Wednesday, October 29, 2014

I hope everyone's week is going well.  I received my order from D'Adamo and I can't wait to take a couple of vitamins I haven't taken before, specifically for me and to benefit my blood type and some of the issues I have going on.   So my question to all of you is... "Why are you taking supplements designed for someone else?  Each blood type has precise nutritional needs.  I'm a Type O and my supplements should focus on supercharging the metabolism, increasing blood clotting activity, preventing inflammation and stabilizing my thyroid gland.  So...below is what is in order for me!  

  • Polyvite O - Dr.Peter D'Adamo's multivitamin formula contains Kelp which supports thyroid function, B vitamins to support the O's sluggish metabolism and licorice root for stomach support.
  • Deflect O - This is one of our most popular and foundational formulas, helps to block lectins and supports the thyroid with Bladderwrack.
  • PolyFlora O - Delivers a blend of blood type optimal flora strains designed to balance the bacteria in your digestive tract, supporting healthy digestion and balancing the immune system.
If you're looking to start eating right for your type and kick start your metabolism and feel like you are 20 again.  This is the way to do it.  Go to my link here: Eat Right 4 Your Type. 
Oh, and after eating this way for over 10 years I can help you if you are needing extra guidance, just message me here and I'll get back with you or send me an email.
  

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Find out your Blood type!

Do you want to find out your blood type so you can become healthier and lose weight without starving yourself?  Everyday people ask me how they can find this information out.  Well, You can purchase an at home testing kit from Dr. D'Adamo's site,  Here is the link:  Blood type.  Hit, Buy now, then go under kits!  Order a kit today...they are only $9.95 and find out!  If you dislike the above link this one is easier, Blood Type Kit.
Easy at home kit.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Fall Crock-pot for the O Blood Type

As most of you know from reading the blog I follow eating according to my blood type as closely as possible.  As soon as I'm not feeling my usual I start monitoring and following my food intake very strictly.  I try to eat ONLY off my "Highly Beneficial" list and will throw in a few neutral spices here and there to "SPICE" things up...OH MY REALLY BAD HUMOR, SO SORRY!  Here is my Fall Crock-pot staple that I make.  I then can use the meat during the week to feed the kids in a variety of ways, for example I'll make them burritos or something of that sort while I just stick with the warmth and hardiness of this stew for me.  I'm only telling you this because if you have children you will find they get bored and would not want to follow my meals.  So, I have to get creative for them and make it easy on myself all at the same time.  Hope you all enjoy this one.  I LOVE IT!

3-4 pounds boneless grass fed beef
olive oil
2 cups onions sliced
1 cup carrots (this is a neutral...but for the kids)
1 cup Parsnips, cut into chucks
2/3 cups turnip, cut into chucks
3 sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon fresh ginger,  cut into pieces
1/2 cup red wine
Salt & Pepper to taste
Springs of rosemary for in the crock-pot, and fresh one to decorate your dish when serving:)

Browning the meat: Make sure the meat is thoroughly dry with paper towels - Damp meat WON'T brown!!!  Place olive oil in the pan about 1/4 cup (depending on the size of your pan), next place your dry meat in the hot oil and brown in batches, Turing the meat as needed! Add more oil as needed until you are finishes.  Transfer all the meat into a crock-pot.
Vegetables: Next, keep the pan you just browned the meat in and add fresh oil (just dump the old oil out). Then place the vegetables (Onion, carrots, turnip, ginger) and saute until still hard but a little brown.  Place this in the crock-pot.
Assembling:  Now, skim any remaining fat (oil) out of the pan and poor the red wine in and allow it to boil down a little.  Poor this into the crock-pot.  Now add the remaining ingredients into the crock-pot (Sweet-potatoes, rosemary, salt and pepper).  Stir lightly, place the lid over top and allow to slowly cook for 6-8 hours (depending on your crock-pot).  ENJOY!  I give the kids crusty bread on the side because they can have the wheat!  I on the other hand STAY AWAY from the bread!
 
 


Sunday, October 19, 2014

SENCHA ~ Green Tea Immune Support and Blood Type

I'm always looking at new ideas and products that I could use to change things up from the usual foods and beverages that are on my "highly beneficial" list for my O blood type.  To only stick with the same foods/beverages can be quite boring and I really believe that's why we tend to "fall off the wagon"!  Lately, I've been examining beverages.  On the O blood type our beverage list is very small and almost nonexistent.  My beverages include, club soda, seltzer water, ginger tea, peppermint tea, and few teas I don't like.  As far as juices go, I'm mostly suppose to have vegetable juices or black cherry, pineapple or prune juice...Wow, exciting... NOT!!!  Green tea is actually on the "Neutral", list for O's, so I thought I'd look for something other than just plain green tea.  I found these Green Tea and C packet's at the Natural Grocer here in town that promise 300% natural vitamin C and immune support.  I guess with EBOLA and the governments lack of concern I better boost my own immunities (I know BAD HUMOR)!!!  These Green Tea packets come in 3 kinds, Original, Dragonfruit and Citrus Ginger.  They consist of a whole-leaf blend of sencha & matcha powder and provide more nutrients than a typical tea bag.  These Green Tea + C packets are Vegan, Kosher, and GMO/Gluten/Sugar-Free.  I really liked all of them but preferred the Dragonfruit because of the use of acerola cherry for the vitamin C.  I also liked that I can have these packets with me and when I'm in the mood to "Spice" up my regular water I can just take a packet out of my purse and VOILA... Instinct happiness without purchasing a $5.00 beverage!
          
If you're an "O" blood type Green Tea is considered Highly beneficial,
If you're an "A" blood type Green Tea is Highly beneficial,
If you're an "B" blood type Green Tea is considered neutral and,
If you're an "AB" blood type Green Tea is considered Highly beneficial

So I think these little packets can be a benefit for just about any of the blood types and add a little immunity boost at the same time.  Enjoy!

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Crock-pot Bone Broth (Chicken)...Made My Way!

A very dear friend sent me the cookbook, "Nourishing Traditions,"  I LOVE the book and have learned more than I can imagine.  One thing I now make regularly is Bone Broth.  It's incredibly easy and makes any soup or risotto or anything else I dream up taste much better than it would if I just used a boxed or canned broth.  When Sally Fallon makes a chicken bone broth her recipe uses chicken parts and not many herbs.  When I make the bone broth I use a whole chicken and add a bunch of things straight out of the herb patch I have, which gives the broth so much more flavor.  Here is my recipe based off of hers:
Here I made a Chicken soup for the boys out of the bone broth
 1 whole organic chicken, including neck, and chicken parts found in cavity
8 cups filtered water
1 onion, peeled and cut in half
1 cup carrots, cut into chunks
1 cup celery sticks (include the leaves, most of the flavor is in the leaves)
Handful fresh parsley (garden)
2 springs rosemary
Handful of fresh thyme (garden)
2 springs fresh sage (garden)
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
5 peppercorns
1 tablespoon of vinegar

  Place all ingredients in the crock- pot and set on low for as many hours as your crock-pot goes.  Making sure you're able to turn it back on when the timer stops.  My crock-pot goes for 15 hours.  So I put everything in the crock-pot early evening and let it go until morning and then turn it back on again so it runs another 10 hours until I get home.  With bone broth you want the bones to be almost disintegrating or liquifying (I use that term lightly because I've never seen it totally do that).  At this point you can strain it and use the meat for burritos or even make a quick chicken soup.  This is what I did for my boys and the rest of the broth I will freeze.  Yummy!  It's amazing how much better things taste when you start with a good quality broth.


Closeup of the bone broth!

Yes, I decorate the boys soup... It's always the first thing they take out of the soup!

You can see how different this broth looks...Amazing!
Out of the book Ageless Remedies from Mother's Kitchen I took this quick little excerpt:
"Why is chicken soup superior to all the things we have, even more relaxing than Tylenol?  It is because chicken soup has a natural ingredient which feeds, repairs and calms the mucous lining in the small intestine.  This inner lining is the beginning or ending of the nervous system.  It is easily pulled away from the intestine through too many laxatives, too many food additives...and parasites.  Chicken soup...heals the nerves, improves digestion, reduces allergies, relaxes and gives strength".     

 
 

Monday, October 13, 2014

Eat Right 4 YOUR Blood Type

I have eaten according to my blood type for years now! I occasionally have "Fallen off the Wagon" so to speak, but eventually find my way back by remembering how good and alert I felt when I was eating this way.  Recently, I received an email from Dr. D'Adamo's website talking about becoming a Personalized Nutrition ShareRight Partner  I really didn't even think twice about this.  I immediately signed up not even looking to see if I needed to send them money.  I just knew this was something that has impacted my life for years and I wanted to share the knowledge I have on this subject with others.  For years I've been asked how I stayed so thin...Well, this is the SECRET!  Even after having two kids I have managed to stay thin.  So if you want your energy back join me in this endeavor and eat according to your blood type.  It's really not hard and in about two weeks you will be thanking me.  Here is the link to shop for any supplements, books, or specialty foods you might be interested in.  EatRight4YOURType  If you have any questions you can also like my Eat Right 4 Your Type Facebook page located at the bottom of the page.


Why is eating for your blood type SO important?:
Let me make this short and simple...Your blood type is the key to your body's ENTIRE immune system...end of story!!!  It controls the influence of viruses, infections, stress, and any invaders (including cancer) that weakens your immune system.  There are 4 blood types and Dr. D'Adamo describes them as follows:
   ~ TYPE O: "The oldest and most basic blood type, the survivor at the top of the food chain, with a strong and ornery immune system willing to and capable of destroying anyone, friend or foe."
   ~ TYPE A: "The first immigrants, forced by necessity of migration to adapt to a more agrarian diet and lifestyle, with more cooperative personality to get along in crowded communities."
   ~ TYPE B: "The assimilator, adapting to new climates and the mingling of populations; representing nature's quest for a more balanced force between the tensions of mind and the demands of the immune system."
   ~TYPE AB: "The delicate offspring of a rare merger between the tolerant Type A and the formerly barbaric but more balanced Type B."

This doesn't stop here, each of the 4 blood types have antigens. These help our immune system decide if something that enters into our bodies are foreign or not.
"So this is what it looks like on your cells:
   ~TYPE O:    NO ANTIGENS (zero)
   ~TYPE A:     A Antigen
   ~TYPE B:     B Antigen
   ~TYPE AB:  A and B Antigen" 

Now past this point you can buy the book (Buy book here) because our blood codes get even more complex.  This is why if you're eating a "one diet fits all", either Vegan, Macrobiotic, Vegetarian, Paleo, Lacto Vegetarianism, Atkins, Weight Watchers, Mediterranean...the list goes on and on, type of diet you could be harming yourself.  Now, this being said if you're an O blood type and are eating an Atkins diet you might be losing weight and thinking I don't know what I'm talking about.  Which to some degree will work for you because an O blood type should be a meat eater after all and the Atkins diet does focus on eating meat.  Think about it... the O blood type is referred to as "The Hunter"... a MEAT eater.  But, not all O's are the same, remember?

     For example:   I want to give my own personal account on this healthy lifestyle/way of eating.  This is NOT a quick fix but rather a lifestyle change to make you lose weight, stay energized, help with aging and keep you from immune issues that are common to certain blood types.  
I'm an O blood type and can efficiently metabolize meats...however, I found I need to carefully balance the meat protein I eat with vegetables and fruits because I need to avoid over-acidification which causes me to have irritation of my stomach (colitis in my case).  This is also caused by stress, but usually I have figured out it's a combination.
  ~  This being said...I want to go into a little detail about Blood Type O and how I eat!

A Little About Type O:
– Type O’s are more pre-disposed to negative metabolic effects such as insulin resistance, sluggish thyroid, and weight gain.
– Other issues such as fluid retention, ulcers and fatigue are recognized as main O type issues.
– Type O’s have a higher level of stomach acid than the other blood types. (OH LOOK...this nailed me!!!)
– Type O personality is often described as the following: organized, responsible, practical and decisive. (Yep, Yep, Yep, Yep)
– They tend to have more finely tuned responses to stress.
– They also tend to be more vulnerable to bad behaviors when overly tired, depressed or bored.
– Type O’s should avoid caffeine as it can be harmful because of its tendency to raise adrenaline which is already pretty high for this type. (This I found to be extremely relevant to weight gain as well)!


 Recommended Exercise for Type O:
– Dr. D’Adamo suggests,  O’s benefit very much from brisk, regular exercise that is more taxing.
– A few examples of the type of exercises that are recommended include: running, aerobics and martial arts.

– He suggests that Type O’s engage in exercise about 3 or 4 times a week.
– He also suggests that aerobics is done 3-4 times a week for 30 to 45 minutes.


Food for Type O:
This is the main part!

What to Avoid:
– Type O’s should avoid dairy products including milk and cheese.
– They should also avoid eating grains such as wheat bread, crackers and chips as the leading factor of weight gain is the gluten found in the wheat germ.
– Certain beans and legumes should be avoided such as lentils and kidney beans.
– Since Type O’s are more susceptible to thyroid issues, avoiding foods that inhibit the thyroid hormone is important. Those types of foods include: cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower.
– Because of the acidic stomach, Type O should avoid the following fruits: oranges, tangerines, strawberries, blackberries, melons, cantaloupe, honeydew and coconut.
– Due to the starchy nature, they should avoid corn and potatoes.
– Catfish, smoked salmon (Regular salmon is good), caviar and octopus should be avoided.
– Beans: copper, kidney and navy should be avoided.
– Peanuts, cashews, pistachios and poppy seeds.


What to Eat:
– Eating foods high in Vitamin K (the blood clotting vitamin) can help with anemia and other blood problems. This includes spinach, kale, broccoli and lettuce.

– Type O's tend to have a lack of iodine, which is the ONLY mineral that produces thyroid hormone...so the BEST Iodine-rich foods are, seafood (saltwater fish), kelp (seaweed), and iodized salt.
– Because Type O has more of an acidic stomach, they should eat fruits of an alkaline nature such as berries and plums.
– Type O’s don’t tolerate whole wheat products at all, so they should instead eat something like Essene Bread or Ezekiel Bread, barley, rice, millet and spelt.
– Beef, lamb, mutton, veal and venison.
– Farmer cheese, feta, mozzarella and goat cheese are acceptable cheeses to consume.

I am personally planning on sticking to this way of eating as closely as possible because I have seen the benefits.  I am human and do stop occasionally but, I always come back to it because of how amazing I feel.

Now, if you are new to this and I'm getting too over the top for you...don't worry the book even puts together the foods you should eat into lists that are easy to follow categories like the example I gave above.... (If I can do this...you can do this)!  If you have a specific condition the book even addresses this and can help you, with food choices and supplements that help!  Remember, we are NOT all the same so why would the supplements we take all be the same???  When I see everyone purchasing the latest line of supplements (Such as Advocare, Pink Protein...again the list goes on),  I think, "Oh, maybe I'm missing something...then I remember to refer back to science".  It is what it is... A CHEMICAL REACTION OCCURS between your blood and the foods YOU EAT...It's that simple.  What I like best about Dr. Peter D'Adamo is he is a naturopathic physician, and is science based!  He's NOT putting all of us into the same category and even the vitamins are designed for your specific needs and blood type.  He has even helped individuals balance there MS (and many other things) with this lifestyle.  Go look at the site for yourself, I'm SO happy to be able to share this with others...
 Eat Right 4 YOUR Type!

*Below are some quick references for my followers according to your blood type:
Blood Type A....Information 
Blood Type AB....Information
Blood Type B....Information
Blood Type O....Information 


Yours in Health,
Like Eat Right 4 YOUR Type on Facebook!

Tiffany

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Lemony Avocado Sauce over Jovial Pasta

Tonight I made grass fed beef burgers for the boys.  I don't eat wheat so I decided to make a rice pasta dish to have on the side.  I still have a ton of avocados to use up so here is the sauce I came up with!  I must say, I'm making this again! It was wonderful. 
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine (I had a sweet one leftover)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/3 cup oil of your choice, I used a mixture of olive oil and smart balance
Salt and Pepper to taste
Zest of the outside of the lemon you squeezed
1 ripe Avocado,  diced
1/2 box Jovial linguine wheat free pasta

Method:

1.  In a Vitamix, combine ginger, lemon juice,  red wine, white vinegar, soy sauce and oils until blended smooth
2.  Place the lemon zest and cut avocados in a bowl and toss with the liquid mixture you just made.
3.  In a pot of boiling water, cook the wheat free pasta until Just done
4. Poor the sauce mixture you made over the pasta and toss, serve at once.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!


 

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Avocado Egg Salad Sandwiches


  While watching the Minnesota Gopher Football game today...I needed to feed boys.  I had a ton of Avocados so I decided I needed to use those in something.  I put together a quick Avocado Egg Salad sandwich that was a hit.  This was really easy and a nice variation on the usually boring egg salad.
Perfect boy football shaped sandwiches

As you can see I bought too many Avocados!


Ingredients:
2 Ripe Avocados
4 hard boiled eggs
2 Tablespoons Lemonaise
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Crusty Bread of your choice, toasted
 
Picture of the process
Process:
Mash hard boiled eggs and avocados in a separate bowls.  Add dry mustard to the hard boiled eggs along with salt and pepper.  Gently, fold the mashed avocados in with the egg.  Add place on top of your favorite crusty bread!  Top with a tomato or two and VOILA...You can feed those STARVING BOYS!
Fold Avocado in with the Eggs
Time to EAT!


   

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Crock-pot Turkey Recipe to Die For

Last night I had a few extra boys for dinner.  I wanted to make something warm and inviting and have the hole house smell good.  Kinda like it does on Thanksgiving Day!  I had a busy day planned and knew I didn't have time to make a REAL Thanksgiving meal so I decided to bring out the crock-pot and make my life easier.  I went to the store in search of turkey thighs but only could get turkey legs...So legs it was.  This meal is always a hit (using either legs or thighs) and making the gravy out of the cooking sauce, which is a combination of lingonberries and cranberries, which is a nice mix of sweet and sour meets gravy.  Hope you all enjoy this one as much as I do! Enjoy!
Crock-pot Turkey Legs with Rosemary, Cranberries and Lingonberries
6 Turkey legs
2 cans organic whole canned cranberries (Not jellied)
1/2 jar of Lingonberries
1 yellow onion quartered
3 pieces of fresh rosemary
Here it is in the crock-pot
Place all ingredients in a crock-pot and put on low for 8 hours.  Take liquid out of crock-pot and make a gravy using either flour or corn starch.  I used flour because none of the boys had a wheat allergy.  Then serve with mashed potatoes and whatever vegetable you would like.
Note: You can use turkey breasts or thighs with this recipe...I could only find legs at the store this particular day.  Enjoy! 








Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Party Planning...Classy Surpise 50th Dessert Birthday Party!

I get hired for many different things and it seems I wear many different hats!  An event I did recently was a 50th Birthday Party.  It was a ton of fun for me especially because the women that hired me was great to work with.  She definitely knew what she wanted it to look like.  So, I presented a few ideas and we ended up making the perfect Classy 50th Dessert Birthday Party.
The Birthday Girl I was doing the party for I didn't know very well.  So I started by asking the hostess a little about her.  I found out that the birthday girl was very religious, family oriented, she had children and they meant the world to her.  I also found out that she wouldn't take well to a party that made fun of her age.  She was more shy and really didn't even want to celebrate this milestone at all.  So, this was a challenge...but I love a challenge!  I came up with the idea of a Classy Birthday Party, full of family photos along with classy desserts and flower arrangements that didn't have any BLACK flowers or any reference to "Over the Hill"!  Below are some photo's that were really hard to take because the house was lit by candles and the lighting was really dim...but, you get the idea.


Every dessert I made I had made these little flags that said something about who the women was (Her Character)!
  These were some of the words the hostess came up with when I asked about the Birthday Girls Character!  I thought this was great!  She was Wise, Faithful, Elegant, Gracious, Nice, Sincere, Generous, Humble, Sensible, Happy and the list went on!  I tied little spoons in a silver ribbon to each individual chocolate souffle...They really were cute.
Here were the containers before I filled them with the yummy dessert:)
I also made these cute little Greek Yogurts with berries and a touch of honey.  I then typed up a sign and called them "Generous" to go with the theme of the Birthday Girl!


Main table!
     As the Center piece on the table I simply took large glass containers and filled them with individually wrapped mints that were in the the theme colors the Hostess picked (White, Black and Silver).  Also, 50 Silver balloons hung over the table each had a family photo that dangled from the balloon.  This was very cute and a great conversation piece.


The Birthday Girl's favorite dessert was Red Velvet Cupcakes so WE HAD to have those!

I also made little flower arrangements and had them placed around the room with candles throughout!


As you can see plenty of desserts that graced the main table!  It was very elegant, and classy just like the Birthday Girl!  What a beautiful way to turn 50!  She clearly is loved by her friends and I really enjoyed meeting such beautiful women both inside and out!  Thanks for allowing me to help create a memorable 50th Birthday Party!




Saturday, October 4, 2014

The Project that never ends...Window Sills

So what are you working on this weekend?  I've been working on window sills all summer including this weekend!  I've been scraping, scraping, sanding, sanding, priming and painting...the never ending project.  It's truly the worst project I can think of.  I'd rather rip out the tile in the bathroom than do this.  It's not like it's a project that you can show off after your done.  It's extremely boring and unrewarding, but it is something that needs to be done at times.  What I find funny about this project is I asked neighbor boys to help out and I would pay them.  The boys lasted all of one hour and they never came back.  Well, I have to say, it's not a glamorous job, very time consuming and no one is lining up at the door to help me out.  The good news is, once I get them done it should prolong the life of the windows and save me money in the long run...I guess I'll see.  As you can tell I have lost all sense of humor while doing this, but I'm enjoying talking a break and blogging about the boring project.  Oh yea... REAL life can be boring at times:)  Have a great weekend!

 So here I started scraping and scraping.  Depending on how bad the windows sills are (lack of maintenance) will determine how much scraping is needed. You might need to dig out all the dry rot to reach the new wood and then fill it in with epoxies and fill in the void.  Thank goodness I'm getting to this before it became a crazy difficult job.  At this stage I'm scraping and sanding.  Then I use a paint-able caulk if I have a gap between the window sill and the stucco (In this case).  Then I let that dry and prime then paint.  This process can take days because I need the weather to cooperate with me and not rain.  This explains why these projects drag out.  Oh well, I'll feel good when they are done.  
Scraping and Scraping

Even more scraping

What I want to accomplish is a smooth surface before I fill in and prime.
Primed

All finished

Another set all finished...woohoo!

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Easy Sauteed Vegetables with Chicken...Products I LOVE

Everyone likes easy meals for nights that are consumed by kid sports...RIGHT?  This is when I start looking for food that's NOT full of preservatives, gluten free and can add flavor to my standby..."SAUTEED CHICKEN".   I always saute boneless chicken breasts on Sunday's and keep in the fridge to grab for quick meals.  Tonight, I added all "O" blood type vegetables that are on my highly beneficial list and made this in less than 10 minutes.  This is why I always keep an eye for interesting new products that come out.   This product is called Maya Kaimal Butter Masala, in Mild!  They have 5 different choices but I usually stick with mild because the kids become a little too picky when I try spicy things.
Easy Sauteed Vegetables with Chicken
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 cup cut up celery
1 onion,cut in chunks
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 yellow pepper, cut into chucks
1 red pepper, cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups broccoli, stemmed  
3 boneless chicken breasts, cut into chucks and sauteed
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1/2 container of Butter Masala (Of your choice, pictured below)
1/2 cup water
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Serves 4

Saute vegetables in 2 tablespoons olive oil, add the cooked diced chicken and 1/2 container of Butter Masala and water.  Saute until sauce cooks down to half and a little thickened.  Add salt and pepper and sprinkle with parsley if you ave it! Perfect, quick and easy dinner for an O Blood type.  This would be a great meal for other blood types as well if you change out the meat and vegetables to suit your blood type.  Enjoy...it's REALLY yummy.
Product I LOVE

Gluten Free Ingredients and one container can last for 2 meals for a family of 4.





Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Chicken Avocado & Tomato Salad

Can you believe the end of summer is here?  I'm not sure why summer seems to go by so quickly, but it's a reminder to LOVE every minute of it when you're able to!  Today, I decided to make a quick lunch and just "BE" outside.  I REALLY DID nothing!  I just sat out on the front lawn with my dog and just soaked in the sun.  I'm sure in a month or two I'll look back on this day and and dream about how wonderful the grass felt and how amazing the sun (Vitamin D) felt on my skin.  Here is a tasty end of summer treat to use up those amazing tomatoes you have in the garden.  Keep DREAMING...WE ONLY LIVE ONCE!
Oh... and if you're one of my O blood type friends this is great except for the Avocado, but you can always have a few things on your avoid list every once in a while.

1 boneless chicken breast, sauteed on stove-top in a bit of olive oil, diced
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1 vine ripe tomato
1 bunch of fresh basil
1 handful of spinach leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste (Salt with Iodine)
3/4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic Vinegar

Method

1)  Saute 1 boneless breast on stove-top in a bit of olive oil... I add Salt and Pepper. (I usually do a package of chicken a week and keep the breasts in the refrigerator for easy food preparation on quick meals, this way I can make the kids quick burritos, salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes...or whatever).
2) Place handful of spinach in a bowl
3) Add diced tomato
4) Add sliced avocado
5) Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over top, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste and GO SIT IN THE SUN with your yummy salad:)     
 

Save on select items at the Williams-Sonoma sale!

Clean up the kitchen with...Bar Keeper's Friend...click below!