Cheese Tortellini with Beans and Feta

In my quest to make your lives better, here is a recipe I recently made and enjoyed. I added zucchini, which I wouldn't do again, and I cooked the spinach when I added the beans to the pasta. I used canned tomatoes, because it's February and I live here. I think you could make the topping with pretty much any pasta. The original creators of this recipe are my mom's best friends over at Better Homes & Gardens (she already gets all their magazines, so in an effort to give them more money she got me and my sister subscriptions for Christmas).

9 oz. refrigerated cheese-filled spinach tortellini
15-oz. can cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large tomato, chopped
Ground black pepper
4 cups baby spinach

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and return to pan.

Add drained beans, feta cheese, and olive oil to tortellini in saucepan. Cook over medium heat until beans are hot and cheese begins to melt, gently stirring occasionally. Add tomato; cook 1 minute more. Sprinkle black pepper.

Divide spinach among four dinner plates or shallow salad bowls. Top with tortellini mixture. Serves 4.

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In other news, I correctly called 14 Oscar winners, and my new Lent project is the 100 push-up challenge. I am doing knee push-ups because I am a wuss, but either way it will tone my arms and core (closer to the sage dress, and also a good look in general).

More Slllooowwwness

I've been working out pretty consistently for like a year. I have no willpower, so I'm not "dieting," but at least I've been working out.

And lately I feel like I see results. My gut is (slightly) smaller. I can make it through a class without wanting to die. I use slightly heavier weights than I used to. And I feel good.

So my brother is getting married at some point in the future ... like probably the fall. An I'd like to look goood for this wedding. I have a sage dress that I've had for a long time and seldom worn, because it does not look cute on me. And I want to be toned enough to wear the sage dress to the wedding. Even if I decide to get a new dress, I want to have the sage dress option.

So here we go. I think I need to lose like 20 pounds. In maybe six months. This may even require watching what I eat. Stay tuned ... if I get brave and can figure out how there may even be photos along the way.