Garden Grown Tomato Soup

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Cheryl's Kitchen.

It’s September, and if you have a garden, you are fortunate enough to enjoy a healthy harvest of fresh vegetables, including my personal favorite, home grown garden tomatoes. My garden was able to grow some spectacular tomatoes this year, in spite of the relentlessly hot, dry weather we experienced all summer. There is nothing better than home grown tomatoes, as well as the many options for enjoying them. This year I was compelled to try something new with my incredibly sweet, mouth watering, and delicious tomatoes. After all these years, I tried my hand at fresh tomato soup with a recipe I came across in the first cookbook I ever bought right after I moved to Denver after graduating college. I had no idea if the recipe was any good, or if I was wasting perfectly good tomatoes by trying...

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Cheryl’s Colorful One Pot Pasta Toss

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Cheryl's Kitchen.

I really don’t love to cook. I used to, but I’m just kind of “over it” right now. But, I do like to eat, and don’t like to eat out or order take out, either. Not only is it outrageously expensive these days, but I want to be the one in charge of the ingredients that go into my meals. I’m a control freak, and wear it as a badge of honor. Recently my husband was out of town for a few days and I had the luxury of either cooking or having a nice meal of cheese and crackers for dinner. Scrounging through my pantry, I was inspired by a bag of tortellini, punctuated by  the basil plant sitting on my window sill perched beside a bunch of fresh tomatoes I bought the day before. My creative juices started to flow and my brain went into overdrive. Using those 3 simple...

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An Epic Martial Arts Movie?

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Ninja Notes.

I recently posted my less than stellar editorial book review I received last year after my book, “The Reluctant Ninja: How A Middle-Aged Princess Became A Warrior Queen.” was released to the world. Fortunately, that review did not break my spirit. Instead, I was able to shake it off and move on, which is a skill I developed with my martial arts training. I’m glad I didn’t let it get to me, because the second one I received had an entirely different opinion, and here it is. As reviewed by FF of Readers’ Favorite: “Betrayed by a predator hidden in plain sight as a medical practitioner, Cheryl found herself battling PTSD and alone with nobody to talk to and share her traumatic experience with. Fortunately, Cheryl’s acupuncturist convinces her to take...

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We All Fall Down…..

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Health Tips.

“Ring around the rosy, pockets full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down!” Who doesn’t remember playing “ring around the rosy” as a kid? It was fun, silly, and we could play it for hours on end. After all, when we were kids, who didn’t enjoy a good tumble to the ground? Fast forward to our adult years. We don’t paly, we don’t dance in circles, and we sure as heck don’t fall down. We don’t get down on the floor, crawl, or roll. Unfortunately, if we don’t do it, we won’t do it, and eventually we can’t do it. And then we develop a fear of falling. And now it’s winter. It’s cold, snowy, and icy outside, which means that there is a higher risk of slipping on the ice and falling. Uh-oh. Nobody likes...

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We Reap What We Sow

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Cheryl's View.

On a whim I decided to include a small pumpkin plant in my garden this year. My husband was less than enthusiastic, because he remembered the one and only time I planted pumpkin over 20 years ago. The plant spread like wildfire and quickly took over the entire garden. Eventually it began creeping over the back yard to the house. It was almost scary. And we only ended up with one small pumpkin. I told my husband not to worry, because the poor little plant was so small and puny that it probably had only a small chance of surviving. So, I gently patted the tiny plant in the ground, wished it well, and hoped for the best. Every few days I went to the garden, talked to it, and gave it words of encouragement. It worked. It took over the entire garden, started creeping toward the house, and filled...

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Birthdays with Zeros and a 3 Year Plan

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Cheryl's View.

Quite a few years ago, I was honored to teach a weekly Pilates mat class to a group of vibrant senior citizens who also happened to be close friends, and there were two couples in the group as well. They were quite a lot of fun to be around, and had many wonderful insights regarding life and many insights and pearls of wisdom. One afternoon, as they were walking into class and picking their spot on the mat, one of the women casually mentioned that it just happened to be her boyfriend’s birthday, which elicited a low groan from said boyfriend. I gave him a beaming smile and wished him a happy birthday. He responded with another groan, loader this time. I asked him what was wrong. He rolled his eyes and replied, “Birthdays that come with a zero on them are exceptionally tough....

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Light Lemon Basil Pasta

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Cheryl's Kitchen.

It’s August, and it’s hot outside. Really, really hot. The thought of cooking is about as appealing as scheduling a root canal. However, the pressure is off and so is the heat with this quick, easy, and delicious lemon basil pasta with chickpeas. Not only is it fast and tasty, it offers the phenomenal nutritional and health benefits of chickpeas. Here is the basic recipe, but do feel free to give it an extra nutritional punch by adding some fresh veggies from the garden, such as zucchini, tomatoes, kale, or peppers. Ingredients: 8 oz. farfalle pasta 1-2 TBSP olive oil 3 cloves minced garlic 1 can drained chickpeas, reserving liquid dash salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes 2 TBSP capers juice from 1 lemon 1 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese 1/2 cup shredded fresh basil Directions:  Cook...

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Summer Fit Tip

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Fit Tips.

One of the many things I love about June, July, and summer in general is gardening. Full disclosure, I am possibly the most ineffective gardener on the planet, but what I lack in skill level I make up with unbridled enthusiasm. Gardening can be a relaxing and even meditative experience. Unless, of course, your efforts are completely demolished by one epic hail storm, which is exactly what happened to me last week. Ah well. But, after another trip to my favorite garden shop I was once again planting, raking, and laying down compost. That’s when I had a mental head smacking moment. Gardening offers a great opportunity to reinforce good posture, body mechanics, and even strengthen your core, legs, and upper back and shoulders while mobilizing your hips. On the other hand, you could also...

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Fit Tip: Less is More & Strong is Sexy

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Fit Tips.

A strong body is a healthy body, and an attractive one as well. There is nothing more appealing than the look of sleek, toned muscles in every stage of life. But even more important than the way a strong body looks is the way it feels. Strength feels healthy, confident, resilient, and youthful. However, we do start losing muscle mass as early as the age of 30, and it is harder to build muscle tissue as we get older. But it is possible. I recently overheard two women over 50 bemoaning the fact that they couldn’t build muscles even though they were faithfully lifting weights at the gym three times a week under the supervision of a young personal trainer who was pushing them to use heavier weights and do more reps. Unfortunately, the only results they experienced were aches, pains, and...

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An Author’s Life and Receiving Reviews

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Cheryl's View.

Nothing puts an author’s teeth on edge quite like waiting for the editorial reviews to start coming in when their book is finally published. These are reviews by unbiased readers giving their honest opinion of the author’s work. I think it’s only fair to share all of my reviews, not just the good ones. So, in the spirit of full transparency, here is the first review the book received last March, just a few weeks after it was released. Reviewed by A. S. for Readers’ Favorite: “I struggled to become engrossed in the book all the way through and was frequently met with reader fatigue. I’m going to leave the first few chapters out of this because they are profoundly raw, honest and, even through the pain expressed, they are beautifully written. However, halfway...

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