Category: #TheFab50s

My Clean Living Life – Part II

I hate to admit this but it’s almost Summertime so I’m starting to slack off on my clean cooking.   It’s too doggone hot, which means my health may suffer as I just don’t feel like getting in the kitchen and cooking clean…Yet, I’m still hungry…it’s a vicious cycle…so what’s an aspiring-to-be-clean-living girl to do?!?

You know if only there were frozen dishes that did not contain additives or unhealthy chemicals.. that would solve my problem…but wait, there are!   I searched on Google and here’s what I uncovered under eatclean.com:  The 9 Cleanest Frozen Entrees You Can Buy:

  • Amy’s Light in Sodium Black Bean Vegetable Enchilada (love Mexican!)
  • Luvo Turkey Vegetable Lasagna (Lasagna, who knew!)
  • Kashi Lemongrass Coconut Chicken (Coconut Chicken – Delish!)
  • Evol Fire Grilled Steak (You mean I can have my steak too!)
  • Saffron Road Chana Saag with Cumin Rice (Sounds exotic and yummy!)
  • Kashi Southwest Style Chicken (Kashi means good in my book!)
  • Tandoor Chef Lamb Vindaloo (Another exotic sounding delicacy!)
  • Amy’s Tofu Scramble (Yummy!)
  • Luvo Chicken and Harissa Chickpeas (love Chicken cooked any way and always love chickpeas!)

What’s great about all of these frozen clean meals is that they are not only delicious and nutritious but alternately low in calories, low in sodium, high in fiber, dairy free, low in carbohydrates, low in sugar, and low in saturated fat.  I’m headed right over to my local health food store/market (Edge of the Woods) to pick these dishes up!

Bon Appetit!

 

True Blue

I felt compelled to write this blog today since March is Colon Cancer Awareness month and I am  a Colon Cancer Survivor.   I have to admit that I first started seeing “Blue” on Social Media which reminded me that I too needed to get the word out about the importance of pre-screening for Colon Cancer since a colonoscopy literally saved my life:  Check out this blog post:  Black coffee and lemon Italian Ice…eeech!

 

 

I realize that I have a story that everyday people can relate to which I witnessed firsthand while sharing it through one of the most popular blogs on The View from Lajeune:Check out this blog post:   A Place of Desert…(almost) 4 years cancer free

 

Also, check out my interview on Nyberg on News 8 television with Ann Nyberg:  http://networkconnecticut.com/2015/07/colon-cancer-was-no-match-for-lajeune-hollis/

 

My podcast on 94.3 WYBC-FM radio with Juan Castillo: My Happy Surprise this week on The Electric Drum?

 

and through speaking about it at my church, Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church in Hamden, CT.

 

People I know from all walks of my life watched me go through colon cancer and beat it so I hope they felt encouraged not only for themselves, but for their loved ones who may or may not one day encounter the C word…

 

 

As it turns out, Colon Cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable cancers out there so I felt the urge to create my own fundraising page on the Colon Cancer Challenge Foundation (CCCF) website: http://events.coloncancerchallenge.org/site/TR/Events/TributeDonateYourWay?px=1104261&pg=personal&fr_id=1060

 

My page is on this website because I admire the fact that CCCF “has been working since 2003 to fund screening programs for the uninsured and provide much-needed funds to young investigators who are committed to finding a cure for colorectal cancer.”

 

So my the answer is:  I am “true blue” in a good way, for I am not only a Survivor, but a Believer…

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

 

 

 

 

Cave Girl

I work on 100% commission Monday through Friday in media ad sales in an extremely competitive, super stressful industry so on the weekends I am always looking for new ways to de-stress.   I also like to save a buck or two so Groupon has become a frequent and reliable source.  I recently stumbled upon a “Groupon” for Saltana Cave & Spa in Ridgefield, CT.  One of my girlfriends (Christine) went there last year and told me what a great time she had so I bought 2 for $25.00 each, normally $40 each, and invited my S.O. James.  Initially James resisted because he felt like this date was something I should be going to with one of my gf’s but then he changed his mind and said he would go.  I honestly believe he started thinking about all of those Marvel and DC Comic Book movies I have sat through with him (in 3D no less!) and had a change of heart (smile).

At any rate, I made our reservations via email with Anna, the owner of Saltana Cave & Spa, for Saturday, February 20th at 9am.  We were told to arrive 10 minutes early and either bring or wear white socks.  Those were the only instructions we were given.  So James and I looked up FAQ’s on their website (saltanacave.com) and read that neither food nor drink were allowed, that no picture taking was allowed, that the cave was about 70 degrees Farenheit inside and that it takes about 6 treatments for someone to receive the full benefits of the salt therapy.  Apparently these salt cave treatments may help improve symptoms of Asthma, Allergies, Lung Infections, Sleep Apnea, ADHD, Sinuses, Weakened Immune Systems, Arthritis, and  more.   Breathing in the salt particles in the cave also allow you a sense of peace and serenity which was my number one reason for going.

I’m glad I did.  It took us an hour to drive to Ridgefield, CT and Anna, the owner,  was a gracious host.   The whole experience from beginning to end lasted a little over an hour.  James and I shared our “cave” that morning with a mom and her daughter from Newtown, CT.  We all laid back on ‘zero gravity’ lounge chairs swathed in our blankets and were greeted by a soothing male voice from a recording above.  This voice welcomed us to the “cave” and gave us the history of the Himalayan Salt Caves in Europe and how they were able to simulate the experience for us at Saltana Cave & Spa, one of only two salt caves in the state of Connecticut.  He also went on to talk about all of the benefits of salt therapy and why we should include it in our daily lives.  It was fascinating and I learned a lot.  When he stopped talking, we continued to listen to soothing music designed to relax you to the point of slumber.

 

 

The session lasted for 45 minutes and I must say I felt completely relaxed and ready to conquer the rest of my day (smile).  The ironic part is that in real life I don’t care for caves at all and find they make me feel claustrophobic but I shall return to Saltana Cave & Spa as this was not only a pleasant experience, but also a unique stress-buster.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

My VDay BDay

I was born in a blizzard on Valentine’s Day in 1962.  While growing up my mother always told me it was the worst blizzard Newport Rhode Island had ever seen..so I literally just now looked it up.  The closest news item I could find was from WPRI-TV 12 which reported that the year 1962 had the snowiest winter on record with 30.1 inches…so  yeah, I’m officially a ‘blizzard baby.’

 

Having a birthday on Valentine’s Day is a double-edged sword.  But when I was little girl growing up in Groton, CT, it was not that big of a deal.  Here’s why:

We Hollis kids always had our birthday celebrations on the closest Saturday to our birth date.  My sister Casandra’s birthday fell on the 24th of February so we would celebrate both of our birthdays on one of the Saturdays in between both of our dates.  My parents had 7 children so this was the most efficient and effective way to celebrate. So consequently I never really focused on the actual day or date, just the month of February, and I was fine with that.  After dinner (where our mother would cook our favorite meal!) me and Casandra  would also have our own individual cakes and ice cream.  My cake was vanilla with red frosting (courtesy of food coloring!)  I usually had vanilla ice cream.  Casandra’s cake was strawberry with pink frosting and strawberry ice cream.  We would blow out our candles, eat our cake and ice cream, unwrap the  gifts and spend the rest of the night playing with our new gifts.   I always felt extra special though because each and every year of my actual birth date, until I was 18, my mother would give me a small, heart-shaped box of chocolates.  My mother is no longer alive so I still get tears in my eyes when I see a heart-shaped box of chocolates on my birthday…

 

 

Here is a picture of me (in blue with the cute little birthday hat) and my sister Casandra (Standing with balloon in hand) celebrating our 4th and 8th birthdays with my older brother Michael (seated behind me) and my younger brother Shawn (with frosting on his face) (smile).

 

Shawn with the frosting, Casandra with the blue balloon, me with the birthday hat and Michael trying to be seen (smile)

 

At Mary Morrison Elementary School in Groton, CT, Valentine’s Day was not just my birthday, it was an event.

We were asked by our home room teacher to purchase enough Valentine’s Day cards to hand out to each and every one of our classmates.  This would ensure that nobody was left out on this holiday celebrating love.  Me and my classmates got around this by handing out the bigger Valentines to our faves!

 

 

Nowadays Valentine’s Day has morphed into such a massive Hallmark holiday that I feel as if my birthday pales in comparison (smile).    Also it feels waaaaaay too commercial to me.  You can’t walk or drive anywhere in the month of February, in advance of the holiday, without being bombarded with big mylar balloons, chocolates, candies, roses,  greeting cards, jewelry store specials, restaurant dinner specials, retail gift items, etc.  You would truly have to live under a rock to not know that February 14th is Valentine’s Day (smile).

 

 

As an adult I have so gotten used to the usual remarks concerning my birthday from: ‘Oh, you’re so lucky, you get 2 gifts, right?’  to:  Oh, you’re not lucky at all!  Your gifts are probably rolled into one…’

No matter, I celebrate in my own way.  For instance every year me and my girls (Gina, Thais, Sherry) celebrate our respective birthdays together over dinner (usually Japanese cuisine for mine) the night of, or closest Saturday night to, the birth date.  We’ve been doing this for over 20 years and we are all in our 50’s now so it’s always a good time.

 

L to R Lajeune, Thais, Sherry and Gina

 

Me and my partner James have had some memorable Vday/Bday celebrations together – most recently was in the Dominican Republic when we (with a bunch of other travelling vacationers) were on a catamaran party boat on our way to a day trip on the private island of Salinas…that was special…here we are in New Haven, CT at one of my favs, Cast Iron Steakhouse and Oyster Bar

 

My VDay Bday with my boo

 

And I always make a point of taking my birthday off from work every year as this day is much too special to me to spend it working…Besides, I’d much rather pamper myself that day (hair/nails/feet/facial/back massage), etc.

I’m turning 54 this year and my upcoming  BDay/VDay falls on a Sunday so I have not yet decided if I will take that next day (Monday) off…we shall see.

So happy Valentine’s Day everyone!  And let’s make this year more about the presence and less about the presents...

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

 

Happy New Year!

I have mixed emotions this time of the year…on the one hand I’m sad to realize that another year flew by so quickly…on the other hand I’m eager to have the opportunity to start fresh with new beginnings, new ideas, new thoughts, new challenges.  I stopped making resolutions years ago when I realized that I simply wasn’t keeping them.  By February they felt  old and foreign to me.  So now I make simple affirmations.  They are much more positive and I don’t feel a time constraint.  I only make a few of them at a time and I mostly always achieve them because they’re based on things that matter to me.

Here’s wishing this year brings you and yours everything you hope, dream, wish and desire in a timely fashion.

Cheers!

The View from Lajeune