And this is what happens with the leftovers...

Last night's dinner was truly simple and really good. Yes, I do say so myself. A parmesan breaded chicken breast on top of fresh basil leaves and beautiful tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Done.

Eight total ingredients - chicken, parmesan, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, pepper, basil, and tomatoes plus twenty minutes in the kitchen, and dinner is ready!

I cooked two chicken breast which give me plenty to use for breakfast and lunch. There were about three big bites left over from dinner so this morning I took those bites, sliced up less than half of the remaining breast, added nine more ingredients - eggs, garlic, onions, spinach, olive oil, tomatoes, avocado, sea salt, pepper, and twelve minutes later... breakfast! 

.

No, I didn't feel like I was eating the same thing. My common denominators were the chicken and tomatoes. But the garlic and onions for sure made it a totally new eating experience. And even if it did feel the same, who cares. The dish tasted phenomenal! Yes, that's me patting myself on the back right now. And I'll be having the last of the chicken on a BIG salad for lunch.

Who has trouble cooking for one?

Becoming The Stair Master...

Over my lifetime I've had three Personal Trainers and would always move through whatever paces they put me through without question or complaint. Alot of sweat, a few grunts, but never any complaint except when it came to the stairmaster. I DON'T LIKE THAT MACHINE! which my trainers immediately found out when they each told me to hop on. 'Did you just say no?' was typically the next thing they said. 'Yes, I just said no. I don't like that machine. It puts me in a pissy mood so it's best if I stay off. Otherwise, this is gonna be a wasted session!'

Why do I despise that machine so? It's tough no question. But I have an extremely hard time constantly pulling myself up to nowhere. Having to expend energy on talking myself through every step?? No thanks. 'Watch tv to take your mind off of it' they say. I don't watch television as I workout and I definitely don't want to take my mind off of it. Being aware of what my body is doing, feeling my strength, is actually kinda sexy to me. I won't dismiss myself just to walk on a stairmaster.

I don't get along with the machine but I'm surely a fan of the sculpted derriere. And to be completely honest, I've lost a bit of mine. My sister likes to say that I'm shaped like a fine white girl. Oh don't be offended. Of course there's nothing shabby about being a fine white girl but I'm not white and I do miss my booty so it's back to the stairs except this time... I AM the stairmaster!

I'm lucky enough the live next to a park with a nice set of wooden stairs. Most everyone knows I have back issues so I am extremely careful of the surfaces I workout on and the wooden stairs are soft so they have some bounce and give to them. Very back friendly. Being outside in a park setting is absolutely beautiful, and each step I climb actually gets me somewhere - to the top. Could just be a mental thing but hey, works for me.

And that's the point. Whatever works for you... do that!

I will never buy pasta sauce again!

I’m hungry and my cupboard is bare except for some pasta and tomatoes. Ummm… I wonder how my own sauce would taste?


I just started growing basil and Cuban oregano in my kitchen window and I’ve never cooked with them so I’m excited to see how this turns out. I find a simple recipe for tomato sauce and begin to improvise. I believe that recipes are merely guides anyway, unless of course you’re baking, which calls for precision. But tonight, it’s a simple pasta sauce so why not play around.

I only have 4 small tomatoes which I assume won’t yield that much sauce but still plenty for me. Since the recipe I find will yield 7 pints of sauce, I eyeball what looks like enough of each ingredient, taking into account the way I like to eat.

What I used:
Onions, chopped big
Basil, I used about 6 leaves of varying sizes, coarsely chopped
Oregano, 3 large leaves, coarsely chopped
Salt
Pepper
Sugar, truly just a sprinkle
Sundried tomatoes, which I tossed on top of the finished dish

After sautéing the onions until they’re soft, peeling the tomatoes and squeezing out all the water & seeds, toss all of the ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer down until the consistency is perfect for you. There’s no way I can describe the smells coming from my kitchen other than incredibly beautiful!

Prego®, Ragu®, Barilla®… I really don’t mean to sound boastful but, I’ve never bought a sauce that tasted as good as what I made tonight. The next time I’ll try different tomatoes.

Mom you’d be proud. I’ll make it for you and daddy the next time I’m home.

What do you want to be?

Fit.. Radiant.. Daring.. Strong.. Powerful.. Courageous.. Healthy.. Energetic.. Passionate.. Wise.. Resilient.. Authentic.. Bold.. Patient.. Great.. Fast.. Independent.. Open.. Boundless.. Magical.. Present.. Friendly.. Outrageous.. Loving.. Warm.. Free.. Brave.. True.. Lively.. Funny.. Sensational.. Better..

Here's the thing, you are entirely up to you and you can make yourself whatever you want. Repeat after me, 'I am in charge of this. No one else. Just me'. Now, get busy being yourself girls and whomever that is, respect her, make her happy, like her, and use all of her gifts and resources because you.. her.. she, is something quite extraordinary!

 ----

The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience. Eleanor Roosevelt

Natural Rhythm Strength Camp

Wake up to greet the day with reverence and to strengthen your strengths.

Girls, we rock! I don’t know if you’ve fully accepted that yet but, we kick ass! When we get hurt, our bodies heal themselves. That’s amazing! Yes, I know, the boys too. Without our help or understanding, our heart beats. Yes, I know, the boys too. But the fact that our bodies are designed to carry a life for nine months before opening up, helping it out, then given charge of nurturing that life, means that our base, us, truly must be strong because we have so much to give.

Physically, every inch of us is covered in muscles and I think you will agree that it’s the muscle that gets us around this place. So, being that the strength of your muscles affect your way of giving I ask, how strong are you?

I want you to fall in love with your design so you will discover that confidence in your body’s ability to do is intoxicating. I think I speak for us all when I say strength is sexy. Yes dear, it’s ok to be turned on by yourself. It starts with you anyway, remember that.

Come out to play and learn:
• To push yourself using the best tool ever, your own body.
• That it really doesn’t take much to be in the shape YOU want to be in.
• That it simply requires your honesty. Only you know what you’re doing 100% of the time and whatever that something is will have a positive or negative effect on you… truly your choice.

The next camp starts Aug. 22nd – Sept. 16th
Each 4 week camp is only $300 and groups will always be small so that you receive the guidance and personal touch that is needed.

Groups Meet in Dana Point:
Monday – Friday

6am & 7:15am

Saturday
6am, 7:15am, 8:30am

Contact me for more details!

Today's catch...

This is my ‘go-to’ plate – fish, sautéed veggies, and some type of salad or side, in this case, tomatoes. I never get tired of eating this dish, and for the record, it’s never really the same dish. The fish varies, the veggies change, and the side could be anything from a salad, rice, or avocado. There’s so much food to choose from. It’s simply a matter of going to the market to select what you want.

The best food for you will always be what’s grown near you. Most cities have weekend farmer’s markets so find one in your area and hit it this Saturday. Grab a couple of these, maybe one of those, and experiment. Don’t know how to cook something? Buy a few cook books. It’s not about being a master chef. It’s about discovery. But, if you are a master chef or simply a good cook, then develop a cooking class in your neighborhood. What’s your gift for other than to use it right?

Today my ‘go-to’ plate featured sole which is a really light white fish that melts in your mouth. It’s very thin but holds up amazingly well no matter your cooking method. Here’s all it takes for a quick & easy lunch:

• Fish of your choice seasoned with sea salt and fresh pepper
• Leek leaves
• 2-3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• Olive oil
• About 3 spears of broccolini
• Big handful of beet leaves
• Red bell pepper (I used ¼ of a medium pepper)

Let’s cook.
Preheat oven to 375⁰. Place leeks in pan with garlic, drizzle with oil, and season with salt & pepper. Cook about 5 minutes then layer fish over leeks. This will only take about 7 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in pan and sauté broccolini for 2 minutes. Add beet leaves and cook for 1 minute. Add bell pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.

That’s it. A couple slices of tomato and you’re done. A simple, easy, quick lunch. Don’t worry if you have veggies left over. They’ll make a great addition to eggs in the morning!

**You can find lots of information at http://www.localharvest.org/ about farms and markets. You may also want to check out CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture), where your support gets you a weekly basket of seasonal produce.

Find a market this weekend and discover all the great foods produced in your own backyard and maybe I'll see you in the cookbook aisle.

One piece of red snapper... two great plates!

Today I made a sandwich with the second half of the red snapper I cooked last night. (A Perfect Summer Plate post) Yeah, you might want to try this one. Incredible! The lemon and garlic and leeks had married into the fish and each other just a bit more overnight and made for really great flavors in every single bite. Oh, I rhymed!

I drizzled a pan with olive oil to reheat my fish. I always use a stove top to reheat. Personally, I don't like microwaves. They dry your food out and the food doesn't retain the heat as long. I used naan for my bread which I toasted. I like having the soft and the crunch, then I don't have to have chips! See, you gotta think all the time. A little bit of mustard, tomato & avocado, both seasoned with sea salt & cracked pepper, about three large beet leaves that I threw into the pan while the fish was warming, just to soften the veins a bit. (I bought beets on my last trip to the farmer's market)

I made a small salad with purple bibb lettuce, avocado, and cucumbers. The avocado puts a wonderful oil in the salad so I just squeeze some lemon on top and it's perfect. A couple slices of an heirloom tomato and I'm done.

How much more simple can you get.