Yesterday at work we had a discussion about taking naps.  If they are good or bad, how long they should be, when you should take them and where.  I am a fan of naps but I only take them in 20 minute intervals and if they are in the afternoon before 3pm.  If it is later than that, I know I won’t be able sleep at night or won’t get a good night’s rest. 

One of the waiters at the restaurant says he can take a nap anytime of the day, even one at 6pm!  He also said he takes 4 hour naps?! To me that is almost a night of sleep.  We were all disagreeing about how to take a proper nap, so when I woke up this morning I decided to do a little investigating so I can set our staff right. 

The first and most common thing I read about taking naps is that there needs to be a time limit on them.  A few studies and articles I read said they should be around 25-30 minutes.  It is the amount of time that allows your body to rest without falling into a deep sleep and end up waking up even more tired.


They also suggested, if you have time to take a “full sleep cycle nap” that is about 90 minutes.  It allows your body to go into REM sleep and make up for lost sleep and can enhance your creativity.  So the decision I made is that either you should take a 25-30 minute nap or a 90 minute one, not longer, not shorter, or not in-between.

I also read about a caffeine nap that really confused me at first.  They said that you quickly drink a cup of coffee before a nap and then sleep for 20 minutes and when you wake up the caffeine kicks in and you will have a few good and energized hours after.  The idea of drinking a coffee then sleeping really baffled me, I don’t think caffeine naps are for me!

I knew I was right about the late nap idea.  I read that if you’re tired because of sleep deprivation a nap in the afternoon can help boost energy levels and naps between 12-4pm match the body’s natural circadian cycles.  Naps taken after that will just make you more tired and prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep that evening.

I think napping is good for those days when you are just not feeling 100%.  I am still sticking firm with my nap criteria; 20 minutes and before 3pm because I know it works for my body to feel rejuvenated and awake. 

What is your take on napping and what is your idea nap?

Go Green and Stay Keen,

Julie

Every Sunday we make sure make time to sit down and eat dinner together and prep for the week ahead.  With the summer winding down we are finally able to relax a little more and not worry about running somewhere quick or getting ready for a game tomorrow.

Liam and Hannah finished soccer this week, so we have the one week to relax and get ready before school starts.  Tonight for dinner, I did not feel like having dishes to wash after so I made skillet vegetable curry.

I think skillet recipes are the best, they are fairly easy, quick, and they don’t dirty a lot of pots and pans.  No one really likes doing dishes, but when I don’t feel like washing up, I always try coming up with something in the skillet.  You can cook anything in a skillet, I have mastered that art. 

Here is the recipe for my fabulous Vegetable Curry and my not-so-healthy brownie s’mores I made for dessert.  I also have the best lemon parmesan asparagus recipe for the skillet too!  I hope you love them as much as we do, and don’t worry about lots of dishes.

Vegetable Curry

Ingredients-
• 3 cups frozen peas
• 1 ½ lbs. fresh green beans
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• 1 tsp. black mustard seed
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. garlic paste
• ½ tsp. turmeric
• ½ tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ cup coconut milk
• Cilantro for garnishing
• Rice to serve on

Instructions-
• Heat the oil in a large skillet on high heat then reduce the heat to medium and add the mustard seeds and onion.  Cook for a few minutes then add the green beans, broccoli, potatoes, and carrots cook for about 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are almost cooked.
• Add the peas, ginger, garlic, turmeric, chili powder, salt, and paprika, cook for 3-5 minutes then add the spinach and cook until it turns bright green.  Add the coconut milk, stir and simmer for about 2 minutes.  Serve over a bed of rice and enjoy!

Not-So-Healthy Brownie S’mores

Ingredients-
• 1 boxed brownie mix
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 bag of marshmallows
• Chocolate syrup

Instructions-
• Prepare the brownies according to the directions and while they are baking, melt the butter in a small skillet then add the graham cracker crumbs and cook until the crumbs are lightly toasted.  Let cool and set aside while the brownies are baking.
• When the brownies are baked and cooled, assemble the marshmallows on top of the brownies in the skilled and turn the oven to broil and place in the oven until they are toasted.
• Take them out of the oven and sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs over the brownies and marshmallows and top with the chocolate syrup.  Enjoy your not-so-healthy brownie s’mores, I know you will!

And just in case you need a delicious side dish, my all-time favorite:

Lemon Parmesan Asparagus

Ingredients-
• 1 lbs. asparagus, washed and clean
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• ¼ tsp. garlic salt
• ¼ tsp. lemon pepper

Instructions-
• Melt the butter with olive oil in a large skilled on medium heat and add the asparagus.  Flip and stir the stalks to coat them with the butter and oil mixture.  Cover and let cook for about 5 minutes.
• Add the lemon juice, salt, lemon pepper, and half the parmesan cheese to the skillet.  Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes more until the asparagus gets tender.  When they are cooked, flip and top with the other half of parmesan cheese and serve.  Enjoy!

I hope these recipes find you when you don’t feel like dirtying a bunch of pots and pans.  Don’t let the richness of the brownie s’mores turn you off, they are great in moderation! 
Go Green and Stay Keen,
Julie

Today I took on the crazy back to school crowd and took Hannah and Liam shopping for supplies and some new clothes.

I think back to school time is almost as bad as shopping around Christmas time.

The only difference is that during Christmas there are less children running through the aisles.  Even though we had to fight the crowd we were very successful and found some really good deals.



One of the positives about shopping this time of the years is that there are so many sales and discounts.  I school folders for the kids that were only $0.10! And they were “the cool ones” according to Hannah and Liam.  I earned some mommy brownie points for that find.

Once we did the “boring” school supplies shopping we went to the mall to find some new school clothes.  Liam and Hannah have grown so much over the summer their clothes look like they have been shrunk.  Not to mention they look like someone washed them with mud.  They thought their entire closet could be their soccer clothing…oh you have to love them.

I was actually surprised how much Liam enjoyed shopping for school clothes.  He picked out some really good new shirts and a few new pairs of pants.  No surprise to me, Hannah wanted everything that WAS NOT ON SALE. She compromised with me and agreed to only get one shirt that was full price.  She can be such a little diva some times.

Hannah and Liam both needed a new pair of gym shoes for school.  They put quite a few miles on them this summer.  Good gym shoes are one of the things I don’t have a problem splurging a little.  I think that a good pair of shoes that fit correctly and are good for my kiddos feet are well worth the price.  Liam found a really cool pair that are black and red and Hannah of course found ones with purple and cheetah print on them.  They were both so excited about their shoes.

School shopping can be stressful but I always feel so much better when I’m done.  I can finally sit back and take a deep breath before they start school on Monday.  I think all the shopping we did in morning calls for an afternoon movie!  Liam and Hannah are picking one out now, it already has been a productive day it is time for a little relaxation.

Go Green and Stay Keen,

Julie

It's nearly school time again! We have checked almost everything off their “to do list” and I think they need some time to relax.  Liam and Hannah have been running around crazy this summer with friends and other organized activities.  And with their activities they have me running as well. 

After a long day running around and working at the restaurant, I don’t have much energy to cook at all.  Luckily for me, my kids love easy food; especially grilled cheeses.  I mean, who doesn’t like a good grilled cheese sandwich now and again.  Lately Liam has been “amping” his sandwiches up with all sorts of veggies, spices and everything you can think of.  It inspired me to get creative making them grilled cheese lunches.

Here are a few creations Liam helped me come up with.

•    The overstuffed chilled cheese- with special ingredients of cream cheese, cheddar cheese, parmesan, artichoke, tomato, and spinach.  There are a lot of flavors somehow this sandwich tastes incredible.

•    Tomato soup in a grilled cheese- This creation is everything you would expect it to be and more.  It is a tomato soup within a grilled cheese, no need for dipping anymore!  All you have to do is spread tomato soup concentrate to cover the inside of each slice of bread.  Add the cheese, form the sandwich and grill until golden brown!

•    The ultimate Mexican grilled cheese- Liam came up with this one night he wanted tacos but we didn’t have any taco shells; very good improvisation in my book.  We just added taco seasoning, avocado, Mexican cheese, refried beans, queso fresco cheese, and chili powder to the sandwich.  Trust me, you will not be hungry after this big one.

•    Mac and cheese grilled cheese- Yes, you can probably guess who created this one, Liam and Hannah.  We made normal mac and cheese for lunch then they got the idea to put it in bread into the Panini maker.  How they come up with these ideas, I have no idea.  But I will give it to them, it was very tasty if you are in the mood for a carb overload.

•    Garlic grilled cheese- This was one of my boring ideas, but the kids liked the little zest it gave to a “boring grilled cheese.”  I just simply added some finely chopped garlic on top of the cheese within the bread and voila!

Although these sandwiches don’t have that much nutritional value, they are good every once in a while.  The kids love them so much I have to keep them from making a new version every day for lunch. 

Have you made any epic grilled cheese sandwiches?  I need ideas to wow Liam and Hannah, instead of the other way around.

Go green and stay keen,

Julie

This week we were in charge of bringing post-game snacks at both Liam and Hannah’s soccer games.  I think that it is great that the families of the players take turns bringing a small snack and drink for the kids at the end of a game.  It is rewarding to them whether they win or lose, they know there’ll be snacks to lift their spirits or keep them going.

Some of the families bring homemade goods and other have brought store bought snacks, either one it is clear that the kids do not mind what it is, they just want it.  For my snack I wasn’t sure if I would have time to make two different snacks but it turned out that the restaurant was pretty calm on Monday and I was able to come up with some great refreshing summer snacks. Here is what I came up with…

Apple Dippers-

Ingredients-
• 6 Apples, cut into wedges
• Toothpicks
• Nut butter
• Peanuts, almonds, or mini chocolate chips


Instructions-

• Stick a toothpick into each wedge and dip in nut butter then into the peanuts, almonds, or chocolate chips.  They were a big hit at the soccer game!

Frozen Fruit Kabobs-

Ingredients-

• Apple
• Wooden skewers
• Grapes
• Watermelon
• Melon
• Melted Chocolate

Instructions-

• Skewer all the fruit and drizzle with the melted chocolate.  Freeze on a baking sheet for about 1-2 hours or until frozen.  Enjoy!  (photo before the drizzle )

Party Pinwheels-

Ingredients-
• 2, 8 oz. packages of softened cream cheese
• 1, 1 oz. package of ranch dressing mix
• 2 green onions, minced
• 4, 12 in. tortillas
• ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
• ½ cup celery, diced
• 1, 2 oz. can sliced black olives
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese



Instructions-

• In a mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, ranch dressing, and green onions.  Mix thoroughly and spread on tortillas and sprinkle the red pepper, celery, black olives, and cheese on the mixture and roll the tortillas and wrap in tinfoil.
• Chill for at least 2 hours and slice the rolls into slices.

Enjoy!

Both Liam and Hannah’s teams really like the snacks.  The kids kept asking Liam and Hannah if I would bring snacks again before the season was over.  I had to laugh at Liam boasting that he gets to eat delicious food all the time.  It made me proud that he felt like bragging about how great my baking and cooking is.  I am looking forward to the next time I bring snacks for the team, I just hope I have enough time to live up to the standards now.

Go Green and Stay Keen,

Julie

This past weekend a few of my old friends were in town and were able to catch up and have a lovely weekend.  It is difficult to see friends from your younger years when life has taken you in different directions and moved away.  Although we hadn’t seen each other in probably two years, it felt like we hadn’t skipped a beat.  It was really great seeing how far we have come and how we have grown.

I met up with them at a local coffee shop on Saturday morning where we spent most of the day reminiscing and laughing about the “glory years.” It was such wonderful day, the café has the cutest outdoor patio that made it perfect to take in the vitamin D and the breeze.  The outdoor seating area it almost makes you feel like you are transported to a little café in Europe.  It is one of my favorites.



After getting coffee I took them to my much loved farmers market.  They were amazed at how wonderful it was and how many vendors there were.  It makes me happy to be able to take people to the farmers market and show them how great it really is.  They got a few snacky fruits and veggies before they met up with their client they came to see late in the afternoon.


After they were done with the “work” part of their trip, we met back up at my restaurant for a delicious dinner.  Of course I had to show them what I have been doing and how wonderful the food is.  They are both vegetarian, so they absolutely loved it.  My staff was incredible as always, and made a great impression on my friends.

It was so great to see my long lost friends again and show them all the things I have done since I moved out here many years ago.  They left early Sunday morning to head back to Colorado but it was great day to catch up and show them around.


Everyone has those friends that no matter the distance or how often you talk, the moment you get back together it is like you never left.  I am very thankful and treasure friendships like that.

Go Green and Stay Keen,

Julie

HAPPY EARTH DAY!  

One of the best days of the year to take care of the planet that takes such good care of us, the earth. 

Earth Day is celebrated in over 192 countries around the world.  I love this day because general society becomes aware of natural disturbances and does something about it like planting trees, cleaning up roadways, search for renewable energy sources, and so much more.

This Earth Day we are going to plant our annual tree in our backyard.  It is one of my favorite Earth Day activities we do as a family.  By each tree we plant we put a little marker saying what year we planted it.  Liam and Hannah like beating which years will grow faster.

This year we are also switched the rest of our house to LED lights.  LED lights minimize your houses carbon footprint and end up saving you lots of money on the electric bill.  We had switched a good portion of our house to LED lights over the past couple years when lights went out, but today we are physically changing all of them to LED.

I highly suggest changing your house light bulbs to LED if you haven’t already.  When they first came out, many people were hesitant because they were more expensive, but they have been continually been getting cheaper.  If you are thinking about switching, here are a few benefits that will help persuade you to switch-

1. LED lights are much more efficient than incandescent light bulbs.
2. LED lights are less likely to start fires or burn because they do not get as hot as incandescent lights.
3. And my favorite, LED lights last much longer than traditional light bulbs saving you from getting the ladder out as often.

Don’t know what to do this earth day?  

Try using reusable shopping bags, buying local food and products, reuse products and containers in your home, or ride your bike or walk, there are so many ways to make an impact this Earth Day!

What are you going to do this Earth Day?

Go Green and Stay Keen,

Julie