Good Morning Gorgeous :)

Hey there, peeps!

I hope everyone is having a nice Saturday morning. I'm sipping some coffee in my matching pajamas that PJ loves Oh-So-Much (not!), and thinking about my plans for the day.

 Does anyone else love pajama suits? I mean, they aren't the sexiest things out there, but my gosh they are so comfy. I find matching pjs adorable; PJ has other ways to describe them. ANYWAYS....



Last night, my friend Le-La and I sampled some vino that she brought home from a recent trip to Vietnam.  While it was super cool to try, the  actual wine was unfortunately a little less exciting. I mean, hey - the Vietnamese aren't known for their bold reds, right? We decided to cut our losses and open a french wine instead :)  Muchhhhh better.



On a side note, You've Got Mail was on last night.  We had this on in the background while we enjoyed our wine, sushi, and chit chat.  I can remember when this movie came out, but what I can't believe was that it debuted in 1998-16 years ago!  However, once Le-La and I saw the high waisted, baggy pleated khakis that Meg Ryan was sporting in a few scenes, 1998 seemed about right.



So, moving from high waisted khakis to red spandex! Most of you who read this blog or know me personally are aware that I am an aspiring yogi. I love that while yoga is a physical practice, a large part of the practice is actually mental. As I have said before, what happens on the yoga mat is actually a mirror for the way you handle your life. Do you get in an uncomfortable pose, freak out, get angry, and give up? If a pose is challenging do you throw in the towel and say "eh, I'll never be able to do that". Do you fall down, laugh, get up, and try again? Or, do you stumble, beat yourself up and say "I suck". Interesting right? I think that Yoga forces you to listen to your inner dialogue, get uncomfy, and work through your shit. Also, it gives you a place to be playful and fling yourself around! I'm pushing 30, and I love that I am totally fine with attempting attempting a headstand or a handstand in the middle of my living room. It kind of makes me feel like a kid again....fearless.



Many of you have seen me post pics of this pose. I don't post the pics because I think I'm awesome, I post them because I'm proud that I worked on this pose almost every single day for a year, and I can finally see progress.  I chose this pose to work on because when I started practicing yoga, it kind of spoke to me.  It seemed so strong, pretty, and fearless. When I started practicing, I couldn't even hold myself up against the wall. It was super frustrating. Slowly but surely I got stronger, and I was able to  hold myself up against the wall. Then I began to work on balance. I would kick up to the wall, and then take my feet away. When I felt comfortable that I could balance for a few seconds, I decided it was time to pull away from the wall. Let me tell you, this part was scary. There was a lot of flipping over. The cool thing was that once the fear of falling subsided (because I had fallen so many times!), I really started to make progress. I knew that falling was a possibility, but I wasn't scared. I knew that it was part of the process. I'm still working on this pose. As I get stronger, my goal is that my shoulders sit directly over my elbows instead of slouching forward.  I would also love for my feet to touch my head someday! I have included some videos below for you to see how this pose varies for me from one day to the next :)

Sometimes this happens....

And sometimes this happens.... hope you enjoy the videographers commentary :)

Some days, the easy poses seem difficult and the "challenging" ones aren't a challenge. It's different from day to day. I think the key to happiness is learning how to accept imperfection, laugh at yourself, and keep on keepin' on. Right?

Have a beautiful Saturday!

XO

Sarah

Long time no chat!

 

Hey There!

I hope everyone enjoyed a fantastic holiday spending time with loved ones, consuming delicious cuisine, and decompressing! I certainly accomplish all three of these goals. PJ and I traveled Boston to spend the weekend prior to Christmas with my fam, then we headed back to New Jersey to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas day with our friends and his family. It was definitely a busy week packed with activities, fun, family, friends, and food.  We even got a little snow fall on Christmas Eve which in my opinion makes the evening feel more special. Below are some pics from my visit home...

Always love my house at Christmas :)

PJ and I enjoying Pre-dinner cocktails and munchies with my fam!

Meat and cheese board :)

Champagne with Elderflower blooming in the glass! Ps.. the flower was edible and pretty delish!

Home is where the wine is :) <3 ...oops.. Did I just say that?!

We wear crowns and scratch lottery tickets!

Mom and I have an annual viewing of the family stone complete with fuzzy socks, blankets, and tissues. Sniff**

Sometimes Mom french braids my hair just like she used to do for me on most summer days when I worked at the ice cream stand :) Shes still got it!

Now, here are some pics from Christmas with PJ's fam

Us at Christmas dinner..

Being goofy Christmas Eve

PJ reading the Grinch to family and friends  :)

The boys on Christmas day keeping watch

Amazing gift from PJ's sister. Who knew Kale could be so hot? haha. In all seriousness, this book is funny but the recipes look awesome. Expect to see some sexy Kale in the coming weeks!

I definitely experienced a lot of this over the past week! Toby's eyes bugged out of his head at the prospect of snagging food even more than usual! Perhaps subsituting my usual heap of greens  for  meat, cheese, buttery rolls, and sweets tickled his fancy? Can't say I blame him...!

and this... (macha banana oatmeal from Argo Tea.. amazeballs!)

Don't forget the quinoa! ( Quinoa, butternut squash, and garlicky mushrooms from Mind Body Green... topped w egg and siracha)

Yum. Salad with butternut squash, apples, pecans, craisins, and shrimp.

As someone who practices the 80/20 "rule" most of the time (sometimes it's more like 70/30!),  my body is accustomed to being fueled on lots of fruit and veggies, lean protein, whole grains, healthy fats, and greek yogurt! While during the holidays I do try to get my nutrious foods on board early in the day to keep me feeling good, it can be difficult to maintain a "plan"during all the holiday hoopla. In all honesty, sticking rigidly to an exercise/diet regime during the holidays will probably result in feelings of frustration and deprivation. Simply said, you will undoubtedly miss out on important things like being truly present in the holiday experience. Trust me, I know- I've spent many a holiday avoiding dessert and spazzing if I didn't have time to work out.   This year, I really just enjoyed myself and tried to balance my indulgences with wholesome foods. I practiced yoga in much shorter intervals, but It helped me feel energized and connected to what my body wanted. I'd be lying if I said that by Christmas night I didn't feel like I was floating down a river of wine on a raft made of pecan pie, but  because I allow myself to indulge on a regular basis, I didn't feel the need to go off the rails during the holidays. I ate some of what I wanted, but I didn't feel like I need to dive face first into the dessert tray. Still, I usually do not drink wine and have rich meals every night, so I felt it physically.   The good news is that when I woke up yesterday, my craving for clean food was super strong. It's taken me a LONG time to grasp this concept, and I'm still working on it, but your body WILL tell you what it needs if you listen.  

 

Some days you will need this...

And some days this is what is best...

 

Something to think about:

Love and Hugs!

xo

Sarah

What's cookin'?!

Don't force it...

Hey There!

Happy snowy Tuesday morning. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and a nice start to the week. Things here have been pretty great.

Two of my favorite people got engaged!

I got my hair did! Sneak peek.. yes I went funky. More on that later :)

My boys. I made Toby wear his snow parka which he HATED!

Celebrated with newly engaged friends!

Cold weather = warm socks!  Note to self:  Just because you think you won't take your boots off, doesn't mean you shouldn't match your socks. You might take your boots off, and everyone might see your multicolored tootsies. oops!

Marilyn said it best.  Thanks, girlfriend.

After the weekend fun, my plan was to spend Sunday organizing my life and cooking delicious goodies to make my house smell good. Well, sometimes you wake up, and you are just not in the mood to follow your plan. You know what I mean? That was me on Sunday. I didn't sleep well, I woke up too early, and I ate a chicken salad sub from the deli at 11:30 the night before that was giving me a tummy ache. All of these factors contributed to me being kind of cranky pants all day. Despite my mood, I hit up the grocery store to pick up the ingredients I needed to make dinner, and when I arrived home, I just didn't have the cooking bug that I was hoping for. I wanted to practice yoga, but then again I really wanted to sit on the couch and catch up on my DVR. I needed to clean my apartment, but that thought sounded less than appealing. I was frankly kind of frustrated.  So what did I do? I watched my DVR and felt guilty about not cleaning.  Then I decided to clean a bit and did one of those half ass jobs that aren't even worth it because I had to do it again! I tried to cook dinner and burnt everything. The smoke detector went off and the noise drove Toby so  insane that he cried for a good 30 minutes after it stopped . In his defense, it did take me a while to get it to stop since I'm not tall enough to reach up and shut it off. There was a lot of  jumping around and swatting at the device with a towel. Thankfully, my efforts were eventually successful and the piercing screech  stopped. 

I thought maybe yoga would help my mood. While it did provide some relief, I was frustrated throughout the flow as I fell out of poses that are usually quite simple for me.It was one of those days. I was at a yoga workshop on Friday evening, and the instructor said that your yoga mat is like a mirror. What happens on your mat mirrors what is going on in your life. I think the beauty is that once you look in that mirror and are aware of your mental and physical state, you truly have the ability to shift your perspective. This is what I love about yoga. Even though I had a frustrated and frazzled practice on Sunday evening, I felt BETTER, more connected, and certainly more self aware when I finished. It forced me to look in the mirror and figure out what the heck was going on . What I learned from the situation was this: Playing the "should" game never ends well for me.  I began the day "shoulding" all over myself, if you will. I "should" cook, I "should" clean, I "should" practice yoga, I"should" blog,  I "should" have paid more attention to the veggies roasting in the oven that were slowly disintegrating into ashes.  Being Suzy Homemaker just wasn't in the cards for me, yet I tried to force it. Look, we all have things that we have to get done. Some things may be more time sensitive than others, and it's important to look at what really needs to get done and what can wait.  Your body will tell you what you need if you listen, and you will be a much happier person when your mind and your body are gellin'. I promise.

So, let's get back to those charred roasted veggies I made on Sunday night. No, this picture is not of my veggies as they would have looked slightly less vibrant.  Luckily, I like my veggies on the burnt side, so I was able to salvage a few edible ones from the wreckage. I made  my friend Jenn's  Best Roasted Veggies Ever.  I am a lover of roasted veggies, so this recipe caught my eye immediately. I tend to default to roasting carrots, parsnips, fennel, and onion, so  I loved that Jenn's recipe incorporated different veggies like butternut squash, cauliflower, brussels, and corn! I will be making these veggies again when I can give them the attention that they deserve:)

Along with the veggies, I roasted a chicken and made these  Easy Roasemary Garlic Parmesan biscuits . These yummy rolls were SO easy to make, and the fresh rosemary flavor brought back memories of these amazing rosemary rolls that my Dad used to make from scratch when I was little. I went the Bisquick route, but they were still tasty!

**Note** I used plain almond milk in these rolls, and I used extra oil instead of the butter called for in the recipe. Surprisingly, I forgot regular milk and butter while out shopping on Sunday (haha). FYI.. the biscuits came out great despite the substitutions!

There are learnings in everything. What did I learn? To let myself off the hook.  It's ok to put the dinner plans on the back burner, order takeout, and leave the cleaning for the next day. The world will still go on, and I will probably be much happier as a result.

Namaste, bitches!

Something to think about:

xo

Sarah

10 Regrets No One EVER Has...

Happy Thursday!



How is everyone today? I am a little cranky as I woke up to an empty bag of coffee! To be truthful, I knew when I went to sleep last night that we only had a dusting of grinds left, but I remained hopeful that perhaps PJ would get up before me and grab us coffee ( or that a little elf would deliver me a fresh bag while I was fast asleep... one can dream!). I cannot function in the morning without my cup of strong coffee.  My mother and father can attest to this as whenever I spend time at their house I critique the lack of "body" their coffee has. AKA... I need more caffeine. Note** If I do attempt to function, converse, or make decisions while not properly caffeinated,  it never ends well. These are things that I feel you should know about me (and that thankfully PJ has learned!). PJ did go out an get us coffee after we woke up, which I preceded to spill all over the kitchen while making our lunches. Fail. However, I had to laugh at myself and my unwavering clumsiness. If I'm in the kitchen, you will undoubtedly hear a consistent stream of "OOPS's!" echoing throughout our apartment.



On the food front, I have a couple of things to share from Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday evening I made a delicious spicy kale salad,roasted butternut squash, and organic mustard glazed salmon. SO good and easy. Isn't it amazing how adding a few fluffy adjectives makes one's dinner sound like it comes from a 5 star restaurant? Try it. It works.



Kale Salad with a Kick 

(adapted from Mind Body Green)

* I didn't used craisins instead of currants because that's what I had.

Simple Roasted Butternut Squash

For the salmon, I simply seasoned it and coated it with spicy mustard and broiled it until it was 126 degrees. I live for my meat thermometer.



Then I re purposed the leftover butternut squash and added it to my lunch yesterday. This pic is from the very end of my salad as I hoovered it before realizing that I never snapped a photo. Butternut squash, radishes, edamame,  pecans, tomatoes, greens, and some yummy home made vinaigrette.

Last evening after practicing a little yoga, I made this delish dinner. Farro and chicken sausage stuffed acorn squash. My picture does not do it justice; click the link to the recipe and you will see a gorgeous photo!This dish was absolutely fantastic...so flavorful, filling, and yummy! I highly recommend making this. **Note** I used pre-cooked chicken sausage to cut down on time.

Random pic from the bottom of my street. I Love that I can walk out my door and see the freedom tower. This picture is actually the perfect segue into the next thought that I want to share with you. As many of you may remember from my previous blog entries, I love Mind Body Green. I read this site every morning. Yesterday, I read an article that I literally can not stop thinking about.  I guarantee the words below will change the way you approach your life. It certainly has shifted my perspective. PLEASE read it :)

 

10 Regrets No One Has At The End Of Life

 

BY ALICE NICHOLLS
DECEMBER 10, 2013 4:34 AM EST

Life is fleeting and for most of us, the time we pass away is unknown. When the time comes to depart this life, wouldn't you want to have experienced wonder? Challenged yourself and been challenged by situations that saw you rise?

How would it feel to be able to look back and think that you'd made the most of your life and are at peace with how you lived it? To be able to look at the risks, the knocks, the falls and triumphs and know your heart and soul was out there on the court, playing for keeps every single time.

Here's a neat little list of 10 deathbed confessions you will never hear (and why) to inspire you into kick-butt action!

1. I wish I hadn't connected with myself as much as I did.

Meditation, yoga, and mindfulness bring people to a level of consciousness and deep fulfillment that makes each moment a perfect possibility. It's hard to lead a positive life with a negative mindset. Looking within is an ultimate step to living a happy life.

2. I wish I'd spent more time on Facebook.

Seriously, life is so much more enjoyable when your five senses are involved. See, taste, touch, smell, hear. You can only do this when you're out there in the real world.

3. I wish I hadn't treated others with compassion.

When we give selflessly to the world, the universe gives wonderful things back to us in abundance. When we show compassion, we invite compassion to be shown to ourselves. To enrich anothers life without expectation is to experience true freedom.

4. I sure wish I hadn't told my husband/wife that I loved them so much.

To travel through life with a partner, a soulmate, a best friend is a wonderful experience. Love never runs out, so the more you give, the more there is to give. The more you accept, the more there is to accept. Never be afraid to say it if you mean it. Go fearlessly where love is involved because you can't wear it out. And if you do leave a loved one behind, your legacy of giving love will forever be cherished.

5. I wish I hadn't spent so much time with my children.

Just as you are a child who would like to be cherished, so too do your children want the same. Your influence helps to shape them today and the influence they make themselves in the future. It's easier for you to support your child today than it is for them to heal from hurt when they are older. Make it count.

6. I really, really, really wished I'd spent more time in the office.

This is among the top two regrets of the dying as documented by Bronnie Ware from Inspiration and Chai. Now that we have more equal numbers in the workforce, it's imperative that we realize that no second chance is coming around. Simplify your life, leave space, and make conscious choices. You do not need the amount of money (and stress) that you think you do.

7. I wish I hadn't experienced Mother Nature as much as I did.

There is nothing as uncontrollable nor as grounding as Mother Nature in her finest. When asked where people feel their most free, the answer almost always involves being outdoors. There is a great reason for this. The energy, and the freedom that nature provides is unparalleled. Like the piece of grass that grows between the cracks of pavement, the endless swell crashing to the shore or the huge swaying trees in an old growth forest. She nourishes, invigorates, and frees those that go and dwell in her.

8. I wish I hadn't treated my body so well.

We may own five or more cars in our lifetime, get them serviced, and make sure the oil is checked every few thousand miles or so, yet we have one vehicle to really live that life in and sometimes we don't treat it one quarter as good. The health and wellness of our physical self is imperative to being able to live life to the fullest. Take steps towards achieving whole health and you will never regret it.

9. I wish I hadn't followed my dreams.

Following your dreams can be really scary. Fear holds more people back from finding their callingfinding their calling and living the happiest and most connected life than any other obstacle. Not all dreams are fulfilled, however, the path you are taken on is always the right one for you and overcoming obstacles are what maketh a man or woman. As Nelson Mandela once said, “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”

10. I wish I hadn't spent as much time with the ones I love.

Enjoy their company. Share time, joy, stories, connection and warmth. Call your friend, hug your husband. Support and love one another for sorrow shared is half and happiness shared is doubled.

Something to think about:

Have a beautiful day, kids!

xoxo

Sarah

Sparkly Snow and Ruby Slippers

Hi There!

How is everyone on this snowy December day? Fortunately for me, I was at a meeting in NYC, so I was able to look down at the snowy streets from a nice warm office building instead of trudging around through the slippery snow! While I don't love snow when it accumulates to a point where the streets are lined with big grey (sometimes tinted yellow, hehe) snow banks, I do love  watching the first sparkly flurries of the season cover the streets in a thin blanket of fluffy white  snow.



So, let me catch you up on what's been going on with me over the past couple of days. Sunday involved drinking hot chocolate and decorating our small, but adorable tree.

I made our hot chocolates with plain almond milk btw, and it was delish.

Yes, she is a little peanut. However, I'm a firm believe that good things come in small packages. We opted for a fake tree this year, as PJ recently decided that he didn't like the idea of ending the life of a real tree for our viewing pleasure. I have to admit that I giggled when he first told me this. He displayed real passion around this issue (he had had a few drinks prior to making his declaration!), so I agreed to the fake tree. I mean, there is less mess, we can use her again next year, and I can get a candle to mimic the real tree smell that I love! Does anyone else find it ironic that PJ doesn't want to cut down a tree, but on the other hand does not consider food a meal unless there is meat included? But I digress... haha.



Speaking of trees, I saw this beauty last night after enjoying a lovely, family style Italian dinner with coworkers in NYC. On a side note, does family style Italian dining stress anyone else out? I love the food and the "sharing" idea, but I feel like I lack the coordination to pass all those heavy platters of food around the table. I have nightmares of dumping a platter of chicken parmigiana on someones lap...

Or head ...

Before dinner, I met up with this little muffin at a beer bar called Beer Culture in Hell's Kitchen.

I had a delish brew, and Valentine enjoyed a tasting sampler. I would like to go back to this spot as they had some unique beers on draft, and we only had a very short amount of time to spend there.

Since I didn't have to cook last night, I will share my dinner from Sunday night. Roasted cauliflower with garlic asiago breadcrumbs, twice baked sweet potatoes, and roasted chicken thighs with artichokes and oregano. Sounds fancy, but it was SUPER easy and more importantly, delish.My view on cooking has not changed much since my early blogging days: I prefer to cook simple, healthy, and  flavorful dishes that don't require a ton of ingredients or prep/cooking time. This chicken thigh recipe is one of PJ's favorite dishes that I make. I probably make it 1-2x a month.

I usually add feta, but I didn't think the feta went with the asiago in the breadrumbs. The recipe is below. I highly recommend this.

Chicken Thighs with Artichoke Hearts

The cauliflower was awesome, too. So much garlicky goodness :) I will definitely be making this again.

Garlicky Cauliflower

The sweet potatoes were the disappointment of the meal due to my heavy hand (dump) with the cinnamon. Oops! Better luck next time!

After work today, I got in some yoga with my girl Kathryn Budig on Yogaglo. It was a great class filled with lots of stretchy goodness. Now I'm off to sip my candy cane  lane tea and get ready to slumber away!

Something to read: DO yourself a favor and check out this link. 11 Body Image Heroes of 2013.

Love. It.

Something to remind yourself:

xoxo

Sarah :)