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Five Friday Finds

02.08.2019 by TheCurlyGirl // Leave a Comment

Guys. 22 days. I get married in 22 days.

Whoa.

I am beyond excited and kinda feel like things are pretty ready? Except vows. Really need to work on those 😉

Life has been cold. Well, not life, but the weather. Just really stinking cold. But in 24 days I will be in Belize, so there is a big, fat silver lining hanging out there for me! (Sorry to all other Midwesterners who are not headed to Belize in 24 days…)

If you are stuck inside avoiding the cold, here are this week’s Five Friday Finds for your entertainment!

  1. Please have my next cruise include Oprah walking around in her PJs handing out tequila shots!
  2. Clickbait: Ariana Grande No Longer Has a Tattoo That Says ‘Small Barbecue Grill’ in Japanese.
  3. While we are talking about clickbait, this article listing 15 classic book titles if they were written as clickbait is pretty amusing!
  4. Daydreaming of visiting one of these islands… did I mention it is cold in Iowa??
  5. Billboards are the worst, unless you paint them with the landscape that they are blocking <3

Now you tell me!

  • What are you most looking forward to this weekend?
  • Who would you want to be on a cruise with?
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Categories // Five Friday Finds

Five Friday Finds

01.11.2019 by TheCurlyGirl // Leave a Comment

Happy Friday! We made it! And this isn’t the only post to go up this week! WIN.

This week was full of highs and lows, I have been struggling with feeling overwhelmed and then have waves of crazy joy at all of the upcoming festivities this spring and year! There is so much to be grateful for, I just need to maintain perspective. Does anyone else struggle with new year expectations when they try to take on all of the things?

I have to share that the highlight of my week was Adam’s early birthday present to me (over a month early but I am NOT complaining!), he got me a set of bowflex dumbbells! I know this might seem silly to some of you but I have been scraping by with the lifting program I am doing using the few weights I had. I really did not want to go get another pair of mismatched dumbbells so was just dealing. Which essentially means I wasn’t increasing weight like I could have been… These are such a game changer! I can switch between weight super-fast and they go by 2.5 lbs increments (to a point and then go by 5 lbs). I have 2.5 weeks left in this program and I am ready to CRUSH IT.

Ok, excited storytelling time over.

Now onto the main event, here are today’s Five Friday Finds:

  1. My lunchbox is ripped and stained and while I love it, it is time to move on. This list is mostly full of affordable and super cute options! (Kate Spade has a lunchbox??)
  2. If you are visiting San Francisco and want to visit one of the most beautiful state parks in the country, you might want to read these one star reviews first 😉
  3. I mentioned resolutions last week, but as we are now 11 days into the new year, I thought it might be an appropriate time to bring up tips to make your resolutions stick!
  4. There is a new app to help people navigate to free water sources and stop buying bottled water. As someone who always carries a bottle of water around, I love this idea! Just need to get some more Iowa options on the list…
  5. On Monday I am starting a new workout program that is only 20 minutes! (yes, I am also going to be doing double workouts to finish out my lifting program… but that’s beside the point!) I could not be more excited, have seen other women get amazing results, and the only needed equipment is a step! So the timing of this article demonstrating that short workouts actually work just as well as endurance workouts is totally hitting home! (quick plug: message me or comment on this article if you are interested in joining our bootcamp where we will be working through the 6-week program every day together!).

Now you tell me:

  • What was the highlight of your week?
  • Do you pack a lunch for work? If yes, do you use a lunchbox??
  • Are you a short workout or long workout person?
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Categories // Five Friday Finds

Spaghetti Squash Magic

01.07.2019 by TheCurlyGirl // 4 Comments

Adam and I had a very successful spaghetti squash garden crop this past summer, resulting in pounds of frozen spaghetti squash filling our freezers. Deciding this was an opportunity to branch out from the traditional “spaghetti” role of spaghetti squash (i.e. with tomato sauce), we looked up recipes online and went a little crazy last night meal prepping.

First of all, spaghetti squash casseroles make excellent meal prep lunches. Being low in carbs, they don’t leave you feeling heavy or tired but they are often filling and VERY delicious.

Adam found 6 recipes and last night we tried 3.

Yes… three totally different recipes with one thing in common: spaghetti squash.

Two completed casseroles! Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash with Pesto and Parmesan and Mexican Baked Spaghetti Squash!

Here are the recipes and instructions, including a link to the original recipe!

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Squash with Bacon and Asparagus

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 spaghetti squash, roasted, remove strands into bowl
  • 6 strips turkey bacon
  • 1 lb chicken (thighs or breasts)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 ounces asparagus, trimmed, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • ¾ cup raw cashews
  • 2 ½ cups boiling water
  • 1 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 cup spinach
  • salt & pepper to taste
Easiest way to prep chicken! Pop it in the microwave for 7 minutes and done!

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 400℉
  2. Place cashews in a small pot of boiling water and cover. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
  3. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate reserving about 1 Tbsp. of the fat in the pan. Once cooled, chop bacon.
  4. In the same pan, still on medium-high heat, add asparagus pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender (about 4-5 minutes).
  5. After 30 minutes, drain cashews and place in a high-power blender. Add parmesan cheese, half of the minced garlic, lemon juice, ½ tsp. salt and almond milk. Blend on high for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Set sauce aside.
  6. In the pan with asparagus, add half minced garlic and continue to cook another 30 seconds or until fragrant then add spaghetti squash strands and garlic cream sauce to the pan. Stir to combine then gently fold chicken, spinach, and bacon into the mixture. Reduce heat to medium and allow to heat through, stirring occasionally.
  7. Remove from heat and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Enjoy!

Original recipe can be found on the Real Food Dieticians website. I made some ingredient adjustments!

Twice-Baked Spaghetti Squash with Pesto and Parmesan

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 spaghetti squash, roasted with cooked strands removed to bowl
  • 1-2 tsp. Italian Herb Seasoning Blend
  • 3 T basil pesto (more or less to taste)
  • 1 cup + 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 1 lb Shredded chicken (thighs or breasts)
  • salt and pepper to taste
For the record, this did not shred the chicken thighs…

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 400F/200C.
  2. To the bowl of spaghetti squash, gently mix in pesto, shredded chicken, spinach, and cup of Parmesan cheese.
  3. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper, then pour squash/cheese mixture into a 9×13 dish and top with 1/4 cup more Parmesan cheese.
  4. Bake 20-30 minutes, until mixture is slightly bubbling and cheese is melted and starting to brown.
  5. Enjoy!

Original recipe can be found on the Kalyn’s Kitchen website. I made some ingredient additions!

Mexican Baked Spaghetti Squash

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 spaghetti squash, roasted with cooked strands removed
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, sliced thin
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded (or not) and minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lb ground turkey sausage
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • 1 cup salsa (green or red)
  • 1 cup fresh spinach
  • ½ cup nonfat greek yogurt
  • 1 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided
  • Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, bell pepper and jalapeno and cook until softened and onion is translucent, about five minutes.
  3. Add uncooked ground turkey sausage and cook until browned.
  4. Add garlic and cook for two minutes. Stir in chili powder, oregano, and cumin and cook for one minute, stirring constantly.
  5. Transfer from the skillet to a large bowl. Stir in black beans, corn, salsa, spinach, yogurt, cilantro, and half the cheese.
  6. Add the squash to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and stir well to combine.
  7. Transfer to baking dish and top with the rest of the cheese. Cook, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes, until bubbling and cheese is golden brown.
  8. Enjoy!

Original recipe can be found on the baked in website. I made some ingredient additions!

Now you tell me:

  • Do you cook with spaghetti squash?
  • What is your favorite recipe for meal prepping?
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Categories // Dinner, Lunch Prep, Recipes, Uncategorized

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Hi, I'm Liesl! I live in central Iowa with my fiance and two fur babies. Here is my take on food, travel, fitness, and this amazing life! Read More…

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