Something's fishy!.....

....And it's dinner!!!

Finally I am cooking tonight. I decided on Tilapia for dinner. Tilapia is super cheap and really good. It's light but meaty. I got 3 huge peices for $11. Luke wasn't as excited at first. Here's how it transpired:

Me...."Hi Luke, would you like me to make fish tonight for dinner?"

Luke...."Ew...that's not world series food!"
Me...."too bad...no more steak and cheese for now!"

Luke...."MMMM...I didn't even think of Steak and Cheese!"

Me...."Luke!!"

Luke...."You're trying to kill me"

Me...."you're trying to make me fat"

Luke...."ok, fish sounds great! :)"

See...being healthy isn't always as easy in my world either!

But to prove how "easy" it is to make something quick and healthy read what i did:

...Ran down the street and back in less than 15 minutes while at work and bought 1 1/2 lbs fresh Tilapia, 1 avocado, 1 red pepper, limes, and a bag of spinach and a peach. (knowing I had red onion, garlic, rice and pasta, and a can of whole tomatoes at home)

I didn't really know what I was going to do yet. First I thought maybe I would bake the tilapia and serve it with a salsa made out of the avocado, red onion, peach and red pepper- or some variation of that and serve it with some sauteed greens on the side.

What I wound up doing was totally different though.

I roasted the tilapia on 425 for about 20 mins. ( i marinated it in lemon and thyme for a 1/2 hour while I worked out after work first)

I put it in the oven and boiled water to make some kumquat pasta-(it's gluten free and really good!- you can use any pasta you want though)

At the same time I put some olive oil in a pan, added garlic- cooked it for a few minutes, added some chopped red pepper for a few minutes and then added some chicken stock. I then added half a bag of shredded spinach, and crushed the whole tomatoes in my hand and simmered it all together (with a little bit of the tomato juice).

Then I added a dash of red wine, some garlic salt, lime and salt and pepper to taste.

I tossed the pasta with it and added the tilapia and mixed it all together. I have to say it came out really good! Use your taste buds and add what you think but over all-this dish was really nice and it was healthy. If I had capers I would have added them too along with a little more lemon.

Luke wound up really liking it too! (of course he added lots of hot sauce.....)- I think he was happy he didn't have steak and cheese. Or so he tells me but he probably would have been happy either way! :)

Beauty Tip-I use tooth brushes for lots of things. They are great to brush your eyebrows with or clean your jewelry. (just use a little toothpaste and you will make any silver shine) just don't use the same one for your teeth!!

Portion Sizes...

I have to admit that I have been awful lately at writing because I have been so busy!
I have been travelling so it has been hard for me to stay on my "healthy" regimen. I definetely have not been able to cook much.

This got me thinking about portion sizes!

Even when I am on the road I still try and make sure I squeeze in fruit. Fruit seems to be easier to get your hands on.

I try not to obsess about the food I am eating when I am travelling. I do the best I can with the choices I have.

This weekend I was in LA and had BAJA Fresh for the first time....it was really good! I was able to have a fresh grilled Mahi Mahi Taco with cabbage, tomatoes, and guac. I mean for fast food, it was pretty healthy! Other than that I eat what I can but I am extra aware of portion sizes.

I know I most likely will not be exercising and I know the choices won't be the best so this is the best thing I have come up with. It's a pretty easy recipe:

**Find most healthy thing....eat as little as possible of it.** Works for me!

In everyday life though I still eat what I want if I really want it. I just eat a little of it!
You ultimately know what is best for your body.

I promise I will be back on track soon and will be cooking up a storm! See....I am normal too and fall off every now and then! This blog actually helps me stay on track because I know I am being watched :)

Beauty Tip: If you are on the road and you don't have any products for your hair I find that body lotion can help smooth frizzy ends!

Swine Flu?....Ew!!

SO....this isn't really about swine flu but getting sick in general.

My friend Abby emailed me and asked me my thoughts on Purell since she really doesn't like to use it because of her Eczema and she obviously doesn't want to get sick.

That got me thinking...we are approaching flu season. What are some ways we can PREVENT getting sick as opposed to curing our selves when we do....

This is the "quick" answer I gave in my email to her:

"Really it’s about eating well and keeping your immune system healthy since our Immune system is mainly in your digestive track. Eat lots of foods with:

*Vitamin C and Vit A to boost the immune system,

*Fiber- to keep things moving,

*whole grains,

*nothing processed,

*antibiotic free meats

*Fresh fruits and vegetables

* dark leafy greens!

* And little dairy if you can.

**Exercise to keep your stress levels low. Stress affects the immune system the most. It’s all a cycle- you need low stress and a healthy diet. Easy right? Ha!!

I never use purell either- the thing is, if your immune system is healthy than it will be able to fight off whatever germs you have on your hands.
Eczema is an auto immune disease which means your immune system is attacking itself. If you are stressed and are eating foods that your system cannot process smoothly and you will have a flare up."

Long and short is -eat as healthy as you can to keep your immune system strong and you will fight off colds and flu's better.

Here are some foods high in Vit C:

*bell peppers (especially red), cabbage, broccoli, leafy greens, kiwi fruit, citrus fruits, and berries.

Foods with Vit A:

*winter squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin

*Instead of a russet potato, choose a sweet potato- you will increase antioxidants significantly.

*Fish are also good sources of vitamin A including halibut, wild caught salmon, and cod.

*Eat more onions and garlic!

Sample day:

Breakfast: Smoothie with berries, banana, soy milk and (add spinach if you can bear it! this is an extra boost of Vit C!)

Lunch: Salad with lots of fresh veggies of your choice, healthy protein of your choice and a side of brown rice or quinoa- or you can add rice or quinoa into salad directly.

or...hearty vegetable soup, or chicken with vegetable soup

Dinner: Roasted salmon with Roasted sweet potato and broccoli:

Peel and cube sweet potato- toss that with broccoli, olive oil and salt and roast until soft (about 30 mins on 400- the smaller the pieces of sweet potato, the quicker they cook) after the veggies have been in the oven for about 10 mins- place salmon in oven and cook with veggies the remaining 20 mins. You can season Salmon with whatever spices you like. I like just salt, pepper and a little cayenne. - you can finish off the salmon under the broiler for a couple of minutes if it is not done yet.

Dinner #2: *Sauté spinach, broccoli or kale (or all 3) with garlic in olive oil for dinner to make fajitas with chicken and brightly colored peppers. This is a great way to increase your

consumption of vitamin C- which will enhance your immune system!- make enough for leftovers for lunch.

**If you can make some variations of this every day- you will stay stronger and be able to fight off colds!

....and then again, sometimes colds are just inevitable unfortunately!

Beauty Tip: If your face and eyes are feeling puffy in the AM- wash your face with ice cold water after you get out of the shower instead of blasting it with hot water. It is uncomfortable at first- but you will see yourself de-puff!

Healthybair.com

Hi Everyone!

Make sure you visit healthybair.com to learn more about my services!!

Did I say detox until Friday??....

I meant until Tuesday night!- Hey I made it almost 2 whole days!

Yes, it's true. I was weak. After yoga Tuesday evening I had a beer with my girlfriend Sasha. (that's us in the picture)What can I say....we passed a sign that said "October fest- 2 beers for $2" it seemed almost rude not to stop in!!

Yesterday I tried to re-compose myself and had a green drink in the morning. I used:

3 celery stalks

2 small organic carrots

1/2 zucchini

1 small apple

3 broccoli florets

3 leaves of swiss chard

When I got to work I had an orange and a banana for "breakfast" and a cup of green tea.

I put breakfast in quotes because around 11 is usually when I really eat- I guess it's an early lunch- late breakfast.

I had the brown rice salad that I made the day before.

Around 2 I broke down and had some roasted pork and mashed sweet potatoes that they were serving at my work. It looked so good I couldn't resist! I only had a little though- I don't want to think about how much butter was in the sweet potatoes!

I did however do a pretty hard core circuit workout when I got home for about an hour.

I don't think I talk about exercise enough. It is REALLY important!

Even if you can only squeeze in 20 minutes a day. You need to move.

You can eat well all you want but if you don't exercise it's just being good instead of great.

Anyway...after being on my high horse about ordering take out in my last post- guess what Luke and I did last night for dinner- that's right....TAKE OUT! ha! - hey, what can I say, I'm human :)

The point of this blog is not to pretend to be perfect. That's why it's called....confessions of a "healthy person".....notice the quotes?

You have to live and not be so serious- just be healthy 90% of the time if you can!!

I'm getting back on track though...so far this morning I had an apple and now I am having my brown rice salad AGAIN- with half an avocado- I will probably be very sick of brown rice salad soon :)

Beauty Tip: After you apply your make up if you are feeling like you look a little "cakey"- take some kind of balm or rich moisturizer and pat it on your cheeks. It will make you look hydrated!

I'm "re-posting"....

Yes it's true...I completely stole this from a newsletter but his message summed up so perfectly what I have been trying to say (about the cooking process anyway.....) that I had to share!

You see...cooking is a big part of what I am trying to help you learn- not because I want you to be an amazing chef but because it's important that you learn how to use fresh ingredients to take care of yourself. - And besides, half of the time by the time you- figure out what you want to eat... call to place the order....pay the delivery guy....put it on a plate....
you could have made yourself something great!

Ok- so here is my "re-post"!

"When your mind understands the particular flavor profile of say . . . a tomato sauce, or a Vietnamese salad (depending on your upbringing) and it will make make more sense to you why a dish might not work out. Maybe it needs salt, sweetness, or a squeeze of lime.Adjust as you go- Monitor the process! Every kitchen is different, tools are diverse, and ingredients will vary a lot. As you cook, taste a lot and be aware of changes throughout the process: react accordingly. Many people simply execute a recipe and expect a result, but it just doesn't work that way. You have to learn to adapt as you cook."

The end!

Detox!!!

So I must be physic because just as I predicted I drank too much and ate not so good at the wedding! Vegetables and I were ships passing in the night....

Needless to say- I am detoxing my system this week-(until Friday night at least!) hey- that's 5 solid days and 4 solid nights of good clean "fun"!

What does that mean you ask? Well for the next 5 days I will not be having any of this stuff:
*Alcohol, Caffeine, Sugar, Dairy, Meat, Wheat

What can I eat you ask? Plenty! Such as:
*Fresh vegetables, Fruit, whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, oats), Beans, Legumes, Green Tea/Herbal Tea

What have I made so far you ask?- Well, yesterday I had an apple for breakfast and green tea (I wasn't really hungry yet)Lunch was a salad with lots of veggies, half an avocado and a side of brown rice. (made the salad from salad bar and side of brown rice from Thai place)
After work I went food shopping and got as many veggies, fruit, beans and rice I could get my hands on.

For dinner I made vegetable bean soup: (note: try not to follow my recipes to a "T". I am not always the best at exact amounts, I am trying to encourage you to get used to being adventurous and using your taste buds!)- Any way I...
*Sauteed until soft:
1/2 chopped white onion
1 celery stalk
1 carrot
1 small fennel bulb thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic chopped
Then I added:
Vegetable stock (I always get low sodium and then wind up adding a bunch of salt and garlic salt to make it taste good...not sure it's the best strategy!)
Can of white beans- (you can probably use any beans)
Broccoli florets
1/4 Zucchini diced
Can of diced tomatoes-drained
1 cup of Quinoa pasta
*Bring to boil and let that simmer for about 10 minutes to blend flavors and soften pasta*
At the end I added:
About a Tbl of curry powder
Garlic salt, salt/pepper to taste
Cayenne Pepper
3 bunches of Swiss Chard thinly sliced- I stirred that in for about a minute until it was wilted.
Put it in a bowl for Luke and I add topped it with fresh Basil.
It was great!!

Meanwhile- while this stuff was cooking I had put some long grain brown rice on the back burner so I could use it for recipes through out the week.
When it was done I tossed it with a little olive oil, let it cool and put it in a container.

This morning I made a quick Brown rice salad for lunch which included:
*Chopped cabbage, chopped zucchini, chopped red pepper, sprouts, basil, parsley, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chopped basil. You can add red onion too- Easy!
(Notice how I just keep re-using my ingredients in different ways?- You can also make a brown rice with apples, walnuts, cinnamon, scallions- etc. you get the picture!)
I packed that with some raspberries for breakfast, and some left over soup and I am ready to go!
Now...what's for dinner....hmmmm......

Beauty Tip: They say banana is a natural wrinkle remover! Mash a 1/4 one up until it is really creamy, smooth over face and leave on for 15-20 mins. Rinse with cold water- pat try. Yum!

Be Prepared.....

...I will be out of town starting tomorrow and will not be able to update my blog until next week!
I am going to a wedding and seeing many old friends so I can pretty much predict what my blog would say....

"...ate bad food...drank alcohol...ate more bad food....went for a walk...ate something healthy....drank alcohol....ate more bad food...." you get the picture!!

What I really meant by being prepared though having a shopping list. :) I have been meaning to do something like this for a while and I figured this was as good as time as any to talk about what I like to have around and are almost always staples in my cart:

Frozen:
Dr. Praeger's Veggie burgers- (any variety- great for a last minute dinner)
Applegate Farms Turkey or Beef burgers- (also great for last minute dinners)
Broccoli-(great to throw in eggs or soup or just to have as a side if you don't have veggies)
Spinach- (great to throw in eggs, dips, or soups, or have as side)
Bag Corn- (I actually keep a bag for my knee when it is sore! HA!)
Bag Peas- (great in soups, pastas, salads etc.)
Fish- (Trader Joe's has great frozen fish)
Chicken-(well, you get it...)
Bacon-(good for soups, BLT's, salads- whatever)

Refrigerator Items:
Sun dried Tomatoes- (great in salads, pastas, stuffed mushrooms, stuffed peppers etc)
Hummus-(any kind- great with crackers, veggies, on sandwiches)
Cold Cuts- (good for a snack, salads or sandwich)
Tuna- (yes, I keep mine in the fridge. That way the tuna is cold when it comes out of the can!)
Olives-(great for snacking)
Sparkling Water
*Dairy- (which i can't have any more but when I did I would always have Parmesan and goat around. It's good in everything! -also good to have butter and yogurt and cheese to have on crackers)
Eggs- (hard boiled alone or in salads, in rice, fried, scrambled)

Veggies: (veggies will vary depending on what you are making but these are my staples)
Celery- (great for snacks and soup)
Lettuce-(salads of course, BLT's, on sandwiches or wraps)
Broccoli- (as a side, in a salad, or with the hummus)
Carrots-(same, also good in soup)
Cucumber-(same)
Onion, Garlic-(great for soups or to add flavor to any meat or veggie dish)
Herbs-(basil, celery, cilantro- what ever you like- personally I hate cilantro!! Yuck!!)

Meat:
**Meat varies for me depending on what I feel like making. You should shop that day for what you want to cook and try and think about your meal and what left overs you might have. **
Chicken- good for soup, stir fry's, baked, sauteed, grilled and then good for salads
Beef- good for meat balls, meat loaf, in pasta sauce,stuffed mushrooms etc.
Sausage- good in eggs, stuffed peppers, stuffed mushrooms, tossed with pasta or in sauce
Fish- broiled or baked (this includes shrimp)

Pantry:
Lentils- (canned or dry- good for soups, stews in salads)
Chick Peas-(good for salads, warm dishes, home made hummus-I always make sure to have lots of cans on hand!)
Diced Tomatoes- (I LOVE these. They are so great to throw in soups, or any recipe to add flavor and sweetness. A quick thing I do is saute onions and celery, throw a can of the "fire roasted tomatoes with chili's" in add chick peas and salt and pepper- you can add chicken too- so easy!)
Almonds- (great for salads or snack)
Pine Nuts- (good to put in hummus, pasta, salads, pesto)
Water Chestnuts- (great for adding texture to dishes)
Black Beans-(salads, black bean dip, in rice)
Brown rice or wild rice- (i love to make a big thing on Sunday and then have it throughout the week- you can have it as a side, in a salad, as an entree w/ your fav ingredients, as breakfast- SO many things you can do with rice)
Quinoa- (same thing! So much you can do with this. It is such a great grain and is a protein grain. Google recipes...)
Pasta- (I prefer gluten free but you can get whole wheat)
Chicken Stock- (great for flavoring so many things. I like the little ones)
Canned Pineapple- (good for random things like pizza topping)
Peanut Butter- (need I say more?)

Condiments: olive oil, vinegar-(cider, balsamic, red wine...) hot sauce, spices, bouillon cubes, relish, mustard, mayo, ketchup, BBQ sauce, curry powder....etc. You get the picture!

Phew! That was a lot of stuff! No wonder our grocery bill is so high!! :)...and I'm sure I left a lot out, but these are the basics...for me anyway.
Hope this gives you some ideas! Bon Appetite!!

Trader Joe's!

So this place is Luke's biggest nightmare and my biggest dream!

We stopped by to get a few things for dinner after the gym last night and it was PACKED!! Seriously, it was if the place had been looted. There were empty shelves left and right.

I did manage to pick up Salmon that was already prepared (uncooked) it was seasoned "Sante Fe" style with a little lemon and was $8 for two big pieces!

I grabbed a bag of spinach and some pea shoots to go along with it.

Here's what I did:

*Cooked the salmon on 425 for a bout 15 mins and finished it by broiling for a minute. (no prepping necessary!!)
*while that was cooking I tossed the spinach with the pea shoots, chopped apple, balsamic vinegar and olive oil and sliced almonds ( you can get them in a bag at trader joe's....I always like to have a bag around).
*you can add feta, goat or blue cheese too if you want.....

The whole meal took less than 20 minutes and it was healthy and delicious. I even threw some spinach, the pea shoots and the rest of the salmon in a container and took it to work for lunch today- that took about 3 minutes this morning.

If you don't have Trader Joe's fear not....there are still lots of great selections in your stores I'm sure. To make the salmon on your own you would just have to season it with some salt, pepper, Cayenne, lemon, and paprika- or what ever seasoning you want to use!
Enjoy!

Beauty Tip: Also at trader joe's I got pure vitamin E oil- i put it on my face last night after cleansing. It is a great natural moisturizer!

Skin problems?...Too much heat!...

Wow have I been a slacker! Sorry guys! I had sort of a busy weekend I guess.

Friday night was such an interesting start of the weekend though.... I went to get a peel after work at this great spot on the Upper West Side.

My skin as you may or may not know has been on the Fritz the last 2 years and I have still yet really found out what the problem is. I get red and also little bumps on my forehead-almost like an allergic reaction. These woman were all extremely knowledgeable and practiced mostly Chinese medicine so I was hoping they could help me!

I was going to get a peel like i said to help with sun damage and mild acne. The aesthetician took one look at me and said I "had too much heat" in my diet and said it was causing my skin to react.

She asked if I wanted to speak to the acupuncturist and I said sure! Why not?
Well, she said the same thing..."too much fire!!...you need less fire!"

**(by the way- they didn't give me a peel, they said it would be bad but I did wind up getting an amazing facial and microdermabrasion!)**

They recommended I remove all "heat" foods from my diet for at least 3 weeks and supposedly I would notice a big difference. I'm still not exactly sure what "heat" foods are, I have to research it but I know some things are: spicy foods, curry, peppers, coffee, alcohol, onions, beef etc. So I said...."can I drink white wine? That's cold??" - they said no :(

They also recommended I get milk thistle drops (which I got today) because they are convinced skin problems are because the liver needs to be detoxed. I am supposed to put drops in water and drink it a couple of times a day.

Also the woman swears if take a couple teaspoons of dry oatmeal and put in a blender with water to make "oatmeal milk" and drink that every morning, I will see my skin clear up. Hey...I will try anything!! I already have...so why not give this a shot! I'll let you know how it goes.-

As far as the diet part goes, I have already had a little bit of alcohol, coffee, and spicy tomato sauce so I might have to start all that tomorrow! I have been drinking the oatmeal milk the last two days. - hey, progress not perfection right?? :)

Beauty Tip: If you don't have eye make up remover use either Vaseline or baby oil. They both work great!

Healthy Burn....

Hey!

So I don't have too much time today unfortunately....I am meeting a couple of girlfriends of mine right after work....(yay girl night! I love it...)

I can pretty much predict what we will have for dinner though....wine!! I just have this feeling... I know, not very nutritious.....:)

I did want to share this cool website I found today though. I really like it because I am trying to track my calories a little more. Not obsessively- just watching and it has a lot of different things to browse. Enjoy!

http://dailyburn.com/

Beauty Tip: this came from my friend Diane- take a strawberry and cut off the tip and dip it in honey- then smooth over face. I have done a version of this where you mash strawberry and honey and then apply- it is really nice!

It's so easy....

Hi everyone!
You will be happy to know that I composed myself and today I was much better and not such a ravenous animal! :)

I am going to tell you what I had today just so you see how easy it is to make something (and sometimes buy something) that is quick and easy.

Today I had:
For breakfast:
-2 eggs that I fried real quick and kind of scrambled. I threw them in a Tupperware container to bring to work with me and added a little left over zucchini from last night and salsa. I didn't even have to heat it up- it was great!
-then I had an apple a little later with some peanut butter

For Lunch:
- I made a salad at home in the morning (which took me 3 minutes....I timed it) just lettuce, some cabbage, sundried tomatoes and zucchini as well-
-some sushi (that I got from a store)

For dinner I made home made chicken soup. All you need is 1 onion, 2 celery stalks, 1 large carrot, 1 lb chicken breast, 1 carton of low sodium chicken stock. Optional items which I think really helped my soup were 1/4 cup white wine, can of creamed corn and tbls of curry powder.
here's what I did:
-chop onion, celery and carrot.
-add olive oil to dutch ovenor soup pot and when hot add onion
-cook for a minute or two, add carrot and celery
-cook until soft and add a little salt
-meanwhile chop up chicken into little bits and add to pot
-stir these ingredients until the chicken is cooked a bit and then splash white wine in
-cook a few more minutes
-add chicken stock
-add salt and pepper and a little garlic powder if you want
-bring to a boil and then simmer for about 20 mins
-add cream of corn soup and heat back up
-add tbl of curry powder at end- also a Little cayenne if you want
-salt and pepper to taste

The only thing I got for "take out" today was the sushi. Everything else I made

This whole thing took about 30 minutes.
**I think the thing to remember though is that most of the time for a base of a soup you can always saute onion, celery, carrot and use some kind of stock. Everything else you put into it is up to you! You can add potatoes, pasta, sausage, peppers, other vegetables, only vegetable...you get the picture....Be creative, it's really fun! :)**

No beauty tip tonight...I have to think of one! :)

What did(n't) I eat today....

Today was one of those days when I was starving all day long!!
I don't know if it's because I have been working out a little more and doing strength training or if it's....er....a woman thing? I don't know but today I had:

-a green drink before I left the house
-half a sweet potato for breakfast
-a small coffee cup of left over sweet potato cauliflower soup
-small salad with a little bit of shrimp
-about a cup of buckwheat noodle salad with fresh veggies and soy dressing
-couple of tortilla chips
-a cupcake
That was all before 2:oo!! Ha!!!

Good news is it at least kept me full through dinner. - and i did go to the gym at least (thank god!)

For dinner I made Luke and I burgers with vegetables (mine without the bun....):
I like to keep Applegate Farm Products in the freezer. They are organic and are antibiotic free. http://www.applegatefarms.com/

I usually make turkey burgers but this time I got the all beef ones and they were pretty good!
I made his with a bun and topped it with a fried egg (he's Australian...they're weird and put eggs on everything), lettuce, tomato and relish. (homemade that my friends mom made)

I served mine with just a little relish and grilled zucchini that I grilled on the pan while the burgers were cooking. I also served mine with a little jarred organic red cabbage and a little salad. It was yummy!!-( oh yeah, and a glass of red wine- I mean, it is Tuesday! ) It only took about 20 minutes to make everything too.

Point is...it's ok to have days that you are hungry all day and then still make a nice, hearty nutritious meal. Some days that's just what the body needs!

Beauty tip: Sometimes I will use a shimmer eyeshadow as a shimmer for my face. Just take a blush brush, and smooth shadow over nose and cheeks....use a neutral color obviously!!

Acorn Squash...

So you know that I have been talking about fall vegetables.... I love them!! They are so nutritious, grounding and delicious.

Tonight I am making a VERY simple dinner. Not every night has to be a four course meal...

I am making Acorn Squash. Yep...that's it. Acorn Squash.

I cut it in half, scooped out the seeds, drizzled it with olive oil and salt and put it in the oven. (ok, Luke put it in the oven.....)

Cooking times may vary but usually 425 for about 35-40 minutes should do it- or until its soft.

You can also use butter and cinnamon if you prefer it sweeter and if you want to make veggies or protein to go with it, you can do that too! That's what's so great about life....you can do what ever you want!! :)

Beauty Tip: make sure you use gloves when washing the dishes. It will keep your manicure looking good and hands looking nice and young! You can even load a heavy cream on them before you start your chore.

Weekend!...

Hi! What a great weekend this was.! It's been busy so I wasn't able to write yesterday but here is what happened:

Friday went to a new bar in williamsburg that was really cool! Too bad the owner is self centered and rude....

Sat morning I went to a boot camp that my friend Declan put on it Stuy town. It was almost 90 minutes and it was serious! I still can't move.....

After that i did a little shopping and wound up at the farmers market in Union Square....it was POURING!!!- good times.

My friends were having an appetizer cocktail party at their house sat night so I made stuffed mushrooms....these things were off the hook and so simple to make! The best part is, I actually only needed about half the mixture. The other half I just mixed with some shrimp that I had in the fridge, heated it up and had it for dinner....

I am going to tell you how I made the mushrooms in one second but first I want to talk about being able to think outside the box! This is just a quick recipe, the real challenge is to learn how to "go with the flow" and just be creative! Mix and match and do what ever you want! Just google cooking times and start creating your own recipes.. ok, with that said, here's what I did:

What you need:
*18 mushrooms (or how ever many you will need...)
*1/2 pound sausage (either hot or sweet or mixture)
*1 small onion chopped
*little bit of panko or bread crumbs
*olive oil
*sun dried tomatoes chopped
*1/2 zucchini (or spinach, or whatever...)
*1 celery stalk chopped
*little bit of Parmesan

what to do:
*remove stems from mushrooms and keep about half and chop into little pieces- discard rest
*Brown sausage and break it up until cooked. Transfer to paper towel to drain
*cook onions and celery in leftover juices stirring often until soft, add chopped mushroom bits and cook a few more minutes (adding olive oil if necessary)
*transfer sausage and onion, celery, mushroom mixture to bowl. still in rest of ingredients and mix well
*line shallow pan with tinfoil and put mushrooms in it....fill each cap with as much filling as you can. (preheat oven to 425 while you do this....)
*drizzle with olive oil and top with panko, cheese and salt
*bake for about 20 minutes

Any leftovers can be combined with anything....that's what's so good! This is a great thing to make around the holidays and you can really be creative! So do whatever!....I dare you .

Beauty Tip: Take some lemon and smooth it over face to help with sun damage and oiliness..rinse with warm wated and moisturize as usual.

Mmmm....soup!

So last night I made a different version of the soup I posted.

I still made sweet potato & cauliflower but I added smoked bacon. Here is what I did:

What you will need:
*2 tbl olive oil or veg oil
*2 sweet potatoes cut into cubes
*1 head of cauliflower cut into florets
*1 onion chopped
*1-2 small carrots chopped
*1 celery stalk chopped
*bacon, Canadian bacon or prosciutto cut into little pieces
*pinch of thyme
*6 cups Low sodium chicken or veg stock (i used veg)
*salt and pepper to taste
*cayenne pepper (if you like it spicy like me!)

To make:
*Take large soup pan or dutch oven (i am personally obsessed with my dutch oven!!) and add tbs of olive oil
*add chopped onion, carrot and celery and cook until soft- a couple of minutes
*add chopped bacon and stir a few minutes more
*add stock, sweet potatoes, and cauliflower. Bring to boil
*Turn down to simmer, put lid on and simmer about 25 mins or until potatoes are soft
*adjust seasoning to your desire. Add salt, pepper, thyme and cayenne, or what ever you like
*using a hand held blender blend soup until desired consistency or transfer to blender.

This soup was delicious and there was a ton of it! It only took a half hour from start to finish. It made the house smell yummy and it made Luke and very happy!! :) I'm having it for lunch today too....

Beauty Tip: this time of year our tan fades...boo :(...so warm up your hair color- try and stay away from ashy shades- they can make you look older and more pale. Also, break out the fake tanner! (which really you should be using all year round and not getting the real thing....)

Ayurveda

Today on on my lunch break I took a walk to go get something because I have been bad and haven't gone grocery shopping. (fingers crossed I will get there tonight!)

As I was walking I realized how cold it was and all of a sudden I had a craving for hot soup.- That got me thinking about the Ayurveda philosophy.

I was going to talk about it but even as I was researching about Ayurveda I started confusing myself because it is a very in-depth philosophy and there is so much written about it. So I am going back to the basics and am going to break it down in the simplest terms!

*Basically the Ayurveda way is to eat foods that are local and in season. The reasoning is that every season harvests vegetables, fruits and grains for a reason.

*The winter we naturally crave soups, nuts, warm grains, and other high fat and protein foods such as meat and fish.

*In the spring we want salads, berries, and leafy greens -- a naturally low-fat diet.

*And in the summer, when the days are long and hot, we require cooling and high-energy foods such as fruits and vegetables, which are a naturally available high carbohydrate diet.

The easiest way to see what is in season right now is to go to the farmers market. If you can shop from local farmers- according to Ayurveda philosophy you will be in harmony at all times! La la la la la....

I found this great website that helps break it down http://www.eattheseasons.com/ '

Cauliflower and sweet potatoes are in season right now and here is a great soup that takes less than 45 mins and can feed you for days:

Soup:
1 small head cauliflower cut in 2-inch chunks.
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1 inch chunks
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 quarts vegetable stock or water
Sea salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

Preparation:
*Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and cook garlic, onion, and carrot over medium heat for until onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.
*Add sweet potatoes and large cauliflower chunks, along with stock, 3 large pinches of sea salt and Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat and simmer 30 minutes.
*Puree with vertical blender until smooth. If soup is too thick, add water or stock ½ cup at a time until desired consistency is reached.- season as desired (I like to add cayenne pepper....)

*play around with it- you don't have to follow this to a "T"
*Serves 4-6

Beauty Tip: Excercise!! I know that everyone knows that, but this is a friendly reminder to move your butts a little. Nothing makes you more beautiful!