These are the Days...

Sugarland is one of my all time favorite country groups. Justin and I went to a concert in Shreveport for our anniversary this year. They were absolutely amazing...those guys know how to put on a show!! This song is one of my favorites, and I was listening to it this morning while I was walking. It kinda sums up how I'm feeling in my life at the moment. We are at a standstill with the baby thing. My doctor says we shouldn't try until April...ugh. But....I am trying to be positive and view this time as a blessing rather than dwell on the fact that I am NOT PREGNANT. In an effort to stay positive (and keep my mind occupied) I have decided to use the next 9 months to get healthy and do some things I won't be able to do when I finally do have a baby. These are the days!
Here are a few things on my list right now:

1. Try to eat better.
2. Yoga
3. Run a 5K, and maybe a 10K
4. Learn to play the piano...finally
5. Learn to speak some Italian

We'll see how many of these I cross off. So far, I have done yoga twice this week and I have started a running program called "Couch to 5K" (that sounds pathetic, right?). And, I ordered a piano book from Amazon and dusted off the old keyboard...

On to the eating better thing...I am trying to get more veggies and fruits in, not so much dieting (I love food too much for that, that's where the running comes in!). Here is what I made last night:

Risotto with sweet peas, broccolini, and mushrooms

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups broccolini (baby broccoli), steamed
1 1/2 cups shitake mushrooms, sauteed in EVOO
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed


Heat the butter and oil together in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil and butter. Pour in the wine, stir until all the liquid is absorbed. Reduce heat to low. Add 1 cup of the broth and cook until absorbed, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, waiting until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next. Continue this process until all liquid is absorbed. Stir in the Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Puree 2 cups of the peas in a blender or food processor. Just before serving, stir in the pea puree until fully incorporated, then fold in the remaining whole peas, broccoli, and mushrooms.

Yummy, and loaded with veggies!