Coach Mary Beth shares this extravagant adult appetizer that’s perfect for summer weekends.
Serve these with a bowl of olives, a bowl of nuts, and maybe some crisp breadsticks.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Cocktail Tomatoes Yellow * Serves 8
1 pint organic cherry tomatoes
1-1/2 cups good quality vodka
1 small hot pepper, diced
sea salt
Pour vodka over tomatoes and add peppers. Refrigerate, covered, overnight or up to 24 hours. Pour into a shallow bowl with just enough of the vodka to come halfway up the tomatoes and serve with toothpicks and a small bowl of sea salt to dip the tomatoes.
When you’re at the farmer’s market, take the time to find the best.
Walk the whole market, noting which vendors are selling what you’re interested in.
Ask for a taste of anything you’re interested in – and offer to pay for it. Buying one tomato or one apple or one strawberry or one cucumber to taste may save you from a lot of tasteless ones. “Fresh and local” doesn’t always mean delicious.
Know when it was harvested. Foods like corn and peas are much better the day they’re picked because the sweetness from their natural sugars dissipates quickly.
Look at what you’re buying. Skip anything bruised, wilted, or yellowed. It doesn’t have to look perfect, but it should look fresh.
Size isn’t everything. Often the smaller ear of corn, zucchini, or green bean is sweeter. Try eating the smaller pickling cucumbers instead of the larger salad cucumbers.
Compare. Compare prices. Compare flavors. Compare growing practices. Compare the cleanliness of the stall, the friendliness of the vendor, or anything else that’s important to you.
Changing your fitness routine is a great energy booster for your body and your mind. You’ll be targeting different muscles than usual, and you’ll have to pay more attention to what you’re doing.
Go to a video store or hop on your computer (Netflix or Hulu) or stop by the library and select a new, exciting exercise video in a category you’ve never tried before.
Here are some suggestions: salsa dancing, step aerobics, Pilates, yoga, tai chi, Tae Bo, spinning, karate, swing, ballet, jazz, tap, Irish step dancing, waltz, and country line dancing.
Turn your weekly farmer’s market trip into a family event.
Walk or bike to your farmer’s market if you can. Make it a fitness destination.
Enjoy the ‘extras’ at your market – music, entertainment, community events, kids’ programs, etc.
Bring your own tote bags or baskets. If you walked or biked, be aware of how much you can carry, and how you’ll do that.
Bring any clean plastic grocery bags you’ve collected to the market and offer them to the vendors. You don’t have to be the only person reusing your bags – pass them on!
If you drive a fair distance to the market, consider putting a cooler and some ice packs in the car, to help keep produce fresh on the trip home.
When you get home, wash and prep the produce right away. Wash and spin the greens (salad and leafy), wrap in paper towels or cotton cloth, and store in plastic bags. Dark plastic helps keep the light out, making the greens last even longer. Keep tomatoes, garlic, onions, peaches, nectarines, and apricots at room temperature.
Try not to overbuy. Think about what you’ll reasonably eat in a week. If you completely fail at this (as we all do… every year!) and buy far more than you need, call your friends and invite them to a cook-it-yourself farmers’ market party. Have everyone bring an apron and a knife, and make it an evening of cooking together. Fire up the grill, get out the olive oil and herbs, and keep it simple – the flavors of just-harvested foods will give you an amazing meal. Serve some good bread, iced tea, and maybe wine for a great party.
We love, love, love going to the Farmer’s Market! Fresh produce!! Supporting local farmers!! Organic options!! Community fun!!
Walk the whole market before you buy anything. Check out each stall to see what’s there. Stroll leisurely, enjoying the day, the sights and sounds and smells, and chat with your friends and neighbors.
Talk to the farmers. Find out who they are and what they grow. Build relationships. This is your opportunity to make connections with your food, and to understand how it gets to your plate.
Find the organic growers. Support them if possible. These are the people who can explain what ‘organic’ means to them and to you, and they’re passionate about the environment, as well as the food it produces. If you’re skeptical, compare organic and commercial produce.
Try something new each time you visit. Ask the farmer the best way to prepare and enjoy it. You’ll probably find more than one new favorite vegetable this summer.
The song says “let’s pretend that we rule the world.”
Well, *newsflash!* We do rule the world. We rule OUR world – we’re responsible for OUR choices.
So stop waiting for something to happen to you, stop living the passive life. Make something happen for yourself! Take a risk, make the effort, step out of your comfort zone, take action, rule.your.world.
Celebrate your leadership with a bit of a song and dance. Yes, because taking charge of your life is taking charge of your body, which can use some movement and oxygen right now.
If you were around in the 60′s and 70′s, your mom probably made Spanish Rice. Everyone’s mom did. It’s really easy, everything is in one casserole dish, and it’s great for those days when everyone needs to eat at different times. The leftovers are good, too.
So today we have the THM® vegan version – called Spanish Rice & Rye. It’s probably closer to Mexican Rice & Rye, honestly. Whatever you want to call it, be sure to try it. Get your kids a filling meal that’s good for them after they come from the pool, or before they play soccer or baseball.
Serve with something green – a dinner salad, some green beans, or broccoli would be good.
If you want to get a head start on this dish, make the rice & rye when you’ll be home for 45 minutes (maybe during dinner?). When it cools, put it in a freezer weight zipper bag, and freeze it flat. Now it’s ready in a few minutes any time you need it.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Spanish Rice & Rye Blue * Serves 6-8
1 recipe rice & rye (below)
1 can black beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies (mild or regular, your choice, try Rotel brand)
1 cup frozen corn
about 1 cup your favorite chunky salsa
Mix in a large casserole dish and bake at 350F for about 40 minutes.
1 cup brown rice
1 cup rye (the whole grain, not flour or flakes – rye grain is often called rye berries)
4 cups water
Rinse grains under running water in a strainer. Add to pot and cover with the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cover, to maintain a simmer. Simmer about 25 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed.
Get ready to revamp your wardrobe, redefine or define for the first time, your own personal style and have fun in the process.
The next class is a wardrobe clothing class and it’s tailored (pun intended) just for you. Whether you are a fashionista or could care less about what you cover your body in there is sure to be something for you.
This class will not tell you to go out a buy lots of new trendy clothing, it won’t tell you to go out and buy anything (though there will be a topic all about shopping); but it will help you refine, tweak and adjust how you wear the clothes that you already own or help you figure out what you want to be wearing.
Come join us as you define your own style to fit the many facets of your life.
~ Coach Beth Miriam
Class starts today! Sign up now and you won’t miss a thing.
Breathing. It’s natural. It’s easy. And yet we still don’t use it to full advantage.
Take 5-10 minutes each day to focus on your breath. That’s all meditation really is – focusing on your breath, that which brings you life.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re sitting or lying down, as long as you’re comfortable. Just close your eyes, and think only about your breath – slowly breathing in, then slowly breathing out. Let your diaphragm expand and contract (instead of your lungs). If your mind wanders (ours always seems to wander off to thinking about silly things like laundry detergent), just pull it back in the next breath.
Some people like to focus on a word or phrase that’s meaningful to them as they breathe – that’s great. If your spiritual tradition has a special phrase, this is a good place to try it out – see if it fits for you. Some people prefer to imagine light coming into their body with each inhale, and leaving the body on each exhale (kind of an ‘in with the good, out with the bad’ formula). Some people just feel themselves breathe.
Turn up the heat this summer with a whole new look! There’s still time to sign up for our ALL NEW June class Summer Fit + Style starting Monday, June 7.
A THM® expert, Coach Beth Miriam leads a fun 7-day class to help you look hot this summer with clothes that fit your body and your style! Make a positive impact and first impression. Class starts right here at Marilu.com on Monday, June 7 and goes through Sunday, June 13.
