Pink Lady Living Gluten free

Sutter Creeks- Miller Wine Works

2014-09-08T11:14:00.001-07:00

Took a little Sunday day trip and visited Miller Wine Works again. Besides Feist, I think is one of the best additions to this region. Their wine room is located in the cute old west town of Sutter Creek, right next to my favorite art and gift boutique Fine Eye Gallery. Check it out if you are in the area or close by.

Saturday by Kate Spade

2013-04-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

I think it is so fun that Kate Spade is branching out and creating a this new lifestyle brand called Saturday. The name says it all with the idea that a whole line of home, clothing and accessories are designed to reflect life living only on the weekends.

Saturday by Kate Spade by shara91 featuring cross body hobo bags

Enjoy, Cashmere

Good Reads

2013-04-16T22:02:00.002-07:00

Good Reads.... by shara91 on Polyvore

1. Debbie Reynolds...come on....do we have to even explain why this would be a good read. One name says it all Elizabeth Taylor!
2. Heart breaking, wonderfully written, do not want to finish it because I do not want it to end.
3. Just a great laugh and so interesting if you love Pop Culture at all.
4. Just started it and so far I agree...
5. If you love the movie Goodfellas and food history you will love this cook book.
6. I really needed a book like this. If you have read "Lean In" then this should be the next to fallow it up. Between the two you gain a lot of knowledge insight and tools to make your life better.

Sloane Ranger

2013-04-15T12:12:00.002-07:00

I received my daily Country Club Prep e-mail this morning. They where featuring this new Brand called Sloane Ranger. I just love these little start up brands. They could easily turn into the next Vineyard Vines or Lilly Pulitzer with the right style and I think Sloane Ranger is soon on there way.

Sloane Ranger by shara91 featuring a wrap bracelet

My Spring Pics for 2013

2013-03-05T15:46:00.001-08:00

My Spring Pics 2013 by shara91 featuring vineyard vines

1. Trina Turk has some super cute Cruz Wear for early spring featuring hot colors and some ultra preppy sheik pink and green.
2. Vineyard Vines, as usual, has some wonderful pieces for the season with some Sailor flair. Keeping it true to their tried and true color palate with the striped bikini as well.
3. I am not a huge department store beauty buyer, but a few Clarins items have really brought me back to the counter. The Clarins UV Plus HP SPF 40 Day Screen is a must! Only use about a dime size every morning with your moisturizer or liquid foundation and it covers your face and neck. Poudre Multi-Eclat Mineral Loose Powder is wonderful. Cheaper then most of the other mineral brands and has wonderful staying power and shine control the whole day.
4. Lilly Pulitzer in true form delivers Spring after Spring with fun patterns like Luck Charm featured in the collage and a their spring standard, gold platform espadrille.
5. Kate Spade's line gets cuter and cuter every season. This year they are doing such great jewelry using quirky everyday items and making them forever jewelry pieces.
6. Skinceuticals delivers year after year with the best body mineral sunscreen around for your beach and lake romps.
7. Can't write enough about the Clairsonic skin brushes. They take years off your skin and come in many fun Spring colors.
8. Trina Turk delivers not only in clothing and jewelry but also in home design. Give your bedroom a Spring Awakening with her line of sheets.
9. Gotta loose 10, 15, 20, 25 maybe 50 pounds before the summer. Look no further then the Dukan Diet plan. I lost 25 and have kept it off for over a year with this revolutionary plan.
10. Elie Saab has this wonderful perfume that I discovered sniffing my way through the perfume area at Nordys. Just love it so much. Spring in a Bottle for sure.
11. My new obsession are these Electrolyte tablets for your water. Just throw one in a bottle and your body absorbs all the Electrolytes it needs to make it through a long workout or day in the hot sun.
12. Red's Outfitters is a great sunglass company. Started by two kids in their college dorm room. The frames and lenses are top notch and ultra stylish to.

Pink Lady Gift Guide Holiday 2012

2012-12-01T20:18:00.000-08:00

For the Kids

I loved my star making machine when I was little and while looking for one for a family I found that they have come a long way. I found this great Star Projector and think this would be fun for the whole family. It is a wonderful family gift and can be given to children of all ages and to Boys or Girls. Another shout out to Green Toys still the best toys around non-toxic and just fun.

Gimmy Some Beekman This Year

I love the Beekman 1802 website and all the lovely food, skin care and Homegoods they offer. Standouts are the Creamed Honey, Goat Soaps, Stick of Butter Lotion Sticks, Tis the Season Bunbles and a few more products I will mention below.

For your Hippie or Nouveau-Yuppie Gardner Friends

I have some friends that have gotten into gardening in a huge way over the last couple of years and this is a wonderful Hobby that I might have to try this spring. I found some great things to give to my friends on the Beekman 1802 site this year that they will just love like their Heirloom Seeds packs, Seed Pot Maker, Bug Stick and Garden Cruuk.

Gift Basket Bonanza

Giving a gift to a family or someone that has everything maybe even a Home Sick East Coaster then Zabars is your place to shop for the season. Zabars is a very old wonderful Deli in New York that is Internationally known and loved for their Fish counter to their Cheese Selection. Check out their Gift Baskets, Crates and other wonderful gifts.

Onion Goggles

For the home chef in your life these are the best. I don't know how many times I have thought while chopping onions that if I was in a rush I know I would fumble and chop my finger off if I was not wearing these. The Goggles come in many different colors as well.

The Fountain of Youth Machine

You have read my Secret Weapon Post so you know this it is in facial and age defying care. The Clairsonic Facial brush is worth every penny to get great ageless skin. They come in a couple of sizes for face and body or travel and lots of colors.

The best Electric Kettle on Earth

This kettle has different settings for different styles of tea. I want one sooooo bad. A great gift for a tea lover or a Kitchen Gadget Junky in you life.

Tea For All

Tea is a great gift to get friends and family started on the right foot for the new year. Coffee is great but tea is better for sure. Tea Forte has great selection of types of tea. organic, rare, green, white, black and fun seasonal blends. Other great brands Mighty Leaf and Taylor's of Harrogate and of course Peets.

Levis

Now this is a great gift for the men in your life. Jeans are a no brainer for Men. You just have to know there waist and in-seem measurement and have an idea of body type. Men never buy new jeans unless forced. This is a great gift and Levis has some great styles out this year. Fancy brands that are well made and made of nice thick denim like Diesl and Lucky are great to.

Socks

Boring socks no more for your guy. Stance brand are well made and so fun. Also for more colder climates Wigwam are the best choice. Get your guy out of his basic black or white tube socks and get him some fun yet masculine socks this year.

Photo from Shop-Eat-Surf.com

A box of Chocolate

I am a fan of giving locally made goodies for the Holidays. This year I think Woodhouse in St. Helena need to be show cased. Not only locally made but delicious and absolutely beautiful.

Jewelry

Want to give Jewelry and the "Blue Box" is not your style then James Avery and Sundance Catalog may be up your alley. I have been a customer of James Avery for as long as I can remember. All made in Texas with a wonderful selection of Jewelry for everyone on your list. Known for their charms and charm bracelets and excellent craftsmanship. Sundance is Robert Redford's catalog store with locally made Artisan made jewelry with a more natural design aesthetic have some wonderful options for that special person. Alex and Ani is a very hot jewelry line as well that offer many options at affordable prices.

The "IT" Book

I am big fan of the Blog Young House Love and am so proud of everything they do for the DIY world and even more pleased that they put out there own book. The book is awesome. I gave it to my best friend right after I found out that they sold their condo and bought a new home. I knew she would get a lot out it and would make a lovely decorative coffee table book to.

The Wine People
Yep, how could I make a gift guide without a wine gift option. Everyone that knows me well knows I am Rose' Sparking Wine Slut! Yep, I said it Slut. I LOVE Rose' Sparkling Wine. My very good friend Laurence had bottles and bottles of MUMM's Rose' at her 40th Birthday and we where both in pure heaven. This year I have a new favorite and one that should be bought for any Wine-Snob on your list. Pommery Brut Rose is my number one pick! I just love it! Wish I could afford to buy it enough to have it all the time.

My "right now" Favorites

2012-10-04T00:48:00.002-07:00

My "right now" Favorites:

1. Cannot get enough of Taylors of Harrogate English Breakfast blend tea! I think about it as soon as I get up in the morning:) A few Stevia drops and almond milk and I am in heaven.

2. Needle point. I know you may think needle point can be boring but check out this great site that sells needle point kits that are modern. Also for the very advanced stitcher this Etsy site as well and this one for the beginner to the advanced.

3. I am in deep love with Wilderotter wines right now. I love almost everything they offer. Also a new kid on the black Feist that was started by a young Berkley couple that packed up and moved to the Amador wine region. Their offerings are just wonderful.

4. Southern Living magazine is my new magazine porn. I switch around year to year and I just love it so much!

5. Lilly Pulitzer's Cameo White Fancy Feast pattern is so interesting and a great Lilly Fall transition pattern for the line.

6. JCrew's vintage inspired jewelry this year. I love the mix of vintage looking pieces but with a modern color palette.

7. Kate Spade's too cool for school Book Clutches and the Knock on Wood Collection are out of site!

8. TV shows I have been watching lately Flipping Out on Bravo. The drama is interesting for sure but I love Jeff Lewis's design aesthetic. Grimm for sure. I watched the first episode of Call the Midwife on PBS, hooked already.

9. I have been deep in the world of middle eastern and Israeli food lately using this book and this book that have been apart of my cook book collection for awhile now and I use all the time. I just added this one and this one. All great books and have so much to offer to a home cook looking to try something different.

10. My favorite Blogs that I am reading latly are Health-Bent , The Shiksa in the Kitchen , Pink Wallpaper and Young House Love:) I fallow a lot of blogs but I only really read closly a few and switch up every few months.

Bun-less Burgers

2012-09-27T22:44:00.002-07:00

So I pretty much have given up all grains so eating a hamburger is a different experience all together. I usually would go bun less out at restaurants and just have the patty on a bed of salad or wrapped in large lettuce leaves. The difference now is I did not want to miss out on the taste of the mayo, mustard and ketchup goodness that I would get from eating my burgers at home on a G-free bun. So I decided why not just make a dressing for my salad with those flavors.

Makes enough dressing for four dinner size salads:
two tsp of Dijon mustard
two tbsp of Mayo or Vegenaise
five basil leaves
1/2 cup of white balsamic vinegar
pinch of kosher salt
two good pinches of pepper(I use garlic pepper)
two good pinches of Creole seasoning
1/2 tbsp of EVOO
zest and juice of half of a lemon

Add all ingredients in a mini prep food processor or blender and mix until smooth.

Go ahead and grill or cook your burgers. We got yum, yum burgers on special from Whole Foods. I usually stock up on their pre-made flavored burgers when they go on special and freeze them. They have all kinds usually some made with lamb, salmon, chicken and of course beef and bison. They mix in all kinds of different things like different cheeses and different spices into the patties.

I chopped up a beautiful Heirloom tomato and avocado to top off the burger. I am a huge Sour Kraut fan to and I will top mine with a couple of huge spoon fulls or chop up some of my Moms home made dill pickles. She made them spicy this year really great!

So I add the dressing to my greens, which is usually pea shoots and some kind of lettuce, toss and plate a generous helping to each plate. Then top with the burger and then the tomatoes and avocado. YUM!!!! I do not miss the bun at all.

Yom Kippur Wrap Up

2012-09-27T00:15:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe the weather!!! Usually the day of Yom Kippur I am counting down the hours until I can break the fast and dig into the chicken soup and honey cake that I made the day before. Well, this year there was no way I was turning on the oven or using the stove for that matter. My easy no cook break fast dinner went as fallows.

We had Udi's multi grain bagels. I really don't ever eat grains anymore, but I figure heck, why not it is a Holiday and once in a while cannot hurt. I paired the bagels with the usual suspects:

-sliced Heirloom Tomatoes sprinkled with garlic black pepper
-fresh yummy cream cheese sprinkled with dill
-beautiful Wild Smoked Sockeye Salmon
-sliced red onions
-would have added capers, but Ben hates anything briney or pickled.

I paired the bagels and lox with a simple butter lettuce, radish and yellow summer squash salad that was tossed with my go to dressing:

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1/4 cup or so of white balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp of Herbs De Provence
2 tbsp of EVOO
1 pinch of Kosher Salt

Shake it up in a glass jar and toss into salad.

We had chocolate dipped Macaroons via Wholefoods.

If we where having people over I would have chilled a nice Rose' wine but I already had opened Driven's Tempranillo and had that instead.

Also if we had company I would have probably served some strawberries(yes because of the weird season are still great and coming in the by the truck loads around here) and Heirloom Melon slices, some different olives and a crudite platter with lemon Hummus. It was just Ben and I this year which was fine too hot for company anyway.

I hope everyone had a easy fast and a meaningful Yom Kippur.

My Green Drink

2012-09-24T21:57:00.000-07:00

Since I found out that in no shape or form should you ever consume raw kale I was on hot pursuit to find a replacement for my standard green drink recipe this summer. So after a lot of searching and looking at different recipes on the web I came up with my own green drink recipe. You can make this in a vita-mix or you can leave the fiber behind and juice it. This drink saved my life all summer long. Also this was the ultimate water retention reducer. I would drink this down and all my puffiness would detox right out of me. I would weigh my self before hand and then after and could not believe it.

Pretty easy recipe and only use organic:
one large cucumber
four or five stalks of celery
five or six leaves of roman lettuce
One lime
five drops of SweetLeaf liquid Stevia
1/2 cup or so of low sodium mineral water

Optional additions:
one green apple:)
coconut water:)

Juice all together and pour into a glass, add some ice and top with mineral water, and add liquid stevia to taste. If you are vita mixing then you probably might want to half the recipe.

Stuffed Tomatoes with Chicken Salad

2012-08-22T16:32:00.000-07:00

Tomatoes are in season and I like to try to use them in everything I possibly can. I have been craving very southern flavors lately. So I got some beauties in my CSA box and what else to do with them then to make stuffed tomatoes with Southern done right Chicken Salad, YUM!

I used three chicken legs salt and peppered them with some Cajun seasoning under the skin and squeezed a lemon over the chicken and rubbed them down. Placed them in a oven set at 450 for about 30 minutes. Check the temp and once the juices run clear and the temp hits 165 with a meat thermometer they are ready. Be careful not to hit the bone or the bottom of the pan with the meat thermometer.

I usually based them with their juices or some broth and finish the chicken under the broiler for about five minutes to get the skin crispy so it is easier to pull off.

So pull off every inch of chicken from the bone. I usually just let it cool a little bit and use a fork to pull it off. Then I will chop up the chicken and throw it in a dish.

Add about a half of a green bell pepper chopped, 1/2 cup of corn( I use frozen and thaw in some warm water), half of a smallish purple onion chopped, 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped Italian flat leaf parsley, one heaping tablespoon of Vegenaise or organic mayonnaise, two teaspoons of Dijon mustard, salt and pepper some creole seasoning, zest of a quarter of a lemon and its' juice. Mix and let it mingle in the refrigerator if you like for a couple of hours or make the day before.

Grab some huge slicer or nice heirloom quality tomatoes and cut the top out and pull out. Then with a spoon scoop out seeds and water. You make have to cut out some of the ribs with a knife to make plenty of room for the salad. Then fill with chicken salad and sprinkle with some cheese or parsley.

I like to serve it on a bed of lettuce and avocado that is tossed in lemon juice, olive oil and some salt and pepper. Yum! Enjoy:) This would make a great entre' for a luncheon or ayou could use smaller tomatoes and would make a fun party appetizer.

Makes about enough to stuff six large tomatoes.

Cashmere usually begs at the table for scraps this time sitting patiently, this is a rarity;)

My secret weapons: the best budget friendly face care products you will ever use...

2012-08-16T23:47:00.002-07:00

In the last four weeks I have been asked what I do to my skin to make it look the way it does at least twice a day. I am working with the public and with all women so they want to know what magic potion I brew up. To their surprise what I use is pretty cheap and besides the two pricey pieces of equipment and having the luck of good genes, thanks Mom!:), they are all ears and take notes. I used to spend a arm and a leg on skin care for years until in the last few years I had to budget and pair down. So as usual I did a lot of reading and stuck with some things I have always used and replaced the super pricey department products with others.

My Mom and I about three years ago in Kentucky visiting my Grandparents at the Saint James Art Fair. Aren't we cute!

What I use is as fallows:

Tea Tree oil face wash $9.29 last about 4 months with Ben and I both using it
I wash my face in the shower with the Tea Tree oil wash. It helps heal any cuts or eye issues I might have created by maybe using my mascara too long. It is a great anti fungal/bacterial. Stings a bit but that usually means getting rid of something that should not be there. Great first phase make up and bacteria remover for the face. People do not realize how much they touch there face and eyes in a day and it needs to be washed with a natural anti bacterial wash like a tea tree oil based cleanser before bed no matter what your age.
Jojoba oil $13.99 last about a year or so...
Once I am out of the shower I put a few drops of Jojoba oil on a cotton circle and wipe down my eye area face and neck. I cannot believe what it removes. If you did not wash your face in the shower first and let the steam open your pores you have really no chance at removing the days dirt, makeup and bacteria on the deepest level. Basically, you go to be with clogged poors and are aging your skin at a more rapid rate.
Rose Water $9.95 and last about five months
Next I take another cotton circle and wipe my face again. This removes the access Joboba oil residue and removes the really fine dirt that the last two steps did not get. During the summer I may stop here and put some eye cream on and call a day, but I may add some of the below described splurge seriums.
Pineapple enzye face wash $14.99 last about a year
I use this every morning. It takes soooooo little for this to do its' job. I usually leave it on for a few minutes and then splash off with warm water. Love this cleanser!
Nuance by Salma Hayek Eye Cream $16.99 last about 8 months
I apply this to my "crows feet area" of my eye morning and night. Works great and cheap!
Nuance by Salma Hayek spf 30 face cream $16.99 last about three months( I use what the Skin Cancer foundation recommends)
This is the best Moisturizer and sunscreen on the market as far as I am concerned. I have used them all and this is it. I use it in the hotter months of the year because it is very light.

**Do not forget to put sunscreen on your ears paying special attention to the top. My Grandmother is a clear example of not doing this. She has had many growths removed.

Night time moisturizer for repair and deep moisturization
I use two different night time moisturizers depending on the time of year. The Nuance AM/PM is the best for pretty much any scenario but if I am up in Tahoe in the winter I use the Bubble & Bee moisturizer or I mix the two together as well in the cold, dry Winter nights.

Mineral Fushion spf 40 Face Moisturizer $19.99 last all about four months
I only use this in the summer when I am going to be in direct sun otherwise I use this in the dry colder months. Extremely moisturizing and goes on clear for a mineral based sunscreen. The best I have ever tried.
Green Clay Powder with yogurt and honey mixed in about $2.19 a packet gets about two to three masks out of each one.
I make a mask out of this clay and use it twice a month. Sometimes I add lemon juice and yogurt to the paste or honey and lemon juice as well. I use about half the pack and apply it to my face and neck. Love this stuff. So cheap and works!
Baking Soda dirt cheap I buy the huge bags from Costco
I take about a 1/2 cup of baking soda in the shower with me about three times a week. I just take a bit at a time and scrub my entire body in sections unti the cup is empty. Works great to make my skin smooth and clear.
Body Butter from $16.00 to $25.00 last three to five months
I like these waterless body butters and lotion sticks. They are concentrated and you use less and they work much better then a regular lotion that is made mostly of water. You put a bit in your hands and rub together to warm up and apply every where. I also like the Beekman 1802 lotion sticks as well.

Big Investment Equipment that has made a huge difference:
Clarisonic Face Brush
It truly is like giving your self a facial every day. Just like the Pro sonic toothbrush it loosens the dirt on your face and in your pores. When I wipe my face with the Jojoba oil and rose water I get so much more on the cotton circle if I didn't use it. It helps bring everything to the surface. I love this tool. It really tones my face and keeps the pores nice and tiny. Worth every scent. It has saved me tones of money getting facials.

Air-O-Swiss Cool/Warm Mist humidifier
I live in a very dry climate most of the year and this has saved my skin and my sinuses. The reviews on amazon for the brand I have are all over the place, but I have had this model for two years and not one issue. I notice a huge difference when I forget to fill the tank or forget to turn it on. I bring it up to Tahoe in the Winter and it has put an end to any sinus headaches that I would have usually gotten in the past.

Splurges:
Any of the Nuance line by Salma Hayek. I have tried almost every product and they are so well priced and worth every penny. I have used some very fancy skin lines and her line is just as good or better.

One more thing that I tell the Lady's to is I drink water like a Camel and I do not eat foods with hormones, fillers, preservatives, additives, refined sugars or chemically made sugar substitutes. I keep it clean, organic, gluten free and grain free. I do not drink that much espresso or coffee, lots of white and green teas. I also do not do fat free anything. I eat good fats of course, but I do not fallow that "fat free" is better mantra anymore. I get at least eight hours of sleep, more the better and I am not afraid to sweat it out either in a good work out but I wash my face asap right after.

My Summer and Fall reading list and Olympic re-cap....

2012-08-14T10:34:00.001-07:00

I think my whole summer got gabbled up by my new job, new business venture and of course the Olympics! I must say I think that is the best Olympics I have watched over the years. The Brits really know how to host and did a great job with every aspect. What was your favorite moment? I think mine was the story of Marathon runner Guor Marial. His story was really what the Olympics is all about and I am happy the IOC let him run under their flag so he could compete because the US could not get their act together and get his citizenship papers passed through(they had them for over a year and p.s. they have 120 days to process them, so they are way over due). You can read about him if you click on his name above. IOC paid all his expenses and got him a new pair of running shoes as well. Bravo IOC!!!!! That is the true Olympic spirit.

Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas did not get much press coming into the games besides being apart of the Fab Five. Everyone was betting on Jordyn Weiber, but boy did they capture some serious metal. I was behind Aly since the beginning she was just too calm and ready for battle. Gabby had that "why not" mentality that I just loved about her. She had that "I am here and the Russians really suck right now and I am going to take it" and you know what she did! For once the US gymnast actually where a team and boy what people can do when they become a team and believe in each other and that was proof with Jordyn Weiber after loosing the all around qualification. Yep, she cried, yep she was mad, but she came back and said screw it WE(not me) are getting a Team Gold tonight and they did!

Great games from watching Misty May and Kerri Walsh get their third gold to seeing a man run without out real legs(Oscar Pistorius) it was an amazing couple of weeks and sad to see them go I cried, I cheered, I jumped up and down the whole Olympics just amazing.

Along with getting into a new groove and enjoying the Summer, with its' 100 degree plus temperatures, I of course had my list of books that had to be read and I started to make my Fall list as well.

The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers: An Unconventional Memoir

I loved this book. It really made things very clear of what it takes to take your passion and turn into a business and at what cost to your personal life and life in general.

Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health

This book will blow your mind. Just amazing! I fact checked a lot of the info and man was it dead on with standard chemistry, biology that I learned in college. Just amazing! Also he has put out a second book with new information and it is easier to read for someone that is not a big science person called Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle

If you are a Downton Abbey fan like Mother and I are you have to read this book! My Mom gave it to me and I could not put it down. It is the real story of the Abbey and all the little juicy tid bits that go with it.

The Dukan Diet: 2 Steps to Lose the Weight, 2 Steps to Keep It Off Forever

This book changed my life. I lost almost 20 pounds with it and tell any body who will listen that this is it. Look no further Dr. Dukan has really done his home work and it works and lines up with the research in the book Good Calories, Bad Calories.

Jewish Cooking in America: Expanded Edition (Knopf Cooks American)

I love me a cook book especially anything written by Joan Nathan. I love a well researched and written book it makes it so much easier to alter a recipe into a Grain Free version when recipes are so well written and tested like Joan's.

My book picks for the Fall are as fallows:

Thinking, Fast and Slow

This Side of Paradise

The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen

Einstein Never Used Flashcards: How Our Children Really Learn--and Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less

The Complete Stories of Flannery O'Connor

What are you putting on your list this Fall? Any great books read over the summer?

**When you click on the links to the books I DO NOT get any money from the clicks or when you purchase the books from the links. I just added the links to make it easier for you to find them.

A Monday....

2012-04-23T23:53:00.000-07:00

      Mondays are always crazy and a mad dash so I keep it as easy as possible when it comes to cooking.

     The morning started with a Winter Earl Grey White Tea Latte and a half of a Udi's bagel with almond butter and a sliced Banana. I found this White Earl Grey at the Berkley Bowl in Berkley by Harney & Sons Fine Teas. A White Tea Earl Grey was a great find because the caffeine level is so much lower and packed with more antioxidants then any other tea. White Teas are not toasted so they are more of a "raw tea" so you get more out of them then any other.

      Later came two loads of laundry, stripping the bed, answered 12 emails and it was lunch time.

     Daiya grilled cheese and sauteed kale. I used this great Gluten Free bread made with Quinoa flour that I found at the Berkley Bowl. It is baked by a Gluten Free bakery called the Grindstone located in Northern California. They do mail order so check them out. Such great breads. I added sauerkraut to mine Ben had his without and asked for five more when he was done. One pan, fast clean up and sooooo good!

Now back to working on my secret project. So exciting!!! I made a Matcha Green Tea latte with Almond Milk which is sooo good. Matcha is another antioxidant power house. It takes a little practice to work with because it is in powder form, but with a latte you just make the steamed milk and whisk in the powder directly in your mug with a small whisk and add maybe some vanilla extract and some stevia and you are good to go.

Tic-toc Ben is home and it is time for dinner. Again, super fast dinner. I made salmon under the broiler just eight minutes and rub the salmon with a Asian rub I buy from Dean and Deluca. Toss a salad with some left over red quinoa and dinner is ready!

I hope everybody got through their Monday without many bruises or battle scares.

Later,
Shara

Clean Day 8 & 9

2012-02-17T18:46:00.000-08:00

Re-cap post from Clean Day 8 & 9

Thursday we started out day with Matcha green tea with some Meyer lemon zest and the juice and our Island Paradise shakes.

Lunch was mmm, mmm, gooooooddddd!!!! I made a really hardy salad. I think you will love this recipe. Especially any guys out there. Totally guy friendly hot salad.

Turkey Bacon, Butternut Squash and Spinach Salad:

1 butternut squash peeled, seeded and chopped into bite sized chunks
1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 package of nitrite free, organic turkey bacon (peppered worked great!)
1 large shallot clove or enough to for 1/4 cup chopped
1 splash of grape seed oil
2 tbsp of water
1 tbsp of Dijon mustard
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
a few of cranks of a pepper mill
four huge hand fulls of organic baby spinach or hearty leaf salad mix
1 cup of cooked red quinoa( I make a batch about twice a week to add to salads or to use as a fast side)

Turn oven to 400 degrees.

Prep your squash and lay a piece of parchment paper. Toss your squash in cayenne pepper, some salt and lay spread out on paper. Set timer for 40 minutes

Grab another cookie sheet and lay more parchment paper down. Lay turkey bacon out on paper and add to the oven on a lower rack. Butter nut squash should bake for about 20 to 30 minutes. Bacon will take 20 to 40 minutes depending on how crispy you want it. Flip bacon about 10 to 15 minutes into bacon and flip the squash around as well.

Put your salad leaves together and add the quinoa and set aside.

Now add some grape seed oil to a pan and turn stove to about medium heat. Add the chopped shallots.

Once the shallots are soft and cooked down add two tablespoons of water and they should steam a bit then add the balsamic, Dijon and pepper and combine.

It should look like this. If you want it more runny add more balsamic and water and then when ready and comined turn off heat.

Bacon and squash should be ready. Top salad with the squash and then the dressing. Toss together.

Plate salad and top with bacon add a few cranks of some black pepper and serve.

Our shake was the same. We have been keeping it very easy and only be creative with lunch the rest is the same ol, same ol. Including our lite dinner. Hummus roll-ups packed with veggies. Easy quick and simple.

Clean Day 6 & 7

2012-02-02T23:21:00.000-08:00

Same old same old. In the morning. I did make Matcha Green Tea lattes with almond milk stevia and some vanilla extract. So good!

Lunch was a throw together for sure. I had some random things in the refrigerator so I just made a pretty rustic bean, veggie and pasta dish.

What you will need:
1 can of Cannellini Beans rinsed
1/2 head of cauliflower chopped
1 leek sliced into thin ribbons (just the white and about half way up the green)
5 leaves of Swiss chard remove rib and chop into thin ribbons
1 container of mushrooms cleaned and chopped
two cloves of garlic chopped
4 fresh sage leaves chopped into thin ribbons
1 pound of brown rice pasta
a couple of good pinches of white pepper
1/2 cup of veggie or chicken broth
salt to taste
Optional nuts or seed toppings
1 tbsp of grape seed oil
*after you cut your leeks into ribbons add them to a bowl of cold water and let them soak for a minute or two and then drain them in a colander and rinse well under the faucet.

Add your oil to your pan and turn to medium heat. Add your leeks and let them soften a bit the add your garlic, mushrooms, white pepper, sage and cook four about 5 minutes stir and combine. Fill a large pot of water and place on stove to high and sprinkle with salt. Once boiling add your rice pasta.

Add the stock, Swiss chard and the beans and let them cook for about another 8 minutes stir and combine. Once your pasta is ready drain and leave a little of the pasta water in the pasta.

It should look like this when you are done.

Add some pasta to a dish and top with mixture. You will have quite a bit left over. Go ahead and combine the mixture and the pasta in a container and save for the next day or for dinner later on.

We had our re-peat afternoon shake, so good! I made a simple salad for us for dinner.

This morning we had a Island Paradise shake. Basically, 1/2 cup of mango, 1/2 cup of pineapple, one apple, two tbsp of organic dried coconut, scoops of vanilla nourish, scoops of move, stevia, two tbsp of almond meal and two tbsp of chia seeds, 2 cups of water and 1 cup of almond milk.

Today I took the left overs from yesterday and warmed them up with some broth and heat through in a pan with the top on.

I had some nice wile Alaskan cod in the freezer so I thawed it in the sink in some water for about 20 minutes and then sprinkled with some Organic Garlic Pepper blend from Costco and some grape seed oil. I placed it on some parchment paper in a baking sheet in a 375 degree oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. Cod takes not time to cook. Just poke and see it the juices run clear and you are ready.

For or evening meal I just made the same salad as the night before and we had the same chocolate berry shake for out mid afternoon shake.

We are both really in the thick of dropping the weight. Man going to the bathroom a lot. This is a great sign that we are loosing all the pollution we have absorbed since out last detox. I have been reading a lot on the Clean forum about wanting to loose as much weight as they can. So I am seeing people eat just like a bowl of soup for there lunch. Now the point of the detox is to detox and not just loose weight. Your lunch is supposed to be a balanced meal not just a bowl of soup only. You are will loose sugar and bad fat on this detox but you will loose the pollution first and for most that has built up in your belly, hips, thighs, blood, kidneys etc, etc the most. Keep that in mind Kiddos!;)

Clean Day 4 & 5

2012-02-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

We started off the morning with another Thanksgiving themed shake. I know from my nutrition training it is better to keep things consistent. When I get sick of the shake I will switch to my Island Paradise shake recipe. So lunch was another "make enough for two days" which again is from the same school of thought. So this recipe is all my own. I make these with meat and also without some times and totally vegan. These are my meat loaf balls. Same principle of making a meat ball but adding things that go in meat loaf instead and some things that you may never thought to add. I pack mine with lots of vegetables so the are nutritionally dense. Ben eats them right up so that is what counts. I make them tomato free or with because of the clean limitations these are tomato free and the cheese I am using is a Almond milk cheese that I was trying out before the diet. It actually taste like real sharp cheddar and melts really well. It is by Lisanatti Foods and called The Original Almond Cheddar Style. Now this does have casein in it and some expelled pressed canola oil(already e-mailed the company about using grape seed oil instead and finding a different protein besides casein or whey as well). I would actually use Daiya usually because of the diet also that it is casein free as well, but this bag was already open so I wanted to use it up. You can leave the cheese alternative out and add four tablespoons of nutritional yeast instead to get that cheesy flavor and loads of B vitamins as well if you are fallowing Clean to the letter.

What you need to make them:
1 1/2 or a little less pounds of extra lean(99% fat free) organic ground turkey (basically a package)
1 cup of shredded carrot
1 cup of finely chopped kale
1/2 cup of finely chopped red onion
4 chopped garlic cloves or 1 tsp of garlic powder
1 cup of finally chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup of Daiya cheese or whatever you like (four rounded tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast)
1/4 cup of brown rice flour
2 tbsp of Dijon mustard
about 7 cranks of a pepper mill
1/2 tsp of kosher salt
1/2 tsp of Creole Seasoning
*I used 1/2 tsp of each organic blend of pepper and garlic seasoning and Organic No-Salt seasoning from Costco as well.
3 flax seed faux eggs (three rounded tablespoons of flax seed meal with six tablespoons of water)
2 tbsp of grape seed oil
1 tsp of tapioca starch if you have it

Turn oven on to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and make your faux flax seed eggs in a small bowl and set aside.

I have a mini prep food processor and I finally chopped my onions, carrots and kale in it. If you do not have one just chop the veggies as small as you can and add to a large bowl. Add your faux flax seed eggs and don't for get the oil!

Add your meat and the rest of your ingredients and mix well. Then take about a little more then a 1/2 cup of the mixture an shaped into tight balls.

Place on parchment paper and put the tray in the oven for about 20 minutes. If you are using ground Turkey with more fat then the balls could take about 30 minutes, maybe 40 depending on your oven.

They will be darker in color and hard when pushed when done. Also you could cut one in half a bit if you are not sure. They should be cooked all the way through and no pink!

I made some quinoa with veggie broth, some spices in our rice cooker. Also a nice dark leaf side salad with a a simple lemon, olive oil, Dijon mustard, pepper and Organic no-salt spice blend dressing. Ben at it before my eyes!

We had our after noon shake which was a repeat from yesterday. The we went to the gym and came home had humus roll ups and some coconut water mixed with sparking and a wedge of lime. The roll ups where Brown rice tortillas, dark leaf lettuce mix, slices of avocado. Dijon mustard, Fallow Your Heart Grape seed Vegenaise and some Cajun spice. These are great for a quick lunch as well and they make a great lite dinner option for the Clean diet.

We are doing well and feeling great.

Clean Day 2 & 3

2012-01-07T23:14:00.000-08:00

Day two was not bad as last year, tired but not zombie like at all. I did not make anything different from day 1 and I planned it that way. I was prepared for it to be just horrible and cooked enough on Day 1 for Day 2 to keep it easy except for our little evening meal. I picked up my CSA box from NTC and we got a huge share this week that included Jerusalem artichokes(sun chokes). I was so excited to see them. I can never find them when they are in season so this was great. I figured I can make a hot salad with them with all the kale and collard greens that I got.

Basically, I peeled them then cut them into chunks. Added some grape seed oil to my pan and pan fried them until golden. The add a some white balsamic vinegar, pepper and two bay leaves then turned down the heat to low and covered the pan for about ten minutes. Then I chopped up a few huge hand fulls of kale and collards, chopped two cloves of garlic, and used some killer brown clam shell mushrooms and threw it all in with the Jerusalem chokes and combined and add a few splashes of chicken broth and turned up the heat a bit and put the cover back on for about 15 to 20 minutes checking and tossing every five and BAM ready to go. I tossed in about 1/2 cup of slivered almonds at the end and served hot. YUM!

We had the same afternoon shake. We went on a hour long walk around the neighborhood at night to burn more calories becuase we power walked in 34 degree weather rather then a indoor gym tread mill walk. Good fitness tip to remember want to burn more calories in a shorter period of time do it in cold weather or in cold water.

Day three we had the same morning Thanksgiving themed shake and a mint green tea late made with almond milk and some stevia. I found this great recipe on GOOP under the Clean program section. I altered it a bit because I hate fennel! Not dislike, but HATE it, and actually it takes a lot for me to hate any vegetable and this one I for sure do! So I used the GOOP recipe and subtracted the fennel and used Swiss chard because I broke down my collards the night before.

Pretty easy marinade. I altered the amounts because I used less fish: 1 tbsp of Tamari, 2 tbsp of sesame oil, 2 tbsp of rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp of Mirin, a tsp of whole grain mustard and 2 chopped garlic cloves.

I mixed the marinade in the glass dish directly and whisked as directed. Then placed the whole piece of Salmon in the dish skin side up flipped it a couple of times to coat top and bottom and left it skin side up in the dish and then cut into about two inch wide pieces. I did skin side up because it will absorb the marinade faster. Pop in the frig for about 20 minutes.

I prepped the carrots the Norri sheets and the chard piece while it was marinating. Also filled my dutch oven with water and placed the steamer basket in it and turned the heat up to high to get the it ready to steam the rolls.

After 20 minutes I took the salmon out and then started to construct the rolls. Just make sure to over lap the leaves a bit so they stay together.

Then I stuck them with two tooth pics each just in case so they will stay nice and tightly wrapped during the steaming.

Ready to go.............

I placed them in the steamer basket and turned the heat down to medium high heat and then put the top on and set the timer for 8 minutes and walked away. Poof, opened the dutch oven and they were done when the timer went off.

Served them with brown rice that I cooked with vegetable broth and some Japanese Salad. I will post the recipe for that in a separate post. SOOOOOO good!!!!!

We got tea at Peets later on after we went on cat specific research field trip(a Cat Show, I know you think we are weird but we had to get some advise from a Brit breeder about a new vet for Cashmere, it was actually pretty fun). I had the Jasmin Downy Pearl and Ben had the Lung Ching Dragonwell Green teas.

We had a Shari's Berries themed afternoon shake. I used the chocolate flavored Nourish and the Move with some frozen strawberries, some cacao powder, flax meal, almond meal, freeze dried coconut flakes, stevia, cinnamon, nutmeg, un-sweetened almond milk and some water.

For our light dinner we just a half a gluten free bagel with some nut butter and some apple slices to process our supplements.

As usual a mug of Natural Calm and hot water before bed. No work out today but gym tomorrow.

Clean Day 1

2012-01-05T22:04:00.001-08:00

This morning we had a Thanksgiving themed shake that involved pumpkin puree, cranberries, pumpkin pie spice, flax meal, chia seeds, scoops of Move and vanilla Nourish and some stevia.
Supplements+ Garden of Life Primal Defence HSO Probiotic Formula

Lunch is Vegan mac and cheese with kale, broccoli and cauliflower. Some salad topped with seeds and beans. My dressing is olive oil, Kirkland brand organic no-salt seasoning, Dijon mustard and lemon juice and zest.
Supplements+Calcium Magnesium+Vitamin D+B12/B6/Folic Acid

I had a matcha green tea almond milk latte with some stevia and Ben had a herbal tea with some lemon.

Afternoon shake with the chocolate flavored Nourish instead of the vanilla, some raspberries, cacao powder, almond meal, flax, almond milk, water and some EV coconut oil.

Lite dinner I had half a GF bagel with almond butter and some apple slices. Ben had a whole bagel with the same.
Supplements

We only went for a 30 minute walk because your are not supposed to do too much exercises in the beginning, but tomorrow we will go to the gym and walk on the tread mill for an hour. Hopefully on Saturday we can do some weight training. I think I will pop in a Yoga DVD tomorrow as well.

Natural Calm before bed for both.

Yep, today we where both tired but we both got everything accomplished that needed to be. Tomorrow will be the roughest day. Last year it was so bad that we could not have straight conversations, so Ben and I are going to go to bed early. Hopefully that will help us out luckily it is Friday.

here we go again...

2012-01-04T21:49:00.000-08:00

Ben was very into doing the Clean detox again this year. So he ordered it and it arrived and I get to do all the prep, cooking and timing, yeah!:( Plus we are starting a few days earlier then I thought, yeah!:( I wanted to start Monday. Ben wanted to start ASAP! Our schedules some how got really complicated quick right after the new year so it is either now or in March and Ben does not want to wait.

I will try to post about it but last time it got over whelming trying to do daily posting, so maybe like every few days may be better. Mom, I do not think I am coming home to take down the tree:( Wish us luck!

We went to Godiva tonight and stuffed out faces with half priced Holiday chocolate and I ate all of my Grapefruit but we still need to finish the eggs before tomorrow.

If you want to read a bit about this Detox here is a link to my first post about it. We decided to add another supplement to the detox instead of shelling out the BIG cash for the really pricey program. We got the original with the addition of the Clear 2. Ben had me do some reading to see what was the real difference and I figure this is enough for us this year. I told him if we where going to start having kids then the BIG kit would be better but that is not happening for a long while so we are good with what we got I hope.

We got a new kitchen table! Ben picked the color, can you believe???

My CSA Box- Natural Trading Company

2011-12-21T19:00:00.003-08:00

I finally found a CSA to join that was in our budget and met our requirements. I could get fresh eggs for happy hens, all organic, with a good seasonal variety, winter harvest along with other seasons, give not too big of shares of the harvest(just Ben and I so I did not want to waist any of the share, plus we can order from two sizes of shares), easy to pick up, easy to put on hold if we go out of town, easy to stop if we move, weekly reminders/updates, great communication with the farm owners, auto payment and charged week to week instead of for a whole season or a whole year at a time. The Natural Trading Company in New Castle, Ca fit the bill to a tee. We pick up our share every Friday at the farm because we live pretty close. It cost $20.00 a week and we get eggs every other week and those weeks cost $26.00. Like I said perfect:) Ben and I eat a lot if veggies but with these boxes it is a no brainier with incorporating more fruit and veggies into your diet. No meal planning required either you just work with what you get and it just makes cooking so much easier.
This week we got:
Garlic-2 heads
Turnips a very large bunch
Red potatoes about three pounds
Butternut Squash
Persimmon- 5 Fuyu variety
A huge head of purple lettuce
A huge bunch of collards
Heirloom carrots about 10 in the bunch
One dozen eggs
Plus the box comes with a weekly newsletter with a recipe incorporating the share.
All organic and $26.00 total!!!

Holiday Wishes

2011-12-20T23:45:00.000-08:00

Pink Lady Holiday Gift Guide

2011-12-10T18:48:00.003-08:00

Now I have wanted to get one of these for myself for a long time, but they where always too expensive. Breville has now made a great compact juicer that is under $100.00 and makes for easy clean up as well. It has over 700 five star reviews on Amazon.com. Now that is proof that this is a great deal and product. I would gift this to anyone that is wanting to have a healthy start to 2012. This would be a great gift to give to a family as well.

Royal Apothic Home and Body Fragrance Products. I love these products. I heard about them around the Royal Wedding. Kate used Jo Malone candles at the wedding ceremony to scent her day. From what people said the church smelled wonderful. Jo Malone candles run about $65.00 each. Kinda pricey for sure. I do have some of Jo Malone perfumes but could not bring myself to buy the candles. So I was doing some research and found out that the queen uses these candles and stocks all her bathrooms with the lotions and soaps. I went to the website and saw they carry them at Anthropologie and went down to my local store to take a sniff or two. These are the best fragrances I have ever smelled. I love the Toca and the Fresh lines but these where incredible. I think these would be great gifts for hostess or scent junkies as well.*Don't forget to never spray perfume on your skin only on your clothes and hair.

Peas and Thank You Cook Book. I love this cook book. I think it would be a great gift really for anyone. This cook book makes eating Vegan fun and easy to do. A great book for a family or friend that would like to to do a Meatless Monday or a Animal Free day. If everyone at least did a Meatless Monday we could make a huge difference in our environment also you can save sooooo much money as well. No joke going meatless and dairy free one or two days a week can decrease your grocery spending by 30% to 40% depending on the quality of meat and dairy you buy. In this economy that is a big savings.

Garden of Life Primal Defence. I tell people this and they look at me like I am nuts. I have not had a cold, flu or any type of bacterial infection in FIVE years. Ben has not been sick in TWO years. We both take Probiotics. I have tried different brands but this is the best by far. Probiotics help your immune system fight off bad germs and bacteria that you ingest from being out with the public. I would give this to everyone of my friends and family if I could afford it and if I knew they would actually use it. The bottle runs about $24.99 and worth every penny.

Bob Harper Total Body Transformation Dvd. O my god! I did this work out for the first time not too long ago. I felt like I was back at RB High doing my sprint works outs. The ones where I would loose my lunch during. This work out is no joke. If you have a super athletic friend or someone that is looking to burn off the Holiday calories for the New Year then this is it. I will warn you this is NOT for beginners. Bobs' other Dvds would be better for a more moderate exercise routine.

J Brut Rose Sparkling Wine. This is my FAVORITE!!! I think this is a great gift for a wine lover. Something a little different as a Rose' Sparkler is perfect for your wine loving friends and family. J is a great wine maker in Napa. This would make a very special hostess gift or something to impress a boss for sure. The price is right to just under $30.00!

The Stieg Larsson's Millienuim Trilogy box set is another well priced gift. I don't know if you have heard of this trilogy of books written by the late Steig Larsson, but if you are a reader or know a reader I would at least buy the first book in the set The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and give it a read. I actually watched the first couple of movies that where made in Denmark and they where great even with the sub titles. Now I am starting to read the English translations. I think the books could be gifted to anyone that likes to read at all from the age 13 and up. If you have a mystery or sci-fi junkie friend these books and especially this box set would make a great gift.

Custom Converse and Jack Purcell Sneakers. I bought these for my Teenage niece. These are just too cool for school. You can customize the whole shoe down to the rubber and have their name, initials or whatever embroidered on them to. These would be great for a Boyfriend, Husband, Male or Female Teenagers. I know you are thinking it may be hard to pick everything out but you can either give a gift card to let them do it them selves or go with using their favorite colors and design them your self. Just a great gift for under $80.00!!!

Salma Hayek Beauty Products. I just started using Salma's line and I love it. Paraben free and quality for not much money. You could buy any of the range for your girlfriends, Teenage girls, Mothers and Grandmothers even the Man in you life could benefit from the skin and hair care line. I would think the best things to pick up for gifts is the spf

LLBean Emergency Radio-Cell Phone Charger-Flash Light no batteries needed!!!I bought these for my parents last year. My Dad just loved the whole idea that they use a crank to make the power and no batteries. I have seen the both use them a lot this year. These would be wonderful practical gifts for anyone. I got one for each of my parents to put in their cars. They make a larger one with more features to keep in the house for big emergencies.

Happy Balls! Kentucky Bourbon Balls. I LOVE these. I dream about these balls. When I go visit my Grandmother I have to get these. They are so good. These are another local made gift that people would love to get. These instantly bring a little Southern charm and sweetness into any ones life.

Jams-Jellies-Dried Fruits from Twin Peaks Farms. This is a local farm that Ben and I discovered this year. They make the best jams and jelly form there harvest and dried fruit mixes as well. I think these would make a great office gifts or even gifts for Teachers maybe a neighbor that helped you out this year and you want to get them a little something. They also ship seasonal fruit year around as well. The fruit delivers are great to people living in places that cannot get quality fresh fruit in the winter months.

A membership to a CSA near you. This would be another gift for a whole family or maybe friends that are having a hard time financially this year. You can pick different options of what kind of locally grown and produced items from what ever CSA farm is near the family or friend. Some farms offer seasonal deliveries or half year or year around share of their crops. It is a great way to get more healthy produce in your diet and support local farmers doing it right.

Zoya Nail Polishes and Nail Products. I love the ESSIE nail polish color range, but hate the toxic chemicals that comes with it. People do not realize your nails do absorb the toxic chemical you paint them with. Your skin and nails are no different then your mouth. When you put make up, lotion and anything on you skin you pretty much should be able to eat it to a point. Yep, that is right, your skin absorbs everything you put on it and it goes through your blood stream. That is why I started to use as chemical free nail polishes, lotions, makeup and skin care products as I can years ago. The ZOYA line is great and has great staying power and color range with out the harmful chemicals that most polishes have. These polishes would make great stocking stuffers, Hanukkah gifts for any Women, Teenager or Little Girl you know.

Life factory Water Bottles-Baby Bottles-Sippy Cups. Do you have a couple that just had a baby? Do you have a guy friend that is hard to shop for? Do you have a whole family to buy for? Maybe a girl friend that buys cases of water bottles from Costco and you want to guide down the path of not filling a land fill with her waist? The Life Factory bottles are the way to go. They are glass bottles covered in a impact resistant cover that is non-toxic and BPA free. Ben has a couple and has dropped them several times on cement ware house floor and has never broken one yet.

Wilton's Donut Baking Tray. Now this is a great gift for a Gluten Free or Wheat free friend even a friend that is trying to watch calories as well. This donut tray creates the best donuts without frying. You could pair this with a a Donut recipe cook book and you have a great gift for a individual or a family. They will love it.

Global Girl Friends Jewelry-Clothing-Accessories. I am in love with this line. The non-for-profit company goes into villages and helps women create there own businesses form crafts and products they create. The products are un-believably affordable and well made. I love to pick up earrings, scarfs and bracelets for my girlfriends. These are gifts that give back and what else could be better then that.

Recycled Plastics and BPA Free Toys by Green Toys. I buy these toys for all my friends kids. I like to buy the nice non-toxic wood toys as well but these are little more budget friendly. The babies and kids LOVE them and the parents love that I cared so much to buy non-toxic toys for there little ones.

PetNaturals of Vermont Treats. These treats have changed my cats quality of life for sure. The hairball formula has helped Cashmere so much when he starts to shed his winter coat. The vitamin treats keep him healthy and happy as well. They make a full range of Dog and Cat treats and I have been told the dog treats are great. So if you have a pet lover in your life I would think these would be a great gift.

Sweet mornings in disquise with super foods....

2011-12-10T10:17:00.001-08:00

Sorry the photo is not that great I took it with my old camera that died a few months ago. Thank goodness Ben had a spare for me to use.

My morning almond milk, double shot, home made latte would not be complete with out Raw Cacao Powder from Navitas Naturals. I was reading a article on Harvard Health Publications about the heart healthy benefits of Cacao Powder and anti inflammatory properties. It is for sure a SUPER FOOD in every since of the word reading more into the article. Doing more research I found that two and half tablespoons gives you 2% calcium, 8% Iron, 4 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein and 67.5mg of magnesium. The kicker is that it has fifteen more times the antioxidants found in a glass of red wine and twenty-one times that of a cup of green tea, even blueberries cannot compete with this stuff!!!!

The Cacao Powder is rich in flavonoids that can help with so many things from pre-mature ageing, fighting environmental damage happening in out bodies, anti-inflammatory properties and help with heart health in lowering blood pressure. Even help with your mood and boost endorphin levels.

The cacao powder also makes a excellent hot chocolate as well. I just add a little more sweetness to the almond milk and leave out the espresso shots. If you do not have a milk frothier just add two cups of some kind of milk and two tablespoons of the cacao powder and heat over medium heat while whisking until heated, combined and frothy. I like to add a few pinches of cinnamon and nutmeg and maybe a little vanilla extract or peppermint extract. YUM!!!

Turkey Day

2011-11-23T20:00:00.000-08:00

Another Wild Turkey sighting two weekends ago when Ben and I where driving back from Trader Joes. We saw them crossing a very busy intersection, but being in Northern Cal people slowed down to let them cross. We made a U-turn to see if we could take some quick pictures before they took off. Just the coolest thing about living up here is seeing something like this.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!