Select Tech and Zucchini Linguini Marinara

I've been feeling a little queasy today after eating all that ice cream at my in laws last night.  I wasn't originally planning on eating dessert over there but when they mentioned chocolate cheesecake with Oreo cookie crust I couldn't stop thinking about wanting some.  Unfortunately the cheesecake was at someone else's house.  A total tease, but of course I didn't call it quits at that point, I decided to turn my attention to the ice cream and cake that was available.  I spent the rest of the night feeling sick.  I got car sick on the drive home, which I am not sure if it was because of eating too much desserts or just being tired or what, but I've still been a little queasy today. 

Anyway, I just bought a pair of Select Tech Adjustable dumbbells and they came in yesterday! 

The kids enjoyed helping me unpack!

I can't wait to use them!  Unfortunately today was a cardio day so I will have to wait until tomorrow to use them, but I pulled them out and got them all ready to use.  Now my Chalean Extreme workouts will be so much easier to adjust the weights instead of taking the weights off, manually removing the pins and putting new ones on, replacing the pins and so forth.  And of course, the exercises will also be more challenging because I finally have weights that go over 15 pounds!  (doing squats with 15 pound weights is just too easy).  So I am excited for my second round of Chalean Extreme, eventhought that still isn't for another three months, I like to get in one weight lifting workout a week to try to maintain my strength. 

Matt was gone again tonight (working) so I was alone for dinner.  I have been thinking.  Since Matt is gone so often in the evenings (school and work), I might as well make the evenings he is gone a light meal.  Afterall I'm mostly just feeding myself and the kids could care less about having an actual meal made for dinner (Lily usually doesn't eat when I make dinner anyway).  So I still have about five large zucchini's in the fridge from the Farmer's Market last week, having only used two of them for the cookies, biscuits, and muffins.  So I decided that a great light dinner and also a very healthy dinner would be to make pasta out of it!  I remembered a recipe that several Pampered Chef consultants were doing at their shows, and I even did it at one of mine once called Zucchini Linguini Marinara and it is super easy. 

Ingredients
3-4 Zucchini
2 garlic cloves
your favorite marinara sauce

Directions
Julienne Zucchini into pasta strips with a Julienne peeler.  Place zucchini in Rock Crock or Deep Covered Baker, press garlic with a garlic press.  Cook in microwave 5 minutes.  Add marinara sauce and mix well, Heat in microwave an additional 1-2 minutes until done. 

The thing about this recipe is that since it is done in the microwave you need a microwave save dish, you don't necessarily need the Pampered chef products but it does taste better in them.  Also, you could do this in a non stick pot and as soon as the zucchini gets  soft (over medium heat) add the marinara sauce to it.  I'm having leftover zucchini biscuits with it and you could even make meatballs to throw in for some added protein and flavor.  I recommend having some good sides with this dish as it isn't as filling as other meals since it is composed entirely of zucchini.