Lazy Spring Dinner = Pea Shoots + Baked Potato + Haricots Verts

It's Spring!  It's Spring!  It's Spring!  We are having literally the most delicious day in Los Angeles today.  Bright blue skies, white fluffy clouds, a sweet breeze to balance out the warm sunshine make it really hard to not keep a big smile on your face.  I stopped in the middle of my trip to Bar Method Class to pull over and put my top down (convertible top that is) because missing any part of this day would be a shame.

When I got home I popped a baked potato in the oven so it would be nice and crispy by the time I got home from walking the dogs.  When I got home, I took out the Pea Shoots I got at Trader Joe's!  Yes, Trader Joe's has Pea Shoots!  It's a miracle!  They are so profoundly delicious, and their season is so short, I decided to just toss them with fresh lemon juice, a tiny bit of oil, salt and pepper.

Then, I pulled out the baked potato and put my new secret weapon on it -- 1 serving of the Trader Joe's Creamy Goat Cheese -- only ONE Weight Watchers Points Plus!

Then I sauteed up a package of Trader Joe's Haricots Verts with just a tiny bit of oil, garlic salt and some red pepper flakes.  Throw them over the potato and ....Yummarifico!

Buon Springtime Appetito to all!!!!

BlogHer Food Conference Take-Away -- One White Curtain Makes All the Difference in the World!

A few months ago I picked up this cute little white voile curtain at World Market.  I didn't have a use for it but I just had to have it and knew one day I'd want to cover one small window with it!  I just knew it!  Well, in the middle of my BlogHer Food Conference Workshop on photography, Sarah Amelar showed a photo of her home studio in her kitchen where she put up a simple white curtain to diffuse the directional light.   Brilliant! 

So, I got it out today and it works! 

I hammered a couple of brads above the window and haphazardly hung it because it will just go up temporarily when I shoot in there.  I threw it up in seconds!

And voila, my new obsession with Kale and Mushrooms...this time with more garlic and Italian spices....and much more beautifully lit than my last Kale-Mushroom posting! LOL!

Buon Well-Lit Appetito!!!!

BlogHer Food Conference -- What I Learned in Blogging School Last Weekend

There was such heart at the BlogHer Food Conference, so much generosity, sharing, wisdom, genuine caring about each other.  It was loverly!  And, it was delicious and fun.  Great food every where we turned, good fun to be had in any moment.  I posted pix the other day, and my more heartfelt post, but wanted to post my notes for people who couldn't go to the conference,or who missed a session I might have attended. 

My notes look lovely in a 7 page Word Doc, but inserted here they just look so...well, like a whole bunch o' words!  So, if you would like my notes, email me: bridget@lazywoman.com and I'll shoot it out to you!

WWgasm = 4 Points Plus Lunch Deliciosa!

Trader Joe’s does it again – making my Weight Watchers dreams come true, giving me yet another WWgasm. I had only a couple minutes between calls to whip up a good-for-me-beyond-delicious lunch. This literally took about three minutes.



INGREDIENTS


½ cup Trader Joe’s Frozen Jasmine Rice
1 tsp Dark Sesame Oil
½ bag of Trader Joe’s Kale (it’s pre-chopped – roughly)
1 bag of Trader Joe’s Sliced Mushrooms
Rice Vinegar - to taste (I do about 2 tsp probably)
Red Wine Vinegar- to taste (I do about 2 tsp probably)Water -- about 1/8 cup


Red Pepper Flakes
Garlic Salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Pop the frozen rice in the microwave for about 2 1/2 minutes. 
2. Put Dark Sesame Oil in big sautee pan.  Warm it up on a fairly high heat.
3. Add everything else in the ingredients list.
4. Cook it up!  I kept mine on a medium high heat the entire time and it was deliciously inflused with all the flavorings by the time it was all done, which was just a few minutes.
5. Put 1/2 cup of rice on your lovely salad plate.   Yes, all this food fits nicely on a small dinner plate!  Add the veggie mixture.
6. Have your own WWgasm!

Buon Skinny Appetito!

A Three WWgasm (Weight Watchers Foodie Bliss) Day = A Very Excellent Day

Just had to quickly post about this because I've been in WWgasm heaven for 24 hours.  And, all of this comes from Mecca, aka Trader Joe's.  So, we're hitting all the Lazy markers:  easy, inexpensive, simple, healthy, and delicious!

1. Lazy Ass Delicious Potato -- I believe in butter -- used sparingly.  I would never dream of using substitutes, though I know I am in the minority on that one.  But, I think if you want butter, just have it -- in moderation.  I allow for the points for it.  But since getting on Weight Watchers, I actually have not used as much as I used to.  I'm not a butter freak.  I am not a fat person, I'm a sugar person.  So, I have always used oils and butter sparingly for my taste buds' sake.  The only item that I have always put more butter on is the Almighty Baked Potato.  Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, I found a most divine substitution for buttering said Almighty on.  I wasn't even seeking a substitution.  I have gotten very used to less butter on my potato, and frankly have enjoyed the flavor of the potato even more.  But, I accidentally ran out of butter yesterday.  So, I whipped out the Trader Joe's Creamy Goat Cheese and took just 1/4 of the container -- which is only 1 point -- yes, ONE point -- and slathered it in the potato.  Add salt and pepper and you are in potato heaven.  Sometimes I grill up a portobello mushroom (on George Forman Grill with no fat added) and slice it on top of the potato.  Wowza Potato WWgasm Bonanza! ONLY FIVE (5) POINTS PLUS (if medium sized potato)!
2. Triple Berry Bran Muffin Peanut Butter Bliss -- The Triple Berry Muffin mix is unbelievably easy -- add two eggs and a cup of water, pop in the oven for 30 minutes. Done.  And, they taste so homemade!  Then, it says let them sit for about 20 minutes.  Well, when they came out of the oven, I got way inspired.  I popped the top off of one of the muffins and put a teaspoon of peanut butter (1 point) on top and put the lid back on.  Do you understand what that means?  It means I had a WWgasm coming!  I had just created hot peanut lava in the middle of the warm cakey deliciousness.  Are you kidding me?  WWgasm Maximus.  FOUR (4) POINTS PLUS!
3. Crunchy Filling Snackalicious -- Trader Joe's scored even more points with me when they added Lundberg Rice Cakes to their menu of items they carry.  I just tried the Lite Cheddar Sliced Cheese for the first time this week -- just to check it out, not expecting much.  Well the texture of this super-crunchy rice cake with the perfectly chewy and surprisingly rich for a lite cheese, is divine.  It's very tastebud fulfilling and tummy filling.  THREE (3) POINTS PLUS!

Buon Lazy Lite Appetito to All!

BlogHer Food Conference 2011 in Atlanta: --- Sweet Deliciousness!

There was so much much that was DELICIOUS about the BlogHer Food Conference:

1.  Sweet Peeps!   The speakers, the attendees, the organizers, the hotel staff -- everyone was so generous!  People shared, supported, nurtured, attended to, cheered, and inspired each other.  Magic was happening around every corner.  Two of the highlights for me were Laurie David (author "The Family Dinner" and producer on "Inconvenient Truth") and Molly O'Neill (formerly of NY Times and now, check her out at onebigtable.com) who were genuinely, unequivocally generous with people who were asking for support and/or inspiration.  I witnessed each of them taking such care with people to give them what they needed -- in a most humble way. 

It was mostly women at this conference and it was truly women showing up as their most powerful, generous selves.  A true inspiration.  I give major credit to the organizers for creating such an amazing space for everyone to step into with love and generosity.

2.  Sweet Auburn Market -- I'm sorry but for a vegetarian, there is nothing more orgasmic than a Farmer's Market.  This is a fun and funky one and full of all kinds of veggies and legumes that we don't get to see here in Los Angeles.  And, they had a penchant for wrapping foods in plastic so it was fun to photograph the wrapped jewels.

But the biggest vegorgasm of my trip was the veggie burger at Grindhouse Burgers at The Sweet Auburn Curb Market.  It won "Best Veggie Burger 2010 in Atlanta" and it totally deserves it.  If you're not a vegetarian please go and get you some o' dat meat burger stuff because you will LOVE it.  They have a million creative toppings too.  I chose the homemade slaw which was so incredibly light and inspired, and sauteed mushrooms and onions! OMG! Again Vegorgasm Galore!

3.  Sweet Wisdom -- I got so much wisdom from this weekend that I actually typed up all my notes on the plane home late Saturday night.  I will post soon the best tidbits I got throughout the weekend. 

4.  Sweet Lovin' -- My wonderful friend, Salle (who came with me to the conference) and I met the Tuna of Our Dreams...isn't he handsome?

Lazy Summertime

The lazy days of Summertime are a-comin' and one of the laziest most impressive desserts you can make is homemade ice cream or sorbet.  You guys, I'm not kidding it's LAZY to make ice cream.  Even the fanciest of ice creams are relatively easy to make. 

For instance, if you are making something like a rich vanilla bean, peach or other fruit, or deep dark chocolate ice cream, the most complicated thing you do is make a quick custard on the stove and let it cool.  But, you can make sorbets and easy ice creams with very few ingredients and one or two steps.  It's so easy.  Seriously. Please try it.  You'll be happy.  You'll make other people happy.  And, isn't that what makes this Lazy world go round?!

So, first step: buy an ice cream maker.  The reason I'm even bringing this up today is that I got the latest Crate & Barrel catalogue and they have the Cuisinart Ice Cream maker on sale -- great deal -- $49 instead of $90!!!! 


http://www.crateandbarrel.com/kitchen-and-food/specialty-appliances/cuisinart-ice-cream-frozen-yogurt-maker/s676864

I have had a few different kinds of ice cream makers over the years but my very favorite is the one I have which is probably synchronistically one of the least expensive on the market.  But the genius reason I bought it is that it is the LAZIEST to clean, store and manage in every way.  It is just two pieces.  I keep the frozen canister always in the freezer in the garage so it's ready to go when I am.  The rest of the ice cream maker is the paddle/electronics.  So, I get the canister, throw the incredients in, pop the paddle in, turn it on and go away for about 25 minutes, and voila: YUMMINESS!

http://www.amazon.com/Rival-Gel-Canister-Cream-Maker/dp/B0012UZ3D6

Happy Summery Deliciousness to all!  I'm off to a hotter zone -- Atlanta -- for the BlogHer Food Conference.  Muy excited!  Will report!

Lazily yours,
Bridget

Best Lazy Tip of 2011 = Smile, Smile, Smile!

"I will never understand all the good tht a smiple smile can accomplish."

Mother Teresa

Good Morning Gorgeous Lazy Men and Women!

Please take 7 minutes to watch this video - http://www.ted.com/talks/ron_gutman_the_hidden_power_of_smiling.html

It will:

1.  Inspire you.

2.  Be fun to just watch.

3.  Make you go "Wow" or "Aaaaah" or something in betweeen.

4.  Have you realize something about yourself.

5.  Make you smile!

6.  Show you that smiling is the laziest way to a long life!

And, one of my favorite songs just popped in my head. I thought Charlie Chaplin wrote this but it turns out he wrote the music (which is lovely) but the lyrics are by Turner & Parsons.

SMILE

Smile, though your heart is aching

Smile, even though it’s breaking

When there are clouds in the sky
you’ll get by

If you smile through your fear and sorrow

Smile and maybe tomorrow

You’ll see the sun come shining through

for you

Light up your face with gladness

Hide every trace of sadness Although a tear may be ever so near

That’s the time you must keep on trying

Smile what’s the use of crying

You’ll find that life is still worthwhile

If you’ll just

Smile

Are you ANTI-Aging or PRO-Aging?

I'm sorry but I think it's fairly hilarious that we are so ANTI-aging!  It's like we are ANTI-nature! 

I find it almost as hilarious that I just last week posted about my grandma's skincare regime that I love and follow has kept my skin relatively wrinkle-free and healthy. 

Well, the very next day after I posted that I went to my friend's beautiful store -- ELISA B. in Old Town Pasadena.  If you ever need a special dress, a unique lovely piece of jewelry, or a clever gift for a special woman in your life -- go to Elisa B. 

At one point I popped out of the store to run across the courtyard to Origins for one of my favorite lip glosses.  As I was checking out someone behind me asked "Have you ever tried Plantscription?"  I turned around and heard the story about how people are raving about it, that it's being featured all over the media as a skin rejuvenator.  She said it reduces wrinkles and skin discoloration. 

There were a couple of women there who were also extolling its virtues, so I sort of, kind of, well, you know, I had to get it!

And, boy oh boy am I happy because after just over a week's use, the sun spots on the left side of my face are absolutely lighter.  The fine lines around my mouth are also reduced.  This stuff seriously works.    And, it smells divine, is so light and lovely in feel, so it's a joy to apply twice a day.  I put it on, leave it for a few minutes and then go back to grandma's moisturizing secret!  (if you missed it scroll down in the blog posts)

With Lazy tricks like Plantscription around we can be PRO-aging, eh?  It's good to be positive!

Lazily Finding My Best Self

Last night I went through my closets yet again, culling out more old stuff that I never wear or don't really like.  I was slightly ruthless.  I am clearing out the old, making more space almost every day.

I'm doing it on every level.  A couple days ago I had a divine Reiki/Shamanic session that lifted the weight of pain from my recently discovered betrayal that happened in my last relationship.  It had been tearing me apart for weeks.  But, this session lifted it and cleared my heart...just like one of my closets!  The very next morning I realized I woke up genuinely happy (a smile on my face, no less) for the first time in a few dark months.

Today, I was filling the house with fresh flowers, clearing out the old ones -- right now as I look up from my computer I have two huge tulip bouquets in my sights -- and I am literally so happy just looking at them.  I've made sure to have as much beauty around me as possible these last few months, but now I can fully take it in.  That's really something.

Today was also weigh in day at Weight Watchers and I am lighter than I've been in probably 12 years.  My goal weight that I thought was "as good as it gets" was 5 pounds higher than I am now.  My new goal is 10 pounds lighter than I am now.  And, I honestly don't know how I thought my previous goal was acceptable to me.  I really get that in many ways -- including in my relationships with men -- I was stuck in the "as good as it gets" mode.  

Part of the mechanics of keeping that mode alive was a conversation I had with myself about hard work.  With relationships I think I was way too willing to work way too hard.  Yes, relationships are work, but not as hard as this last one!  And, I had a conversation about weight loss that said getting to my ideal weight would be too hard.  I heard myself saying on several occasions: "I'm not willing to work as hard as it would take to have my ideal body."

The bottom line: neither has to be hard.  When you are whole and not looking for food or love to fill up the holes, it's not an obsessive treadmill.  It's easy, drama-free, an easy flow of energy.

I am declaring right now that my next relationship will look like my weight loss journey: stress-free, flowing, and truly honoring myself. 

Now that, my friends, is LAZY!

Ch-ch-ch-changes....dealing with change the Lazy Way

Our world is transforming and if we are lucky we are transforming too, moving forward to more peaceful, loving and happy lives. 

I had a rough couple of days being berated by feelings of betrayal.  "Was it all a lie?" was my mantra-like response to unveiling lies that had been told to me during my relationship of two years.  I wanted to sift through every memory and deem it "truth" or "lie" like I was on my own little game show. 

Last night, though, I had the pleasure of listening to the recording of Marianne Williamson's talk from Monday night: http://bit.ly/l8lfyi.  Marianne speaks every Monday in Los Angeles, and I always miss it.  But, we are all blessed because she records it.  This Monday the talk was about our external and internal reactions to the Osama Bin Laden news.  I highly recommend the talk, especially if you are struggling or wrestling in any way with the news. 

But, it's also applicable if you have anything like a "war" going on in your own life.  For instance, the war I'm having in my heart with my ex is not a pretty one.  I am my own terrorist in the dangerous neighborhood called "my head!" 

Two amazing quotes I gleaned from her talk were promptly typed up and posted on my wall as a reminder.  I put some pretty graphics on them to make them easy on the eyes -- actually pretty enough to draw me into them.  Here are the divine quotes I am clinging to now, which I share with you, thanks to the Divine Miss Marianne...if not solace today, perhaps you can use them in the future or send them to someone in pain, in the midst of their own battle:

God, lift me above the battle.

 

My job is to see beyond this illusion. 

I can seek to dwell in love.

Wo ho ho! I feel like a Woman! (thank you Shania Twain)

"Every death is a wake up call to live more fully, more presently right now."

Oprah Winfrey

Yet another synchronicity in my life.  Today, I felt like I took several steps back in my healing from the break-up with my boyfriend of two years.  The recurring theme of my day was "betrayal."  I remembered the gorgeous flower arrangement he sent to me whose card said very simply "Never doubt."  He always claimed he never wanted me to doubt his love, and that he had never had a single doubt that I was "the one" for him.  And, yet he was courting someone else when we were together.  The card maybe should have said "Always doubt me."  LOL!

I had a day littered with icky flashbacks to the time of the betrayal.  It was not a LAZY day.  Again, Lazy = less stress and more joy. 

But I just sad down to watch my taped Oprah from earlier today and lo' and behold it's an interview with Shania Twain who was betrayed by not only her husband, but her best friend.  That I don't actually understand surviving.  But, Oprah uttered the quote at the top of this post, and it's so true: every death -- and there is no doubt that the end of a relationship is a death -- is a WAKE-UP call to LIVE fully right now!

It's funny.  I always have live flowers all over the house, but since the break-up I have even more....three bouquets in my bedroom alone almost always, and literally every room has at least one bouquet.  Life! Life! Life my soul is shouting.

But, when I slip into the past and run the old tapes with new revelations about lies that were said, I go back into the Death Zone.  That doesn't feel good.  And, honestly, my LIFE cannot afford it.  Back to the flowers, back to the love I do have in my life, back to POSSIBILITIES, back to the new body I've created for myself, back to the PRESENT.

The new anthem ringing in my head after the Oprah episode is Shania's breathtaking...

"I feeeeeeeeeeeeel like a WOOOOOOMAN!  Wo ho ho!!!!"



To Thine Own Princess Self Be True

Royal Wedding Day around the globe....One report says that 2 billion people watched.  That blows me away.  But what blows me away even more is that the newly wed Princess/Duchess/Future Queen was so wonderfully, beautifully in her own skin.  Never mind the gorgeous dress, her grace and beauty started so deep down.  She just seems to be someone who is to her own self very true. 

The good news is that when you are not true to yourself, you will get all kinds of signs to get you back on track....like I did today.  I came home late last night after three extremely hard and long days of a business trip where I had to keep my mind sharp and my spirit up and sociable from dawn each day until late at night -- with no downtime for myself.  I had no choice and had to push through it.  I pushed, but when I woke up this morning and was finally off the adrenaline rush that kept me going those three days, I nearly collapsed.  I think my brain literally turned the lights completely off in some of its rooms. 

So, what happened?  My body couldn't function.  I was trying to fix the little doggie barrier between the living room and my office that had clearly come down while I was away, and somehow this heavy metal thing with sharp edges went flying into me -- gouging my shin into a bloody swollen mess.  This jab caused me to fall flat on my face and land on top of said gouging gate -- but not before I had -- on the way down to flat on face --knocked my head very hard on the bottom corner of the half door (I have one of those split doors that leads from my office into the back yard).  The bump is huge and rose in a cartoon-like way, i.e., fast, colorful, and revealing stars.

I cleaned myself up and thought to myself "Maybe I should NOT go to the gym today since my brain's coordination quadrant is clearly down."  Sounds so reasonable.  But, later in the afternoon when I thought I was going to perish from exhaustion and knew I needed to get more done, my non-Princess self said  "I didn't get to work out more than 50 minutes total over 3 days!  I really need to get to the gym PLUS I know I'll feel better afterwards!"  The hope of feeling better got me.  So, I got myself together and got in the car to go to the gym.

Dead battery.

God speaks in mysterious languages.  Hit hard on head (as if with frying pan). Stabbed in leg to thwart movement.  Dead battery.

I actually knew my battery was going to be dead.  Some weird electronic quirk happened in my car so that two of the four screens in my car dashboard would not shut down when I turned the car off.  I tried everything I could for 45 minutes but had to give up, and submit to the fact that my car would be dead today.  Well, by late afternoon it was quite deadish. 

Ironically, or perhaps not so ironically, I had the car towed to my mechanic who could not replicate the issue.  It's like God literally made this flukey weird thing that has never happened before happen so I would not go to the gym today.

Suffice it to say I'll be resting all weekend.  To mine own self and body I shall be true. 

Lazy Ass Car Wash

Part of this will sound unlazy, like this part: at 6 a.m. tomorrow I'll be parking my car for three days at LAX, so why in hell would it matter that my car is rain-stained and icky looking?  It finally stopped threatening rain yesterday, Easter, so I thought I'll wait until I'm back and my car is good and filthy from having been at LAX for three days. 

But, I just literally couldn't bear it another minute.  In our book "The Lazy Woman's Guide to Just About Everything" we have a whole section on PROCRASTINATION, and in it we make a very important point -- if putting something off is causing you stress, then DO NOT PUT IT OFF -- make it a priority.  If it lessens the stress, then go for it, procrastinate the hell out of it!

In this case, even though I was waiting for the weather to shift before washing my car, like most of LA, it wasn't really me procrastinating, it was me not wanting to waste a shiny car at a parking lot! 

But, I got home from the gym, and was hot and sweaty, so I ran in the house, got a bucket full of clean rags, ran out, and sprayed a really hard jet spray on every inch of the car.  That took about 2.5 minutes -- seriously no more than 2.5 minutes.  I whipped around that car.

Then, I put a bunch of rags in each hand and whipped around the car two times, and dried every inch.  It literally looks like it was professionally washed and this whole process took no more than SIX MINUTES.

I call this a Lazy Woman Victory for Mankind.  And, I saved money which is also a Lazy Woman passion.  Why waste money.  This will definitely be my every-other-wash technique.  Every other, I'll have it done so they do the vacuuming, etc. for me -- something I have no interest in doing.  And, that too is Lazy -- I pick my cleaning battles.

Lazy Victory.  Yummmm.

Easter Inspiration

I was being particularly LAZY on Monday.  It was raining and I just didn't feel like driving.  Well, my loss.  I missed Marianne Williamson's amazing evening.  Luckily they taped it.  Lucky, lucky me...and you, if you find her as inspiring as I do:

http://www.marianne.com/passover-easter-audio.htm

May you be having a stress-free, love-filled holiday weekend.

Trina meet Tina -- This is my MIRACLE Day!

It's a wonderful day!  I knew it was going to be good because I woke up remembering my Tina Fey dream (see blog post below this one!), but I had no idea that today would be the day that my "Weight Goal Dress" would FIT!  I bought this Trina Turk lovely Spring dress in January to shrink into.  I had never been to Nordstrom Rack before and delightfully this gorgeous thing was sitting on the rack waiting for me at $19.97!

It's a Size 4, but I knew it was a big 4, more like a 6.  And, I knew that when I met my goal weight I'd fit into it, and today I thought "Hey, let's try that on!"

Thanks to Marianne WIlliamson's "A Course in Weight Loss" I actually know that I am actually not at my goal weight.  I'm at just two pounds past what previously was my "This is as good as it gets" weight.  I am still happily losing, and I'm doing it with lots of grace and ease -- again thanks to Marianne in major part!

Now, off to have a wonderful baked potato and salad, another delightful moment in my Tina/Trina Day of Miracles.

Tina Fey Helped Me Clean My Kitchen

Blessed I was to see Tina Fey and Steve Martin on Tuesday night.  Even though it was the Nokia Theatre at LA Live, because it was just the two of them having a chat on the stage, it felt like I was just watching them in my living room.  The friend I was with didn't want to stay for book signing so I didn't get to meet her.  I was a little sad about that, and Tina must have felt it because she came over for a cup of cocoa last night.

Yes, indeed, she came over for a cup of cocoa in my dream.  But, the coolest thing she did was reveal to me that all this cleaning I've been doing, organizing, getting rid of old stuff, clearing out of every nook and cranny....well, the kitchen cabinet that has the cocoa in it, Tina very sweetly pointed out, was in need of cleaning and organizing. 

So, as soon as I could this morning I opened that cabinet, and took care of it.  She also pointed out -- when in search of something to go with the cocoa -- that there were two other kitchen cabinets that could use my attention.  So, those I'll be handling this evening.

I'm so lucky to have a "dream friend" like Tina Fey to have a late night cocoa with, and to just have that kind of relationship where when she points out my flaws she does it with such love and support.  Tina only wants the best for me!

And, what am I always saying as one of my Lazy Woman anthems -- get help!  Enlist support wherever and whenever you can. Or swap support.  I'm expecting a "dream call for support" from Tina any night now.  I'll probably end up babysitting...not my fave, but anything for a "dream friend."

Spring Cleaning = Jewels Uncovered

I am thrilled by my instincts at the end of this relationship. I am cleaning out the old, getting rid of the past that no longer serves me.  Clothes that I haven't worn in ages, that don't fit, that I know I will never wear again -- it all goes!  Everything that doesn't work -- it's out!  Every closet, every corner of the garage, every cabinet. 

I'm cleaning and clearing to invite new, vibrant, loving, beautiful energy --- and a man -- to come in.  In clearing out the clutter, fluff and excess I am uncovering jewels of many sorts-- pieces of clothing that I adore that I forgot about (what a clear sign of having too much, eh?) -- and books like the Rumi book I re-found.   Another gem of a book unveiled was one I read in the early 90's - Harville Hendrix's "Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples." 

I know, I know, I'm not in a couple anymore, but man this is one bad ass book.  I re-read half of it very quickly this weekend.  It all started flooding back.  I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever struggled in a relationship.  And, honestly, who hasn't ever had a struggle, eh?  

What I get from this book every time I read it is the reminder that I grow so much more as a  person when I am in relationship.  Relationships are the grains of sand to my pearl....polishing me, making me better, looking deeper, doing better, being better.  Relationships are God's offering to us to heal more deeply than, well, just about anything else. 

And, when both people are willing to look at their childhood wounds, they each have the most extraordinary opportunity to pour love on each other's wounds --yes, it stings, sometimes it hurts deeply, but in the end it is soothing, nurturing and heart-opening. 
Harville quotes Jung who said it so eloquently:  "Seldom or never does a marriage develop into an individual relationship smoothly without crisis.  There is no birth of consciousness without pain."  But on the other side of the pain is unbelievable freedom and the deepest, most fulfilling love. 

The key is both people have to want to look at the cages the past has built to get to the freedom.  Huge honkin' key. 

So, I'm on the road to taking down the cages around my own heart, so I can draw that guy in who has taken down his cages.

It's a brave new world...sparkling with jewels.

Lazily Dealing with the Death of a Relationship

I have been recently committed to clearing out the old to make room for new abundant, loving energy to sweep into my life.   One of my projects is my garage.  Today, the task at hand was to go through about 20 boxes of books, with the intention of donating most of them to the local library.  It's LIBRARY WEEK so I think most local libraries are accepting donations for the next few weeks. 

One of the divine books that I found that I will be keeping is a book of Rumi poems.  I'm keeping all my Rumi books, and I'm delighted to have refound them to bring them in the house.  I sat down with one for a few minutes because there is nothing more nourishing to me during a breakup than Rumi.  And, since I just found out that the betrayal that caused my breakup was even more profound than I had imagined, I was drinking this Rumi in like it was a magic elixir.  And it was.

During this breakup I have been having pretty regular messages from my dad who passed away a year and a half ago. I feel like he is holding my hand walking me through healing my heart, preparing me for the biggest, greatest love of my life -- a man who will hold my heart and my love and cherish it.  I know my dad is getting him ready to bring to me. 

So, this poem I found spoke to me on many levels today - the death of my father and my relationship.   If you -- or anyone you know -- is dealing with a death of a person, a relationship...you may want to share this with them.  And, isn't it something that it is titled "911"...

911

Rumi - Translated by Coleman Barks

On the day I die, when I'm being

carried toward the grave, don't weep.

Don't say "He's gone! He's gone!"

Death has nothing to do with going away.

The sun sets and the moon sets,

but they're not gone.  Death

is a coming together.

The tomb looks like a prison.

but it's really release

into Union.

The human seed goes down in the ground

like a bucket into the well where Joseph is.

It grows and comes up full

of some unimagined beauty.

Your mouth closes here

and immediately opens

with a shout of joy there.

Lazy Yummies + Lazy Losing = WWgasm Bliss!

Just weighed in and I'm down 15.2 pounds!!!!!!!!!!  Woooohooooo!  I'm particularly excited because I'm not eating my feelings through my heartbreaking break-up (two breaks in one sentence! OY!). 

But, I'm even more excited because I am literally feeling no denial.  First, because of Marianne Williamson's "Course in Weight Loss" I have truly reconfigured my relationship with food.  I don't go to it for comfort anymore.  Once in a while I get a chocolate craving, and I ask myself what's going on, and let myself have it -- no matter what's going on.  If I want it, I want it.  But, I only have a little bit and I'm completely satiated. 

I'm really taking care of my cravings.  The other day while at Pilates class, I smelled what I thought were freshly grilling pancakes.  I remembered there was a Weight Watchers recipe for Pumpkin Pancakes that looked awesome, but I couldn't find the recipe online on the way to Trader Joe's, so I picked up their Multigrain Pancake Mix. It turns out two five inch pancakes are only 4 points.  Oh joy!  Oh joy!

I took out the Trader Joe's Superfruit All Fruit Preserves, put one tablespoon on a plate, put it in the microwave and it makes a wonderful syrup.  So two pancakes with "syrup" is only 5 points.  I made a regular batch and used it over 3 days to make my pancake treats.  

If you don't take care of your cravings and find alternatives for yourself, you won't stick to it.   That's EXACTLY what the Hungry Girl says too.  She has come up with 100's of recipes for comfort foods, snack foods, YUM foods galore that are weight-LOSS friendly while making you feel very full and satisfied. 

Again -- if you are on a weight loss journey -- run, walk, skip to a bookstore or toodle your fingers over to amazon.com to get one of the Hungry Girl books.  Her website: hungry-girl.com.

WE CAN DO IT!!!!