Well what is a family anyway? They're just a group of people who make you feel less alone and really loved

This quote is from the series finale of Mary Tyler Moore. This quote holds so much in it, that I know that the first time I heard it, I did not understand it. In my journey in life, I have encountered so many people telling me, that I can't, or that I'm not good enough. Some of these people were those who I considered good friends. Now that I'm on my own, living away from my family, I have become closer to my family as well as those friends who I know are on my side and will support me being me. I am really seeing now how friends can be family and how some family can become close friends. We need to surround ourselves with people who will love us and support us. That to me is the definition of a family and that is what I strive to look for in my friends. We deserve people who help us become the best that we can and we owe it to them to do the same.

Pasta with Tomatos and Feta Cheese-Lynn's Kitchen Adventures

Here is a recipe for Pasta with Tomatos and Feta Cheese. This recipe would be delicious served hot or cold and makes a great side dish and main dish depending on your meal. Another fabulous recipe from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures, here, for you to check out.

I let my haters be my motivators

I heard this quote in the trailer for "The Sitter"...I wish I had heard this sooner in life, but funny enough, I heard it a perfect time. I won't go in to what's been going on, but I know that this quote will be huge for me at work in the next few weeks, maybe months. Really though, it's always useful. There will always be people who dislike you for reasons that you may not be able to understand. It's hard not to dwell on this because it's in our nature to want to be liked, no matter how much we say that we don't care what others think about us. We need to use this to motivate ourselves; work harder on whatever it is that you are trying to do. This way, even though we may be upset about the negativity, we have created more positivity for ourselves by working hard and getting closer to success. We need to do things that make us happy and we need to do things for ourselves. Sometimes, this includes using someone else's negativity to make our positivity.

Tostadas from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures

Here is another super easy and delicious recipe from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures...Instead of taco night, how about making tostadas for the family? Check out Lynn's tostada recipe here and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes-Lynn's Kitchen Adventures

Here's another great recipe from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures....Sometimes it's a lot easier to throw a meal in a crock pot and slow cook it over night or all day. It'll be ready by the time you get home from work, and it makes enough for your whole family, or if you're single like me, enough food for the week! Check out her recipe for Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes.

Jump for Choy! Fish Pack

Have you ever tried making a foil pack meal? It's a really neat way to cook your whole meal at once while getting a lot of flavor without adding calories. Here is Hungry Girl's fish pack recipe!


Jump for Choy! Fish Pack

PER SERVING (1/2 of recipe): 232 calories, 2g fat, 908mg sodium, 19g carbs, 3g fiber, 13g sugars, 35g protein -- PointsPlus® value 6*

Words cannot express how amazing this citrus-teriyaki, Asian-style meal is. Try it and see...

Ingredients:
16 oz. (about 4 heads) baby bok choy, ends removed, separated into leaves
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
12 oz. raw cod (two 6-oz. fillets or four 3-oz. fillets)
1/8 tsp. salt, or more to taste
1/8 tsp. black pepper, or more to taste
2 tbsp. thick teriyaki marinade or sauce
2 tbsp. low-sugar or sugar-free orange marmalade

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay an extra-large piece of heavy-duty foil on an extra-large baking sheet, and spray with nonstick spray.

Lay bok choy leaves in the center of the foil, and evenly top with zucchini. Lay cod fillets in a single layer over the veggies and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine teriyaki marinade or sauce with orange marmalade. Mix thoroughly. Evenly spoon mixture over the cod and veggies.

Place another extra-large piece of foil evenly over the baking sheet. Fold together and seal all four edges of the two foil pieces, forming a well-sealed packet.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until cod is fully cooked and veggies are tender.

Allow packet to cool for a few minutes, and then cut to release steam before opening it entirely. (Careful -- steam will be hot.)

Serve cod and veggies with extra sauce from the foil pack. If you like, season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Eat up!

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

Taco Salad with Creamy Green Dressing

Lynn's Kitchen Adventures posted a great twist for your family's taco night...check out her recipe for Taco Salad with Creamy Green Dressing here

Live for yourself, Love those around you but realize they’ve got their own agendas

~Alex Gaskarth [All Time Low]

If there is one thing that we all need to remember in life, it's this. We need to live for ourselves and please ourselves. Yes, it feels great to know that we made someone else proud of us, but we deserve to feel pride in ourselves too. Do things that make you happy and find your own path to success. Your sense of success, happiness, and pride is probably different than your parents', best friend's, or sibling's idea of those ideas. There's no shame in that! The only shame is doing things and working towards things that aren't really what you are passionate about and what you want to do. Those who care about you and love you the most will be proud of you no matter what you do as long as you are happy and proud of yourself.

Cauliflower & Red Lentil Curry

I absolutely love curries...the vegetarian options are a great way to add in more fiber to a more protein packed meal; it also gives the dish a new sense of spice and savoriness. Check out this recipe for Cauliflower and Red Lentil Curry from Eating Well.

Cauliflower & Red Lentil Curry

Red lentils turn yellow when cooked. Serve over rice.

4 servings

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed
1 small onion, chopped
2 teaspoons curry powder, preferably Madras
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups water
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped, or one 14-oz. can tomatoes, drained and chopped
4 cups cauliflower florets
1 jalapeno pepper, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon sugar

PREPARATION
Combine lentils, onions, curry powder, salt, turmeric and water in a large saucepan over low heat; bring to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are soft and the sauce has thickened, about 45 minutes. Add tomatoes, cauliflower and jalapeno peppers and simmer, covered, until the cauliflower is tender, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Remove from heat.
Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds and cook for about 10 seconds. Add garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, until the garlic is lightly browned, about 1 minute. Stir in cayenne and immediately add the oil-spice mixture to the cauliflower mixture. Stir in lemon juice, cilantro and sugar. Taste and adjust seasonings with additional salt and cayenne.

NUTRITION
Per serving: 184 calories; 5 g fat ( 0 g sat , 2 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 28 g carbohydrates; 1 g added sugars; 10 g protein; 8 g fiber; 335 mg sodium; 812 mg potassium.

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 lean meat, 1 fat