Sexy Domestic Aqua Fit Water Workout

Summertime can be the most trying time for staying fit for most of us. Vacations, state fairs, BBQs...all things that invite pigging out on all of our favorite but naughty nibbles, yet the hot weather is telling us to strip down and bare it all! How do we keep things in tip top shape yet still enjoy the delights of summer?

I recently joined a gym that has a pool which I'm overjoyed about because I love a good dip but had no idea how quickly this would become my favorite way of getting fit. See, I have problems with aching joints after a hard workout or run but that gets totally eliminated when working out in the pool. So I did some experimenting with kicks and swimming laps and then decided to come up with my own set program. After just a couple weeks I lost almost all of my gained vacation weight and was feeling toned without all the aches and pains. Best of all, it works nearly every muscle in your body and it's actually fun to do!

So there, beat the heat whilst getting fit at the same time. Now theres no excuse. Back to the pool! 

Ps...Swimming can burn around 700 calories an hour!

Grilled Blue Cheese Stuffed Figs w/ Grilled Red Onion on Mixed Greens Drizzled with a Strawberry Satsuma Balsamic Reduction

This recipe is perfect for an al fresco summer evening. I made the balsamic reduction earlier in the day to get it out of the way as it can take some time to complete, but definitely easy and worth the time. If you don't have a grill, the broiler in your oven works just fine for the onions and blue cheese figs. All the flavors blend so well together and are especially well accompanied with a nice cold Pimm's cocktail. Enjoy!

Strawberry Satsuma Balsamic Reduction

1 c. sliced strawberries
1 satsuma or tangerine cut in half
1 c. balsamic vinegar

Juice satsuma into a medium sauce pan then add the rinds, strawberries, and balsamic vinegar and boil on medium heat for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Then, with a slotted spoon, remove all fruit pieces and rind. Turn heat up to high and stir. The sauce will start to reduce and get thicker. Turn off and remove from heat once it seems the liquid has reduced to about 1 cup(less if you desire a thicker reduction) about 20-25 mins. Pour into glass bowl and set aside in room temperature till ready to use.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Grilled Figs and Grilled Red Onions on Mixed Greens

4 fresh figs quartered 
1/3 c. blue cheese
1/2 large red onion sliced
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 bag of fresh mixed leafy greens
salt and pepper to taste

 Preheat broiler or grill. Add onion and figs to a large bowl and drizzle with 2 Tbs of olive oil and dashes of salt and pepper(I used a special flavored pepper that I found at a farm stand but any pepper will work just fine). Remove figs and line them up skin side down on a board. Toss onion in remaining olive oil till evenly coated(figs are too delicate to toss). Remove onion from bowl and replace with fresh mixed greens and toss with 1 more Tbs of olive oil and dash of salt and pepper, set aside.

Press chunks of blue cheese into the soft centers of each fig quarter then place on a foil lined baking sheet, evenly spaced and put into broiler or grill. Check on the figs every minute or so and remove once the cheese had melted and bubbling. Now put the onion in one layer onto a foil lined sheet and place under broiler or grill till browning occurs then remove. 

Toss onion into greens and then place figs on top for a beautiful display and drizzle the balsamic reduction over everything with a spoon. Now it's ready to dance on the taste buds! Ps....Don't forget the pims!

Recipe on my Instagram!

Quick Pet Tip: The Moat Bowl

It's summertime and we all know what that means...ANTS! Those of us with cats or dogs can find an ant problem especially annoying when it comes to our pet's food. Well recently, on a home visit to my vet, I saw that she had a perfect solution for such a problem: make a moat for your pet food bowl! The ants will not swim across the water and certainly can't jump, so take that stupid ants!

It's very simple to do.

1.) Pour a glass of water into a bowl that is larger than the food bowl.

2.) Place the food bowl inside of the water bowl making sure the water doesn't overflow into the food.

That's it! This is what it should look like.

Ant free and they love it!

Naked Faced: The Beauty of Going Bare

    

Make-up free and no photoshop touch ups. (oh and ps. I'm not nude, just wearing a tube top ;)

 Growing up, I always had a slight obsession with make-up and beauty products. I remember my Mom buying my sister and I a kiddie play make-up set with enough brightly colored blushes and eye shadows to supply a drag queen competition and we LOVED it. I think it was then, in my young mind, that I made a false observation: Make-up makes you pretty. We only ever used the make-up to play with and never wore it in public but soon came the teenage years when wearing make-up became very a serious matter. I felt fine without it until all my friends at school started bringing their massive collections of products and religiously applying them in the school bathroom every morning while I stood to the side and watched. I wanted to fit in. I wanted that glamorous ritual. 

Throughout my high school years I survived on what little make-up I could afford so my make-up kit was a lot smaller than the other girls but I remember thinking,"These girls don't need all that stuff!" But to them, it was life or death. I specifically remember events when someone had accidentally left their make-up at home and their whole day was ruined because their parents wouldn't bring it to school for them. And they looked fine! In fact, I always thought they looked more fresh and lovely.

So now as a grown up I've developed a special love for a bare face. Of course there are days when I haven't had enough sleep or I'm breaking out because of stress so I'll whack on a bit of cover up but sometimes trying to cover up a break out will actually make it worse. And with my job, the layers of foundations and powders applied can really suffocate my skin and I rejoice the moment I can wash it all away at the end of the day. Going sans make up is how you'll find me most of the time and I can't help but wish more women would do the same! I know way too many women that feel like they can't go out into the world without a full on make-up job(foundation, bronzer, blush, cover up, lashes, mascara...etc)  and it makes me a little sad that they don't realize their true beauty or even worse, are ashamed of it. 

And for all my single ladies, let's keep in mind that the sensible dudes out there are soooo not into mask like make-up. I know thats one of those things you read and think, "Pshh, yeah right.", but it's true! Ask any guy and he will tell you, he wants to see and get to know the REAL YOU. Imagine being able to shave off that extra 45 minutes when getting ready for a date. My boyfriend actually begs me not to wear lipstick on nights out because he hates not being able to kiss me when he wants to. Natural beauty is the kind of beauty everyone can admire. So keep it simple ladies or even bare if dare. 

Caenarfon Castle, North Wales

Last week we took a trip up to North Wales to hike Snowden and stayed in a quaint little town called Caenarfon. I was delighted to find this magnificent castle as we entered the town and couldn't wait to explore every inch! I'd never visited a real life castle before but it's something I've dreamed of since I was a young girl when the Excaliber Hotel and Casino in my hometown of Las Vegas was the closest I could get.

The view of the courtyard from the top of the Chamberlain Tower. Luckily we got there early before the crowds.

Caernarfon Castle (or Castell Caernarfon in Welsh) is an absolutely magical treasure. Built in 1283 by Edward I, It's been very well maintained and kept entirely intact over the centuries. Walking through the long hallways and up the winding spiral staircases, you can feel and breathe in the history all around you. We spent quite some time exploring the many cellars, balconies, and towers and still wondered if we saw everything! My imagination was running wild with thoughts of what went on in this place so many years ago. What was it like to be a royal or nobleman living your everyday life behind the castle walls? Who were these people? What were the battles like? With so many different eras having inhabited Caernarfon Castle, the possibilities are endless. So I'll just keep dreaming...

Me inside the well tower. It's mossy because it used to be filled with the castle's water supply. 

Entering the main castle door

A view from the kitchen window

One of many spiral staircases that lead up the castle towers. Some are so long they have large cut outs in the walls where you can have a rest.

This was a cellar where food was kept for storage for winter.

The Grand Hall. Over 100 ft long and incredible to walk through. Except when it gets dark in some areas...then it gets spooky.

Royal portraits. Thats King George VI who was depicted in the movie The Kings Speech.

And finally the view of the outside town from one of the towers.

Here's the wikipedia page with more info if you're interested....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caernarfon_Castle

Miso Sake Glazed Salmon w/ Pepper and Onion Sweet Corn Succotash

This recipe was the best Salmon I've EVER made in my life! Don't be alarmed by all the steps(poaching, baking then broiling). There are a few but they're quick and easy and are necessary for a perfect outcome. If you have trouble cooking fish properly, I promise this is a no-fault way. Oh and the marinade is to die for. No lemon or other sauce needed!

Miso Sake Gazed Salmon Ingredients

2 thick cut salmon fillets

Marinade
1/4 c. sake (any kind you like)
3 Tbs. white miso paste
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 1/2 Tbs. crushed garlic
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 tsp. black pepper

Whisk all marinade ingredients together and place in glass bowl or large Zip Lock with salmon fillets setting aside 1 Tbs of marinade for the corn succotash. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour. 

Meanwhile...start on this:

Pepper and Onion Sweet Corn Succotash

3 c. fresh or frozen corn(thawed)

1/3 c. chopped red onion

1/2 c. chopped bell pepper

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. miso sake marinade

In a skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onion, peppers and corn and sauté till browning occurs. Mix in the miso sake marinade and continue to sauté for about 3 minutes, stirring vigorously. Remove from heat and set aside in room temperature.

Now, back to the salmon! Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a large cast iron or oven safe skillet. Place salmon fillets skin side up into boiling water, keeping excess marinade to the side for later. After about 90 seconds, flip fillets to poach other side for another 90 seconds. 

Now it's time to bake! Remove all water from skillet, carefully keeping salmon intact. Pour the remaining marinade over salmon fillets and place into the preheated oven(400 degrees) on the middle rack for 6-8 minutes. Then, baste salmon tops with excess marinade, switch oven onto broil and place under broiler flames for about 2-3 minutes. Be sure to watch broil the whole time so burning doesn't occur. 

Remove from oven and let cool enough to serve. Enjoy on top of the room temperature sweet corn succotash. Yum!

My Ultimate LA Top Ten!

As many of you may know I am soon leaving LA after a fabulous 10 years. Thats 10 whole years of adventures, discoveries, wins and fails. It is, after all, a HUGE city with everything spread out and I've been lucky enough to have the time to really explore a lot of it. And when you find a gem...oh man, you want to shout it out to the world!

I've compiled a list of all my faves for all of you as part of my love letter to LA. It's been a pleasure living in this fine city and I want everyone to enjoy the things I have and hopefully love them just as much. Take care and be well. xoxo


1.) FAVE FANCY DINNER SPOTS:  Yu-N-MI Sushi in Beverly Hills, small and casual but the sushi is the best I've had in LA and well worth the high price;  Pace on Laurel Canyon, very cool underground atmosphere, great entrees;  Fig and Olive on La Cienega, fresh and spacious with amazing Mediterranean fair and Upper West in Santa Monica, Chef Nick is an absolute genius in the kitchen! Very creative dishes and hip young atmosphere.

                     

 Yu-N-MI roll                                                              Pace Restaurant

              









                My friend Owner/Chef Nick of Upper West


Tasty fresh appetizers at Fig and Olive

2.) FAVE BARS: Roger Room on La Cienega, very small but awesome music and fun cocktails; Frolic Room on Hollywood, authentically old school and cheesy which makes it amazing; Formosa on Santa Monica, also old school and cheap with yummy food too; Sunset Trocadero on Sunset Blvd., the best happy hour in town! Great patio too; Varnish in Downtown LA, dark little speakeasy in the back of Cole's with the best mixologists; and Township Saloon on Sunset, old west vibe with cheap drinks and shuffleboard.

       

                                     
3.) FAVE CHEAP THRILL: Boomers! in Upland. Go karts, Mini Golf, Cosmic Mini Golf, arcade games and more! We love this ghetto fabulous play place and it usually costs only about $45 for a whole day for 2 people.

4.) FAVE PLANT NURSERY: Xotx-Tropico in West Hollywood. I find the coolest exotic herbs and veggie plants here and always of good quality. And the owner, Leon, is always so helpful and will give you a great price. 

5.) FAVE PET SUPPLY STORES: Collar and Leash in West Hollywood and Zoom Room on La Brea. Both great for quality pet food and unique toys and not over priced. And Zoom Room has a pretty cool doggy playground!

                                                                                Zoom Room Doggie Play Area
6.) FAVE HIKES: Fryman Canyon near Studio City, It's $3 to park so it's usually less crowded which is a nice alternative to a packed Runyon especially when you have dogs. The last 1/3 of the hike is through a nice neighborhood, a perfect cool down; Griffith Park near Los Feliz, there are a few routes you can take and all are equally good in my opinion. Ending up at the observatory is a perfect spot for a picnic rest; Franklin Canyon near Beverly Hills, this park is huge and usually dead even though the many trails are all great. There's also a turtle pond with hundreds of all kinds of turtles swimming about; and Escondido Falls in Malibu, some parts can be slightly treacherous, having to use ropes to pull up the mountain, but getting to the stunning little waterfalls is quite rewarding.    

                                   

7.) FAVE SHOPPING SPOTS: The Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena, great for cheap vintage items and odds and ends. It is a full day of rummaging so be prepared!; Americana Mall in Glendale, it literally has all major clothing, accessory and cosmetic stores all in one place. Definitely my one stop shopping destination.; Santee Alley, in downtown LA's garment district, it's pretty hectic and packed but I always find interesting clothes and knock offs for super cheap.; and Silverlake Strip, just walking up and down the few blocks of Sunset Blvd. near Intelligencia, you'll come across little boutique gems and will definitely pick up some unique finds that no one has.

                                           American Shops

                                           Rose Bowl Flea Market, every 2nd Sunday of the month.

8.) FAVE CRAFT AND DIY STORES: Kit Kraft in Studio City and Pearl Art Supply on La Cienega. Both have a huge variety of supplies for low prices. It's near impossible to not go crazy and buy everything you see.

                               
9.) FAVE GORMET FOOD SHOPS: Joan's on 3rd, it's half restaurant half gourmet market place and both are fantastic. The meatloaf sandwich and sake glazed chicken wings are the bomb and all the sweets and house packaged goods are great to take home. ; Sur La Table at the Grove, this place is where I get most of my cooking gadgets and take their amazing cooking classes. I'm obsessed.; and Lindy and Grundy on Fairfax, hands down the best butcher in town with quality cuts and awesome staff. You will fall in love.

 10.) FAVE BEACH SPOT: Escondido Beach in Malibu. This is a hidden gem I use quite often. You basically park on the PCH near Geoffrey's Restaurant and enter the gate with the 'COASTAL ACCESS' sign above it, take the pathway and stairs which open up to a wonderfully secluded beach. Its so secluded that I bring my dogs every time and let them run around free which isn't really allowed in California but no ones ever stopped me here. Absolute paradise :)