My Body is a Temple... but that HO-HO looks mighty tasty...

Yep. Sure is. How come we sometimes forgo the celery & go straight for the cheesecake? Why do we do this to ourselves! We are stronger than we give ourselves credit. And for pity sake, you don't have to eat celery. {Although I don't crave cheesecake, I know I'm among a small percentage of women that don't, so this analogy should relate to most of you.}

Seriously. Tuesday is the day in my week that helps me rededicate this simple mantra into habit. My body is a temple. Yes sir. And gosh darn it, it feels good to fill it will good, wholesome, delicious food & to exert it enough to feel the power & strength within myself.

So if you are having problems with putting "bad stuff" in your body. Big deal. Change is great. Here in Miscellaneous world change is welcome. If you haven't lifted a weight besides an extremely, smelly laundry basket - forget about it. If your idea of physical exertion has been to hop up on the trampoline to grab your defiant toddler - that's sad, but shake it off. Today's Tuesday!

So on Tuesdays we can look forward to recipes, exercise advice, silly stories about what childbearing has done to our once hot bods & how we can take back the control of redefining our temples to learn to love & appreciate them. Who knows... perhaps they can be even better than before. {Well maybe not the "girls" in their entirety, but you know...faith can move mountains, perhaps it can lift them as well.}

I'm a firm believer in you are as good as you feel. If your body is in dire need of an overhaul, that's doable. Just start. Start by walking, jogging (p.s. A tiger would have to be chasing me. Not my thing.) or doing whatever in the world you can think of that makes you sweat. Then add some weights another day. Then by golly you've lost 5 lbs. & {more importantly} toned up that fantastic temple of yours. And perhaps your husband is thrilled with your effort & results as well. Win, win.

Do I eat good & work out because I want a six pack? Sure! But, let's be real - it's never gonna happen. Not in the cards. I like butter too much. But honestly, I do it because it makes me feel good. It is my time to better myself physically & be in tune with my body. It is my time to be alone with my most intimate thoughts. It is MY time to breath deep & recharge my battery for the coming meltdowns, dirty diapers, spills, disputes, dishes... etc. My time to say hello to Heather.

So my friends, welcome! Welcome, welcome, welcome. Let's take back the control. Let's be proactive about our bodies because they are irrevocably connected with our minds & spirits. I'm not going to go all "Namaste" on you the first day, but I do hope you will be inspired to be aware. Awareness partnered with pro-activity can only result in change. And change is good. Embrace the change. Don't eat the change. Lift the change, curl the change, stretch the change, cook the change with olive oil rather than canola.

And if that isn't enough motivation, here's a yummy recipe to let you know eating good is not that hard. It can be fun. And oh yeah... do 30 push ups today. :) Who knows... you might just like it.

Mini Goat Cheese Burgers

by Heather

{Now don't get scared people. Just give it a chance.}

I know what you're all thinking. Goat cheese. Barf. Well stop. I'm not asking you to eat a whole chunk of goat cheese. I thought of this recipe when I looked in my fridge & just started combining. So forgive me if the measurements are a little eyeballed. The husband's words are ringing in my ears, "I approach cooking & love making with reckless abandonment." Ha! Some of you are again thinking barf. That is unless you know husband, then you are chuckling boisterously I'd imagine.

**Cooking disclaimer: I am not enrolled nor have I ever been trained in any culinary art institution. I do the best I can & seem to manage just fine. I'm quite sure at times I don't know what I'm doing & I'm not too proud to admit it. If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to enlighten me. This is after all a group effort.

Well here we go...

Ingredients:

1 lb.ish of lean ground beef (Preferably the good stuff. I buy mine from Sprout's. You could also substitute ground turkey as well.)
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced (Click here for my new favorite find @ T.J.'s if you don't have fresh on hand)
1 T. of chives (Again, I buy the organic herbs from Sprouts in the nice little plastic containers.)
A handful or two of Italian parsley, minced (1/4 c.)
1 tub of goat cheese, crumbled (Trader Joe's!! Delicious.)
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
Darling Mini-buns from T.J.'s

{Forgot to take a pic before hand. Oh well. You get the jist.}

Mix ingredients in a bowl & form patties that can fit in the palm of your hand. Grill each side for 4 mins. (Although I prefer the grill, if you don't want to then you can add 2 T. of olive oil to a saucepan & do it that way. I can somewhat understand since one of my biggest fears is lighting the grill after a traumatizing BBQ experience. I can still smell my singed arm hairs.)

Optional toppings: Sliced Cheese (Havarti, Provolone, Munster, Swiss are my favorites)
Persian or English Cucumbers
Lettuce
Tomatoes
ECT...

Cut up toppings for burgers & add any other condiments your hubs or kids like. Then adorn with bun, toppings & enjoy!

An option for a side dish: I LOVE to buy all sort of different potatoes. Right now I really like the fingerlings. So cute & there's no need to boil them before you saute them up because they are miniaturized. I cut them in half lengthwise & then saute them in 2 T. REAL BUTTER (olive oil) until tender. Add some salt & pepper to finish them off. Simple.

Now go fill that belly!