Wednesday, May 12, 2010

a perfect 'me' day

the flowers from one of my bbf's wedding :)

Its easy to get caught up in expecting yourself to accomplish fifty things a day.  I set a high bar for myself, I want to achieve some sort of greatness, and I want to be able to have all that I want.  Don't ask me why, sometimes I feel like a slave to my own expectations.  The thing is, I am a very true believer in that "you can do anything you put your mind to," I don't think there's anything you can't accomplish if your heart is truly in it.  There are a lot of things I want out of life and then there is a lot I want to give in life.  I tend to get so ambitious at times, that I want it all to just happen now or I feel that I'm in a race against time.  So I have to remind myself of balance and that its good to take time to sit and enjoy life, nature, the world around us, and that its good to take time out for ourselves.


I'm really trying to strive for a healthy, peaceful, yet productive live style where can be the happiest.  And I finally feel 'on track' with it.  Today, I woke up around 7:30 (& w/o my alarm!), got dressed in my workout get up, made tea and ate a little parfait of strawberries, plain kefir yogurt, with some chopped almonds sprinkled on top.  I checked my emails, got sucked into the internet for a little bit, and then hit the road with my yoga mat.  I hiked up Runyon Canyon and made it down just in time for the 10:30 yoga class.  It felt so good, I haven't done full on yoga in like six months!  Now, I decided I'm going to follow that little routine every Wednesday!  I got home by noon, chatted with my room mate and then made myself a big 'ol veggie salad with chicken and goat cheese! I sat out by the pool and ate it with a tasty glass of coconut milk.  I learnt recently that you should consume a bit of fat with your vegetables to increase your body's ability to absorb the health-promoting carotenoids that vegetables provide.  There are lots of good soluble fat in coconuts, so why not get the biggest bang out of your food.


"Carotenoids are fat-soluble substances, and as such require the presence of dietary fat for proper absorption through the digestive tract. Consequently, your carotenoid status may be impaired by a diet that is extremely low in fat." Found @ http://www.whfoods.com/, one of my favorite informational websites on nutrition.
my salad today
my roomie's mushroom & avocado omelet looked so good this morning!

Monday, May 10, 2010

when I move to Chicago..

One of the first things I'm going to do is check out Dance It Off, supposably part exercise class and part underground dance club.  I'm loving the idea, and wishing I could go right now!  I am a dance-a-holic, or at least would be if I had more time and money or space.  Here's there website for the details.  http://www.danceitoffchicago.com/

They have list of the music they play each class and it's not bad at all! You can't go wrong as long as there is some eighties music in the mix!!

addiction

My new favorite addiction is Silk's Almond Milk! It took me a little while to originally fall in love with almond milk because seemed weird at first to drink a liquid with a light nutty almond flavor.  I would use it in place of milk in my morning bowl of Kashi cereal (which in my opinion is the best way to eat Kashi's orig. Go Lean cereal).  But, okay, so there is almond milk by Almond Breeze which is good and I will continue to use in my cereal.  BUT NOW Silk just introduced there almond milk and it is sooo good, especially for shakes or just to drink alone.  It is much more savory, not to mention thick and creamy :) !!!  Now I wish they'd set me up with a lifetime supply of free almond milk for spreading the word and raving about it!!  Look I even have an ad..



Here are two recipes I have yet to try, but I found them on http://www.silkpurealmond.com/ and they sounded yummy!  I will let you know how they turn out!

Mango Smoothie




Ingredients

Method In a blender, combine all ingredients until thick and creamy, about 2 minutes. Serve in tall glasses garnished with mint.

Yield

4 (1-cup) servings

Nutritional info  Calories 101; Total Fat 1g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 83mg; Carbohydrates 24g; Fiber 2g; Sugars 21g; Protein 1g; Vitamin A 20% DV; Vitamin C 49% DV; Calcium 12% DV; Iron 2% DV


Creamy Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 large butternut squash, about 2.5 lbs, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 stems fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3-4 cups water
2 cups Silk Pure Almond Original
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

4 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds, for garnish

Method Heat a 5-quart soup pot over medium-low heat; add olive oil and heat for 1 minute. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add apple, squash, thyme, bay leaf, nutmeg and enough water to cover ingredients. Turn heat to medium high and cook for 15-18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender. Stir in Pure Almond and heat through.

Remove from heat, remove thyme stems and bay leaf and allow mixture to cool for 5 minutes. In two to three separate batches, puree soup in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Return to saucepan and reheat. Add nutmeg and lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in warm bowls garnished with toasted sliced almonds.

Yield

6 servings

Nutritional info   Calories 159; Total Fat 9g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 444mg; Carbohydrates 21g; Fiber 4g; Sugars 8g; Protein 3g; Vitamin A 202% DV; Vitamin C 39% DV; Calcium 17% DV; Iron 7% DV

Monday, May 3, 2010

seven weeks, seven adventures


Its May. WOW!?  I feel like it was just a few weeks ago when the new year rang in along with my new goals and plans for the year.  Now its four months later.  I'm left sitting here wondering what happened to time and if I accomplished anything.  Its weird because I guess when I do think about it, a lot has happened.  Only, it either took longer, or wasn't planned.

Now if I stick to my current plan, I have seven weeks left in Los Angeles before moving on to my next city and new adventure.  Which means, no more diddle dallying, its time to make the best of everyday spent in the sunny state of California.  So I'm starting a few lists.  Lists of restaurants and bars, museams, beachs, towns, shopping, and anything else I've had sitting on the back burner.  Check out the MY PROGRESS HERE!

***Also, I wanted to say thanks to everyone who has been following my blog! And to those of you who  have left me feedback, you've made my heart smile! Thanks for that :)
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