"Lazy Gourmets" find ways to cook for the whole family!

It’s happened to many of us. Dinnertime, and you’re itching to try some fancy, exotic new recipe to bring out the foodie in you and your spouse. But your kids are refusing to put anything in their mouths that’s not macaroni and cheese. So who wins? Break out the Kraft; this battle was over before it began.

It happens to me, too. Contrary to popular belief, cookbook authors do not make fabulous, home-cooked, gourmet meals every single night. I try to prepare a “proper” dinner for my family several nights a week, but being the parent of a toddler can make it difficult to move away from boring staples: store-bought chicken sausages, simple roasted chicken, pasta with pesto (possibly my son’s favorite food). Kids are picky eaters by definition, so cooking for them while still maintaining your personal culinary standards can be tough.

What I love to do is to find dishes that are familiar enough that my son is willing to try them, but interesting enough to provide him- and us- with varied taste experiences. That’s why I would recommend this recipe to anyone in a similar situation. It has familiar textures and flavors that appeal to kids (pasta! tomatoes!) but has the sophistication and healthiness that appeal to adults.

Roasting the cauliflower with red onions and garlic brings out the sweet, earthy flavors, and the buttery toasted breadcrumbs add a welcome crunch. Prep is a breeze—you can prepare the rest of the dish while the vegetables are in the oven. Breadcrumbs can be toasted ahead and stored, in an airtight container, in the fridge or freezer. When ready to use, let sit out on the counter until warmed to room temperature. Also, feel free to use another pasta shape- rotelle, orechiette, or small shells would work well- if your supermarket doesn’t carry gemelli.





Photo by Andres Ramirez. Reproductions of this photograph must be accompanied by attribution.

Gemelli with Roasted Cauliflower, Tomatoes and Crispy Breadcrumbs
From www.twolazygourmets.com and The Lazy Gourmet: Magnificent Meals Made Easy by Robin Donovan and Juliana Gallin (Viva Editions, 2011)

1 head cauliflower (about 11/2 pounds florets), cut into small pieces

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2–3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2–1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 pound gemelli or other pasta

cups (about ounces) sourdough bread cubes

tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained (reserve juice)

1/4 cup capers, drained

1/4–1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving

Preheat oven to 450°f.

In a baking dish, toss cauliflower, onion, and garlic with olive oil, coating vegetables thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper, and roast in preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring once about halfway through, until cauliflower is tender and beginning to brown.

While the vegetables are in the oven, heat a large pot of salted water (large enough to hold all ingredients) over high heat and cook pasta according to the instructions on the package.

Whirl bread in a food processor to make crumbs, pulsing, until the largest pieces are roughly the size of peas. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add butter. When butter is melted and bubbling, add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

When pasta is cooked, drain and return to the pot on the stove. Add roasted vegetables, tomatoes, capers, and crushed red pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring, until just heated through. If the mixture looks too dry, add a bit of the reserved tomato juice. Stir until well combined. Serve in pasta bowls topped with breadcrumbs and generously garnished with cheese.

Serves 6 to 8.



Robin Donovan is the coauthor with Juliana Gallin of The Lazy Gourmet: Magnificent Meals Made Easy, and is also the author if Campfire Cuisine: Gourmet Recipes for the Great Outdoors. She is a San Francisco-based freelance journalist, book author, blogger, and editor specializing in food, cooking, travel, and other lifestyle topics. Her food writing has appeared in Fitness, San Jose Mercury News, San Francisco Chronicle, and many other publications. For more receipts from Robin and Julianna visit twolazygourmets.com and follow Robin on Twitter.

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We are meant to love 24/7 -every chance we get!

by Judy Ford

Viva Editions, $15.95, 263 pages

Life is too short not to show those you love how much you care every day. This is the basis of Judy Ford’s book Every Day Love: The Delicate Art of Caring for Each Other. Ford is a family counselor with 25+ years of experience and in her practice she found that it’s easy for people to fall in love. It is sustaining love from day to day that is the hard part.

Ford presents her ideas in a conversational style that is accessible and non-threatening. Each idea is followed by a love lesson – suggestions you can implement now to make important changes in your life. These lessons aren’t just meant for couples, but can be utilized to strengthen any relationship you want to improve. Each section is no more than a few pages so the book is perfect for browsing or reading on the go. But don’t be surprised if you read the book in one night. There are exercises for every type of learner. Ford suggests journaling, reciting daily mantras, and meditation, just to name a few. With this book, you’ll learn about yourself and your ability to love and be loved.

Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin

being grateful even in the tough time

As the debt ceiling looms, it seems inevitable that we're going to be asked to tighten our belts again. Nina Lesowitz and Mary Beth Sammons have created three transformative tools to help us remember that we have much to be grateful for, no matter what, and exercising gratitude each day will strengthen your spirit, quiet your mind and open your heart.


The Gratitude Power Workbook
Transform Fear into Courage, Anger into Forgiveness, Isolation into Belonging


Discover the positive power of gratitude

No matter where you are on your life's journey, you can open The Gratitude Power Workbook to find inspiration for change. By taking just five minutes a day with the stories, practices, meditations, exercises, and questions offered here, you'll find yourself moving towards a happier and more fulfilling life. Like building a spiritual muscle, exercising gratitude each day will strengthen your spirit, quiet your mind, and open your heart. The Gratitude Power Workbook can be your soul's daily companion—and one of the most important books you'll ever own.


The gratitude power circle of authors Lesowitz and Sammons, along with Viva Editions Associate Publisher and the editor of THE GRATITUDE POWER WORKBOOK Brenda Knight, are back out on the road and airwaves evangelizing their message that an attitude of gratitude can turn your life around. You can listen to most of these interviews on-line in the future:

Positively Incorrect with Scott Cluthe, listen on-line
The Mary Jones Show, WDRC-AM, Hartford, Connecticut, July 13
The Broad Perspective Radio, listen on-line
I'm Thankful Network Radio with Sue Lundquist, July 23
Empower Radio, August 1 at 9:00 a.m. EST
Relationship 101 with Dr. Beth Erickson, August 2 at 2:00 p.m. PST
Vivid Life Radio, August 17 at 11:00 a.m. EST
Coach Betty Live, August 17 at 3:30 p.m. PST
Life with Direction with Sharon Quirt, Vivid Life Radio, August 17 at 2:00 p.m. EST
Queen of Dreams Radio, August 18 at 8:00 p.m. CST
Questing Radio, August 23 at 11:00 a.m. PST
Waves of the New Age Radio, September 6 at 3:30 p.m. EST
Lunch with Loveologist Wendy Stgar, LA Talk Radio, September 7 at noon
Inside Personal Growth Radio, air date to come

And you can read Mary Beth Sammon's words of wisdom in the October issue of Essence.



Living Life as a Thank You
The Transformative Power of Daily Gratitude
Living as if each day is a thank you can help transform fear into courage, anger into forgiveness, and isolation into belonging. The authors present a simple yet comprehensive approach for incorporating gratitude into one's life and reaping its many benefits. Whatever is given—even a challenging moment—is a gift. With this book, you will be able to feel more connected to the flow of life and less alone in your struggles and fears.



More · Buy

The Courage Companion
How to Live Life with True Power
If ever there was a time for courage, it's now. In The Courage Companion, the co-authors of the bestselling Living Life as a Thank You present stories of extraordinary fortitude. These true tales not only invite the reader to "tap into—and hold onto—our inner strength when times get tough and when we're feeling all alone," but also act as guides to inspire anyone to just do it, whatever that "it" may be.



More · Buy

a great daily reminder for Vivacious living!

An Inspiring Message - Don't Waste a Minute of Life
susynreeve | July 18, 2011 at 6:56 pm | Tags: inspire me today, inspiring message, live your dreams, richard branson | Categories: Inspired Life | URL: http://wp.me/p1HjhW-15
A critical thing is not to waste a minute of life. Throw yourself whole-heartedly into it. Don't wast a minute and try to make a positive difference in as many other people's lives as possible. - Sir Richard Branson



Gail Lynne Goodwin the creator of Inspire Me Today recently met with Sir Richard Branson founder of the Virgin Group. Gail writes, "I had the honor of spending a few hours with Sir Richard Branson at his home on Necker Island, in the British Virgin Islands. As I walked into his home, I found him lying in a hammock in an alcove of the great room, open to the warm tropical breezes, overlooking the multi-colored turquoise Caribbean Sea. Bliss.

"Barefoot and dressed in swim shorts and a tee shirt, he looked more like a Jimmy Buffett fan rather than the founder of the Virgin Group, best known as the only person in the world to have created eight separate billion-dollar companies from scratch, each in a different sector.

Since my return, the number one question I've been asked is, "What did you learn from Richard Branson?"

As I listen to their conversation I realized that Sir Richard Branson is not only living an inspired life - he also articulated the elements that have nourished and continue to nourish his inspired life. He is a person who not only dreams big - he brings big dreams to life. Listen to Gail's interview with Sir Richard Branson

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A good blogger finds "a good MOle!"

review & giveaway - the lazy gourmet cookbook
Wednesday, July 6, 2011



As most of you might know...I love to cook! I have tried everything from easy recipes that you can make in minutes to very advanced recipes that take all day to create. The fact is that I love food...I love to prepare it, cook it, serve it and eat it. The Lazy Gourmet is a wonderful recipe book that offers gourmet style cooking in a fraction of the time.





I was so excited that The Lazy Gourmet had a recipe for Chicken Mole. I happen to love Mole and have only eaten twice in my life, but, my husband hates it. This recipe literally took me about 15 minutes of prep time and about 55 minutes of cooking time. It was extremely easy to prepare and was super delicious. My husband even said..."now this is good Mole!" The chicken was moist and easy to cut through. The sauce was rich and mildly spicy ...very comforting.




But, the cookbook just keeps getting better! They have recipes for Spicy Crab Cakes (as pictured below) and Sweet Peach Crostini and Top Sirloin with Charmoula on a bed of Arugula. The cook book offers recipes from appetizers, main courses to desserts. This will definitely be a recipe book that I will use over and over again throughout the years.









ABOUT THE LAZY GOURMET (from their website):
The Lazy Gourmet: Magnificent Meals Made Easy is a hip, fun, and useful guide for anyone who dreams of dazzling guests with fabulous home-cooked fare, but fears that such a feat would require Thomas Keller’s talent, Martha Stewart’s ingenuity, Gandhi’s patience, and Charles Manson’s free time. With more than 125 delightfully simple, yet surprisingly sophisticated recipes, The Lazy Gourmet conquers the misguided belief that preparing an elegant meal requires spending hours—or days—in the kitchen.

Best friends who met in college and bonded over the dinner table, Robin Donovan and Juliana Gallin are creative cooks whose motto is “Cooking a great meal can be just as easy as cooking a crappy meal!” They developed this collection of recipes that anyone— even those short on time, patience, skill, or experience —can prepare with ease. And these aren’t your typical “quick fix” dishes, but sophisticated meals designed to impress, such as:

Soy-Ginger Cured Salmon
Fig, Mint and Pistachio Salad
Asian-Style Yellow Gazpacho with Spicy Cilantro Pesto
Oven-Roasted Salmon with Garlic Confit
Seared Sea Scallops with Mint and Pea Purée
Black Cod en Papillote with Fennel, Baby Spinach, and Olives
Top Sirloin with Charmoula on a Bed of Arugula
Pistachio-Crusted Roast Leg of Lamb with Spiced Yogurt-Cilantro Sauce
Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Horseradish Cream
Baked Polenta with Mascarpone and Corn
Miniature Flourless Chocolate Cakes
Pignoli Amaretti (Almond and Pine Nut Cookies)
Sweet Peach Crostini
Orange Crème Fraîche Cake with Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze

*** WANNA WIN THE LAZY GOURMET COOKBOOK?***

Got Inspiration? Look no further!

Our author of the upcoming "The Inspired Life" talks about her "inspiration" to study inspiration!

Susyn Reeve

“It’s the meaning that I ascribe to the circumstances of my life that result in whether I experience myself as victorious in my life, or whether I feel victimized by life. When things aren’t working the way I think they should … I really need to remember that I get to choose the meaning that I give to the circumstance.”


Toni Reece: Welcome to the Get Inspired! Project. I’m Toni Reece, and today I am with Susyn Reeve. Susyn, welcome to the Get Inspired! Project.

Susyn Reeve: I’m thrilled to be here with you today, Toni.

Toni: Thank you. Susyn, take a moment and tell us a little bit about yourself.

Susyn: Certainly, in terms of this Project, when I was a teenager I wrote in my journal, “What would the world be like if everybody loved themselves?” That question has been my inspiration in work that I’ve done with corporate clients, in the individual coaching that I do, and in my new book that’s coming out in September called The Inspired Life.

Toni: Thank you for that. Let’s go into the first question. What does inspiration mean to you?

Susyn: When I think about the word inspiration, I think about being ‘in spirited,’ living from the inside out, and what I mean by that is that my thoughts and my actions are generated and aligned with my purpose. For me, that very much has been influenced by the Gandhi quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

In my personal life and in my professional life, I’m deeply inspired by working with people to have their self-esteem blossom, and personally I’m deeply committed to expanding and deepening my capacity to give and receive love.

Toni: How do you put that into practice? Can you give us an example?

Susyn: Sure. First of all, I’m very clear that in order to live a life from the inside out that I need regular, consistent practice. I have a personal toolkit of sorts, and in that is it’s really important for me to spend some time meditating. It’s crucial that I spend time in nature.

After years of using a mantra of ‘thoughts create,’ when I’m knocked off center and feel disconnected from the essence of who I am, from the greater field of life, more often than not, sooner rather than later, that mantra pops into my mind, and it’s a reminder to start paying attention to what thoughts am I thinking that are generating the feelings that I’m having? Then, make up new thoughts that support what I desire.

Toni: I like that. Is there a specific example that you’ve applied that to as you were going through your career or your life that you could share?

Susyn: Sure. It came up with my new book, The Inspired Life. I was stuck. I could call it writer’s block, but I had just spent weeks writing about living an uninspired life, and so I was very focused on fear, anxiety, worry, expectations and judgments. I started judging myself as to whether or not I could really complete this project in the deadline that I had. I would sit down to write every day, and I’d just read over what I’d already written. I wasn’t making any progress.

Then I heard those words in my head, ‘thoughts create,’ and I thought, “Okay, what are thoughts that will help you get this manuscript completed?”

I started writing down a list of thoughts: I follow through on commitments. I get things done. I’ve already written one book; I can do this. I can ask for help if I need it.

That action of writing down possibilities that were in alignment with the result that I desired really changed my energy. I would say that I wrote the bulk of the book in a month.

Toni: Wow – by using that tool and changing your thought process, it really did get you into action, didn’t it?

Susyn: Exactly. What’s really important in this is that I spent probably 45 minutes writing new thoughts that day, because it wasn’t enough simply to have the thought. I had to feel those thoughts in my body. So at the end of that journal page after I wrote for 45 minutes, in bold letters I wrote, “Yes I can!” I could really feel every cell of my body dancing to that tune.

Toni: What has your greatest life lesson been to date?

Susyn: It’s been that humans – certainly, I am, and all humans are – meaning-making machines. It’s the meaning that I ascribe to the circumstances of my life that result in whether I experience myself as victorious in my life, or whether I feel victimized by life.

When things aren’t working the way I think they should, or I’m feeling as though the task before me is bigger than I am, I really need to remember that I get to choose the meaning that I give to the circumstance.

Toni: I love that. What would you like your legacy to be?

Susyn: I’m smiling as I say this. If I had something written on my tombstone, I’d like it to say that I was the world’s greatest lover; I’m continually discovering and expanding my capacity to give and receive love in all arenas of my life.

Toni: Susyn, it’s been a pleasure to have you on the Get Inspired! Project.

Susyn: Thanks so much, Toni. I’m inspired by talking with you.

Toni: Thank you. Take care.

Susyn: Thanks. You too.

www.self-esteem-experts.com