Date Night

Date night, in my opinion, is mandatory for successful relationships. However, date night also usually means over-indulgence. I find it easy to say yes to the bread when my fiance is on his third appetizer. Going out to eat is one of my favorite things to do, but there are certainly some tricks to keep in mind.

1. Order water first: Drinking one full glass of water will keep you full through the ordering wait time, and can help boost your metabolism.

2. Skip the bread: Like I mentioned in the introduction, those extra calories are unnecessary, and if you are also a bride to be there is no reason to nervous eat those carbohydrates. 

3. Share an appetizer: Too hungry to wait for your entree? It's a perfect opportunity to split a light appetizer with your honey. Half the guilt, with some enjoyment.

4. Substitute sides: Salad for fries, steamed veggies vs rice. My rule of thumb is if there is a veggie option, always choose it. You are ordering your entree for the main event, not for the side show.

5. Pack your dessert!: Too much of a sweet tooth to deny the pie? I recommend bringing two pieces of dark chocolate for you and your significant other. You will feel satisfied and won't have to feel like you have to unbuckle a belt.

And above all, laugh a little.

From one girl boss to another

I like to think of myself as pretty successful. I have a salary that supports an unhealthy relationship with Nordstrom, and can pay rent on time (most months.) Well, my friend and co-worker Camille blows me out of the water. With an 11 year old daughter, a kick-ass career, and a ridiculous skill in the kitchen - she brings girl boss to a new level. Cooking has never been my strong suit. If I could I would eat eggs every meal. It's hard to find healthy recipes I actually want to cook when all I want to do after a long day is watch Mad Men and lift. Camille puts in the work in the office, the work at the gym, and the work in the kitchen. I mean, come on.. check her out.

Left to right - TWO MONTH transformation

Of course my first response when seeing this was "wow, she killed it!" followed immediately up with "Ok, I need a recipe." It's the season for sharing, after all ---

Camille's Lasagna Zucchini Boats
Yield: 8 zucchini boats

·         4 medium zucchini (2 1/2 lbs), sliced into halves through the length*

·         1 cup lowfat cottage cheese

·         1 1/4 cups (5 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

·         8 oz 93% lean ground beef or lean ground turkey

·         Salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         1 3/4 cup jarred marinara sauce (I use Ragu)

·         Half packet of Splenda or sugar substitute

·         Vegetable Spray

·         ½ Tbsp red pepper flakes**optional**

·         1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley **optional** for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a spoon, scoop centers from zucchini while leaving a 1/4-inch rim to create boats. Set aside.

Heat vegetable spray in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble beef into pan and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up beef when stirring, until browned (there shouldn't be any excess fat but if you happened to use a fattier beef then just drain excess rendered fat). Stir in marinara sauce, splenda and red pepper flakes.

To assemble boats, spray both sides of the zucchini lightly with vegetable spray, salt and pepper inside the boats and place in two baking pans. Divide cottage among zucchini spooning about 2 1/2 Tbsp into each, then spread cheese into an even layer. Divide sauce among zucchini adding a few heaping spoonfuls to each. Cover baking dishes with foil and place in oven side by side and bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle tops with remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella, return to oven and bake until cheese has melted and zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle tops with fresh parsley and serve warm.

*Look for zucchini that is wider and more uniform in width. The skinnier zucchini won't fit much filling.