Life got in the way

I'm alive! I didn't mean to leave you on such a low note, but I promise life moved on and I'm back at it. Thank you for all of your wonderful supportive comments. I really needed them and you came to my rescue.

I want to catch you all up on everything, but tonight is my first night to just stop and breathe, so I think I'll just give you the highlights and come back with a better post soon.

In the past week, this is what I've been up to:

1) Last week from Sunday to Friday = 73 hour work week.

2) Went to St. Louis and celebrated my friend's 40th bday! (recap soon!)

3) Submitting two papers for publication in major scientific journals (yay!)

4) Running, Swimming, weightlifting, Zumba.

5) Missing reading blogs. I have 80 unread posts in my Google reader!

6) Not doing laundry, cooking, or cleaning. My house is a mess. I just loaded my dishwasher for the third time, and if I weren't doing laundry RIGHT now, I would not be wearing clean clothes to work tomorrow.

7) Applying for my first REAL JOB. I applied for a faculty position at a college. Can't give you any details, but when I hear about the outcome, you know you'll hear too!

8) I slept! After a few months of quietly dealing with some terrible insomnia, I went to the doctor and now I'm sleeping again. 

9) Eating leftovers. In fact, I left you with a teaser last time we talked.

So, without further ado...the bulk dishes I made last week, with their accompanying clues.

One is vegan for me and covered in a blanket of cheese for him.

Black bean and sweet potato enchiladas. Half covered in cheese, half left cheeseless. We keep a big tray of them and eat them topped with lettuce, tomato, salsa, onion, and avocado.

I've modified a delicious pizza recipe I've told you about into a casserole.

Polenta pizza casserole. Like a deep dish pizza, but with more fiber and protein and less fat. This was so delicious that it had us literally making those yummmm and hmmmm noises that they always show in cartoons. Plus, it was LOADED with veggies.

The third dish contains an ingredient I don't really like and never cook with. Any guesses?

 It's not broccoli (c'mon you KNOW that if you read this blog). It's bacon! This is broccoli salad with bacon, raisins, sunflower seeds, red onion and poppyseed dressing. It's based on something that the local grocery deli makes and it's really delicious. I've done it without the bacon, and I've found it really needs that flavor, even though I don't like bacon at all.

Ok. I have to get going and get some rest. I'll be back and give you more details and FINALLY get to that metabolism post! Sorry for the delay.