Poetry for the Ones with Sensitive Hearts

Quoted from a beautiful soul named Ellie, whom I met in LA.

When knocked off your feet, if your lucky you'll end up with nothing more than a flesh wound. Something a band aid will cover. But some wounds are deeper than what they first appear, and require something more than just a quick fix. With some wounds you have to rip off the band aid, let them breathe, and give them time to heal...

Knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beats the hell out of never trying...

The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares...

Be not afraid of growing slowly. Be afraid only of standing still...  The expected is what keeps us steady. It's the unexpected that changes our lives forever...

Moments. That's all you get with the people you love...  Love is friendship on fire...

At some point, you have to make a decision. Boundaries don't keep other people out. They fence you in. Life is messy. That's how we're made. So, you can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them. But there are some lines... that are way too dangerous to cross...

Live with Passion, Live for today, Don't regret or look back, take it for what it was, learn from it, and move on....

Happy Valentine's Day! Some Romantic Ideas

Valentine's Day is about spending quality "Us" time together to show your partner that they are special to you.  Forget all the over the top splurging.... it's the sentiment that counts so I recommend to put a little personal touch and some effort into it to make it memorable.

As a fitness model and epicurian at heart, here's my suggested plan for a perfect Valentine's Day -

1. You worked hard for that sexy body so now's the time to make your partner's heart beat fast. Put on some killer F-me stilettos, black seam stockings, lingerie, smoky eye makeup, and sexy hair.
2. Layer on your favorite scent starting with the fragranced lotion then the perfume to make it last through the evening.
3. Prepare the meal in your hot outfit while he gets to sit back with some champagne and enjoy the view.  Remember that champagne is a wonderful aphrodisiac!
4. Serve it up by candlelight, take your time to enjoy every bite and drink.
5. I'll leave the dessert up to you! ;) 

Here's my recommended menu (all recipes found from epicurious.com, modified slightly to make them healthier):

Green Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
Caramelized Cumin-Roasted Carrots
Halibut Brochettes Provençale
Roasted Plums with Greek Yogurt


Green Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
ingredients

1/2 cup cider vinegar
4 teaspoons grainy mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
8 cups mixed greens such as mesclun or a mix of romaine and Boston and Bibb lettuces


preparation

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
Add lettuce and toss to coat.
What to drink:
Josmeyer Les Folastries
Gewürztraminer '05


Caramelized Cumin-Roasted Carrots
ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
12 medium to large carrots, peeled, cut on diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt


preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.
Combine carrots and all remaining ingredients in large bowl; toss to coat. Spread in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Roast carrots until tender and lightly caramelized, turning carrots over once, 35 to 40 minutes.



Halibut Brochettes Provençale

The herbes de Provence blend is even better when it's made from fresh herbs. Here, it creates an elegant pairing for a colorful mix of summer vegetables and halibut. 

ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh marjoram
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fennel seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped dried lavender blossoms*
• 1 1 1/2-inch-diameter zucchini, cut into eight 1/2-inch-thick rounds
• 1 unpeeled slender eggplant, trimmed, halved lengthwise, cut into eight 1- to 1 1/4-inch pieces
• 8 mini plum tomatoes or large cherry tomatoes
• 16 mini bell peppers in assorted colors (from one 5-ounce package) or 1 bell pepper cut into 1-inch squares
• 1 small red onion, cut into 4 wedges, each wedge halved crosswise, layers kept intact
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds halibut, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Special Equipment: 12 metal skewers


preparation

Mix first 7 ingredients in small bowl. Place zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, and onion in large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon herb mixture and 1 tablespoon oil to vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Thread 1 mini pepper, 1 zucchini round, 1 eggplant piece, 1 tomato, 1 onion piece, and 1 more mini pepper onto each of 8 skewers. DO AHEAD: Herb mixture and vegetables can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.

Place fish in medium bowl; sprinkle 2 tablespoons herb mixture over. Add 3 tablespoons oil, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, and garlic; sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Cover and chill at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours, tossing occasionally.

Simmer wine, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice in small saucepan until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining herb mixture. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Spray grill rack with nonstick spray; prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Divide fish cubes among remaining 4 skewers. Grill vegetable skewers until vegetables are slightly charred and tender, turning occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Grill fish skewers until fish is cooked through, turning occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.

Place 1 fish skewer and 2 vegetable skewers on each plate. Drizzle sauce over.

* Also called culinary lavender buds; available at some supermarkets and farmers' markets, at many natural foods stores, and from deandeluca.com



 Roasted Plums with Greek Yogurt

• Parchment paper
• 6 dark plums, halved and pitted
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup 2 percent Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons hazelnuts, toastedin the oven at 375°F for 7 minutes, chopped
• 2 teaspoons honey

preparation

Heat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place plums cut side up on sheet, brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until soft and some juices run off, about 15 minutes. Divide among 4 bowls, top each with 2 tablespoons yogurt, sprinkle with nuts and drizzle with honey.

God Hates Us All - Nat

Sometimes when you cruise the net you find curious articles about yourself. Some more profound than others.

This one stopped my breath.

Romantic Life in Europe.... Two Sides to the Story

European Men Are So Much More Romantic Than American Men
By Alyssa Lerner
Junior, Boston University


I just got back from a semester abroad in Europe, and let me tell you, it truly was the most magical, amazing experience of my entire life. The French countryside was like something out of a storybook, the Roman ruins were magnificent, and the men, well, European men are by far the most romantic in the world.

You American men all think you're so suave and sophisticated. Well, think again! European men make you look like the immature, inexperienced little children you are. They really know how to make a woman feel special over there. Unlike the so-called men here in the States, European men know how to treat a woman right.

For one thing, European men aren't afraid to come up and talk to you. And they know how to start slow, with a nice cup of Italian espresso or a long walk on some historic street. They know the places you can't find in any tourist guide. They know the whole history of the cities in which they live—who the fountains are named after, who the statues are.

I remember one unforgettable night in Athens, I sat and listened to a Greek sailor for hours as he told me about the countless men who fought over Helen back in ancient times. Afterward, he told me he loved his homeland even more now that he'd seen it through my eyes. I ask you, would an American man ever say something as deep and beautiful as that?

European men know the most romantic little cafés and bistros and trattorias, candlelit places where you can be alone and drink the most fantastic wine. They tell you what's on the menu and what you should try. (If it wasn't for a certain young man in Milan, I never would have discovered fusilli a spinaci et scampi.) And the whole time, they're looking deep into your eyes, like you're the only woman on the entire planet. What woman could resist a man like that? Then, after a moonlit stroll along the waterfront and a kiss in the doorway of their artist's loft, you find yourself unable to—well, I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

I'll never forget my magical semester abroad. One thing's for sure—I'm ruined for American men forever!


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Counterpoint
American Women Studying In Europe Are Unbelievably Easy
By Giovanni Di Salvi


I'm a 25-year-old carpenter living in Rome, and I don't mind telling you that I get all the action I can handle. I'm not all that handsome or well-dressed, and I'm certainly not rich. In fact, my Italian countrywomen could take me or leave me. But that's just fine, because Rome gets loads of tourist traffic, and American co-eds traveling through Europe are without a doubt the easiest lays in the world.

Being European gives me a hell of an advantage. I'm not sure why, but there's something about the accent that opens a lot of doors. All you have to do is go up to them, act a little shy and say, "Whould hyou like to go with me, Signorina, for a café?" I actually have to thicken up my accent a little, but they never, ever catch on.

After a cheap coffee, which to them always tastes better than anything they've ever had, because they're in Europe, it's time to walk them. Now, all they know about Rome is what they've read in Let's Go, so you can pretty much just make up a whole bunch of shit. It's fun to see how much they'll swallow: As long as I refer to Italy as "my homeland" and other Italians as "my people," they'll believe pretty much anything. I don't know who most of the local statues are, so I tell the muffins they're all great artists and poets and lovers. Once, just for the hell of it, I told a psychology major from the University of Maryland that a public staircase was part of the Spanish Steps, which she'd never even heard of. Another time, I told this blonde from Michigan State that the public library was the Parthenon, and she cooed like I'd just given her a diamond.

For dinner, I usually take them to some cheap little hole in the wall, someplace deserted where not even the cops eat. American girls think candlelight means "romance," not "deteriorating public utilities," so they just poke their nipples through their J. Crew sweaters and never notice that there's no electricity. Just as well, because Roman restaurants aren't exactly the cleanest. After a bunch of fast-talk about the menu, I get them the special, which is usually some anonymous pasta with spinach and day-old shrimp, and whatever cheap, generic, Pope's-blood chianti's at the bottom of the list.

By this time, they're usually standing in a slippery little puddle. Going in for the kill, I walk them past one of Rome's famous 2,000-year-old open cesspools. Then, as we open the door to my shitty efficiency, I kiss them on the eyelids so they don't see the roaches, making sure the first thing they see is the strategically positioned artist's easel I bought at some church sale. That's usually all they need to see and, like clockwork, they fall backwards on my bed with their Birkenstocks in the air.

I mean, they're hardly Italian women, but we have a saying here in Europe: Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?