another healthier way to pasta | fridays with oscar

we returned from Florida this week. oscar and ollie were happy about that and it’s good to be home, but i sure do miss the sandy beaches and sunny skies of Florida. it’s been fun to share my trip with you this week:  and it’s really got me looking forward to spring. i hope my warm-weather outfits inspired you to think about your spring wardrobe.  today, we’re returning to our normal scheduled programming:  fridays with oscar.  last week, we showed you a healthier way to pasta with zoodles.  we’re sticking with that theme this week and making zucchini lasagna roll-ups.

outfit of the day 

i am keeping things casual friday today with a black crewneck sweater, and my white button-down underneath adds a little polish. girlfriend jeans and sneakers complete my casual look today. if i were going into the office and my workplace allowed jeans, adding a ballet flat or pointy toe shoe would make this ootd office appropriate. i could even throw a blazer on for extra oomph!  

cashmere crew (Everlane) | perfect shirt (Talbots) | girlfriend jeans (Banana Republic) | sneakers (Ann Taylor) | similar belt

a healthier way to pasta: zucchini lasagna roll-ups

the original recipe by Rachel Maser is vegetarian. i wanted to do a meat dish this week, so i added italian sausage to the mushroom marinara sauce. 

i am following a ketogenic diet, which is a low carb, moderate protein, and higher-fat diet that can help you burn fat more effectively. perhaps the biggest benefit of the keto diet for me is that it can reduce chronic inflammation. i have noticed a difference with my arthritis since i started focusing on a keto diet late last year. 

the ketogenic diet is quite popular. there are recipes online and keto cookbooks that make following this specific diet easier than ever before. i still enjoy a cocktail or a glass of wine from time to time, and i don’t feel bad about it! for me, it’s about moderation and eating to feel my best while enjoying life with my friends and family (which sometimes includes cocktails or dessert!). as FASTer Way to Fat Loss has taught me, it’s about progress, not perfection! 

blueberry ginger Bellini cocktail and mocktail

a reader reached out last week and asked if we could put together a mocktail.  what a great idea!  for our first foray into mocktails, i want to start simple but also with a cocktail that can be made into a mocktail. this makes things easy for a hostess to not have to create two totally different recipes. 

for the mocktail, i followed the cocktail directions exactly except, instead of sparkling wine, i used ginger beer to amp up the ginger flavor and add some dryness. try adding some sparkling apple juice or any other sparkling non-alcoholic juice that you think would work with ginger and blueberry.

i wasn’t able to find plain blueberry juice, so i used blueberry pomegranate juice, and it worked nicely. i also substituted about a teaspoon of agave for the white sugar this recipe calls for.

fridays with oscar (and ollie!)

well, ladies, that’s a wrap for fridays with oscar! we really hope you enjoy a healthier way to pasta.  let us know what you think about the recipe in the comments below!

March is a couple of days away.  on the 8th, we spring forward one hour to daylight savings time, and the 19th is the spring equinox—the official first day of spring. let’s hope spring temps and sunshine are fast on their way! ollie, oscar and i wish you all a lovely weekend!

cashmere crew (Everlane) | perfect shirt (Talbots) | girlfriend jeans (Banana Republic) | sneakers (Ann Taylor) | similar belt

About The Author

Kelly Djalali

Kelly is our 40s+ fashion & food contributor. She posts a Daily Look on Tuesdays, writes about Fashion on Thursdays, joins Beth for Fridays with Oscar and shares a new recipe on Sunday.

She’s 48, 5’0, and a petite 0/XS.

Kelly also has a food blog called Djalali Cooks, which you can find by clicking the world icon below.

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