Monthly Archives: January 2011

January 29, 2011 · 4:10 pm

Smoothie Weather

I am loving this 70 degree weather in January! It’s days like these that I’m glad I live in Dallas. There are very few places on the planet where you get a day like today in the middle of winter. I’ve been out running errands and its so warm I broke a sweat! Skinny jeans were a bad idea. And my car’s AC picked the wrong day to go on the fritz. I needed a cold treat when i got home so I mixed this up with our new Bamix immersion blender — the most amazing kitchen tool ever — and it’s so delicious and cooling and satisfying as I’m sitting here in my damp skinny jeans that I just had to share. Yay for smoothie weather!

Mango Banana Orange Smoothie

1 frozen banana

Handful of frozen mango chunks

Orange juice

Blend together until smooth. Enjoy!

If you don’t have frozen fruit you can use fresh and just add ice to make it cold. I find frozen fruit gives the best consistency though. Freeze leftover banana pieces and keep them in the freezer to use in smoothies.

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January 26, 2011 · 10:32 pm

Breathe.

At the beginning of my yoga class the instructor usually asks us to set an intention. It’s something to be mindful or to work on throughout the class. Usually mine is simple: breathe. Much of yoga is about breathing, using the breath as you move and focusing on the in and out to clear the mind. When I first started the class, maintaining this focus was the hardest part for me. My mind is like a 2 year old that can’t keep still. I inhale… exhale… and then wonder what’s for dinner? My mind goes to groceries, work, decorating, the weekend… my quiet little breath doesn’t stand a chance with all the noise in my head! So I make it my intention to breathe and focus on it to clear my head. Like anything else it takes practice, but being able to control and use your breath is a fantastic asset to your health.

Give it a try right here. Close your eyes. Breathe in through your nose. Breathe out through your mouth. When you breathe in, take the air in all the way so that your stomach expands. It should rise on the inhale and and fall on the exhale. Then push the air all the way out through your mouth. Try breathing this way a few times and see how it feels. This is the proper way to take a breath. That’s the other thing… when I started doing yoga I realized I had been doing it all wrong! Taking those big belly breaths brings in more oxygen which in turn gives you more energy. With each breath remember that you’re taking in oxygen that’s giving life to every cell in your body. If you ask me that’s something worth paying attention to every now and then.

Try focusing on the breath at some point throughout your day. If you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, angry, come back to the breath. Dr. Weil shared this simple breathing exercise with our IIN class in New York over the summer. Maybe it will work for you….

Relax your tongue below the ridge of your mouth and behind your front teeth.
Breathe in through your nose for 4 counts
Hold the breath for 7 counts
Breathe out though your mouth for 8 counts
Repeat 3 more times.

Try doing this exercise 2 times a day. But do not exceed 8 times a day. Use it when you’re stuck in traffic, or try it to help you fall asleep when you can’t.

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January 23, 2011 · 9:16 pm

Butternut Squash and Spinach Pasta

Driving home from work the other night this was my thought process: Ugh, we have nothing to eat. I guess I’ll pick something up…. But what? Wait, really?…. I just went to the store on Sunday and spent $108, how could we have nothing to eat? We have squash… probably an onion hiding in the pantry… and I bought that ginormous tub of spinach. Surely I can make something. But do I want to? Not really. It’s cold. I do want to go home. OK, fine I’ll go home and cook.
I get home, crack open my laptop and type my two star ingredients into Google. Several recipes popped up. Risotto… no. Pasta… yes, I have that. OK. I can make something here…. I read a few more to get some ideas and did a little mash up of a few different ones to create something of my own. The end result which took only about 30 minutes to get to, was way better (and cheaper) than whatever else I would have picked up on my way home. The hubs was a fan too (even though it was sans meat).
So here it is, TA DA!:
Why am I telling you all of this? Because I think we’ve all been there. Be it at age 8 or at age 58, you open the fridge, stare blankly for a minute, close it and say “there’s nothing to eat.” It’s just too easy to order a pizza or pick up take out despite having a fridge full of fresh ingredients at home. But when the hard part is done, there really is nothing like a home cooked meal that’s delicious, you know what’s in it, and you made yourself. Most of the time, it’s worth it and hopefully appreciated.
I give you the oh-so-simple…

Butternut Squash and Spinach Pasta

What you need:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 yellow onion
1 butternut squash
bunch of spinach
whole grain pasta (wheat, rice or quinoa)
4 oz chicken broth
pine nuts
cheese – Romano, Parmesan, or whatever you’ve got if you want it (optional)
What you do:
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds. Add chopped onion and saute until translucent (about 5-6 minutes).
In a separate pot bring salted water to a boil.
Go back to the skillet and when the onion is slightly browning, add squash and stir. Add chicken broth and simmer until broth is absorbed and squash is tender (10-15 minutes).
Now go back to your pot for the pasta. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package instructions.
Check the squash after 10 minutes, if tender, add spinach and stir. Continue cooking until spinach is wilted, about a minute.
When pasta is done, drain, rinse and add to pan. Stir to combine.
Serve and top with pine nuts and cheese (optional).

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January 3, 2011 · 10:29 pm

Want to Learn to Cook?

I came across this article on the New York Times website that’s about simplifying food and cooking. People are cooking less and less these days, but still manage to watch 35 hours of TV a week, some of which is actually of other people… cooking! We have a fascination with cooking, but when it comes to us doing it ourselves…. We say we can’t. Baloney. I like this article because it makes the daunting task of cooking much simpler. If you’re out there just starting to cook or wanting to learn, don’t start with a risotto. Go with the simple, time tested staples that Mark Bittman recommends here: a stir fry, salad or good ole rice and beans. He gives an example of each and tips on how you can vary them. Start with the basics and then as you get more comfortable, experiment with new ingredients and flavors. After a few times in the kitchen, you’ll be an expert… or at least know enough to pretend to be one. The best way to learn to cook is to just getting in there and do it. And making mistakes. So burn the rice. And don’t worry if you don’t know how to properly chop an onion. You’ll figure it out as you go. And you’ll be a better cook for it.

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January 1, 2011 · 3:17 pm

Forget the Resolution

It’s the first day of 2011 and that means resolutions are being made to lose weight, get healthy and workout. Myself included. Frankly, I’m a little disgusted with myself and looking forward to getting back in a healthy routine. I imagine you might be feeling the same way. Come Monday the lines at the gym will be insane and I’m willing to bet my (once) regular yoga class will be a little cozier. It always is the first few weeks of the new year. But eventually it levels back out. That’s the thing with resolutions. They’re tough to keep. I’m in no place to be saying anything about breaking them. I know it won’t be long before I indulge again. But I won’t beat myself up over it. Deprivation is not the way it’s done. That’s the reason diets don’t work. If we feel deprived we’ll waver. But wavering is OK. It’s not worth beating yourself up over it. The most important lesson I learned in 2010 is that it’s a journey. “Healthy” isn’t a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. It is the rainbow.

Being healthy isn’t it. It’s a means to an end. It’s not about just being healthy. It’s about what being healthy allows us to do. In the same way, it’s not about who we are on the last day of 2011. It’s about who we are everyday of 2011. Maybe we’ve got it all wrong with this resolution business. What if instead we think of them as intentions, or mantras that we can say to ourselves everyday of the year to remember that it’s a journey. It could be something as simple as “I will take better care of myself.” “Be kind (to myself and others).” “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”

It’s all about perspective and what it is that helps you stick with it.

What will your mantra for 2011 be?

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