My healthy happier life

Happy Hump Day! I don’t know about you guys but this week has been a tough one. There is a lot going on at work and at home. Bo and I are trying to figure out our Thanksgiving plans which is proving to be a nightmare. Flight prices skyrocketed overnight and literally even Amtrak costs over $1,500! Luckily I had a really good conversation with both my parents and brother today about the situation so we’re all working together to do research and find solutions.

While I was sitting in meetings yesterday, Meg was able to represent HHB at a fun lunch event. I’ll turn it over to her to share a delicious recipe and recap of yesterday’s event. Check out the food! Holy food porn!Candice Kumai knows that sexy isn’t just on the outside, it’s also what you put on the inside.

Today, the folks at Egglands Best sponsored lunch at Bryant Park Grill, where I got a sneak peek at her new cookbook, Cook Yourself Sexy. I had the chance to hear directly from Kumai while getting to know other New York City health and wellness bloggers.

The book is more than recipes and food porn. Kumai includes lists of kitchen essentials, healthy tips and even a seven day plan to kick start healthy eating habits.

I ordered the Poached Egg over Mushroom, Spinach and Potato for my appetizer and the Sun Dried Tomato and mushroom Frittata for my entrée.

The poached egg was perfect. The egg white was hard but the gooey yolk oozed all over the vegetables. My only complaint was that having a whole potato was too much. In fact, the egg could have been served without the potato and I would have still enjoyed the dish just as much. The frittata was delicious, nothing overly special, but a great recipe to have in your back pocket. I love making quiche partly because it’s a great meal to reheat for a quick dinner. The frittata recipe has inspired me to ditch the crust to save a few calories and a little bit of time!

By the end of the meal I was stuffed, but there was no way I was going to leave without trying the desserts. The crème brûlée was AMAZING! Usually crème brûlée is one of those desserts that I have to split because it is so rich and dense. This crème brûlée was very light and came in perfectly portioned cups. I put a little bit of it on top of my Cherry-Pistachio Clafoutis to add some extra sweetness to the nutty flavor.

The hangover burrito was a big hit at the lunch and after reading the recipe, sounds right up my alley.

I’m so excited to make the burrito along with all of the other exciting (and healthy!) recipes in this book.
What recipes make you feel sexy?

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Greetings on a very Fall like day in New York City. The weather has been overcast and brisk today, the winds dusting the city with fallen leaves and reminding locals that winter isn’t far away.

I welcomed Fall with a vibrant pop of orange and my favorite tall boots. (Necklace, blouse (similar and similar) , skirt, and similar tall boots)

After a day that seemed to include one stressful email after another, I actually made it home by 7:15. I had a craving to jump in the kitchen as soon as I walked through the door. For the next hour I cooked and baked, the stress melting away from my shoulders as I listened to the new Mumford & Sons cd, Babel, in the background.

Now that I’ve given you a run down of my day, let me share with you this month’s mantra. I’ve thought long and heart about this over the past few days and during my training session today with Lauren, the topic finally reared it’s head as we talked about the next month of marathon training.

I’ve always been the type person who likes to stay busy. I’ve also been the type person who likes to please people and follow through on commitments.

According to my mom, that often leads to someone who a daughter who causes her own stress due to saying yes too often.

Therefore, my October mantra is a bit unexpected.

Just Say No!

This month is about taking a step back, focusing on my biggest goals and making sure that I don’t allow anything to block the way.

Right now, my biggest goals both personally and professionally are as follows:

Begin to onboard to my new role at work while still managing and delivering the business for my current role.
Finish the NYC Marathon in under 4:45 on November 4th while smiling and feeling strong.

In order to push my body during workouts for each of the next four weeks, especially the next 2 weeks before taper, I need to fuel my body with quality fuel and get plenty of rest. In order to balance marathon training with my new work demands due to my promotion, I need to have the time to stay at the office late when I need to and be mentally alert and focused. While balancing these two goals I also want to continue to focus on being a better wife, daughter, friend, and sister. This means making time for phone calls, Skype sessions, evening sofa sessions watching Homeland with Bo, long walks in the city, and nights out with friends.

So there you have it. The person who always says yes may get caught saying no this month.

Question: Do you have a mantra this month? If not, what are your goals for the month?

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Happy October! I can’t believe the month of cooler weather, pumpkins, vibrant fall leaves, and marathon taper is finally here. Like many of my friends, I’ve been craving anything and everything apple, spice or pumpkin. Therefore, when the folks at DailyBuzz and RiceSelect gave me the opportunity to try RiceSelect Texmati Brown Rice blend in a recipe, my mind went to Fall flavors.

Brown rice is great staple for healthy dinners, with only 170 calories per serving and 2 grams of whole grain fiber. The nuttiness of brown rice was a perfect base for a Fall inspired side dish that is simple, healthy, filling, and tasty enough that your whole family will enjoy it. After Bo tasted it, he immediately suggested it for a Thanksgiving dinner side.

Autumn Bourbon Brown Rice

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

1 cup RiceSelect Texmati Brown Rice

2 1/4 cup water or stock

1/2 teaspoon of salt (if you used water above)

1/2 sweet onion, finely diced

1 apple, finely diced

1/4 medium butternut squash, finely diced

olive oil

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon Vermont Maple Syrup

1/4 cup walnuts, toasted

1/8 cup Bourbon

black pepper, to taste

teaspoon salt, to taste

Vermont Maple Syrup, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree

2. Finely dice apple, butternut squash and sweet onion. Toss the diced fruits and vegetables in olive oil, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and maple syrup before spreading on a non-stick jelly roll pan.

3. Roast mixture in oven for 25-30 minutes until tender.

4. While mixture roasts, cook brown rice following directions on box.

5. While rice and mixture cools, toast 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, just into lightly aromatic.

5. Once both rice, walnuts and vegetable and fruit mixture have cooled, combine mixture and walnuts into the rice pot on the stove, stirring to mix. Add bourbon, black pepper, salt, and a dash of Vermont Maple Syrup just to taste.

6. Enjoy as a side dish, salad topper, savory breakfast item, or as an easy afternoon snack.

Full disclosure: This post is part of the DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker program with RiceSelect. All opinions are my own.

This post is brought to you by Rice Select.

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S(egg)xy Food

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My October Mantra

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Autumn Bourbon Brown Rice Recipe

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