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Our new home!

2012-02-24T08:01:22Z

After working nearly 2 years on finding the perfect location for us to open our first doors....we are SO proud to share with you a peek into our blank canvas!!

Our crews have been outstanding and demo started even before we submitted our plans!

Here we are after demo...waiting for a green-light from the City of Brea. Thanks to all of you for your support.

Greener, hipper krewes changing MardiGras

2012-02-23T08:00:34Z

Mardi Gras always falls on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which fell on last Tuesday this year...but I did not realize this until last Tuesday!

So a belated entry on the wonderful, slow, small but important and relevant change happening there..."We would like Mardi Gras to be greener." says Karina Nathan a krewe member in one of the smaller, greener, hipper, and sometimes naughtier floats, in an interview by Mary Foster.

I wanted to share some footage of the big party from last week...however I am thinking that everyone is either still partying or still recovering ~ there are NO 2012 Mardi Gras videos yet! SO, here is one from last year!

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Pimiento Cheese

2012-02-22T08:00:46Z

Stuffing boneless, skinless chicken breasts with pimientos, scallions and cheese gives them great flavor without a lot of effort. Don’t be concerned if some of the filling oozes out while the chicken is baking; just scoop it up from the pan as you serve. Serve with: Sautéed zucchini or summer squash and barley.

4 Servings | Active Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup shredded Gouda cheese, preferably smoked
2 tablespoons chopped scallion
1 tablespoon sliced pimientos, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika, divided
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 1/4-1 1/2 pounds total), trimmed and tenders removed (see Tip)
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Combine Gouda, scallion, pimientos and 1/2 teaspoon paprika in a small bowl.
Cut a horizontal slit along the thin, long edge of each chicken breast, nearly through to the opposite side, and open like a book. Sprinkle the breasts with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Divide the cheese filling among the breasts, placing it in the center of each. Close the breast over the filling, pressing the edges firmly together to seal. Sprinkle the breasts with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Turn the chicken over and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, about 15 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving : 200 Calories; 10 g Fat; 3 g Sat; 5 g Mono; 76 mg Cholesterol; 1 g Carbohydrates; 26 g Protein; 0 g Fiber; 445 mg Sodium; 232 mg Potassium

0 Carbohydrate Serving

Tips & Notes

It can be difficult to find small chicken breasts. Remove the strip of meat from the underside of a 5- to 6-ounce breast—the “tender,” about 1 ounce of meat—to yield a perfect individual portion. Freeze the tenders and use them in a stir-fry.

Store Wars ~ Organic versus Dangerous

2012-02-21T08:00:30Z

Here is a small and very funny animation of a parody of Star Wars, made to alert people about some of the serious problems of producing and eating food using dangerous synthetic chemicals, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), allowing big corporation interests control of our food chain, and other problems that are destroying nature and the health of people.

As this animation shows, producing and buying organic food from smaller and more ethical stores is the best solution for many of these problems.

BUY ORGANIC, for yourself & your loved ones, for others and for our world at large.

Enjoy the video! If you cannot view the embedded screen, please click here to view it.

Making simple, smart, good lifestyle choices

2012-02-20T08:00:03Z

Watch this fun, simple video about why Meatless Monday's are sweeping the nation, who is taking part, why they're doing it and hopefully ~ it will encourage you to take part...if you aren't already!

Giving and Sharing, first and foremost

2012-02-19T08:00:06Z

The most important thing in this world is to learn to give out love, and let it come in. ~ Morrie Schwartz

Although America was founded on the basis of unity by individuals who risked their lives and spent most of their life in order to provide for a greater, future good...The America my generation grew up in, has been more about "What's in it for me?" and "I want it NOW!"

Corporate America rose to this occasion and expectation of Me First & Instant Gratification by creating a new industry of processed, fast foods. After decades of living off cheap and convenient gluttony, the results are largely disastrous and disgusting.

We can learn many life lessons from this unfortunate way of life. The most important lesson of all is that a lifestyle fueled and support by greed, short-cuts and taking-for-the-sake-of convenience results in very limited happiness and a long term unhealthy existence.

A truly good and happy existence is created slowly and is sustained by a generous and giving approach.

When we let go and give first, without expectations or thoughts around 'what am I going to get back?', this is when we begin to fully receive all the good in life.

Napoleon Hill wrote in the early 1900's about working more than what you are paid to do. He explained that it is only those people who approach life and work in this manner, who find true and lasting rewards and success.

The recent, great recession that changed America so drastically has naturally brought with it, some good. Times are changing now. People are going back to valuing a system that is based on giving and sharing and slowly engaging. Quality, trust, excellence and service are back and are being sought-out.

If you are seeking love and happiness and a worthwhile life, know that it will indeed come once you first begin to give love and create happiness for others ~ freely and openly and truly.

Overeating? A Simple Solution

2012-02-18T08:00:00Z

Besides an embarrassingly horrible diet of processed foods, sugar, too much meat and too much salt, another reason for America's growing waistline is ~ eating too much!

Not only have we become used to huge, ridiculous, unhealthy-sized portions, our busy, multi-tasking lives lead us to unconsciously eat while we continue to juggle.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported last year, that people who are distracted during eating tend to feel less full after eating and also have more difficulty recalling exactly what they ate...a.k.a. mindless eating. Eating while you are distracted can lead to an all-too common problem, which becomes habit: overeating.

There are SO many reasons to STOP, slow down, and relax to ENJOY your meals. Feeling and looking good are great reasons, along with just savoring the pleasurable moments of your day.

When I was focused and determined to lose weight, I consciously took a moment to look at the amount of food I was about to put on my plate. By doing this I could remind myself that my stomach is actually no bigger than my fist ~ so there was no good reason to eat more than a fist full of food...unless I purposely wanted to gain weight.

If you are feeling disgusted with your overweight body, take some very simple steps to help you naturally find a healthy body weight which will leave you feeling great about yourself:

Enjoy your meals without ANY distractions ~ either with peace and quiet or good company;
Eat only a fist-full of food, and savor it by eating it slowly;
Eat mainly fruits and veggies, and eat them as many times a day as you want;
Avoid eating too much meat, particularly fatty meat;
Avoid eating processed foods;
Avoid eating foods that list sugar (fake or real) in the first few ingredients;
Avoid eating foods that list trans fats - at all!

Finally, the type of foods you ingest will make you feel either great or slow and sluggish. Food affects our energy on many different levels. A small meal that is heavy in fat or sugar will leave you feeling low and lack-luster, while a meal of natural, fresh, unprocessed food will provide you with essential nutrients that will leave you feeling light and bright for an entire day.

It really is this simple. Every time you put something in your mouth ~ you have a choice to eat for good health and a healthy weight, or to continue bad habits which quickly leave you feeling unwell, heavy and unattractive...from the inside-out.

Make good choices...Not only will you feel better, it will make your loved ones feel better about you too.

The big life test: Kids

2012-02-17T08:00:40Z

My experiences in life lead me to believe that we are constantly tested and the results of these big tests are evident in the type of life we lead. In other words, if you take the time to 'do it right', you win with a life of visible accomplishments, proud achievements and a worthy legacy.

'Doing it right' entails hard work and struggle. Nothing truly good comes easy...ever.

As busy parents today, it is SO much easier to say 'Yes' and take the most convenient path of least resistance of caving into whining and unreasonable demands, and providing a diet of easy, unhealthy fast-food!

Caving into whining kids only creates people nobody wants to be around ~ setting up your children for a life of mediocrity. True and lasting happiness and success takes an incredible amount of resistance, patience and perseverance.

Caving into feeding our kids and our selves a diet of convenient foods has resulted in generations of unhealthy people ~ from the inside-out. This terrible state of health is exemplified by the outrageous increase in new childhood diseases (supported by an entirely new arsenal of prescription drugs), and all you have to do is take a good look around at the state of the shape of American bodies...

If we do not teach our kids to wait it out, make hard but good choices, and to dig deep, they will never be able to hang on for the 'tide to turn.' Instead, we teach them to settle for whatever comes quickly and easily; we teach them to accept mediocrity ~ resulting in dissatisfied, imbalanced, essentially unfulfilled and generally unsettled people.

Feeding our families and our selves a truly healthy diet takes planning and time. Nothing good comes easy and fast! If we take the time to avoid processed, unhealthy food ~ we will begin to create true health and well-being, which will be evident in our waistlines, our skin, hair, our moods, and in the way we move and feel, every day.

We have taken a lot of time to create green2go restaurants & marketplace. We aim to make good, truly healthy choices easy, affordable, and convenient. After four years of careful planning, we are nearly ready to support a better way of eating, which will yield happiness, good health and lasting well-being and vitality.

We are working to make saying YES to fast-food, a guilt-free option!

Happy Birthday George! I love YOU babe :)

Chronic Illness ~ the True Cost of Corporate Food

2012-02-16T08:00:32Z

We often hear that unhealthy practices associated with our food supply are economically sound. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), irradiation, pesticides and preservatives make food production quick and cheap...but at our expense!

As corporate food systems cut corners to raise profits, the expense of illness is bankrupting families and damaging our economy.

So, what exactly is the cost of illness in America?

Medical care costs of people with chronic illness comprise 75% of the $2 trillion that the United States spends on health care every year (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2010). This does not account for what individuals and non-governmental entities spend. The U.S. Census reports that in 2009, the average American spent $3,126 on health care costs, representing 6.4% of their total expenditures. Individuals age 45 and older spent more.

In the United States, total hospital care costs rose from $250.4 billion in 1990 to $759.1 billion in 2009. And worse ~ total out-of-pocket prescription drug expenses in the U.S. rose from $40.3 billion in 1990 to $249.9 billion in 2009. And costs have continued to increase since 2009 (U.S. census, 2010).

The money-saving strategy of industrial farming and food processing are not just deflating our economy and emptying our pockets, it is costing us our health. In response, we must take the time to know what we are eating. What may appear as pure could be loaded with chemicals and filled with radiation.

Our best options are to purchase produce from smaller local farms and make the time to read labels and ask questions.

By making safer choices, we use the power of purchasing to change the system. This is our voice against a toxic food industry that, despite their claims of cutting costs, is actually completely economically unsound.

References:

Retrieved from: http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/health_nutrition/health_expenditures.html

Retrieved from: http://www.kaiseredu.org/Issue-Modules/US-Health-Care-Costs/Background-Brief.aspx

Grilled Rosemary-Salmon Skewers

2012-02-15T08:00:24Z

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 pound center-cut salmon fillet, skinned (see Tip) and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 pint cherry tomatoes

Preparation

Preheat grill to medium-high.
Combine rosemary, oil, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add salmon; toss to coat. Alternating the salmon and tomatoes, divide among eight 12-inch skewers.
Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the skewers, carefully turning once, until the salmon is cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes total. Serve immediately.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the skewers (Step 2), cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Proceed with grilling (Steps 1 & 3) when ready to serve. | Equipment: Eight 12-inch skewers

Tips: How to skin a salmon fillet: Place skin-side down. Starting at the tail end, slip a long knife between the fish flesh and the skin, holding down firmly with your other hand. Gently push the blade along at a 30° angle, separating the fillet from the skin without cutting through either.
To oil the grill rack, oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Don't use cooking spray on a hot grill.)

Nutrition

Per serving: 172 calories; 7 g fat ( 1 g sat , 3 g mono ); 53 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 23 g protein; 1 g fiber; 200 mg sodium; 607 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (60% daily value), Vitamin C (25% dv), Potassium (17% dv), Vitamin A (15% dv), excellent source of omega-3s.