oil the scooped out eggplant halves. I used a spray cooking oil.

Lay the halves scooped side down on the baking pan and bake for 30 minutes. (Nothing worse than squeaky eggplant!)

Chop the scooped out eggplant and bottoms you sliced off and saute in about 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook for about 5 minutes and then add the mushrooms until they are all a nice golden color. Transfer to a mixing bowl big enough to hold all the ingredients.

Saute the carrot and celery for about 5 minutes or so and then add half of the onions. Saute until the onions are translucent and then add half of the chopped garlic and cook for another minute or two. Add to eggplant and mushrooms in mixing bowl.

Beat the egg and add to the mixing bowl together with the ricotta, mozzarella and 3/4 cup of the bread crumbs. Mix well.

While you’re waiting for the first bake of the eggplant, get to work on the tomato sauce! Saute the onions in a tbsp of olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and saute for another minute or two. If you like a slightly spicier sauce, add some red pepper flakes while you’re cooking the onions. Add the crushed/diced tomatoes and the tomato paste and simmer for about half an hour or to desired thickness. I like my sauce thick!

Back to the eggplant. Remove eggplant boats from the oven and flip over. You’ll notice that there is some steam coming off the halves. Fill each half evenly and sprinkle with the remaining bread crumbs and parmesan.

Bake for another half an hour at 350 degrees and then kick up the heat to 425 for another 20 minutes or so (or until the tops are a golden brown). Remove from the oven and let sit for about 5-10 minutes so they will be cool enough to eat. Top with the tomato sauce and more parmesan to serve.

Hope you enjoyed today’s Tuesday Tip. Let me know if you try it out yourselves!

January 13, 2020

#ManCandyMonday – Carlo from Never a Bride

From the moment that Carlo stepped onto the page I fell in love with him and I knew he was the perfect match for never-happily-after wedding planner Emma. Carlo is patient, kind, hard-working, and totally sexy. I pictured him with dark hair and a bit of a broody look even though he’s quite optimistic and friendly. You might be wondering why this hero’s name is Carlo and not Carlos and the reason is that his mom had a thing for Italian names when she decided to name Carlo and his two younger brothers, Paolo and Tomas. Speaking of younger brothers, I can’t wait to write a spin-off to the series featuring younger bad boy Paolo and Army Ranger Tomas. You’ll get to meet them as well in NEVER A BRIDE and I hope you’ll like them as much as I do!

NEVER A BRIDE is now available for pre-order at the following retailers:

Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/2MLZRyK
Amazon Paperback: Coming Soon!
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1482927575
B&N: bit.ly/BN_Bride
Kobo: bit.ly/kobo_Bride
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/437777098

January 10, 2020February 17, 2021

#FitnessFriday – Trying Out New Workouts

One of the things I’ve been doing in my new retired life, besides writing, is trying out new fitness regimens so I can maintain the same activity level I used to have when I was working. When I was working, I used to walk to and from Penn Station to my office and I’d also take a short walk around the office to drop off files and correspondence every hour or so. That added up to a lot of steps and now I don’t have that routine.

This past week I tried out a number of different classes. First up a Boxfit class that was a lot of fun and quite a workout. I liked it because I think it will improve my upper body strength.

Next up was a HIIT class – High-Intensity Interval Training. I also liked it, but there were a lot of routines with squats and my one knee was aching a little so the verdict is out on this one.

Finally, I tried a chair yoga class. My sister is a yogi and I plan on going to her classes as soon as I can, but the chair yoga was an interesting alternative. I got to do stretching which I really need and I was familiar with many of the poses since I’d done yoga on the beach a few years back (also on the list to do this year!).

I’ll keep you posted about what’s happening with these classes and I’d love to hear if you’re taking any fitness classes and what you like!

Original Image by Khusen Rustamov from Pixabay

January 9, 2020

#ThrowbackThursday – Hangin’ on the Shore

I feel the most creative when I’m down the Shore, maybe because I’m a Pisces and gravitate toward the ocean. I took this photo on a glorious October day spent with my daughter. It was unseasonably warm and we did a bike ride to a local vegan restaurant to try it out and then headed to the beach for some creative time. A glorious day with my best friend!

My love for the Shore is a big reason why I decided to write the At the Shore series and showcase the place that I love as the backdrop for the romances. In NEVER A BRIDE, you get to see a lot of Sea Kiss, a fictional town based on some of my favorite Jersey Shore towns.

January 8, 2020

#WriteWed – Getting Ready for a Wedding

I am so so excited that Carlo and Emma’s story will be out on January 21. I have loved these characters from the moment they first appeared in ONE SUMMER NIGHT and I am so happy with how NEVER A BRIDE turned out!

In this scene, Carlo is getting ready with the groom-to-be and his friends when Emma pops in to check out how they all look in their wedding suits. It’s tough for Emma not look at Carlo and think about more with him, but Emma doesn’t believe happily-ever-after is possible for her. But with every day that passes, it’s harder for both Carlo and Emma to deny what they are both feeling.

Excerpt

A week after the men had selected their clothing, the Pierce brothers paraded before Emma in their custom fitted suits, doing a really bad imitation of runway models. With their blonde good looks the Pierce brothers actually could be models. Owen had the kind of refined air you’d see for a luxury watch or perfume ad while Jonathan was better suited for a 4×4 or sports ad. As they playfully posed, she laughed and shook her head.

“Come on, guys. Get serious,” she said, but was happy to see that Jonathan was able to get his normally uptight brother to relax and have fun for a change. With both Maggie and his younger brother in his life, Owen had definitely changed for the better.

The snick of a door opening had her turning toward the dressing room where Carlo had been getting dressed.
Despite his denial last week, Carlo was definitely a suit kind of guy, Emma thought as he strolled out of the dressing room for a final fitting.

His body was perfection. His face all chiseled lines that a sculptor would envy. A five o’clock shadow darkened his look, making him appear dangerously bad boy sexy. Carlo would be everywoman’s secret fantasy lover, which made Emma want to hide him all for herself. Undress him slowly, peeling away that elegant veneer to get to the raw power beneath.

As he stopped to stare at himself in the mirror, he yanked at the suit’s lapels and his full lips thinned before finally breaking into a smile that spread up into his chocolate brown eyes. Turning, he raked back a lock of tousled hair as it fell forward. He held his hands out as if to ask her what she thought and warmth suffused her as she remembered what was hidden beneath the expensive cotton shirt and bespoke suit.

“You look wonderful,” she said as she tried to examine him on a professional level and pushed away her earlier fantasy.

The men had chosen soft charcoal grey color for the suits with brilliant white shirts. Jonathan’s ensemble boasted a pale pink tie with tiny seafoam polka dots to match Connie’s blush gown while the groomsmen had deep seafoam green ties with pale pink stripes to complement the bride and the bridesmaids.

As the four friends all gathered to stand together, it occurred to her they couldn’t have a more handsome group of men. Even Jonathan’s business partner Andy, whose look sometimes bordered on mad genius, had trimmed his hair and beard, revealing a strong jaw and bringing attention to his bright blue eyes.

But no matter how handsome the men, there was only one who made her heart stutter and her insides clench with need.

Carlo.

Order

You can order NEVER A BRIDE at the following retailers:

January 7, 2020

Bean Soup – Quick and Low Fat – #TuesdayTip

I’ve hit the magic number of 40 pounds lost and a big part of it is adjusting what I eat, including family favorite recipes! In the winter we often have a big bowl of soup for dinner, but it has to be hearty in order to be filling. Now it also has to be healthier and so I’ve adapted our original recipe to lower the calories and boost the protein. In addition, with our busy schedules, it’s got to be a recipe that we can make quickly!

This bean soup is loaded with fiber, protein, and with a change from regular kielbasa to turkey kielbasa, lower calories. Plus you can make it in about half an hour! What could be better?

Quick Low Fat Bean Soup

Ingredients

Directions

Saute celery and carrots for about 3 minutes to soften them a little. Add onions and saute until translucent. Add sausage and saute for another few minutes. Add broth and bring to a low boil for about five minutes. Add cannellini beans and spinach and simmer for another 10 minutes or so.

What to change things up? Use escarole, kale, or swiss chard instead of spinach. Don’t have any fresh greens handy? Use frozen spinach.

Like things spicier? Saute some red pepper flakes along with the onions or add a shot or two of hot sauce.

Don’t like sausage? Substitute slices of chicken instead.

Why use turkey sausage and bone broth? Turkey sausage has about 70 Calories per serving compared to 170 for the beef version. As for bone brother, it has 9 grams of protein per serving versus 1 gram for regular brother. Also look for low-salt or unsalted. Nobody wants a sodium bomb to eat.

Hope you liked today’s Tuesday Tip!

January 6, 2020

#ManCandyMonday – Rob Lowe and Holiday in the Wild

While taking a break from my reality show binges (my latest one being The Repair Shop!) I decided to watch a movie that my sis recommended to me – Holiday in the Wild. It had been on my radar since it has one of my favorite pieces of Man Candy – Rob Lowe. He is so handsome and age hasn’t diminished how good-looking Rob is.

Holiday in the Wild is about a Kate Conrad whose husband surprises here with “I don’t love you anymore” on the eve of a safari intended to be a second honeymoon. When Kate heads on the safari alone, she encounters bush pilot Derek Hollister (Rob Lowe) and finds herself abandoning her safari plans to instead assist at an elephant rescue shelter when Derek detours to assist an orphaned elephant whose mother was murdered by poachers.

Kate’s journey becomes one of self-discovery as she uses her veterinary skills to assist at the shelter and also to help her college-age son through his own passage into adulthood. Of course, there may be a bit of romance involved as well as Kate and Derek find out more about each other as they spend time at the shelter.

Holiday in the Wild is a fun and romantic story. I recommend it to fans of romance movies as well as feel-good stories with animals (not to mention the gorgeous Rob Lowe!).

Holiday in the Wild is available on Netflix.

Original Movie Poster By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62295691