Check out my Sea Kitten!

Create Your Own Sea Kitten at peta.org!

A first! Risotto with Pesto!

For the first time IN MY LIFE(!!) I made risotto tonight and it was SO easy! And good! Now I know what always gives it its "risotto" taste: the white wine!

Risotto with Pesto:

1. Cook 1 small onion in 2 TBSP of butter + 1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a couple of minutes.
2. Add 2 cups risotto rice (i.e. Arborio), cook for about 2 minutes, then add 1 cup a dry white wine and cook until the liquid is soaked up by the rice.
   
3. In the meantime boil 4 cups of water, add some veggie broth (2 cubes) and over the next 30 minutes, keep on adding 1/2 cup of the broth at a time.
4. Take the risotto off the heat and add 1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese, Salt and Pepper to taste and 1/3 cup store bought Pesto.
   

I also made some garlic bread:

1. broil slices of bread under the broiler - any kind, if soft, brown on both sides to make it crispy,
   
2. then rub a clove of garlic over the entire slice and
   
3. sprinkle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sweet!

What's wrong with me? I could eat chocolate and chocolate related items, such as Milchschnitte, Soy Chocolate Pudding, Nutella, Küsschen, and Chocolate Yogurt, all day long, without stopping for a split second...

The Next Food Network Star

I am a little bit of a Food Network Junkie. It would be on 24/7 if my husband wouldn't turn off the TV once in a while... I love Giada! I love Ina! I love Ellie Krieger! I love Alton, Mario and Tyler! And I LOVE LOVE LOVE Michael Chiarello!

The other day I was watching the marathon of "The Next Food Network Star" - a show I had yet to see! But, to my surprise, after the first commercial break, I already knew who the winner was... Very disappointing! What sense does it make to roll a full marathon afternoon and during the first commercial break introduce "The Next Food Network Star" to an audience that was too impatient to wait through weeks of competition and is now trying to get it all in on one afternoon???

I'm not sure what to make of Aaron McCargo, Jr., who won the competition yet - his new show "Big Daddy's House" looks just like any other show - a (n ugly, I might add!) kitchen, a funny chef, good food... BUT I saw previews for the other Next Food Network Star Adam Gertler's new show "Will Work For Food" and that will probably be a cool show! Tune in on January 19th at 7:30 central time!

Last practice for the old year

What did I take away from my last Yoga practice of the year?

• don't underestimate how many people have nothing else to do but cram in a yoga studio on New Year's Day for 2008's last practice with Silvia!
• when somebody smiles at you before practice starts, don't sound too desperate when you tell her that you are only there because at home is an evil mother-in-law and you are in dire need of some peace and serenity. If you do sound too desperate try to ignore the satisfied smile on that somebody's face - somebody else has it worse than you!
• eating a bowl of TUSCAN WHITE BEAN AND GARLIC SOUP an hour before Yoga practice is NOT a good idea!
• everything's gonna be okay!
  

I <3 Giada!

For tonight I prepared one of my favorite soups:

TUSCAN WHITE BEAN AND GARLIC SOUP
from my favorite Food Network chef
Giada De Laurentis.

I could BATHE in this - it is SO good! Of course, there are 8 gloves of garlic in it (I doubled the recipe) and that makes it even better! I substituted veggie stock for the chicken broth, to make it truly vegetarian. Unfortunately there is butter and cream in it, so it is not vegan. But nontheless it is SO YUMMIE!!!

Tomorrow I will be trying her

PANINI WITH CHOCOLATE AND BRIE!

Yoga

Although I didn't want to start until the new year with my YOGA resolution, I just couldn't stop myself... okay, okay, actually my neck and my back were killing me, because I fell asleep the other night, when we came back from Chicago, where we watched "The Jersey Boys" (highly recommendable, by the way!!) and one of my favorite steak houses in the city "Zed451" (and, YES, I do not eat any meat, but their FISH is awesome as well! And their jalapeno bread with the red pepper butter - dilicious!)... wait... where was I going with that...? Anyway, I'll go again tonight, because I just got an email from my favorite yoga teacher of all times, telling me that there will be a special class tonight:

If you want to know the past, to know what has caused you, look at yourself in the present, for that is the past's effect. If you want to know your future, then look at yourself in the present, for that is the cause of the future.
-Majjhima Nikaya

Dear Monday Night Basics Students,

Tonight is the last Monday of the year! I know it's hard to believe!

It seems then only appropriate that we dedicate tonight's 7:30pm Basics practice to reflecting on this past year, taking its lessons and aligning our hearts with our best intentions for the new year. The class will be deeply introspective and sweet. If you were looking for some quiet solitude in order to recharge from the busyness of the past month or just an opportunity to really think about what you've accomplished this past year and what you want to set as meaningful goals for 2009 then this is the class for you!

I hope you can make time to join me tonight.

Sending you healing thoughts, hopes for all your dreams to take form and the courage to make your wishes come true!
Silvia