Awesome steak marinade
Maybe today is the start of your long weekend already if you booked off Friday. Or perhaps you can hardly wait for 4pm to come tomorrow and then three whole days of freedom!
Here is one last recipe to share before you go. It’s a smoky, Spanish-style marinade that is perfect for steak or chicken, but mostly steak. Paprika, garlic and cumin all have anti-inflammatory components for good health.
Ingredients
-1 Tbsp sweet smoked paprika
-1 clove garlic, minced
-1 tsp ground black pepper
-1/2 tsp ground cumin
-1 Tbsp Kosher salt
-1 Tbsp fresh thyme
-2 Tbsp olive oil
-1/2 lemon, juiced
Preparation
1. Combine all the dry ingredients together in a small bowl.
2. Add minced garlic to dry ingredients.
3. Juice lemon into bowl.
4. Drizzle olive oil into dry ingredients and whisk.
5. Once marinade is done place meat into bowl and coat.
serves 2.
Tip: you can marinade the meat in the bowl, covered for up to 2 days.
Enjoy.
By the dawn’s early bike
EARTH: The Pale Blue Dot from Michael Marantz on Vimeo.
Isn’t that video from Carl Sagan wonderful? We live on a beautiful planet. My morning commute describes this.
This morning I biked to my Winnipeg boot camps and I just wanted to share my reflections on a quiet, morning bike ride through our fair city.
Living in Charleswood has added an extra 9 km to my bike ride compared to when I used to live downtown, but the scenic route I take is totally worth it.
Thankfully I checked the weather forecast this morning because it was a chilly +1 outside when I left at 5:02am. No frost, mind you, but there was a dampness in the air that reminded me of Washington, DC.
As I made my way down Grant, I was met by a herd (literally, there were 6 of them) white tailed deer mulling around the Assiniboine Forest bike path. I think they were out there having their breakfast, so I can’t blame them – breakfast is the most important meal to start off your day…even for deer.
The sun was just starting to poke out along the horizon. It’s amazing how much daylight we have, even since the start of May. No longer is it dark at o’dark thirty.
This happened to me on Monday as did this morning, but there is a marked temperature change from the section of Grant by the forests and the section of Grant near Kenaston. It felt like a whoosh of heat, I would say about 4 or more degrees increase moving from the treed area to more residential and buildings (and the heat they absorb). My hands, which were starting to get uncomfortably cold, warmed once I got past Kenaston.
As I continued on my route, Jubilee was my next road system. Right near the BDI drive in, I turned off down the foot bridge. While it is under repairs right now, it was those repairs that slowed me down enough to truly appreciate the stillness of the Red River in the morning. It was quiet, still, and beautiful. I would have never noticed that had I been biking my regular pace. Maybe God does this at times for a reason; to take in the beauty God created.
Off the bridge onto Kingston Row the sights turned to sounds; here was a symphony of birds singing, maybe a bit of serenading to me. I think I heard robins, finches and those red winged black birds. It was at that moment when I thought about writing this blog post…it dawned on me how blessed I am to be able to bike to my boot camps. To experience this morning beauty…my own little tranquil time.
Just a kilometer further, right by the canoe club golf course, I could see the morning fog off the course. I was fascinated by that mystic fog that hung over the water hazards like a sheer drape. It was eerie and beautiful at the same time, because it just hung there alone, and separate from the other fog patch. It was close enough to the fence that I could feel the moisture from the fog on my face. Tiny droplets that felt crisp and cold.
My last leg of my morning bike journey welcomed the sun rise out in the Eastern skies. It had a pinkish, orange glow and like that (snap) all of nature awakes.
I wonder if most morning commuters really take the time to enjoy those Manitoba sunrises? Probably not. Too many are too busy.
I’m not sure what you will take out of this blog post. I really just felt inspired to share a May morning with you from the vantage point of a cyclist.
I guess what I want you to think about today is a sense of appreciation. For nature. For the beauty of our city. For all the magnfiicence out there…if we just take a moment to actually look at it and take it all in.
And if you don’t get the moment to savor this beauty, then maybe ask yourself why you don’t take it ? Or why are you so distracted? Is it work, your family troubles, money issues, your fitness plateaus? What is on your mind this morning…mostly negative self thoughts?
Maybe it’s time for a checkup from the neck up.
I’m here to help.
Yours in health,
Sara
May long weekend recipe
In my Winnipeg boot camps this morning I heard many boot campers mention how they cross off the days until the May long weekend – for many Manitobans the unofficial start of the summer season.
While I have a summer grilling guide ready for you on Friday, I’m going to give you an extra recipe that is made from one of my favorite grains – quinoa (pronounced keen-wa). Quinoa is delicious and versatile, plus for those like me who eat gluten free, it’s packed full of protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates.
Quinoa Pesto Pilaf
You can serve this dish alongside barbecued fish or chicken or try it with grilled chicken kabobs and a Greek salad (will be in my recipe guide).
1 cup quinoa (be sure to rinse it thoroughly to wash off the bitter film on it)
1 cup chopped, drained oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
3 Tbsp pesto (you can use a store bought or try this homemade recipe below)
1 Tbsp olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1. In a saucepan, bring 2 cups water to boil over high heat. Add quinoa, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until quinoa is tender and liquid is almost absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand, covered for 5 minutes.
2. Using a fork, gently stir in sun dried tomatoes, pesto and oil. Season to taste with ground pepper.
Pesto
If you visit northwestern Italy then you’ll find pesto on every menu at every restaurant…it’s a staple because that’s where it originated from. Bright green basil, rich olive oil and just enough garlic, it’s a fresh taste for rice, quinoa or pasta. This is a recipe for 3-4 servings, but pesto can keep in the fridge for a couple days.
Kosher salt
5 cups fresh basil leaves (about 1 bunch)
1/4 finely grated Parmesan
1 Tbsp pine nuts
1 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/4 or a bit more extra virgin olive oil
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Set a colander in a large bowl of ice water (makes it easier to strain the basil later). Working in batches, blanch basil for 10 seconds in hot water then using a slotted spoon transfer basil to colander in ice water, letting cool completely. Set aside 1/2 cup blanching water.
2. Drain basil by lifting colander from ice water. Using your hands, squeeze excess water from basil; transfer basil to paper towels.
3. Place blanched basil, 1/4 cup Parmesan, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until well combined, adding blanching water by tablespoons full if needed to thin it out. Process until a smooth, thick purée forms, about 1 minute.
4. Transfer bail mixture to a medium bowl and stir in olive oil. Season to taste with salt.
Enjoy.
Speaking of basil, I just had to include this funny video of another Basil…Basil Fawlty and my favorite skit on the Germans.
Taking responsibility for our life path
As we start off this week I wanted to focus in on an area that many in our society are having a hard time coming to grips with.
Blame.
Over the weekend I was at a LIFE leadership seminar and while the speakers weren’t talking about blame in their discussions, I wrote down that word and circled it in my notes.
I can’t remember the moment where I put that down, but I do know why I was thinking that.
It was to be a mental reminder that the only blame I can ever place is at my own feet.
I think it has a lot to do with the book I’m reading right now, called Resolved: 13 Resolutions for LIFE, by Orrin Woodward.
Having re-read the first chapter on “Purpose” about, oh, three times already, I’m spending some serious time thinking about my life’s purpose and the gifts I have been given by God to fulfill that purpose. That is, if I take the action necessary to actually live a life on purpose.
That takes me back to blame and maybe you’re wondering how I’m tying this in.
Unfortunately, many, many people do not come close to living out their purpose in life. Mundane. Mediocre. Boring. Status quo. With the herd.
That’s what most settle for. And not getting out of the rut usually leads to the blame game.
-> “I didn’t get to spend more time with my family because of my boss.”
-> “I didn’t mend my broken relationship with my sister because it was really she, who started it.”
-> “I don’t have a happy marriage because my wife is so hard to get along with.”
-> “I’m fat because I don’t have time to eat so I end up going to the drive thru a couple times a week. It’s not my fault.”
The common theme here is blame. Blaming someone else or something else for our own problems.
By blaming, we take the onus off of us. Yep, we can wipe our hands clean. But only for a little while. We know better. God knows better.
We are not blameless. And choosing that path is the easy way out.
The more I immerse myself in the rich leadership material available to me through LIFE, the more I come to terms with the blame game I, too, have played in the past. And the more I resolve to change.
Because my purpose in life is becoming more clear (actually, the most clear it has been ever), I realize that to be the kind of leader I was meant to be, I cannot blame anything except…me.
That means my actions or inactions are decisions I have made. My choices.
That also means I have the power to really achieve my purpose driven life by taking responsibility for each thing I do. To read 30 minutes each day. Or not. To fill my mind with positive messages like motivating audio cds. Or not. To associate with people who are positive and purpose-driven. Or not.
Where are you at in the blame game? Look over your life and think hard about how much you blame on outside factors, instead of on your decisions to act or not? It’s not going to be easy, but it will be worthwhile.
Before I go, here’s a little Rocky video that touches on this very point about blame. Enjoy (but don’t blame me if you don’t like it 
Top 5 perfect Mother’s Day gifts
So yesterday I gave dad and the kids a Mother’s day menu that is 100% Trainer approved…not something you get everyday. The only problem is that mom may expect that meal more often now (and she does deserve that anyways, right?).
With four days to go before Mother’s Day, I wanted to switch from good food to great gifts that mom will love. And of course, they will have a healthy component to them.
Straight from this Winnipeg blog, here are my Top 5 Mother’s Day gifts that must find their way into her hands:
#5 – 1 hour Massage therapy gift certificate.
With work, workouts, kids, husbands and dozens of activities on the go, this all equals stress. A therapeutic massage is the best way to help tired and stiff muscles and leave mom feeling like butter after the treatment. There are a couple types of massages to choose from, so pick wisely.
*A relaxing massage is just that, it feels good and may involve some scented oils to aid in relaxation. Most spas offer something like this. Think Ten Spa.
*A deep tissue or therapeutic massage is going to be more intensive, with the massage therapist working out muscle adhesions, tight spots, and aiding in muscle recovery. if mom works out a lot, this might be a good choice. Most sports clinics offer this type like Massage Athletica.
*Hot stone massage is when heated stones are first placed on the body to speed up the muscle warming. It feels pretty cool (well, hot…you get the picture) to have stones placed along the back.
#4 – Boot camp gift cards.
With summer coming soon enough, a gift card to a month or more of boot camp is a super gift idea, in my humble opinion. I just offered a Mother’s Day special of 3 months for $199 to get mom feeling amazing and a few inches smaller before summer. Many boot camps are in Winnipeg, including my own at www.sweatmarks.com so check out what is in your neighborhood. Remember that you want to look for a program within 5-8 minutes from home, any more time and it becomes an excuse to not go.
#3 – Motivational and Life-Changing books.
I have come across some amazing books in the last year thanks to the LIFE business. Now I know that most moms don’t have or make the time to really read some life changing information outside of the fluffy books out there. Not that there isn’t a time and place for that – like the Twilight series or other types of fiction. But I’m not here to offer up fluff. I want to make a difference in your mom’s life, so listen up. Give mom one of these books, give her some time alone to start reading these books and then leave her alone for a bit.
Some of the titles that I know moms would find great value include:
*“Personality Plus” by Florence Littauer
*”Personality Plus for Parents” by Florence Littauer
*”Love and Respect: The Love She Most Desires, The Respect He Desperately Needs” by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
*“The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman
*“The Five Love Languages of Children” by Gary Chapman
*“The DNA of Relationships” by Dr. Gary Smalley
#2 Gift – Healthy Supper Out
Because you accessed the healthy breakfast menu that I offered up yesterday, you have breakfast taken care of. Now, what are you doing for supper? Here are a list of my favorite restaurants that offer up organic, grass-fed meats, and wholesome food options:
- FUDE – 99 Osborne Street, unit 303
- Fusion Grill – 550 Academy Road
- Inferno’s Bistro – 312 rue Des Meurons
- The Peasant Cookery – 283 Bannatyne Avenue
#1 Gift – Homemade Gift Certificates
Sometimes the best gifts are those that come from the heart made by you. Some examples can include:
1) gift certificates for 3 free Saturdays of house cleaning done by dad and the kids (includes laundry, vacuuming, washroom cleaning, and dusting) - 1 year expiration date
2) gift certificates for walking/running partner (30-60 minutes). Maybe your mom needs a bit of motivation to go for a walk and really wants someone to come along with her…be that person
3) gift certificates to handle the weekly grocery shopping, menu planning and grocery piling up
So there you have it, my top 5 gift ideas to make your Mother’s Day a very special one for mom.
