Lentils with Sweet Potato and Kale

I love sweet potatoes. I mean, I really love sweet potatoes!!! So, when I find a recipe that incorporates my sweet orange bites of happiness, it is a must try. The best part is that I got two picky kids to not only try it, but one asked if I could put in in their hot thermos for lunch tomorrow, and the other asked if they could have some more for dinner tomorrow. SCORE! Healthy and kid approved is a win on all fronts. So here it is … the <revised> recipe that I found on eatliverun.com that piqued my interest. Of course I made some changes, so here is my version of this awesome recipe:

1/2 cup organic lentils
1 carrot peeled and diced
1/4 – 1/2 cup diced onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 bunch organic kale
2 bay leafs
1 organic sweet potato peeled and cut into cubes
2 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp canola oil
Sea salt (to taste)
Pinch of garam masala
Pinch of turmeric
Pinch of cinnamon

* Heat the oil in a medium sized pot
* Once hot, add the onion, celery, carrot and sweet potato and cook until softened
* Add the garlic and kale and continue cooking until kale wilts
* Add the lentils, bay leaves and chicken stock
* Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until lentils are tender and have absorbed most of the liquid
* Season with salt, garam masala, turmeric, and cinnamon (to taste)
* Remove the bay leaves before serving

  Before being cooked
After being cooked

Ahhh, a small bowl of this and a glass of wine (remember red wine is good for you) is just perfect!

Life vs the Cell Phone Addiction

Not too long ago, I use to think that my cell phone was the best thing ever. Throughout the day I could easily check my email, send a quick text, tweet, update Facebook, and Google to my heart’s content. Technology had made my life sooo easy. Then my view on how wonderful it was being plugged in all the time changed. Here are a few events/experiences that made me question what the heck I was doing:

This happened a while ago, but it is still burned in my memory. I was at a restaurant enjoying breakfast. At one point, I looked at the table across from me and saw two people eating breakfast together…or should I say separately. They both had their phones out and did not say one freaking word to each other the entire time. I don’t think that they even looked away from their phones until the waitress came over and forced the interaction. Not one single word. Now, I don’t know the dynamics of their relationship, and maybe not talking works for them, but in my humble opinion, it was sad. Of course, at the time did it stop me from checking my phone? Of course not, but I wasn’t as bad as them, since I was only checking my phone periodically, right?

Ding. Get my phone out and check. Ding. Check my phone. Ding, ding, ding… It is non-stop. Well, during sxsw my cell phone connection almost became nonexistent due to the amount of  people using the lines. As a result, there were black out periods where nothing could get through…..no more dings. Imagine that, almost a week without constant notifications. The day after I got home from sxsw, I was making dinner and every few seconds I would hear a ding. As usual, I would stop what I was doing and run over to check it. However, it never stopped. I could feel myself getting more and more anxious everytime it went off. What if it was an emergency? What if it was really important? What if……  Why did my relaxed feeling while in Austin disappear into anxiety now that I was home? Then it hit me…I was a slave to checking my phone, and as a result it was causing anxiety. I immediately turned off my notifications and put my phone in my purse so I couldn’t see the little light flash either. I had decided that making dinner was more important than anything coming through on that phone.

The absolute biggest impact on me though, was the wise question from my five year old….”Mommy, why are you always on the phone?” That was it. There was NO good answer to that question.

Later, I sat there thinking how I had made that phone a priority over a lot of other things in my life. Things that really mattered were made to wait, while I checked the notorious ding. I can only apologize for my unintentional rudeness.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love my phone and I still tweet, text, email, FB, Yelp, etc., but I try to do it now when I’m not in the presence of others, and when there are not more important things to do. The eye opening thing is that I realized that almost everything else that I do is more important, it’s just that those things don’t have a ding to remind you how much you should value them.

So now, I keep my phone muted, and will rarely check it on the weekends. Yes, I might be missing the latest news headline right when it happens on twitter, the text from a friend telling me that they just found a cool restaurant, the FB posting of pictures from the last concert a friend went to, and the gazillion emails from my gazillion email accounts, BUT it’s ok. All that stuff will be there waiting for me when I am ready to deal with it, letting me really focus on the people, experiences, and things that matters most.

Music and Wine Time – 2010 Gamba Zinfandel Russian River with K’s Choice, The District Attorneys, and Van Morrison

You know that moment when the stars seem to align and everything in the universe seems to be perfect? Well, that is how I felt when I drank this wine while listening to When I Lay Beside You by K’s Choice, Confusion of Trust by The District Attorneys, and Caravan by Van Morrison.

I opened this bottle a few days ago and waited to blog about it. This is a young wine, and I definitely recommend aerating/decanting. The flavors just open up and it is a very different experience, than if you drink it quickly after pouring.

Sitting in my back patio on a perfect day (blue skies, no smog covering the mountains, and warm California rays), I indulged on my first pour. It boasts a deep, rich purple color and aromas of berries with a hint of spice. The taste, ahhhh, the taste. Your palate will dance from the luscious notes of blackberry, raspberry, plum, and a little chocolate. Spicy peppery notes round up the long finish. This is a full bodied wine with smooth, velvety tannins. Perfectly balanced after aeration/decanting for around an hour. I would definitely recommend this Zinfandel. Price point is between $35-$40. I purchased my bottle at 3rd Street Wine which is a wonderful place to enjoy and try different wines.

What could make this experience even more perfect? Well, music of course. I enjoyed this bottle over a few days, so I have a few different music choices including K’s Choice, The District Attorneys, and Van Morrison.

When I Lay Beside You by K’s Choice is absolutely beautiful. The lyrics brings tears to my eyes. Good tears though. Such a positive, wonderful tune. FYI – K’s Choice will be playing in Los Angeles in May at Hotel Cafe. What a treat!

Confusion of Trust by The District Attorneys is a great song. It is the song that you want to pull out and hold up that cigarette lighter over your head  (No, I don’t smoke cigarettes, but you get the idea), while singing along. Every single song off their cd is fantastic!!! I was lucky enough to see them at sxsw and they put on an awesome show!

Caravan by Van Morrison from The Last Waltz. His voice is soooo smooth, and this song is soooo good. How can you get a better song to go with that Zin?

Quinoa Vegetable Stir Fry

Quinoa Vegetable Stir Fry

Trying to eat healthy can be a challenge, but I found a wonderful recipe for Vegetable Fried Rice from 100 Days of Real Food that I adapted to make a delicious vegetable stir fry. I must say that the site is an excellent resource if you are looking for meal ideas. The best part of this recipe is that it is not only super quick to make, but you can get super picky kids to eat vegetables that they normally would refuse to touch…like kale! Mmm, here’s my version of their recipe:

– 1 cup of quinoa
– canola oil
– 1/2 of an onion (diced)
– 1 tsp ginger (minced)
– 4 cloves of garlic (minced)
– 1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
– Fresh broccoli, kale, green beans, carrots, or any other vegetable you want to add (chopped up)
– 4 egg whites

1) Rinse and drain the quinoa
2) Boil 1 cup of quinoa with two cups of water. Once it boils, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for around 10-15 minutes. Set aside when done.
3) On high heat, add a small bit of canola oil to pan
4) Add onions and ginger, and cook for 2-3 minutes
5) Add garlic, and cook for 30 seconds
6) Add frozen veges (still frozen)
7) Add fresh chopped veges
8) Stir everything together and cook until veges start to look slightly cooked
9) Push veges to one side of pan, and add egg whites to empty side of pan
10) Cook for a few minutes and then stir eggs into the vegetable mixture
11) Add prepared quinoa (sometimes I add less quinoa, and have some leftover) to the mixture
12) Stir everything together

Timing is everything, since you don’t want to overcook your fresh veges. However, when you are done. Turn off the heat and you are ready to serve. I like to recommend letting people season it how they want, which is why I don’t add salt, pepper, soy sauce, etc. to the mixture during the cooking process. I actually enjoy it with only a dash of soy sauce which I add after it is served. Mmmm!

Music and Wine Time – 2010 Rolling Stones 40 Licks Merlot and The Rolling Stones

Initally, I was a little leery about trying this wine. After the mediocre tasting experience with “The Police” and the “Grateful Dead” wines, this was not high on my list to try. However, I tried to keep my mind open and popped open the bottle.  Unlike the previous two wines which were blends, this wine is a Merlot. A lot of cherry and berries on the nose. Surprisingly edgy on the attack which quickly evolves into black cherries and vanilla. Overall, this is an accessible wine that I think most can enjoy. Is this the best Merlot for the $15 price point? Of course not, but you aren’t really buying it just for the wine, right?

So the music I would pair with this? Since this is a newer wine, it would have to be a newer Stones song, so I’m going with Doom and Gloom. Ah, such a catchy song! So pour a glass and enjoy. Cheers!

A Small Gesture, A Big Impact

Have you ever had one of those days that everything seems to be going wrong from the moment that you wake up? Yesterday started off like that. I was running extremely late and was literally running around the house like a crazy person trying to remember everything that I needed to take with me to work. Being late to the train station wasn’t an option, since the Metrolink waits for no one. Did I catch every freaking red light as I drove through town? Well, it sure seemed like it. Luckily I made the train, but my stress level was pretty high.

By the time I got to the office I was pretty frazzled. My mind was already weighed down from a few other things that have been going on, so my mind decided to go on autopilot. Sticking to my morning ritual, I went to make instant oatmeal and without even thinking, I poured cold water into my cup, instead of hot water. I just stood there, looking into the cup of wasted oatmeal, and realized that I had completely lost it.

A little later that morning I rushed off to a meeting, and on the way back as I was walking through the lobby, I heard someone call my name. I turned around and was staring face to face with an acquaintance from work. This is someone that I do not work with directly, but I see them all the time in the elevator. We always say hello and goodbye when we see each other, but that is pretty much the extent of our interactions all these years. And that is when it happened…my whole day turned around.

He thanked me.

Huh, thanked me for what? He said he was having a pretty bad day a little while ago and was feeling down, when he ran into me waiting for an elevator. He said that I had a huge grin on my face and I barked a big “Hi, How are you doing?” to him, and we talked until my elevator came, like we always do. That day it made a difference though. He said that I looked so happy that day, that he felt like my happiness spread to him and it brightened his day. He had been waiting to see me again to thank me.

My eyes started tearing up right there in front of all the people in the lobby walking by. I was sincerely touched and thanked him for sharing that with me. The amazing thing is that seeing how happy he was as he recounted the experience, totally changed my day. All of a sudden all those things that were weighing me down and stressing me out didn’t seem so bad. His happy and positive energy changed my day, when I needed it most. Thank you.

It really is important to keep in mind how we all touch each other, and how even the smallest gestures can make a huge impact on someone.

I love you Fitbit

Oh Fitbit, where have you been all my life?? Yes, we are now joined at the hip (literally – I have it clipped on me) and I can’t imagine how I ever lived without you. No seriously, I’ve owned my Fitbit for around a week and absolutely love it! Wow, this little gadget does a great job of reminding you how sedentary life really is on a typical day, which motivates you to MOVE. You start finding so many different ways to log those extra steps. For example, I commute to downtown LA by train and I now park around a block away from the train station parking lot, so I can get some steps in before and after my commute into Los Angeles.

The Fitbit site helps track meals and other activities too, so you can get a more complete view of how active you are, calories burned, distance, etc. This is also a huge motivator! When I binged out on the Cool Ranch and Nacho Cheese Locos Taco Supreme (yeah, I ate four of those darn tacos, a tostada, and a burrito in one sitting) from Taco Bell the other night, you better believe that I did damage control by stepping up my efforts with a 7 mile walk the next morning. Exhausting, but well worth it. (Yeah, I know that was super unhealthy, but life is all about balance.)

Like everything, Fitbit is tied into a social media world of its own. Again, very motivating to hear how other people are hitting or striving to hit their goals. You find yourself wanting to pat that person on the back who walked 25,000 steps today, and also give a reassuring “hang in there” to the person who barely had time to walk 2,000 steps.

In my quest to stay active, reduce stress, and eat better (don’t bring up the Taco Bell incident), this definitely has helped in the area of building up more cardio. If I can do this for 30 days (that’s how long it takes to create a habit, right?), then hopefully strength training will be added into the mix. However, right now baby steps…with my Fitbit.

Music and Wine Time – 2009 Schloss Vollrads Riesling Spatlese with Foxy Shazam

There was a time when the only wine that I would drink was Riesling. As I hang my head low in shame, I have to admit that through the years I had not only turned away from Rieslings, but just sweeter wines all together. As a result, I have made an effort recently to break away from my habit of buying and ordering dry reds, and try to go back to where it all started.

Today was an awesome day for a glass of Riesling. What a beautiful day! The sun was bright and it looked like a typical sunny spring day with clear blue skies and a light breeze.

In the nose are sweet floral tones, heavy peach, and almost a slight citrus aroma.  Tasting this wine was truly enjoyable. Delightful vivid flavors of peach and honey on the palate, with minerals and citrus notes on the short finish. This really is a wonderful playful wine to enjoy on a nice sunny day.

What song would I pair with this? I’m going with Unstoppable by Foxy Shazam. Playful song and video. Love it! This song really reminds me of Queen, and is probably one of the reasons why I love it so much. Enjoy!

World Party (Karl Wallinger) – Record Store Day 2012 Remembered

Ah, I’m starting to see more or more tweets about Record Store Day coming up on 04/20. I still haven’t decided what I’m going to do this year, but it brought back great memories of last year. Wow – what an experience!!!! I had waited many years to see one of my favorite bands World Party. I couldn’t believe my luck when I heard that they were going to play at Fingerprints in Long Beach. The performance was absolutely AMAZING!

Secretly I was hoping that they would play Sweet Soul Dream, which has been one of my favorites for many years. Did they play it???? Yes, yes, yes, they did play it! I was so moved by the fact that I was actually listening and watching one of my favorite songs by a band that I had waited so long to see. Another highlight was hearing a new song called Everybody’s Falling in Love. I fell in love with the song hearing it for the first time! I also fell in love with the awesome video!

So without further ado, I have to post a few of their videos: Everybody’s Falling in Love; Sweet Soul Dream filmed that evening at Fingerprints last year; and another favorite, the video from All I Gave.

Wine Tasting at Third Street Wine – 2009 Pinot Noir, Fort Ross, Symposium

Being in the mood for a new bottle of wine, I dropped in at Third Street Wine. Once I got there, I decided to do their weekly wine tasting and select my favorite as my new bottle to purchase. The list included the following wines: 2011 Bourgogne Chardonnay, Domaine Bernard Moreau, France; 2010 Gewurtztraminer, South Coast Vineyard, Temecula; 2009 Pinot Noir, Fort Ross, Symposium; 2009 Merlot, Twin Coyotes, Paso Robles; and a 2011 Barbera, Jeff Runquist.

Before the tasting, I expected that I would end up buying the Barbera, which is one of my favorite go-to wines. However, the beauty of a tasting is reflected when you find yourself selecting something completely different from what you first expected. I won’t get into my tasting notes except for my final choice. My favorite turned out to be the Pinot Noir.

The color was a dark red with a brownish red on the edges. This medium bodied wine actually had a pretty intense aroma and taste. I detected plums, berries, and a smoky scent. The tasting was wonderful. Initially, I was struck by the intense flavors of sweet plums, which later developed into and oaky tones at this wine’s finish. Beautifully well balanced. I thoroughly enjoyed this wine. As a result, this is the wine that came home with me.

On a different note, I wanted to give a shout out to Third Street Wine. They are a charming little wine shop and you must absolutely check them out if you are ever in their neck of the woods.

Music and Wine Time – 2007 The Police Synchronicity Red Wine Blend & The Police

Come on, who doesn’t love The Police? I admit it…I just had to try this wine because of the clever marketing and the inexpensive price. It was a gamble worth taking. So did the wine live up to the awesome music by The Police? Uhhh no. Synchronicity is a red blend. Fruit forward on the nose – a lot of berries and maybe even honey. Before tasting it, I sensed it might be a little out of balance, since there appeared to be a slightly overpowering alcoholic scent. I tried it right out of the bottle and tasted raspberry, cherry, and blackberries. Unfortunately, it was out of balance with the alcohol being dominant. I let it breathe for around two hours to see if it would make a difference and tried again. It was better, but still out of balance for my tastes. I’m curious to see if it will taste better tomorrow. So, is it drinkable? Yes, but honestly I would recommend just buying it for the cool bottle and not opening it.

What would I pair with this wine? Well, The Police of course! But to make up for the mediocre wine, I picked a song from an earlier Police album. I had to go with the upbeat music of So Lonely, which is sooo good it made me forget about the wine.

Get Stepping – Steps to Good Health Challenge – 4/2

In my ongoing quest to stay fit, I broke down and bought a Fitbit Zip. I do quite a bit of walking, but I’m curious to see how close I actually get to the recommended 10,000 steps per day. The reviews on the Fitbit were good and apparently I can sync it to my droid. Should get it delivered by tomorrow and I cannot wait to check it out!

To help stay motivated on increasing my steps, I joined a wonderful FB group called Steps to Good Health. http://www.facebook.com/groups/STGH1/ (You need to be logged into FB to see page. They offer challenges to make you more accountable, not only with exercise, but any other fitness goals you may have. I’m excited about taking the challenge!

Today’s challenge: 1) Drink 4 glasses of water (baby steps up to six glasses a day); 2) Eat 5 servings of fruit or veges; and 3) Increase steps (I don’t have my Fitbit yet so can’t give an actual step count, but I’m just going to try to change up my walking pattern so I have more steps for today). I’m ready to face the today’s challenge!

UPDATE: Hit my goals! Even better, I came home and found my Fitbit waiting for me. Woo hoo, I’m ready to start counting steps!

Music and Wine Time – 2010 Benoit Gautier Vouvray Argilex and Ra Ra Riot

After a Sunday filled with Easter festivities, I couldn’t wait to press the start button on my dishwasher, kick off my shoes, and finally relax with a glass of wine. I love red wine, but tonight I was in the mood for something lighter and more playful. The Vouvray seemed like a perfect choice. Armed with a glass of Vouvray and a small plate of cheese, I made my way to the music room, put on some tunes, and breathed a sigh of pure content while reflecting on another wonderful Easter.

I’ve had the Vouvray once before so I was curious to see if I would like it again the second time around. It has a bright beautiful pale gold color. I was picking up pears and apples aromas, and subsequently tasted apple, pear, and a slight grassy flavor. This medium bodied wine is on the dryer side of the spectrum. I found it well balanced and quite refreshing. For the price point of $19.99, it’s an easy to drink, playful wine.

To go with the playful theme, I had to go with Ra Ra Riot’s Beta Love. Gosh, when I hear this song I just want to dance. Ok yeah, maybe I do actually dance when I listen to this song. (But not like the people in the video)