*Balance*

Sun peeking over St. James Cathedral

This morning at work one of my coworkers asked, "How was your weekend?"  "Good," I answered quickly, then stopped to really consider it for a few seconds.  I let my coworker go on about their own business, but stopped and thought to myself, it was an awesome balance of work and play.  I love feeling productive  and accomplished!  And to do it without even realizing it, is like a godsend!

Too often I run through my mental list of 'to-dos' without actually taking any action and think 'Why can't I get motivated!? Argh!!!'  Then I've just wasted an hour... two... the entire day!  No wonder I find myself asking where the time has gone.

I've learned over and over, and today I was reminded how rewarding it is to: 

J

U

S

T

D

O

I

T

!

(Thanks, Nike) 

Know what I mean?  I used to think that some people were just good at being aggressive and dedicated and that just didn't describe me.  I thought, I'm shy, I'm quiet, I take things slow.  But I learned that aggressive doesn't have to mean hasty or greedy, but also encompasses clear and confident.  Once you know what you want out of life, it becomes that much easier to clear your path to get to it.

One tactic I learned from my aunt, who has been a great inspiration to me, is to write a list of things you want/need.  This helps to set your intention and rid your mind of any hindrances that may come along your path.  I've done this a couple of times in my life so far, come across the lists years later, and laughed because I got about 85% of what I wrote on my lists (ask me about it sometime).

So my weekend consisted of cleaning up the yard and planting some seeds, painting the trim inside the house for my work portion.  (It may not sound like a lot, but the finished product pays off!)

For fun I started at a yoga studio a couple blocks from home.  That was also work (kind of), but it felt so good afterwards.  My sister brought me, my dad and husband together over a happy, italian dinner to celebrate her 21st birthday.  I always feel so good to get family time in and am reminded how blessed I am to have them around.  So thanks sis!

Next time I ask how your weekend was, I want you to know I genuinely mean it.  See ya!

I LOVE CRAB!

I Apologize ahead of time if you are not a seafood fan, so you need not read further.  Unless of course you like torture.

I may be the luckiest girl in the world.  At least that's how I feel tonight.
Thanks to my friends at Kloosterboer, Brandon spared me some of the loveliest legs I have ever seen.  Crab legs, that is.  My only regret is that I didn't photograph them before I dismantled them.
But the meat is beautiful...
Now, what to do with it?  Beyond the obvious, eat it, with lots of butter.  I want to showcase this lovely crustacean flesh in a dish that will be healthy and most definitely delicious. My first thought was crab quiche; pretty high in fat and not much else. :(
Dustin suggested crab cakes.  I wasn't too hot on the idea at first, but now that my wheels are turning, I think that could be the best bet.  Found a recipe by Elie Krieger on foodnetwork.com that I was sure would hit the mark since she is known to lighten up many dishes without sacrificing flavor.  But I was left searching for a bit more.
I'll let you know what I come up with...

Sparkpeople - Heard of it?

There is an e-mail that I subscribe to that frequently sends tips about living with diabetes. I have learned a lot over the last 5 years about the disease, and generally, tips I get aren't anything I haven't heard before.  But last week I read an entry from one of the website's members that was so inspirational to me.  Again, I'm sure I've heard this stuff before, but for whatever reason reading this short blurb about routines struck a chord in me.
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=584

By the way, if you are interested in the website, I would recommend spending some time signing up and customizing your profile.  There's tons of cool features like a meal tracker, exercises, recipes.

Soup's On!

Carrot-Parsnip-Ginger soup garnished with coconut milk

If you live in Seattle you know what type of weather calls for soup.  (P.S. It looks like soup weather outside right now.)

Soup is great for fitting veggies into your diet since they cook down, sometimes you don't even notice you've eaten 3 servings of veggies!  Health +!  Also, depending on the ingredients soup is generally a low carb meal.  (Another Health+ if you are diabetic or carb counting)  Making your own adjustments to the recipes are easy too.  Most soups can be made in a vegan or vegetarian version and lots of recipes are already GF! 

  Usually making a batch of soup will last you more than just one meal so it's great for leftovers!  Most will freeze well too.

Dr. Isacson shared with me in the break room the name and info of this great company; Got Soup.  This got me to head over to our farmer's market this weekend.  Love their creative blends and they use lots of fresh, local ingredients.  For a list of their soups and farmer's market locations visit http://www.gotsoupseattle.com/moreinfo.php.

This weekend was made into a soup-a-palooza at my house!  My husband loves using tried and true recipes and there is one in particular we really love to make.  We love it so much that we made it for our wedding and now call it 'the wedding soup.'

More like a chilli, it is full of goodness.  Spicy sausage, fresh chunks of butternut squash. poblano chilis...

We made this one yesterday as well as one from a recipe that our friend passed along to us (Shown at top of blog post).  Carrot-Parsnip-Ginger puree.  You don't have to love parsnips to love this recipe.  They kind of just give it an essence.  I put more ginger in this one than the recipe called for, and boy did my sinuses clear out!  This one lends well to coconut flavors as well.  We garnished this one with coconut milk. 

YUM!

Recipes to try:

Bean, Sausage and Butternut Squash Chili (This is what we call our 'wedding soup')

Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 pound chorizo or hot Italian sausage

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 cups butternut squash cubes cut in 1/2″ square

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 poblano pepper, membranes and seeds removed, cut in 1/2″ pieces

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded, finely chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 – 28 ounce can Italian plum tomatoes

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 bay leaves

1-15 oz. can of cannellini beans

salt & freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup cilantro leaves, plus extra for garnish

2 scallions, white and green parts finely sliced

fresh avocado as garnish (optional)

Heat olive oil in a stock pot or deep skillet over medium heat. Add sausages and fry until no longer pink. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel.

Add onion to pot and saute until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add squash, garlic and peppers. Saute 3 minutes. Add dry spices and cook stirring, one minute. Add tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato paste and bay leaves. Simmer until squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in beans, sausage, salt and pepper. Simmer 10 more minutes. Taste to adjust seasoning.Before serving add cilantro. Serve in bowls with with scallions, fresh avocado (if using) and additional cilantro.

Adapted from recipe found on Taste Food blog: http://tastefoodblog.com/2011/01/12/black-bean-sausage-and-butternut-squash-chili-recipe

Roasted Carrot-Parsnip-Ginger soup 

1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 pound parsnips, peeled and quartered lengthwise
1 large onion, sliced
3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
8 cups rich chicken broth, more if needed
salt to taste
pinch of cayenne
1/4 cup creme fraiche, for garnish
snipped fresh chives, for garnish
1.  Preheat the oven to 350. Combine carrots, parsnips, onion and ginger in a shallow roasting pan. Dot with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Pour two cups of broth into the pan, cover well and bake until the vegetables are very tender, two hours. (Your house will smell GREAT.)
2.  Transfer vegetables and every last bit of broth into a large soup pot; add 6 remaining cups of broth. Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for ten minutes.
3.  Puree soup in food processor or with immersion blender
4.  Serve with garnish if desired. 

Above recipe from Elizabeth Berg. http://www.elizabeth-berg.net/site/epage/69564_662.htm

Who likes running???

Yeah, I know.  Sometimes it's great, especially after a race when you have that runner's high, but other times it can feel like a chore.

But...
There is something fun about organized running.  It's a time and place where you can meet others, spend time with your friends and family or let your competitive side out!  Next week is the Valentine's Love 'em or Leave 'em dash at Green Lake Park in Seattle.  It's a 'fun run' and only 3 miles long, and they'll be giving away chocolate.  Yum!

Here's the link to check it out:
 http://promotionevents.com/valentines/SEA_Reg.htm

Let me know if you are thinking of going because I'd love a running partner!

Feeling green... In a good way!

Maybe it's a trend because it is still around the New Year, but I have been running into green juice recipes everywhere!  Got the best of me so I had to try one!

The tastiest recipe to me was on Seattle Weekly's website from Strawberry Moon http://www.strawberrymoonjuice.com/pages/about-us.

Kale, chard, spinach, pear, ginger & cayenne.  Nuff said.

I tried it in the blender because with the fruit I wanted to keep the fiber in my drink.  This method extends the time it takes to digest and helps to not spike blood sugar levels. 

My result?  A thick, spicy/sweet drink.  I would rate it a 4 out of 5 for taste and would try it again in a juicer.  here's what I did:

Need:

Blender

handful of kale

handful of swiss chard

half of one large pear

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 dropperful of cayenne tincture

3/4-1 cup water (depending on how thick you like it)

Dino kale and Swiss Chard from our yard!

What to do:

In blender on high speed add all ingredients and blend, blend, blend!  Make sure you stop and scrape down the sides to get everything into liquid form.

* This would also be great if you use a juicer to juice a lemon, the greens and the pear.

There are so many variations to try, what do you like??

It's that time of year again...

Yes, the time of year we all want to do something great. When we all want to lose those last 10 pounds. Yadayadayada.
I don't like new years resolutions, though today I found the change of the calendar somehow forced me to state a goal. If you know me, then you know I'm always searching for ways to make my life healthier. What I've been doing in the last month has been to try to eat something fresh with every meal and snack. I have loftier goals than that, but it seems like something I can easily manage every day. I believe that it's the small things that count and they really do add up in the end.
I would be interested to know how others feel about setting New Years resolutions & goals. Does it make a difference to set goals if we never reach them? Thoughts and comments are welcomed!