My morning walk is my time for Gratitude expression; each morning when I walk with Grace the dog, I speak out loud of that for which I am grateful. Some mornings that may include seemingly small details and other mornings, my gratitude is for huge and powerful blessings. This morning was HUGE.

I’m currently immersed in a mind-bending project involving the integration of a computer system for data collection. Suffice it to say that I have had to dig deep to find mindful moments throughout the day, which has elevated the value of my morning walking gratitude. This morning, I was expressing gratitude for my previous night’s restful slumber, the excellence of my teammates at the office, the warmth of our home, my dog’s wagging tail, the delicious crispness of the early morning air, and the magnificence of the sky in the pre-dawn light. As I came out from the forest, into an open meadow area, I looked up to admire the sky and was gifted with a shooting star! Right away, I opened myself to the whatever beautiful message that was intended for me; I stood in wonder under the big sky, expressing thanks for the simple beauty of that shooting star, just beginning to see that the message may have something to do with movement, dynamics, impermanence, change…and WOW, another shooting star bestowed it’s beauty upon me. Just for me. My heart was so open in that moment, the word Illuminated came to me just then and I got it! I understood with clarity that my path was illuminated, knowing that this project, with all of it’s distractions and chaos, was simply perfect, and that in holding the energy of illumination, of acceptance, of dynamic state of being–that all was and would continue to be just as it is intended. I felt pure joy in my heart, thoroughly touched by this understanding, and energized for the busy day.

May your day too, be blessed with an illuminated path, wherever it may take you.

Pesto is easy to make, richly flavorful and so versatile!

Ingredients:
• 2 bunches of fresh basil (you can even leave the stems on!)
• 5 robust garlic cloves
• ½ – 1 cup of olive oil
• ½ cup of pine nuts
• ¾ cup of fresh parmesan cheese

To Prepare:
• Blend all of these ingredients together, mindful of the amount of oil poured, as well as time spent blending to adjust–to your taste and texture pleasure!

This evening, I made a fab and easy meal:

1. Simmering on the stove, while I was creating the pesto, was a pot of bow tie-shaped pasta. When the pasta was al-dente, I mixed it with the pesto then added fresh mozzarella chunks and sliced cherry tomatoes. It’s cooling in the fridge to be savored later!

This pesto dish is SIMPLE, REFRESHING, and HEALTHFUL! Walnuts can be subbed in for the pine nuts, and I do sometimes throw in some spinach into the blend.

Your other options for the spectacular left-over pesto:

1. You can spread pesto:

• On firm tomato slices to be enjoyed right then and there—
Or, after a layer of fresh mozzarella has been added. This stack of happiness then gets drizzled with a good-quality fig vinaigrette. Magnifique!

• On a crusty baguette that is then covered in a thin layer of either mozzarella or parmesan cheese and placed under the broiler for a moment. Yum!

2. Cut up a bunch ‘o veggies and layer on a baking tray. Drop dollops of pesto around the veggies, and bake for 10 minutes on one side, in a 350-degree oven. Gently turn the veggies, mixing in the pesto a bit, and bake on the other side for 5 – 10 minutes, depending on the amount of crunch you’d like. The more crunch the better, I say!

Think: carrots, cauliflower, garlic cloves, purple onion chunks, broccoli, mushrooms, zuchinni, sweet peppers…pretty much whatever veggies are in the fridge can end up in this divine and SIMPLE roasted veggie side dish.

3. Or use an olive oil, salt and pepper marinade on those same veggies, saving the zippy flavor of the pesto for dipping roasted vegetables into!

4. Any additional left-over pesto can be mixed into scrambled eggs, spread along side cream cheese in a sandwich, or for a real delight, spread the pesto inside of a Medjool date…need I say more…?

Bon Appétit!