Life Revisions. 150 burpees for time. & Carrot Cake Muffins.

5:13am  June 25th. 
(i know the exact time because i looked at my cell- dammit! I'm supposed to leave at 5:10! 
here i go again being 5 minutes late to crossfit. . . umm, oh well !  

im excited. 150 burpees for time. hell yea. i love burpees (ok please don't stop reading my blog because of that insane statement haha) 

As I'm walking-almost-skipping towards my car, I hear a mans voice "ma'am please go back inside your residence. stay inside. lock your windows and doors"
I stop in my tracks. 
I feel like my heart skips a bit. then starts beating fast, as if to catch up. 


#extremelycreepymoment

gross.
 i have no idea whats going on. but i want throw up. 
and hello, thanks for messing up my nicely organized- nearly flawless "life plan" for today. 
i wanted to do burpees.
Fuckers. 


after about half a milli-second however, reality hits. i don't care about burpees anymore. 
I just want to- be o.k. 

I stand there for a moment. in the middle of the street.
(the only crazy person up and out at 5 am lol)
look at my car. look at my door. look at my car. look at my door. dammit. i want to leave. 
i really just want to tell the guy- i rather go to crossfit. id feel much safer there. k. thanks.
but he repeats sternly- 
Ma'am go inside. lock your windows. lock your doors. 

so i go inside. my heart racing, hands softly trembling. close my windows. lock them. 

with two days before my bday, i must say, this disgusting feeling, where the possibility that something might happen to me, and that my life can be taken away at any instant, is a not-so-nice, but effective reminder that-

life really is a gift. 

a gift, each single new day.

simple as that.


I get back in bed and lay there for a while. thinking, thinking, thinking, trying not to think, and listening to the copter outside. 

then I decide:
 THIS is the kind of year its gonna be : (the kind of life I'm going to LIVE.)
nothing can stop me. 
when life throws a curve ball. 
simple- REVISE- 
adapt. modify.
continue Forward. 

Unafraid- Awesome. 
but sometimes even- shitless afraid. Yet still, Boldly- Forward. 

So i get out of bed. 
pick my current favorite super thug-ghetto-booty song on youtube. 
hit play. (not too loud of course. duh.)
do my 150 burpees for time. 

in my room. (#quietestburpeesever #myneighboorsprobablyhateme) 
and damn, it got hot. (all windows locked and closed = hot)

11min.36 sec.


I'm alive. 

. . . & just because this is also a kinda food-cooking-health-recipe blog see yummy Pseudo Carrot Cake Muffin recipe below. Gluten free. Super delish. Easy. Ready-in-15minutes. Perfect to bake with a friend on a girls-night-in with coffee/tea while on Pinterest. yes. thats what i was doing when i had mine :p 

{Pseudo} Carrot Cake Muffins

-Recipe slightly modified from Elana's Pantry.com-Almond Flour Muffins-

• Ingredients- 
• 1 cup Almond Flour
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon Agave Nectar/Honey
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 large carrot, shredded
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Baking instructions-

1. In medium bowl, Combine all dry ingredients (Flour & Baking Soda)

2. In large bowl combine wet ingredients (eggs, agave, and vinegar)

3. Stir dry ingredients into wet, stir batter until mixed well (no lumps etc) 

4. Mix in graded carrots, crushed walnuts and anything else of your liking. 

 (chopped dates, almonds, coconut bits, cocoa chips, crushed pineapple . . .oooh the possibilities) 

5. Scoop Muffin batter into paper lined muffin pan (about 1/4 cup each)

6. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, or until slightly brown around edges. 

7. Set aside, let cool. or not. 

8. Serve. 

9.  ENJOY 

Roasted Lamb with Pomegranate-Tamarind Sauce + Friendship & Letting go

“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.” ― Anaïs Nin

Life is constantly changing. Including the people that come in and out of it.

 I strongly believe that I am always exactly where I need to be at any given moment. with whoever i am supposed to be with. And that every person that comes into our life, even if for a second, crosses our path for a reason.

A lesson to learn. 

A moment to share. 

Or maybe, they're lifers! And that moment you first encounter, unknowingly marks the beginning of a life long friendship, the kind where distance and circumstance, or how long its been since you last spoke doesn't even matter. 

Sometimes people that we WANT to stay in our lives (with our whole hearts!)  choose to leave. or need to leave for one reason or another. often it is hard to let them go. The truth is though, it does no good to hold on to something that doesn't want to be held. Or try to keep someone in our lives who is no longer able, or want to be there. 

Letting go is one of the hardest but most liberating and important  lessons to learn. 

lib·er·at·e-  

/ˈlibəˌrāte/.  Release - free

Free to move forward. On our journey. In the direction we choose. Surrounded only by people who love, support, accept, encourage, etc etc.  all the good stuff. 

The most beautiful things about letting go of those things or people that no longer are good for us, inspires us or help us grow. . . is that we make room for things and people that do! 

i.e. - a job, a romance, a friendship, a not-so-good habit. . .

"We must be willing to let go of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us!" 

So . . . Our new Girls night. Dinner night! 

Healthy & Delicious. 

I prepared this exotic new dish for two friends of mine, friends which have fairly recently became very important, supportive , nurturing parts of my life. Truly a gift! Extremely thankful & Ready to share, learn, and experience whatever it is we have to share, learn, experience, explore & discover together! 

**Modifications to the recipe to accomodate vegetarian diet. 

And of course using only  whole-food non-processed ingredients.

See Recipe Below. 

ENJOY :) 

Roasted Lamb with Pomegranate-Tamarind Sauce

(Taken and slightly modified  from food network.com)

Ingredients-
3 tablespoons sugar (My Substitution- Stevia equivalent. as a more health conscious alternative)
1 cup pomegranate juice, such as POM brand
1 1/4 cups chicken stock (use vegetable stock instead if serving vegetarian guest)
1/4 cup Tamarind-Pasilla Paste ( recipe follows)
One 1 1/2- to 2-pound boneless lamb loin (Utilized tofu as substitution for vegetarian guests)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Fresh pomegranate seeds, for garnish

Directions-
Combine the sugar (or stevia),  pomegranate juice, stock, and Tamarind-Pasilla Paste in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until the sugar/stevia dissolves. Then increase the heat so the mixture simmers. Cook, stirring often, until the liquid has thickened and reduces to a little less than 1 cup, about 20 minutes. Turn the heat to very low and keep the sauce warm while you cook the lamb.

While the sauce is cooking, heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle the lamb and /or tofu with the olive oil, sprinkle generously with salt and place in the skillet. Cook on each side for 5 minutes or until desired "doneness". Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 3 minutes. Cut the lamb/tofu crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Put the slices on the plates and spoon on the sauce. 
Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and serve right away.

Tamarind-Pasilla Paste instructions:
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 pasilla chiles, stemmed, seeded and deveined
10 whole cloves garlic, peeled
4 plum tomatoes, cored and halved lengthwise
1 large white onion, quartered
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups strained tamarind pulp
Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Line a plate with paper towels.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to dance. Add the pasillas and fry on both sides until they're puffed up, about 15 seconds total. Transfer the chiles to the paper towels to drain. Put them in a small bowl, pour in the boiling water and let them soak until their soft, about 15 minutes. Drain the chiles and reserve them and the soaking liquid separately.

Discard the oil and wipe the skillet clean. Set it back over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, toss the garlic, tomatoes and onions with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper, toss gently and put them in the hot skillet. Cook until they're charred with visible black spots, about 7 minutes on each side. Transfer the vegetables to a clean bowl and let them cool to room temperature.

Put the tamarind pulp, chiles, 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid and the roasted vegetables in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

A Culinary Adventure + Cooking in boots.

At the beginning of the year I embarked on a culinary adventure.

& what an adventure its been! 

Taken me so many places-  from Sauces, reductions, emulsifications to bisques, chowders & cheese soufflés.  Eggs florentine. Eggs benedict. Poached eggs.  Loafs of bread made from scratch. Challah bread, walnut bread, biscuits, scones,  quiche. Then there were- the plated desserts. ohmygod. chocolate ganache, caramel sauce, creme brûlée, a glorious lemon tart, creme anglaise, sponge cake roulade . . . scallops, oysters, duck, Coq au vin, lamb, veal, filet mignon. stocks. broths. Charcuterie. (aka making my own sausage, including grinding the meat, seasoning it, and stuffing into sheep intestine casings). Braising, Resting, Blanching. Oven roast. Pan Roast.  Polenta, Risotto, Steamed clams in wine with Pancetta. Scallop Meunière.....holy shit. seriously.
 the list goes on. 

The adventure also took me from- my "happy weight" 

to my- 

"wow. Been a little TOOoo happy weight"

haha. eek! 

yep. not kidding. I acquired an awesome new skill set! along with  a couple of pounds.

(i mean HELLO did you read the list above and see these pictures!?!) but let me tell you.

 it was all worth it.

 I chose to ENJOY 

and fully EMBRACE this rich (and calorie dense. lol) experience. 

 & Even, indulge a little.
(ok . a lot. haha)

 In-dulge (inˈdəlj). v. Allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of. 

What did I learn?

1. Cooking is an art. 

2. Food is to be Enjoyed. 

3. What i eat is MY choice.

 Custom. Individualized. To suit my particular needs, goals, and desires. 

No one will make those rules for me,  but me. 

(in other words F- "diets".  this is not a one size fits all situation)

and those decisions will vary depending on whats going on and where i am in my life. 

i.e.

 - culinary school. 

Its been six months now, and this particular guided tour portion of the journey comes to an end, 

as I complete my culinary program. 

But as far as the adventure, this is only a part of it. I have so much more to explore. 

I'm completely exhilarated and looking forward to sharing the skills I've learned & my love for the art of cooking, along with my passion for empowering individuals with the knowledge and tools to make food/lifestyle choices that are not only be delicious and satisfying but also- Invigorating. Nourishing. 

In·vig·or·ate ( n-v g -r t ). v.  To impart vigor, strength, or vitality

Nour·ish· (nûr ish). v. To provide with food or other substances necessary for life, health, and growth.

***Lookout. Classes coming very soon! and my website should be up and running by September 1st! ***

www.livebeautifull.com

And no worries!  I have, in the meantime, also developed a new habit- 
cooking in my bathing suit + thigh high boots. hahaha! no joke. I swear Its virtually impossible to NOT feel sexy and bad ass. even if there is a bit more 'junk in the trunk' :p 

The ability to enjoy with pleasure not only applies to the food we cook and eat, but how we feel in our own skin. No 'diet' can do, what a simple (yet oh-so-challenging) chosen mind set can do-
 The choice to feel sexy.
 BE confident. 
Unapologetic. 
and perfectly beautiful in the present moment. 

Its all about choices. 
empower yourself to make your own. the food you eat. how you feel. 

-to enjoy. the here. the now. each experience. culinary. or not. 

Bon-apetite my friends! 
& happy cooking.

Throw on something that makes you feel amazing. (yea for me i guess its thigh high boots + bathing suit. lol) and put together a fun fresh summer salad (see recipe below,  following pictures) or a sinfully rich raspberry chocolate soufflé. . .

 & regardless of your selection-

 ENJOY.

Kale, Date, Almond Salad

1 bunch curly Kale, washed, stemmed, and cut into chiffonade.
1/3 cup almonds, toasted and chopped.
1 apple, Julienned and tossed with lemon juice.
1/2 cup of dates, pitted and sliced.

Dressing
1/8 cup Honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt

Blend all the dressing ingredients. Place Kale in bowl and pour dressing over the Kale. Massage the Kale with dressing for about two minutes. The Kale will darken in color and reduce in size by about one half. (Massaging makes this cruciferous veggie not only taste less bitter, but also easier to digest). 

Toss with almonds, apples and dates. 

Serve. 
ENjoy.