It's New! It's Lazy! It's FIVE & DIME FRIDAY!!!!!

OK Lazy Woman Folk out there….There’s something new on the Lazy Woman Blog. I’m calling it “Five and Dime.” I sent a slew of pitches to a TV show for my bijillion ideas of things you can do with 5 ingredients in 10 minutes to make something delicious for dinner and I called it FIVE & DIME, and they didn’t hire me, so I’m going to share them with all of you instead! So, every Friday that I’m in town and able to post, we’ll be having Five and Dime Fridays on the Lazy Woman Blog, and you’ll get a new recipe every week.

To start us off we’re going to talk salad. I’ve posted my salad recipe before, and it’s featured in our book “The Lazy Woman’s Guide to Just About Everything” but here it is spelled out a little more in depth.

Here’s to celebrating LAZY recipes for dinner with FIVE ingredients, in less than TEN minutes….

FIVE & DIME

5 Ingredients + 10 Minutes = Infinite Deliciousness

Lazy Woman Salad

The salad that goes with every meal that everyone loves – even people who hate vegetables – and it’s full of protein!

1. Lettuce
2. Nuts
3. Cheese
4. Dressing: Lemon + Olive Oil
5. OPTIONAL: Dried Fruit or Fresh Fruit (dried cranberries, fresh pears, fresh pomegranate seeds)

The super-cool thing about this salad is that you can do a million variations by changing up the nuts and cheeses (with fruit option):

-Parmigiano Reggiano and Toasted Almonds (OPTIONAL: Dried Cranberries)
-Cheddar and Toasted Sunflower Seeds (OPTIONAL: Fresh Apple)
-Shredded Mozzarella and Toasted Pine Nuts (OPTIONAL: Dried Currants or Cranberries)
-Goat Cheese and Toasted Cashews (OPTIONAL: Fresh Apple or Pear)
-Feta and Toasted Pepitas (OPTIONAL: Fresh Pomegranate Seeds)

Trader Joe's Tuesday -- COMFORT PIE

I've been away in body, mind and spirit. My dad's memorial was a few weeks ago and although it went beautifully, I got hit with a wall of grief, which then lead to a lowered immunity which lead to a wall of flu! This is my first day feeling back to my normal self! Woohooo!

Death sucks. I didn't deal with this whole few weeks lazily. Thank god I had friends reminding me to just BE, to just be sad, to be mad, to be SICK even... because my tendency is to not let myself be sad or sick. Whenever I let myself be fully sad and stopped resisting, there would always be a sense of relief.

How many times have we heard the phrase "what you resist persists?" or "let go, let God..." but man oh man practicing those is harder than it looks....four sweet words in both cases that are so hard for me to fully imbibe. But, I swear I clung to them like vines in the jungle as I swung through the forests of grief and flu.

When I was yielding to the grief, I actually found comfort in pie. We were talking at the memorial about my dad's famous mincemeat pie, made with reindeer sausage among other things, and therefore inedible to his vegetarian daughter. It reminded me of the rhubarb pies he and I would make and could share.... I love pie. Nothing like pie to comfort a soul.

With no energy to bake (and I looooove to bake pies!) I was visiting the fresh baked and frozen sections of Trader Joe's. One delightful find is the blueberry tart in the frozen section. I, of course, dolloped it with the Vanilla Mango Soy Ice Cream because I was afraid it would be too sweet and need a tart edge, but it was delightfully NOT overly sweet, and surprisingly delicious.

It really takes so little to bake a delicious summer pie from scratch. I insist on making my own pie crusts, but the frozen crusts at TJ's really are quite good. Just go over to the fresh berry section (you can do it with frozen too, just make sure you let them drain in a collander as they thaw) and get a couple packages of blueberries, a couple blackberries, a rasberry, and a lemon. Rinse the berries, grate up about 1/2 lemon zest, squeeze juice of lemon, toss with a couple tablespoons of sugar and a couple tablespoons of flour. If you have some fresh nutmeg, grate in a little of that too. Throw it all in the bottom shell. Dot with some butter.

Then take the top crust and cut into 1/2 inch strips and create a lattice on top. (Tip -- start in the middle of the pie with the diameter and weave from there.) Crimp the edges and make it puuuurdy! Be sure to place the pie on a cookie sheet because these pies can bubble up and over....yummmmmm!

Bake at 425 degrees for about 50 minutes on the lower rack. Wait for it to BUBBLE in the center of the pie.

Pie oh pie, my oh my comfort food.

Trader Joe's Tuesday - Artichoke Madness

Trader Joe's is literally Artichoke Mecca now! So, here's a lovely Spring Dinner Party for Ye Who Loveth the Veggie that Choketh.

• Hors d'Oeuvre -- Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Dip -- Serve with toasts or crackers or even a hollowed out round sourdough loaf!
• First Course -- Baby Artichokes --- Rinse them. Cut them in half. Marinate them as long as you can -- even if just for 20 minutes -- in either a vinaigrette or even just olive oil with garlic salt. Then throw them on the grill until they are cooked through and charred a little on the edges. If you haven't put too much salt on them before cooking add a little course salt before you serve.
• NON-GRILLING ALTERNATIVE or an additional dish to serve -- Steam up some large artichokes.. but check this out. I just came up with this. I took olive oil, added some garlic salt to it, whisked it together. Then I drizzled it over and into the artichoke....you don't have to put a lot on it because when you steam, it steeps into the entire artichoke. People use a lot less butter when they eat it too, because it has that rich olive oil flavor to it.
• Main Course -- Artichoke Ravioli! Now, TJ's has many amazing sauces that will work with this pasta. They even have an Artichoke Antipasto which you can toss in with pasta with a little cheese...but what I like to do with this pasta is sautee up some chopped garlic in olive oil, add sliced mushrooms and cook until they are browned. Then I add a couple handfulls of fresh spinach, and a can of drained artichokes (not marinated) juice of 1/2 a lemon and sautee a little more, and toss with the drained cooked ravioli (which only takes a couple minutes to cook actually...so watch that you don't overcook!).

Isn't Spring grand? Yummy grand.

Lazy Computer Crash-a-Go-Go

You didn't get a "Trader Joe's Tuesday" last week because my computer crashed....I got it back Friday and discovered that everything -- yes, every little thing that was related to my dad - his business that I am running from afar, his estate, his memorial -- is gone. The hard drive had bad sectors, and apparently the little sector that my dad's folder was sitting in went "poof." I had a 45 minute pity party, with heart palpitations and tears. I had never had the heart palpitations before! But, in those 45 minutes I heard him say over and over "You don't need it..." and "It's not important..."

My dad's memorial is this Saturday in Anchorage, Alaska. All my notes, the draft of the program, the RSVP list, etc. -- all of it is gone. I immediately started to freak about who I needed to reach out to, my to do list of people I needed to call or write. And, over and over again I hear him say "The right people know."

Last night, Aaron and I set to going through my dad's art, getting things together to send out to family members as little gifts from my dad. We found a few pieces by an artist Thor Brandt-Erickson. I have two pieces of his on my walls that my dad gave me. I thought, "Oh my gosh I don't think his wife knows about the memorial...." I didn't remember seeing her name on any list. I was so upset by all the lost info again, and, again, my dad replied "All the right people know..." And, I calmed down yet again!

Just a few minutes ago, a confirmation that all really is well and perfect came in via email. I received a letter from Thor's widow, Nancy. She had seen the announcement in yesterday's paper. She can't come to the memorial because her grandson is graduating from high school, but she sent a beautiful letter I will have Aaron read at the memorial.

I was literally freaking out that she didn't know about the memorial, and she got the word. She was lead to the paper on the perfect day. And, to add a special nod of confirmation that everything is perfect, she noted that her husband Thor had died on May 22, 2008 --- exactly two years to the day of the Memorial this Saturday.

It's all perfect. Sometimes the perfection is hard to see through the trees and tears, but it's all perfect.

Trader Joe’s Tuesday - Spring into Fresh Fruitiness

[Hey all...I'm on the road this week and the hotel last night lost its internet connection for some bizarre reason, so I wrote this on Trader Joe's Tuesday but am just now able to post it...sorry for the delay!]

The healthiest I ever feel is when I am doing proper food combining. If you don’t know what food combining is, google it and you’ll learn a lot, I’m sure. I started food combining in the mid-80’s and my digestion is ALWAYS flawless when I do it.

One of the places I cheat is mixing bread and cheese, which is a big no-no because our bodies have a hard time digesting complex carbs and protein all at once.

But, one of the places I have remained mostly faithful throughout the years is eating fruit on an empty stomach and waiting at least 30 minutes after eating the fruit before I eat any non-fruit items.

I’ll tell you, if you are having digestive issues of any kind, even just starting your day out with fresh fruit will I think really make you feel better. I always use the analogy that it’s like eating scrubbing bubbles when you get up…scrubbing bubbles that work through your digestion, clean you out and freshen you up.

Trader Joe’s makes this super easy no matter what your budget. If you can spare some extra change, and you are trying to save time in the morning, you can get pre-cut pineapple and melons, throw in some lovely berries and you are set for a most exquisite Spring breakfast.

The less expensive alternative is cutting up your own pineapple and melons. Of course, with the berries, all you have to do is wash them off (actually one tip is to turn the plastic box over and make sure there are no moldy berries in the mix)!

Lazy Tips on Choosing Pineapple and Melons:
• Pineapple – the less green the better, but the true “tell” on a pineapple is how it smells – just one whiff and you’ll smell if it’s ripe (great pineapple smell), overripe (overly sweet, almost sour), un-ripe (not a lot of smell at all).
• Honeydew/Cantaloupe – Press the bottom center of the melon and if it pushes in, it’s ripe. Once you start doing this you’ll get the hang of it. Some have no give at all – they are un-ripe. Some are way too mushy – can be overripe.
• Watermelon – Hold in one hand if you can and slap with the other…does it sound hollow? Again, with practice, you’ll get better at this. You’ll start hearing what “hollow” even sounds like in a watermelon!

And, then the cheapest Springy Fruit Breakfast will come in the frozen food section. Trader Joe’s has a WONDERFUL selection of frozen fruits – mixed berries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, pineapple, mango, papaya, etc. You can either prepare your bowl the night before and cover in the fridge so it’s thawed by morning OR you can throw it all in a blender with a little water or juice and make a smoothie.

If you want to throw the food combining caution to the wind, you can definitely add yogurt. Trader Joe’s has a bijillion varieties!

Bon Appetit!

Trader Joe's Tuesday -- The Best Wacky Quesadilla Ever!

OK I think I've mentioned this cheese before but man oh man I can't let go of it. I'm addicted. But, this is the best thing to do with the new Trader Joe's Goat Brie Cheese!

It comes in a small round, like a baby brie, but it's GOAT which brings a whole new flavor to it. Slice up about 1/4 of the round and lay it in an EZEKIEL SPROUTED WHEAT TORTILLA. And, ideally you will have a George Forman Grill.

So, let's take a moment for the George Forman Grill. If you don't have one, they are super cheap, come in a million sizes -- you can choose size depending on the size of your family, and how many portions you make when you cook -- and they are super duper easy to clean, i.e., LAZY! But, the most important thing is that you use literally NO FAT when you grill. But, you get the feel of a truly grilled item.

If you have a George Forman Grill, then put the cheese in, fold it over and put it in the grill, and just wait until the cheese is melted, and you've got a few grill marks, and you're done!

NOW...if you don't have a George Forman grill -- or if you do and you want to have another level of culinary fun --- then grill it outside on a real honest to god grill. And if you do that, please please please do us both a favor -- get a package of scallions at TJs. Rub them with a little olive oil and throw them on the grill for a couple of minutes until they are slightly charred and limp.

Then rub one side of two Ezekiel tortillas with a little olive oil and put the Goat Brie slices in it, add a grilled scallion or two, and throw it on the grill. Grill both sides until nice grill marks and cheese is melted. Cut into triangles, and it's pretty lovely...and most delicious and the most interesting quesadilla you'll ever have!

Goaty Lazy Yummaliciousness to you!

Can You Love Your Neck? aka Lazy Woman Neck Solution

My friend, Miss Salle (aka divine author and life coach, Salle Redfield) was very sweetly trying to calm me down a few weeks back when I was on a rant about my neck. She told me about a product that really worked for her. I thought, "Well it won't work with me, because her skin is far cooler than mine AND her neck is NOT aging!" But, she told me that after only one week she saw a difference and after a month she saw a substantial difference.

So, I went over to Sephora which was the most convenient place to get it -- Dr. Brandt's V-Zone Neck Cream. As Salle said "It's not cheap, but it works." It's $60 for a jar which I'm guessing will last a couple of months. I started using it and then I was out of town for four days after just using it a couple of day, but even still after about 7 days of applications I truly did see a visible difference.

Did you all read the book "I Feel Bad About My Neck" (which I always misremember as I HATE My Neck"!!! LOL!) by Nora Ephron? It's a hilarious fun read about aging. When I read it I was thinking "Oh thank god I don't have to worry about my neck yet!" Of course, the next week my neck visibly aged one dark and lonely night!

I'm working on becoming more Zen about my aging. In the meantime, I'm going to use all the little tricks and Lazy Woman tips -- like this cream -- and take comfort in the "time arrest" factor -- TIME ARREST is what is written just above V-Zone Neck Cream on the jar...yes, it's part of the name! Arresting time....an interesting concept. I strive to arrest the discomfort of aging, but again, in the meantime....

Sometimes being Lazy is taking action. It's like Aaron's car. His daughter backed into something accidentally and fixing it would have doubled his car insurance. But, every time he saw the dent it really bugged him so he found a guy who could fix it really cheap, and end of upset! If there's something nagging at you every time you see it, and you can't reach a peaceful place in the face of it, take action.

Lazily Loving My Neck on a Wednesday Morn...

Trader Joe's Tuesday - Best Spring Rice Recipe

Aaron and I made a Mexican feast the other night. He created the "star" of the night, an amazing Chicken Mole. I don't eat chicken but I benefited greatly from the sauce, because it was fantastic on top of this rice, and the beans I also made.

I'll admit it. Rice scares me. I've screwed it up several times in my life and in the past it's been stressful to serve at dinner parties because I don't trust myself. And there is nothing worse than lumpy rice. But, I really think this is one of those recipes that you can't screw up if you follow the directions. Frankly, at one point I did screw up. I had accidentally set the heat too high and was distracted by the other stuff I was doing, so it was boiling much longer than it should have been, so I just shut off the heat completely, and let it steam with the lid on. It was perfect!

This is a recipe (see the link included above) for which each and every ingredient can be found at Trader Joe's:

olive oil
basmati rice
chicken broth
garlic
limes
cilantro

It's unbelievably easy to make -- very fast for the amount of flavor and beauty (it's green speckled lily white -- so springy!) you get. To manage the timing of the dinner party, I did the first step of the recipe in the morning, which is to sautee the garlic and rice in olive oil. If you do this hours in advance, it really steeps the rice in the garlic flavor. Then, when you are re-heating everything, and doing the finishing touches for your dinner to get it to the table, you add the rest of the ingredients and it's done in 15 minutes!!!! How LAZY is that?

By the way, this rice does not only go with Mexican food. It would go with ANYTHING -- even roasted chicken and a side of asparagus, or a grilled piece of fish and a salad. It would go really well with Indian food too. But, hey Cinco de Mayo is around the corner and this is a very festive, lovely side dish for any celebration!

Feliz Feasting!

Lazy Gorgeous Dessert

This recipe is fabulously delicious and even more fabulously easy! Even better, it's super impressive!

You make the cake the night before. Easy recipe, short baking time -- easy, easy, Lazy! Then you mix up the "tres leches" i.e., the three milks (condensed, evaporated and half & half) and pour them over the cake so it soaks over night.

Next day you just whip up cream slather it on the cake and you are done.

Now, I did a variation because I like to add fruit to my Tres Leches Cake. I took a low glass vase actually -- about 6 inches deep and 8 or 9 inches in diameter. I turned it over onto the 9 x 12 cake and cut out a layer, which I saved for the top later. I took the remaining cake in the pan and lay it on the bottom of the "vase" ....then I put a layer of whipped cream and fruit (mandarine oranges, pineapple, blueberries and strawberries). Then I put the top layer on top of that and lathered with the final layer of whipped cream, and decorated the top with fruit.

I served with a dollop of whipped cream and another sprinkling of cut up fruit because when you scoop it out of the glass vase/bowl, it's not a nice neat slice, but you do see the nice layers. It just adds a little more beauty to dollop cream and more fruit on it.

Deliciosa! It was the perfect end to our Mexican Themed Dinner Party!

Yummmmmmmmexico!

Lazy Woman Loves a Lazy Ox aka Oh My God Genius Restaurant in LA

Aaron and I had each read about this restaurant a few times before we got to it. He went before I did (oh boy was I jealous!) but I finally got to go with him tonight and I have to say it was one of my favorite meals ever. I forgot to take pictures, which is a crying shame because the food was so gorgeous...from the dark purple tones of the Sangria with floating chunks of bright green apple ... to the salad with yellow beets, mandarine oranges marconi almonds, and just the tiniest bit of feta on a bright and crispy bed of greens ...to the green barley with peas and feta and pickled purple onions ...to the fresh popping muscles in a spicy bright red broth...to the best rice pudding you will ever find on this planet -- seriously, no kidding --- it comes in a small bowl and next to it is a bowl of a maple-ey caramel-y warm syrup which is next to a bowl of freshly whipped and barely sweetened whip cream.

Oh and when you sit down and order your drinks out comes a tiny bowl (plenty though) of enormously huge corn kernels toasted in lime and chili.

So, if you are in LA and you need a Lazy Night Off from Cooking at a Really Lazy Ass Great Price, head over to the Lazy Ox Canteen!

Lazy Woman Lemonade Love

I am on Day 5 of this Master Cleanse and just got back from the most delicious workout and then massage. Yes, believe it or not, you WANT to work out on this fast, and your body loves it. It was delicious. Although I will say I didn't push myself tonight because my body didn't want to be pushed. And, then I gave it a huge treat -- a 90 minute massage!

My body is not nearly as tense as it normally is when I'm on a fast for some reason. But, it feels really good to have the energy moved around, and to simply give it some love.

There's a way to do this fast and definitely treating your body to baths and massage. Also, fill the house with fresh flowers and beauty, so your home becomes like your retreat/spa center.

Beauty is important to me. Seeing beautiful things relaxes me. So, I put all the ingredients for my fast on one big tray. You only see one lemon in this pic because in the morning I'll be going out to pick more lemons ...but all else is there....including my beautiful Italian Fish plate that my friend, Salle gave me for my birthday! I love it so much and intend on using it every single day that I can, and if I can't fill it with food I will fill it with the makins' of a drink!

Lazy Easter Flower Arrangements -- Trader Joe's Kinda Lazy!!!!

Here are a couple fun and oh so amazingly inexpensive Easter arrangements. If I weren't fasting I would have made one with purple grapes...but I used kumquats because I wasn't tempted to EAT the arrangements! LOL!

One package of kumquats filled two small vases for $2.59. You can use baby apples, key limes, grapes, baby mandarines, etc.

The daffodils are obviously on sale at Trader Joe's these days so this first arrangement cost less than $4!

The next arrangement is mostly tulips which were on sale today for $3.49, lillies whose tones in real life looked great with the kumquats, and some dark irises to just make it pop and fill out the Easter egg color scheme.

You can get as creative as you want this time of year -- Trader Joe's is full of flowers and fruits and veggies that are spectacularly beautiful and very easy to mix and match. Have some Easter fun!

Trader Joe's Tuesday - Spring Cleaning

You'll understand why I am a wee bit late on this Trader Joe's Tuesday entry. I wasn't quite focused on FOOD yesterday, and I'm still not today because I am doing a fast of sorts...the Master Cleanse!

The super cool thing about this cleanse is that all the ingredients you need -- and you want to have high quality ingredients since there are only a few --- can be found at Trader Joe's:

• Lemons
• Trader Joe's Maple Syrup - Grade B (not Grade A, which is more diffuse)
• Cayenne Pepper
• Trader Joe's Pink Himalayan Salt Grinder (so you can fresh grind the salt and the taste is much milder)
• Herb Tea

I've done the Master Cleanse 10 or 15 times in my life and I always feel extraordinary by the end of the fast. But, this fast, I started feeling literally FANTASTIC after just a day and a half. The last time I did it, though, was the worst: even so far as throwing up. The more toxic your system is the more intense the nausea, headaches, aches and pains are. I was worried about how this time might go because over the past few months I've had to be on one round of one antibiotic and two rounds of another. I wanted to get my system cleaned out after this AND I wanted to break a cycle of hunger. The last couple of months, I've had what I think are hormonally-related hunger attacks, where I seemed to get hungry very soon after eating a perfectly good meal.

So, oddly, even though I'm on a fast, I have broken those raging hunger attacks. I get hungry, of course, and when I get hungry I drink the drink, but then I'm satisfied.

The ONLY hard part of this fast is SMELLING FOOD. And, when you drive a convertible, boy oh boy, the smells are everywhere!!! Oy! But, none of that outways the benefit of feeling as fantastic as I do. I literally have high energy from the minute I wake up to the minute I go to bed, and I am so effective ALL DAY LONG!

It's driving Aaron crazy too because a lot of what we do is around meals and mealtimes...so it's a wee bit disconcerting for him to have me on this, and I have to make him eat his crunchy snacks and chewy chocolate treats in the kitchen!

There are a million websites out that can tell you how to do the Master Cleanse, but I think I've posted the official one with this post. I recommend you buy the book by Stanley Burroughs so you really get the why, how, what, and where because you really want to do it right and really understand it so that you truly get all the benefits you are working toward.

I recommend it, because it's always been a positive (only one time slightly negative, but even then it ended positively) experience for me, and gives my body a fresh start, breaking my addictions to white sugar and flour -- for a time, sometimes a very long time. But, you need to read the book to see if you really want to do it.

Happy Spring Cleaning --- in whatever "space" you find yourself cleaning the cobwebs!

Trader Joe's Tuesday - It's Spring!

Aaron took me to Los Olivos to celebrate my birthday this weekend and it was beyond fabulous. One of the highlights -- or should I say THREE of the highlights -- of the trip were three of the most divine meals I've ever had. Petros is a divine Greek-inspired restaurant located in Fess Parker's Inn. Breakfast at Petros is included with your meals, but we stopped in for drinks and appetizers a couple hours before we had reservations at another restaurant in Los Olivos and were so incredibly impressed that when we went to dinner and saw the menu that was far from inspired, we high-tailed it back to Petros for dinner.

What does this have to do with Trader Joe's? Well, we now have a very powerful addiction to feta cheese, and all things Greek cuisine related. So, I went to Trader Joe's searching for the ingredients to recreate the most delicious Greek salad I've ever had. And, I did it!

I made a large salad so we had leftovers the second day which were even more steeped in their flavors the second day.

3 cucumbers (peeled)
1 carton of baby tomatoes
2 avocados
1 package of Feta Cheese
Lemon and Olive Oil
Dried Oregano, Salt and Pepper

Chop two of the cucumbers up into baby cubes, take one cucumber and cut it into spears, halve the baby tomatoes, cut the avocados in baby cubes, crumble the feta cheese, and toss with olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper. Toss it all together and create a little tower of salad, which is bound by the cheese. Accent the tower with a few cucumber spears, laying them playfully at the base or resting them against the little tower.

More Greek-inspired, Petros-inspired recipes to come!

Trader Joe's Tuesday - Flu's Day

In bed with the flu that's gone into my chest, so today I am grateful to Dr. Joe for the following items:

1. Grapefruit Juice -- I love their grapefruit juice (refrigerator section) and years ago I literally cured myself of pneumonia with grapefruit juice, so I'm downing it and it's also keeping me from overeating since I'm not working out! But, my body is loving it. You can tell when your body is happy about something you're giving it, can't you?
2. Emergen-C Acai Berry -- I love this new favor and I'm really loving anything Acai, frankly. This flavor isn't too sweet or too tart...Goldilocks would say "it's just right."
3. Ezekiel Bread Toasted with Almond Butter and Fruit Only Preserves -- Just one piece of toast with one tablespoon of almond butter and a tiny bit of strawberry preserves and I'm a happy, happy camper. It's the perfect amount of food and the perfect amount of comfort foodishness --- crunch and cream, what more could a girl ask?

I love you Doctor Joe. I love you so.

Trader Joe's Tuesday Slips Lazily Into Wednesday

I am late with this Trader Joe's Tuesday tip because I was traveling yesterday. When I'm on planes I don't normally speak to the people next to me, but I had the great pleasure of sitting next to a magical 90 year old woman from Oklahoma. Jean was on her way to Los Angeles to visit her 90+ year old cousin and his lovely wife, who I had the pleasure of meeting for a brief moment at LAX. Her cousin invited her to come out for a lovely trip out to the desert to view the Spring flora and fauna that are now gracing the dry landscape.

We didn't speak the entire time, but food was a good part of our conversation because when we started to take off we both mentioned how ravenously hungry we were. So I gave her an energy bar I knew I wasn't going to eat, and later we both bought snacks. I bought a turkey and cheese sandwich, and she watched as I dismantled it, halving its size, when I removed the turkey. I told her I was a vegetarian who eats fish too. Later she said "Well I don't eat as many vegetables as my doctor would like..." So, I threw out some ideas for her, and had some more up my sleeve but didn't want to overwhelm her.

For people who hate veggies, gather up these goodies at Trader Joe's:

Cucumbers -- They usually have at least two varieties at TJ's. Slice up a few cucumbers, drizzle with their Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper and Red Chili Flakes -- yes, RED CHILI PEPPER FLAKES -- kicks it up a notch and gives the cooling dish a wee bit o' heat.

Corn -- Grill it to give it an extra caramelly taste -- yes, even if it's not grilling weather -- but if it really is too darned cold, steam it. Then rub with butter and sprinkle with salt, pepper and CUMIN...yes, CUMIN! It's unbelievable.

Avocado -- Mash one up, squeeze in a lime (or lemon), add salt and pepper. Spread on your favorite toast.

Asparagus -- Preheat the oven to 450. Trim and rinse a bunch or two of asparagus. Grate the rind of a lemon. Throw it on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and the lemon juice of the lemon. Add the lemon zest, salt, pepper and toss. Bake for about 7 minutes, toss it around so it evenly cooks, then cook for another 5 to 7 minutes (depending on how thin the asparagus). It's good if they get a few burnt edges...yummy!

Green Beans -- Steam them up (TJs also has the packets you just clip and put in the microwave), toss with toasted almonds, lemon juice, olive oil, maybe a tablespoon of butter just for a little added flavor, salt and pepper and some grated parmesan cheese.

Buon appetito!

Trader Joe's Tuesday - Losing Weight With the Help of Our Hero TJ

I knew I'd been gaining weight but I didn't really want to look at it until this weekend, when I finally weighed myself after about a year of burying my head in the sand. So, now I know what is so, and that I'm going to lose 15 pounds.


The first thing I realized is that one key to me losing and maintaining my weight is drinking tons of water. I seem to need more than most people. The ideal amount of water for me each day is more than most people need: two liters. So, the first thing I did was buy the big one liter bottles of water that have electrolytes. I love the size, and it's really delicious water!!!!



The second thing I started doing was what always works for me which is eating small meals. These are some of my favorite Trader Joe's 200-calorie - or under -- yummy snacks that all have a little crunch and/or comfort food element to them:

• Non Fat Vanilla Yogurt with one tablespoon of Unsalted Dry Toasted Slivered Almonds = 175 calories
• Large Apple sliced and dipped in one tablespoon of Almond Butter = roughly 200 calories
• One half of a Pita bread toasted with one ounce of cheese added inside = roughly 150 calories
• One slice of Ezekiel Rye toast with two tablespoons of one of the wonderful Goat Cheeses spread on it -- I like the herbed and peppery versions = roughly 160 calories
• One ounce of Whole Dry Roasted Almonds -- about 22 whole almonds = roughly 170 calories

Buon Appetito without the worry-o!

Trader Joe's Tuesday -- A Day Early!

Our magical recent B&B experience yielded one long-lasting beautiful thing: a new recipe! The main course for everyone but me (the pescatarian) was Boeuf Bourguignon. And, when we arrived at the Inn, the Innkeeper/Gourmet Cook was sauteeing the mushrooms and oh my god the aromas only got better and better as the hours passed. And, boy was I jealous.

So the first thing I did when I got home was look for a vegetarian version. I googled Mushrooms Bourguignon and found the best recipe! I've now made it TWICE in two weeks!

And, now that Trader Joe's has Tomato Paste (which they didn't have until recently) you can get ALL the ingredients -- except one, pearl onions -- at TJs.

The recipe (check out the link) is seriously delicious and the pictures are absolutely accurate! I did a combo of Portobello and regular white button mushrooms. And, the red wine I used was the same red wine I served it with -- it is the best full-bodied wine (which the recipe specifically calls for) that is unbelievably cheap which is why I bought it specifically for cooking. Then I tasted it before I added it to the recipe, and yippppeeee, a new, delicious upgrade from Two Buck Chuck has been born: CHARIOT Gypsy at $4.99!

In honor of Julia Child who --- if she had been a vegetarian -- would have loved this recipe!

Lazy Big Bear Getaway

If you are ever looking for the best most romantic most relaxing most refreshing most rejuvenating getaway within 2 hours of LA, I've got the ticket for you: The Inn at Fawnskinn!

Aaron needed a snowy getaway so we did a google search of something to the tune of "romantic Valentine package snow" and we found this divine B&B. The pictures on the site do not do it justice. You walk into a warm, log cabin with aromas whirling around you. You stomp the shoes off your boots, step inside and are instantly warm and cozy (but not the cozy that usually means "tiny" in ads) like it's instantly your own warm home, as if someone just wrapped you up in a soft blanket. Fresh ginger snap cookies, hot beverages or wine instantly warm the palate and tummy, and then you get to see your room.

We booked the room with the big fireplace and it was fabulous, but another room has an enormous bathtub, and each of the others also have their own cute details.

We were surprised by how much more amazing it was than the website lead us to believe, but more important, we were shocked by how wonderful the guests are. The Innkeepers are Nancy and Bill. Nancy is a gourmet cook who served a five course Valentine's feast on Saturday night, the night before Thanksgiving. We all sat around the big long table and laughed so hard and so constantly that it was hard for us to tear ourselves away from the table.

And, even though were were all couples on romantic retreats, we all chose to have dinner together again the following night at a restaurant! How unbelievable is that? This place just draws the most wonderful people.

Usually when I go away for a three day weekend I am wishing for more time and don't ever feel relaxed by Monday night but I felt truly rejuvenated by the weekend when we returned. It was the most nurturing environment on every level. And, Nancy and Bill ordered the snow to stop a couple of days prior to our arrival, so the roads were clear but it was the perfect amount of snow and the perfect amount of cold to make super cool snowmen.

So, if you ever need a Lazy Womantic Getaway, check out the Inn at Fawnskin. No, I don't get anything for writing this, I just want to share this gem that is just across the lake from the busy Big Bear village where most of the B&Bs are, and not too much further than Arrowhead. This is definitely the best place to stay in the region, I promise, and I wish someone had mentioned it to me because we actually looked at tons of listings in Big Bear and Arrowhead before we found this jewel.

Lazily Yours,
Post Valentine Lovingly Yours,
b.

Trader Joe's Tuesday -- Comfort Dessert for Less

When I crave comfort food desserts, I crave ice cream or frozen yogurt. I don't allow myself ice cream more than a few times a year, and when I get frozen yogurt I tend to eat too much. So, how does Trader Joe's help me solve my quest for Cold Comfort Dessert ...for less calories?

Three simple ingredients:

Vanilla Non-Fat Yogurt
Toasted Slivered Almonds
Banana

I always have a Ziploc bag bull of bananas cut in thirds or halves because I like to start my day with a fruit smoothie. But, the very cool thing about frozen bananas is that they slice up nice and thin if you have a good sharp knife. So, I slice up the bananas and mix it in with the non-fat vanilla frozen yogurt and then sprinkle on some toasted almonds. The textures are all so great together -- creamy, icy, crunchy -- all my favorite elements to a cold comfort dessert.

Also, one personal taste bud issue for me is that I prefer bananas that have just barely turned yellow, so they are just ever so slightly tart, and definitely prevent this dessert (and smoothies for that matter) from being too overly sweet.

So....enjoy and don't feel guilty!

Trader Joe's Tuesday

It's cozy rainy weather in Los Angeles these days so I was in the mood to make chili. Since I'm vegetarian, I made a scrumptious sans-meat chili. Surprisingly, it was so good that I actually took it to the Super Bowl party we went to because I thought even meat-eaters would like it and they did!

And, all the ingredients can be found at Trader Joe's!


Sautee the following in just a little olive oil:

• Soy Chorizo
• Mirepoix Mix (chopped celery, onions and carrots)
• White Mushrooms (pre-sliced)

Add to this mix some garlic salt, red pepper flakes, one bay leaf, etc. -- in other words, your favorite spices!

Once it's all browned and mixed in add:

• 2 15 oz cans of pinto beans (drained of most of the liquid)
• 1 15 oz can of black beans (drained of most of the liquid)
• 2 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes
• 1 can chopped jalapeno peppers

Let it simmer as long as you can...all the juicy wonderfulness steeps the flavor in!

Set up several condiment bowls around the big pot of chili when serving. Fill with the following from the refrigerator section and veggie section:

• sour cream
• shredded cheddar cheese
• salsa (my favorite is the roasted chili salsa, but they have several yummy varieties!)
• chopped cilantro
• chopped chives

I also do a mixture of chopped green onions and flat parsley because I like these flavors sprinkled over my chili, and prefer chives to raw onion..and I love the crunch of fresh flat parsley.

Seriously, the meat eaters didn't miss the meat. It was very flavorful, but you can definitely put meat sausage in instead. This vegetarian version of the chili has so very little fat. I only put enough olive oil in the pan to have everything sautee easily. And, that was it for fat!

Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!

Lazy Valentine's Day Present

I just had the most fun! Luckily Aaron doesn't read this blog because I just made his Valentine's Day present for him and I can tell you how fun and easy it was!

I went to Vista Print to order the Love Scarf Project cards that will be attached to each of the scarves we hand out just before Valentine's Day at the City of Hope. Just that alone was so fun and so easy to make on their site. It's really a Lazy Woman design tool and deliveries come super fast in my experience.

When I was done, I noticed there is a "Specials" page that I had never checked out so I went there and found there was a sale on making hard cover books. I had made a beautiful hard cover book for my dad last Christmas of pictures from our previous Christmas. He absolutely adored it. I did that book on another site (for the life of me I can't remember which one!) and it was super easy.

So, I just made one for Aaron on the Vista Print site from photos of all of our travels since we met...so many romantic trips. It is the easiest personalized gift on the planet!

Tips if you do it:

1. They give you backgrounds to use, but you can actually use your own other photographs in the background...so you can use a photo in the foreground and a different one in the background.
2. You can put text anywhere on the page, just click on the TEXT tab and drag the TEXT icon anywhere you want it to go.
3. Bottom line -- you can move and adjust just about everything. So, whenever you feel stuck, know that there is a way to adjust and personalize it even more.
4. I'm not big on little icons -- virtual stickers -- but they have tons of them. Great selection if you are into them!

Love love love,
b.

Trader Joe's Tuesday -- Lazy Pancakes

Isn't it pretty amazing that we get BLUEBERRIES in January? For the love of god! And, they are GOOD to boot! Trader Joe's really almost always has them. And, they also always have frozen ones, of course, too.

I had TJ blueberries left over from Saturday's dinner, and I had never made Aaron his favorite Blueberry Pancakes, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity. I've attached the recipe I used, but what I'll be trying next is a recipe with ricotta or sour cream, I think, but these were DIVINE. Seriously, they were amazing. Trader Joe's has all the ingredients except Baking Soda, which I'll just hope you already have in your cupboard.

And, I'm sure you are saying that making blueberry pancakes from scratch is silly. Well, if you have flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in your pantry -- the ingredients that are generally in the mixes, it takes an extra 3 minutes to throw it all in a bowl. Sometimes mixes are great, but recipes afford a little more deliciousness factor.

To pump up the deliciousness factor on the recipe I've attached, are some Lazy Deliciousness Tips for pancakes:

1. Egg Whites -- Always always always -- even if the recipe -- like this one -- doesn't call for it --- SEPARATE THE EGGS and beat the whites to stiff peaks.
2. Fold -- Gently fold the egg whites in with the other ingredients, and you really JUST FOLD until the ingredients have just barely all mixed together. The kiss of fluffy death is over folding or mixing in any way. The batter will actually look LUMPY! Never fear, though, as that is the egg whites causing an optical illusion...it's all mixed. If it almost looks alive, like it's going to gurgle back at you, you have succeeded!!!!
3. Lemon or Orange Zest -- If recipe doesn't call for it -- like this one --- I always always add the zest of one lemon or 1/2 large orange. It kicks it up a notch.
4. Blueberries -- If you are putting them in, do NOT mix into the batter. Grab several and plop them onto the pancake once it's on the grill. This way, your batter stays nice and golden and the blueberries really pop and when you bite into them they pop in your mouth!
5. Flipping -- Never ever ever flip more than once -- the texture, inside and out will be ruined. Leave on each side about 2 minutes. You'll see the batter start to bubble on the first side right about 2 minutes, flip and then wait another 2. The 2 minutes is if you don't have the pan too hot or cold of course...so if you aren't sure, just do the first pancake all alone to test out the process.

and for the BEST PANCAKE SYRUP EVER!!!! It's not too sweet so it doesn't overpower the pancakes. It's just right.....This is enough syrup for about 4 people:

1. Pour about 1/2 cup of maple syrup in a small saucepan.
2. Add about 2 tablespoons of butter.
3. Add about 1/2 of a lemon's fresh juice.
4. Dump in a bunch of frozen blueberries and/or strawberries -- maybe almost a cup.
5. If you have it...great a tiny bit of fresh nutmeg for a little extra flair!
6. Let it simmer while you cook your pancakes.
7. I put the pancakes on the plate and then drizzle the hot syrup/berry mixture around the pancakes so they are almost floating in a lovely purple sea. Grab a few of the hot berries and place on top of the pancakes for accents. People can move the pancake into the syrup as they like.
8. Feel free to adjust the recipe -- if you like more butter or more syrup, go for it!

Thank you Trader Joe's for providing all of these fine ingredients for a delicious, heart-warming breakfast!

Lazy Cooking Weekend

I had a glorious weekend in part because I did a ton of cooking -- the LAZY WAY!

First, there was Spanish Night for my cousins on Saturday night. They were coming over at 5 p.m. and at 2 p.m. we were just finishing the marketing (which actually was super easy and fun) so we had three hours to do all the cooking, setting table, etc. and we did it with time to spare!

VIVA ESPAGNA MENU

Spanish Olives and Cheeses and crackers

White Sangria

Shrimp (recipe attached...we just added scallops to shrimp recipe)

Salad with Pepitas and Manchego

Tres Leches Cake (recipe attached)

Bread baked with olive oil (or Green Cilantro Spread)

Spanish Dessert Wine

Spicy Mexican (I know it's not Spanish, but give me a little Lazy leeway!) Hot Chocolate (recipe attached)

This is such an amazingly impressive dinner party with really so little effort. And, two of the major ingredients can -- and frankly should be made ahead -- Sangria and Tres Leches Cake. I did not make them ahead cause we decided on the menu at 11:30 on Friday night! If you don't make them ahead it's perfectly fine, the flavors just steep a little more...but NOT necessary, just cool that you CAN do ahead and decrease the load on party day.

We looked at a bunch of Paella recipes but because I'm vegetarian we needed to find the ones without chorizo or sausage as flavor-base. The one we found is great. We added scallops because Aaron loves scallops. It looks super beautiful with fresh flat parsley sprinkled across it and lemon wedges all around!

We looked at a bunch of Tres Leches Cake recipes also and I found one that is so easy you would never guess it was Martha Stewarts. My variation: I cut the 9x13 cake in half and put whipped cream in between and a melange of fresh fruit -- pineapple, mango, blueberries, strawberries (the juicier the fruit the better so I'll add orange next time too) --- and put whipped cream all over it and brought it to the table looking like a very normal almost-square cake...and then SURPRISE, it's soaking wet with tres leches, fruits and cream. It was unbelievably delicious -- if I do say so myself!

Spanish cheeses and olives are easy to find at Whole Foods -- muy delicioso!

After dessert, we served a Spanish dessert wine...and then, when people were good and full, we went and sat by the fire with our rich and spicy Hot Chocolate. The recipe says you can add sugar to taste. but I added none. It was DIVINO! But, I forgot I wanted to throw in a cinnamon stick when heating it up. Will do next time for SUPER-DIVINO!

I made White Sangria because Aaron prefers it. A little odd for winter, I know, but people didn't seem to mind. You can find tons of recipes on line but I just three together white wine, Hansen's mango soda, a little mango juice, and several swooshes of Brandy, then tons of fresh chopped fruit (the same varieties I used in the Tres Leches) PLUS pomegranate, green grapes, orange. It was stunning to look at, and it tasted so great. Not too sweet. You don't need to add sugar because the soda and juice have plenty.

For the Salad, I just did my usual lemon and olive oil. I used a mixture of red and butter lettuces and then sprinkled with Pepitas and some shavings of Manchego cheese.

For the Bread, I found this unbelievable Cuban (yes, I know Cuba is not Spain, but again, I'm Lazy!) Green Sauce at the new and amazing Figueroa Produce here in LA -- for those of you who live here, this is a MUST SHOP. FYI, this is where I got the most unbelievable lettuces for this dinner as well, and the shrimp -- for about 1/3 the price of normal markets -- fresh, lovely and CHEAP! For those of you elsewhere, for this dinner just take a sourdough baguette, slice, and brush between the slices with olive oil or butter. You don't need to add any garlic for this dinner but you certainly can add a little finely chopped garlic in between slices too.

The LAZIEST part of the meal was the Paella because Aaron did it! LOL! I helped prep though which is most of the work. The deal with Paella is you just prep every ingredient and put in separate little bowls. Nothing will go bad while it sits. Then you start the process when your guests arrive. During hors d'oeuvres he had to excuse himself just twice, and then voila it's out of the oven and steeps for the last ten minutes til you sit down for dinner! So impressive and really -- other than the chopping -- a very, very easy dish to make.

Seriously, this is one of the easiest, most impressive meals I've ever made! Hope someone does it! You must report back if you do!

Trader Joe's Tuesday: Delightful Color

It's been cold lately and raining hard for the last few days and walking into Trader Joe's you'd never know it because you can create Spring-like dinners with delightful fresh flavors and gorgeous colors.

Last night. the dinner took about 20 minutes total to make and boy oh boy was the plate impressive:

1. Salmon with Couscous Filling -- In the Fresh Fish section. Just stick it in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350 and then under broiler for another couple to several minutes. Squeeze a lemon wedge over it to bring out taste of both fish and couscous.
2. Mixed Color New Potatoes (purple, white, red) -- Cut in quarters and steam them for about 10 minutes. Toss in 1 or 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle some olive oil. Then toss with juice of 1/2 lemon and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Arugula Salad -- Toss arugula, some shredded parmesan and toasted almonds with some lemon and olive oil.
4. Asparagus -- Bend the asparagus until the ends break off naturally. Sautee in a little olive oil. Salt and pepper and squeeze fresh lemon juice to taste.

It's a Spring Culinary Celebration. A Trader Joe's delight. Bon appetit!

Lazy Love Scarf

There is so much love out there, so much love. I have had a truly miraculous week with The Love Scarf Project. I started this project several years ago after my friend Robbie died at the City of Hope from graft rejection disease after his bone marrow transplant he got while fighting, battling, having a knock down drag out fight with leukemia. Robbie had friends with him 24/7, but most patients -- including children -- did not have someone with them round the clock. Some people were so far from home, they had no visitors. No visitors. Can you imagine fighting for your life without your loved ones?
So I started the Love Scarf Project and beautiful people around the country knit scarves that we deliver to patients so they feel loved round the clock. But, really all I did was start it, and other beautiful women -- some that I know, some that I will likely never meet -- started inspiring each other to spread the love, spread the desire to knit for these sweet souls who are fighting for their lives.
My father's death in October has thrown my life a little out of whack. I've had to let go of the expectations of how my life should look in a lot of areas of my life. It has been hard to let go of the expectation about where I should be -- especially once the New Year hit and I realized I was only six weeks from delivery. I started freaking out. It's been a real exercise to let go of the expectations because it effects not just me, it's for others. I have gotten tense, then let go, then tension, then letting go, over and over.
Then the miracles started: day after day for the last 7 days I've received news that people I know and don't know are knitting up a storm! Not only are they knitting, but they are so excited to knit for these patients, and it's really giving them something. It's the gifts giving gifts and love giving love.
I am so blessed. And, still, I need to keep letting go of the expectations. Lazy Women get to give more if they keep letting go, keep doing the work while letting go, and letting the miracles happen!

Haiti - Dealing the Lazy Way

I honestly don't know how the Haitians are processing all the loss. I have a friend who is going through losing her job, getting a divorce, and moving all at once and I was just consoling her for having so very many stressors. And, frankly, I was feeling sorry for myself just before the quake -- and embarassingly after the quake too -- for the stressors I have going on with my father's estate and passing. Then I caught myself and felt incredibly ashamed.

I just don't understand how they are putting one food in front of the other. To quell my own sense of helplessness and hopelessness I gave money to the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders. Synchronistically Kiva.org --- a wonderful organization that gives people like you and me an opportunity to give loans to entrepreneurs in impoverished areas around the world --- sent me an email today telling me my last loan was paid so I could lend again. Of course, there were no Haitian entrepreneurs, but there was a group of women in the Dominican Republic, so I gave to them and somehow felt I was reaching out and touching at least Haiti's neighbor for one millisecond.

So, I'm going to keep giving when I can, and Aaron and I are talking about going to Haiti in several months to help rebuilding efforts. We'll see...somehow it makes me feel better to think about it, and to imagine being a part of helping with my own hands.

And, praying, praying I think is a very Lazy Woman tool in these circumstances...I am reminding myself as I write to spend more time praying....

Pray, love, pray, love, pray, love to Haiti.

It's Trader Joe's Tuesday -- Lemony Cheesy Deliciousness

OK guys. We found one of the best buys ever at Trader Joe's. In the cheese section you will find a three-pack of goat cheese: plain, pepper and herb. It's just $4.45!!!! Amazing deal!!! And, oh my god is it great with the fairly new Pita Crackers they have now at TJs. The Pita Crackers are the perfectly thick and very crunchy accompaniment to the big-flavored cheeses.

But, tonight, I did something fun with the Pepper Goat Cheese in the three-pack. For two people:

1/2 pack or box of any pasta -- we used shells, but ziti would work too
1/2 to 3/4 of the package of pepper goat cheese (but any of the three goat cheeses would be great!)
zest of 1/2 lemon
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Can of sliced black olives (or chop up 1/2 can of whole black olives)
One package of fresh flat parsley
Salt and Pepper
Optional: Chili Flakes

While the water boils and pasta cooks, chop up the parsley and mix in with the olives and set aside. Put goat cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, butter and olive oil in a bowl. Throw the hot pasta in the bowl once it's done and mix until butter melted and everything blends well. Lastly, throw in the parsley and olives, and then salt and pepper to taste. I threw in chili flakes too but if you don't like spicy, it's not necessary.

YUMMY LEMONY CHEESY DELICIOUSNESS FOR ALL!

What's a Lazy Resolution?

Will the re-solution you just made re-solve that thing that's been bugging you? Have you solved it before? Have you had the solution before, used it, and made a difference to achieve the goal: more money, less debt, more skinny, less fat, more fun, less work?



Re-solutions can definitely be lazy if they are going to bring you less stress and more joy. So, the deal with resolutions is to bring them into your life with as much grace and ease as possible. Can the re-solution be the forever solution? Can you bring it into your life like a new puppy? It's here to stay, never to be "re" again, to be the solution for now and always.



Before I picked up my dog Lucy, I read books, websites, bought all the equipment, the puppy pads, the crate for "training" (that never happened but I had the crate and the know-how), the special food, tiny bowls, etc. And, I made sure my travel schedule was appropriate for a new arrival, etc. I talked to friends who I knew had experience with puppies, loved puppies, supported my decision to get a puppy so I had a bit of an emotional support system for the transition. I crafted my life so it supported the new addition, because it was important to me. When it's important, you do what is necessary to solve it for this year, next year, and forever.

By the way if you didn't make your resolution on New Year's Day, don't get your panties in a bunch, it's perfectly Lazy Wonderful to set up your Lazy SOLUTION today.



So, here's to Lazy New Year's SOLUTIONS....bringing you less stress and a lot more joy!

Lazy Re-Entry

One of the smartest things I've done in the history of my life here on Earth was setting up a three day sojourn in Palm Springs for my boyfriend and I when we came back from Paris. We were able to come home, unpack and pack a few things and drive out to beautiful Palm Springs to simply decompress before really re-entering our lives.

The trip was a wee bit trying for the Lazy Woman because the luggage was lost until just about 14 hours before our return flight. My carry on was well stocked so it wasn't too stressful for me, but having a 16 year old girl losing her luggage is another story. So, it made for some trying moments. And, then just after the luggage was returned to us....literally 12 hours before we left for the airport I got a doozy of a food poisoning! There's nothing like flying while nauseous, eh?

So booking in some laziness was the best Christmas gift I could have given myself. And, I'd recommend this resort to anyone. The Mira Monte in Indian Wells is a lovely place to stay and they let you bring your dogs too! The food -- literally every meal -- from room service to New Year's Eve was really great and unbelievably well-priced. We felt like we never had to leave and everywhere you looked was beauty. It was peaceful and rejuvenating for body and soul and in this economy it was a really great deal.

Sometimes spending extra money is NOT lazy because it causes stress, but sometimes the payoff is far more than the expense. In this case, re-entering into life after 2 1/2 weeks off was a lot easier, happier and stress-free because I spent a little extra.

If you can't book time away, though, book time in your bathtub or a lovely lunch out, or a mini massage, or whatever rekindles your soul for the budget you have. The Laziest thing to do is take care of YOU so you can take care of others and all your commitments.

Happy New Year!

Paresseuse -- Lazy in Paris!

Moi, je suis PARESSEUSE...that means "I'm lazy" in French. Isn't that a fantastic word? Well, you caught me just having a very UN-lazy moment because I used to speak French fluently and I was beating myself up for having forgotten this most exquisite word...how could a Lazy Woman let that one morsel of her very limited French vocabulary fall like a most delicious crumb of a perfect croissant!

I'm leaving for Paris in two days. Why is it that there is always such an extraordinary amount of crap and non-crap to do before departing. Well, in my case, a lot of it is prep for the housesitters who are coming to stay with Lucy and Tallulah while I go off galavanting. 12 days was just too darned long for the furry little ones to sleep alone at night, so I'm cleaning, scrubbing, neatening and trying to think of every little quirk about my house that needs an explanation. I know that sounds frighteningly UN-lazy but in fact if I feel like I've left as much as I can in the best shape possible for the housesitters, then when I get on the airplane and breathe that sigh of relief, it'll be a real sigh of relief, not the kind that catches at the very end and gets stuck in an anxiety snag.

I am committed to working like a dog, thinking of everything I can, packing as thoughtfully as possible, and then getting on the airplane and truly beginning the adventure of a lifetime with grace and ease. This will be my first time in Paris with my love, Aaron.... what a lovely thing.

And, for three days I get to go off to Morocco to visit my fairygoddaughters who are the most magical delectable creatures on the planet. My time with them will be love-filled, heart-warming and soul-nurturing, and then off to the City of Love and Lights.

Just writing about the relaxation, the adventure and thinking of all the joy is taking the stress out of my shoulders. Isn't it amazing how our thoughts directly result in a stress or release reaction. That's my clue to getting through these last two days before take-off: remember the love, remember the goal....and stay in the moment right now having fun getting things done in honor of the love and fun!

Happy Holidays to Everyone! Joyeux Noel to all!

Trader Joe's Tuesday - Christmas Surprises

Trader Joe's just improves every year on the Christmas front. They have so many super cool baskets, potted and cut flowers, cookies and cakes. You can give the Master Trader just 5 quick minutes on your way to a party or to visit a friend and he will absolutely provide you a perfect hostess gift.

In these hard times, a lot of us have people in our lives who are out of work, or whose funds have at least been decreased, so a Trader Joe's gift card can be very appreciated. You can make it a yummy gift by tying it onto a box of cookies or a cake, or a cute stack of chocolates or a festive box of hot chocolate mix. So, not only do they have an immediate mood enhancer to imbibe, they have your gift to warm their hearts and pocketbooks! (oh my god that word is so old fashioned!!! the pocketbook is in the slacks hanging on the ice box!)

I have a cold right now as do a lot of people in my life, and TJ's has a lot of great things for a little "Get Well at Christmas Time" basket... Ricola Cough Drops, Emergen-C, Zinc, Airborne, Anti-Bacterial gel, Hot Tea, Juice (I would give cider for them to warm up for a nice hot nurturing drink), Flowers and of course, CHOCOLATE heals all colds, right?.... I think people feel even worse about being sick during the holidays because as annoying as all the social requirements can be, people really do usually want some human contact during the holidays! So leaving a little "Sorry your sick during the holidays basket" with maybe a little Poinsettia thrown in for cheer, could make someone's season.

And, here's to everyone's good health and frolicking during this season!

Lazy Skin Care

I was walking down the skin care aisle of Target with Aaron the other day, helping him look for his favorite Neutrogena lotion when I happened to see this at eye level right in front of me:

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Rejuvenator, The Anti Aging Power Treatment


I remembered it was something that Oprah had mentioned as one of her favorite things a couple years ago. It was on sale and I thought "oooh that sounds like it would feel goooooooood...." So I bought it and as soon as I could grab some time to indulge I did.

It really is unbelievable, and definitely one of my new favorite things. It promises to do a bunch of lovely stuff, but let me just tell you that having your face scrubbed and massaged with the click of a button is a wonderful thing during the stressful holiday season and EVERY DAY! It's relaxing, and the result is that your skin will be deliciously smooth and soft.

I have some sun damage on my face -- particularly on one side, from driving I suppose. I'll let you know how the miracle scrubbie works on the spots over time. But, no matter what the end result, each time I've used it -- I've used it three times now -- I feel like I've gone to a spa for a little while.

Yummy Lazy Life....

Trader Joe's Tuesday -- Replacement Addictions

A person-who-shall-remain-nameless (i.e., a friend who I don't think ever really was a friend because of what said ex-friend did...and frankly, I think you'll agree...just listen to this horrible tale of drug pushing) introduced me to a very, very bad addiction, which I cannot imagine is too far from a crack addiction. What is the addiction and what the heck does it have to do with Trader Joe's?

The addiction is what I call Spicy Hot Cheetos. Technically they are called "Crunchy Flamin' Hot Cheetos" and they are profoundly delicious and equally deeply addictive. I hear that they really are "laced" with something that makes them more addictive. Just thinking about them makes my mouth water. And, the very sad thing is that it's a really embarassing addiction -- especially for a vegetarian who puts such a high premium on healthy eating. It's just not hip. And, worst of all, everyone knows when you've had them because they stain your fingertips bright neon flamin' hot RED!

A few weeks ago I made a promise to not eat these blessed spicy morsels for the rest of the year. Yet again Trader Joe's saves the day, though! In the snack/chip section you will find "Baked Cheese Crunchies" -- such a cute, harmless name, eh? And, they are pretty low-cal and low-fat. And, there is a Jalapeno version too, though it's not quite as satisfying to me as my crack cheetos in the level of spiciness. But, the regular Baked Cheese Crunchies are quite crunchy, delicious and not laced with anything. So when you're finished, you don't desperately crave another bag and you aren't left with a half-crazed-full-moon-wolf smile on your face or stained fingertips!

And, may I tell you that if you are looking for a very cool crunchy cheesy addition to a salad to add some interesting texture, crumble several of these on top of your salad!

Trader Joe's has a knack for creating healthy alternatives to many of our favorite addictions! Yet another reason to be thankful this holiday season.

Lazy Christmas Tree?

As much as I was enamored with the glistening full white oh-so-shimmery-yet-not-too-plasticky-looking artificial (duh!) Christmas tree I couldn't do it. I couldn't go fake Christmas tree yet. Aaron did. And, frankly, it's quite lovely and I don't think anyone would even guess it was fake from more than 6 inches distance from it.

But, I am still enamored with the white tree. I feel like I did when I tried on my very first pair of black patent leather shoes when I was a toddler. Only this time I didn't leave the store with them.

I know it's better for the environment to do artificial, so I am slightly ashamed. And, I was completely blown away by Judie (co-author of "The Lazy Woman's Guide") telling me that her huuuuuuuge Christmas tree which I ALWAYS thought was real -- not to mention looked new and different every year -- has been the same fake one for several years. I had literally NO idea, and I had been sitting at its feet many times.

We put up my real tree yesterday and it was a hilariously huge hassle. Aaron acccidentally stepped on a string of lights, obliterating one big bulb. We cleaned it up and then Aaron went to pick up the string and proceeded to ELECTROCUTE himself...no I'm not kidding. He's an actor and I thought he was ACTING and then he showed me the palm of his hand which had a smokey burn on it the size of a quarter. Scary! So, the moral of the story is real trees are dangerous....and messy, of course...pine needles all over.

Fake trees are pre-lit...no stringing tangled lights. And they don't shed. So maybe I'll get over myself next year, and Aaron can have a healthful holiday season in 2010!

Trader Joe's Tuesday - More Thanksgiving

Do you have the regular guys and gals you are friendly with at Trader Joe's. I do, and I get attached to them, so when I've moved in the past I've been sad to lose them for their cheery faces, their recommendations and their familiar nods and hello's.

I sad down to write about working with turkey leftovers but I can't get my "Trader Joe's Husband," (I, of course, am his Lazy Wife) 21 year old Brian, out of my mind. I haven't seen him in quite a while. He had been set to ship out to the Navy in early October, but when I went in and saw him mid-October I was shocked to find out the reason. His mom who had just been married at my exact age only weeks prior was on her honeymoon when her most beloved new husband was killed. Brian had delayed his entry into the Navy so that he could support her in her very obvious time of need.

I just got back from getting a Christmas tree with Aaron, feeling so lucky that for the first time in several years I had a guy to help me bring the tree in. I always do it alone, plopping it in my convertible (some years to my body's utter horror because it was so darned cold) and schlepping it out, knocking down anything in its wake. I am just so grateful right now because Aaron loved Christmas as much as I do and this is the beginning of a lovely season. It was in the happiest times like these that Brian's mom lost her new love. Anything can happen. Any moment.

So, I'm going to rush back to my love but first a few tips for what to do with leftover turkey:

1. Scrumptious Turkey Cranberry Salad -- Lettuce of your choice, turkey chopped up in even sized bits, dried cranberries, grated parmesan cheese (the bag in the refrigerator section), lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
2. Turkey Pasta Alfredo -- Check out the frozen pasta section at TJ's....several would do but there is a great Mushroom Alfredo which is PERFECT for adding turkey. Cook it a little more than halfway and then add in the turkey so it's all evenly warmed.
3. Turkey Spinach Sandwich -- Trader Joe's has fantastically delicious breads... perfect little panini, mini-baguettes, etc. Instead of mayonaise, grab the Spinach Dip in the refrigerator section and slather it on the bread. Slice a tomato layer that on. If you like capers, throw a few in (yes TJ's has capers over near the mustard and olives) by dotting the spinach dip with them. If you NEED cheese throw on a slice or two, but with the richness of the dip, I don't think you'll need it.

In gratitude,

b.

Post Thanksgiving Lazy Report

My mother is an undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenic -- undiagnosed because she thinks nothing is wrong with thinking that three different people, including the government, are tapping her phone. Therefore, a normal relationship is tough. For a while I thought the best way, the healthiest for her and me, to have a relationship was to severely limit contact. I declared to friends and family, most of whom fully supported my decision, "I am not Mother Theresa....if I was I'd be a better daughter to her and be able to handle the crazy talk..."

But, I reviewed the Landmark Forum a few weeks ago -- six years after I took it the first time -- and I got the major lesson again that I got the first time -- that I want to seek opportunities to give love, rather than shy away from them. So, the first big deal post-Forum was Aaron, my boyfriend, got to meet her for the very first time. He had been begging to meet her for months. He was thrilled, she was thrilled, and all-in-all it went off in a rather carefree, lovely way. So much so in fact that we invited her to Thanksgiving.

What? With Aaron's 16 and 20 year old? I wanted to protect them from the oddness, wanted to really protect myself from embarassment, and crawl under a rock. But, instead we ALL rose to the occasion. His kids were lovely and so mature. He was his consummate generous, easy self. And, I was really better than I've ever been with her either. I will say I had moments of internal freak outs when I found her carrying on quiet full conversations with the little voice or voices in her head while she dried the dishes, but I let them go fairly quickly because my god there really was so much to be thankful for....in all its shapes and sizes, love, love, and more love.

We have a section in our book on Gratitude and boy oh boy when you focus on it, it really makes like so much Lazier.

Happy Thanks-Giving-Every-Day to All!

Trader Joe's Turkey Tuesday

It's Trader Joe's Tuesday just two days before Thanksgiving and the ultimate Trader of all things nut and cheese is out of pecans! What? How? Where? Is everyone in the Pasadena area making pecan pie? I'm sure I'll find some tomorrow but I just thought it was slightly hilarious as several of us stood before the wall of nuts cocking our heads from side to side, like puppies looking in a mirror.

I am doing a very bizarre and slightly un-lazy thing this year because we have a bunch of people coming to join us for dessert. There coiuld be up to an extra 12 people coming just for the dessert course so I am making not one, not two, not three, not four but FIVE desserts. But, the reason why this is LAZY for me is that I loooooove making desserts, love having a big spread to have everyone feast over, and oh my god I found some cool recipes: Bourbon & Orange Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Squash Cheesecake, Apple Blackberry Pie, and Aaron found a recipe for something he had to have: Turtle Pumpkin Pie so we're making that too!

On holidays you end up making compromises, so you gotta also do things that feed your soul...if you end up feeding the crowd as a by-product, all the Lazier for you!

More Lazy Thanksgiving -- Thank you God for FLOWERS!

I don't care how delicious or horrible your Thanksgiving feast turns out -- you can burn the turkey to a charred lump o' flesh -- but if your table is beautiful people will still remember your meal as being lovely!

So, here are some easy tips for making your table beautiful:

1. Bring the Fall in! -- Gather fall leaves from the yard, wash them off and lay them down the middle of the table (or in the center if a round table) like a runner. Place baby pumpkins and squashes and other veggies like artichokes and fruits on top of the leaves. Put one vase in the center -- and if you fill the vase with little veggies or fruits -- grapes look fantastic -- it will look even more plentiful and gorgeous!
2. Pumpkin Vase -- Hollow out a pumpkin, just like you would for a jack-o-lantern. Put a jar or glass inside it and put your holiday bouquet in the glass, so it looks like the "vase" is the pumpkin!
3. Placecard Holders -- Make placecard holders out of pumpkins, apples or oranges. You can make a tiny slit with a knife in the skin of whatever you are using (or in the stem of the pumpkin) and put the placecard in the slit.
4. Burgeoning Vases -- No earlier than the night before Thanksgiving (so you have clear water) fill a big (tall or wide) clear vase with baby veggies or fruits. Some of my favorites are baby apples, baby artichokes, or grapes. Put your bouquet of flowers in the water, using the fruits/veggies as oasis, i..e, to stabilize the flower placement. The flowers don't even have to be fantastic at all because the burgeoning vase contents will be the hightlight.
5. Pumpkin Candleholders -- Dig a little hole in center of some baby pumpkins and place candles in holes.
6. Individual Flower Arrangements -- Thanksgiving is a holiday of sharing and the table is always overflowing with food, so one way to add decorations to the table without forfeiting the center, and blocking anyone's view, is to make tiny individual flower arrangements. You can get creative with the vessels you use...just the fact that each person is getting their own little arrangement above their plate will make them feel special and "decorated"!

I always decorate the table the day before so I can really have fun creating the personal touches. You don't want to leave it to Thanksgiving Day because -- as we all know -- there are foods and people flying in every direction on the holiday, so you want to be able to enjoy it all, instead of stressing about the details.

So, remember this Lazy Motto: If it didn't get done, it's not important!! It really isn't. The holidays are about sharing food, stories, deliciousness....so once everyone arrives, just LET ALL THE EXPECTATIONS GO and HAVE FUN!

Lazy Thanksgiving: Prep or Procrastination

Most people I meet who hear the title of the book we wrote boast proudly about how they procrastinate. We have a whole section in our book about procrastination, and the bottom line is this: it's LAZY if it doesn't stress you out. So, if procrastination causes worry, tension or general dis-ease, then we are NOT for it. But, once in a while procrastination, i.e, moving something down in your list of priorities, is a good idea. The question you need to ask yourself is "Will putting this off relieve stress or add stress?" Obviously that implies looking at short and long term effects. So you just need to stop, take a breath, ask the question and then make a powerful choice one way or the other, and then LET IT GO!

For me, with Thanksgiving I choose PREP over PROCRASTINATION because I really love Thanksgiving. I love cooking, decorating and having fun with friends. So, I do a little bit every day leading up to Thanksgiving. I get my shopping done as soon as I can, and have TO DO lists for Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so that Thursday is truly enjoyable to me.

One thing I particularly love doing is setting the Thanksgiving table so I actually start on Tuesday night. I set the table as completely as I can because I always get last minute inspirations for additions to the decor. I even set out the flower vases, etc. and just add fresh flowers on Wednesday night.

When you do things over the course of days, it's very stress-free, and really does allow for more improvisation, such as running out to collect freshly fallen leaves, cleaning them and adding them to the table!

FLOWER ARRANGEMENT LAZY TIP -- Fill the vase with baby veggies, like baby artichokes, baby apples, baby clementines, etc. It makes for a very "plentiful" Thanksgiving look!

Lazy Thanksgiving Prep to All!

Laz-o-Pause

I find my soul kicking and screaming right now. I just had my first full-blown perimenopausal symptom this weekend. It's undeniable. I got into action right away. Luckily I was on a mini vacation and one of my lovely friends I was away with is a medical doctor. I told her the symptom, a second period in a month, and told her how I've always been meticulously regular with my periods. She immediately laughed, and explained that it was more odd that I had never had any aberrations in my periods, and then basically told me not to worry about it.

The symptoms progressed after I left our little vacation and I started feeling weak and profoundly tired. When I told my boyfriend about the symptoms and started crying and feeling sorry for myself that I was moving toward menopause, he also laughed!!!! He said "Well it makes sense where would be some changes as I aged..."

No sympathy from either of them! LOL! Poor me! It was pretty hilarious and such a great lesson: don't take perimenopause, menopause or ME too seriously!

It really is just a change. It's life, like death. Change, death, life.

So, the bottom line is that surrounding yourself with LAZY people -- lazy doctors, lazy boyfriends, lazy friends -- who don't let you take yourself too seriously -- just makes being lazy that much easier.

Here's to my new adventure: lazyopause!

More Lazy Transformation

The very cool thing about transformation is that when you start transforming really cool things happen around you. I took my boyfriend to the last night of my Landmark Forum and I got to tell about 250 people that I am in the relationship of my dreams, and that he is the best boyfriend on the planet. I really believe he is.

I had been working on "creating" him for several years, so I was very excited to finally find him. My only regret was not finding him over 20 years ago when we were both actively crossing paths when we both lived in NYC. But, as he says we found each other when we were ready to find each other. So true.

We just had our six month anniversary, and I've never swayed from feeling just profoundly lucky -- even during little growth spurts we've had, dealing with issues that have come up.
He is my most exquisite match, and as I heard a lovely British gentleman say about his girlfriend and himself: "We are exceptional together."

Being exceptional is better than even being great, isn't it. I strive to be a great girlfriend every day, and I know that he draws the best out of me. He is a stand for my greatness.

This morning, the day after he visited the world of the Landmark Forum and signed up to do it himself, he woke up and one of the first things he said was "I want to be the best boyfriend ever." I told him he already was. I don't think he really believes that yet, but I am committed to him getting that it's the truth!

The Forum is definitely a Lazy Woman tool, I'll tell you that much! In just three days the barriers to love start falling down, and the love comes pouring in. It's lovely.

The anniversary of the Berlin Wall coming down was this weekend too. Love-ly coincidence.

Lazily, lovingly yours,
Bridget

Lazy Transformation

I had the distinct pleasure -- truly distinct, truly pleasurable -- experience of reviewing the Landmark Forum this weekend. I did it six years ago and it transformed my life then. Since I'm now in the relationship of my dreams, and have hit a lot of the personal goals I set for myself in the last couple of years, and as I begin this new chapter of my life -- the chapter where my dad isn't physically present in my life -- I thought it was the perfect time to review it.

I thank god for my aging memory because I forgot almost 100% of it over these six years, so I had the experience of taking it for the first time. Even though the distinctions have been working in my life all these years, and I live by many of them on a daily basis.


OK, blogerruption!!!

You are not going to believe this!!! As I was typing that last paragraph I was really stuck on the sentence from the previous paragraph: "even though my dad isn't physically present in my life..." I was feeling a bit sad as I typed and then I started hearing a beep. It sounded like my french press 4 minute timer, so I ran to the kitchen. Indeed it was right near the timer, but in fact it was my dad's watch. I just received it in today's mail from the rest home where he died. I had worn it most of the day but took it off to when I was in the kitchen. So, I guess he is still physically with me in his own little way.

The best part of the Landmark Forum is that after I take it I just don't want to avoid any opportunities for love. It's because of the Landmark Forum that my dad died without anything being left unsaid on my part. He knew I profoundly loved him and adored him, and I knew he profoundly loved and adored me. And, we both knew that nothing, nothing, nothing else mattered.

If you have an area of your life where you aren't fulfilled or getting the results you want, or you just want to kick your life up a notch, I absolutely believe the Landmark Forum is the LAZY answer to your prayers.

Here's to the Landmark Forum allowing me to truly express my love for my dad the last six years of his life.

Good night Dad.