Leavin' On a Jet Plane

Today's blog brought to you by: 

Kim

I find it hard to unplug. I know many people do. We made a conscious effort to take a few days away and have a "staycation" in Sand Key last weekend, close to where we live- 
Trip #1. 

No plane flights required for this trip. Some people pay to come here, we may as well take advantage and slow down for a long weekend. Enjoying the sandy white beaches of Clearwater, Florida whilst sipping a frozen drink and eating fresh seafood. Trying to find balance and be "zen" if only for a few days. This where we stayed. Not too shabby.

Took this photo off our balcony - "A Room with a View"

Sand Key

My good friends Alisa and Liz are in France for the week, visiting Brigitte and Eric and recording some tracks for the Wild World CD. Now that is a trip my friends! Can't wait to see their photos and hear the stories. Here they are in France. Oui!

My daughter Emily is up in Michigan visiting family. These are the weeks I plan my short trips. Next is my flight to VA to see my good girlfriend Kristin- Trip #2. Wineries and good company are in the cards for the VA trip. 

I'm looking forward to it, despite my deathly fear of flying. The thought scares me, but we aren't here to analyze me- so let's move on...

.....for now, I have a frozen pina colada to sip.

Do I look relaxed? Not a laptop or Ipad in sight. Good girl.

The sand dunes

My husband- a cute beach accessory.

I could have stayed there forever. Beautiful sunsets.

And on a final note (an unrelated to my above blatherings) . We are publishing a fantastic new online magazine called Lux (short for Luxury) look for it fall 2011!

Namaste

No-Guilt Ricotta Arugula Pizza with Crumbled Blue Cheese

blog by: kim

We love pizza, but it’s obviously not the healthiest choice. Whatever bad foods we love, there is usually a healthier alternative. So make pizza your own way. Whoever thought of putting lettuce on pizza deserves a gold star. Not just any lettuce; I'm talking arugula. It's that spicy leafy lettuce that is often found in spring mixes but makes any pizza much better. Add some sweet apple slices or dried fruits with crumbled blue cheese and this tastes sensational. Does this look like food deprivation? I think not...

This easy recipe has wheat crust and lower fat cheese to cut calories, and the more veggies you pile on, the more disease-fighting anti-oxidants you get!

No-Guilt Ricotta Arugula Pizza with Crumbled Blue Cheese

(makes 2 thin-crust pizzas)

2 whole wheat tortillas- Try the Food for Life Organic Ezekiel sprouted grain 9” tortilla (you can also buy a raw/uncooked whole wheat pizza dough and grill it outside if you are feeling daring!) By now you know the all-white bleached flour dough has zero nutritional value and adds unwanted fat.

Choose the veggies or fruits you like. Hey, it’s your pizza. Be creative.

Below are some suggestions:

1/4 red onion, sliced thin

zucchini, sliced thin

red pepper, sliced thin

shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil

¼ cup sliced apples

a handful of raisons or dried cranberries

1 oz grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup fat-free ricotta cheese

1 cup spring mix greens with arugula- you can buy them in bags at the store

salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil to taste

Optional: a wee handful of blue cheese to sprinkle on top

Drizzle a little olive oil on the top and bottom of each tortilla. 

Place on a cookie sheet or baking stone. Drop 1 tsp. size amounts of ricotta cheese around the pizza. Layer on arugula mix, onions, zucchini, red pepper, mushrooms and  fruits. Sprinkle on parmesan cheese, sprinkle more arugula over the top if you want, add salt and pepper to taste, blue cheese crumbles and drizzle about 1 tsp of olive oil on top as needed. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or until edges of tortilla begin to brown. (For those of you not using the grill for these)

How your No-Guilt Pizza creation looks will depend on the ingredients you choose to top it off with. Pour a glass of red vino and enjoy. Under 200 calories a slice.

Some recipes call for the greens to be added before baking, others suggest after. It is up to you, how you prefer it. Less baking= more nutrients & enzymes in your greens.


Check out Tracy's blog. She's the California girl on a quest to fall in love with Florida.
http://www.myothercitybythebay.com/2011/07/06/crave-tampa-bay/


Love, kim

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"I’ll have a double cappuccino, half-caf, non-fat milk, with enough foam to be aesthetically pleasing, but not so much that it would leave a moustache"
~ Niles Crane, Frasier