Thursday, September 29, 2011

Scrambled Eggs, Chard, and Chia


Ingredients:
4 Organic, Cage Free Eggs
1/2 cup original almond milk
1 large swiss chard leaf, torn into tiny pieces
Watkins onion garlic pepper (or use garlic pepper)

In a medium sized skillet, heat pan over medium heat. In a bowl mix together all ingredients. Add to skillet and using a spatula constantly mix until cooked completely. 

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Autumn Leaves

The leaves are just beginning to turn.
Autumn came so very quickly this year. It's the time of year when the sun still has a soothing warmth on your skin, but often the breeze brings a refreshing crispness to it that whispers of the coming winter.
Fall is many things in my heart. It is a time of remembrance of the previous year, sometimes of events and challenges, but mainly just looking back at the always flying summer.It also feels like a time when my body wants to take a deep breath and rest. I am drawn to take long walks and absorb as much connection with nature as I can, as if, soaking up the sun today will last tomorrow, next month, then the winter.
It is a time of celebration of my life with my amazing husband, this year, we reach the awesome land mark of ten years.
But most of all, it is a time I feel transition the strongest. In my reflection over this past 9 months, I have had so much transition in my life. First, leaving Tolin (my final corporate accounting job) after 11 (nearly 12) long years. Then, walking into an industry that is brand new to me, but one I am so deeply passionate about. I have spent the rest of the year building my life long dream of having a happy and fulfilling career as a health coach and owner of an integrative health center. It has been extremely challenging for me, as well as for my husband. What amazing changes and challenges; from learning how to balance work and life, to learning to create new functional processes within the center. I've challenged myself on practically every level of my existence and from this I have grown as an individual immensely. I have begun to create plans for the future of my center, and my health coaching business. It's empowering to think I can not only think outside the box, but act upon it, when ever I wish.
Part of my most recent experiments are with time balancing, include walking away from my computer and engaging in my own life - creating solid boundaries with work and life. This is one of the main reasons I wanted to work for myself for so many years. With this engagement comes amazing amounts of time with my family. Time I've never had before, but time I feel like every mother earns and should take. What a gift that comes from taking risks and trying new things!



Thursday, September 22, 2011

Plugging Into Fall and to Self

This morning, after dropping little Dom off for school, I visited that park I told you about. This time I walked further and listened to my WISH SUMMIT audio for the day. I notice that when I do this, I half listen and half think.

Today my thoughts are on the challenges I have in life right now and how to shift my energy to the positive. I have done so much studying about attracting abundance, about shifting thoughts and setting intentions. I'm finding that this can be challenging when the poop hits home. My spirit is dowsed with a heaviness I cannot describe. It affects every corner of my being and existence. How does a business owner, teacher, guide, friend, and mom lift herself so she can be the cornerstone for others?

I know the answer and found it today in my walk, listening. I understand that I need to change my vibrational frequency to be higher so that I can attract similar frequencies. (if I'm speaking Greek, read Wayne Dyer's The Power of Intention, Ronda Byrne's The Secret, or any of Echart Tolle's books.) So, I began to change my thoughts to those of what I loved about that moment.

Looking around, there is SO much for me to love at this park....

The landscaping is so easy for me to look at. It's very natural feeling and includes wide open rolling grass, small water falls, natural grasses, cattails, lovely trees, and this day the sun is shining. I love the feeling I have when I am here. It feels homey, and comfortable - yet open and natural like the land I live on. I really love it here.


Already, my energy shifts. I begin to think about possibilities of maybe someday living in this neighborhood and raising my son in an area with other children, yet having access to the open plains and country side I love so much. I think of being close to Barr Lake, and of being able to stay in the same area, which brings a sense of stability and safety with it. I begin to think of how much time Jim and I would save by not commuting so far. I think of my cats and how I would I would fight to keep them, although I'm sure it's against the covenants, but they are old and we are the only family they've ever known and I made a promise. I think of how I could teach cooking classes and smoothie making classes at the local recreation center. I think and I think. 

This is why I love walking. It's my time for me - to realign, to focus on what matters, to breathe fresh air and feel the blood pumping through my body. I feel free and limitless when I shift my energy like this and I feel empowered to take action. 

Today, I walked 1 and 1/2 miles

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Upgrade Madness

One of the greatest things about no longer dieting is that I can still enjoy all of my favorite foods. When I am being really careful about what I decide will go into my body, I upgrade in every instance.

You can apply this too! It's easy!

Take whatever you are seeking and upgrade! If you like to bake, use organic whole forms of foods, switch out whole organic sweeteners like honey, sucanat, turbinado, or molasses for refined white flour, use organic wheat flour or another cool grain flour in place of refined white flour. How about organic cage free eggs in place of regular mass cruelty produced eggs? So many changes will result in a full home made taste in your baked goods! Hmmm, just like Mom made!

Another way to upgrade is to check your labels for organic whole foods instead of chemicals. You can still have a pot pie, just choose Amy's. You can still eat frozen pizza, or better, go get a Whole Foods multi grain pizza dough and create your own pizza pie!

Want Ice Cream? Boulder has a local company that uses all natural amazing ingredients! No HFCS in that box!

To challenge yourself, take your favorite recipe and upgrade in as many spaces as you can think. Feel free to share your experience here!

Most importantly - HAVE FUN! Food should be nourishing both for your body and for your mind!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

A Reunion with Honoring Self

Life has been really interesting lately.
Most recently, Jim and I have decided that maybe it makes sense for me to not go in on days I don't have to. For one, we'll save gas, for two, I'm just as productive here as there. For three....well, I can stay home if I want to. (foot stomp, hands on hip)
Lastly, it's a part of a lot of thinking around a cloud I've been carrying for about a month. I've felt exhausted, emotional, frustrated, and afraid. No matter how much I brushed it away, it just kept coming back. My work/life balance had slipped away, quietly at night when I wasn't looking. I was working nearly 24/7. Up at 3 or 4 in the morning, to sneak down and work until it was time to wake Dom; and getting up after getting him to bed at night and coming down and working some more. Like my days weren't long enough.
I haven't been eating as good as I normally do, I haven't been sleeping well, and I haven't been moving nearly enough. As you might know, stay still for a couple of days at this age, stuck at a desk, and you quickly feel rusty.
Jim suggested I stay home on the days I really didn't need to go in, with suggestions around time management (yes, even this time management queen started to slip), scheduling out the next six months, business planning, vision work, goal setting, etc. Yes, it's a good idea. Then to myself I added; and begin to take my health back, creating balance in my favorite ways. Nourishing ME and not just my business.
So, with full intentions of having a very productive day, I dropped my son off at the start of school. It is his second day of Kindergarten, so we had a great drop off. He's at a really challenging stage where he constantly tests boundaries. With everyone. Anyway....that's a story for another day.
His school is located in a new suburban area northeast of Commerce City. I love this new area, love the lay out and how it seemingly embraces the prairie. It's homes are natural tones and it has it's own walking trails and beautiful landscaping that include plants native to our area. LOVE IT.
I decided after dropping him off that I'd explore the local walking paths. I left my car outside of the recreation center and headed out to what was the most beautiful walk I've taken in a long, long time. It was peaceful, since I was alone, and I was able to walk my pace and take in the animals and beautiful trees, grasses and plants. I  noticed that although the ponds are man made, I enjoyed the little black ducks with cream colored beaks that quacked when I came  near. I loved the 7 foot cat tails and striped grasses that skirt the ponds. This is what I've been looking for!
I walked a mile and decided I would do this again on Friday - my next work from home day.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Amazing Eggs and Mushroom Saute

Speaking of sautees.... I used a saute in this amazing breakfast (or dinner) recipe.


Amazing Eggs and Mushroom Saute
Organic salted butter
6 Eggs
Organic Minced Garlic
1tsp turmeric
½ tsp chili powder
1 small Zuchinni
3 grape tomatoes (or 2 romas)
6 baby bella mushrooms
Dice all veggies into small bite size pieces. Over medium heat, melt butter in medium sized skillet. Add tomatoes, zuchinni, mushrooms, and garlic. Saute until tender, about three or four minutes. Add turmeric and chili powder. Mix in thoroughly. Remove from pan. (set aside)
Using same skillet, make over easy eggs. Using a spatula, shape and unstick eggs from skillet until runny in the middle but all whites are cooked, turning only once.
Serve with Egg in center of plate, topped with sautéed vegetables. Sprinkle a dash of salt if desired.
May add a whole grain English muffin or sprouted grain bread to this dish!
Serves 4 – 6


Monday, September 5, 2011

Vegetable Soup with Corn Bread Muffins



Beautiful Rainbow Vegetable Soup With Corn Bread Muffins

Cook Corn Bread Muffins according to package directions. 
For this mix, I used Bob's Red Mill mix.

Not everything I do is from scratch, but I use the highest quality ingredients I can find. 
Start with a Bob's Red Mill Vegetable Soup Base. 
Soak for at least 2 hours and strain water, add fresh water when you are ready to begin cooking. 
I added about 2 cups of water and 2 cups of vegetable broth.
Allow soup base to cook for 45 minutes before adding sauteed vegetables. 
For sauteed vegetable recipe, see previous post. 
Easy, Peezy, HEALTHY!

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Is there a magic pill? NO!

Natural, healthy weight loss is slow and sustainable. 
In my every day I'm running across the extreme desire for that "magic pill". It brings up so much inside myself when I see others yearn for a thinner appearance that is based on quick fix concepts. It took awhile for you to get there, it's hard to hear, but it's going to take awhile to get out of it. The worst part is, if you aren't careful, you'll gain back double the pounds when you have completed your diet. I have heard tell that the number one cause of weight gain is DIETING! After the past few years, I have begun to understand it. Physically, emotionally, and realistically.... dieting doesn't work.

Now...that I have that off my chest.
I feel much better.

After an amazingly inspired past few weeks, I have removed 3 pounds of fat from my body. Focusing mainly on what I'm eating, but squeezing in movement every where I can. I've really spent more time down in my movement room this year than any other year, I've gone for walks, gone hiking, gone to the zoo, museum, etc for entertainment that takes a little movement. I'm always focusing on creating space to become healthier.

The biggest change I've made in the last few months is returning to cooking in bulk. I am using my Sundays to make big pots of soups, casseroles, vegetable lasagnes, sautes that are simple to reheat. I am finding these are making a huge difference in what, not only I chose, but what my husband chooses to eat during our crazed and busy weeks.

Components I will precook or prepare include:


  • Washing, dicing, chopping fresh from the garden raw veggies
  • Precook a batch of grains, usually brown rice, but also quinoa, millet, or kasha
  • Saute greens in olive oil and garlic
  • roast a batch of veggies on the grill or in the oven, sweet potatoes, peppers, onions
During the week, I'll take components of these and make stir fries, wraps, soups, sandwiches, in a flash! It is saving a huge amount of time, and when we come home completely exhausted, there's always something quick to grab that is healthy, home made with love, and easy.


Thursday, September 1, 2011

A Rainbow of Flavor Sautee

A Rainbow of Flavors


This saute is in preparation for vegetable soup.
In 2 Tbsp Olive Oil, add chopped vegetables of your liking.
My saute includes:

Zuchinni
Yellow Squash
Red Sweet Pepper
Green Beans
Celery
Black Pepper
Minced Garlic
Turmeric

Saute until vegetables begin to soften.

Add to soups, stews, top rice or quinoa, or put in a wrap.

Simple and tasty!