Gotta Have Me Some Noodles

So we are nearing the end of three weeks of dieting. It has gotten easier -- mentally, but I'll be tell ya -- the hard part is planning the meals (and TRUST ME I get absolutely no help from Mark), figuring the calories, fat, carbs and protein. Then you've got to measure how much all those ingredients made and then divide it into servings.

For instance, tonight I made a Carrabbas Style Pasta. I had to collect all the nutritional values, multiple it by the number of servings (the can of fire-roasted tomatoes was 30 calories per serving; 3.5 servings per can) and then I divided by 4 overall servings. And what's up with the pasta measurements -- a serving is 2 oz dry. What am I supposed to do with that? I had to cook the box and measured it by a cup. Here's my recipe --

Carrabbas Style Pasta

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

Olive Oil

1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes

5 links of hot turkey italian sausage

6 big basil leaves, cut into confetti strips

1 healthy pinch of crushed red pepper

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon of sugar

4 cups of cooked spaghetti (I used whole wheat)

Saute (in large skillet) the garlic in olive oil until it smells wonderful. Remove the casing from the sausage and brown in the same pan, breaking it up as it cooks. When all the pink if gone, add the can of tomatoes, crushed red pepper, sugar and salt. Let simmer away for about 15 minutes. Actually I let it simmer until the spaghetti water came to a boil and the spaghetti was cooked and drained. Then stir in the basil.

Measure 4 cups of the spaghetti into the skillet with the tomato/sausage mixture and toss. Top with a bit of parmesan cheese.

I'm not one for making up recipes and having them work...that's my brother's gig. But this was pretty darned good. And...I have two servings leftover. I have to decide it I'm going to give them to Megan when I see her this weekend. Good Mom? Selfish Mom? Good Mom? Selfish Mom?