I actually cooked something worth posting.

It's kind of a crazy intense but good pasta sauce (and I can report that it's even better the next day - more balanced.) I read Deb's post about bolognese with italian sausage and couldn't stop thinking about it - yet we're on Weight Watchers! So I tried to do something in the spirit of that sauce. (It's 7 pts per serving, and this recipe makes 4 VERY generous servings.)

Brown 8 oz lean ground turkey in about 1 tbs olive oil with about 2 1/2 tbs of fennel seeds and the oil from some anchovies, along with 2-3 of the little fishy guys. Boil 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups of red wine and soak about 1-2 oz of dried shiitake mushrooms in the hot wine. When they're all soft and delish, put them in the food processor with: 6 cloves of garlic, 1 onion, 1/2 lemon (rind and all) and whatever tomato products you have available to you. I used 1 can diced tomatoes and 1 can tomato sauce, cause that's what I had, but I bet if you had some of those Muir Glen fire-roasted tomatoes your outcome would be good. Process till smooth-ish and add to pan with turkey, fennel seeds, and anchovies. Simmer for about 20 minutes, at least, if not more.

Serve over pasta. I wanted orechiette to hold the saucy goodness, but husband cooked spaghetti (?) so that's what we had. It was REALLY citrusy the first day (intense!) but mellowed to a very classic bolognese taste today - and the fennel seeds are really coming through. I would almost think that there is italian sausage in there!

I took today off (mostly - I taught from 8 to 9:30 but have been free ever since, and not studied a lick!) I had a luxurious nap with the baby (2 1/2 hours!) and feel like a new woman. We went to the store and I prepped up a bunch of stuff for the rest of the week: oatmeal bread, cinnamon-raisin swirl bread (mmm - I soaked the raisins in dark rum. I wonder how many points THAT will have? It's rising right now.) I baked sweet potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts, roasted cauliflower with olive oil, mustard, and capers (needs some work but will be super-yum!) and made collard greens (a long process, as I'm from the south.) We also bought stew beef (buy one get one free at Harris Teeter!) and I'm going to make a bourgignon tomorrow (all I have tomorrow is one meeting, to which the tot may come, but I do have to get back to reading/studying tomorrow. I don't want to be all down to the wire like I was last week - but it sure was nice to be able to spend unlimited time with Mr. Smallpants and not feel pressured like there was something else I should be doing.)

Maybe...MAYBE I'm figuring out the timing on my life a little bit? (I even cleaned the bathroom this morning, though the rest of the floor is afloat in dust-doggies [dog hair dust bunnies, for those of you who have never been around Akitas] and the kitchen still needs mopped. But...it's a start!)