Crockpot Spaghetti with Eggplant

Yesterday afternoon I got inspired to start on dinner early! Since we had sliced eggplant in our fridge, along with three different colored bell peppers, canned tomatoes and an onion, spaghetti sauce made perfect sense. Also, if you think ahead, sticking all these ingredients in a crock pot on high for 4-5 hours, after browning the meats and veggies, helps the spices to meld perfectly. Meat is optional, which makes this recipe more adaptable to your weekly menu if you, like me, are budget-and-health-conscious.

Crock Pot Spaghetti with Eggplant Recipe

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. Olive Oil (and more as needed)
2 cups Eggplant, sliced
1 large Red Bell Pepper
1 large Orange Bell Pepper
1 large Yellow Bell Pepper
6 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 lb Ground Moose or Beef
1 medium Onion, chopped
(2) 14.5 oz. cans Diced Tomatoes
(2) 14.5 oz.cans Tomato Sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. Basil
1 tbsp. Oregano
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 tbsp. Sugar

Whole Wheat Spaghetti Noodles


Directions:

Over medium heat, cook olive oil with eggplant until eggplant is lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Watch eggplant closely so that it doesn't burn. Remove eggplant from heat and add to crock pot.

While pan is still warm and heat is on, add more oil to pan and light brown chopped bell peppers, about 5 minutes. During last minute of cook time, add chopped garlic and toss with bell peppers until just heated. Add to crock pot.

With same pan, combine ground meat and onion and cook until the meat is browned. Remove from heat and add to crock pot, along with diced tomatoes, canned tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, and sugar. Mix everything until combined. Set temperature to "High" and cook for 4-5 hours. *I used the medium-sized crock pot bowl for this. Crock pot sizes vary so use your judgement.

About 30 minutes before you are ready to eat, boil a large pot of water with 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. oil. Add whole wheat spaghetti noodles and cook about 8-10 minutes, as desired. Enjoy!

A More "Meaty" Blog Post

Here I am, awake and bright-eyed at 6 a.m. this drab Seattle morning. Despite the all-consuming darkness blanketing the sky, I feel refreshed, energized and excited for this day. I woke up a few minutes before 6 a.m., with these words on my heart: "What are your goals and how are you moving toward them?" Wow. That was my first response to that question, which surprisingly jolted me up, as if someone was talking to me next to my bed. I realized when I opened my eyes and looked around the room, that the voice must have come from within. I didn't know how to answer that poignant question and do it justice while lying on my bed, so I got up. I walked to the living room, grabbed my journal, a pen, and started writing, somewhat furiously, my hopes for the future. My unspoken dreams. My long-term goals. My desires for myself, both personally and professionally. It was a very raw experience, just between me and God. Ideas flowed freely as I pushed through my fears and wrote from this proposition: "What would I pursue if I had no fear?"

Looking back over the past two weeks, I've had some defining "Ah-ha!" moments, as my creative writing professor in college called them. Monday, I engaged with my older sister on the topic of unemployment and how these last 6 months have shaped me greatly. In sharing my heart, I realized that God has used the dissonance to draw me deeper into relationship with Him and with others. When I walked away from my last job, I truly felt God's peace in the decision. At 25 years old, I didn't like the trajectory of where I was headed. I loved parts of what I did very much. But I'm just not your typical 8-5 shift girl who can sit at a desk all day. I love to create and am naturally drawn to meeting new people, reaching out to others, baking, cooking, crafting, writing, and learning new things. I love to be active and engaged. So, in an effort to pursue these passions, I gave up my former job and started a journey, or perhaps more accurately, I changed direction on my journey. Instead of working so hard at being who I thought I "should" be, I'm now living into my calling of who I already am.

Yet over these past 6 months, I have experienced tons of self-doubt, fear and frustration. I wish that graduating with honors from a recognized school had prepared me for knowing what to do when there's a disconnect between your heart and your work. I have grappled with so many "big" questions while being unemployed, and faced down personal demons, such as my need for approval and self-sufficiency. It has been downright ugly at times. I do want to succeed, but I don't really know what success means. I want to be a "good worker" but is "good" defined by how productive I am in a company setting or how well I steward my talents and skills and share them with the people God has placed in my life? The list of questions goes on. What I've really desired this season has been a heart revelation of what to do next. I've felt almost paralyzed at times, fearing that I will never figure out what I'm meant to do or work toward in this life. It's a scary place, being caught in indecision--believing that life's purpose is somehow wrapped up in what I do or don't do.

Thank God that life is not black and white.

This brings me to back to my peace-filled morning hours. The excitement and energy I felt, as I wrote out my dreams and interests in my brown Moleskine tablet, caught me off guard. It reminded me of C.S. Lewis' book title, "Surprised by Joy." This morning, I saw God surprise me with joy. It was like He whisked me away from all my anxieties and brought me to a party in my honor, where I was given the chance to be and do anything I've ever wanted. And He took me aside and said, "In Me, there's complete freedom. Pursue what I've placed on your heart. Don't worry about failing. You are not a failure." And so I wanted to share these thoughts with you, because they've been a huge encouragement to me. I believe that God desires for us to live joyfully and take pleasure in working hard.

Here's my "go" at living in faith rather than fear in pursuing wedding and event planning (one of my dream jobs). I've signed up for a distance learning program and will hopefully acquire my certification within the next 5 months. Wish me luck!

Or rather, say a prayer for me, please. I don't want to forget the words God spoke to me in the stillness of my soul.

Granola Bliss: My Favorite Granola Recipe

Last month, I picked up an issue of "Cooks Illustrated" and was caught off-guard by the beautifully sketched cooking techniques and flavorful recipe inclusions. One such recipe, in fact, warranted an active response on the part of the reader, and well, I took the plunge and made what I now consider the best granola I've ever had. I will admit, I'm always biased when tasting my own creations but perhaps not in the most traditional sense. I tend to think much of my food is mediocre or semi-compelling, but my husband always disagrees, and typically so do my friends. However, this granola, if made correctly (which is easy to do) beats out any granola you've bought at the store. I encourage you to try out this recipe next time you need a yogurt topping or cereal add-in. You won't be disappointed!

Spiced Apple Granola with Walnuts and Raisins

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated recipe, Feb/March 2012 issue

Ingredients:

1/3 c. maple syrup

1/3 c. packed (2 1/3 ounces) light brown sugar

4 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp. ground allspice

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. vegetable oil

5 c. old-fashioned rolled oats (*do not use quick oats)

1 c. raw walnuts, chopped coarse

1 c. raw sliced almonds

1 ½ c. dried apples, chopped

3/4 c. raisins or dried cranberries

1.       Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.       Whisk maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, pepper, salt, and oil in a large oil. Fold in oats, walnuts and almonds and coat thoroughly. (*Do not add dried fruit to this mixture. It will be added after the granola is baked and cooled.)

3.       Transfer oat mixture to prepared baking sheet and spread across sheet into thin, even layer (about 3/8 inch thick). Using stiff metal spatula, compress oat mixture until very compact. Bake until lightly browned, 20-30 minutes, watching closely and rotating pan halfway through baking.

4.       When done, remove granola from oven and cool on wire rack to room temperature, about an hour. Break cooled granola into pieces of desired size.

5.       Stir in chopped dried apples and raisins. Enjoy right away or store in airtight container up to 2 weeks.