The Healthy Lifestyle is Payin' Off!

I'm lovin' this Healthy Lifestyle! Eating right and drinking heavily (I'm JOKING) is what life is all about. Remember that puttin' on your pretty can make a girl feel like a million bucks so ...get out there and put on your dancin' shoes. Take one day at a time and make it count!

My two favorite tricks regarding healthy eating is when you have a sweet craving...go for the FAGE yogurt mixed with brown sugar Splenda and some berries! Tons of protein to keep you feeling full and it taste delicious!

The other is when you feel like munching (especially during football season when everybody else is eating all of the chips and salsa) you can cut up some carrots ( STOP LOOKING AT THE SCREEN AND THINKING ...RIIIIIIIIGHT!!!! ) and dip them in some Jalapeno Yogurt Dip from Costco. You will NOT feel deprived and you won't be eating tons of calories and fat!!!

Just give it a try and complain about it later. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!!!

AND THE BEAT GOES ON!!!

Has it REALLY BEEN 6 months?

Ok, so maybe after 6 months of living this new HEALTHY LIFESTYLE I don't look exactly like Betty Draper but OMG, do I FEEL like I LOOK like her and that is ALL that matters!!! RIGHT? Living with exersize and healthy eating does wonders! I have cut all cravings for sugar with my TRICKS and have the attitude that THIS IS THE ME that I have been waiting for! I am back and it feels like a million dollars!!! Even better because I know I'm here to stay! Stay tuned for some exciting news where I will share my secrets of how to live life to the fullest while looking FABULOUS at any age! Now go put on YOUR PRETTY and YOUR PEARLS and have a kick ass day!!!

Monari Federzoni Balsamic Vinegar or a Ferrari?

Ok, so maybe this looks delicious for many of you! And maybe this smooth export from Modena, Italy is about the most beautiful piece of machinery in the world! I will definetley agree with that statement! BUT NOTHING! Absolutely NOTHING beats the export of MONARI FEDERZONI balsamic vinegar from Modena! The taste is orgasmic and is truly the most AMAZING balsamic vinegar in the world!

MONARI FEDERZONI!!! Almost 100 years old and still the best recipe bottled up and sold to this day! Mille grazie Elena Monari for inventing this food of the Gods! Try this balsamic vinegar warmed and concentrated a bit over some fresh, grilled fruit! My favorite fruit would have to be figs from my tree in the garden that have some finely sliced prosciutto wrapped around the fig. Drizzle some honey and Monari Federzoni balsamic vinegar on top and get ready to see the heavens! Life is too short not to try this simple, Italian delicacy! Don't forget to serve a glass of Prosecco to really see the moon and the stars with the heavens!!!
Mangia! Now does that red ferrari REALLY look better than this?

DON'T ANSWER if you're a MAN !!!

The Men in my Life...Can't Live Without Them!

Are these the best looking guys in the world or what? The family was over for Sunday dinner this afternoon and of course, my guys were enjoying the pool and the "beverages" to keep them hydrated! I often speak of the women in my life but I couldn't be where I am right now without these men. They have completely taken care of every need in the world for me this summer. Emilio, Stefano, Giovanni and my brother Michael. What would I do without them? I don't even want to think about it. My son is the best, my brother has never refused a call to fix or repair anything and my son in laws check EVERYTHING when they come over. They don't miss a beat.They are the epitome of what a great husband and father should be. I am so very blessed to have strong men in my life and am so grateful that I, (I mean my girls) picked such fabulous husbands. These men courted one women when they were dating my girls but they captured two hearts...

We had a delicious dinner today. Spiedinis (stuffed meat rolls), eggplant parmigiana, pasta with clams and a fresh salad. We celebrated my mom's birthday too with a great spice cake from Angela and homemade s'mores from Grace. That's right. She made the freakin' graham crackers and homemade marshmallows and melted the chocolate over a double boiler! Are they their mother's daughters or WHAT? I'm in heaven with my family! Happy Birthday Mom! I hope you have many, many more to share with all of us! Make a wish!

The Cundina Girls!

Above are the girls that showed up ON TIME!

Below are the BAD GIRLS...but they are so cute, too!!! Every month for the past 10 years, I have joined eleven other women for a CUNDINA evening. Sometimes we don't always show up on time. Boy, do we all have a problem with that "arriving on time." So what if we eat at 10:30 PM?. We are all having a BLAST in the meantime anyway! We all get together for an evening of laughter, friendship and a great meal. Sometimes there are themes...like when we all dressed up as Audrey Hepburn and sometimes we sit in the backyard such as this and sip wine and talk about life. We also save money! Let me explain...The word CUNDINA comes from the Spanish word, "cundir" which means "to spread." Each woman brings a certain predetermined amount of money (usually anywhere from $50-$100) to the home of the host for that particular month and that host pays for the meal. The hosts rotate each month so that all 12 women will receive the same amount of money each year when it is their month to host. Basically, it is a poor excuse for having a fabulous time every month with friends that you love. I wouldn't give it up for anything!

Oh, and by the way, I wore my size 4 pants this evening! Thank God for my new... HEALTHY LIFESTYLE!!!
It's part of keeping HEALTHY, HAPPY AND FULL OF LIFE!

How about a Quickie Quiche?

Nothing difficult about this, that's for sure! Make the basic recipe for quiche which for a 9" pie plate is 6 eggs and 1 and 1/2 cups half and half and salt and pepper. You can substitue Egg Beaters for the eggs, just follow directions on carton for equal amounts to eggs. I totally lowered myself and bought the pie crust...I might lose sleep over this tonight! Anyway...Sprinkle about 1 and 1/2 cups Gruyere on the bottom of the unbaked pie crust. Top it with some pre-sauteed mushrooms. (I cooked mine with a little butter and added about a tablespoon of Marsala) Top those off with about 1/2 cup of chopped red peppers and then pour the egg mixture over the filling. Bake at about 400 degrees until set. Usually it takes about 30 minutes. Let cool a little and cut into 8 wedges and serve.

My other filling is cooked broccoli, sharp cheddar cheese and brown sugar bacon. You can substitute Splenda's Brown Sugar for the regular. It's not bad at all. Same sequence except for the bacon. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Place about 4 slices of thick cut bacon on the foil. Sprinkle with cinnamon and about 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Bake at 350 degrees until halfway cooked. Turn and sprinkle with another 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and a little cinnamon. Continue to bake until almost done. Don't overcook or get too crisp. Let cool and then tear into bite size pieces. Layer just like the recipe.

A little Proseco with this on a Sunday morning is just what the doctor ordered to start your day off right! Enjoy... and then go for walk at the beach or a park to burn off those delicious calories!

A Perfect Meal after a Great Workout!

I was hungry after a run and some laps in the pool! So.....I made myself a great fish dinner. No protein powder and carrots tonight! Who says you can't cook for one? Well...I used to say that.... but NOT ANYMORE! I deserve to have a great meal even if it's just for me! I always have some cooked brown rice in the fridge and I had some leftover coleslaw so it was so easy just to bake up some fish. I put some chili sauce with a little spray of olive oil on the fish and baked it for about 20 minutes. What a wonderful evening!