Friday, June 29, 2012

Kohl's makes summer matter with fitness accessories to support breast cancer

While you are enjoying the outdoor life this summer, do your bit to support breast cancer.

Kohl’s has fashionable sportswear and accessories from the exclusive collection of FILA SPORT® designed exclusively by Kohl's for only $5 and $10 each!

You can join the fight against breast cancer by purchasing items from the FILA SPORT collection, all of which are available through the end of July at Kohl’s online at www.Kohls.com, (and at 40 Kohl's stores in Wisconsin). 100 percent of the net profit is donated to support the fight against breast cancer.

This is wonderful community service, and as you may or may not know, Kohl’s also supports the fight against breast cancer with a commitment of $7 million over three years to the American Cancer Society’s Midwest Division and the Southeast Wisconsin Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure to support breast cancer research, education and patient-assistance programs.


Summer salad recipe: Arugula and Pear Salad with Toasted Walnuts

The publishers of "Cooking Light Big Book of Salads" sent me an email awhile back with a very important point: salads are popular with people on diets, but really, with all the toppings out there, you need to ask yourself, is your salad healthy?  

Their advice is that you should start with 1 ½ cups of fresh mixed greens.  Add a tablespoon of your favorite vinaigrette.  Then pile on the good stuff. As an example, they sent along the following recipe, which sounded totally incredible and lucky me, I actually had everything in my pantry. 

Full admission: I used fresh greens from my garden instead of arugula, and added a handful of fresh nasturtium flowers for that pepper-bite.

Arugula and Pear Salad with Toasted Walnuts
Cooking Light Big Book of Salads
 This salad combines the peppery bite of arugula with the sweetness of juicy pears and the earthy crunch of walnuts. If you can’t find Bosc pears, Anjou or Starkrimson are also good choices for salads. 

1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
14 teaspoon salt
14 teaspoon Dijon mustard
18 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups baby arugula leaves
2 Bosc pears, thinly sliced
14 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add arugula and pears to bowl; toss to coat.
2. Arrange about 11/2 cups salad on each of 4 plates; sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon walnuts. Yield: 4 servings.

CALORIES 168; FAT 12.5g (sat 1.5g, mono 5.7g, poly 4.6g); PROTEIN 2.5g; CARB 15.1g; FIBER 3g; CHOL 0mg; IRON 0.7mg; SODIUM 164mg; CALC 106mg

4th of July recipes to help you beat the heat


You can keep your kitchen, and yourself, cool with these recipes from nutritionist Amanda Skrip.

Chicago-based Skrip received her culinary training at the Natural Gourmet Institute and continued her nutrition education at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. All the ingredients for the two recipes below are available currently at the farmers markets in Silicon Valley, and presumably in most other cities also.

ALSO READ: Dazzling low-calorie 4th of July cocktails

Watermelon and Basil Salad
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch chunks
½ red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly chopped
¼ - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Procedure: In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, and a pinch of salt; set aside. Add watermelon, onion, basil, and crushed red pepper flakes to a large bowl. Pour dressing over the salad, and gently toss together. Let marinate for 2-3 hours.Before serving, top with pine nuts and sea salt..


Tomato-Mango Salsa
Ingredients:
½ red onion, rough chopped
½ jalapeño, seeded and chopped
2 cups cherry tomato
1 mango, peeled and chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro
½ teaspoon salt
½ lime

Procedure: Place onion and jalapeño in food processor; pulse until chopped. Add
tomato and mango; pulse 3-5 times. Add cilantro, salt, and lime juice; pulse another 3-5
times.

Dazzling low calorie cocktails for your 4th of July party



Thanks to the fun and agreeable folks at Voli Light Vodka here are recipes to make you feel oh-so-cool and look oh-so-skinny. All the drinks are made from the world's first low calorie fruit and fusion-flavored vodka. 

ALSO READ: Cool, low-calorie dishes for the 4th of July
Voli Light Vodkas are on average 25 to 40 percent lower in calories than leading brands and the natural ingredients achieve the perfect balance of natural fruit flavors and vodka distilled from superior French wheat and pure spring water.
Voli is available for purchase at Beverage and More locations nationwide and retails for $19.99.


SUMMERTIME SEDUCTION
1 1/2 oz Voli Lyte
2 oz Lemonade
1 oz strawberry puree or 2 fresh strawberries
1/2 oz Agave Nectar
In a mixing tin, add ice, Voli Lyte, Lemonade, strawberry, agave and shake
Strain into a martini glass and top with Prosecco
Garnish: Strawberry



ALL AMERICAN LIME LYTE
1 1/2 oz Voli Lyte
2 oz Club Soda
2 lime wedges
Serve over ice. Squeeze and drop limes into drink and stir
Glass: rocks
Garnish: Lime
Approx Calories: 75


SUN TAN
1 1/2 Voli Orange Vanilla
2 oz Lemonade
1/2 oz Agave Nectar
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
In a Mixing tin, Add ice, Voli Orange Vanilla
Lemonade, Agave Nectar, Pinapple Juice
Shake Strain into a rocks glass
Garnish: Orange Twist
Approx Calories: 144 Calories
ORANGE VANILLA DREAM
Voli Orange Vanilla
Splash of club soda
Approx Calories: 81



SKINNY PINK LEMONADE
Voli Lemon
Fresh Lemon Juice
Splash of Cranberry Juice
Shake and top with club soda
Approx Calories: 95


Thursday, June 28, 2012

2012 July 4th activities San Jose, Silicon Valley

What a great time for families to get out and be active!  There is so much to do July 4, 2012 here in San Jose and throughout Silicon Valley.

For the fourth year in a row, San Jose Fitness is proud to put together a list of family-friendly events to help you plan a day away from the computer and video games.  So pack a picnic and get out with the kids and if you have additional local items that should be featured, send them to FitnessSanJose (at) yahoo.com. 

Pre-4th events
California's Great America
Fireworks on Saturday, June 30 and Sunday July 1, but none on Wednesday, July 4, 2012. Santa Clara, CA 95054. (408) 986-5866.
San Jose Earthquakes
Post game fireworks on Saturday, June 30 at the Salute to Armed Forces Night.

Events on the 4th
San Jose
  • San Jose Giants -Post game fireworks on Wednesday, July 4 and Thursday, July 5, 2012.
  • Naglee Park - The historic neighborhood celebrates with a walk/run, bake-off, parade and block party
  • Rose, White and Blue Parade - This Rose Garden-area event starts at 10 a.m. with the parade and includes a picnic/festival with live music, crafts booth, and classic car exhibit.
Other cities:
Aptos Parade/Pancake breakfast  & 4th of July Festival 
Central Park in Santa Clara - Pancake breakfast, picnic, flag ceremony, bands, face-painting and more. No fireworks this year.
Cupertino
For additional information, download the Cupertino Scene, July edition
  • 7 a.m. - noon - Quinlan Community Center and Memorial Park, there will be a pancake breakfast, flag raising, annual children's parade (strollers, bikes encouraged) and concert.
  • 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. - At Blackberry Farm there will be swimming, BBQ lunch and live music by "The Groove Kings" .
  • 6:45 p.m. - 9:15 p.m. - Come early and bring your picnic to Creekside Park, Hyde Middle School, or Sedgwick Elementary School. Carpooling is encouraged, as parking is very limited.
  • 9:30 p.m. - Fireworks
Gilroy
9: 30 p.m. - 4th of July Community fireworks Display

Milpitas Sports Center Football Field
Red, White and Boom! Pool party, concert and fireworks

Shoreline Amphitheatre  (Mountain View)
4th of July Fireworks Spectacular with the San Francisco Symphony

Roaring Camp Railroad  (Felton)
Family 4th of July. Hula Hoop contests, games, live music and all-American barbecue. .

Skypark in Scotts Valley
Parade, festival, music, fireworks
Firecracker 10k walk/run (Santa Cruz)

Wilder Ranch State Park
1910-style Independence Day celebration including parade, games, crafts, live big-band music, living history demonstrations, historic speeches and flag-raising.
Boulder Creek 4th of July Parade
Kiddie Parade & FIREWORKS show – Hollister
4th of July Celebration – Los Gatos
Freedom Run, car show, parade,  FIREWORKS –Morgan Hill