evelina’s favorite lasagna

Guys, it’s time to celebrate! I have finally done it! The lasagna to rule all lasagnas.

That’s right, it’s a dessert lasagna. It’s a magical chocolatey treat, that Evelina truly does enjoy. Time to officially check off number 15 on my 25 before 25 list (moved over to my 30 before 30 list). Seriously guys, I’m so stoked to tell you about this lasagna.

While this may not be quite as nutritional as the latest recipes I’ve posted, this lasagna is truly good for the soul.

Ingredients:

• 36 regular Oreo cookies
• 10 tbs butter, melted
• 1 100g package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbs cold milk
• 5 dl whipping cream
• 4 portions chocolate pudding (for 4 people)
• 5 dl cold milk
• chocolate pieces to decorate

I originally saw this recipe on a friend’s Facebook, but when I went back to try to find it, it was long gone. So I just Google searched a recipe, but ended up changing it considerably. This is what I did.

Directions:

• Using a dull knife cut the Oreo cookies in half, then slide the cream off. Place the Oreo cookies in a closable plastic bag, saving the cream centers for later.
  
• Crush the cookies with a rollingpin. You can also use a food processor, but seeing as we don’t have one I opted for the rollingpin method. You’re looking for fine crumbs.
• In a 9×13 in pan empty in the Oreo crumbs and combine with melted butter. Using a fork, mix the Oreo crumbs and butter evenly. With the fork push the Oreo and butter mixture firmly and evenly across the bottom of the pan. Place pan in refrigerator while preparing the next layer.
• In a large bowl whip 5 dl whipping cream.
  
• In a medium bowl use a hand mixer to mix the cream cheese and 2 tbs milk until fluffy. Then add the sugar and 1 & 1/4 cups whipped cream. Mix well. Spread this layer over the Oreo crust. Return to refrigerator between layers.
• In a medium bowl prepare chocolate pudding according to package instructions, I used 5 dl cold milk whisked into the chocolate pudding mix. Place the pudding in the refrigerator for 1-2 minutes. Or leave at room temperature for up to 5 minutes.
• Spread the slightly chilled chocolate pudding over the cream cheese mixture. Carefully place the Oreo cream centers on top of the chocolate pudding layer and return to refrigerator for -10 minutes to allow pudding to solidify.
  
• Spread the remaining whipped cream as the top layer, and decorate with chocolate pieces.
  
• Best served after being chilled for an additional 30-45 minutes.

This dessert comes highly recommended, let me know if you try it out!

 

a resolutions update: follow up plan

Let’s get this post off and running by first calling attention to the fact that I have yet to share my 2015 New Year’s resolutions. Now that we’ve called attention to it, I’ll get back to that in a minute.

As I left you after my resolutions update in November, I was focusing on making a lasagna that Evelina likes as much as I do, and finishing my painting. I did make a lasagna. I did not paint a lasagna, or anything else for that matter.

First, let me tell you about the lasagna. Step one involved getting Evelina’s favorite meat sauce recipe. Ground beef, crushed tomatoes, yellow onion, salt & pepper. Not complex. I soaked my lasagna noodles in warm water with oil while making my sauce. I carefully layered sauce, noodle, sauce, noodle, sauce, noodle. Finishing with noodles on the top was strategic, as I coated the top layer with cheese. This top layer is then easily removed, because of Evelina’s distaste of cheese. Popped that bad boy in the oven, and waited for the complements.

The best I got, was that it wasn’t as bad as the last one. (Y’all remember my pastelon?) Thanks babe. I was then informed that Evelina’s mother’s meat sauce recipe is not in fact her favorite recipe. So the quest continues. I have one final plan, the plan to top all lasagna plans. Garfield would be impressed.

On to the painting:

This is the current state of my painting. So, yeah, painting is a generous term for this. But this leads me nicely into my New Year’s resolutions for this year. I’ll be continuing my tradition of carrying over my as-of-yet incomplete resolutions on to the upcoming year. Here you have them:

1. Do a hand stand push up
2. Paint a painting
3. Find a lasagna recipe Evelina enjoys as much as I do
4. Do 5 things off Pintrest successfully
5. Watch One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Seven Samurai

If you noticed that my “run a marathon” resolution was not carried over, kudos to you. It is still a long-term goal of mine, but in an attempt to be more realistic, I am not including it as a goal for 2015. Maybe 2017, 17 always has been my favorite number.

With one month of 2015 already behind us I’ll have to be sure to be particularly effective this year.

See you out there.

a resolutions update

Guys, did you know 2014 is shortly coming to a close? We’ve got less than two months to go here. I learned this from listening to the radio. That’s the kind of good reporting going on here in Sweden.

Well, when I heard the news I realized that there’s not much time left to check off all the resolutions on my list of resolutions! Now, the marathon didn’t happen this May as planned. My hip just was not up to it, as you may recall from this post. That leaves lasagna, painting, reading and handstand push ups.

As you know I’m well on my way to getting the perfect lasagna recipe. Despite the pastelon attempt, I feel as though I’m right around the corner to finding the perfect combination.

I have made progress on my handstands. Check it out!

This is as far as I’ve gotten though. So it’ll be a while before I’m up on my hands, and a little while longer before I’m doing push ups in that position.

Reading has gone well! My book of the months for January, February, March, and May of this year complete my fourth resolution.

Last but certainly not least is my painting. Which hasn’t gone much farther than how it was looking this summer. So I’ll have to focus on this one before year’s end.

To sum it up, I’ll be cooking up a storm and painting the town red between now and New Year’s Eve.

Wish me luck!

precision nutrition

This is a website and nutrition concept I’ve mentioned in the past. Dr. John Berardi and his team take on clients every six months and work with them to figure out just what the best nutritional plan is for them.

The Precision Nutrition team just last week had their pre-release and took on new clients. It is now open to the public to sign up (if it isn’t already sold out). I put my name on the pre-sale list. But didn’t sign up.

I was really tempted. I read the entries on the site and have even read their e-book (40+ pages of fun). On their website they often talk about how to change oneself and consciously form habits. this, above all else, is what I am most interested in.

They talk about making small extremely manageable changes, all working towards the final goal. In this case being more physically fit. I really like this whole concept. Have a goal? Write it down. Then consider what it takes to get to that goal. All the steps aren’t necessary, just the first one. The first, super easy step that, of course, is manageable. Start there, see how it goes. It goes great! Continue on to the next tiny, super manageable step. Not working out? Revise the first step, how can it be easier? Does the first step need to be in a slightly different direction?

These things seem so logical to me. Sounds like something I could do. So I really wanted to try it. Even better, it seems like something, a way of working with oneself, that could be applied to any subject matter. It doesn’t just have to be nutrition habits. or work out habits. It can be learning habits. Habits at work. Anything. Not only am I very interested in the nutritional field in general, but habit-forming is something I would love to learn more about. And I wanted to learn it from precision Nutrition.

I’m using the bast tense seeing as I did not sign up for the Lean Eating Program. I was fully ready to do so. But then I considered the price, and where I’m at financially right now, today, this week.

Although I’ve saved up for that big party I mentioned, and although I counted my 25 before 25 goal of saving money as complete, I’m not quite where I want to be. I’ve certainly made some steps in the right direction, but I want my Nest Egg to grow and accommodate an entire years worth of living expenses. I want to have a better cushion, and maybe save for a vacation or two. I examined my finances, and although I can afford the Precision Nutrition coaching, technically, I have decided to wait. At least 6 months.

I’m going to follow my savings plan perfectly for 6 months. If I am able to do so, THEN I will join the next group of Lean Eaters.

I’ll keep you posted.

eleven. read five books on francine prose’s “books to be read immediately” list

More on books.

After my recently posted book of the month, I have now read five books recommended by Francine Prose on her list of “Books to be Read Immediately”. I thought it would be fun to rank these in terms of personal preference as well.

1. Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
2. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
3. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
4. Bleak House by Charles Dickens
5. Moby-Dick; or, The Whale by Herman Melville

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I realize (now) that this is just an abbreviated list of that other list I wrote with books. But I think that’s fine. Right? That’s fine.

Stay tuned for more completed goals in the coming days!

an introduction

Hello and welcome! 

We are now officially entering the last 25 days before I turn 25. Big things here people, big things.

this. big.

I would like to take the coming days to recap my 25 before 25 list. I endeavored to complete this list between it’s inception, in late March of 2012, and my 25th birthday. When I composed my list I thought of 25 things that I had as goals. Goals to complete and achieve by a certain deadline. I compiled this list in my pursuit of happiness. Not to be a huge cornball or anything, but seriously. Completion of goals makes me happy. Might make you happy too, give it a try.

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What I found was that my 25 before 25 list did not always make me happy. At times it stressed me out. This is the exact opposite of the purpose of my list. Stress is not what I wanted. Stress enters my life all on its own. It doesn’t need any help from me.

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I haven’t completed all of my 25 things. Some are still in the works, and may be completed before my 25th birthday. But that’s for me to decide. Me and my stress load.

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Kidding.

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Sort of.

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I am glad I made my list. I would certainly do it again. (30 before 30 in the making?? – possibly.) Now, looking forward to the coming 25 days, please embark on a journey with me. A journey back in time, to review my 25 before 25 list. Yes, to assess the completion of said list, but also to assess how I feel about said list. And if my true goal was to become happier, let’s find out if I’ve gotten there.

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Buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

season’s ending

Not only does it feel like Spring in Sweden, but they hockey season is ending as well. As of my latest hockey update, around half way through our season, I discussed our team’s goals and expectations that we discussed last summer about what our expectations for the upcoming season were.

Looking back, I think we have had a successful season. Concerning the wordclouds I made, I would gladly say that we have found success in all categories…but one. Unfortunately this year we did not make it to AllEttan (take another look at the previous post for an explanation of AllEttan).

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Last year we were one win away from AllEttan. This year we were three wins away from AllEttan. But all was not a disappointment. We play in a tight league, and all the games this season were close competitions. So, really, when you look at the season over all it was certainly a good one.

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Not making it to AllEttan was a let down, but the continuance series was a success this year, as it was last year. As in the regular series we continued to play close games. The continuance series is six games, where the four teams who did not move on to AllEttan play each other twice. Of our six games four of them were taken to shoot outs, where we were able to take an extra point in two of them. Our team fought hard, and lead the continuance play in points throughout the series, unfortunately only up until the last game. The loss of the extra point gave us equal points with AIK, who had one extra point in goal differential and therefore won the series. Still an over all success for the team though.

I’m proud of the work we have accomplished as a team, and look forward to start off ice training. (Accompanied by my marathon training of course.) I’m a little less proud of my personal statistics in the continuance series. I’m certainly glad I was able to score 2 shoot out goals, as well as another two goals and an assist in regular play, to land 4th over all in points. (First in decisive goals.) However, my penalty minutes are embarrassing. Before the game today I had 14 minutes in the box.

Luckily I managed to get my act together for the final match up of the season, but as the most penalized player in the continuance series I can’t really count that as a win. In the off-season, as well as focusing on forward strides in my fitness, I’ll have to focus on clean play. I’ve yet to figure out how to work out for that, but I’m sure I’ll think of something.

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See you in the gym!

my resolutions – in a timely manner

Alright guys, here it comes.

Last year I was a little late on the uptake, and posted my New Year’s resolutions a full eleven days after New Years. Poor form. This year I’m totally on the ball. (I tell myself, it’s good to give positive reinforcement, especially to oneself.) My New Year’s resolutions read as follows:

1. Find a lasagna recipe that Evelina likes as much as I do
2. Paint a painting
3. Run a marathon
4. Read 4 books off of Francine Prose’s List of Books to be Read Immediately
5. Do a handstand push up

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Let me explain. The avid readers out there will notice my first two resolutions mirror, almost exactly, my first two resolutions from last year. Let’s be honest, so many of us repeat New Year’s resolutions year after year without ever getting anywhere. (Unused gym membership anyone?) I’m putting a stop to all that. This year I’m getting it done. Certainly 1 & 2. I’m going to set a specific date for my accomplishments, and track my progress once I start. And I’m telling you all about it. You guys are gonna hold me accountable, right?

1. Lasagna. That bad boy has got to be accomplished before the end of winter. That means by March 20th I will have completed this task.
2. Paint a painting – as with children, there is just never a good time, you gotta jump right it, and learn how to swim on the fly. Don’t let my wandering metaphor confuse you. What I’m trying to say is although I may not feel like I have a ton of time for painting, I need to just set a date, and get things done. I’m going April 1st on this one. Not because this is a prank, but because I may be taking a trip in April, and I want this one done before then.

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Oh no, I’m not stopping there. Setting a specific date for your goals is an important part of seeing them through to completion. I’m gonna go ahead and do it for the last three resolutions as well.

1. Marathon. In my list of things to do in Sweden (found by the header) I’ve mentioned the Asics Stockholm Marathon. That takes place May 31st this year. It’s time for me to get my run on. When you visit their website they’ve posted that today there are 149 days until the marathon. I’m now nauseous.
2. Books – I have acquired over my years the following titles, which appear on Prose’s list: Bleak House by Charles Dickens, Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger, Moby Dick by Herman Melville and Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. In following my book of the month posts/goal I will read each one of these books during the following months:
   .          January: Moby Dick
   .          February: Franny & Zooey
   .          March: Little Women
   .          April: Bleak House
3. Handstand push up. This one seems a little harder to set a date for. Seeing as it is on my 25 before 25 list…oh wait, all of my resolutions/goals are from that list. Funny how that happened. Any who! Seeing as it is on my 25 before 25 list, I will give this task a completion date of one day before my birthday. June 15th here we come.

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Looks like I’ve got a busy 6 months ahead of me. Check back in for periodic updates on how my resolutions are going. That’s not all! I’d also love to hear from you, have you made any New Year’s resolutions?

2013 – looking back

At the end of each year I like to take a moment to reflect on a year gone. Okay, no, that was a bold faced lie, sounded good though, right?

This year at least I would like to take a look at last year’s New Year’s resolutions which read as follows:

1. Paint a painting.
2. Find a lasagna recipe Evelina enjoys as much as I do.
3. Make homemade macaroni and cheese.
4. Bake a rulltårta.
5. Watch more movies.

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It seems the only resolution I have successfully been able to follow is number five. To be fair I have also completed 3 & 4, but really just in the past few days as a last ditch attempt to be successful with my resolutions. Yes, I deem 3/5 successful. Passing grade people!

In regards to the first two. I’m pretty okay with their lack of completion, as they are both well on their way. For my birthday Evelina got me two canvases and some paints. I have already planned out what I am going to paint and how I’m going to paint it. Half way there. As for number 2…Evelina has exasperatingly explained that she does not like lasagna. She will not like lasagna. As she does not like cheese, which is a main ingredient in lasagna. Little does she know I plan on adding these two uncompleted resolutions to my new resolution list (coming 2014) and I have a little something up my sleeve. Cue evil laugh.

found here

I don’t want to dwell on the things I haven’t accomplished, but rather take a look at the things I have.

1. Well on my way on learning Swedish
2. Read Wuthering Heights
3. Went to Mexico
4. Read a book a month (despite some delays in posting about it – coming soon)
5. Own the complete 10 seasons of Friends

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And those are just the things off of my 25 before 25 list. I’ve even:

1. Planned a Lucia celebration
2. Celebrated my Dad’s birthday with him
3. Attended my brother’s high school graduation
4. Listened to my calendar when it told me to eat chocolate for breakfast
5. Learned even more about Sweden

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I’d say this has been a successful year.