Bomb Ass Apple Crisp

This recipe is from Barefoot Contessa (Ina Gartner) and to die for. I love Anthony Bourdain..I trust anything that comes out of that dude's mouth and so when I read an article this week where he talked about what chef's on the Food Network are actually legit and he said her, I listened.

Have you seen how cute her garden is? How happy her little Jewish husband is to come home from the city to the dinner table to eat with her? How excited people are to sit in her kitchen and be fed by her? If I could have chosen a grandmother, she'd for sure be in my top 3 choices. ( nothing against my grams) but this lady can cook. Since she's not I can just pretend and make the same meals she does so that I can live vicariously through her. This recipe is one you are sure to make people happy with. Be ready for some smile-age.

Ingredients

• 5 pounds McIntosh apples
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the topping:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 14 by 2-inch oval baking dish.

Peel, core, and cut the apples into large wedges. Combine the apples with the zests, juices, sugar, and spices. Pour into the dish.

To make the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas. Scatter evenly over the apples.

Place the crisp on a sheet pan and bake for 1 hour until the top is brown and the apples are bubbly. Serve warm.

Daily Love

We, as human beings, need to been seen. We are built for relationships. Our entire world is setup as sets of relationships that we all mutually rely upon.

The child relies on the parents for love, support and nurturing.

The student relies on the teacher to learn.

The teacher relies on the student to show the teacher how they can teach better.

The maker of products relies on the consumer.

The consumer relies on the maker of products.

We rely on our friends and our friends rely on us.

And so on...

Examples of relationships that are setup for mutual benefit are endless - because that is the nature of life.

We come together because we can't make it alone.

The thing is, we get all caught up in relationships that we think are serving our greatest happiness, but many times they are simply toxic. And while we can learn from toxic and negative relationships, let us not dwell there.

A key thing to remember is THIS: We have relationships so that we can be HAPPY MOST of the time. Loving someone isn't showing them how much you are willing to suffer for them. Loving someone, starting with yourself, is a demonstration of how HAPPY you are willing to be - for YOURSELF and THEM.

The only thing you owe other people is your happiness.

When we seek to GET something from someone that we THINK is lacking within, we are setting ourselves up for pain and a big time lesson.

To flip the switch, the question we must ask is not "What can I get?" but instead, "What can I give?"

When we show up to be of service in life, we change our relationship with all of life. As a result, we begin to step into the abundance that is promised to us by The Uni-verse, because are seeking now to give instead of to just get.

A thriving relationship is made up of GIVERS and FORGIVERS

So be both, be all things good to yourself so that you can be all things good to others. Let people in, be a good person, be caring and giving and I'm betting you'll be pretty happy with the results.

Da Bling

Right meow.

OPI Designer...de Better! isn't your typical silver foil.  It has little copper flakes interspersed.The sparkle on this polish is out of control. There's no way to match this visual stimulation extravaganza. I am snatching this polish up..It makes me all excited for the holidays and pretty dresses. Plus we all know I'm a fan of accessorizing a black dress with nails like whoa. Pretty ladies should have pretty hands ;-)

Pumpkin Spice Parfait

This parfait is a super easy, super yummy treat…perfect for breakfast, a mid day snack, or dessert! Its tastes rich and creamy...it should be spoon fed to you or someone else. I cant get over how cute it is and I want to give them out to everyone I know. That won't happen though. Get over it...and make your own..at least I'm giving you the recipe!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 C canned pumpkin
2 T dark brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/8 t ground ginger
1/4 t salt
1/4 t vanilla extract
1/2 C 0% plain greek yogurt
1 small apple, peeled and chopped
1/4 C walnuts
1/4 C cranberries

DIRECTIONS
In a small pan over medium heat place the apple and brown sugar and then cover and allow to cook until soft.

In a small bowl, mix pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt and vanilla.

In a bowl, cup or mason jar, layer the yogurt, the pumpkin, the apples, the walnuts and the cranberries. See, super easy and ready to eat!!

Smoky Beef Chili

The weather is cooling down and this is such a perfect hearty healthy meal.  Makes me think of a Seinfeld episode I saw a few days ago when Jerry and Elaine are arguing over whether or soup is a meal..and it depends on if its hearty or if its a bowl or a cup. Great episode..  Well this soup Jerry is a freaking meal. I won't be a soup nazi..soup for you!

The nice thing about chili is that you can kind of just kick back and let it work its own magic. Vegetable and meat worlds collide into this perfect marriage of hearty goodness while you just sit back and do whatever gnarly thing is that you do and then you come back to find perfection just waiting for you. Hi perfection, you are delicious!  I usually won't touch leftovers with a ten foot pole but this ...now this I would get involved with. As should you. 

Feed the hungry with this hearty bowl of perfection.

Ingredients

3 lbs ground chuck

2 c. chopped onion

1 red bell pepper

2 large garlic cloves

1 tbsp tabasco

2 jalapenos, seeded and minced

6 c. beef cooking stock

1 ( 29 oz) can tomato sauce

1 ( 15 oz) can tomato sauce

2 ( 15.5 oz) cans pinto beans, drained

3 tbsp chili powder

2 tbsp ground ancho chile pepper

salt

Shredded cheese, chopped fresh cilantro, Scallions

In a large dutch oven, combine beef, onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapenos. Cook over medium high heat until beef is browned and crumbly.  Drain well

Add beef stock, tomato sauce, beans, chili powder and chili pepper. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for 1 hour or until thickened.  Salt, pepper and tabasco to taste. Garnish with fixings, high five yourself, your awesome and now so is your chili.

33 Ways to Stay Creative

Supplement-Me

There are so many supplements on the market today, which are right for you? You workout, you’re eating right, now time to go out and purchase some supplements to optimize your performance and metabolism.

First get a good multi vitamin..and then power up with the following:

Calcium: Its probably the most important supplement for a woman. Calcium is essential for bone development and can help alleviate the symptoms of PMS. On top of that dairy foods high in calcium have been shown to play a role in energy metabolism. Women age 19 - 50 should get 1000 mg of calcium per day.

Whey protein: is second must have supplement on your list, is isolated from dairy milk and is considered the highest quality protein available. WPI provides the richest content of amino acids all in a convenient powder format. Whey protein can be used as a source of protein for a quick meal or can be added to almost any food to supplement your protein needs. Try a peanut butter and chocolate whey protein shake!

Fish oils: Fish Oils are derived from the fat of cold water, deep-sea fish and is a source of Omega-3, which is an essential fatty acid that contains DHA and EPA. They are essential for your body to make new cells, particularly brain and nerve cells. Omega-3 fatty acid is an important nutrient for maintaining a healthy heart, brain and nervous system, as well as helping to reduce inflammation in joints and maintaining flexibility - something all active people need. Use a minimum of 3g daily.

Antioxidants: Work to decrease the harmful effects of free radicals produced by the body through a process of oxidation. By binding to active receptor sites on free radicals, antioxidants act like scavengers, neutralizing free radicals damaging effects in our body.  Common antioxidants can be found in the foods we eat, however supplements such as grape seed extract, green tea extract and lycopene isolated from tomatoes offer potent and concentrated forms of antioxidants without the added calories.

Arginine: An amino acid that the body cannot make naturally is involved in many processes including hormone secretion, the removal of toxic waste products, improving sexual function and immune defense. But perhaps the best use of arginine is its ability to produce nitric oxide, through the property of vasodilatation. Supplementing with arginine can help increase vasodilatation of blood vessels resulting in better transfer of important nutrients to the muscle, and ultimately aiding in growth and repair. Arginine can be found on it's own but can also be found in many popular pre-workout products.

Glutamine: Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid, found in abundance in the human body. Glutamine has been shown to aid in recovery, reduce protein catabolism and increase protein metabolism. Its presence is found in the blood, gut and the skeletal muscles and is used as a main source of fuel for the immune system. Glutamine is considered by some as being conditionally essential, particularly in states of injury or compromised immune function. After training, injury to the muscle cells occurs, causing our immune systems to induce the recovery process to help repair tissue damage to muscles.

Green tea extract: An extract of green tea has been found to significantly increase energy expenditure and have an effect of fat oxidation. This exact extract was found to increase overall energy expenditure by 35%! The catechins in green tea extract, especially one known as ECGC (Epigallocatechin Gallate) protect your body against respiratory and digestive infections, short circuit the reproduction of cancerous cells, help lower high blood pressure, reduce the levels of LDL and total cholesterol in your blood, and – believe it or not – helps fight cavities.

Vitamin B12: is one of the top ten health supplements because it strengthens the immune system and helps relieve the effects of physical and mental stress on the body.

Co Q10: Since its discovery in 1957, CO Q10 (ubiquinone) has been widely studied. It’s a component in the mitochondria in every cell in your body, where it seems to function as an antioxidant. Among the benefits associated with taking health supplements containing CO Q10 are fewer and less severe migraines, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, increased energy and heightened immune system.