Divine HealthIn pursuit of healthy living.

I’ve been nominated for the ‘I love your blog’ award by a few amazing friends!

Rules:
- Post award on your blog
- Link the person who has given you the award
- Pass the award to 15 other blogs you’ve discovered
- Remember to contact the bloggers you’ve nominated

Here are the blogs I choose to give this award to by category:

Friends that nominated me:

Lindsay who loves all things pretty and is oh so pretty herself!

Jennie who loves all things tasty! Oh and she has great book recommendations too!

A favorite funny friend:

Katie’s blog is always full of fun and laughs as well as great ideas for everything.

Vegetarian and Vegan blogs I love:

A Veggie Venture

Cook Vegan Lover

Happy Herbivore

Happy Vegan Yogini

Lusciously Local in San Diego

The Kind Life (Alicia Silverstone)

What the hell does a Vegan eat anyway?

Wedding related blogs:

Melissa McClure is a great friend and amazing photographer!

Love at First Invite ~ Cathy is a beautiful person inside and out. She creates amazing wedding stationary and does great web design as well!

The Ultimate Wedding Blog!

I lost count but I hope I provided something for everyone. Enjoy!

One of the major milestones in life is getting married. Even if you aren’t married yourself, you’ve probably been to (or in) a wedding or two (or far more than you care to admit to because you are fast becoming the one person who gets called out during the garter toss or has 27 bridesmaids dresses). You probably have friends who are married, want to get married, or are planning a wedding… Heck some of you reading this are in fact the professionals who work the weddings… where ever you may fit in the list above, or even in-between (i.e.: the boss that has had to block any wedding related websites from your company’s server so that your engaged employee can focus during work), you have probably heard or ran across BridalInsider.com

If you haven’t heard-of or visited the website, let me tell you what it is, straight from their home page: “Bridalinsider.com is San Diego’s Wedding Community. It is the most informative, resourceful, inspiring social network for San Diego Brides, Grooms and Wedding Vendors. The dynamic, creative Brides & Grooms of the San Diego wedding community make this site the #1 destination for planning your San Diego wedding. Our users are extremely resourceful Brides & Grooms and excited to plan their weddings with the help, advice and camaraderie of the San Diego wedding community.”

Eight years ago, Lori Foote, then a newlywed who had a few raves (and rants) about her wedding planning journey and the professionals who made it possible, established the website to help future couples plan their day. Since then, it has become an invaluable resource to many couples (ok fine, maybe more of a safe haven to the many brides & grooms who want to share their ideas, planning related achievements, and gather opinions without fear of sounding obsessive). The site has also served as a gateway to the careers of many professionals in our industry- yours truly included.

Bridal Insider helped me make it through my wedding planning back in 2007-2008. I found tons of ideas, inspiration and most importantly support from other brides. I’m happy to say that thanks to this website I now have 15 amazing friends that I wouldn’t know otherwise. In December, 2009, I joined Bridal Insider on the other side, as an advertiser when my wedding coordination business became a dream come true. Every step of the way, as a bride and a wedding professional, Lori has been there to offer wisdom, promote positivity, entice innovativeness and provide support in general.

It is because of the influence and impact Lori & Bridal Insider have had on my life that I write this post and reach out to all of you, to help me do what we can for Lori & her family. Last week, they lost their home to a fire- a freak accident that could have happened to anyone. They lost everything, including the family’s cat. While Lori remains in very good spirits, and is very thankful that her family (husband and two young children) are safe and unharmed, they essentially have nothing, and are almost quite literally starting from the ground up. Currently, they are living in temporary housing while their home is rebuilt, but along all the irreplaceable things lost, there has also been a loss of many essential personal items- clothing, undergarments, toiletries, books & toys for the children…I am sure that you can take a look around your home and quickly realize how essential even the most insignificant inanimate object can be at a time like this…uhm hello, I can’t find my hair brush, and I have at least three of them…or what about my Tupperware containers that I actually use for storage of make-up instead of storage of the dinner leftovers. As I sit here and look at the pile of laundry I need wash, I thank my lucky stars that I have enough clothing to put on my back to let the pile get so huge! But seriously, all is lost, and it needs replacing.

Together with fellow wedding professionals we’ve established a PayPal donation site where if you have an extra dollar or two this week, or even ten next week, you can make a donation that will go directly to Lori & her family to help with the basic needs of food, personal items, and maybe a few toys for the kids.  Any help is welcome and appreciated. I personally Thank You for reading through this post, and even considering help, and know that Lori will eternally be grateful to all of you who can help. If you would like to mail any notes, well-wishes, or check donations, feel free to send them to her via the Cerimone Studio (a wedding business  a few of my dear friends and colleagues run) at 2690 Historic Decatur Rd. #207, San Diego, CA 92106. You may also email Lori at lori@bridalinsider.com – do note that she may not be able to respond to your email right away.

Thank you again for all of your love & support. Please feel free to repost this blog!

I’d like to take a moment to wish my beautiful nieces a happy 1st birthday! They are too darn cute not to share them with you!

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming. Thanks for tuning in.

To date my posts have been about serious issues so today I want to mix it up with my new favorite recipe. It’s perfect for a weekend dinner and I suggest enlisting the help of a loved one, it makes the cooking more fun. :) I love this recipe because it is really easy and made from scratch. How often do you hear those terms together in one pizza recipe? I had never cooked with polenta and was worried I might dis-like it but both the hubby and I found it to be quite tasty!

Crust:

1 ½ cups coarse cornmeal

1 tsp. salt

1 ½ cups cold water

2 cups boiling water

Dash of olive oil

Filling:

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 cup thinly sliced bell pepper

1 large zucchini, thinly sliced

5-6 medium cloves garlic, sliced

2 tsp. dried basil or 2 Tbs. minced fresh basil

½ tsp. oregano

Fresh black pepper

¼ pound mozzarella cheese, grated

2 small or 1 medium ripe tomato, sliced

1) Combine cornmeal, salt and cold water in a small bowl. Have the boiling water on the stove in a saucepan and add the cornmeal mixture, whisking. Cook about 10 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently. It will get very thick. Remove from heat and let cool until handle-able.

2) Spread the mixture on a baking stone if you have one. Otherwise, oil a 10” pie pan. Use a spatula and wet hands to form it into a smooth, thick crust over the bottom (and sides) of the pan. Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.

3) Preheat oven to 375®F. Brush the surface of the polenta with olive oil and bake for 45 minutes.

4) While the crust bakes, heat 1 Tbs. olive oil in a medium sized skillet. Add the onion and sauté for 5 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to soften. Add bell pepper and zucchini and sauté until everything is tender. Stir in the garlic and herbs and sauté just a few minutes more.

5) Remove the polenta crust and turn the oven up to broil. Sprinkle half the cheese onto the bottom of the baked crust, then add the tomato slices. Spread the sautéed mixture over the tomatoes and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Broil until brown (about 5 minutes) and serve hot.

This recipe has been adapted from Moosewood’s “Polenta Pie”. You can add mushrooms, eggplant or any other veggie you like. The original didn’t call for letting the polenta rest but I believe it helps solidify the crust and it will break less if you do this. In a time crunch you could put it straight into the oven and it will turn out good. I didn’t have that much mozzarella so I mixed it with a little cheddar and it was very tasty, the flavors went well with the veggies.

If you try this recipe please let me know if you enjoyed it.

I’ve heard that saying many times and I have even found myself saying it more than once. Today, I say it with a heavy heart and motivation to take action.

In 2006, I went on a boat tour in Waianae, Oahu with a couple of friends to see the local spinner dolphins. The particular tour we chose did not allow people get in the water with the dolphins because they are eco friendly and don’t believe humans should intrude on the space of these animals. Sailing along next to a pod of dolphins was enough to feed my soul and I didn’t feel the need to be in the water with them. It was really fun watching them jump and swim along and they truly looked happy. While we were out there, we did see a few other tours letting people get into the water.  In all honestly, it seemed pointless because the dolphins would just swim in a different direction anyway.

Spinner Dolphin in Waianae, Oahu

In 2007, my husband and I took a trip to Tulum, Riviera Maya, Mexico. We heard XelHa was a natural aquarium and Eco Park that would be a fun place to visit. We talked to our hotel concierge and she told us all about the Dolphin Experience and we were instantly sold. This time I did have the urge to be in the water with the dolphins. Upon arrival, we were given a quick safety briefing about what to do and not to do while in the water with the dolphins. Before we knew it, we were standing on a step 3 feet deep in the water with dolphins all around us. It was quite magical and overwhelming at the same time. They were peaceful, mindful and seemed to enjoy our touch. It felt like the experience of a lifetime that one wished would never end. The last part of our time with the dolphins was the highlight.  When instructed, I swam to the middle of the tank and stretched my legs out behind with my arms in front and before I knew it two dolphins came from behind and pushed me up by my feet out of the water for about 20 feet. It was exhilarating and probably the most incredible feeling I’ve ever had in water or with animals. I had a true understanding why dolphin trainers love their job because swimming and interacting with these animals is incredible. You get a sense for how intelligent they are.

Enjoying time with a dolphin at XelHa

Two dolphins pushed me by my feet up and out of the water!

In 2009, I read an article about Pro Surfer Dave Rastovich, actress Hayden Panettiere  and a few others paddling on their surfboards into a cove in Taiji, Japan in an effort to stop the inhumane killing of dolphins. It was really interesting and I looked forward to learning more about this.

Now it’s 2010 and I finally watched The Cove which won an Oscar for best documentary. This film made me think if only I knew then…I wouldn’t have visited XelHa and certainly wouldn’t have swam with the dolphins. Even though it was an incredible experience, it deeply saddens me that I contributed to the nasty practice of dolphin captivity and killing. The film shows dolphin trainers selecting the ones they would like to purchase and they pay quite a bit, as much as $150,000 per dolphin. The rest of them are herded in to a small cove where they are slaughtered. The Japanese government allows this practice and defends it saying the dolphins do not suffer. You should watch the film and decide for yourself.  I’m pretty sure the sounds and images will convince you. If the inhumane act of killing these intelligent animals doesn’t bother you then let’s examine the health concern. The Japanese often sell the dolphin meat under the cover of other names such as tuna, whale and other fish. The interesting thing is that the general Japanese population is being fooled and they have no idea they are eating this mercury laden meat. The mercury levels in dolphin meat is believed to be at least ten times the levels considered safe. Some of the dolphin meat tested in the film had 5,000 times more mercury than is allowed under Japanese law! You can learn more about mercury poisoning in the book Diagnosis: Mercury. I don’t think anyone should be subject to eating this toxic meat.

The Cove brought me to tears and has inspired me to do more about this awful situation. “You are either an activist or an inactivist” was a statement in the film that resonated with me. I’ve heard several people refer to activists as radical, fanatical, extreme and many other connotations. What about being inactive though? Shouldn’t that be negative? If you say someone is inactive physically we know that their health will likely deteriorate or an inactive employee might get fired. Why then, is it okay to be inactive about things you care about? For me, it is not okay and I plan to take action and become more active in supporting the things I care about: animal welfare and food. Who’s with me?