Morning Run

This mild winter weather had me remembering how much I enjoy getting out early and moving around.  One of the sunny mornings, I put my sneakers on and took off. 

I paused for a beautiful park gate, that looked a bit like myself....rusty and beautiful all in one.  It had been a while since I ran and my body was telling me. 

I continued to put one foot in front of the other and soon found my stride. 

My Thursday morning workout ladies and I enjoyed a tray of carrot coins and almond butter.  What a colorful and tasty treat....I was getting tired of apples and almond butter, so decided to switch it up.  The combination is delicious and so easy to prepare.  Speaking of easy to prepare....the Easy Bake Oven!

This week was full of sunshine and sweet memories.  My cousin Susan had the week off from school, so we had some fun in the city on Friday.  The toy store FAO Schwarz is celebrating their 150th year in business, so we checked out their gallery of nostalgic toys.  We saw their original sales ledger, all hand written, old Crayola crayon boxes, GI Joe and Barbie dolls, and my personal favorite the original Easy Bake Oven!  I always wanted one, but never got one.  I survived my scarred childhood, thanks to my best friend and neighbor next door, Jenn had one.   We shared that magical experience of baking mini cakes with a light bulb together.  I wish dinner and dessert was as easy as that to put together these days...some days it feels like so much time and effort. 

 Susan and I were also desperate for a healthy snack...and I forgot to come prepared.  We found ourselves at Whole Foods Market and quickly set up an apple almond butter snack.  We felt like two kids in the after school program who were waiting for their parents to pick them up.  Happy apple crunching 'children' sharing a table and conversation. 

I hope all of you had a wonderful week and you found your breaks of sunshine in many forms.  A simple bouquet of flowers, a phone call with a friend,

Maybe in a fresh juice

Exploring nature and breathing in the fresh air while hiking along the Hudson River.

Remembering that winter will end and spring is right around the corner. Come quickly!!

May you find gratitude in your heart for all of life's blessings big & small. 

Cut & Color

So the other day I realized...woops I have forgotten to get my haircut and now it's out of control.  Life just got super busy, so it was just easier to throw it up in a ponytail and forget about it. 

Well...I finally got it cut.  It was one of those quick decision, that I regret.  Half way through the haircut I remembered why I don't use this hair stylist anymore....she starts talking about her latest trip to AC (Atlantic City, for all you non-Jersey folk) which I could care less about and then keeps cutting my hair much shorter than I thought!  Now I know it needed a trim, but come on!! Can you please stop talking and pay attention to my head, would ya!!
So today it's back up in the pony tail and we are back to square one.  Good thing my hair grows like a weed...I should be back to normal by next week. 

With no time for a 3 hour color ordeal....I opted for my color in the form of vegetables and grains.  This weeks color red quinoa and golden roasted butternut squash. 

I made a red quinoa salad to have in the fridge for lunch.  It was easy to put together, and made lunch so easy the rest of the week. 

A fun trip to Trader Joe's made me try organic pea sprouts in my salad.  They are delicious and add a nice crunch to this tangy vegetable and grain salad. 

Don't let cooking quinoa intimidate you...it's very easy.  Following the directions on the back of the bag it takes about 15-20 minutes to cook and then you fluff it up with a fork like cous-cous.  Quinoa is such a super grain, it has double the protein of brown rice.  This salad will keep you full all afternoon...amen!

Still making time to play with my food!  Lots of beautiful green in this salad...lime juice, cilantro and jalapeno. 

Hello lunch....you're looking good so far. 

Easy dressing of lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, cumin, olive oil, salt & pepper

A super healthy lunch...black bean quinoa salad topped with avocado, a side of roasted sweet butternut squash and orange slices...here's hoping all that orange will help keep my 'oh so natural' auburn hair...ha! 

Red Quinoa Salad

Light, colorful and fresh this salad is packed with protein and healthy fats.  The fresh lime juice makes a tangy dressing that will have you dreaming of spring and summer.  Perfect to pack for a healthy lunch or a light dinner.   Feel free to add in any veggies you like, you can’t go wrong with this recipe.  Prepare this beautiful salad one day and have it ready and waiting in the fridge for you after a long day at work.  This salad was adapted from Angela at the beautiful blog Oh She Glows.  Check it out, she is such an inspiration for me! 

Prep Time:  20-25 minutes     Cook Time: 15-18 minutes       

Yields: 6-8 servings

           

1 cup uncooked red quinoa

1-14 ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 red pepper, chopped

1 yellow or orange pepper, chopped

1 cup of pea sprouts, chopped

¼ cup of cilantro, chopped

2 scallions, chopped

1 small avocado, pitted and chopped

Dressing:

1 tablespoon of lime zest

4-5 tablespoons of fresh lime juice, (juice of two limes)

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

¼ cup of fresh cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon of cumin

¼ cup of olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

1.        Cook the quinoa according to package.

2.      While quinoa is cooking, prep all the veggies.

3.      Whisk together the dressing in a small bowl. 

4.      Allow quinoa to cool (5-10 minutes) and fluff with a fork.  Add beans and vegetables and toss well. 

5.      Drizzle dressing over salad and toss well.  Season with salt & pepper.  Serve on a bed of greens for a delicious meal.  Enjoy!

This weekend is looking like a great one....three days and lots of fun stuff planned. 

It started off wonderful with the grand opening of a new zumba studio in town.  Sassy Cap Dance & Fitness with the beautiful and talented Jeannine Severino.  Where I shared some homemade goodies and fresh fruit after our 90 minute class.  We danced our butts off, it was so much fun!

It wouldn't be a good three day weekend without some dark chocolate nut ballz!!

These were gone in a about 30 seconds! 

If you're free Thursday night, Feb 23rd, and live in the area, I have a only two spots left for my healthy cooking class.  It's a terrific menu and fun group of women.  Come join us, menu and recipe can be found on the Cooking Class page of this blog. 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!



Heart Beet Juice

Valentine's Week is well underway here in our cozy nest.  We're breaking out all our red in the form of vegetable juice.  Have you ever tried beet juice?  It's so good for you, and has a sweet taste combined with all the other fruits and veggies.  I had so much fun sharing this ruby red beet juice with my Thursday morning workout girls.  Everyone got a shot...and their faces were all smiles. 

We've been trying to pull the juicer out every weekend, and this week it made a few more appearances. 

It's always worth the time spent cleaning and washing out the machine...the juice is so fresh and delicious.

I save the best beets for last....they are a beautiful color, a rich earthy red!

Here's beautiful Rumy snapping a few pictures of our little spread. 

  The beet juice was just to wash down the raw chocolate macaroons...it was a chocolate love-fest after our killer workout!  This was just a little part of the cooking/baking I did this week...the other recipe I worked on was homemade whole wheat fig bars. 

They started out with some chewy figs and fresh orange zest. 

And became a simmering soft figgy filling... of figs, orange zest, and agave nectar

Whole wheat flour and oat crust...easy to whip up

Spread the bottom crust in an 8x8 pan

Spread the cooled fig jam on top

and then the top crust....ready for the oven!

Almost ready to eat!  Needed to make a quick lunch in between.

The last of the lentil soup and avocado goddess toast.

And an orange on the side...for a nice burst of color 

Ta-da!! Homemade Fig Bars are ready!!!

These little babies are moist and tasty...not very sweet, but a soft gooey 'made with love' dessert.  I took them to a fun clothing swap party at my friend Megan's store.  I came home with some great clothes and enjoyed meeting all the other women. 

I hope you got a chance to do something you LOVE this week.  Creating and sharing my recipes with all of you and my friends makes me so happy.  Thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog! 

Happy Valentine's Day everyone...do something nice for yourself and someone you love! 

xo



(keep checking back...will be posting the fig bar recipe soon...'recipe page' is under construction)

Soup-erbowl!

My little city is bursting with pride for the Giants and fans are gearing up for the superbowl, but here in my apartment I've been bursting about my rock'in red lentil soup!  This beauty is all about health and wellness. It is a perfect pot of warm, creamy and delicious soup for all of your family and friends.  Make it on Sunday and enjoy the game in a healthy way.

It makes a huge pot, so plenty of big bowls of steamy soup!

Very simple ingredients and not a lot of time...a winning combination for busy cooks. 

Red lentils cook really fast right in the soup pot and are packed with protein. 

One large onion...makes my cry..tears....wahhh!!!

Having fun playing with my food....carrots, 2 red potatoes and garlic, easy right?

Sauting onions with spices...smells amazing!

Add potatoes and carrots, cover and cook until tender. 

Add in all the good stuff...stock, lentils, fire roasted tomotoes, cover and let cook for a bit.

Attack those soft veggies and lentils with an immersion blender (the best $14. I ever spent) if you don't have one buy it today...they are so handy...get it?!!!

Ahhhhh....soup's on!!

Top with fresh cilantro and lunch is done!!

As we cheer for our local team the New York Giants on Sunday, the big blue as they are often refered to here in Hoboken...we should also remember another giant known for something blue. 

Good old blue eyes himself....our Frank Sinatra!!! He's everywhere in town. 

And as far as football goes....

Hail Merry's aren't just a pass on the field...

They're a fun little bag of macaroons!!!

Have a Soup-erbowl Sunday everyone!!

Rock’ in Red Lentil Soup

This warm and hearty winter soup will keep you full forever.  It’s packed with protein, tons of vitamins, minerals and toasty spices like turmeric which works as a natural anti-inflammatory, garlic which lowers cholesterol and blood pressure.  Your healthy body is crying out for you to make this soup!! Go ahead give it a try, you’re so worth it!! This recipe was adapted from ‘Edible Nutmeg’ Magazine. 

Yields: 8-10 generous servings      Prep Time:  15-20 minutes    Cook Time:  20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic, diced

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup of carrots (2-3 carrots) chopped

1 large or 2 medium red potatoes, diced (skins on) or sweet potato-(no skin)

2 cups of red lentils, rinsed and drained

8 cups water, vegetable or chicken stock

1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted)

Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

1.       Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat.  Add onions and sauté until soft, 5-10 minutes.  Add garlic and cook, stirring continuously until fragrant, about 2 minutes. 

2.      Stir in all the spices, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and cayenne.  And take a big whiff…it should smell amazing!!

3.      Add chopped carrots and potatoes; stir to combine with all the onions and spices.  Partially cover and cook for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

4.      Add lentils, tomatoes, and stock stir to combine.  Bring heat up to a low boil, and then back down to a low simmer, uncovered.  Lentils will cook very quickly.  Let simmer for 15-20 minutes. 

5.      Add salt and pepper to taste.  You can enjoy the soup, like this or I prefer to puree it with an immersion blender, so it is creamy and smooth. 

6.      Top with diced avocado, cilantro and scallions and you will feel so good putting all those fresh, healthy, whole foods in your body.  Enjoy!