Clean eating/ketogenic recipe - Feta-covered Tomatoes with Chicken

.Here is tonight's dinner. I always make extra chicken and tomatoes which I chop and toss all together in a salad. That way I have lunch the next day. Super yummy and saves a ton of time and money.

What are you having for dinner tonight? Feta-covered Tomatoes with Chicken 4 servings

Prep time: 5 min Cook time: 30 min Total time: 35 min

Ingredients • 6 tomatoes • 1/2 cup sour cream • 5 oz. feta cheese • Salt and pepper to taste • 4 chicken breasts • Butter

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Rinse the tomatoes. 3. Cut a small piece off each end of the tomatoes (so that they can stand upright) and then cut them in half. 4. In a bowl, mix the sour cream with the feta cheese. 5. Add salt and pepper, and mix. 6. Spread the mixture on the tomatoes and place in oven. 7. Cook for about 30 minutes. 8. Meanwhile, rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towel. 9. Add salt and pepper to chicken. 10. Heat a pan on high heat and add butter. 11. Add the chicken and fry it on both sides until it gets color and is fully cooked. 12. Serve the chicken with the tomatoes. Enjoy!

Recipe from the book - Eat more Fatty! and lose weight

Boston Marathon

.Today our thoughts goes out to the victims of the Marathon bombings in Boston last year.

Ketogenic salad - Green Bean Salad with Blue Cheese, Bacon, and Pecans

.Here is a great salad that will compliment Sunday's dinner well. Hope you have a great weekend and enjoy the holiday!

Green Bean Salad with Blue Cheese, Bacon, and Pecans 4 servings

Prep time: 5 min Cook time: 25 min Total time: 30 min

Ingredients • ½ pound of green beans • 5 pieces of bacon • 3.5 oz. crumbled blue cheese • ¼ cup pecans • Black pepper (to taste)

Directions 1. Rinse the beans and cut off the ends. 2. Set a pot of water to boil. Add green beans to boiling water and boil for 2 minutes. 3. Rinse the beans with cold water or put them in a bowl with ice cubes to cool down. 4. Drain the beans and place them in a serving bowl. 5. Chop the bacon and set aside. 6. Meanwhile, heat up a frying pan on medium heat. 7. Add the bacon and fry until crisp. 8. Place the bacon on some paper towels on a plate to drain excess fat. 9. Heat up a dry non-stick pan on medium heat and roast the pecans quickly (make sure they don’t burn). 10. Mix the green beans and bacon in the bowl and sprinkle with the cheese; serve. Enjoy!

Feng Shui Makeover - your career

.Time for another feng shui post. This is about your career.

By updating our office space we can attract success in our careers:

- Personalize your office space and express who you are. - Add career inspiration to your office. Add photos of people who inspire you, or classical feng shui career success images such as a running horse. - Make sure the energy can flow through your office by keeping it clean and organized. - Move your desk so that you don't sit with your back to the door or the window. - Stimulate creativity by adding vibrant colors. - Keep healthy green plants in your office to purify the air and bring fresh and vibrant energy. - Adding a map of the world in your office is a good feng shui cure to open up your career path to more possibilities.

My home office. The room has four doors so it's impossible to not have my back to the door. We will see how it will impact my career...

Home project

.What do you do with a room that has 3 doors, a window, a staircase and is too small for any furniture? You turn it into a library! Here is my latest home project.

Before - walls filled with wholes and old paint. The room didn't have a purpose.

Added four layers of ultra pure white...

After. A new closet, plenty of space for books and a new light in the window for extra light for piano playing.

Clean Eating Recipe - Garlic-Cilantro Shrimp Rotini

.This is one of my favorite shrimp recipes - Garlic-Cilantro Shrimp Rotini. It is a great recipe for entertaining. It's festive but yet very easy to make, and every one I've served it to has loved the flavorful dish.

Garlic-Cilantro Shrimp Rotini

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh cilantro • 1 tsp dried oregano • 3 cloves garlic • 1 tsp red pepper flakes • 1/3 cup olive oil • 2 ½ tbsp red wine vinegar • Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper • 8 oz whole-wheat rotini pasta • 20 medium raw shrimp • Salad: arugula, pine nuts, grated parmesan, olive oil and salt.

Directions

1. Make the salad: roast the pine nuts quickly in a pan with a little bit of olive oil, in a bowl mix with the nuts with the arugula and drizzle with olive oil, salt and parmesan. 2. Clean the shrimp and set aside. 3. Prepare sauce: Using a food processor or mixer, pulse cilantro, oregano, garlic and red pepper flakes until combined. While food processor/mixer is running, add oil and vinegar. Stir in salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside. 4. Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside. 5. In a large saucepan on medium heat, cook the shrimp for about 4-5 minutes. 6. Add pasta and garlic-cilantro mixture and cook, stirring often, for another 1-2 minutes. 7. Serve with the salad. Enjoy!

This week's workout challenge

.Ready for new week? I am! How about sculpting our arms this week? I've never liked my arms, but that is about to change. I've put together a challenge that is going to last for as long as you would like. You start with 10 push-ups the first day and then add a push-up every day. Let's see how far we can go!

So let's kick off this week's workout challenge, and say after me - it's going to be a great week!

Life without chocolate?!

.What would life be without chocolate? It is after all heaven wrapped in paper. When you eat 75% or 90% dark chocolate, you can even eat it without any guilt! Here is one of my favorite brands. You can buy it here.

I eat it as is, or use it in one of my favorite chocolate mousse recipes:

Chocolate Mousse

4-6 servings Prep time: 2 min Cook time: 10 min Total time: 12 min

Ingredients

• 1 bar dark chocolate (4 oz.) - 70% or 85% cacao • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream • 1 egg yolk • 1 tsp. vanilla powder • Raspberries (optional)

Directions

1. Whip the cream for about 3 minutes on high using an electric mixer. It shouldn't be too firm or too runny. 2. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler on the stove. 3. Add the vanilla powder to the cream. 4. Add the melted chocolate little by little to the cream and fold it in. 5. Separate the egg and add the egg yolk to the cream. 6. Using the mixer, mix for about 5-10 seconds. 7. Serve with some berries (optional).

Enjoy!

You can find more recipes in my book here.

Stellibell home project

.Can't let the week pass by without a home project. This week's project was to paint the legs on this bench which I built a couple of years ago. I painted them white (they used to be brown) to go with the rest of the colors in the dining room. Which are...you guessed it! White! My favorite color.

There is nothing better for the soul then a little home project!

Quality of life

.I talk a lot about how to take care of yourself so that you can be healthy and enjoy life, I post delicious recipes which are healthy and easy to cook, I talk about how to make your surroundings pretty, and give lots of tips on how to save time so that you have extra time for the things you enjoy doing. In other words - all things that contribute to quality of life.

But one of the key things to having quality of life is figuring out what makes you happy and what you enjoy doing in your free time. What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time? When I started eating according to the ketogenic lifestyle I found that I had a lot of extra time (all that time I had spent on planning and thinking about food I now had back), and I needed more things to do and a new hobby. I started knitting!

I picked knitting for several reasons. I've have always wanted to learn to meditate, but without any success. When I start knitting I get so absorbed into the knitting and reading the directions that it becomes my own meditation. It clears my mind and calms me. Another reason is that I feel connected to my mom who passed away last August. She had a favorite pattern she would follow to make potholders, which our friends loved to receive as gifts. Now I'm keeping the tradition going at the same time as I'm taking care of my mind and soul.

So what is your favorite thing to do? Do you have a hobby that makes you happy and feeds your soul?

My next project?

Photo: Pinterest

Beef Steak with Red Onion Relish and Oven Roasted Potatoes

.This recipe has all the fancy flavor without all the work. Like all our recipes, it's clean, quick, easy and packed with flavor and vitamins.

Ingredients

• 1 24-oz baby red potatoes • ½ tsp salt • 1 pound boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut ¾-inch thick • ¼ tsp pepper • ¼ tsp salt • 2 tsp olive oil • 1 red onion • 1 8-oz can diced tomatoes • ¼ cup dry red wine • ½ tsp dried crushed sage

Directions

1. Slice the onion in thick slices and separate them into rings. Put aside. 2. Heat up the oven 400° degrees. 3. Clean the potatoes and cut them in half. Put them in a bowl and drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Mix well. 4. Spread out the potatoes on a baking pan and drizzle with ½ tsp salt. 5. Cook the potatoes for about 25-30 minutes, or until fork tender. 6. Meanwhile, trim the fat from the steak. 7. Cut the steak into 4 equal portions and rub each side with pepper. 8. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat. 9. Add the steaks and cook for about 12-13 minutes (turning halfway through) or until medium doneness. 10. Remove steaks from pan (leave drippings/sauce in pan), and cover to keep warm. 11. In the same pan, cook the onions for about 5-7 minutes or until crisp-tender. 12. Drain the tomatoes. 13. Add the tomatoes, wine, sage and salt to the pan and bring to a boil. 14. Cook for about 1-2 minutes or until most of the liquid is evaporated, stirring occasionally. 15. Place the steaks on a serving platter and spoon the Onion Relish over them. Serve with the potatoes.

Enjoy!

This week's workout challenge

.It's time to step it up!

I've been doing the weekly workout challenges three times a week. This week I will do this challenge every morning. I think it will be a nice way of kicking off the day. As I've mentioned before I'm not a morning workout person, so we'll see how this goes... But I'm committed! Are you?

Let's live!

Kicking of the weekend

.It's Friday! It's time to kick of the weekend!

Growing up my parents did a great job of kicking of the weekends on Fridays so that we all started relaxing and got ready to enjoy a couple of days off. My dad would cook a nice meal and my mom would clean up and light some candles. We would all hang out and play a game or watch a movie together. I think this is a great way to make sure everyone relaxes a little after a stressful week and enjoy some time together.

I want to continue this tradition in my family so my husband and I try to do this every Friday, but it's tough sometimes with a busy schedule. Sometimes Friday nights is the only night we have time to go to the grocery store. Depressing but true.

But tonight I'm going to serve some delish ketogenic snacks - parmesan chips, dip and olives - and kick off a great weekend. What are your plans?

Happy Friday!

Gratitude and happiness

.Phd. Robert A. Emmons recently conducted a study on gratitude at UC Davis which proved measurable benefits on psychological, physical, and interpersonal health for subjects who practice gratitude. He wrote that "Evidence on gratitude contradicts the widely held view that all people have a 'set-point' of happiness that cannot be reset by any known means." That means you can actually be happier if you practice gratitude. Gratitude and happiness - now proven by science.

So what are you thankful for today?

- Your family - Your friends - The nice weather - The smile you just got from someone - The great cup of coffee you are enjoying right now

So many things to be grateful for, and remember, it's the little things that make a big difference. So say thank you every day and let's live!

pinterest

Bacon vs. butter

.Have you discovered Google's nutrition comparison tool? It's worth checking out. Using this tool is as simple as searching for two types of food and adding the word "vs." between the two foods, or adding the word "compare" before the two foods.

I did a search for "bacon vs. butter", and I learned that I will get less carbs and more fat if I eat bacon. Who knew?!? So bacon it is!

Check out my search results here.

Clean eating and ketogenic recipe - Lemon-Ginger Roasted Chicken Thighs

.A healthy, quick and easy Lemon-Ginger Roasted Chicken Thighs recipe which is easy made into a ketogenic meal by switching the rice for a salad.

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 35 mins Total time: 35-45 mins

Ingredients

• 1 ½ tsp olive oil, divided • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (4 large thighs) • ¼ tsp kosher salt • 1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper • 1 large shallot • 3 cloves garlic • 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger • 1 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth, divided • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice • 12 oz sugar snap peas • 1 cup brown rice • 1 cup low-fat coconut milk • 1/4 loosely packed cup sliced fresh basil

Directions

1. Slice the shallots thinly. 2. Mince the garlic. 3. Mince the ginger. 4. Rinse the peas and cut off the ends. 5. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. 6. Preheat oven to 400ºF. 7. Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet, heat 1 tsp oil on medium-high. 8. Season chicken on all sides with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Cook, turning once, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a large plate and set aside. 9. Reduce heat to low. In skillet, heat remaining ½ tsp oil. Add shallot and sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 3 minutes. 10. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 more minute, until fragrant. 11. Increase heat to high and add 1/4 cup broth and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring up brown bits from bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon. 12. Remove from heat. 13. Transfer mixture from skillet to an oven-safe pan and add the chicken, spooning broth mixture over top. Scatter peas onto mixture and transfer to oven. Bake for 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. 14. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine brown rice, remaining 1 cup broth and coconut milk. Heat on high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat and set aside. 15. To serve, fluff brown rice with a fork and stir in basil. Divide chicken and brown rice among serving plates and top chicken with pan juices.

Enjoy!

This week's workout challenge

.This week's workout challenge is a little bit different from the others. Even though Spring is taking its time to show up it's time to get outside to get some fresh air. I also added water to this week's challenge because drinking water does wonders to our health. I'm bad at times with drinking water, so I'm happy to have a challenge that will get me going and keep me motivated. I always feel a big difference in my energy level when I drink lots of water.

Fresh air, burning calories and dehydrating. You can't go wrong with that combination!

Stellibell inspiration - home

.A little inspiration for the home on a lovely day like this. Happy Friday!

Sugar feeds cancer

.I had a great conversation with a woman from Europe yesterday regarding sugar. It's so inspiring when you meet someone with the same beliefs and interests as yourself. We were discussing the impact sugar has on your health and how people in Europe are more aware of the dangers of sugar. Sugar feeds cancer. We need to raise the awareness about the dangers of sugar in the US!

Here is a great article about the subject.

This is how I feel about sugar. If you agree, you can buy one here.

Feng Shui Makeover – decluttering

.Time to continue my Feng Shui Makeover. I’m still keeping the foyer clean and inviting, so so far so good. The next thing I will tackle is clutter since the timing works perfect for a spring-cleaning. Feng Shui is all about moving energy, and de-cluttering your house will allow for the energy to move freely. Before you start de-cluttering it’s really important that you clean and dust your house. If your house is dirty, the energy circulating is dirty.

An easy process to de-clutter your house –

Go from room to room and check for: • Are the areas (tables, counters, desk, chairs etc) clean? • Do you have papers (mail, magazines, books, bills etc) laying around? • Look around and try to figure out what feeling the room is giving you. Do you have decorations that make you feel good? Do anyone of them have any negative associations? Does the room represent you, and your future goals?

Areas that is good to clean out ongoing:

• Your closet. Do you wear all the clothes in your closet? If not, clean it out and donate what you don’t wear • Toy room. If you have children, make them a part of the process and teach them the value of donating toys to those in need. • The Pantry. Go through your pantry and throw out food that has expired.

Questions to ask yourself while de-cluttering:

• Do I need this? • When was the last time I used it? • Do I love it?

Clutter affects your whole life, since it will pull down your energy (feelings like tired, confused, difficulties to focus, overwhelmed etc). So de-clutter and let the positive energy flow. This is Feng Shui Makeover you will feel the affects of immediately!

No clutter