Cheryl L. Ilov's Blog

Garden Grown Tomato Soup

It’s September, and if you have a garden, you are fortunate enough to enjoy a healthy harvest of fresh vegetables, including my personal favorite, home grown garden tomatoes. My garden was able to grow some spectacular tomatoes this year, in spite of the relentlessly hot, dry weather we experienced all summer.

There is nothing better than home grown tomatoes, as well as the many options for enjoying them. This year I was compelled to try something new with my incredibly sweet, mouth watering, and delicious tomatoes. After all these years, I tried my hand at fresh tomato soup with a recipe I came across in the first cookbook I ever bought right after I moved to Denver after graduating college.

I had no idea if the recipe was any good, or if I was wasting perfectly good tomatoes by trying it, but my curiosity got the best of me. So, throwing caution to the wind, I decided to sacrifice my tomatoes to my culinary experiment. I did make a few minor changes to the original recipe (of course I did), and the results were incredible.

The soup was so good, I made it a second time using organic heirloom tomatoes from the grocery store to see how it would turn out. It was delicious. So, don’t worry if you don’t grow your own tomatoes. You can always get them at the local Farmer’s Market or the grocery store. And now, here it is. The premier of my Garden Grown Tomato Soup!

Ingredients: 

1-2 TBS butter

2 TBS avocado oil

2 thinly sliced medium onions

2 pounds coarsely chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (you get extra credit if you grew your own basil)

2 tsp thyme

1 TBS vegetable bullion

3 cups water

2 Parmigiano Reggiano cheese rinds

Directions: 

In a large soup pan heat butter and oil over medium heat. Once butter melts, add onions and cook until tender, stirring frequently to prevent browning or burning. Stir in tomatoes, basil, thyme, and bullion. Stir in water and bring to a boil.

Add cheese rinds, decrease heat to low, simmer for one hour then remove from heat and let soup cool. Once the soup is cool enough to handle, remove cheese rinds and puree soup in a blender or an immersion blender. Reheat soup and serve with crusty bread or croutons. Enjoy!

Cook’s note: The original recipe calls for peeling the tomatoes before cooking. I wasn’t patient enough to peel 2 pounds of tomatoes, but in my humble opinion, there’s no need to peel them. Plus, you get all of the great health benefits that tomatoes have to offer.

Cheryl’s Colorful One Pot Pasta Toss

I really don’t love to cook. I used to, but I’m just kind of “over it” right now. But, I do like to eat, and don’t like to eat out or order take out, either. Not only is it outrageously expensive these days, but I want to be the one in charge of the ingredients that go into my meals. I’m a control freak, and wear it as a badge of honor.

Recently my husband was out of town for a few days and I had the luxury of either cooking or having a nice meal of cheese and crackers for dinner. Scrounging through my pantry, I was inspired by a bag of tortellini, punctuated by  the basil plant sitting on my window sill perched beside a bunch of fresh tomatoes I bought the day before. My creative juices started to flow and my brain went into overdrive.

Using those 3 simple ingredients along with some black olives in the back of the fridge and Parmesan cheese, I came up with a fast, easy, and delicious creation I dubbed my Colorful Pasta Toss. Because this dish is as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate.

Keep in mind that the recipe is for a single serving since I was flying solo. You can double or triple the recipe as needed, and use your imagination to change the ingredients for some variety.

Ingredients:

1 cup dried cheese and spinach tortellini

1/4 cup fresh chopped basil (Just the smell puts me over the moon)!

3-4 Campari tomatoes, coarsely chopped

4-6 Kalamata olives, sliced in halves

1 tablespoon either olive oil or avocado oil

Directions: 

Cook the tortellini according to directions, drain, and set aside. Put the basil, tomatoes, and olives, and oil in the same pot used to cook the tortellini, stir until tender, about 2 minutes, add tortellini, and stir to combine ingredients. Yes, it is that easy and it is delicious. Enjoy!

 

An Epic Martial Arts Movie?

I recently posted my less than stellar editorial book review I received last year after my book, “The Reluctant Ninja: How A Middle-Aged Princess Became A Warrior Queen.” was released to the world. Fortunately, that review did not break my spirit. Instead, I was able to shake it off and move on, which is a skill I developed with my martial arts training.

I’m glad I didn’t let it get to me, because the second one I received had an entirely different opinion, and here it is.

As reviewed by FF of Readers’ Favorite:

“Betrayed by a predator hidden in plain sight as a medical practitioner, Cheryl found herself battling PTSD and alone with nobody to talk to and share her traumatic experience with. Fortunately, Cheryl’s acupuncturist convinces her to take some martial arts lessons after trying several times to get her to enroll in a class. Thus began her journey to becoming a formidable ninja warrior with a deceptive, feminine charm. Reluctant at first, she surprised herself with her consistency and strength as she showed up every day to face frightening opponents and daunting techniques alike. In The Reluctant Ninja, Cheryl L Ilov shares the story of how a decision to learn martial arts helped her to recover from the despair and trauma of abuse. When faced with challenges, you can either fight back or give up. Cheryl chose the latter, and this is her remarkably inspiring story.

The Reluctant Ninja gives readers a vivid picture of what being a martial artist means and expresses that it is about “self-awareness, introspection, and pushing beyond your limitations.” Cheryl’s jovial tone makes her book such a delight to read. I felt like I was chatting with a friend with many interesting stories to share—one who is also a retired warrior with a lot of battles won. With great introspection and an exceptional eye for detail, Cheryl L Ilov shows us what rising through the ranks of martial arts with a tough sensei entails. Her story felt surreal, like an epic martial arts movie with several exciting, spine-chilling, and unpredictable moments. I would be one of the first to see the movie if the story ever gets adapted into one.”

An epic martial arts movie? Really? Well, one can always hope. And I guess the point is that not everyone is going to love your work, no matter what it is that you put out in the world. But, don’t let it discourage you. Shake it off, and move on. Because we all have something important to share, and there is always someone who wants (and needs) to hear your message and your story. Write on!

We All Fall Down…..

“Ring around the rosy, pockets full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down!”

Who doesn’t remember playing “ring around the rosy” as a kid? It was fun, silly, and we could play it for hours on end. After all, when we were kids, who didn’t enjoy a good tumble to the ground?

Fast forward to our adult years. We don’t paly, we don’t dance in circles, and we sure as heck don’t fall down. We don’t get down on the floor, crawl, or roll. Unfortunately, if we don’t do it, we won’t do it, and eventually we can’t do it. And then we develop a fear of falling.

And now it’s winter. It’s cold, snowy, and icy outside, which means that there is a higher risk of slipping on the ice and falling. Uh-oh. Nobody likes to think about falling. It’s scary, especially as adults. It was different when we were kids, because not only was falling a daily occurrence, we were shorter and closer to the ground. And we fell all the time, either accidentally or intentionally.

As adults, a lot of us worry about falling. Not only would it be embarrassing, but the risk of injury is a valid concern. Especially when we see all of the television commercials warning us of the risk of falls, injuries, and even death if we fall. But instead of worrying about falling, we can take action and do something about it. Which is to learn and practice the art of falling.

I know, I sense your reluctance, but learning how to fall, along with the ability to get down on the floor safely (and back up again), is a valuable skill to have, at every age.

Last year I had a truly spectacular fall. It was the morning of New Year’s Eve, and I decided to go to the dojo for morning martial arts class. There’s nothing like starting your day (and a New Year) by kicking but and taking names. When I entered the dojo, there was a minimal amount of condensation on the decorative cement entrance. The strong Colorado sun was shining on the entrance, so I didn’t even think about ice when I walked out after class. However, what I didn’t realize was that the awning covering the entrance prevented the sun from hitting the entrance, resulting in a thin layer of black ice over the cement.

One minute I was stepping outside and the next I was flying through the air and hitting the ground. Hard. Stunned, I looked around to try and orient myself to my surroundings. Everything I had been carrying in my arms just a moment earlier was scattered around me. My katana, my bo ken (wooden sword), my keys, my water bottle, and my notebook were flung everywhere. Even pages of my notebook had flown out from the impact. When the guys ran out to see if I was okay, the first thing I said was, “OMG, did you see my break fall?”

As they helped me collect my belongings, including the papers from my notebook which were happily dancing in the wind, Sensei came out to salt the entrance. Hmm, a little late for that, but at least no one else would be at risk. Incredibly, I wasn’t hurt, not at all. I did have a bit of a trauma response when I got in the car and started driving home, thinking about all of the things that could have gone wrong. But I calmed myself down, and marveled that I didn’t even think about what I did. I just reacted. As Sensei later said, “She did everything right.” I’m not so sure about that, but at least I was okay. And it’s a story that has become legendary at the dojo.

When I got home I briefly considered taking an ibuprofen or two, just as a precaution, but decided against it to wait and see how I felt in the morning. I woke up feeling great. No aches, pains, injuries, or even bruises. It was truly remarkable. But it was all because I knew how to fall and had practiced it ad nauseum for years.

This story is an example of the value of learning the art of falling. There was recently an article in the WSJ regarding the importance for adults learning how to fall properly. And their recommendation was for them to learn from martial artists, who are truly well-versed in the art of falling.

So, you might want to consider contacting a martial arts school near you to learn how to fall safely, on a mat, with supervision and an instructor helping you. Before you know it, you will have a new skill which will not only keep you safe during the winter months and all year long, it will also improve your balance, flexibility, reflexes, and confidence. It will also help keep you young, healthy, and vibrant….for life!

We can also talk about balance training, but I think I’ll save that for another time. In the meantime, feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need any assistance finding a qualified martial artist of qualified physical therapist to help you learn the art of falling.

Because we all all fall down.

We Reap What We Sow

On a whim I decided to include a small pumpkin plant in my garden this year. My husband was less than enthusiastic, because he remembered the one and only time I planted pumpkin over 20 years ago. The plant spread like wildfire and quickly took over the entire garden. Eventually it began creeping over the back yard to the house. It was almost scary. And we only ended up with one small pumpkin.

I told my husband not to worry, because the poor little plant was so small and puny that it probably had only a small chance of surviving. So, I gently patted the tiny plant in the ground, wished it well, and hoped for the best. Every few days I went to the garden, talked to it, and gave it words of encouragement. It worked.

It took over the entire garden, started creeping toward the house, and filled the garden with beautiful yellow blossoms. By the end of September, I was rewarded with 3 big, beautiful, and incredibly heavy pumpkins. Each one weighed close to 50 pounds.

The good news is that I was able to lift each one and carry it to the patio. I gifted one of them to a friend, and the others are still sunning themselves on the patio, waiting for me to decide what to do with them. I see a massive amount of pumpkin seeds and a freezer full of frozen pumpkin to enjoy throughout the winter.

I guess the old saying is right. We do reap what we sow. And maybe we should treat each other with the same careful attention I gave my pumpkin plant. And give each other words of encouragement and positive energy. If we did, I do believe that the world would be a better place.

After all, we reap what we sow.

Birthdays with Zeros and a 3 Year Plan

Quite a few years ago, I was honored to teach a weekly Pilates mat class to a group of vibrant senior citizens who also happened to be close friends, and there were two couples in the group as well. They were quite a lot of fun to be around, and had many wonderful insights regarding life and many insights and pearls of wisdom.

One afternoon, as they were walking into class and picking their spot on the mat, one of the women casually mentioned that it just happened to be her boyfriend’s birthday, which elicited a low groan from said boyfriend. I gave him a beaming smile and wished him a happy birthday. He responded with another groan, loader this time.

I asked him what was wrong. He rolled his eyes and replied, “Birthdays that come with a zero on them are exceptionally tough. I laughed, because I really did think it was funny.

When I turned 50, my life completely changed, all for the better. As a matter of fact, my 50s were so great that when I turned 60, I ran towards 60 with arms wide open, yelling, “Bring it on, baby!”

Fast forward to present day. I just celebrated another birthday this month. Which means that (gulp), a big birthday is looming ahead of me. In three years, I’ll have another birthday, and this is another one that comes with a zero attached to it. Now I understand what my client meant, and it’s not quite as funny as it was all those years ago.

But, I decided to do something about it. I’m not quite at the point where I’m ready to run towards 70 with my arms wide open, but I’m not going to turn a blind eye to it, either. I’m taking matters into my own hands and creating a 3 year plan so I can be the best version of myself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

I’m not exactly what that looks like right now, but I will certainly share it with you when I do. Because I don’t want to wake up one September morning saying, “Holy crap, I’m 70. How did that happen?” Instead, I want to go running towards it with unbridled enthusiasm, shouting “Bring it on, baby!” Don’t you think that’s a much better choice?

Light Lemon Basil Pasta

It’s August, and it’s hot outside. Really, really hot. The thought of cooking is about as appealing as scheduling a root canal. However, the pressure is off and so is the heat with this quick, easy, and delicious lemon basil pasta with chickpeas. Not only is it fast and tasty, it offers the phenomenal nutritional and health benefits of chickpeas.

Here is the basic recipe, but do feel free to give it an extra nutritional punch by adding some fresh veggies from the garden, such as zucchini, tomatoes, kale, or peppers.

Ingredients:

8 oz. farfalle pasta

1-2 TBSP olive oil

3 cloves minced garlic

1 can drained chickpeas, reserving liquid

dash salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes

2 TBSP capers

juice from 1 lemon

1 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese

1/2 cup shredded fresh basil

Directions: 

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and crushed garlic, cook and stir 1-2 minutes. Add chickpeas and spices, cook 3 minutes, stirring to blend flavors. Add capers, liquid from chickpeas, and pasta, cook for 2 minutes longer.

Remove from heat, add lemon juice, and slowly add cheese, stirring constantly, then add chopped basil. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

 

Light Lemon Pasta

It’s August, and it’s hot outside. Really, really hot. The thought of cooking is about as appealing as scheduling a root canal. However, the pressure is off and so is the heat with this quick, easy, and delicious lemon basil pasta with chickpeas. Not only is it fast and tasty, it offers the phenomenal nutritional and health benefits of chickpeas.

Here is the basic recipe, but do feel free to give it an extra nutritional punch by adding some fresh veggies from the garden, such as zucchini, tomatoes, kale, or peppers.

Ingredients:

8 oz. farfalle pasta

1-2 TBSP olive oil

3 cloves minced garlic

1 can drained chickpeas, reserving liquid

dash salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes

2 TBSP capers

juice from 1 lemon

1 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese

1/2 cup shredded fresh basil

Directions: 

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and crushed garlic, cook and stir 1-2 minutes. Add chickpeas and spices, cook 3 minutes, stirring to blend flavors. Add capers, liquid from chickpeas, and pasta, cook for 2 minutes longer.

Remove from heat, add lemon juice, and slowly add cheese, stirring constantly, then add chopped basil. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

 

Summer Fit Tip

One of the many things I love about June, July, and summer in general is gardening. Full disclosure, I am possibly the most ineffective gardener on the planet, but what I lack in skill level I make up with unbridled enthusiasm.

Gardening can be a relaxing and even meditative experience. Unless, of course, your efforts are completely demolished by one epic hail storm, which is exactly what happened to me last week. Ah well. But, after another trip to my favorite garden shop I was once again planting, raking, and laying down compost.

That’s when I had a mental head smacking moment. Gardening offers a great opportunity to reinforce good posture, body mechanics, and even strengthen your core, legs, and upper back and shoulders while mobilizing your hips. On the other hand, you could also end up with aches, pains, and injuries. I don’t know about you, but I choose door number one. And it all starts with proper body mechanics and body awareness.

Here are some tips for help you get started:

1. To prevent neck and shoulder strain while strengthening your upper body at the same time, pull your shoulder blades down and gently squeeze them together. Keep this structural alignment while you work, and check in every few minutes to make sure your shoulder blades are still down and back.

2. When you bend, make sure you are bending from your hips rather than bending from your spine. This will protect your low back and mobilize your hip joints at the same time. To get more bang for your buck, pull your lower abdominal muscles up and in while you work, activating your core muscles and strengthening them at the same time.

3. When you are lifting, again, bend from your hips, not your spine, and engage your abdominals. Keep your shoulders blades down, breathe in, and exhale as you lift. This will help strengthen your legs and protect your low back as well. Win-win!

These tips will help prevent aches, pains, injuries and strengthen your body while also turning your gardening into a total body somatosensory experience all summer long. Happy gardening!

Fit Tip: Less is More & Strong is Sexy

A strong body is a healthy body, and an attractive one as well. There is nothing more appealing than the look of sleek, toned muscles in every stage of life. But even more important than the way a strong body looks is the way it feels. Strength feels healthy, confident, resilient, and youthful. However, we do start losing muscle mass as early as the age of 30, and it is harder to build muscle tissue as we get older. But it is possible.

I recently overheard two women over 50 bemoaning the fact that they couldn’t build muscles even though they were faithfully lifting weights at the gym three times a week under the supervision of a young personal trainer who was pushing them to use heavier weights and do more reps. Unfortunately, the only results they experienced were aches, pains, and injuries. But no muscles.

We do need resistance training, but heavy weights can cause injuries to your joints and soft tissue surrounding them. There is a much better and more effective way to build build lean, strong, supple muscles as we get older. And that is to do less, not more. Work smarter not harder. I know, it contradicts the “no pain, no gain” mentality, but how’s that working out for you?

It sounds counterintuitive, but even just 2 pound weights can build muscle mass as long as the exercises are done correctly, by moving slowly and mindfully with each exercise or movement pattern. This helps recruit more individual muscle fibers along with the nerve fiber that innervates them, thus making the muscles work harder while protecting your joints at the same time. You can gradually add more weight as you get stronger and start developing more muscle tissue.

You can get even more bang for your buck by doing functional strengthening by doing chair push ups, wall push ups, slow mini squats, as well as activating your abdominal muscles at the same time to strengthen your core and keep your spine strong and healthy. I have a lot more to say on the subject, but I’ll save it for another time.

In the meantime, remember that less is more, and strong is sexy. So, keep moving and be healthy!