Hobby....Shlobby

So after my blog from yesterday, Rob complained that I made him sound like a nerd with his gardening hobby. It was not my intention to poke fun at his green thumb or give anyone the impression he was a “nerd” for growing vegetables in our backyard. Doing yard work and landscaping is tough work and I give him all of the credit (and appreciation) in the world for taking care of it all (so I don’t have to). Rob has all sorts of things he enjoys doing and it got me thinking about my own hobbies. Do I even have a hobby? According to the dictionary, a hobby is a regular activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure, typically done during one's leisure time. Leisure time…what is that?

Between working full time and being a full time mom, I rarely find “me time.” Can Leah be considered my hobby? All of the things I enjoy doing typically relate back to her in some fashion or another anyways. For example, when I was planning her 1st birthday party – I loved putting together all of the details and working on all of the DIY projects. I spent hours making sure her party would be perfect and I had so much fun doing it. I guess I can’t consider it a hobby because I don’t do that kind of stuff on a regular basis. I love scrapbooking and putting together photo albums of all of the pictures I have taken (which usually only consist of Leah). I am so far behind with her baby book and haven’t had any pictures printed since before she turned one year old. Ahh – there goes that leisure pursuit. I love to travel and go to places I’ve never been. Considering it has been over two years since I have been on a "real" vacation, traveling is probably a far cry from being considered one of my hobbies. When I was in my 20’s it was always a favorite pastime to go see different bands play at bars and festivals. I still enjoy listening to live music but the opportunity to do so is far and few between. My new “hobbies” consist of doing fun things with my little girl, making sure she is experiencing life to the fullest and presenting her with new learning opportunities.

There are tons of other things I love to do (like shopping, cooking, reading, etc.) but I guess those are more considered to be interests. When it comes to cooking, I love to try new recipes and experiment with different ingredients, but I am usually not cooking just for the fun of it. I have a family to feed! When I go shopping now, I am rarely buying anything for myself – I am spending all of my cash on cute little outfits for Leah and the things she needs. Reading…is a pretty sad story too (no pun intended). I just finished my first book in almost a year (unless Snuggle Puppy, Good Night Moon and The Going to Bed Book count). I truly do enjoy reading – I just wish I had more time to do so! I love, love, love going to get mani’s & pedi’s, massages and getting my hair done! All of those things make me feel good about myself and again I wish I could do them all more often! After giving it much thought – I think I will consider “blogging” as one of my hobbies. It fits all of the criteria to be a hobby – it is something I try to do on a regular basis and I do it for fun! What are your hobbies?

In keeping with my cooking “interest,” here is a recipe I tried for dinner tonight. It was easy and seemed to be a crowd pleaser among my family. Just thought I would share! It is a Weight Watchers Recipe and was 7 points.

Turkey and Spinach Lasagna Rolls
Weight Watchers Recipe

Ingredients:

6 lasagna noodles
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 lb uncooked ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, yellow, seeded and finely chopped (I used a red pepper since I didn't have any yellow)
16 oz marinara sauce
1/3 cup of water
1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese (I used low-fat)
5 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (I used the full 10 oz package)
1/4 cup basil, chopped fresh
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten (I used egg beaters as a substitute)
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheeses

Directions:

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse the noodles and lay them flat on wax paper.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, onion, and bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until all the pan juices evaporate and the turkey browns, about 10 minutes. Stir in the marinara sauce and water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened and the flavors blend, about 5 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, spinach, basil, Parmesan, egg, and nutmeg in a medium boil. Spread the ricotta mixture over the length of each noodle and roll up from one short end.

Spread half of the turkey mixture in the bottom of an 8X12 baking dish. Add the rolls. Top with remaining turkey mixture. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle with the mozzarella. Bake until heated through and the top is golden, about 10 minutes longer.