{Fresh Friday}

Good Morning and Happy Friday to you:)

Hope your week was happy!!
Thanks so much for all your thoughts on the vacation plans!!!! I always APPRECIATE your comments!!!

So, I told you I have been tinkering around with my styling and photography skills.....

What do you think?!?!?!?

Here's another.....
I think its's fun to get a little creative with your photography! Do you????

Oh and I wondered....what do you enjoy most when you stop by simpledaisy!?!? I am just curious if you enjoy the mix of things I blog about???? {fitness, recipes, fashion, beachy things & places, random stuff, etc.}
Thanks!

Now....Fresh Friday:)
I don't know how you feel about tofu....but I like it!

Tofu Stuffed Portobello MushroomRemember the dill topping I made for my fish???

Well I just put that topping on my mushroom and added diced tofu!!

YUM-O....if you like tofu that is:)

portobello mushroom

dill

lemon juice

hazelnuts

Put the dill, lemon juice and the hazelnuts in the food processor and then put it on top of the mushroom....throw it in the oven on 425 for about 10-12 minutes and enjoy!

Asparagus, Tomato, Fennel Salad

This salad was awesome!!

Blanched and chilled asparagus
fennel
grape tomatoes
lemon juice
dill
garlic
feta
pine nuts

Toss together in a bowl and enjoy:) Simple and delicious!!!

I don't know about you but I love to cook....but sometimes it's hard to come up with ideas.

That's why when you find something you really like...think about all the different ways you could use it.

Like....

~dill hazelnut pasta with zucchini

~dill hazelnut crusted fish

~dill hazelnut topped crusty bread with goat cheese

~dill hazelnut lemon juice olive oil salad dressing with feta

and the list goes on and on!!!

Same thing with the fennel!!

But you get the idea!

What's you favorite thing to eat?!?!? And do you switch it up to enjoy it in more than one way?!?!

I'm going to be happy today,
Though the skies may be cloudy and gray
No matter what may come my way
I'm going to be happy today.
- Ella Wheeler Wilcox

{Fresh Friday}

Yippee...It's FRIDAY:)
I know it's ONLY January but I have spring fever so bad. I can't tell you the last time we have had sun here in Indiana and February does not look promising!! Good thing I have lots of happy photos of Key West to look at until the weather takes turn for the better:)
This week for my Fresh Friday post I was inspired by wanting to make something that would taste really FRESH and with a hint of spring:)
So I made......
~Lemony Dill & Almond Crusted Halibut~
I know...I know the photos are not that great but I tried!! It is just so challenging to photograph things without natural lighting!
But trust me this rocked my face off!!!!!

almonds {somewhere around 1/2 cup}
fresh dill {maybe about 1 cup}
Lemon juice {oh about 1/4 cup}
Zest of Lemon
Put the almonds in a food processor and get those nice and crushed up then add the dill and continue pulsing.
Last, add lemon juice and zest!!!!
It turns into a thick and sort of dry toppin for fish or even chicken if you prefer.
It's not meant to be a marinade so it will be dry. Put the fish in foil and with a little of the topping and squeeze of lemon juice.
Bake on 425 for about 20-25 minutes.
When finished add more topping!!!!!
You could also use this topping in Tilapia and sautee it!!
It really is so good and fresh tasting.

I also made.....
~Cucumber & Fennel Salad~
I have made variations on this theme before but I love this crunchy combination so much and it's so simple to make:) Cucumbers {I use those little cucumbers or I think english cucumbers would work}
Fennel
Fresh Dill
Rice Wine Vinegar
Sugar in the Raw {not too much .... just a titch}
Just make up however much you want and enjoy!!This salad totally fulfilled my need for crunch and it made me feel like I was enjoying something that I would eat in the spring or summer!!
I am sooooo tired of soups:)

Ok...Now...some of you have asked about P90X!
Well let me just tell you that P90X rocks.
If you are new to working out, it may be really challenging, just don't feel like you have to do as many reps as they do! Work at your own pace but try to work until you are really fatigued!
I don't do the pull-ups that are part of the dvd's, I just do other back exercises that I know I can do.

Here I am before I started the legs dvd.... Yes... I totally workout with the twinkle lights on!! I like a little ambiance!

I don't always workout at home, in fact most of the time I go to the gym but I love variety. I think it's great to be able to just pop in a P90X dvd when I feel like I need to switch it up.

If you don't like to go to the gym then dvd's are the way to go!!! Then you really have no excuse for not working out:)

The warm up..Can't you just tell how excited I am for what's to come:)
Lunges...more lunges and squats of every variety!After I can no longer feel my legs the dvd ends and I am sweating, tired and burned a little over 300 calories:)I didn't get nearly as sweaty as I usually do b/c I learned to turn the heat in the house WAY down!!!

See those biceps.....all thanks to P90X!!! I am getting there and hopefully by spring i'll be nice and bikini ready:) Just a little more to go.......

Now if I can just stay away from all those pizzas!!!!!

Have you ever tried P90X?!?! If you have any questions about it just let me know!
What is your favorite way to workout?????

"If you don't do what's best for your body, you're the one who comes up on the short end."
Julius Erving

{Fresh Friday}

Hi everyone!!!
Thanks so very much for all of your comments that I might actually be inspiring you to become a little more fit and healthy!!
I am super happy to inspire people and I too am inspired by others!! I find it very inspiring to get so many nice comments!! So keep them coming...I appreciate it.
For me, inspiration turns into to motivation which then turns into action:)

Whenever you have health and fitness goals....I think there are some pretty important activities that will help you achieve or at least start on the path to achieving them...

....surround yourself with positive, happy people that will keep you motivated.
I am lucky to have great friends that are very positive about my goals and one is even a personal trainer...I mean, if I am not inspired and motivated by her abs....I don't know what would inspire me! Check 'um out~

.....read, read, read.
I read everything, blogs, magazines, books and anything else I can get my hands on to stay motivated! There are so many great blogs out there just full of inspiration and motivation...but don't stay on the couch too long:)
I also love, love, love Oxygen Magazine.. I think the girls in the magazine are more realistic looking (motivating to me) and more of what I hope to someday achieve. I am not much a fashion magazine kind of girl b/c personally, I don't find fashion magazine girls very inspiring or motivating. I think they look scrawny and hungry:) But that's just my opinion. I am motivated by fit looking girls~

.....keep it clean. Food that is.
don't make it complicated when starting out....just start eating things that are actually food! Whole grains, eggs and chicken (if you eat meat), veggies and fruits, beans, nuts, dark leafy greens etc.
See how easy it is?!?!? Then be creative in how you cook those things!! Don't be afraid to experiment!

.....move, move, move and then move some more:)
again when you start out...don't make it complicated just move! walk when you can, do squats when you brush your teeth,do side bends when your making dinner...you get the idea!
When you get used to all of this....then you can pump your workout regimine up!
I love to exercise and find that I am most motivated when I have goals I am working towards...see my right side bar....those are the things I have signed up for so far this year! So far it's a half marathon and a centruy bike ride!! But there might be more to come....woohoo 2010

As I move along...I am learning more and more and tweaking things that I eat and how I train so that I can be in the best shape I can be in:) Same for you....as you get going you'll keep learning and tweaking!

So there you go.....just start! It's as simple as that!!!!!!

Don't let those New Year's goals go by the wayside:)

OK....Now
One thing about eating...is that you have to find what works for your body and your morals....

I was vegan for a bit...but I just felt too restricted. And I never felt like I was eating enough protein for my activity level...So I have been enjoying some wonderful fish again!!!! But you have to do what works for you:)

~Seafood Spiced Mahi with Grapefruit Fennel Salsa~ Mahi Mahi....frozen unless you are lucky enough to live where you can get fresh:)
Any kind of seafood seasoning
cook the fish in the oven on 450 for about 20 min.

Make the salsa...
grapefruit
fennel
cucumber
red onion
lime juice
red wine vinegar
sugar
crushed red pepper
Chop everything up and put as much of everything as you want in a bowl

This was just so darn good!! I served it with asparagus and sweet potatoes. YUMMY!!

Now if you don't like grapefruit...that's ok..just switch it out with oranges, mangos or whatever else you might like.

That's the best thing about cooking...you can be creative!!! Be adventerous...try new things and don't be shy to swap things out in recipes.

Hope you have a happy, healthy weekend!!! TGIF~

"Success in anything seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes but don't quit. They hang on after others have let go".
~ Unknown