Walk it off.



"The Biggest Loser" started its new season on Tuesday, but Katie C. and I have been channeling trainer Jillian for a few weeks now. Over the summer, we realized that we would be in the same section of Psychological Testing this semester. This is the second of two statistics-based courses in the Loyola MS program (PhD students do more), and a source of great anxiety for many. As a (very) general rule, people drawn to human services professions like counseling are not the most mathematically-minded people, and many have not taken a math course in years. Thus, the stats classes tend to be the sites of numerous student freakouts and meltdowns, which consume valuable instructional time.

Inspired by the summer fill-in show "Losing It With Jillian," Katie and I decided that we could improve the stats experience by tapping into our own inner Jillians. So, when a student starts to freak out, we could stand over his or her shoulder and shout things like "Walk it off!," "Be in it to win it!," and "Don't say 'can't' to me!" When the whole class starts to lose it, we could lead them in some quick jumping jacks or push-ups to blow off steam. The prof hasn't called on us for this important job yet, but I find myself thinking these things whenever I'm confused, stuck, bored or annoyed in class. I can tell Katie is doing it too, because I sometimes see her chuckling to herself during the tougher moments in class. So thanks, Jillian. This problem set's for you.

On a totally unrelated note, I had one of my new favorite dinners last night: spaghetti with bacon and eggs. This is slightly adapted from a Real Simple recipe (available at http://www.realsimple.com/) and it is great for both pre-run carb loading and post-run recovery. Just watch your portions and don't eat it every night if you're trying to maintain or lose weight. I don't think its Bob-and-Jillian approved.

Ingredients

1 box whole-wheat spaghetti (For me, this is enough for 4-6 servings. If I'm cooking for just myself, I make the whole box and save the leftovers for later in the week.)

About 1/4 cup canola or olive oil, and 1/2-3/4 cup grated Parmesan (This is enough for the whole box of pasta. Again, I make it all and save it.)

2 slices turkey bacon per serving

2 eggs per serving

kosher salt and black pepper

Directions

1.Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain and return pasta to the pot.

2. Toss pasta with the oil, the Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Cook bacon in a nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. 

4.Wipe out the skillet and return it to medium heat. Crack eggs into it and cook until whites are set but yolks are still runny.

5. Divide pasta among bowls, toss each serving with 2 strips of crumbled bacon, and and top each serving with 2 eggs.

Super-easy and delicious! The best part is, if you only cook for 1 or 2, you wind up with enough leftover spaghetti to make this at least a couple more times (and believe me, you will want to). Enjoy!