yoga

It started off just fine and the way all great experiences should - with a little shopping. I bought myself a yoga outfit that was so cute with its soft grays and whites, cropped pants and being all spandexy it actually made me look pretty good. Alas, there are no shoes to buy for yoga but I decided not to let that minor fact influence my decision.

I arrived a bit early for the class, all fresh faced and feeling very zen-like, ready to embark on a physically rewarding endeavor with spiritual undertones. As the nubile instructor began the class I was actually quite pumped. She looked AMAZING! This could be me in just a few short weeks. I could already imagine my svelte, graceful figure gliding down the street with my head held high and perfect posture, turning heads at every corner.

And then the class began.

What planet do these yoga people come from that allows their bodies to bend that way? The way I see it is if God had wanted me to reach that far down he would have littered the ground with gluten-free donuts or diamonds or Jimmy Choo shoes.

My competitive juices kicked in as I eyed my gumby-like classmates. I twisted and turned and stretched. I threw my back out.

The sitar music started to wear on my last nerve but finally we were done, or so I thought. We spent the last 15 minutes laying on skinny little mats placed on the cold hard floor while the instructor suggested we empty our minds and relax. I carry a lot of stuff in my mind and the idea of letting any of it out of there, if even for an instance, stressed me out beyond belief. What if I forgot my ATM pin number or the password for twitter or where I parked my damn car? Worse yet what if by letting all the normal day to day things out of my mind it creates a vacuum allowing other, evil things to flood in. What if my amazing gluten-free coconut cupcake recipe got replaced with trying to figure out how to build a nuclear bomb? What if my to-do list was supplanted by a plot for world domination? What if I forgot I look terrible as a blond and bleached my hair?


Yoga Recap

Cost:

Cute little soft gray-white outfit with cropped pants - $144.99

Yoga Class - $75.00

Chiropractic Treatment - $45.00

Calories burned:

Negative 300 (from stress eating a hot fudge sundae after class)

Probability that yoga is my exercise calling:

pretty nil

I am however undaunted. The quest continues.

Next up - running.

Blender Black Bean Soup

******CAUTION******

Warning: The following recipe is simple, can be pulled from your pantry and made in minutes. If you are a serious food snob who feels that truly good food needs to be complicated, expensive and or difficult you may find the follow recipe a little ghetto for your tastes.

If however you like the idea of a recipe that is fast and tastes great then by all means, feel free to continue reading.

It seems like I always happen to live in a place that requires a well stocked pantry in case of some natural disaster; typhoons, earthquakes and hurricanes. Rarely do we ever experience such natural disasters but it pays to be prepared. Especially when I am working hard, forget to go grocery shopping and find that I need to make dinner. At times like this it really pays to be able to go to the pantry and whip up a delicious meal in minutes.

Such is the case of this soup. As the above warning states, it's not fancy - no shaved white truffles or other such extravagance (because honestly - how long would white truffles last in the pantry?) just stuff I have on hand at all times. It takes minutes to whip up and, no it is not a foodie fantasy but it is really good food! The fresh lime juice is not necessary but it really brightens up the whole thing.

Blender Black Bean Soup

(Printable)

Ingredients
2 cans black beans – drained and rinsed
2 cups gluten free chicken or vegetable stock
½ cup prepared salsa
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt & Pepper
1 lime – optional
Garnish:
½ cup sour cream
Juice of ½ a lime (more or less)
Sliced green onion tops (green part) or cilantro

Directions:

Put 1 can of black beans in a blender with the chicken or vegetable stock, salsa and ground cumin. Blend until smooth. Put into a saucepan with the other can of beans and heat over medium heat. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Add the lime juice.

Stir some lime juice into the sour cream until smooth and swirl some over the top of each serving and garnish with chopped green onions or cilantro.

Serves 4.

exercise, the quest begins

Nike says "Just Do It!"

I said "do what?"

Thanks to all my fab blog readers and twitter friends I got so many exercise suggestions I'm a little worn out just thinking about exercise.

The answers were varied but what I noticed is you guys who exercise are positively passionate about your choice of bodily fulfillment. What became clear to me is that I must find a form of exercise I love and then I will become addicted.

I have to say I am a little giddy with the prospect of finding a form of exercise I love. (A little disbelieving that I could actually LOVE exercise but giddy none the less.)

So I decided to try it all and see what works for me.

But where to start?

Should it be:

Pilates?

Swimming?

Tennis?

Running?

Rowing?

Biking?

This looks fun:

Dancing?

Zoomba?

Weight training?

Ballet?

(Love the pretty tutus)

Yes, yes I will get to them all. But first up:

Yoga!

Wish me luck. I'll keep you posted.

(photo sources weheartit,zumba,vogue)

Salmon & Lentils

Sunday night dinner was just the two of us this week, my hubby and me. After two years of him working a continent away he has finally come home for good - or at least as "for good" as a man with his occupation can expect and I was in the mood for something romantic, something French, something bistro-like. Actually I was in the mood to go to France but alas that was out of the question.

The great thing about dinner is it can transport you to a foreign local, if only for an hour or two, by the flavors and scents, the ambiance and setting, the food and drink.

The gluten free French Pear Tart recipe I have been developing for my cookbook was the inspiration for tonight's dinner. I had the perfect dessert for a romantic dinner for two, now I needed the perfect dinner.

I poured some of the pear poaching liquid I had left over from making the tart into some sparkling water, crisp fried some new potatoes (because my hubby just never met a potato he didn't love) and make some Salmon and Lentils.

Some candles, a little Edith Piaf wafting through the air and voila - we're in Paris!

Salmon & Lentils

(Printable)

1 cup green lentils
2 cups gluten free chicken stock
5 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 shallot, roughly chopped
2 carrots, diced in about ¼ inch dice
1 teaspoon olive oil plus more for the salmon
1 teaspoon butter
Juice of ½ lemon
2 – 8 ounce salmon fillets, skin removed
Salt and Pepper
Lemon wedges for garnish

Put lentils in a medium saucepan with the chicken stock and garlic gloves, season with about 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cover the pan, leaving the lid slightly ajar and reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 – 25 minutes or until the lentils are almost tender and the chicken stock has evaporated.

In a medium skillet over medium high heat, melt the butter with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add the carrots and cook for 5 minutes, add the shallot and a pinch or two of salt and pepper and cook for about 3 minutes or until the shallots just start to brown.

Fish the garlic cloves out of the lentils and mash with a fork. Add to the skillet with the carrots and shallot and mix well. Add the lentils and cook for another 10 minutes or until the lentils are tender but not mushy. Add lemon juice and stir.

While lentils are cooking, prepare the salmon.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Heat an oven proof skillet over high heat for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it is screaming hot. Rub salmon fillets with olive oil on all sides and season the top well with salt and pepper. Put salmon seasoned side down on hot skillet and cook for 2 minutes or until a good sear is achieved. The salmon will slide easily on the pan once it is seared, if it sticks, you’re not there yet. Put the pan in the preheated oven and cook for another 4 – 6 minutes, until the salmon is rare.

Spoon a mound of lentils on each plate, top with the salmon and serve with some lemon wedges if desired.

Friday the 13th

Do you suffer from paraskevidkatriaphobia otherwise know as fear of Friday the 13th? If so, you are not alone.

Me, I'm not superstitious.

ummm, excuse me for a sec while I throw some salt over my shoulder, turn around three times counter clockwise, spit and find a four leaf clover.

OK, I'm back.

As I was saying, I'm not superstitious. I like Fridays. And what's not to like about the number 13? Personally I would rather have 13 dollars than 12, 13 pairs of jeans seems like a respectable amount and I guarantee you I could get a lot of work done if I drank 13 cups of coffee.

But just in case you are one of the millions of people who suffer this horrible phobia of the 13th day of the month falling on a Friday, here are some things you might want to avoid:

Black Cats

Ladders:

Broken Mirrors:









Wall Street:

Umbrellas:






But most importantly, by all means avoid

this:

unless of course it's gluten free and comes from

gf patisserie.

Wishing you a day filled with super duper, fantabulous, spectacular

GOOD LUCK!

(photo sources: ffffound, wehaeartit, deviantart, 20th century fox, vogue,dustin kicinski)

exercise - addictive?

OK.

so this is the goal:

(flat tummy, no love handles, thin thighs, looking like I'm 20 when I'm...well, not!)

Admittedly this is a superficial goal. I should be concerned with things like good health, vitality, quality of life, blah,blah,blah. But let's face it. Does it really matter what the motivation as long as the results are achieved?

Apparently since I already eat well and do all that other healthy stuff it's time for me to start {groan} exercising.

I have had lots of people telling me recently that I will become positively addicted to exercise once I start. I find that VERY hard to believe.

I have, at one time or another in my life, been addicted to lots of things.

like:

gluten filled bagels with lox

General Hospital

lung polution masquerading as sexy

tea

which lead to harder things

like

coffee

and...

bad boys on motorcycles

So I ask you - can this slacker gluten free gal reverse the effects of age and her checkered past and replace dubious addictions with a healthy one like exercise?

I am on a mission to find an exercise routine I can tolerate, like, even, dare I say - become addicted too? Feel free to follow me in my quest.

Suggestions are highly encouraged. (I'm begging you - give me suggestions!)

Wish me luck!

(photo sources weheartit and abc news)

me and my body...

I did a really, really, really stupid thing today.

I looked through old photo albums.

( on my honeymoon in Hawaii - hot dog in hand )

And then I did something even stupider.

Put on a bathing suit and looked in the mirror.

(Ha! Did you think I would be even more stupid and show you the front and in focus?)

And let me just say this to you Sir Issac Newton -

"Gravity Sucks!"

I discovered things weren't as high or firm as they used to be. My hip bones that once protruded sharply have somehow disappeared beneath a layer of soft fleshiness(ok, that's just another way of saying fat).

Where has my muscle tone gone? Why does my skin appear to be melting like the witch in The Wizard of Oz? Where did all those bumps and bulges come from?

Don't get me wrong, I like my body. We have had fun together. We've traveled the world and had a few adventures along the way.

Like:

riding an elephant while 9 moths pregnant

deep sea fishing off the coast of Mexico

jumping out of airplanes

swimming with great white sharks

and the biggest adventure of all...

birthing and raising two boys!

I have conquered migraine headaches and stage 4 adrenal exhaustion, learned to live well and abundantly with gluten intolerance and even have managed to not gain weight while writing a dessert cookbook.

I've tried to repay my body for the fun it's given me. I don't eat hot dogs anymore and try to eat organic whenever possible, I don't eat gluten or too much sugar, I take my vitamins, I drink water (well I drink some water)and I've even made sacrifices - I gave up Diet Coke and cut down to one cup of caffeinated coffee a day.

But now my body seems to want more from me.

Could it be it wants me to GASP...shudder...

exercise?

Shrimp Enchiladas

I was craving the shrimp tacos I used to have in Southern California. But fall is upon us, there is a snap to the air and the temperatures are cooling, even in Florida, so tacos just felt a little wrong somehow. Besides, tacos just don’t seem appropriate for Sunday night dinner.

So I decided to try making shrimp enchiladas instead. Ok, maybe not the traditional roast beef Sunday dinner I grew up with in my WASPy home but I’m sure enchiladas are traditional Sunday night dinner for somebody, somewhere.

With no particular game plan in mind I wondered over to the local Mexican grocery store and that’s where inspiration hit me. There were beautiful tomatillas, huge poblano peppers, yellow onions and freshly made corn tortillas.

Believe me when I tell you, these where phenomenal! Packed with flavor, easy to make and enough for a crowd. The salsa verde alone is worth the price of admission to my blog. OK, my blog is free but still…

Shrimp Enchiladas

(Printable)

Ingredients:

2 ½ pound tomatillas
2 medium yellow onions
4 gloves garlic
2 – 3 large poblano peppers
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
2 bunches cilantro, chopped (about 2 cups packed)
36 – 48 large shrimp, cleaned, shelled and deveined
12 ounce queso fresco (Mexican crumbling cheese – if not available use Monterey Jack)
12 corn tortillas
1½ cups finely shredded cabbage
½ small red onion, finely sliced
1 cup sour cream
Juice of 2 limes
3 -4 avocados


Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Remove paper husks and stems from tomatillas and cut into about 2 inch pieces. Cut onions into similar sized pieces. Cut poblano peppers in half, remove the ribs and seeds and cut into 2 inch pieces. Peel the garlic but leave the cloves whole. Divide the vegetables among 2 rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over each pan. Season generously with salt and pepper. Mix well to coat vegetables and arrange in a single layer. Cook for 40 – 45 minutes or until the vegetables have started to brown and are very soft. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees.

Transfer the cooked vegetables to a food processor along with any juices and whirl until smooth. Save a few cilantro leaves for garnish if desired and add the rest to the vegetables along with the chopped jalapeno pepper. Whirl until smooth and well blended. Take out about ¾ cup and put in a small serving bowl. Pass along side with the finished enchiladas.

Toss the shrimp in a large mixing bowl with about 2 teaspoons of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook the shrimp in a single layer in the pan (don’t over crowd - you may have to cook in 3 or 4 batches) just until they begin to turn pink, about 1 minute per side. You want to under cook them as they are going into the oven.

Grate the cheese, reserve a couple large handfuls to sprinkle over the top of the enchiladas.

Warm the tortillas by wrapping in paper towels and putting in the microwave for about 1 minute or until heated and soft.

Spray a large rectangular baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and
Spread about ½ cup of the salsa verde on the bottom of the dish.

Spoon a large tablespoon of salsa verde onto a tortilla; add a small handful of cheese and 3 – 4 shrimp. Roll and place in the prepared baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Spoon the rest of the salsa verde over the top of the rolled tortillas and sprinkle on the reserved cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes or until heated through.

While enchiladas are baking prepare the garnishes. Toss together the cabbage and red onion and put in a serving dish. Mix the sour cream and lime juice together to make a thin sauce and put in a small bowl. Slice the avocados.

The best way to eat is to put a little extra salsa verde over the enchiladas, top with the cabbage and red onion, put a few avocado slices on the side and drizzle some of the sour cream lime sauce over it all.

Add some beans and rice maybe a margarita or two and that’s a great way to end the week.

Makes 12 enchiladas – enough to serve 6 or 8.

¡Buen provecho!

T'was the night of Hallowe'en...

T'was the night of Hallowe'en and all through the streets

Scary creatures were out in search of some treats

There were witches and goblins and ghosts all around

And the bats in the belfry made a terrible sound.

The moon shone full in the black inky night

And around every corner we expected a fright

Pumpkins with faces sat by the door

but we clamped down our fear 'cuz we wanted some more.

Up to the house we did creep full of fear

knowing the pay off of candy was near.

Meekly we glanced at the one come to greet

we cleared our throats and we said "trick or treat!"

The treats that were dropped in our bag were delight

with a thanks and a smile we ran off in the night!

And for something REALLY scary:

HAVE A HAPPY, SAFE,

GLUTEN-FREE HALLOWE'EN!

(source of all images in this post weheartit)

A Paradox or a Pair of Flip Flops

As you know if you read my blog I am all about celebrating ABUNDANCE! So when life tells you that you can’t have something – like gluten – then you better find something that you can have.

Like shoes!

Let me just say I love shoes. I love everything about them. The way they are constructed, the way heels sound clicking on marble flooring, the way high heels give you that sexy little something extra to your walk, they way that the right pair of shoes literally calls out across the store or across the city or across the ocean to you, pleading with you "take me home!"

I once spent 5 months tracking down a pair of size 7 1/2 Stuart Weitzman, Red Quasar patent leather, 4 inch heels called Sensual. I had every Norsdtrom, Nieman Marcus and Saks in the country called. I called every Stuart Weitzman store, I called the factory! Finally, Zappos.com came through for me.

I love those shoes! Along with my Manolo Blanhnik brown leather pony boots with the lace up the back and my Bally Black & White Spectator Pumps from the early 80's they are probably one of my top three favorite pairs of shoes. (Speaking of the Black & White Bally Spectator Pumps, what do you think it means when your hip 20 something daughter-in-law says that your "vintage" shoes are really cool and wonders where you found them and the answer is "in my closet"?)

Shoes are more than just wearable art. They have magical powers. They posses the power to transform you. They make you taller, slimmer, sexier, more confident and somehow even a little smarter. No matter how bleak life seems, shoe shopping can restore your will to live.

I have a nice collection of shoes. I have spent more money on shoes than on any single car I have ever owned.

But here's the thing. Since I moved to no-wheres-ville on the west coast of Florida all I ever wear anymore are flip flops. The only thing that saved my feet from morphing into something that could no longer comfortably wear essentially uncomfortable shoes was winter when you just can't be running around in flip flops.

Last year however, during the one and a half days of winter we get here, I succumbed to the unimaginable - I wore Uggs! Oh so warm, oh so comfy but oh so bad for maintaining high heel, high style footwear shaping to your feet.

On the last three occasions I have had to wear real shoes, I have come home with open, gaping, oozing sores on my toes and heels. My feet are desperately out of shape. It's more than sad really, it's pathetic. I currently own two pair of darling Kate Spade black satin pumps I have never even worn!

Somehow, I just don't get the same thrill buying pink J. Crew flip flops as I do with the Manolo Blahniks or the Jimmy Choos. I seriously think this situation needs to be remedied.

I have been thinking about how Julia Child whipped up French delights in her kitchen wearing pearls. And I have been thinking it is time for me to start whipping up gluten free delights in my kitchen wearing high heels.

My feet might complain but I’m guessing my hubby won’t!