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Check out hunch.com

Fun way to help you make decisions by answering a series of questions. I found great running sneakers.

Beware: you might want to spend a lot of time here:

http://www.hunch.com/

I came across this recipe on Self.com and I can’t wait to try it. This recipe makes 3 muffins – which make a great mid-morning or afternoon snack (I’m a big fan of small meals throughout the day).

INGREDIENTS

I do a lot of damage to my hair: washing a lot, drying a lot, the California sunshine, highlighting, etc. I’ll be going on vacation in a week which means I’ll be exposing my hair to chlorine and salt water, too.

I found this simple recipe for dry hair:

• 1/2 Avocado
• 3 tablespoons Olive Oil

Blend together, apply to hair, rinse off after 20 minutes.

Voila! Soft, healthy hair on a dime.

After doing a mat pilates class yesterday at my local gym, I remembered why I loved it so much (I haven’t done Pilates in years). I did a little research,  and there’s a ton of Pilates studios in West LA.  Pilates Plus seems great. They offer the 30/30 workout that does 30 minutes of spinning and 30 minutes of Pilates. They offer a free introductory course, so I’m going to check it out tomorrow. I’ll let you know how it goes! Also, check out local studios in your area…they typically do a free class or one that’s super-reasonable.

Ever in the mood to indulge a little? I am. And I believe that healthiness is all about moderation, so you need let go of your worries about calories every once in a while. I love this Wild Mushroom Risotto recipe. Risotto is  pretty easy, it just needs some attention.  Vegetarians and non-veggies will all love it (sometimes it’s hard for me to find a ‘fancier’ vegetarian recipe, but this is perfect). I found it on epicurious.com, my favorite recipe site. I serve it with mesclun greens with a homemade balsamic dressing (check out my “meal for late-nighters” post for dressing recipe) and of course, wine.

Ingredients:

• 3 14 1/2-ounce cans vegetable broth
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 pound assorted wild mushrooms (such as oyster, crimini and stemmed shiitake), sliced
• 1 cup arborio rice* or medium-grain rice
• 1/2 cup dry Sherry (if you don’t have this, substitute with a dry white wine)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
• 3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Preparation:

Bring vegetable broth to simmer in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low; cover and keep broth hot.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter with olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped shallots; sauté 1 minute. Add wild mushrooms; cook until mushrooms are tender and juices are released, about 8 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat. Add Sherry and simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add 3/4 cup hot vegetable broth and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining hot vegetable broth 3/4 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh thyme. Serve warm.

*Arborio, an Italian short-grain rice, is available at Italian markets and at many supermarkets nationwide.

A lot of people are talking about ’staycations’ – finding fun stuff to do in your own town rather than taking an expensive vacation. Well, the LA Wine Fest was a perfect staycation. A ton of winemakers that gave generous samples – mostly from the Pasa Robles, Napa Valley and Santa Barbara areas. Live jazz, great food, and a TON of great wine (perhaps too much?)

Some standout wines that I tried and loved: Vampire Vineyards’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Kenneth Volk Vineyards’ Pinot Noir (I love Pinot Noir) and Michael David Earthquake wines Zinfandel.

Great day, great wine…a great staycation.

I’ve always seen this thing at the gym and thought it looked cool, but never knew what to do with it. My trainer introduced me to it in a strength and conditioning session, and now I’m hooked. Feels a little odd at first, but once you find your balance, it’s a great workout. Now I’m doing squats on it, no problem (well, most of the time).

Check out this video. The woman uses free-weights, but I’d recommend getting the squat itself down first. I also do alternating, fast-paced lunges from side-to-side to get some cardio in.

I don’t know about you, but I workout late. Which means that when I get home in the evenings, I’m really, really hungry (ravenous, actually). They say that you shouldn’t eat within a few hours of going to bed, but that’s not an option for me.

So, what do I do? I make a veggie burger salad, which I discovered at my favorite lunch spot, Blue Plate Cafe in Santa Monica.

It’s simple: heat up a Boca Burger, slice it up, add your favorite veggies, and voila! A super-healthy, protein rich post-workout meal.

I’m a fan of this easy homemade dressing (I prefer to avoid the sugar and weird ingredients you find in premade fat-free dressings):

• 1 part extra-virgin olive oil to 2 parts balsamic vinegar (I do about a 1 tsp. of olive oil to 2 tsp. balsamic)
• 1/2 tsp. of dijon mustard
• Salt, pepper and a little garlic powder to taste

Easy,  protein-rich and low-fat.

Ever go to Pinkberry and marvel about how much stuff you’re throwing out when your done? I do. Now, I’m not claiming to be a picture perfect green queen by any means, but I have promised myself to make an effort to put less waste into the world.

Sno:la is an environmentally-conscious alternative to the Pinkberry’s of the world. Here’s what makes Sno:la cool:

• Organic dairy, with natural sweeteners
• Biodegradable/compostable containers
• Yogurt cups made of sugar cane
• Spoons made of woods and potatoes
• Countertops made from recycled computer chips
• Tabletops made of eucalyptus
• Recycled wood wall decorations and soy painted concrete floors

I’m impressed. These guys are socially responsible too: 1% of their gross proceeds go to Slow Food USA, which supports sustainable farming, and 1% of proceeds from the flavor Chocolate Cremita go to the United Nations World Food program, which helps children worldwide.

So far, there are locations in Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Kyoto, Japan. Next time I’m in Santa Monica I’ll be trying it out and writing about it. Let me know if you’ve tried it already!

Check out the website here: http://www.snolayogurt.com/

I discovered the Tamra Davis Cooking Show on YouTube and I’m a huge fan. It’s the first cooking show that I’ve ever actually watched because they’re really short, first of all, and she’s an experienced Director who understands how to engage an audience. She weaves the featured recipe into a larger story and films it in such fun way. Plus, her recipes are creative and healthy. Check out the video below and you’ll see what I mean.

I’ve made a few of her recipes so far, including the Seitan in a Lemon Caper Sauce. It was excellent, and really healthy.

Check out her website: http://www.tamradaviscookingshow.com/