Giada’s Stuffed Shells with a {Healthy} Twist!

We’re not big TV watchers in this apartment. So it was a rare day that we had the TV on at all…but decided to surf the channels and landed on the calming and light jazz sounds and attractive Italian dish being made on Everyday Italian. We were instantly sucked in to watching Giada De Laurentiis. Her authentic pronunciation’s and old Italian anecdotes were captivating.

Nonetheless, she was making these Italian Stuffed Shells that her grandfather used to make, and something about stuffing the shells looked like so much fun! So…naturally, I wanted to try my hand at this recipe and add my own spin which always means upping the veggie count, and reducing the anything I deam unhealthy.

Here is what happened….

Start with sautéing diced onions in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and whole cloves garlic (that you can remove after it’s brown — just to flavor the oil). After the onions start to get clear, and glossy, add organic baby spinach, and stir until spinach has wilted.

Cook jumbo shells according to the package, boil in salted water for about 10 mins. Then, drain and lay out on foil so they don’t stick.

In a bowl mix 1 large ball of fresh mozzarella (cubed), 4 cups light ricotta cheese (I used Trader Joe’s brand), 2 cups grated parmesan, 2 eggs, salt, pepper and a handful of fresh italian parsley diced. Mix all ingredients and then fold in onion/spinach mixture.

Separate some of the mixture in another bowl and add some sautéed and crisped pancetta into some of the mixture (for the meat eater in your life!).

Stuff each shell generously with the cheese mixture.

Add in your favorite marinara or tomato sauce covering shells generously, then top with fresh grated cheese.

With your oven on 350 degrees, cover the shells with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes.

Inspiration Recipe: Shells with Crispy Pancetta and Spinach

Have you ever had a moment watching the cooking channel where you wanted to jump in the kitchen with one of those recipes? Who is your favorite Food Network or Cooking Channel star to watch?

this is for anyone who has ever had trouble making a decision

Source: Uploaded by user via Lisa on Pinterest

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A lot of people get tripped up when they have to make a decision about their life.

Maybe you are one of those people.

You are great at making decisions related to your career, or relationship… but for the life of you making financial decisions, or decisions about trivial things like picking a spot for dinner, and you are all tied up like a big messy knot.

That’s twisted and totally messed up!

Did you know that making decisions can be fun, easy, light, empowering, confidence-inspiring, and can even give you energy?

The solution is aligning your head and your heart….with your thoughts, your words and your actions. Take notice of your thoughts, actions and words and when they are all in sync versus when you think something, then say another thing, and act in a different way. What happens?

When those three things are OUT of alignment, you are probably feeling really uneasy, nervous, unsure, lacking confidence, second-guessing yourself, feeling initimidated, low energy and just plain ole negative.

However, when the three align… what you think, say and do are all dancing to the same beat… you will experience a rush of confidence, a feeling of ease, happiness, joy, comfort, burst of energy, and you will become a positive magnet. Decisions come easy, your body will mimic how great your heart feels, and you will radiate.

A few steps to get your started:

1. Write down the feelings you want to have after you make a big decision. For me its confidence, energy and trust.

2. Take note to how your body feels when you are making a life decision. Call to mind a recent experience you had. Jot down on paper how you felt. What happened to your cells? Your skin? Your heart rate?

3. Listen to your body signals. This takes a bit of practice but try and read the signals that your heart is telling you. Are your palms sweaty? Your stomach in knots? And your heart racing? Or are you calm, cool and collected? THESE SIGNALS ARE WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN GOLD!

4. Practice. If something doesn’t feel right, practice identifying where things went off….was it your words that were off (should you have spoke up?) or maybe it was your actions that weren’t in line with your head and your heart? I like to draw this out in the form of a triangle, and label each point: thoughts, words, actions. Go over the scenario in your head keeping your pen on the point of the triangle that felt right and draw a line to the other points that also felt right. The key is to make a triangle. This will help you identify the point that felt off and move forward in working on this aspect in a future scenario.

What is your experience with making decisions? How do you feel when you know you’ve made a great one? Can you feel it in your bones that it’s right? Do you second guess yourself? What is your experience? Tell me below in the comments section!

lazy weekend {photo} roundup

Startin' the week{end} off right at Danielle LaPorte's NYC book launch party for the Fire Starter Sessions! The presence of such amazing, inspired and empowered women. Undeniable magic.

Minor set-back / Cutco knife cooking accident... "can't win 'em all!"

Friday night tabletop strawberry hookah + falafel in Park Slope, reminiscent of traveling in Israel in 2011.

Saturday morning, bright & early off to the farmer's market at Grand Army Plaza + Prospect Park. This is when the neighborhood comes alive. We stopped to smell the flowers....

...and also to enjoy some street music.

Saturday afternoon spent in my backyard, Prospect Park, watching some afternoon baseball and soaking up the sun, regaining energy, taking in the greenery, and enjoying the day. Such a lively place, and you forget you're in the middle of one of the biggest and busiest cities in the world.

She's ready for her close up... #Harlow

Saturday night movie action -- after day in the park -- a lot of laughs here.

BK street art. Reminded me to keep my eye in the target!

Dinners from the farmer's market are always too good for words. Here is a root veggie medley BEFORE they get roasted. Carrot, fingerling potatoes, turnips and parsnips...tossed with EVOO, rosemary, garlic, sage and sea salt. 45 minutes in the over at 400 degrees.

The most delicious and colorful "AFTER" photo

Time to catch up on some work... planted myself at this {Sunday} work station "with a view" and some tea.

One more for good measure that pretty much sums up my weekend. #Happiness

a weekend’s worth of photos

We started the weekend on Friday with a Passover sedar (with one side of my family). Harlow LOVES her Grammy! And, we found out that my cousin are her hubby are expecting a baby in the fall (GREAT news)!

Saturday was spent at a beautiful early afternoon ceremony in Brooklyn to celebrate the wedding of some dear friends! What a BEAUTIFUL event.

The lovely bride and groom step in front of their closest friends and family in an outdoor garden in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Roxanne + Ryan Lash... "They do."

At night we saw some old college friend's band perform in Williamsburg, Brooklyn... check out KINGSTON 530! They. Are. Awesome!!

Celebrating our friend Ali's birthday at midnight after the show!

Lounge-y Sunday morning after an action-packed Friday and Saturday! Harlow agreed!

A little Sunday afternoon picnic action for the newly married couple in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. Spring is here - a (pretty) tree grows in Brooklyn!

After a great weekend... a little green juice and home cooked meal + sunset was MUCH in order!

Weekend success! Xo's from Brooklyn...

my (under) 30 minute meal: RR’s spring pesto

Let’s get one thing straight: I’m a magazine junkie. I especially love food, wellness, home decor, lifestyle and fashion mags (okay I don’t discriminate!). The thing is, every time I get my helping of one glossy page after another I find myself tearing out pages of things I’d like to remember, buy, try or cook. And most of the time the cooking part gets neglected because there are too many ingredients or the page somehow doesn’t survive my cleaning spree.

Nonetheless, last night was different.

Since the weather’s getting warmer in NY I decided to try one of Rachael Ray’s April recipes straight off the press. Maybe it was the fresh green coloring that infused the dish? After all, green IS my favorite color. Something about a green dish inspires me to feel light, healthy and energized (isn’t that what Spring is all about?)

With a little bit of my own variety, per usual….I bring you….

Rachael Ray inspired Spinach Spaghetti with Asparagus Pesto!

You’ll Need:
1 lb Spinach spaghetti
1 lb fresh asparagus, loosely chopped
1 cup fresh basil and parsley
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 tsp. toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup EVOO (Rachael lingo!)
Juice of half a lemon
Sea Salt and Fresh Pepper to taste

Bring water to a boil, cook spaghetti per box instructions.

Toast pine nuts in a saucepan over medium heat until fragrant and golden colored.

In a food processor (I used The Magic Bullet!), combine asparagus, basil, parsley, toasted pine nuts, lemon juice, parmesan cheese and olive oil. Blend until smooth! (halfway through I added some more EVOO and a squeeze of lemon juice).

Strain spaghetti and then mix in pesto. Add contents to your favorite serving dish(presentation counts!) and top with chopped fresh basil and grated parmesan.

Enjoy!

What are your favorite magazines to pull recipes from?? Do you pull pages like me? Do you find time to actually make the recipe?

is your email inbox sucking the life out of you? put an end to the madness.

Are you tolerating your email inbox? When was the last time you went through your one (or many) email inbox(s) to de-clutter and respond to outdated emails. We all do it, we see an email, we access whether to read now or later, respond now or later, or if at all. Somehow or another, the emails pile up and soon we have hundreds of unarchived and unanswered emails. Logging in each morning to tackle the new ones that have accrued starts to feel like a daunting task and can be sucking the life out of you before you even open one up.

This is not right, and it is certainly not a part of the great life, and I know how it feels. On any given day I am juggling 4 email accounts (one personal, one for spam and two businesses). In an effort to stay organized, sane, relaxed and even proactive I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.

Some TIPS for reigning in the wild horse that is your inbox!

1- TOUCH IT ONCE: Your time is very valuable and how you manage it is in direct relationship with how happy and successful you will be. No more wasting time managing your inbox. When emails come in, try the TIO rule. My inbox(s) only show emails that need attention (this week) as well as new emails that come in. I apply the TOUCH IT ONCE rule to all emails. Action: When they come in I respond, archive, flag or delete…on the spot! No maybe or wishy washy save for later action. Let’s be serious, your time is too precious for that.

2 – BECOME A PRO ORGANIZER: Create 3 – 5 important categories of folders that are relevant to your life, i.e. FUN, BILLS, TRAVEL, YOUR HOBBY, YOUR SIDE JOB. Then assign sub-folders like WORK, PERSONAL and FOLLOW-UP to help keep each area of your life organizes. Apply rule #1 touch-it-once, when emails come in by assigning them a folder right away. Then, pick one day a week to review each FOLLOW-UP folder. Benefit: Yesterday I went through an old follow-up folder labeled “prospective clients” and had some free time to see what those prospects were up to. And, guess what?! A few of them turned into new paying clients!.

3 – RUTHLESSLY DE-CLUTTER: Meet the delete and archive button and become very good friends with them. You know as well as I do that a good chunk of what makes it to your inbox is very irrelevant to your well-being, happiness and success. Think about it. We all have mindless subscriptions, coupons and offers that make it in there, especially ones we don’t even look at, use or need. Do yourself a favor….go through and unsubscribe to at least (5) emails that come your way daily or that annoy you when you seen them. Next, get in the habit of deleting unnecessary items from your inbox that are sort of just floating in there hanging out. Archive the rest into your new folders, and assign an action to the rest: Delete, Follow-up, Archive, Respond, Take Note, Take Action, Pay, Answer, etc.

This is simplicity, automation, and less work on your end at its best! All of this takes a few minutes to set-up, and re-organize, though once you do you the benefits are limitless! Not to mention, now you’ll have time for all of the stuff you’ve been putting off… like valuable “me” time, self-care, fun activities, working out, travel and more!

Xx
D

from my weekend away: “the grass may be greener, but the water bill is also higher.”

This weekend I was on vacation. I went for a girl’s relaxing getaway to Atlantic City. We stayed at The Chelsea hotel, and were pretty much glued to our chaise lounges for 3 days straight. It was truly a glorious few days….no work, no emails, no worries.

It’s amazing how many of us seldom get the time away that we deserve. That is most certainly not part of “the great life.” Further, it deeply saddens me when people do get time away, and they spend it glued to their blackberry and anxiety-ridden (that used to be me, but not anymore my friends!).

While I was having my delicious Mahi Mahi tacos with lime aioli for lunch in the sun poolside, it got me thinking about being where you are and the phrase “The grass is always greener on the other side.” I see it all the time and usually when people are feeling unsatisfied in their own life OR they are on the brink of making a big decision or major life change. This may even be where you’re at right now, looking at the lives of others and constantly comparing yourself, or not feeling completely fulfilled, adequate, energized or happy with where you’re at in life.

This phrase stuck out to me, because this weekend I heard TWO variations from two unrelated sources, one who is a friend of a friend who said it on Saturday, and the other was a new poolside friend we were chatting it up with on Sunday. Coincidence? I think not. The both had me pondering, and I really loved what it all pointed back to…so, I wanted to share them with you.

Variation numero uno:
“The grass is just green, not greener.”

Variation numero dos:
“The grass may be greener, but the water bill is also higher.”

In essence, they both represent that often in life we are searching for more, or looking into other’s lives in admiration (we think they have what we want, they have it better than we do, yada yada). When, in actuality, things over here…on this patch of grass…are just fine, if not, great! I like the second quote, because it brings me back to the equation you all know I love: Life = a cost / benefit analysis. Before you jump right in, know that you CAN do and have whatever you want. My questions to you are…what’s it going to cost you? And, are you ready and willing for the expense? Think about it…

To this point, a few tips on enjoying your side of the grass:

1 – When you wake up, create a morning gratitude list for that day. List all of the things in your life that you are grateful for in this moment.

2 – Don’t sweat the small stuff. Start with your to-do list bright and early, putting off small errands will only make getting everything done feel grueling.

3 – Create a daily self care ritual and integrate it into your routine. Putting time it into YOU will give you the energy to soar through the day with grace.

4 – Get enough sleep! I bet you know, down to the minute, how much sleep you need in order to feel your best, treat yourself to that small gift, starting now.

5 – Plan a weekend getaway…weather it be at the beach, a lake house, or at your own home for a “staycation.” Treat yourself to something to look forward to. Then, plan work and to-dos accordingly, in order to give yourself a full, FREE, weekend away to rejuvenate!

Sending love,

D

Attainable Happiness 101

As a Life Coach, I am in constant motion and conversation with my clients, peers and friends. Through these conversations, comes invaluable learning. Below are a few things I’ve learned along the way about happiness…

Happiness is not always easy (don’t freak out yet…keep reading!). I’ve found that it does not always come as our default. Particularly in our everyday interactions with TV, news and even strangers, it is easy for life to drains us of our happiness before we even get to our lunch break! It is my commitment to provide you with happiness-boosters, and relatable tips for keeping you’re happiness high soaring from your first cup of coffee until you lay your head down on your pillow at night.

Quick personal anecdote…ever since I was 3 years old people in my life would describe me as energetic, positive and glass-half-full kind of person. I’m always looking on the bright side of things. I even went to a crisis counselor after witnessing a fatal car-pedestrian accident, who told me that my natural coping mechanism was to see the “sunshine after the rain.” No wonder I am so fascinated and committed to helping people live their happiest and healthiest lives.

However, I’m a realist too. And I know how easy it is to get bogged down by what you see in the news, just as easily as it is to feel negative and defeated in your own home, relationships and at work. Since our society hasn’t taught us the skills to ‘default to happy’ I am going to provide you with a few of my favorite tips for turning that frown upside down and milking life for all its worth!

 1. Recognize that Happiness is a choice. Try this: when you’re in the heat of the moment, or at you’re boiling point, take a step back, take 3 deep breaths and remind yourself that you are CHOOSING to react negatively and/or heated. You can just as easily choose the opposite and BE happy. The best part…? Happiness is contagious.

2. If you are chronically unhappy, you may need to spend some time with yourself, with your thoughts or with an expert to GET TO THE SOURCE of your unhappiness. I’m not a big fan of quick-Band-Aid-like fixes when it comes to things like your health and happiness. I’m 100% a believer in using quick remedies to ease the discomfort but if you really desire a change in your life take some time to spend getting to the SOURCE, and TREAT THE SOURCE first.

3. My fav fav FAVORITE = Self Care. Spoil yourself and take astronomically great care of yourself today, right now, this week. Especially as women, we often give every ounce of ourselves and our energy to everything and everyone else BUT ourselves. Often leaving ourselves running on empty, barely getting our needs met, tired, lethargic, eating like garbage, and by default….unhappy. Let’s change that this week, which leads me too…

4. Eat and Act Exceptional this week. You’ve heard the phrase “your body is your temple.” I couldn’t agree more. When it comes to happiness, I am a firm believer of how closely linked health and happiness are. Think of your body as your arsenal against life’s obstacles. When you are feeling strong and in sync with your body, you’re able to think more clearly, react appropriately, make good decisions and overall, be happier.

5. A few more of my favorite quickies:

 - Give back in a donation of time, money, energy, kindness or resources.

- Sit in nature.

- Scribe your thoughts. By keeping negative thoughts in your head you are keeping them alive.

- Eat healthy. – Indulge in a guilty pleasure – and throw away the “guilt” part! – PDA! Showing affection and positive emotion increases mood boosters and reduces stress! And, the connection makes you feel awesome!

- Pass it on…..SMILE, its contagious!

Are you having FUN, yet??

To enhance my life, both personally and professionally, I have been taking an “Attraction” course over the last 4 weeks. When I sat down one afternoon to ponder the question, “What do I want to attract more of in my life?” The answer was pretty apparent to me.

Before, I give away the goods. I want to explain a little of what led me to this great realization. As mentioned in the previous post, I have been on my ultimate life path for about 2 years now. Beginning with a 3 month jaunt in Europe, and then to return at a time when the economy was crashing and negativity infiltrated the news, with lay-offs being the most highly talked about lunch and dinner conversation topic. How was an ambitious and opportunistic gal like me supposed to keep her cool in a job market like that?

I decided then and there that I was going to “attract” great things into my life by “giving” greatness to the world. Two fold, really, because as I started to focus on what I was giving to the world, I was actually receiving greater things into my life. For example, great people (love/friendship), great opportunities (work/fortune), and great inspiration to do and be more.

While I’m on my continuous journey each and everyday, I feel GREAT waking up in the morning with the philosophy to “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” (thank you Gandhi!). But also because by being the change, you put the wheels of the universe in motion, and “what goes around truly comes back around.” You’ll see! Try to put some wheels in motion today, and let me know how it goes! For more about how to use the power of the Universe to attract ANYTHING you want in your life, read this! And as you can see, CREATING YOUR GREAT LIFE is a journey that unfolds as you grow and act with intention. You CAN create the life you’d love to live and it will begin whenever you want it to (I’m sure many of you reading now, can ALREADY attest to this!)

So, anyways, getting back to the good stuff! With all the great things that I’ve attracted into my life, and the lives of those around me, I decided to KICK IT UP A NOTCH and start having more F.U.N! That’s right….this month, I am consciously having more FUN, being active, letting my inner creative goddess shine (more on that later!), and I’d love YOU to join me for the ride!

Below I’ve attached a FUN little video to get you to start thinking, acting and feeling in this direction! Let me know how you like?! It’s a bit lengthy, running 6 to 8 minutes, but it’s definitely worth it! And if you’re not into the classical music, lower the volume on the video and crank of your favorite GET MOTIVATED tune! Enjoy and START HAVING SOME FUN, will ya?!

The ONE thing that Anyone Thinking about Turning Their Passion Into a Profit Must Know!

Okay, so that title is a little long. However, that one sentence truly sums up what I’m about to explain.

First I will tell you a little bit from “behind the scenes” of this post. I began my career in public relations for the retail, technology and entertainment industries. I loved A LOT of what I was doing, and I was good at most of it. However, when it truly came down to reflect on the question “is THIS what I want to be doing for the rest of my life?” The answer was no. Don’t get me wrong, I worked for great companies, was challenged and exposed to many growing experiences. And like I said, I was good at what I did, so my default thoughts told me I had to love what I was doing, right?

Well, not exactly.

One introspective drive to work on the Pacific Coast Highway in Los Angeles helped me reach my career epiphany. “I was good at what I did, because I liked to be good at whatever I was doing….NOT because I loved what I was doing!” Which led me to pursue a 3 month trip to Europe where I resided in Sevilla, Spain. I got to travel, try new things, expand my personal boundaries and test the limits of what I knew was possible for myself, and the world (see photo at the end of the post). I came back with the discovery that I wanted to “break the mold” for my own life and pursue a passion that I could turn into a profit.

Of course, there was only ONE thing stopping me, and that is what this entire post is about. It’s called a “limiting belief” and mine was “fear.”

I decided that helping people live their best life, learn to combat the obstacles in their lives, and move forward in a happier and healthier way, was something I had a natural passion for my entire life. Professionally speaking, I wanted to become a “Life Coach.” So, I pursued an institution that would give me the credentials, tools and support to become the best at my passion, I mean position, as possible. And, I hit the ground running.

However, turning my “passion” into a “profit” was a slower process than I had expected, and all due to my limiting belief that “If I loved what I did, and it didn’t FEEL like work, how could this BE work…aka…how could I charge a FEE for what I do and make a living out of this career?” Now, I hope that it’s okay with you that I am being this honest, but I am doing so, coming from a place, that I know I’m not alone in these thoughts and feelings.

If you are a person who is thinking about or in the process of turning their passion into a profit, starting their own side business or service business, I’m sure you have experienced your own “limiting beliefs” that have held you back. And let me tell you this….UNTIL YOU IDENTIFY YOUR LIMITED BELIEF, AND WORK THROUGH IT, YOU WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS SUCCESSFUL THAN YOU DESIRE. That is because, the only thing that limiting beliefs are good for, are limiting us. In life and in business there are enough inevitable obstacles out there ready for us to overcome, so why start out as your own biggest obstacle? You don’t have to and neither did I.

TRY THIS exercise for eliminating Limiting Beliefs (LB)!

1. The first step is to identify your limiting belief? What is something that is holding you back or that you are resisting?
2. List your limiting beliefs and how they are slowing down your success.
3. Create actions around each LB on how you will act, respond or react differently when it presents itself in your life.
4. Then identify how you can SHIFT those beliefs to become a PLUS in your life.

How did it turn out for you? What is/was your limiting belief? How did you overcome your LB and turn it into tremendous success? Would LOVE to hear from you! Share your thoughts below, before you go!!

One of my FAVORITE pictures from a weekend trip I took to Lagos, Portugal while on my adventures in Europe!