Wow – I cannot believe it is already the end of March and Easter is just over a week away.  I don’t know about you but I feel like time is flying by!  If your schedule is anything like mine, I can imagine that you could benefit from a quick and easy dinner for your Easter celebrations and I’ve got one for you.  These lamb chops are savory and succulent but won’t take extra time away from your family.  Serve with roasted beets and Brussels sprouts for a perfect, spring meal.

Ingredients

5 tbsp The Crescent Olive Herbs de Provence EVOO, divided
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp dried thyme
Pinch sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
6-8 lamb chop loins

Directions

1. Mix the 4 tbsp EVOO, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Add the lamb and turn to thoroughly coat.  Allow to marinate at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F.  Heat 1 tbsp of EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the lamb and sear for about 2 minutes each side, or until browned.
3. Transfer skillet to the oven and cook until lamb reaches desired doneness, approximately 8-10 for medium-rare.  Remove skillet from the oven and allow lamb to rest 3-5 minutes before serving.

Note: Exact cook times may vary based on the thickness of the lamb chops.

Funny how much our taste buds changes.  When I was growing up, red meat wasn’t very appealing to me and lamb was among my least favorites.  Now, I find myself looking for excuses to have lamb anytime I can.  Ground lamb for burgers or soup, rib roast for special occasions, or lamb chops for any day of the week.  I’m officially hooked.

Many people are intimated to cook lamb because they are not sure how to prepare it.  Lamb is a red meat and I have found that it is most tender when served medium-rare.  Because of its unique taste, lamb handles herbs better than other red meats and doesn’t need to be smothered in strong, peppery spices.   Here is a recipe that uses an infused olive oil along with a couple simple seasonings to create a very flavorful dish. 

Ingredients

5 tbsp The Crescent Olive’s Herbs de Provence EVOO, divided
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp dried thyme
Pinch sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
6-8 lamb chop loins

Directions

1. Mix the 4 tbsp EVOO, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Add the lamb and turn to thoroughly coat.  Allow to marinate at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F.  Heat 1 tbsp of EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the lamb and sear for about 2 minutes each side, or until browned.
3. Transfer skillet to the oven and cook until lamb reaches desired doneness, approximately 8-10 for medium-rare.  Remove skillet from the oven and allow lamb to rest 3-5 minutes before serving.Note: Exact cook times may vary based on the thickness of the lamb chops.

February is here…..already!  Although I shouldn’t be surprised because Valentine’s paraphernalia has been filling the stores since about 2 days after Christmas.  If you’re looking for a sweet treat to give your loved ones, choose one that’s not only delectable but also healthy.  This fudge recipe is not only sweet but it’s virtually guilt-free. 

Espresso Balsamic Fudge

Ingredients

¼ cup The Crescent Olive’s Espresso Balsamic vinegar
¼ cup 2% milk
2 tbsp raw sugar
¼ cup coconut oil
½ cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp molasses or honey
Pinch of sea salt

Directions

1. In a small sauce pan, combine balsamic vinegar, milk and sugar and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes.
2. Add coconut oil to the pan and stir until melted.  Remove from the heat.  Add remaining ingredients and whisk with a fork until thoroughly combined and consistency is smooth.
3. Line a small dish with tall sides with wax paper.  Pour warm fudge mixture onto the wax paper, then refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 2 hours.
4. Pull wax paper out of container and place on a cutting board.  Use a plastic knife to slice fudge to prevent chocolate from sticking.  Serve immediately or keep chilled until ready to eat.

I am not one to make New Years Resolutions but this year, I decide to make a commitment to doing 30 days of yoga during the month of January.  With 7 days left, this experience has already been very rewarding and taught me a few lessons.  

When I went into this challenge, I wanted to be flexible about the “rules” because I knew that every day would bring something new and my yoga practice should be fitting to my needs.  Some days, I would take a class at my local studio, others would just be the minimum time spent during gentle stretches and breathing.  And then there were the occasionally day that I was squeezing it in just before bed, almost wishing I had not made such a commitment.  Ironically, those days were often the ones that were the most revealing and constructive.

Being such a task oriented person who is always busy, I have often pushed yoga to the back burner.  My regular workouts and daily responsibilities always took priority.  When I finally discovered more intense yoga practices, I found more time to practice but almost always as my form of exercise.  This 30 day challenge has caused me to embrace the relaxing benefits of yoga.  It’s been a guilt-free pass to stop thinking, planning and working so I could simply breathe and be present in the here and now.

Of all the lessons I have learned from my month of yoga, the one that will resonate with me for years to come is my newfound acceptance of opposition.  On the particular day that this realization came to me, I had had a rough two weeks which came to a culmination with a particularly terrible day.  I forgot to do my yoga and it was already so late, but I stuck to it, pull out my mat and went straight to child’s pose.  Needing to release some of the built up tension, I began to focus on the form of the stretches more than usual.  The most benefit always came when I maximized the opposition of the parts of the body. Strength, balance and growth in yoga all come from opposing forces.  And then it hit me, I have spent my whole life fighting opposition but in reality, great things happen when opposition is present.  If there was no opposition, there would be nothing to work for, nothing to believe in.

When we are facing challenges in our lives, it is easy to want to quit or find the easy road out but remember, these times of opposition are when you develop your character, build your strength and grow in your faith.  Instead of fighting these times, settle into them, noticing where you can move a little deeper and where you need to rest. No challenge is too great – stay calm and carry on!

Namaste

How to Spread the Word about Healthy Eating without Turning People Off

People naturally gather around food.  As I am sure you’ve noticed, the kitchen is always the most lively place at a party.  People love eating good food, but unless you’re into healthy living, people typically don’t think about anything but the taste.

As health enthusiasts, we can appreciate food that tastes delicious AND is good for you.  But for many people, healthy, nutritious food has a negative reputation.  It has been their experience that healthy food doesn’t taste good or they just want to enjoy eating and not think about what’s in their food.

It’s natural for us to want to share something that we are passionate about.  As healthy lifestyle fanatics we have the best of intentions sharing our knowledge about healthy food.  We can get carried away trying to convince people to convert to a certain way of eating that works for us.  In our quest to spread the word about healthy eating and how delicious it can be, our efforts often land on a deaf ears or a retreating back.

What and how you eat is a choice, and often others that have not yet discovered the benefits of healthy eating and can be resistant to the idea. The good news is it is not up to us to try to convince others to turn to a healthy lifestyle.  We can still have tremendous influence by demonstrating our love of great tasting, nutritious food and the impact it has on our overall lives.

The power in demonstration comes from living out our deepest beliefs.  This has power beyond words. The energy that radiates from you becomes magnetic. When others witness your strength, vibrancy and happiness, they will want it too.

We can demonstrate our stand for a healthy lifestyle by following a few simple suggestions that will get the point across without alienating people.

Here’s a few tips on what NOT to do:

1. Don’t be a know it all. Just because healthy eating interests you, doesn’t mean it interests everyone.  Restrain yourself to say one or two things about it rather than going on and on.  If people want to know more, they’ll ask.
2. Don’t be the food police.  If someone is making a choice to eat something that you wouldn’t don’t tell them that they shouldn’t eat it.  They won’t appreciate it and it will only make them feel uncomfortable and/or guilty.
3. Don’t judge.  Just because you have been enlightened to the nirvana of healthy eating, don’t judge others that haven’t found it yet.  Remember back to the time before you discovered it.

Here are some things that you CAN do to spread the word of healthy eating by demonstration:

1. Share recipes with pictures on social media along with a post about it being healthy.  Pictures speak a thousand words. If something looks delicious they will want to try the recipe and discover that healthy food can taste good.
2. Bring healthy food to a gathering.  People can try your healthy recipe and make the connection that healthy food can taste good.  Put a little notecard next to it describing what it is and note that it is Delicious and Healthy!
3. Be sensitive to others preferences.  What appeals to you, may not appeal to others.  Even the most appealing foods to one person can be a turn off for another.
4. Focus on the deliciousness, not the health benefits.  If you emphasize how it tastes and slip in “and it’s even healthy” people will be curious to try it.  What you focus on grows. If you go on about the health benefits, people will focus on that which will override the taste.

Revel in the delights of life.  The passion you have for living will radiate from you naturally. The power of your positivity is stronger than any words you can speak.

About Cindi

Cindi Small is a holistic nutrition expert and success coach that empowers health and fitness entrepreneurs to accept abundance as their natural birthright so they can enjoy a lifestyle of freedom, wealth and purpose. Health entrepreneurs that work with Cindi break free from limitations and expand their awareness so that they can realize their grandest vision and make it a reality that will create true change in the world.

By demonstrating the abundance that life has to offer when we stand in our power and offer our gifts to the world, we will encourage others to shine their light and discover the bliss of healthy living. By banding together we can make a huge impact in preventive healthcare and lessen disease and suffering.

Cindi’s mission is to change the face of health by leading wellness entrepreneurs into their greatness so that we can create body, mind and soul transformation in our clients that reaches across the world. AND have a blast while doing it!

Your Abundant Health Biz
Check out Your Abundant Health on Facebook

It’s here! …the New Year, that is.  The time of year when we reflect, re-evaluate and renew the parts of our lives that we want to change. With this invigorating sense of purpose usually comes a fair number of diet and health changes.  Sometimes it’s a new philosophy that we’re willing to give a try and other times it’s the same thing we did last year but failed to maintain.

As you make your New Year’s Resolutions and set out to achieve them, remember to keep your priorities straight.  While I reflect on my life over the last year and set goals for 2013, I’m reminded of the story of the rocks in a jar.

A Philosophy professor one day he picked up a large empty jar and proceeded to fill it with small rocks. He then asked his students if the jar was full? They unanimously agreed that the jar was full.So professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked his students again if the jar was full. Again, they unanimously agreed that the jar was full.

Then the professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

“Now,” the professor said, “I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things: your family, your partner, your friends, your health, your children, and things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else. If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.”

No matter who you are, I hope that you and your family’s health is one of those big rocks that takes precedence over the little things.  While it’s easy to be motivated by the goal to lose 15 lbs or to get back into your skinny jeans, keep in mind that you are doing this to feel better for the long term.

To help you eat healthy and achieve your short term and long term goals, here are a couple new recipes for you.

Creamy Lemon-Balsamic Dressing

Cranberry-Pear Sparkling Water

I hope 2012 was everything you wanted and pray 2013 will be everything you’ve dreamed.  Happy New Year!

Ingredients

½ cup The Crescent Olive’s Traditional Balsamic Vinegar
¼ cup The Crescent Olive’s Eureka Lemon Olive Oil
¼ cup Greek yogurt
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper (to taste)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl or blend and whisk/blend until well combined.  Store in an air tight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

1. Pairs well with a mixed greens salad, including arugula, spinach and kale.

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season has been a bit more heighten for me this year.  I am actually having a hard time realizing that it’s Christmas, but maybe that’s because I was a little behind and didn’t really start many of my traditional Christmas activities until a little over a week ago.  Despite my delay in getting into the groove of the season, I managed to do all the things that make this holiday so memorable to me.  Wrapping the Christmas gifts, creating new recipes and making traditional treats, and most importantly, spending time with family.  

With my husband traveling for work during the early part of December, I stayed so busy with my own work that I didn’t do much cooking to speak of.  Lots of salads and frittatas, which make for easy cooking for one.  Once Walter came back, I made up for lost meals  by making all the fancy dinners I could within 1 week.  Of everything I made, one of my favorites was inspired by a lady I met at The Crescent Olive.  We were talking about our favorite uses of the oils and vinegars and she shared this recipe she was getting ready to make with Brussels sprouts, pears and prosciutto.  It sounded so good I decided to make my own version and share it with you.

Merry Christmas to you and your family.  Hope you take a few minutes to pause and enjoy the flavors of the season.

Brussels Sprouts, Pear & Prosciutto Salad

Ingredients

8 oz Brussels sprouts
1/2 cup EVOO, divided
1 lemon, juiced, divided
1 large pear (recommend Red Anjou Pears)
½ cup aged balsamic vinegar, divided
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
6 oz baby arugula or spring mix
4 oz prosciutto
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Directions

1. Preheat you your own to 400.  Half the Brussels sprouts and spread onto a medium roast pan.  In a small bowl, mix about 2 tbsp of EVOO, half the lemon juice, sea salt and pepper, then drizzle the mixture over the Brussels sprouts.  Place in the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes, or until a light golden brown.
2. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.  Slice the pears into ½ inch thick slices, toss with 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and place on the lined baking sheet.  Place in the over for 18-20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mix remaining EVOO, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar with sea salt, pepper and thyme.  Divide the arugula between four salad plates.
4. After removing the Brussels sprouts and pears from the oven, gentle place atop the beds of arugula.  Lace the prosciutto between the Brussels sprouts and pears, top with crumbled goat cheese, then drizzle with dressing.  Serve immediately.

   

Notes & Tips

If using oils and vinegars from The Crescent Olive, replace the EVOO and lemon juice with TCO’s Eureka Lemon EVOO and replace the aged balsamic vinegar with TCO’s Traditional Balsamic (or for added flavor, use the Cinnamon Pear Balsamic).

Tis the season for delicious food.  Fancy parties, family dinners, holiday baking.  The smells alone are intoxicating.  What are your favorite holiday foods?  Are you the type of person who splurges on all the sweets and treats or do you look forward to the rich side dishes that accompany your turkey or ham?  I have a couple recipes to share that will suit either type of palate.  Rich and savory to sweet and spicy, bringing the taste of the holidays into your home.

White Truffle-Rosemary Smashed Potatoes

Maple-Balsamic Spiced Pecans

If you have a favorite recipe, share it below in the comments section.

After 7 wonderful months living on the coast of Southern California, I am now back on the east coast to spend the holidays with family.  Since this weekend was my first taste of fall this year, it’s kind of hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just over a week away!  So ready or not, let the preparations begin.

I imagine you are likely planning your Thanksgiving dinner, too.  Here are a few recipes to transform your traditional dinner to a healthy, gourmet feast.

Savory Thanksgiving Turkey

 Roasted Cauliflower & Leek Puree

Blood Orange & Bourbon Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Cheesy Broccoli Casserole