DAY 332 OF 365: TIP OF THE WEEK

So I am back with my tip of the week. Cucumbers are great juiced and even better for your face. After juicing your cucumbers, use the pulp or remnants of the cucumber that can not be juiced and use it as a face wash. You will see a huge difference in your skin. I do the same with lemons. Great for my pores. Well, off to bed. Till tomorrow.

DAY 331 OF 365: LOVE ME SOME COLLARD GREENS

Who would have thought that a leafy green would bring me such pleasure. I had a yearning for some greens and thought I would give the below recipe a try from Greens, Glorious Greens. I had heard rumors that collard greens were not the easiest to cook but took a chance that luck was on my side. What followed was pure Ecstasy. I have made a new friend in collards and I feel that I might be inviting them for lunch and dinner more often. Give the recipe a try and see if you fall in love too.

Collard Greens and Caramelized Onions

3/4 pound collard greens (6 to 7 cups, chopped)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 onions, sliced into crescents
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt to taste

Wash collards, remove stalks and stack 4 to 5 leaves. Slice into strips, approximately 1/4 inch wides and set aside.
In a large skillet or cast-iron pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and sweet. Take care not to burn. Add garlic and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes, until golden.
While the onions are cooking, bring 2 to 3 cups of water to a boil in a 10 to 12 inch skillet with a lid. Add collards, cover, and cook over high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The greens are cooked when they are tender but still bright green. Drain in a colander and set aside.
Add greens to onions and garlic. Season with salt to taste and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes to heat through. Serve hot, drizzled with additional olive oil is you dare.


Well I hope that you enjoy this recipe. I know that I did. Now it is off to bed for me. Early session with JC in the morning before a hectic day of meetings at the office. Change is a brewing and that is always a good thing. Till tomorrow.

DAY 330 OF 365: BACK TO THE GYM

So today was my first day back to the gym since Thanksgiving and I am sore as hell. Between the squats and the chest and arm work that we did, I am surprised that I am able to type this entry in the blog. I have noticed that JC no longer takes it easier with me. The days of easing me into the workouts are over and now it is all about jumping right in and pushing my body till it can't go any more. One thing is for sure though, I need to go grocery shopping. I made a nice home cooked meal last night and took the left overs to work today, but now the fridge is looking pretty bare. Hopefully I can make it over to the grocery store sometime this week. I want to try out some new recipes this weekend and I am also craving my holiday guilty pleasure. It is not at all healthy or for that matter even good for me, but what holiday season would be complete without eggnog! With all my hard work at the gym and in the kitchen, I say I deserve some eggnog. Well, I am off to bed. Busy day at the office. Till tomorrow.

DAY 329 OF 365: I LOVE BRUSSELS SPROUTS

I love Brussels sprouts. I hated them as a kid but now I can't get enough of them. My mother gave me some fresh Brussels sprouts (not frozen) to take home from Thanksgiving and tonight I decided to cook them up. Try out my recipe and see what you think. I think that it was a hit with my dinner guests this evening.

Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Walnuts

2 lbs Brussels sprouts, cleaned and cut in half
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 apples, peeled and diced into chunks (baking apple preferred)
1 cup of walnuts, chopped
2 tbsp of maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste
fresh basil and garlic to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the Brussels sprouts, oil, apples, salt, pepper, basil and garlic in a large zip lock baggie and shake up till it is mixed well and spread on a baking sheet. Bake the sprout mixture in the oven for about 35 minutes, mixing it occasionally so as to not brown on only one side. After 35 minutes, pull the baking sheet out and drizzle the maple syrup on the sprouts and sprinkle the chopped walnuts on top. Mix in and bake for another ten minutes or until nice and brown. Serve immediately.

Well, I am off to bed. I am meeting with JC in the morning. Should be an interesting session since this is the first time back since Thanksgiving. Wish me luck! Till tomorrow.

DAY 328 OF 365: BACK TO GREENS

So now that I am juicing more, it makes sense that I would get back into the habit of cooking with greens. This weekend I tried out a new recipe that I thought I would share. Of course it is from my favorite cookbook, Greens Glorious Greens.  I have to admit that I could have eaten this by itself, but it is the perfect side dish. This dish has a subtle flavor of basil and a zip of lemon juice. Try adding 1 cup of fresh corn for additional flavor, color and crunch.

Lemon - Basil Kale

3/4 pound of Kale (about 6 cups chopped)
2 cups of water
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
15 fresh basil leaves, washed and cut into fine ribbons
salt to taste
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Wash kale and strip the leaves off the stalks. Discard the stalks. Chop the kale into bit sized pieces. Bring water to a boil in a 10 to 12 inch skillet that has a tight fitting lid. Add the kale, cover, and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Remove and drain.

Rinse out and dry the skillet, then use it to heat the olive oil over the medium heat, lifting and tilting the pan to coat. Add garlic and sizzle for 10 to 15 seconds, stirring constantly to prevent browning and burning.

Add basil and saute for 15 seconds more. Add kale and stir until heated through. Season to taste with salt. Stir in lemon juice and serve immediately.


Well all, I am about to retire to the couch with a good movie. Hard to believe the holiday season is upon us. I might actually tune into a holiday classic and try and get into the spirit. Until tomorrow.

DAY 327 OF 365: LEFTOVERS

So Thanksgiving is over and there are leftovers to be had. As with most holiday gatherings I ate way too much and had one too many drinks but catching up with family was worth it. The laughter was heard throughout the house and there was not a bored guest to be seen. Now I wish that I could tell you that I ate healthy, but lets face it, we all get a free pass around the holidays. It just means that I have to work out a lot harder and believe me, I will. So with that, I bid you good night. Till tomorrow.

DAY 325 OF 365: BREAK FOR THANKSGIVING

Holiday time is here and that means traveling and spending time with Family. Be back blogging on Friday. Till then, have a happy and safe Thanksgiving.