Modified Hamburger Helper with a side of Homemade Heating Pad

first of all, i have to say, way to go ravens! they rocked the patriots - no joke!!

ok, on to our after-the-game dinner. let's call this "turkey tag-a-long".

i found a recipe for a healthier version of hamburger helper and i managed to make it healthier yet. the recipe can be found here. basically, i used ground turkey instead of ground beef, increased the amount of veggies, and used yogurt instead of sour cream. it isn't the prettiest looking dish, but it was pretty tasty.

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Turkey Tag-a-long
(serves 6-8)

5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
10 ounces baby bella mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 large onion, cut into quarters
1 pound lean ground turkey
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups water
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium beef broth, divided
8 ounces whole-wheat elbow noodles, (2 cups)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup 0% fat greek yogurt
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or chives for garnish

brown turkey in large dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat breaking up as it browns.

meanwhile, drop garlic into a running food processor and process until finely chopped. add onion and pulse until minced. add onion and garlic to browned turkey meat. meanwhile, pulse carrots and celery until finely chopped and add to turkey, garlic, and onions in the pot. then pulse mushrooms until finely chopped and add to pot. add salt and pepper and cook until all veggies are tender - 5 to 7 minutes. (i processed all my veggies together but having done that. i now recommend doing them separately. i think you'll have the individual flavors more prominent that way.)

add, 1 1/2 cups of beef broth, water, worcestershire, and pasta. bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium. cook for 8-10 minutes until pasta is al dente.

meanwhile, whisk together remaining 1/4 cup of beef broth with flour making sure no lumps are left. add to turkey mixture along with yogurt and parmesan cheese. simmer until sauce is thickened and sprinkle with parsley or chives before serving if desired.

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in other news:
i finally made the heating pad i have been wanting to make for a while now. i bought the fabric back in august and the feed corn that fills the pad in november. i am so excited about how well this turned out. it was super easy to make and it works really well. it holds heat really well too.

so, E and i got our butts kicked at our personal training session with G yesterday, literally. our glutes are sore. so, basically we are taking turns sitting on the homemade heating pad. its much more economical than our plug in heating pad. safer too. i could fall asleep with this in bed and not worry about potentially catching the bed on fire. always a plus:)

if you are interested in making your own (again, it's super easy as long as you have - or have access to - a sewing machine. i borrowed my mother-in-law's sewing machine. thanks M!) you can find step-by-step directions here at fitsugar.com.

all you do is pop it in the microwave (that's why it's important to use feed corn and not popping corn) for 2 minutes and you are good to go. strong heat lasts a good 15 minutes. residual heat lasts much longer. i used flannel fabric too for extra coziness.