Marilu Henner's Blog, page 171

Dance like there's no one watching

Some days you just need to let it all out!

Maybe the weather has kept you holed up inside.

Maybe your job has kept you chained to a desk or workstation.

Maybe you've been feeling sick.

Maybe you're stuck in a rut.

Today is the day to get your wiggles out, express yourself artistically, feel your potential, use your muscles. Today is the day to DANCE.

This tune is by the son of member Leenie. We're excited to share it with you.

 

Featured recipe from Marilu's twitter…errrr… table * Vegan French toast

Marilu mentioned a vegan French toast recipe on Twitter the other day…

Made the best vegan French toast! Michael and the boys loved it! Now I've got to figure out how to post the recipe!

~ TheRealMarilu

 

So here's the recipe! Marilu recommends specific brands so you know just what she made. The bread is especially delicious this way – oat bread is naturally sweet, and it gets a nice crust on the outside and becomes almost custard-y on the inside. The pancake and baking mix is the secret ingredient for the crusty exterior. Extra cinnamon makes the flavor even more awesome.

Serve with additional Earth Balance and a drizzle of pure maple syrup or agave nectar.

Follow Marilu on Twitter – @TheRealMarilu – to hear more from her!

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Marilu's Vegan French Toast

Blue * Serves 4-5

2 cups rice milk, or other non-dairy milk

3-4 Tablespoons Arrowhead Mills Organic Gluten-Free Pancake and Baking Mix

1 Tablespoon Sucanat

splash of vanilla

8-12 slices of Rudi's Organic Multi-Grain Oat Bread

1/2 teaspoon (plus more) cinnamon

Earth Balance margarine

Mix together the rice milk, pancake mix, Sucanat, vanilla, and cinnamon to form a thin batter. (Stir it as necessary to keep it incorporated.)

Heat a griddle or large frying pan, and melt some Earth Balance on it. Dip bread in the batter (let it soak up a little) and fry in melted Earth Balance. Sprinkle more cinnamon on each side of toast as it cooks.

 

Marilu at The Rrazz Room/San Francisco in April!

A Memorable Evening with Marilu Henner!

performing her new one woman show!

Friday, April 15 at 7:30 PM

Saturday, April 16 at 7:30 PM

Get Tickets

The Rrazz Room at Hotel Nikko

222 Mason Street

San Francisco, CA

415.781.0306

 

Be an includer

There may be someone in your circle of friends (or in your child's circle of friends) who is feeling left out. There may be someone on the fringe of your circle, or just outside it. It may be a a business associate or co-worker, or a neighbor, or a friend of a friend.

Include this person in something that you're doing – watch him/her change right before your eyes, and appreciate all they bring to the group. No one likes to feel like an outsider, so make your circle a little bit wider today. Be a role model for including people, and show your kids that every person brings value to the group.

Some people may feel better as a result of your including them… including you!

 

Why you should cook for yourself and your family

It's cheaper.

You'll be using fresher food, thereby eating foods when vitamins, minerals, and flavors are at their peak.

You know what you're eating.

You're in control.

You won't get stuck with a lot of choices you don't want.

It's creative.

It's a way to share family time (get the kids involved).

It's social.

It slows down the whole wonderful experience of eating. You enjoy the process rather than the goal-oriented approach to filling your gut.

You will have an investment in what you've made.

Like everything else, the more you do it, the better you become at it.

It can be fun.

If you bring home takeout, you tend to eat it faster.

No one would ever eat standing up after making a wonderful meal.

You will conquer your fear of being a cooking failure.

It can be an adventure.

 

Featured recipe from Marilu's table * Enchiladas with sauteed peppers

It feels like party time! This meal is excellent for a crowd (and it's easy to make several pans at once) – a crowd of adults or teens or kids.

For some variety, add one can of refried beans (we like the seasoned ones from Amy's – but anything without added lard or other animal products is fine). Spread some beans on each tortilla before adding the other ingredients. We also like to use the soy (or rice or almond) pepper cheese for a little more heat – but that's up to you!

Make a big green salad to serve on the side. If you want to be authentic, finely shred the lettuce and top it with finely diced tomatoes. (It doesn't even need dressing that way.)

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Enchiladas with Sauteed Peppers

Green * Serves 6

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 red onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, sliced in strips

1 red bell pepper, sliced in strips

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 cans enchilada sauce (read the label to ensure it's dairy-free)

12 corn tortillas

3 cups grated soy cheese or rice cheese or almond cheese

2 cups chopped cilantro

1 cup chopped green onions

1 cup sliced black olives

Preheat oven to 375F. Heat olive oil in skillet. Add red onion and saute on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add bell peppers and reduce heat to medium-low. Gradually add chili powder to taste. Saute until peppers are tender, then set aside.

Make a prep station by putting the cheese, cilantro, green onions, and olives in small bowls.

Pour 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish, so the bottom is covered with a thin layer of sauce. Pour the rest of the sauce in a large bowl.

Take one tortilla and saturate it in the enchilada sauce, then lay it in the casserole dish. In the center of the tortilla, sprinkle about 1/12th of the sauteed onions and peppers, cheese, cilantro, green onions, and olives. Fold the tortilla and place the folded side down in the casserole dish. Repeat until the casserole dish is filled.

Pour 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce over the whole dish. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the tortillas. Dress with onions, cilantro, and olives, and cook for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is thoroughly melted and the enchilada sauce bubbles. Let cool for a few minutes and serve.

 

Spirit Sunday * Welcome spring!

Photo by D.S.

 

It's officially spring today. For some of us, it's been warm for awhile, and we've planted our gardens and thought about air conditioning. For others, there's still snow on the ground, and planting a garden won't happen for another 6-8 weeks.

Regardless of the weather, make sure spring is in your heart. Shine a light on the habits you need to change, and take a step toward changing them. Live in technicolor – with your clothes, your attitude, and your emotions. Be open to new ideas, new opportunities for growth, and new energy.

 

An apple a day…

"We've all heard the old saying, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." But did you know current research actually supports it? Apples are a good source of soluble and insoluble fiber, as well as a wide variety of antioxidants and phytonutrients like phenolics and flavonoids. These nutrients act together to provide strong protection against different types of cancer. In the Nurses Health Study of more than 77,000 women, daily apple consumption was linked to a 37 percent lower risk of lung cancer after controlling for risk factors like smoking.

A delicious hint: Add pomegranates to the mix, and you'll end up with more than just a welcome burst of ruby-red color. Pomegranates also pack even more vitamin C, polyphenols, and flavonoids.

~ The Dana Farber Report, The Dana Farber Cancer Institute

 

Bonus for all the members of Marilu.com – next week in the Mix It Up March class, Chef Ryan will teach us how to "deal" with pomegranates.

If you're not a member, join now to get in on the fun. Chef Ryan is teaching us all kinds of incredibly easy things to do with food. And Lyrical has great insight into working with our Inner Brat to make positive changes.

 

Live to ride * Ride to live

Apologies to the Harley riders out there – but we're talking about riding your bicycle! (People power! No gasoline required in these days of high fuel costs.)

Does your bike need maintenance now, at the beginning of the season? Get it done.

Do you have the accessories you want? Things like a basket (we're serious about using your bike instead of your car), a horn, mirrors, a holder for your water bottle?

Does your helmet fit? Please wear one.

Start getting in shape with some short rides and build up to longer trips, when you can pack a picnic, or even camp along the route. Find the trails in your area.

Bicycling is a family activity – get everyone involved and have fun with it!

 

Are you mixing it up?

We're mixing it up for spring in the current online class here at Marilu.com (join now and you'll still get in on the class!).

In the spirit of mixing it up, we're sharing one of our favorite songs of all time (yes, really – we've loved it since it was first released in the 1970′s!). This song is just crazy-fun. Sure, you can exercise to it, or clean to it, or dance to it. But we just sing along badly and laugh, and that's good, too.

Have a great weekend!

//www.marilu.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/11 - Twisted.mp3

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Amazon.com Widgets