Driving to work each day I am sure I am not the only one who encounters construction signs that flash messages.
One that I have been seeing on an ongoing basis has the yellow flashing words, “EXPECT DELAYS.”
I watch people in the crawling cars around me and none of us look surprised by those two flashing words.
In fact, usually a reaction only occurs when we expected delays and lo and behold, there weren’t any!
When we hit those standstills, we’d love to turn around and say, “Forget it! I’m fed up! I’m not going to work anymore!”
However, this isn’t very realistic.
We might alter our strategies, though-
Leave earlier
Take an alternate route
Listen to an audio book or music that keeps our minds occupied
Take public transportation
In other words,we do what it takes.
Friends, when it comes to other areas of our lives, why are we surprised when we hit major delays on the road to our goals, whatever they may be?
Life is full of construction and potholes that might possibly be caused by –
A full workload
An active social life
Too many demands by others
Health issues
Lack of motivation
Not to mention good ol’ emotions
So in a similar fashion to the delays in our commuting, we have choices to make.
We can throw in the towel and say, “Forget it! I’m fed up! I’m not going to do this anymore!”
OR
We can alter our strategies to get through a particular traffic jam.
It always comes back to the question –“What do I want?” (It might help to chunk it down to “What do I want my winning outcome to be from now till the end of 2012?”)
Let’s be realistic in our aspirations with just 10 weeks to deal with. Writing your goal down and keeping it visible as a reminder each and every day will help you refuel, stock up, etc., just in case you experience delays along the way.
If we really want what we say we want,let’s do what it takes.
Beef and Vegetable Cheese Casserole
5 PointsPlus Value Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min Serves: 6
This warming casserole can be made ahead, tightly wrapped and frozen until needed. Perfect for hectic holiday times!
Ingredients
1 spray(s) cooking spray
2 medium fresh tomato(es), sliced
2 medium uncooked zucchini, sliced
12 oz uncooked lean ground beef
1 large uncooked onion(s), finely chopped
2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced
1 cup(s) canned tomato sauce
2 cup(s) fat-free cottage cheese
1 large uncooked egg yolk(s)
1/2 cup(s) low-fat shredded Cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, oregano or rosemary, chopped
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 500ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread tomatoes and zucchini over sheet. Roast vegetables for 10 to 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large, nonstick skillet, sauté beef, onion and garlic until beef is browned. Stir in tomato sauce and bring to a simmer.
Spread beef mixture in a large, shallow baking dish (3 quart or 9 X 13-inches) and top with roasted vegetables. Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF.
Whisk together cottage cheese, egg yolk, cheddar cheese, herbs, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Spoon over roasted vegetables and smooth with a rubber spatula.
Bake until very hot and bubbling around edges, about 35 minutes. Cut into six equal pieces and serve immediately.
