I love winter. I especially love it when I have a warm stew to munch on, cuddled under a warm blanket with my pups. The only downfall is when I nod off and realize that one of the pups ate my lunch.
This dish is especially satisfying and quick to do if you do some prep work ahead of time... Enjoy!
Warm Lentil Moroccan Carrots
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?: Under 30 minutes
SERVES: 2 generous servings
INGREDIENTS:
Coconut Curry Sauce:
1 tsp olive oil
Chopped garlic ...as MUCH as you want
1 1/2 to 2 TB curry powder
Any other spices you like in your curry...I add turmeric and cumin
1 can garbanzo/chickpeas beans
1 TB Tahini
1/2 to 1 TB pure maple syrup
Jalapeños (optional)
1 TB dried coconut (unsweetened)
Lime Juice (to taste)
Crunchy Carrot Mix
1/2 c cooked lentils (red, green, brown)
1/2 c diced carrots
1/4 sliced red onion
Bunch green onions
1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar (Apple Cider Vinegar is fine too)
1/4 c chopped parsley
1-2 tsp chopped garlic (to your taste)
salt and pepper (to your taste
1 c of sliced carrots
4 oz of peanuts
DIRECTIONS:
Make the Coconut Curry - this can be done ahead of time and stored up to 5 days in your fridge. Plus, you don't use all of it so you can actually add it to some veggies and other dishes.
Start by heating up olive oil and adding the chopped garlic. Cook until fragrant (about 1-3 minutes).
Add curry powder and other seasonings and again, cook about 1-2 minutes.Add the garbanzo beans and let them heat up in the spices.
Take off the heat and put the mixture in a blender/food processor.
Blend until mixed thoroughly, adding the rest of the ingredients.- This should be like a paste. Store in the refrigerator until you're ready to use.
Make the Crunch Carrot Mix - Mix ingredients together...that's it! Again, you can make ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it.
Heat oil in the pan - Add sliced carrots - sauté for 1-2 minutes - Add 1/2 c water, cover and let cook for 6-8 minutes.
Add Coconut Curry and the Crunch Carrot Mix and heat on low heat until warm.
Sprinkle with peanuts and you're ready to eat!
Inspired by Hungryroot
It’s #ThoughtfulTuesday and as promised, I’m sharing my Daily Habits that I created for 2018. We all know that it’s not enough to say you want to change, it’s the actions that we do faithfully that will “transform” us in the people we want to be.
I’m starting an intensive Functional Medicine program in February as well as finishing up my Personal Training Credentials. I feel like I’ve been only focusing on those things and at the end of the year, I was burnt out and feeling very disconnected.
My 2018 Intentions includes more Nurturing and Connecting! And while this looks like a lot of work, it really wasn’t…Each item took no more than 5-10 minutes (except for the sleep part) and it made me feel accomplished and good at the end of the day!
I used an Excel Spreadsheet to track it and my hope is that I can work on it every day and see how I do. I don’t expect perfection but at least I have something to work up to.
What’s on your list? Please share and let’s support each other in being the best that we can be!
It’s the week after Thanksgiving and I don’t know about you but I indulged in everything! I know I need to move but I have a crazy month and some deadlines that I’m trying to meet by the end of the year.
My goal is to be active at least an hour a day and since it’s raining this morning, (who says it never rains in SoCal?) my morning walk with my crazy Cleo might not work out…
But before I come up with another excuse, I look at my computer’s Favorite Bookmark Bar and realize that all I have to do is press a button and voila!...my workout awaits me.
Home workout are the best…it has made my exercise a daily routine and a “recess” that I look forward to. Plus, I can do them anytime I want without having to pack up for the gym or deal with traffic and the sweaty exerciser who thought dousing themselves with cologne would be a great idea (said no one ever….)
Here are my favorite sites…
OMMMM - To DE-Stress, Get Going & Relax
If you ever thought about yoga or you’re an experienced Yogi, this site has it all! I started my Yoga journey with them back in 2010 and probably work out with this site almost every day…sometimes, twice a day. (I’ll start my day with a Vinyasa Flow and end with a Restorative or Meditative session.)
What I love the most about this site is the Search filters that helps you find classes based on how much time you want to work out (fast 10 minutes to a luxurious 90 minute classes) , what type of yoga (they have 13 types), what teacher (over 40+ to choose from), and what body part I need to work on (sometimes it’s my shoulder…sometimes it’s my lower back…)
You can subscribe for under $20/month, and stream it from most of your electronic devices. There’s even a trial period offered.
LET’S GO!....A Variety of Fun Workouts
I’m a very fickle exerciser. One day I want to kickbox, another day I want to channel GI Jane with a Bootcamp class and some days, especially when I’m not in the exercising mood, I want to DANCE!
This site has over 600+ workouts that you can access and I dare you to not find something that will get you moving! You’ll find some familiar fitness personalities on board…Shaun T (so fun!)…Chalene Johnson (from the Turbo series)…Tony Horton (I have yet to make it through a PX90 without getting bored)…and many more!
This site is also very cost effective. You can get a year’s subscription for under $160 or pay a quarterly fee (note, not monthly) for under $40.
My teenager feels the need to chime in…
“Well that sounds like a "fabulous idea," but I have NO money! After all, it’s the Holiday Season…could you pass me the cookies?”
Ahhhh, my lazy grasshopper…my last recommendation is a site that you’ve been looking on for most of the afternoon while you’ve been eating the cookies!
Free, Fun & Fabulous – A Free Variety of Workouts…
In the Search Bar, type workouts. You will find a plethora of workouts and they’re absolutely free. My Econ class taught me that there is no such thing as a free lunch and this holds true with workouts on YouTube.
You might have to watch a intro video or get a great video right in the middle of a push up…I take it as a sign from the Universe to rest… but that is the small price you pay for dancing with the Fitness Marshall (hilarious and you actually break a sweat ), doing plies (there’s lots of Ballet & Barre workouts) and keeping up with Anna and all her trendy PopSugar Celebrity Trainer workouts.
I recommend that you create playlists for each type of exercise that you do. I have great Playlists for Ballet, Dance and Kickboxing that I’m happy to share…just let me know in the comments or send me a private message.
Ready? Set? Go! No more excuses …get moving and let me know your favorite online workouts!
Today is Halloween but some may also know that it’s also Dia de Los Muertos…aka Day of The Dead. This holiday honors and remembers friends and family members who have passed.
My mom passed away over 3 years ago and there isn’t a day that goes by that I wish I could talk to her.
Which is really ironic…when she was alive, it was always such an effort to make time to see her. Between being a busy single mom and a traveling consultant, I would often have to reschedule our time together. Many times, I’d want to cancel but she ‘d always accommodate me and move her schedule around so we could meet up. We'd often have coffee in her back patio where she would point out each butterfly. She’d always know when I was struggling and say the right words to get me back on track.
What I would give to have that time back.
I’d tell her about how overwhelming it was to change careers and start on a new path.
I’d compliment her on how she ran a household and a preschool all at the same time and still manage to always be stylish and put together.
I’d ask her how she dealt with a snarky teenager who mood swings are like our SoCal weather…beautiful, one day…foggy and grim the next.
Last week, as I was recovering from a bad head cold and contemplating “chucking it all” and going back to my comfortable corporate life, I got little signs of encouragement from my mother.
A butterfly outside the window.
A necklace that she ceremoniously gave me when I adopted my little one suddenly appeared.
A picture of the two of us on Halloween dropped out of the bookshelf. 
Even Facebook got involved…in my memories, it highlighted the time we celebrated a milestone at her favorite restaurant.
Despite my mom passing, her presence is always felt.
Several things to take away from this:
-What goes around, comes around… I now always accommodate my busy daughter’s schedule so we can have that quality time
-You can never outrun your mother…she’ll always find you!
-In times of need, your loved one will always be there…
Happy Dia de Los Muertos, Mom
I’ve hit a slump!
Which is a bummer because I was doing so well. I spent most of my summer rehabbing my torn meniscus and spent every day “moving.”
But lately, I’ve found myself doing everything else except putting on my workout shoes.
So here’s my challenge to you all.. Let’s try and “move” at least 20 minutes each day for the rest of the month.
I’m planning on walking, doing yoga, going to the gym and of course, putting on my tutu and pretending that I’m a ballerina…
I know my pup, Cleo, is in…What about you?
Looking forward to hearing how you did!