Tag Archives: recipe

It’s Raining, It’s Pouring…Don’t Leave Your Body Snoring…

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It has been a rainy couple of days in South Florida, which is arguably the only time we head indoors & actually work. And, while I may be joking with that comment, rainy weather is the perfect time to cozy up with a drink and catch up on some reading.

Yesterday, I found myself on the couch with a GREAT book: Kris Carr’s Crazy Sexy Diet, but I was left wondering: What to drink? Fighting the urge to pour a whiskey on the rocks, I opted for the MUCH healthier option of The Crazy Sexy Green Guru Smoothie–& was blissed out.

& when I come across something this great, I SHARE it. So for all of you who have heard about the benefits of green juice & green veggies & all things green, BUT haven’t tried it yet–try this. It’ll leave a smile on your face.

Why do I keep using all these “happy-centric” words? Well, because this smoothie is contains natural Phenylethylamine (PEA) aka “the love chemical”. PEA is known to create feelings of attraction, excitement, or euphoria. Ever been in love? Part of that process is your PEA levels increasing making us full of (sometimes) blind optimism.

When the brain is flooded with PEA, the neurotransmitter dopamine is blocked from being deactivated and dopamine levels rise. Elevated dopamine levels are associated with increased mental concentration and a positive attitude.

So, FALL IN LOVE WITH A SMOOTHIE…its okay, there’s no judgement here–There are worse things that you could fall in love with.

THE GREEN GURU SMOOTHIE:

Ingredients:

  • 1 avocado
  • 5-8 romaine leaves
  • 1 cucumber
  • 2 ounces E3Live (optional)
  • 1 cup coconut water
  • 1 banana or 1-2 pears
  • Stevia to taste or 1 tsp agave

Directions:

Place all the ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth…BLISS OUT!

xxL

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Take a BREAK for Breakfast!

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I’m busy. I don’t have time for breakfast. I don’t like eggs…EXCUSES, EXCUSES!

How do I know? Because, I’ve used them ALL.

To me, breakfast used to mean 2 for 1 mimosas at my favorite restaurant on the weekend & that’s about it. BUT, as it turns out, breakfast is actually really is GOOD for you. So, when I took my health for a makeover, I added a nice pair of stacks to the outfit: pancake stacks, that is.

Pear Pancakes with Honey:

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • pinch salt
  • pinch of cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 1 pear
  • 1 tsb vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup of nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

Whisk 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour with 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda and a pinch each of salt and cinnamon. Mix in 1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk and 1 beaten egg. Slice 1 pear. In a skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tsp vegetable oil; drop 1/4 cup batter into pan; top with 2 slices pear. Cook 1 to 2 minutes per side. Top 4 cakes with 1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt, remaining pear slices and 2 tsp honey mixed with 1/2 tsp lemon juice. (Freeze extras.)

xxL

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Feeling the Amore.

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When you are in love with yourself, you are comfortable. &  its ALWAYS worth celebrating that love. So, here are two recipes that will help you feel the amore.  This is comfort food UPGRADED…

Herbed Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Barbeque Sauce & Spinach/Sweet Potato Pasta in oil with cubed Mozzarella.

Herbed Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Barbeque Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 
1/3 cup oats
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 
2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 
2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sage, minced
  • 1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
  • 1 tablespoon thyme, minced
  • 
1 tablespoon chives, thinly sliced
  • salt and pepper to taste

cranberry bbq sauce:

  • 12 ounces cranberries
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
  • BBQ sauce to taste (if desired)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Place all ingredients for the turkey meatballs in a large mixing bowl and mix together until just combined. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Take two tablespoons of the mixture and form into a meatball. Place onto a lightly greased baking sheet and repeat until all of the turkey mixture has been used.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned and completely cooked through.
5. For the sauce: Place first six ingredients into a saucepan and stir. Bring the mixture to a simmer, over medium to medium-low heat.
6. Once the cranberries begin to macerate, about 10 minutes, stir in the remaining ingredients.
7. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened and reduced by 1/3. Serve with meatballs.
**For a  spicier/tangier sauce: saute 1/2 yellow onion (diced), a clove of garlic (minced), 1 tablespoon thyme (minced) and 1/4 cup dried cranberries to the bbq sauce before adding the fresh cranberries, sugars etc.

Spinach & Sweet Potato Pasta with Cubed Mozzarella

Ingredients:

  • Spinach Pasta (can be found at your local Whole Foods or at the Farmer’s Market)
  • Sweet Potato Pasta (can be found at your local Whole Foods or at the Farmer’s Market)
  • Mozzarella
  • Olive oil
  • Salt

Directions:

Cook according to package in hot water with salt. Drain and toss with olive oil and salt. Add cubed Mozzarella and serve.

Whats the benefit of all this amore? A lot:

Fresh Herbs, Veggie Pasta, your essential oils, a full belly & more!

xxL

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Shake Up!

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This week is a bit different for us at Do It Like A Woman. WE’VE GOT COMPANY!

& there is nothing that we like doing more with company than COOKING!

So, instead of disappearing from the blogosphere, this week we are going to be all about the FOOD. & While this will be something a little different from our usual 1-2 day focus on culinary treats, we are still going to make the blog all about YOU…& YOUR HEALTH.

& What better way to start off the week than with DESSERT?

Chocolate Chia Pudding:

Ingredients:

  • 1 & 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 1 tbsp raw cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • shave chocolate to garnish (optional)

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until the clumps are gone. Place in the fridge for 1-2 hours until thick or overnight. Stir well, add more almond milk if desired to achieve the thickness you would like and serve chilled. You can also heat the pudding in the microwave and serve it warm with a spoonful of coconut cream (recipe here) or with a mashed banana.

Enjoy your sweets, Sweets!

xxL

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For a sneak peek at some recipes that we will be featuring this week/a 7-day cancer fighting meal plan, click here.

Indulge A Little.

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It’s Friday…

Time for A DRINK.

(thats right, you heard correctly…)

While drinking has received mixed reviews in the medical research community, there is one definite positive about drinking that everyone agrees on: its fun! & sometimes we all need to have some fun! So, let loose, relax, and reward yourself with a little indulgence.

The Anti(Oxidant) Drink

  • 1 1/2 oz of Tequila Blanco or Vodka (we’ve tried it both ways, & both ways are just as great!)
  • 1 oz Noni Juice (found at Whole Foods)
  • 1/2 package of Acai smoothie mix
  • Splash of Cranberry Juice
  • 1 1/2 oz of fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 oz of lime juice
  • 1/2 oz triple sec
  • Fresh blueberries & blackberries for toppings.
  • 1 Mint Sprig

Be safe & ENJOY!

xxL

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Bring your FEMININE back with FOOD.

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Kris Carr lives one “Crazy Sexy Life”. She is a NYTimes bestselling author, a “wellness warrior” and a cancer warrior.

Nine years ago, she was diagnosed with a rare and incurable stage 4 cancer that changed her life forever.

BUT, not in the way you may think.

You know that dream of yours where you head the airport, book a ticket to the first place that comes to mind & just go? Kris made it a reality. Only, she hit the road. Sold everything & left on what she describes as “a deep healing pilgrimage.”

There’s no doubt about it, Kris takes action & Do(es) It Like A Woman to the point where her journey has actually ignited a global wellness revolution–one, like our own, that sponsors many different voices.

Last week, Alison Ottaway (pathlesstrodden.com) acted as a guest blogger on Kris’ website. The title of her of her blog, “Nurturing Your Feminine Side with Food.”

Yep, you heard it–FOOD.

You can read her blog, here.

But, let’s get into this food business.

Very little argument is needed to get me into the kitchen & get me cooking. “Im hungry”, just about does it every time. I am in love with food. In fact, I’d rather spent time with it than most people, seriously. So, it is lucky for my waistline, that more often than not,  I enjoy cooking it more than I enjoy eating it. Friends joke that I have a form of backwards anorexia or cookin-exia where the preparation of the food is enough to satisfy me. Yet, to date, it still remains one of my healthiest relationships only rivaled by my one with Gym.

So, when I saw Alison’s blog last week. I stopped and asked my feminine side, “Feminine me, What would you like to eat?”

It answered: Strawberry Banana Bread & Quinoa Mac & Cheese.

Strawberry Banana Bread

Quinoa Mac & Cheese.

Now, I get A LOT of things from my mama. One of those things is that I never take a recipe at face value & neither should you. Make it your own based on what you like. Below are my recipes:

Strawberry Banana Bread: (with gluten-free & vegan suggestions)

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon backing soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 bananas (mash one, slice the other into thin slices)
  • 1/4 cup canola oil (vegetable oil)
  • 1 egg white beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup strawberries (diced)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare a 9×5 inch loaf pan by lining it with foil and coating with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking soda, cinnamon & stir to combine. Mash 1 banana with a fork and slice the other banana into thin discs. Add the mashed banana to the dry ingredients and stir. Add the oil, beaten egg white, vanilla and stir until just combined.  Fold in 3/4 cup of strawberries into the batter & pour the batter into the prepared pan. Top the batter with the rest of the strawberries and the other banana slices by pressing them into the surface of the batter. Bake for 4 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool before removing it from the pan. Slice and serve as is or add butter, cream cheese, jelly, or whatever you want!

To keep gluten free, use gluten free flour.
To keep vegan, replace the egg white with a chia/flax egg, egg replacer, or add extra banana or applesauce.

Quinoa Mac & Cheese:
Serving Size: 8

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • Veggies of your choice (I chose broccoli, go cruciferous veggies!)
  • Generous pinch of salt
  • A few grinds of seasoning salt
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup soy milk or non-fat milk
  • 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
  • Optional–crushed red pepper, Panko Wheat Bread Crumbs for topping
  • May also include: salsa, hot sauce, sour cream or scallions

Directions:
1. Cook to your desire any veggies you would like to use.
2. Soak and cook quinoa.
3. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat 13×9 inch dish with cooking spray. Whisk together egg and milk in a large bowl. Fold in the quinoa mixture, veggies, garlic, and cheese. Stir very well and let some of the cheese melt. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish. You can choose to sprinkle more cheese on top at this time or as we did, add a couple of slices of Muenster Cheese (a family favorite) or another cheese of your choice. Top the dish with panko bread crumbs and red pepper flakes & bake for 30-35 minutes or until bread crumbs are browned.

xxL

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Crazy Sexy Life

A shake that really “shakes” things up.

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Breast Cancer, hurts. Being unhealthy, hurts.

So, here’s a shake that can help you with BOTH. From the highly educated mind of Dr. Patrick Quillin, PhD, RD, CNS and former vice-president of nutrition for a national network of cancer hospitals from 1990-2000…yeah, yeah, yeah…we get it: he knows his shit….HERE is the the Dragonslayer shake (it even comes with a cool name).Image

Ingredients:

  • 4-8 ounces of rice milk or dilute fruit juice, including apple, cranberry, orange, fresh-squeezed, juice extracted, etc. Or add twice the specified water to a can of unsweetened concentrated apple juice.
  • 10-15 grams of powdered protein (listed in order of preference): ImmunoPower, whey, soy, alfalfa, egg white, non-fat yogurt solids, & spirulina. *Do NOT use powdered proteins that are based on non-fat milk solids.
  • A powdered formula with a combination of Acidophilus and Eliminease or its equivalent). The mix should include a fiber, an herbal laxative, proper bacteria for colonizing the intestines, and botanicals for detoxification. A powdered mix with all of this can be found in the Colon Care section of your health food store.
  • One sliced, ripe banana or less, depending on how thick you like your shake.
  • 2-4 grams of buffered high dose vitamin C powder
  • 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil

**If you hate measuring as much as me, one scoop full for the powders, will do just fine.

Directions:

  • Use a blender….(duh)…
  • First add the oils to coat the bottom of the container for easy mixing and cleaning.
  • Add the powdered ingredients & cut up fruit
  • Blend until smooth, or about 15 seconds

…VOILA.

Image

This shake has been mother tested & mother approved (huge victory!). In fact, she even noticed an improvement in how she felt when drinking the shake on days after she had radiation therapy. It is also, ME tested & ME approved, made with orange juice, it tastes almost like a creamsicle.

P.S. For those of you wondering what ImmunoPower is, it is a scientifically-formulated nutrition supplement designed to bolster “host defense mechanisms” in people who are being medically treated for cancer and hay fever relief. It’s also just goddamn good for the everyday person. BUT, at $109/canister, my recommendations go out to only those of our readers with cancer/hay fever. For the rest of us, whey protein powder–is the WAY to go.

To learn more about ImmunoPower, click here. (& don’t let the lovely couple featured on their homepage deter you, if I’m that happy at that age with my 8th husband in a Niagara falls/beach mash up…maybe this shake really does work miracles)

xxL

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Let’s Talk: DIET…

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Ladies, uncover your ears!

I know that I just broke “girl code” by mentioning the dirtiest of the dirty four letter words. Yes, even I feel ashamed for saying it in public! &, sure, it would be better if we put it off another week…

BUT, YOUR fat may be KILLING you…

Fat isn’t just unattractive. Its destructive. Destructive to not only your physical self but to your self esteem as well. Part of Do”ing” It Like A Woman is being the hottest, baddest bitch you can be–which is a “skinny” bitch.

Now, I know that I’ve just pissed off some or most of you. You ladies are comfortable with the way you look & don’t give a damn about what I or anyone else has to say about it. AND that is AWESOME, you are lightyears ahead of the rest of us women, you are an evolved species–as long as your BMI is also in check with your attitude.

This isn’t an appearance issue (though we’re always the hottest at our finest), it is a quality of life issue. Being overweight can impact a person’s entire quality of life. It goes way beyond health issues like diabetes, heart disease, & cancer–& into the daily aspects of our life. It can cause joint pain, difficulty breathing, disrupted sleep, mood swings, and that sluggish/tired feeling that you just cant kick even after your tenth cup of coffee or fourth 5 hour energy.

Not only that, but for those of you cancer diagnosees and survivors out there–my warriors–it can actually cause your cancer to reoccur. FAT feeds TUMORS.

Now, I wasn’t always a dietary example & I am still far from perfect. There was a time once where I thought wine and vodka was an appropriate diet aka the liquid diet. And, there was also a time in college where I lived solely off of Subway’s 5 dollar footlong meals. Even as recent as this past year, while living in Boston, the majority of my meals began to consist of laffy taffy candy & whatever I could get half off at the restaurant I was working at. It was a bar, you figure it out.

BUT, I have always been a health addict. Even if my own health habits were slacking, I was a silent support system to the women in the magazines that I was reading. I would think “YOU GO GIRL” as I took another bite out of the chocolate bar I was eating..seriously.

What finally changed? I got off my ass. And put all of what I’d been reading, to work…on my ass.

Its spring time & time to do some spring cleaning…internally.

So, what’s the best diet? A GREEN diet. I could lecture on it and sustainability, but that sounds about as appealing to me, as it does to you. I don’t even want to hear me talk on that…we’ve all heard it before: been there, done that.

Instead, I’m going to give you four simple ways that you can experiment with a GREEN diet straight from my bible, Kim Barnouin (one of the women behind the Skinny Bitch franchise)’s new cookbook: Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook. The latest addition to my growing library of green diet books including Kim & Rory Freedman’s Skinny Bitch collection and Kimberly Snyder’s The Beauty Detox Solution. Check them out, these ladies know what they are talking about. Need proof? Look at them. They all look fabulous…bitches…

The "BIBLE"

Here they are: The 4 Simple Steps to Experimenting with a GREEN diet:

Step 1: Get acquainted with your spices. Put that salt shaker down! The only thing you should be shaking like a salt shaker is a perfectly healthy toned ass. Learn how to cook and flavor your foods with herbs and spices instead of fattening oils, butters, & Paula Deen’s staple: lard. Herbs are your best friend. & I don’t mean the herb that was your best friend in high school. I mean your cilantro, oregano, basil, chive, rosemary, mint, parsley….get on a first name basis with them, learn their likes and dislikes, let them inside you…(too far?)

Start a new relationship with these guys. The added bonus? It is actually okay to date more than one of these guys at a time.

Step 2: Grow a mini garden in your backyard or buy a garden for your patio. 

A not so "mini" garden..I come from a family of overachievers (if you can't tell...)

Now, my family went a “little” overboard with this suggestion and transformed a sizable piece of our backyard into the produce section of Whole Foods. The upside: we’ve got the freshest ingredients in our foods and we don’t have to feel like an asshole fighting with the plastic bag dispensers at the grocery store anymore. The downside? There really isn’t one. The goddamn thing even waters or “mists” on its own.

Look, the Earth even smiles when you eat green in the form of rainbows...now, if that isn't an argument for a greener life...I don't know what I can say, to convince you--you hard asses!

Step 3: Pencil in Meatless Monday or Meatless tuesday, as well….Meatless March & eventually Meatless everything! Now, here is where I put a little brown in my green life. I am FAR from a vegan. I enjoy my fish, my chicken, and my turkey. I  also hold a deep belief that vegans don’t even like being vegan because every recipe I’ve ever gotten from a vegan cookbook has taken me approximately 3 hours to make at which point, I’m exhausted and don’t even want to eat the food. I think they just like being around the food and spending time with it…(I’m joking, some of my best friends are vegan…but really, what is with the recipes?!) Luckily, I’m defective. I gave up red meat A LONG TIME AGO which means that I can no longer eat red meat without feeling sick. BUT, I know my men certainly do enjoy their steaks, ribs, and burgers. So meatless isn’t for everybody. But, we should at least try and moderate how much of it we eat. & just because you go red meatless, it doesn’t mean that you lose your ability to cook up a mean steak for your men. Though, you can try to use it as an excuse to get out of making dinner--it almost worked for me.

Last night's dinner: Quinoa-Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Tomatillo Sauce...it was WORTH the time it took to cook...definitely. From the Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook by Kim Barnouin) Can you tell we are trying to get you "into" this? Look at that presentation!

Step 4:  Go to the Farmer’s Market. & don’t just go there SHOP. I  have one of the best times of my week at the farmer’s market (& no, its not because I live a really sad life & no, its not just because of my ongoing silent love affair with one of the vendors). Its because its actually fun!

You can get an ENTIRE pepper plant with 5 peppers on it for $5. Now, that is an investment! Just, please, don't try to be like my father & haggle $5 with the man. It's already a steal!

The produce is inexplicably large which means you can come up with some pretty funny material just based on the size of these eggplants...

The red tomatoes are a HEAVENLY red unlike the assortment of dingy reds & yellows you mostly find in the grocery store..

LYCHEES! Need I say more? If you are a S. FLA citizen pair with Schnebly Lychee wine, trust me. I know my fruit & I know my wine.

& bananas, oh my!

They EVEN make you drinks...like this passion fruit juice I enjoyed. A fruit & a juice which I fell in love with while volunteering in Haiti. Its especially wonderful paired with some rum...In this photo, the rum was excluded....i know, kill joy.

& LAST, but certainly NOT least...They make you sandwiches! I'm a fan of anywhere you can get a sandwich.

To find a farmer’s market near you, check out these GREAT resources:
www.localharvest.org
www.farmersmarket.com
www.eatwellguide.org
www.localfarmmarkets.org

So, Ladies & Gentlemen, if you take anything out of this blog post at all, LET IT BE THIS: MOST OF ALL, I want you to be the happiest, to be the healthiest, most booty-ful version of yourself that you can be. Turning a couple of heads, never hurt anyone’s self esteem. So, Do It Like A Woman or (Man) & BRING SEXY BACK.

xxL

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