ILYSE'S 12 Favorite Things: Day 1

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Chef I.B. Dancing At Your Service

Can you believe that it's that time of year where the holidays have hit, it is cold, and everyone is sick? I know I am not a Doctor, but I have the perfect medicine: SOUP!!! It is yummy, easy to cook, healthy, and warm.

Last week, one of my fabulous dancing divas, Michela brought me her homemade vegetable soup to taste and holy WOW was it incredible. Of course, I immediately had to have her recipe and try it out for myself. After getting fresh vegetables from the Farmers' Market, I decided to make it today for lunch. I made a small amount, because I wanted to make sure that my soup tasted just as good as Michela's if not better. HAHA! Well...move over Chef Emeril and Chef Michela, because Chef I.B. Dancing is in the house! WOW...did I surprise myself. My soup with my own flair totally ROCKED! I out did myself and I am so impressed! As most of you know, I am extremely busy and I barely have time to go to the bathroom let alone cook. This is what is nice about this recipe, it is quick and very easy.

Take a look below at some tips to make your hearty, healthy vegetable soup even more crowd pleasing and delicious. Why not make a large quantity of hearty vegetable soup and freeze it for use at a later time? It's a meal that's healthy and your whole family can enjoy. I have included the recipe. Please leave comments below and let me know what your soup experience was like. Trust me, you will LOVE it!

1) Use the freshest of ingredients

Vegetable soup tastes best when you start with the freshest of vegetables. If you have a farmer's market, pick up some fresh, preferably organic, vegetables to use in your soup. Wash and chop your vegetables as soon as you get home and bag them until you're ready to make your soup. If tomatoes aren't in season, canned tomatoes will taste almost as good as fresh ones.

2) Vary your vegetables

To add to the health value of your soup and give yourself some variety, experiment with a variety of vegetables. Some suggestions include corn, carrots, okra, black-eyed peas, cannelloni beans, cabbage, turnips, beets, sweet potatoes, parsnips, spinach, zucchini, and any other fresh vegetable that strikes your fancy.

3) Consider your broth

When making vegetable soup, you can use beef, vegetable, chicken broths or even water for the base. Beef bouillon adds an additional meaty flavor to fresh vegetable soup. Try different bases and see which ones appeal to you the most. I prefer low sodium chicken broth.

4) Pump up the taste with herbs

If you're using fresh herbs, you're going to need to add more to your soup than you would if using dried herbs. This is because fresh herbs have a higher water content which dilutes out some of the flavor. You can add a variety of herbs to vegetable soup to give it more flavor but it's best to stick to two or three in any one recipe. Some suggestions include rosemary, marjoram, basil, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, garlic, dill, and parsley. These can really add to the flavor and allow you to cut down on the amount of unhealthy salt you use.

I.B. Dancing's Vegetable Soup Recipe:

All veggies purchased at the farmers market...NICE and FRESH!!!

1tbs olive oil
1 leek
2 stick of celery
2 yellow carrots
1 zucchini
1 red pepper
scallions
1/2 sweet potato
carrots
parsley
Broccoli
1 can of crushed tomatoes and/or fresh tomatoes (I used fresh tomatoes only)
Heat the oil and toss the veggies in for 10 minutes.
Then add tomatoes, chicken broth, and some water. Do not cook more that 20 minutes.
Sea salt and pepper to taste. I enjoy Trader Joe's Rainbow Peppercorn for seasoning with a touch of sea salt.

Sweet Dreams...

Support the Girls

Months and months back, I was fortunate enough to meet Kelly Dooley, President and Founder of BodyRock Sport. The minute that I met Kelly and learned more about her trendy and innovative line of active wear, I knew that I had to share it with all of you. Aren't you tired of not having the right sports bra that suits you well with your workout routine? How many of you just choose the same old boring sports bra that are stretched out with no style? Don't be shy...we all do it.

This is why I love BodyRock Sport because the clothes combine both fitness and fashion in a functional way. Sorry gentleman, but BodyRock Sport is designed for chic women who don't want to sacrifice style at the gym, but they make great presents. :) BodyRock Sport is also perfect for women who want their gym clothes to be ultra chic and wearable outside of the gym. The garments are manufactured in New York City featuring unique fabrics and original enhancements with smart details, such as built-in ipod pockets, zippered compartments, and tag less labels for extra comfort. Not only are your "Girls" supportive, but they also look super sexy while you perform your workouts.

Kelly shared with me that she believes that women need to feel confident, comfortable, sexy and stylish when they're working out, and her passion is to share her designs with other fabulous women aching to spice up their workout wardrobes. Now, do you get it?! This is exactly what I am all about when it comes to teaching my dance fitness classes to Women of all ages and sizes. We must be pleased with ourselves, in love with what we have, what we look like and just simply accept. The first step to any workout or exercise routine is to walk in on the right foot, accepting who we are, what we have, and what we are all about. The rest is a piece of cake. It is a known fact that what we wear and how we display ourselves says a lot about who we are... so...do yourself and me a favor:
1) Stand in front of the mirror and check out EVERYTHING you have
2) Tell yourself you love you and EVERYTHING about you
3) Log onto BodyRock Sport TODAY to Support the Girls and get sexified for your next dance fitness class with me.
4) Please feel free to use my discount code: ILYSE (case sensitive) for your discount
5) Finally, post comments and pictures of what you purchased

Check out Kelly and I in our BodyRock Sport attire below...

Did you participate in National Dance Day on July 31, 2010?

Nigel Lythgoe, Executive Producer of “So You Think You Can Dance” has been committed to support dance education and physical fitness in communities throughout the United States. National Dance Day was created to empower, challenge and inspire everyone to try various styles of dance ranging from hip-hop to ballroom to anything that moves. Above all, it encouraged everyone to DANCE as a means to stay fit and be healthy.

I, of course, Miss Dance Fitness Guru herself knew right away that I had to be involved with National Dance Day so I joined Real Dance Productions for one amazing event. The event was a huge success and took place at the Americana in Glendale, CA. We had Live music by DJ JUSTYLE, Class Demonstrations from Hip Hop to Latin as well as Live Performances by professionals and amateurs. The Americana provided the perfect atmosphere for our 1st annual National Dance Day. Check out the video below...you might find some familiar faces. Enjoy and hope to see you in class!

What's For Breakfast?

It is a known fact that starting your day off right begins with a healthy breakfast. Whether you work at home, at the office, at school, or on the road, it is not a good idea to the most important meal of the day. Eating a good breakfast sets the tone for the rest of your day.

Breakfast is the one meal that awakens our metabolisms. A healthy breakfast should contain some protein and some fiber. Protein can come from low fat meats, eggs, beans or dairy. Fiber can be found in whole grains, vegetables and fruits. A good example of a healthy breakfast might be something simple like a hard boiled egg, an orange, and a bowl of whole grain cereal with low fat milk. Stay away from the sugary cereals, syrups, pastries, and white breads. They are digested quickly, will leave you hungry, and tired in a couple of hours. Protein and fiber satisfy your hunger and will keep you feeling energized throughout your day.

People ask me all the time, "Ilyse, what do you eat for breakfast?" When I share my choices, I usually get a VERY surprised look back. It doesn't seem like the normal first meal of the day, but TRUST ME it is delicious. It also keeps me going like the energizer battery...I keep going and going! My Cousin Jessica visited me in LA a few months ago and thought that I was crazy when I told her what I eat for breakfast. Of course, I insisted that she tried it and I was right, she LOVED it! Now, I have hooked Jessica to my breakfast recipe and she has blogged about it on her own blog: Ready & Abel

Please enjoy reading my Cousin Jessica's blog as well. She is hilarious! I hope you try my famous breakfast and enjoy it too. Please let me know what you think by commenting below. Good luck with the recipe! Find it here: Stir-fry for Breakfast?

Kids In Motion

Isn't it mind boggling that one of the top stories in the media today is about kids fighting obesity? The percentage of overweight children in the United States is growing at an alarming rate, with 1 out of 3 kids now considered overweight or obese. To me, this is no surprise. Many kids are spending less time exercising and more time in front of the TV, computer, or video-game console. And today’s busy families have fewer free moments to prepare nutritious, home-cooked meals. From fast food to electronics, quick and easy is the reality for many people in the new millennium.

So how can we prevent kids from being overweight, obese, and inactive? How many times do you get wrapped up in the busy work day and find that it is just easier to pick up a pizza for dinner or make the kids chicken nuggets? It's the "practice what you preach" mentality. Make healthy eating and exercise a family affair and a priority. Get your children involved! Plan and prepare healthy meals together, and take them along when you go grocery shopping so they learn how to make good food choices. Be active as a family! Summer is almost here so it is the perfect time to be outside and be fit. Try sports, family races, or even a walk after dinner. Anything to get your kids movin and groovin.

If you eat well, exercise regularly, and incorporate healthy habits into your family's daily life, you're modeling a healthy lifestyle for your kids that will last. Talk to them about the importance of eating well and being active, but make it a family affair that will become second nature for everyone.

That's why I have come up with the idea of forming a class specifically designed for kids. A class that kids can attend with a parent or on their own. I can guarantee they will have a blast. If you are interested then I need to hear from you, so please email me at kidsinmotion@ilysebaker.com. Please specify the area you live in as well as a broad range of days and times that might work for you. Enjoy this clip below of Kids In Motion!