Girls Night

Well, I've been teasing on social media all week that I'd be back to blogging... so here is my first post since August.  Why did I stop for so long? Quickly, I started a new job, bought my first home, and felt as though if I was going to continue blogging... I needed to update the style.  Moving forward, you will find simplified posts that tie back to the description.... achieving a healthier lifestyle. Not all posts will revolve around exercise and recipes... the focus will be on my lifestyle. I hope you enjoy.

Moving on, last night I had all of my girls over to catch up, drink wine, and of course, eat. We had a lot of catching up to do which, of course, resulted in a lot of laughs.  I prepared a few of my entertaining staples. You'll see where I incorporated healthy options.

First, cheese.  You can't have a girls night without cheese.  Kim gave me this fabulous slate cheese chalkboard as a housewarming gift and I couldn't wait to use it.  When serving cheese, it's always nice to label what exactly is being served.  I always include a brie, hard cheese, and a semi-soft.  Last night, double-cream brie, Jarlsberg swiss, and manchego were served with a side of fig jam and whole wheat french baguette from a local bakery (fig jam will change your life).  The manchego and the brie are pretty much gone.

Next, homeade baked potato chips.  No need to fry when the oven will do the trick (and so much healthier).  Simply either use your mandolin or thinly slice a variety of potatoes (I used sweet and baby gourmet red potatoes).  Soak in water to remove the starches (thanks, Krista for that tip!), pat dry, douse in o/o, salt, pepper, and thyme (any herbs will do). Bake on parchment/baking sheet for 10-15 minutes.  These were a hit and are also all gone.

Last but not least, my specialty, antipasto.  If you know me, you know I am professional antipasto maker. I enjoy every second of putting this together, I put a lot of love into my antipasto.  You can use any Italian meats/cheese and marinated vegetables.  I always build around prosciutto, hard salami, and hot capicola. The beauty of this is that you don't have to cook it, you can prepare it while you chat, and there's something for everyone. Just serve it with a slide of Italian or French bread and everybody is happy, very happy. 

Other healthy options served: Tabouli, baked mushrooms, yogurt spinach/artichoke dip.

Have a fabulous weekend. xo.

7 Quick, Everyday, Easy Health Tips... Part 1

I'm going to keep it simple tonight. Understanding that if you are reading this blog, you are likely looking to find a few tips here and there that you can implement into your every day life. Here are 7 of my best tips for being healthy every day.  I labeled it "part 1" because I plan to make this a series. Enjoy!

1. Buy lemons. I start most days with a glass of lemon water, it revs metabolism and is great for the digestive track.  To make it easy: Slice and put in a baggy for the week.  I also use the slices for dressing, etc. throughout the week.

2.Make your friends a priority and have fun. Do I need to explain this? Probably not, but laughter and close relationships result in a longer life span, greater confidence, and (of course) overall happiness. My friends mean the world to me.

3. Work out at least 4 times per week. Mix it up and find what you love. If you don't work out, start. Period. Get off your ass! Start with 2 days. If you work out 2 days, add a day, and so on.  I simply do not understand  how people can care so much about a their car; making sure it has the premium gas, the oil is changed on time, and scrapes are fixed immediately. Yet, they don't work out.  Your body is your machine, use it or watch it deteriorate.  I know, I'm being aggressive, but, it's so important. Start with going for walks and build up from there. I'm not telling you to jump into a boxing class or run a half marathon right away. Get up, walk, lift, do jumping jacks, run up and down your stairs 10 times, etc.  Start small and build up.

4. Save the Drama for your Mama. Have a rough morning? Annoyed with traffic, your boss, your neighbor? Leave it off facebook and don't complain.  First, no one wants to see it. Second, and more importantly, people start commenting and then you are reminded of your shitty morning.  Just move on... and remember "This too, shall pass". Before you know it, your day will probably have turned around and you won't be stressing and miserable all day (relating it back to health ;)

5. Indulge a little bit. The healthiest people I know never deprive themselves.  They eat healthy most of the time and truly enjoy food. And, they never beat themselves up for it.  I eat frozen yogurt or a piece of dark chocolate almost every night after dinner.  Just make sure whatever it is, is in a rational serving and isn't loaded with fake chemicals.

6. Eat the healthiest at work.  My cousin, Jenn and I talk about this all the time.  Why in the world would we eat unhealthy at work? 1) I like to indulge when I'm out to eat with my friends or on the weekends... not at work. 2) Unhealthy food leaves me feeling lethargic and ready for a nap.  That is no way to spend the work day.  Pack a lunch or order healthy meals.  Bring snacks such as fruit, nonfat greek yogurt, and almonds.  This should be easy.

7. Drink your coffee.  Who is spreading the nasty rumor that coffee is bad for you? It isn't.  Coffee is loaded with antioxidants and a caffeine boost gets your body revved up.  Just don't load it up with tons of cream and sugar.  Keep it simple... two tsps should be fine.  And, try not to drink more than 2 cups per day.  Caffeine overload can have negative side effects.  Plus, a cup before a workout has been proven to increase athletic performance.  Yes!

Have an awesome week!