"Plank-it" Until You Make It!

Plank exercises are a popular element of isometric training, which involves contracting your muscles against stationary resistance. Isometric exercises are common for injury rehabilitation or reconditioning. Isometric exercises, such as planks, can help you get past strength-training plateaus and improve energy transference between your upper body and lower body. Plank exercises, in particular, benefit multiple elements of physical fitness and your general well-being.

Top 5 Benefits of doing Planks
1. Works your upper abs, your lower abs, your obliques, and your lower back.
2. Builds the stabilizer muscles.
3. Builds strength for pushups.
4. Promotes good posture and helps prevent back injuries.
5. Teaches your abs to stay contracted in a regular standing position.

How to Do a Plank
1. Get face down on the floor resting on your forearms and knees-- an easier variation to rest on hands and knees.
2. Push off the floor, raising up off your knees onto your toes and resting mainly on your elbows.
3. Contract your abs to keep yourself up and prevent your booty from sticking up.
4. Keep your back flat. Picture your body as a long straight board, or plank.
5. Hold and aim for 20-30 seconds in the beginning and work your way up to one minute, as you get stronger.
6. Repeat three times.

Why shop at farmers markets?

Why shop at farmers markets? One good reason is the produce is locally grown. It’s also picked when ripe instead of being picked prematurely which allows it to reach it’s full potential in flavor and nutritional value. So if you think about your fruit in this way, it’s actually cheaper to buy at the farmers market because you don’t need to buy as much food to get your daily vittles! The other important reason to shop at the farmers’ market is because the food is in season. That’s right, believe it or not plants grow seasonally and most of our produce that is available year round should actually only be around for a few months of the year. Take asparagus for instance. This delicate vegetable should only be available in early spring but is found all year round in grocery stores. If you go to the farmers’ market you will never find asparagus there other than in spring and more importantly, you will never find asparagus as tasty and fresh as at these markets. All things considered, the advantages of shopping at the farmers’ market are numerous. The food is more nutritious, fresher and most importantly – you’ll never find tastier fruits and veggies. Here is a list of fruits and veggies that you’ll find at your local farmers’ market this fall;

Acorn Squash
Asian Pear
Barbados Cherries
Black Crowberries
Belgian Endive
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Butter Lettuce
Buttercup Squash
Butternut Squash
Cactus Pear
Cape Gooseberries
Cauliflower
Chayote Squash
Chinese Long Beans
Crab Apples
Cranberries
Date Plum
Delicata Squash
Diakon Radish
Endive
Garlic
Ginger
Grapes
Hearts of Palm
Huckleberries
Jalapeno Peppers
Jerusalem Artichoke
Key Limes
Kohlrabi
Kumquats
Muscadine Grapes
Mushrooms
Ong Choy Spinach
Passion Fruit
Pear
Persimmons
Pineapple
Pomegranate
Pumpkin
Quince
Radicchio
Sugar Apple
Sunflower Kernels
Sweet Dumpling Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Swiss Chard
Turnips

Orzo Confetti Salad

Orzo Confetti Salad

1 ½ cups whole wheat orzo pasta, or Israeli cous cous
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 carrots, peeled & grated
½ cucumber, grated
1 medium golden beet, stemmed and grated
Any other grating vegetable that works
2 T. fresh parsley, finely chopped

Directions
1. Cook orzo/Israeli cous cous in plenty of boiling water until tender, 10-12 minutes. Drain.
2. In a bowl, Whisk oil, lemon juice, zest, salt, and pepper until blended.
3. Toss all of the ingredients together. Serve warm or cold.

Crunchy Granola Bars - great for kids and adults :)

Crunchy Granola Bars

1 ½ cups Puffed Rice

1 ½ cups Rolled Oats

½ cup Quinoa Cereal

2/3  cup cranberries

½ cup sunflower seeds

¼ cup pumpkin seeds

¼ tsp cinnamon

¼ cup almond butter

¼ cup brown rice syrup

¼ cup honey

2 T. brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line and 8- or 9-inch square pan with a long sheet of parchment paper (so ends extend over edges of pan).

2. Mix the puffed rice, oats, quinoa cereal, dried fruit, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and cinnamon in a large bowl.

3. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the almond butter, brown rice syrup, honey, brown sugar and vanilla until sugar has melted and the almond butter has thinned.

4. Pour the liquid mixture on top of the dry ingredients, mixing well. When everything is equally coated, spread the mixture into the pan. Press the mixture down with the bottom of a measuring cup or the back of a wooden spoon. Bake for about 25-35 minutes, or until golden brown.

5. When you remove the pan from the oven, again use the back of a wooden spoon to press the bars flat. Allow to cool completely before touching them again.

6. When totally cooled and hard, lift the ends of the parchment and put onto a cutting board and cut into bars or squares. Store them in a ziploc bag at room temperature.

Gambas a la Plancha!

A great recipe from one of my favorite shows, Take Home Chef...

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons/45 ml olive oil

2 teaspoons/less than 2 g chopped fresh tarragon

1/2 teaspoon/less than 1 g dried crushed red pepper

12 large shrimp (1/2 pound/240 g), peeled and deveined

Salt

1/2 lemon

PREPARATION:

1. Combine the oil, tarragon and crushed red pepper in a medium bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Marinate the shrimp at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours. Place a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the shrimp with salt.
2. Add the shrimp to the hot pan and cook for 1 1/2 minutes per side, or just until the shrimp are cooked through. Squeeze the lemon over the shrimp and toss thoroughly to coat with the lemon juice. Transfer the shrimp and the pan sauce to small tapas dishes and serve.

Lean, Mean and Green - a tasty breakfast smoothie

1/2 cup of coconut milk
1/2 strawberries
1/2 frozen banana
3 stalks of kale
1 serving of protein powder - I like pea protein (http://www.amazon.com/Now-Foods-Pea-Protein-lbs/dp/B001DB4MFO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347374762&sr=8-1&keywords=now+pea+protein)
1 TBS chia seeds/hemp seeds OR flax (if using flax seeds grind them in a coffee grinder first)
some honey to taste - depending on how sweet you like it
some water to thin

Blend and enjoy! This morning shake has 28 grams of protein, omega 3's and omega 6's, more than 6 grams of fiber and a cup of raw veggies!!

Are you ready to walk the plank?

Planks, also known as isometric exercises, are a great way to build core strength. Watch this video to assure your form is correct and then challenge yourself to a 1 minute plank. It's fun-- get someone to join you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSHjTRCQxIw

Healthy Desserts :)

ALMOND OAT ENERGY BITES

2 1/2 cups Rolled Oats
1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds
1/2 cup Organic Raisins (very important – grapes are a highly sprayed crop)
1/2 cup Organic Dark Chocolate Chips
1 tsp. Cinnamon
2 servings of Pea protein
1/2 cup Almond Butter
1/3 cup Honey

Grind 1/2 cup oats and 1/4 cup seeds in food processor until powdery. Combine remaining 2 cups oats, remaining 1/4 cup seeds, raisins, chocolate chips and cinnamon in large bowl. Add oat/seed powder and mix well. Stir in almond butter and agave nectar in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer to dry bowl and mix until soft dough forms - you may need to add some water if the mixture is still dry. Moisten hands, and roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place in freezer 20 minutes to set, then serve or store in the fridge.

Roasted Brussels Spouts and Fennel

Get Your Veggies On!!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Fennel
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1 pound Brussels sprouts
1 bulb fennel
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice fennel and slice Brussels sprouts in half.
3. Drizzle oil and mix until all ingredients are covered. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes.

The New Dirty Dozen; 12 Foods to Eat Organic

The latest list of foods with the highest pesticide residue includes some familiar fruits and vegetables, and some surprises. By Dan Shapley

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/dirty-dozen-foods#ixzz22DQ5LKHe

Dessert Balls!

Chocolate Nut Butter Balls

3 cup dates, pitted

2 cup walnuts or almonds or a combo of both
1 cup of shredded coconut

6 tablespoons cacao powder

1 teaspoon celtic sea salt

6 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 tablespoon water

Place dates, nuts, coconut, cacao powder, salt, vanilla and water in a food processor

Pulse on high speed until pasty but chunky

Remove mixture from food processor and roll into little balls

Place in the fridge to harden

Lentils Anyone?

Curry Lentil Soup

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter (the real stuff)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large clove of garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin powder or seed
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander
6 cups water
1 cube vegetarian bouillon (or use vegetable stock instead of water)
1 pound lentils

Directions:
Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil and margarine in a large pot until tender.
Add the spices and sauté for 1 minute.
Add water, vegetarian bouillon cube, and lentils.
Cook until lentils are tender, about 1 hour.

How about cookies for Christmas?

http://sweetconstructions.com/


Mindi Canner and Kate Kuckro are the bakers behind Sweet Constructions. As upstairs and downstairs neighbors, they met on their front porch and discovered they had a lot in common, from their love of baking, canning, and eating sustainably to their ties to neighboring New England towns. In 2001, they began baking cookies and other treats for friends and family, school fundraisers and other events. Encouraged by the response to their treats, they decided to give their cookies the ultimate test: selling them. They started by selling to friends and co-workers for the winter holidays, and have since expanded to offering our cookies year-round online.


Order some for Christmas today - they also make great Christmas presents and can be ordered online!

Check out the flavors; http://sweetconstructions.com/flavors.html

A Great Kale Salad Recipe

Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad

8–10 servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 small garlic clove, finely grated

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning

2 large bunches of Tuscan kale (about 1 1/2 lb. total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced

12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated or shredded with a knife

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped

Preparation

Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl. Stir to blend; set aside to let flavors meld. Mix thinly sliced kale and shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl.

Measure 1/2 cup oil into a cup. Spoon 1 Tbsp. oil from cup into a small skillet; heat oil over medium-high heat. Add almonds to skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle almonds lightly with salt.

Slowly whisk remaining olive oil in cup into lemon-juice mixture. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Dressing, kale mixture, and toasted almonds can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover dressing and kale mixture separately and chill. Cover almonds and let stand at room temperature.

Add dressing and cheese to kale mixture; toss to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Garnish with almonds.

Check Out Kanto...

How about buying your friends and family some cool, locally designed T-shirts for Christmas this year?! Free shipping with orders over 50.00 if you enter the code SHIPFREEUS. Get shopping; www.kantno.com


Just a few examples;

An inexpensive spa bath...just for you!

Epsom salt and baking soda are both traditional remedies that have been used for generations to improve well-being. Taking a bath with these two natural compounds is said to cleanse and purify the body, leading to a range of health benefits, from relieving joint pain to slowing the aging process. Epsom salt provides the body with magnesium and baking soda neutralizes acids and promotes the elimination of toxins.

The Recipe:

YOU and twenty minutes

1 cup on baking soda

1 cup of epsom salt

20 drops of an essential oil of your choice

Pour the above ingredients into your bath and then begin to fill the tub. Soak and Enjoy!

HIKE4EMMETT! Pictures and Recap!

Hello Emmett Lovers,

Yesterday's hike was a huge success! We couldn't have asked for more with 22 beautiful hikers, intense wind and bright sunshine! Not to mention the grand total now at $3,940 and the donations still keep coming!

Enjoy these photos and be proud of yourself, you helped make a difference by participating in this incredible event.

https://picasaweb.google.com/102478107497108192594/HikeForEmmett?authkey=Gv1sRgCI3Pyb2lw-jWUw#

I am so glad I got to meet more friends of the Harringtons and be reunited with those I hadn't seen in a long time. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, however you gave, with time, with donations, with well wishes, I am grateful and very touched!

Love,

Angela

A message from the Harrington Family...

Facebook hosted a contest among different charities, with the winning organization getting a quarter of a million dollars. FAST, an organization that does research for Angelman Syndrome was one of the competing charities. Thank you to everyone who voted for FAST because THEY WON!!! $250,000!!! In addition, over $40,000 was raised in donations matched by Vivint. A tremendous success that will go a long way toward finding a cure for Angelman Syndrome.

A presentation of the winners will be posted on Sept 6th at 2pm MST at http://www.vivint.com/givesbackproject for those who are interested in watching.

Thanks again so much if you voted. This is huge.

Alan & Merewyn & Emmett & Wyatt

WE HAVE RAISED....

$3,450.00!!!!!!!!!!!!

Details for hikers - HIKE4EMMETT

We will beginning the hike at the bottom of the Railroad Grade Trail-head in Mill Valley. The trail-head is at the end of West Blithedale (map above)

We will be starting at 9AM sharp. We should be through with the hike by 10:30/45AM. Parking is limited so please be prepared to park on West Blithedale and walk to the trail head.

I ask that you all bring a reusable water bottle, good walking shoes, a hat and sunscreen. I will be providing water, bananas and energy bars.

Everyone will have their photo taken at the summit. The photo will be sent to Emmett so if you want to make a sign with a personal message, please feel free.

Thank you ALL. And please email me with any further questions or comments! fitness@adventurehere.com

Love,
Angela