It is so rare for many of us to experience solitude.  Even when I am not on the go, my brain seems to be racing . With all the hats we wear, having calm and quiet time is a luxury.

I went on a long walk this morning as I am by myself at our cabin in the mountains.  It is a typical fall day-chilly, crisp, clear blue skies, white puffy clouds and sunny.  I tried to quiet my mind and let my eyes capture and appreciate nature and it’s every changing story.  I only encountered a few other forms of life~~squirrels gathering food for the winter as well as a variety of birds-woodpeckers, nut hatches, and crows.

In the White Mountains of Arizona, we experience a different set of colors for autumn.  There is a predominance of Ponderosa pines and oaks. The oaks go from green to a golden yellow to a warm brown.

The aspens are gorgeous this time of year with their shimmering round coin-shaped leaves against their white trunks and blue sky.

There is a scattering of maples, which add their splashes of red and orange.

I was surprised to see some pansies in a flower bed, looking just as good as they would in the springtime.

The colorful blooms of rose bushes have not lost their beauty yet.

And of course, this is the time of year for marigolds and chrysanthemums….and lots of pine needles.

It was so peaceful to walk near the lake and see the sky’s reflection on the glistening water.

Soon all the leaves will fall as nature prepares for winter.

Wishing you a weekend with more moments of quiet and calm.

“Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen~~that stillness becomes a radiance.”  Morgan Freeman

As you know, in Phoenix, it is nearly impossible to do anything outside due to the summer heat. During our recent trip to California, I could not wait to get outdoors and enjoy the beautiful temperate climate and the sweet ocean breezes.

I was born and raise on the East Coast and I believe that each ocean has its own smell. The Pacific has a more subtle fragrance~~an intoxicating combination of salt and sand and less moist than the Atlantic.

My husband and I took a long, circuitous walk to the beach~~exploring the hotel property and capturing pictures of the various flowers and foliage.

The shots of the beach are from Crystal Cove State Park, one of my favorite beaches (and featured in the movie, Treasure Island 1918 and Beaches 1988). The resort is Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas.

Usually, within 3 days of being near the ocean, I begin to finally relax. But this year, it’s not happening as quickly as I would like.  I’ve tried exercising, staring at the ocean, appreciating each and every flower I see, but I cannot seem to settle in. I’m not sure why but I am hoping that writing this blog post will help sort out some of the cobwebs.

The property is beautifully landscaped, with an abundance of flowers, textures and colors.

There are many places to sit and enjoy the view.

Nestled in a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the resort is designed like a Mediterranean villa.  There are numerous fountains and abundance of tiled roofs.

This is the view from the main lobby overlooking one of three pools on the property.

They have fountains and ponds with Koi fish and lily pads.

We have been coming here nearly every summer for the last several years.  The children bring friends and love the proximity of the beach.  It is such a beautiful place!

It is hard to believe the last few days of summer are wrapping up.  School begins SO early in Phoenix~~August 7th.  No one is looking forward to the end of summer and the beginning of the back to school routine, but it happens every year.

Life goes on, doesn’t it?

Yesterday morning,  I noticed so many people photographing their breakfast and sharing it on Instagram.  So I was inspired to do the same.

I made a fresh egg cooked inside a slice of 7 sprouted grains bread, seasoned with fresh thyme, sea salt and pepper. I toasted the bread in olive oil first, then cut out the hole and plopped in the egg.

Since I had my cup of coffee earlier, I made hot matcha tea with hazelnut/cashew milk (see my post on making nut milk) and topped with cinnamon. A delicious and nutritious breakfast, utilizing simple ingredients.

The beginning of a new year is always a good reason to improve upon your health and diet. Though, generally, I consider myself to eat nutritious foods, I find myself skipping meals, eating on the run, all because I say I’m too busy.  As a result, I believe my metabolism is slower than it should be.  After years of creating and preparing meals and snacks for my family, I found myself hardly cooking since my oldest 2 went off to college.  My teenage daughter is starving at 3:00 p.m. after school and that’s when she has her big meal.  By 6:00 p.m. no one is hungry and at that point, why bother?

I was lacking imagination and preparing the same things over and over again and/or relying on take out foods when I was too pooped to cook. And of course, there was that glass (or two or three) of wine nearly every night…..

Adding a few LBs over the holidays didn’t help, so I was very excited to discover that a blogger I admire, Monique from Ambitious Kitchen (and others) put together a healthy eating/exercise plan called Healthy Glow.

It’s a 6-week program and for a mere $64 you can download all the recipes, shopping lists, eating guide, etc.  I thought, if nothing else, I may find some great new recipes.  And they have a 2-day preview of the plan that is free.

I personally like the shopping list ~~ so every Saturday we hit the grocery store and get all the items we need for the next week of recipes.  The serving size varies so you can increase or decrease the recipe (or make more and freeze it).  The Healthy Glow team make this a very easy plan to follow.  They also encourage you to dine out once a week and add a glass of wine too, if you’d like.

The coveted Nutella Stuffed Brown Butter Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe (that I made all the time for my son’s crew team) was created by Monique so I know she is able to eat healthy yet enjoy a variety of foods at the same time.

Even though the program says it’s designed for women, I’ve been preparing the foods for my husband too.  He has been adding other foods to satisfy his metabolic needs.  He has enjoyed the meals and especially looks forward to the diverse breakfast options (many made the night before and very appreciated on hectic mornings).

We have completed the first 6 weeks and have begun our 2nd round.  I felt like I was eating LOTS of food, but I didn’t gain a pound, actually I lost a few.  For the 2nd round, I am adding the nutritional information to the LOSE IT! app.  I didn’t realize that the nutritional information was in the packet (last time)  but it’s nice to know there is a good balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats.

I haven’t done any of their exercise recommendations because I already have a weekly routine.  But who knows?  It’s nice to have a fall back position if I become stuck in my current regime.

In summary, I’ve really enjoyed the recipes and eating in a different way.  Knowing what you will be having for each meal is so much easier than spending time staring at an open refrigerator door and wondering what to make for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The egg in toast breakfast was inspired by a recipe in Week 2 of the Healthy Glow plan called Egg in a Frame.   It was absolutely yummy.  Calories: 307; Fat: 20.5 g; Carbohydrates: 22.8g; Sugar: 2.2g; Fiber: 2.8 g and Protein: 9.5 g.

Wishing you a healthy week!