A while back, I wrote about stepping outside your comfort zone. My whole life, I have been a rough and tumble girl who loves her hip checks and slap shots. Sports have been a huge part of my life and have helped shape the direction my life has taken (would my husband have asked me to marry him if I didn't like the Yankees???). I still do, and will always, love the world of sports and pushing myself to the limit. But this year, I have found a new way to do that and it doesn't involve skates, zoomers, or Garmins.
Ballet.
That's right, ballet. Some of my readers may be familiar with the terms in the title of this blog. For me, the only knowledge I had of them was from my years of studying French in school (sorry for the lack of accent aigu--Madame Kaufman would not be happy!). But I have, since high school, loved to watch ballet. I think it is an absolutely beautiful form of art. And yes, I'll admit it, I have twirled around my kitchen when no one was looking! Now I am in a time of my life when I wanted to give it a try for real. So I found a school, bought some pink tights and shoes and signed up for my first class. I usually feel pretty comfortable walking into any athletic situation. But I have to admit that I was slightly intimidated walking into that class and telling the teacher this was my first ballet class... dance class... ever. The good thing is, I was not alone.
Let me tell you, ballet is hard. It is hard physically and mentally. My legs were sore the next day. But it was so much fun and continues to be each class. This past Thursday I remember thinking in the middle of a challenging sequence of steps, "I am loving this! Ballet, where have you been all my life?" It is humbling to try something new that I know nothing about. But each night I come home from class and talk to Brian about what we did like an excited teenager. I am so happy to have found something that is enjoyable, physically demanding, and able to push me beyond what I am used to.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
About Kris Carr... again!
Okay, I just finished watching Kris Carr's movie "Crazy, Sexy, Cancer." It is a must-see if you can do it! If not, pick up her book Crazy Sexy Diet. I mean, here is a woman who was diagnosed with a serious cancer and admits that it took something like that to change her life; to make a positive change. And she is sharing what she has learned so that it doesn't take the rest of us a cancer diagnosis (or whatever!) to make the same positive change.
What I love about her is that she's not all or nothing, so to speak, especially when it comes to the nutrition aspect of it. Sometimes when I read these nutrition books or vegan manifestos, I feel unable to live up to what they are saying to do. But Kris Carr says, you know what, that's fine. In the movie it shows her absolutely miserable on a 21 day raw juice diet (not the one she recommends in her book, btw), drinking (gasp) acidic coffee, and just learning how to accept a condition in her body that might not ever go away. It's an inspiring story and not just her own. She also shares the stories of several other women dealing with all sorts of cancers and how it changes the way they approach life.
Sometimes I feel like I need to view such sources of inspiration on at least a weekly basis. I'll see something like Crazy Sexy Cancer and want to eat wholesome, nutritious foods, devote myself to daily yoga and meditation, and just live each moment to the fullest. And then... well, someone has to do the laundry. And what? You mean you have another poopy diaper, CJ? Ugh, I think I need another cup of coffee! I guess, as Carr talks about in her movie and her books, you just have to find the right balance for yourself. We all have to just do the best we can!
What I love about her is that she's not all or nothing, so to speak, especially when it comes to the nutrition aspect of it. Sometimes when I read these nutrition books or vegan manifestos, I feel unable to live up to what they are saying to do. But Kris Carr says, you know what, that's fine. In the movie it shows her absolutely miserable on a 21 day raw juice diet (not the one she recommends in her book, btw), drinking (gasp) acidic coffee, and just learning how to accept a condition in her body that might not ever go away. It's an inspiring story and not just her own. She also shares the stories of several other women dealing with all sorts of cancers and how it changes the way they approach life.
Sometimes I feel like I need to view such sources of inspiration on at least a weekly basis. I'll see something like Crazy Sexy Cancer and want to eat wholesome, nutritious foods, devote myself to daily yoga and meditation, and just live each moment to the fullest. And then... well, someone has to do the laundry. And what? You mean you have another poopy diaper, CJ? Ugh, I think I need another cup of coffee! I guess, as Carr talks about in her movie and her books, you just have to find the right balance for yourself. We all have to just do the best we can!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Jack LaLanne
I was sad to find out that Jack LaLanne passed away yesterday at the ripe old age of 96. This man was a true proponent of a healthy lifestyle. He ate well, exercised (to put it mildly), and exhibited a positive, optimistic attitude. I'm pretty sure all of these reasons contributed to his long, active life! Here is a nice article on his passing from the New York Times...
I first loved listening to LaLanne's videos a few years ago on YouTube. I think they are from his original show ("The Jack LaLanne Show"). They are simple, but very fun to watch. If you have a moment check one or two of them out!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Working with what you have
So tonight, I didn't really feel like following any of the recipes I had planned for the week so I made due with what I had in the fridge. Here is what resulted:
First, I cooked 1/2 cup of millet (a yummy and very healthy grain) in simmering water for 25 minutes. While that was cooking, I sauteed a yellow onion, four cloves of chopped garlic, two diced tomatoes, one jar of sun dried tomatoes, 1/2 cup chopped black olives, and some fresh oregano in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. I also added a little salt and pepper to taste. After that cooked for about 15 minutes, I added a can of cannellini beans and cooked until the millet was done. Then I placed the veggies over the millet and topped it with just a little of the Daiya cheese (mozzarella style) that we had leftover from the week and served it up! It actually turned out to be very yummy.
It's amazing what you can come up with when you have good, fresh ingredients in your pantry and fridge. I do this a lot with leftovers. For example, this week, I had some leftover rice and kidney beans. I put them together in a dish and then (separately) cooked a frozen kale/spinach/collards mix and combined them. I didn't have any, but normally I might put a little cheddar style Daiya cheese on top for some extra flavor. This usually works pretty well with Christopher too. Give the boy some beans and he's happy!
First, I cooked 1/2 cup of millet (a yummy and very healthy grain) in simmering water for 25 minutes. While that was cooking, I sauteed a yellow onion, four cloves of chopped garlic, two diced tomatoes, one jar of sun dried tomatoes, 1/2 cup chopped black olives, and some fresh oregano in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. I also added a little salt and pepper to taste. After that cooked for about 15 minutes, I added a can of cannellini beans and cooked until the millet was done. Then I placed the veggies over the millet and topped it with just a little of the Daiya cheese (mozzarella style) that we had leftover from the week and served it up! It actually turned out to be very yummy.
It's amazing what you can come up with when you have good, fresh ingredients in your pantry and fridge. I do this a lot with leftovers. For example, this week, I had some leftover rice and kidney beans. I put them together in a dish and then (separately) cooked a frozen kale/spinach/collards mix and combined them. I didn't have any, but normally I might put a little cheddar style Daiya cheese on top for some extra flavor. This usually works pretty well with Christopher too. Give the boy some beans and he's happy!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Did you know?
In 1960, Americans spent 18% of our income on food and 5% on health care.
Today, Americans spend 9% of our income on food and 17% on health care.
It may seem like you're saving when you buy cheap food in the grocery store but you end up paying for it in other ways. It may seem expensive to buy healthy foods (although it doesn't always have to be!) but it is also expensive to spend your hard earned cash on medications down the road.
Think of your food as medicine (and no, people, doughnuts are not medicine... sorry). Fill your body with life-giving, energy enhancing fruits, veggies, beans, and whole grains. Your body will thank you!
Today, Americans spend 9% of our income on food and 17% on health care.
It may seem like you're saving when you buy cheap food in the grocery store but you end up paying for it in other ways. It may seem expensive to buy healthy foods (although it doesn't always have to be!) but it is also expensive to spend your hard earned cash on medications down the road.
Think of your food as medicine (and no, people, doughnuts are not medicine... sorry). Fill your body with life-giving, energy enhancing fruits, veggies, beans, and whole grains. Your body will thank you!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Crazy Sexy Living
Kris Carr is my new hero.
If you're not familiar with Kris Carr, allow me to share... At the age of 31, she was diagnosed with a rare cancer (I don't think there's enough room in the post to spell out what she has!) after lesions were found on her liver and lungs. The cancer was in stage four. There is no stage five. If there was one good thing about it, her cancer was a slow moving one. Long story short, she took her life into her own hands and empowered herself to make choices that would lead to a healthy and happy life. Eight years later, she still technically has cancer but she has essentially stopped it dead in its tracks because of the lifestyle choices she has made. Here is a preview of her movie that was on TLC some time ago...
If you're not familiar with Kris Carr, allow me to share... At the age of 31, she was diagnosed with a rare cancer (I don't think there's enough room in the post to spell out what she has!) after lesions were found on her liver and lungs. The cancer was in stage four. There is no stage five. If there was one good thing about it, her cancer was a slow moving one. Long story short, she took her life into her own hands and empowered herself to make choices that would lead to a healthy and happy life. Eight years later, she still technically has cancer but she has essentially stopped it dead in its tracks because of the lifestyle choices she has made. Here is a preview of her movie that was on TLC some time ago...
Crazy Sexy Kris is the embodiment of empowered living! And one of the things I love most in her message is that the grocery store is her pharmacy. But for Kris Carr, it's not just about food-- it's about attitude; making choices to live a happy, positive, compassionate life.
I recently picked up her latest book Crazy Sexy Diet (thanks for the recommendation Jyoti!) and am devouring it as we speak. I have also added her blog, "Crazy Sexy Life," to my blog list (upper right hand corner). Check out some of the articles from her blog and I guarantee you will adore her and feel like grabbing life by the horns (or by the shovel in our case today!). Have a great day!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Veganomicon
Basil-Cilantro Pesto
2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
Place everything but the olive oil in a food processor and blend until pasty, scraping down sides occasionally. With food processor on, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Blend until smooth with no large chunks of almonds left.
Spinach Linguine with Basil-Cilantro Pesto and Artichokes
1/2 pound spinach linguine (I used a full pound)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, sliced into half-moons
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced (I used 5 cloves--I always add more garlic to everything I make!)
2 tablespoons white cooking wine (I used Sutter Home Chardonnay)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe basil-cilantro pesto
1 (15 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced in half (use the kind packed in water, not oil)
1. Cook pasta. While it is cooking, saute onion in a skillet with olive oil about 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and saute for a minute more. Add white wine, salt, and pepper and cook for another minute or two.
2. When linguine is ready, don't drain it. Use a pasta spoon to transfer it in batches to the skillet with the onions. When you add a scoop of pasta, add a spoonful of pesto at the same time. Mix it evenly and repeat until all the pasta and pesto are used. If the mixture seems dry, add a little pasta water to it.
3. Add artichokes and toss to coat. Cook gently over a low heat for about 3 minutes and serve.
This book also includes a recipe for chocolate chocolate chip cookies that are to die for. I highly recommend getting this book, if for nothing else, then for the cookies. You will forget all about any previously held, negative ideas you had about vegan cooking when you try the recipes in this book!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Brrr!
Okay, I'm all about spending time in the great outdoors, but 9 degrees is a little too cold, if not for me, for my little man and my dog. So during CJ's nap time today, I am making myself a nice cup of vegan hot chocolate! The recipe is from Alicia Silverstone's cookbook The Kind Diet and this is certainly not the first time I've made it...
1 cup soy/rice milk blend
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon (eh-hem, or more!) of nondairy chocolate or carob chips
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple syrup
Optional toppings: vegan marshmallows, nondairy whipped topping, chocolate shavings...
Whisk all the ingredients (except toppings) in a small saucepan over medium heat until the chips melt. Add toppings if desired.
And now I will curl up with a nice book and enjoy my hot chocolate! Thanks Alicia!
1 cup soy/rice milk blend
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon (eh-hem, or more!) of nondairy chocolate or carob chips
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple syrup
Optional toppings: vegan marshmallows, nondairy whipped topping, chocolate shavings...
Whisk all the ingredients (except toppings) in a small saucepan over medium heat until the chips melt. Add toppings if desired.
And now I will curl up with a nice book and enjoy my hot chocolate! Thanks Alicia!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Candle 79
For my birthday this holiday season, I was fortunate enough to be in New York City where my husband took me out to Candle 79 for a gourmet vegan dinner! It was so fun to go to a restaurant and not have to wonder whether the ingredients are plant-based or not. For appetizers I got steamed dumplings and Brian had Angel's Nachos (check out their dinner menu through their website http://candle79.com). For dinner we both got the Seitan Piccata and we each had a glass of organic drinks (wine and beer, respectively). To finish our meal, we had the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss (the name speaks for itself!). Everything was so delish, we were stuffed, and we felt good about what we ate!
For Christmas I also received The Candle Cafe Cookbook which has many of the recipes from Candle 79 as well as Candle Cafe (their more casual establishment). This weekend, I made the Vegetable Lasagna with herbed tofu ricotta for dinner we were having with friends. It was a big hit, even for our friends who are not vegan. I am so excited about this new way of cooking and eating!
For Christmas I also received The Candle Cafe Cookbook which has many of the recipes from Candle 79 as well as Candle Cafe (their more casual establishment). This weekend, I made the Vegetable Lasagna with herbed tofu ricotta for dinner we were having with friends. It was a big hit, even for our friends who are not vegan. I am so excited about this new way of cooking and eating!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Many thanks!
I want to start out the new year by saying thank you to my family for helping to support my vegan eating during this past holiday season. My husband, my son, and I returned to New York and New Jersey for Christmas and I am still amazed at the effort everyone put in to making sure I had enough vegan food. My mom searched far and wide for the right soy cheese, my step-mother made several Italian dishes of beans, lentils and pasta and took out the cheese that is regularly in the recipe, and my mother-in-law made vegan pancakes and sausages for Christmas brunch. I am so thankful for everyone being so open-minded and supportive of what I think is a fabulous and healthy way of eating.
More entries to come soon. I promise!
Happy new year everyone!
More entries to come soon. I promise!
Happy new year everyone!
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