Healthy Lifestyle Tip--Live Well

#CelebrateLaunch
#PoetryOfLife
#FreshStart
#LiveWell
#ChooseHealth
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Recipe Makeover: "Magic" Potatoes aka Potatoes Anna

Next Gen Magic Potatoes on "Celebrate" Dinnerware (photo by LivligaHome)

When I got married my mom handed me a red leather notebook full of her recipes and advice. It was called the "Magic Cookbook". She named it that because she never considered herself a great cook; instead, she figured if she could cook something it "must be magic". Hence the "Magic" of the Magic Cookbook. I have cherished it all my life. She passed away when she was only 57, before my third child was born. Her cookbook is one of the ways I have stayed close to her and her memory.

My children grew up loving the recipes from this book. One of their favorites was "Magic Potatoes". They were Mom's version of Potatoes Anna--thinly sliced potatoes smothered in butter and salt and baked until crisp. Over the years, as my life and cooking have become healthier and healthier, I have fixed this recipe less and less. Recently I decided it was time for a next gen recipe makeover.

The goal was to take out the butter and replace it with olive oil, lessen the salt while keeping the crispy, creamy potatoes. Before we used an entire stick of butter or 8 tablespoons in the recipe. The butter alone added up to 814 calories! Regardless, the taste had to meet the standard of special memories. Here is what I came up with:

Next Gen Magic Potatoes 

Ingredients~
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence, divided
Cooking spray, olive oil flavored

Directions~
1. Wash potatoes and thinly slice them in rounds, skin on.
2. Spray a casserole dish or, preferably, a cast iron skillet with cooking spray. Place half the potatoes in a thin layer on the bottom of the pan. Drizzle 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil over them and spray with thin coat of olive oil cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/2 salt and 1/2 herbes de Provence evenly over top of potatoes. Repeat the process with the second half of the potatoes.
3. Place the potatoes in the oven at 450 degrees for 30 minutes or until the potaotes are crisped on the edges and browned on top.

Serves 4; Serving size 1/4 of the potatoes. Calories: 105 per serving.

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Healthy Lifestyle Tip--Seek Mindfulness

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#Mindfulness
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Healthy Hot Snacks to Warm Your Heart and Body

Healthy Hot Snack on Celebrate Plate (photo by LivligaHome)

In the dead of winter or when I am really tired I want food that is easy, comforting and hot. It is interesting to me that so much of healthy food is raw and cold. The other day I decided to roam around the internet to look for ideas for a healthy hot snack. Much to my surprise I couldn't find much for a list of ideas or even a few recipes for hot snacks under 200 calories. I decided to build my own list. Here is what I have come up with so far:

Snacks to put in a mug
☆ Broth (1 cup) with a savory biscotti  --110 calories
☆ Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Bisque Soup (1 cup) with Melba Toast (3 pieces) topped with Melted Parmesan (1 tsp per piece) --162 calories
☆ Hot cocoa (1 cup) with Good Luck cookies, warmed -- 172 calories


Snacks for a side plate
☆ Applesauce Bran Muffin warmed, cut in half with honey (1 tsp per half) --172 calories
☆ Scrambled Eggbeaters (1/2 cup) with roasted vegetables (1 cup) --151 calories
☆ Tortilla (1 low carb) filled with 2% shredded cheddar (1/4 cup) and spinach topped with picante sauce-- 161 calories
☆ Rosemary Dark Chocolate chip cookies (2), warmed with a hot cup of green tea --176 calories

Snacks that are more like a meal
☆ English muffin (1 whole) with PB2 (2 tablespoons), 1 slice pre-cooked bacon and grilled sliced apple (1/2 apple) --207 calories
☆ Baked Sweet Potato (1 medium) topped with plain nonfat Greek Yogurt (2 tablespoons) and herbs --138 calories
☆ Pizza- Lean Cuisine has a variety of options between 160 - 210 calories

Snacks that are truly quick and easy
☆ Instant Oatmeal (1 packet) with nonfat milk (1/4 cup) --160 calories
☆ Apple sauce, unsweetened (1/2 cup) with 1% lowfat cottage cheese (3/4 cup) warmed in the microwave --172 calories
☆ Microwave Popcorn (1 bag)  --160 calories

Jumpstart Your Livliga^® Lifestyle
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Healthy Lifestyle Tip--Celebrate the Journey

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How to Live your Life—Allison’s Life Truths

A dear friend passed away a year ago February 12. She was a classmate of one of our son’s. She was also a summer helper for our youngest when she was in elementary school.  She was a mere 31 years of age when she was killed in a car accident yet her affect on the world around her was beautifully profound. It had a lot to do with the way she approached life. At her service a list was shared on how she lived her life. It is a list I look at, think about and take with me wherever I go. It is wise, inspiring, generous in spirit and challenging. I wanted to share it with you now because I believe it will be thought provoking and compelling for you too. It is not just about living in the moment. It is more about how we approach our lives and our mindset.

Allison’s Life Truths:

1. Never hesitate to laugh at yourself; it’s the most joyful proof of humility there is.

 
2. Go above and beyond for your friends and family, jump at extraordinary opportunities to show others you love them.

 
3. Don’t just stand there… DANCE!!!

 
4. Practice authenticity so much that you forget how to be any other way.

 
5.Take a hike! Seriously, this world is beautiful. Let it inspire you to do something amazing.

 
6. Be deeply thankful for what you have while also striving to improve yourself and the world around you.

 
7. Let your passion lead you to do crazy things…like biking hundreds of miles for the environment.

 
8. Live your life on purpose.

 
9. Don’t keep track of the number of favors you do for friends.

 
10. Hit on your friends sometimes, deep down it makes them feel good.

 
11. Go one step further…just because.

May these truths inspire you too! And above all—Live Vibrant!

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Celebrate Valentine's Day with a Romantic Bistro-style Dinner

Celebrate Valentine's Day and Nourish Your Heart! 
(photo by LivligaHome)

Valentine's day dinner can provide a great stage for a romantic evening. With a little thought and planning it can provide the perfect environment for all the elements necessary for romance and a memorable evening. You can even be mindful of the food you prepare, how you prepare it and that it is healthy and within a certain calorie range. By planning ahead you can put the perfect evening in place. And once you have planned it, who says you can't repeat it? Romantic dinners can occur all year long!

Splurge on Flowers by Buying a Bunch at the Grocery Store (photo by LivligaHome)

Set the stage- create a cozy, intimate environment. Set a table with the colors of romance- pink, red or lavender. Make sure to have candles. The more the better. And turn the over head lights down low. Splurge on a bouquet of flowers. Roses are the ultimate symbol of romance and Valentine's Day. Buy a bunch when you are at the grocery store. Then there is the music. Pick you favorite sexy music or get help from Spotify, Pandora or iTunes; they will all provide playlists suited to the mood you want for your special dinner.

Cocktails or Wine? Here is where we all get challenged when planning for a special evening. Often we tend to over indulge on the alcohol. This is where pre-planning is key. Over indulging is hard on our bodies from our mind to our liver. It also contributes an overload of calories. How to celebrate the evening, enjoy imbibing without becoming inebriated? We pick and choose. One choice- have a fun cocktail for starters and then choose a low calorie romantic drink for dinner like Perrier with a splash of Torani Sugar Free Raspberry Syrup served in champagne glasses with a raspberry at the bottom of the glass. This is a drink that can afford a refill...or two! Or you could choose- to do the reverse and have the Valentine Perrier drinks for starters and serve a half bottle of champagne or wine for dinner (buying a half bottle keeps you from overindulging).

The Menu- a great way to make it special is to pick a theme. This year I picked "French Bistro". French food goes hand-in-hand with romance. There are also certain foods that are considered an aphrodisiac like mussels and chocolate  which are an added bonus in planning a meal.

Bistro-style Dinner

Pre-dinner Cocktail-- Fizzy Plum Bellini
 
Appetizer-- Steamed Mussels in Garlic and  Shallots

Dinner-- Bistro Roasted Chicken, Pomme Frite with Chives, and Baby Greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette 

Dessert--Fudgy Espresso Souffle with Raspberry Sauce and French Press Coffee


Creating a romantic dinner is about engaging all our senses from what we see and hear to what we smell and taste. It is all about the cues we send to our brain and the parts of the brain we stimulate. If we spend a little time planning and prepping we end up with an evening to remember. And as we know, romance is unbeatable for boosting our health.

Need Another Idea?: Reinforce the words of love, romance and inspiration by collecting Livliga's new dinnerware line--Celebrate: The Poetry of Life. Its stunning black and white design, reminicent of a French bistro, features etched drawings and poetry, fostering the sense of feeling good and imagining what is possible. Its time to Celebrate!

Enjoy! And Live Vibrant!

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Healthy Lifestyle Tip--Nourish Your Heart

#HappyHeartDay 
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Introducing! Celebrate: The Poetry of Life

Celebrate dinnerware speaks directly to our emotions and senses with motivational phrases and beautiful designs (photo by Chris Bohnhoff)

Livliga is proud to introduce its latest line of dinnerware—Celebrate: The Poetry of Life. In an effort to make healthy eating an enjoyable, pleasurable, and even stylish experience, leading lifestyle brand, Livliga, is proud to introduce this newest dinnerware line, Celebrate: The Poetry of Life. Based on the company’s VisualQ’s philosophy, the 16-piece set will help redefine the portion control category by taking the guesswork out of “right-sized” eating, while incorporating an elegant and poetic flare.

The Celebrate design is reminiscent of a French Bistro (photo by Chris Bohnhoff

The Celebrate collection combines inspirational poetry, stylish black and white designs, with tried and tested science to provide a product that is unmatched in quality, aesthetic and function. With beautifully designed tableware reminiscent of a French bistro, each dish features etched drawings and illustrations of healthy foods and phrases that motivate users to “celebrate” a healthy lifestyle. Such words as “celebrate good food,” “live bold” and “sip in gratitude” are inscribed onto porcelain plates, bowl and mugs. With no two dishes alike, users are able to mix and match the set in ways that suit their needs and moods.

Each piece of Celebrate is unique

“It’s easy to feel denied and deprived when making healthy lifestyle changes,” said Founder and CEO of Livliga, Sheila Kemper Dietrich. “I wanted to develop a product line that helps us all find the joy in eating and living well. Livliga has created dinnerware that speaks directly to our emotions and senses with motivational phrases and beautiful designs, while subconsciously guiding us to improve our eating habits by positively affecting our mood and sense of satisfaction. I am very proud to share our latest creation, Celebrate: The Poetry of Life.

Celebrate dinnerware can be mixed and matched according to your mood and needs (photo by Chris Bohnhoff)

Livliga believes that developing healthy eating habits can be a fulfilling and enjoyable experience, without having to sacrifice great tasting meals. As a result, the brand offers dinnerware, serveware and glassware that subtly guides users in eating well-balanced meals with appropriate serving sizes. With the help of its VisualQs philosophy, which states that our bodies and minds seek visual cues to help us determine how much food we consume in one sitting, Livliga products use strategic shapes and symbols to help users practice portion control, with ease, and feel fuller with right-sized portions. The Celebrate line, like all other Livliga products, uses the psychology of eating to promote healthier lifestyles. In addition, Celebrate is the only pattern that uses words to influence us while we eat, in an effort to foster positive emotions and satisfaction with right-sized portions.

Celebrate while inspiring us also makes it easy to measure right-sized servings (photo by Chris Bohnhoff)

The Celebrate line is sold in 16-piece sets for a four-person setting, and is available for $198.95. Livliga’s complete product offering can be purchased at LivligaHome.com.

Its time to Celebrate. Treat Yourself Today! (photo by Chris Bohnhoff)

Come Celebrate with us! And as always, Live Vibrant!

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Healthy Lifestyle Tip--Celebrate Every Day

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