Parasols and Pasta! Yes, I'll eventually be OK!

Is a picture worth a thousand words? In this case, MORE THAN YOU KNOW! The girls and I took the babies to Disneyland the other day. You know, the happiest place on earth!!! It was a wonderful diversion for me but certainly did not eliminate the pain completely from what I am going through. I looked at this picture that I took that day very lovingly this morning but for some reason the parasols spoke to me. Umbrellas? Why? I immediately looked up the definition as if I didn't know what the word umbrella meant! It came to me VERY LOUD and CLEAR. "Something that covers and protects from above, such as military aircraft safeguarding surface forces." I get it! Not that I doubted it. Not that I questioned it. But it is so evident now! I have so many "parasols" surrounding me on a daily basis. Guarding me, watching over me. I have held the umbrella for so many... for so long... and now, I will graciously accept to be under those who offer me that same protection for my heart.

Yes, I now know that I will not only SURVIVE this transition but I will eventually THRIVE!!!

Now I will go cook up a delicious pot of meat sauce served with either pasta for my son, Emilio or in my case, spaghetti squash for myself! (I am watching my girlie figure!)

Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meat Sauce

Olive oil spray
1 onion chopped
6 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 pound ground turkey
Large can of tomato puree
Large can of chopped tomatoes
¼ cup red wine
Sugar to taste or Splenda
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh basil

Spray your Dutch oven with olive oil. Add onions and sauté. Add about ¼ cup of water because you want to caramelize the onions but you don’t want to add too much olive oil. Water does the same trick. Keep going until they are almost tan in color. Add the chopped garlic and the ground turkey. Saute till it is cooked through. Add the puree and tomatoes. Mix it all together and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook the spaghetti squash as directed on that little tag that is on it. Pour the sauce over the squash. I serve it with ....guess? ROMANO CHEESE! Like everything else, I always seem to add that to it at the end!

I’m sure my dad is looking down at me saying, “fer crying out loud, what have you done to my Sicilian Meat Sauce recipe?” Don’t worry dad….I know what I’m doing!” Trust me! Remember who taught me how to cook?

It's my BLOG and I'll CRY if I want to...but there's Chicken Marsala in the Oven!

No doubt about it. This whole "Healthy Living Lifestyle" blog was supposed to be about eating and fitness and being the "healthiest me that I could be." I guess nothing has really changed except for the fact that my heart is broken. I WAS talking about getting my BODY healthy! I always thought that my HEART was beating just fine.

I read a poem by a new friend who posted on Maria Shriver's page (she is going to be canonized for what SHE is going through) and it just spoke to my heart and soul. Here it is and she is coming out with a book called, "The Great Lemonade Maker" and her name is Lei Shephard.

After you have a good cry, look below and you will see a freakin' fabulous Chicken Marsala recipe. When all else fails...COOK!

Where Do I Go From Here?

Where do you go from here?
When there’s nothing to look back for
And there’s nothing in front to look forward to
When all your dreams dissipate
Like the flash from a camera
Leaving a glare as you stare off into distant view
No longer seeing two—just you
Only you.
Where do you go from here
When you’re not sure where here is
All you feel is fear, see is tears
Knowing, “here” is no place to be
Supposedly, here is the time to be free
The time to find me
The world for me to see
But the “here” and the right now
Has grabbed pain from the past, stolen joy
From the future—added sorrow to the now
So, where do I go from here?
Where I dream no dreams
No joy so it seems?
I will learn from the past,
Press forward to the future
Even if it’s just meallowing the “here” to heal
in order to truly be set free
Not in the “here” but in time
I will eventually be just fine
Eventually, I know, I’ll be just fine
That’s how I’ll get there from here.

CHICKEN MARSALA

6 chicken breasts ( boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
salt & pepper
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tbsp butter
2 onions sliced
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
6 cloves minced garlic
1 cup dry Marsala wine
1 cup grated Romano Cheese, divided
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (preferably Italian)

Place the chicken breasts in a serving dish that you can also bake in. It just makes it easier. (less dishes to wash) I cut each chicken breast in 2. It seems like everybody is having smaller portions nowadays. Or is it just me? Pour half of the oil over the chicken, turn it over and make sure that it is covered on both sides. If you need more oil, go for it. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix ½ cup of the Romano cheese and breadcrumbs together. Dredge both sides of the chicken with this. Yes, in the same dish. Again, I HATE to wash dishes! Set aside. Now sauté the onions and mushrooms with the other half of the oil and the butter. I like to almost carmelize this. Now I add the garlic. I barely cook the garlic. Remember, this is all going to bake for about an hour. Now add the Marsala to the mushroom, onion and garlic mixture. Pour this over the breaded chicken pieces. I pour a little water in the bottom of the dish just so you form a little juice.
Bake in a 350 degree oven. I cover the dish for the first 30 minutes and then uncover it and let it get sort of browned the last 30 minutes. If you need to cook it more, then do it. It has the Marsala in it so rarely does it get tough for me. I of course, always have to sprinkle MORE Romano cheese on top and then make it look pretty with a little Italian parsley.

Transition...with a Quinoa Recipe!

In the spirit of HONESTY and being TRUE to my AUTHENTIC self, I want to share with you why I have been absent since my Easter post. Not that you might have wondered... but my heart needs to speak. This simple blog seems to be here for me to share...my recipes... and now my thoughts. Filter out what you wish. It is now evident that my life is going through a very unexpected and extremely difficult transition. You never think something like this will happen to you and then WHAM BAM, a freight train slams into your wonderful life. Now WHAT? It's called TRANSITION. "A passage from one state to the next." "Change." Certainly didn't want it! Absolutely didn't plan on it but nonetheless, I am accepting it with clarity. Difficult though it may be, I will start a new chapter in my book. Maybe even a whole NEW book! I will not fall back into my old ways of eating unhealthy, feeling sorry for myself, not exercising, (sound familiar?) but I will pick myself up and continue on with zest and zeal, knowing that I will SURVIVE. I can only hope that if any of you have been there or are in a situation such as this, you too, will have the same positive attitude. I know Maria does! NOW...on to a GREAT RECIPE with QUINOA!

Quinoa

First of all, let me tell you about this grain. It is an amino acid-rich (protein) seed that has a fluffy, creamy, slightly crunchy texture and a somewhat nutty flavor when cooked. I cook it in my rice cooker and follow the directions adding just a tinge more water that is needed for rice. I then add roasted vegetables, such as red onion, bell peppers, zucchini and yellow squash that have been roasted in a 400 degree oven with a little salt and pepper and Herbs de Provence. Add the veggies to the cooked quinoa along with a teaspoon of coconut oil and of course, some grated Romano cheese and OMGosh! Native to South America this grain was once called the "Gold of the Incas" years ago as it was recognized to increase the stamina of their warriors after being fed this. Let me just say that I have learned a lot from Seal Team Six as far as RECON MISSIONS... AND eating Quinoa!!!