Author Archives: Cherylanne Skolnicki

Enough is Enough

A special note for today brought to you by The Brave Girls’ Club, run by a fabulous duo of women whose daily email is a must read. Subscribe today and each morning you’ll find a dose of inspiration and goodness and love in your inbox. And who among us couldn’t use a little more of THAT?

 

Dear Spectacular Girl,

In a world that keeps telling us that there must always be more, it is hard to ever feel like WE are enough, like we have enough, like we do enough, like there will be enough when all is said and done, especially at this time of year when MORE MORE MORE seems to be the constant screaming message, trying to drown out the simple beauty of what the season is all about.

Just rest in the truth, sweet friend, that you are enough right now.

You have done enough today, and you did enough yesterday. You have enough today and you had enough yesterday. There is enough love to go around and there is enough success to go around and there are enough dreams to go around. There are enough ideas to go around. There is enough for everyone, including you.

This is a stressful [time] for many people because they need to be reminded that enough is enough. You know the truth, beautiful girl. So don’t let the lie of NEVER ENOUGH destroy what should be a beautiful season for you.

And since you know the truth, you can let others around you know that they are enough, too. Rest in the truth. Breathe it in. Pass it on. Spread the kindness message of ENOUGH, everywhere you go. But most of all, let it penetrate into your heart.

Give yourself some grace, and give all the grace you can to those around you. Receive the grace, too, and always seek out and go where the peace is. You are so full of goodness, and you are SO LOVED.

Thanks for being you.xoxo

A message from your friends at the Brave Girls Club – www.bravegirlsclub.com

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Stuffed Mushrooms with Spinach

With the holiday season in full swing, here’s one last healthy hors d’oeuvre suggestion for you and yours! Stuffed mushrooms are a cocktail party favorite but they are often loaded with high fat sausage and tons of cheese – they can tip the scales at more than 300 calories per mushroom! This vegetarian version swaps the sausage for fresh spinach and uses the big flavors of shallots, garlic, and a bit of Gruyere to keep the fat down but the flavor worthy of a celebration.

I love that you can make these up to two days in advance and simply heat them when it’s party time…anything to take a bit of stress out of this season!

 

Stuffed Mushrooms with Spinach

makes 24

 

adapted from Real Simple

 

Ingredients:

24 medium mushrooms (about 1 1/2 pounds)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

2 cloves finely chopped garlic

1 5-ounce package baby spinach, chopped

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, grated (2 ounces)

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Wipe mushrooms clean. Remove the stems and finely chop and set aside.

3. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Bake the mushroom caps, stem-side down until just tender, 10-12 minutes.

4. While mushrooms are cooking, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and chopped mushroom stems. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add the spinach, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and cook, tossing, until wilted, 2-3 minutes more.

5. Combine the spinach mixture with the bread crumbs and cheese in a bowl. Spoon into the mushroom caps. (You can prepare these to this point two days in advance. Just refrigerate covered.)

6. Bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes.

 

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Outsmarting the Holiday Buffet

The typical holiday buffet is filled with high calorie temptations,  but you can outsmart the even most decadent buffet with these simple strategies I shared on Fox19 Cincinnati this morning. Here’s a link to the video clip.

1 – Don’t save your calories. On party day, don’t be the one saying, “I’ll just skip breakfast so I can eat more tonight.” It never really works! You end up starving and then you justify too many trips to the food line! Instead, eat well on Party Day – breakfast, lunch, and dinner or a small snack depending on what will be served at the party. Keeping the rest of the day normal will help you avoid overindulging.

2 – Look before you eat. There’s no rule against making a reconnaissance trip through the buffet line BEFORE you fill your plate! This avoids the chance you’ll end up with a plate full of your “second favorites” because you didn’t realize your favorites were there! When it’s time to fill a plate,  be choosy; pick the treats you only see a few times a year and skip the “fillers.” At each dish, ask yourself, is it worth it?

3 – Build a meal, not a mountain! How many times have you watched someone return from a buffet with a plate heaped with food. Sometimes the foods don’t even go well together; it’s as though he thought he HAD to take it because it was THERE! The goal, my friends, is not to see how much you can fit on a plate – it’s to build a meal you’ll enjoy and not regret. Bear that in mind!

4 – Careful with the cocktails. By all means you can enjoy a festive beverage, but remember that they pack a one two punch – they affect your judgment AND they add empty calories. Try a glass of wine instead of a bottle or have a delightful glass of champagne or one signature cocktail. You’ll remember the evening and have plenty of energy for your never-ending December to do list the next day!

5 – Channel Scarlett O’Hara – Scarlett famously quipped ” Tomorrow is another day,” and the same goes for you.  If you do overdo it, begin the next day with a cleansing breakfast – a simple smoothie or  a fruit plate with a steaming mug of green tea and plenty of water  – these will all help you to purge salt and rehydrate after your indulgent evening.

Here’s the recipe for the smoothie I made during the segment – it’s what I call the Back on Track Smoothie –  quick and easy and a pretty shade of green. Enjoy!

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