Last night the funniest thing happened! While Andy and I were watching Biggest Loser, the one and only show I run home to be on time for, the recent commercial I “starred” in came on! We started laughing so hard while Andy had to make fun of every little detail… like the way my feet are crossed, the words I use more emphasis on and my sock choice… husbands can be such royal pains in the butts. But he’s just jealous cause he’s not on TV like me! And no, I am not going back to school or taking up a career in acting. My friend and student Eileen works for Charter Media and she created the spot for Laurus College and surprisingly enough, she wanted me to be the face of it!

This town is small, hence why I’m always saying it feels like Rhode Island, and people keep randomly coming up to me in Trader Joe’s, in yoga class, this morning at Farmer’s Market and while I’m circuit training, to tell me they’ve seen “my” commercial. HA! It cracks me up every time! Eileen said it’ll run on the air until August… basically I’m invading your TV, San Luis Obispo County! I’ve been in other little videos before but nothing compares to seeing your face on the screen in your own home. Actually, it’s embarrassing especially when you have a lovely husband like mine to point out all the little stuff he finds funny!

Oh! Farmer’s Market had the best selection of greens this morning. I got this nice, fresh bunch of cilantro, arugula  and Little Gem lettuce ( I was sold by the name) all for a buck each. And check out this huge bunch of radishes for only $1.50. Steal! And I found the biggest grapefruit and after sampling some, I nabbed a few. My Grandma Ann used to eat and drink grapefruit juice daily and I thought it had the grossest taste when I was younger. So naturally I was laughing when three little kiddos in front of me made a sour face and whined when trying their sample! It’s an acquired taste, and I’m sure my Grandma is up there having a go at the fact that I love these guys now!

I also got a huge bunch of beets that I used to make this Beet Hummus recipe below this afternoon. I overheard some women talking about beet hummus and how they don’t use chick peas in their recipes and I thought this was brilliant! Plus I love beets so why not put these two together? Hummus can leave one a bit gassy and if you’re a yoga teacher, this is a no-go! The less beans in the day time, the better!

Also, in my (and Andy’s too) quest to eliminate processed sugars this year, I’m trying to home make most of the items I usually buy packaged at the market. Hummus is one of them. There can be a lot of sugar in certain varieties and the ones containing tons of pine nuts are loaded with fat! Thus, I created this recipe today without the use of sugar or dairy and my gosh is it good. After boiling the beets, this took me just minutes to prepare. Easy peesy!

Just Beet It Hummus- makes one cup 

Ingredients:

-3 large beets, peeled and chopped

-2 T tahini

-1 lemon, zest and juice

-3 cloves garlic, minced

-1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

-1/4 tsp cumin

-1/2 cup red wine

-1/2 tsp sesame seeds

-1/4 tsp salt

-pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Boil the beets in a large pot with the red wine and water. Let cool, then peel.

2. Take off the ends of the beets and chop up a little. Toss the beets into your food processor with the garlic, tahini, spices, zest and juice of the lemon and mix.

3. When the beets are throughly mixed, transfer to container and add the sesame seeds.

4. Enjoy as a spread on crackers, a dip for vegetables or on it’s own! Let your dog lick the bowl like Corduroy did!

Check out that color!

I took just a few slices of beets from the last recipe in order to create this salad today using the greens from Framer’s Market today. Making salads and planning meals are two of my favorite things to do, can you tell? Again, this is a quick fix so you can make it ahead of time and add the dressing later on.

Just Beet It Salad- serves one or two 

-1 cup arugula

-1 head of Little Gem lettuce (Love the name)

-1/2 red onion, chopped

-1/4 cup beets

-4 radishes, minced

-1 packet Oh! My Omega Nut Mix from Trader Joe’s

Directions:

1. Wash your greens and add everything to a large bowl, tossing well. Add the dressing below and enjoy!

For this Citrus Dressing, all you’ll need is 1 T olive oil, 2 T each of rice and apple cider vinegar, the juice of one lemon and a dash of salt, sugar and pepper. Mix well!

   ___________________

Now, I’m planning on enjoying some home made granola and a cuppa tea in my new “Rhode Island Runs on Dunkin” mug that my Ma gifted me for Christmas while reading my book. It’s a nice day out but I’d rather stay in and relax the afternoon away until my evening classes at Yoga Centre. Ciao!

I wish we had a Dunkin Donuts here!!!!!