Feelin' Cheesy

Hey y'all! We are almost half way through April which means I have about 3 tough weeks left of school before I get to the summer break. The summer won't be all fun and games but the stress of five classes will be depleted and my writing and school work will be limited to my own preferred, leisurely schedule. I cannot wait. The light at the end of the tunnel is there, I just have to grade my way out of this semester. In other news, my Oma has been moved from a hospital in Birmingham to a place in Northport where she can gain her strength back. I am so glad she's back in town so we can all see her more and hopefully she will be back and with full strength soon.

I hopped on the scale for the first time in awhile this past weekend and while I wasn't in love with what I saw, not much as really changed. I have had momentum this week but feel my strength slipping away for some reason. Will power is not something I can keep up with nowadays. We have been cooking at home a lot though and that always helps.

One of my addictions is cheese. I have always loved cheese but I feel that my obsession has grown with intensity the past few years. My mother has always has a variety of cheeses on hand and then my late friend David Earp, loved serving a "premium" cheese tray at his house gatherings. Whereas some people don't like potent cheese and others who won't eat the cheap stuff, I am someone who doesn't discriminate. I'll slap the wrapped cheese right on a hot dog because it gets all gooey and melty. I love adding Swiss to a sandwich and Feta to a salad. I keep fresh, shaved parmesan in my fridge at all times and can be found grabbing a pinch pretty much every time I pass through the kitchen.

My newest love are these tiny Brie Bites that I found at Fresh Market. For 70 calories, you can have this adorable wheel of Brie Cheese. These bites are stupid expensive so I can't always have them but when I do, I find a reason to put them on everything. Ian and I baked chicken using bread crumbs the other night and though the picture isn't pretty, I smeared that baby Brie wheel right on it and it was delicious. I seriously don't think I could live without cheese. Like, why would anyone do that?

Ian and I don't always get Blue Apron because it's expensive and also, it's rare that all three meals appeal to both of our tastes. Well, we got it last week because all three recipes sounded yummy. The first one we made turned out great and featured my favorite thing: cheese. This pizza consisted of spinach, garlic, shallots, spices, olives (only on my side) green peppers (only on Ian's side) olive oil and chicken (which was my own addition that I sauteed in a bit of oil and added to the pizza after it was cooked through). It was served with a side of garlicky tomato sauce. The process of wilting the spinach and stretching the pre-made pizza dough took a bit of time but once I got it all spread out on the stone, it was a cinch. The crust came out crispy on the outside and doughy on the inside. The flavors were great, had a bit of a kick and the mozzarella and ricotta served as the perfect creamy touch. We still have two meals left but the first one was a success.

We also took advantage of Fresh Market's "Little Big Meal" this week which came with a chicken roll up (I forgot to take a picture but the one we had included parmesan and tomato sauce), a vegetable kit and rice. Everything but the rice is thrown on a cookie sheet and baked while the rice cooks. For $20 we had a filling, delicious meal and there are still 2 chicken roll ups in the freezer. Just as an FYI, next week is lasagna.

That's it for today everyone! Enjoy your Easter weekend!