I'm doing the Back-to-School happy dance!

Well, we are far from having our morning routine down to an exact science, but just dropped the girls off for the first day of school. We had the standard new outfits, new lunchboxes, and photos on the front step. It’s a day for new beginnings, new habits and new opportunities.

This fresh start isn’t just for the kiddos. Forget about the four seasons, there really are two seasons of motherhood – summer and back-to-school. The back-to-school season is an outstanding opportunities to refocus your wellness objectives. This week, when you’ve got plenty of quiet moments, think about your current wellness state. Where are you at? Has the summer season gotten you way off track? What are your wellness goals for the fall? How can you raise your personal best? I know you’ve probably got a back log of household projects and errands. My house is just a wreck. Hey, the kids are gone, and while we need to smartly manage the day to maximize our time before pick up, there is ample opportunity to carve out a “wellness block” out of each day. What can you capture and maximize the value from this time each day? This is a wonderful time to join a fitness class, go power-walking with a neighborhood buddy, or dust off that home gym equipment and get after it. Today is a great day for planning and dreaming. How can you use this back-to-school year to redefine your personal best?

Wait, what’s that sound, only the hum of the washing machine. Ahhh the peace and quiet! Until 3:00 at least :)

Timberman Rocks!

Just got back from participating in the Timberman 70.3 (Half-Ironman) – How Awesome! Located in Gilford, New Hampshire, the Timberman is ranked one of the best triathlon experiences in the world. This was actually my first trip ever to the northeast, and it was gorgeous. What the small towns of New Hampshire lacked in fine dining and accommodations, they more than compensated in incredible trees, rolling hills and clear, blue lakes. But let’s just say a Dallas girl is not quite accustomed to a two mile long hill climb! I’m now jealous of the super cool running and biking options enjoyed by all you Optimoms who live in New Hampshire, Vermont and the like.

I made the trip with my posse of triathlon friends. I love to treat myself to one long weekend a year to travel to a new race. It’s an outstanding way to motivate myself during training and explore the U.S. (and beyond!). Undoubtedly the destination race is always my favorite event of the year because of that outstanding combo of friends, sport and adventure.

Let me just confirm that we are “recreational” triathletes only. When it comes to the half-Ironman distance, my primary goal is to finish to the best of my ability. I approach every race as a great accomplishment, life experience, and opportunity to redefine my personal best.

Holy Cauliflower!

Bottom line – I love lots of veggies, but I’ve always hated cauliflower. I’ll routinely pick it out of stir fries or omit it from recipes. Went out to for a nice dinner recently, and there it was on the menu – cauliflower mash. Now I have heard on many occasions that this tastes just like mashed potatoes. Given my dislike for cauliflower, I figured that I was the ultimate judge of this twist on the calories dense, high carb, white mash potato.

Oh my goodness! I was delicious! It was served as the bed to a lovely almond-crusted trout. It was true – cauliflower can masquerade as mashed potatoes! So here was the next test – preparing this at home. Went the Internet and found a wide range of recipes. Everything from a South Beach version that was super clean (and a little blah, even by my clean eating standards) to a restaurant version from Ruby Tuesday that included heavy cream – seriously, why bother with the cauliflower.

I settled on a recipe from Food Network. You’ll find the link below. I thought it was a happy medium. It included parmesan cheese and garlic for flavor. OK, that’s pretty harmless. So off I went to prepare Sunday dinner – salmon, green beans, cauliflower mash, and some fresh bread. And yes, we were even all going to sit around the table to eat it together.

Holy Cauliflower – it was awesome! This is my new favorite food, and the thing new recipe that all my mom clients have to hear about. A few tips from the recipe. I omitted the butter from the top when serving – duh? I didn’t have any chives around, so that’s optional. If you have one, a food processor is excellent for preparation. After all my enthusiasm, last week one of my moms made this for her family that includes 2 boys ages 9 and 7. Half way through the meal, she was getting feedback that the meal was great. Now, she had failed to mention the mashed potato swap. After a few more questions, her husband finally inquired if she had put something in the mashed potatoes. So great!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_26612,00.html