Simplified Fast & Easy Coconut Milk Curry Chicken & Veggies Recipe

I was planning a family dinner and wanted to make my favorite recipe for coconut milk curry chicken. It’s considered 'fast and easy', but it still  does require a number of separate steps. When people ask me where I find time to cook healthy meals from scratch, I need them to understand that since I am just as busy as they are, I am always looking for shortcuts to simplify otherwise more complicated recipes even ones that claim to be 'fast and easy'. So I asked myself how I could make my coconut milk curry chicken recipe even faster and easier by cutting out some of the steps.

I’ll direct you to the actual recipe in just a moment, but want to first show you how I simplified the cooking instructions by being just a little imaginative:

The original recipe calls for sautéing the onion and garlic till golden brown which takes time and effort. You then have to cut up chicken thighs into bite size pieces which takes extra time and effort and then add the chicken to the onions and garlic and lightly brown on all sides which again takes extra time and attention. In the mean time you have your coconut curry sauce cooking in a separate pan. So now you have to dirty two pans.

So here’s what I did differently:

1. I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs and did not cut them into pieces. I left them whole - FASTER & EASIER.
2. Instead of dirtying a second pan to sauté the onions and garlic and brown the chicken pieces, I simply placed the chicken breasts in a glass rectangular baking dish which I lined with aluminum foil to make clean up faster and easier, too - FASTER & EASIER.
3. Instead of sautéing the onions and garlic, I just sprinkled it all raw all across the chicken breasts - FASTER & EASIER.
4. I then spooned the coconut milk curry sauce over the chicken breasts until they were just covered. I put a piece of foil on top to seal the dish and then baked it in the oven. So the only real preparation time is to heat the coconut milk and curry and then pour it over the chicken. VERY fast and easy. Doesn’t get simpler than this.
5. As there was still a bit of sauce left in the pan, I cut up some carrots, sweet potato, red pepper and broccoli and cooked it in the remainder sauce on the stovetop on a low to medium heat while the chicken was baking in the oven. You can use whatever veggies you like. Just check on the veggies every so often to see if you might need to add a bit of water.

And voila, a delicious meal with very little preparation time and very little attention to cooking. I then cooked up some rice and served it with the veggies on top and the chicken breast on the side as per photo.

For detailed recipe, click HERE, where you’ll find some other of my fast and easy recipes. Please do let me know if you try this recipe and if you liked it. If you have any questions, please do let me know. And as always, please do share.

Wishing you a delicious meal!
Roslyn Franken
Speaker. Author. Coach.
http://www.roslynfranken.com

If she can do this, I can do anything!

I came across this incredibly inspiring video and had to share this with you. This is an unbelievable story of an amazing young woman who faces extreme obstacles that we couldn't even imagine. Yet, she has a remarkable attitude that defies all odds and limitations. She was raised to be believe that she can do anything if she puts her mind to it. There is no such thing as ‘I can’t’ in her vocabulary. I, too, was raised by parents who gave me that same kind of belief system. They always encouraged me and my mother specifically always told me that she knew I was destined to make a difference in this world. 

Sadly, many people did not grow up with parents who helped them believe in themselves from a young age. Many people don’t have confidence in themselves and are afraid of trying to achieve their best for fear of failing. Whether or not your parents believed in you and supported you in doing whatever it is you dream of and wish for, it is no longer about them. It’s time to let that go. You’re on your own now and it is now up to you.

I am working hard right now on some ambitious projects that I believe in wholeheartedly. You’ll be hearing more about them. What ambitious projects or goals would you like to embark on that you believe in wholeheartedly? Yes, they may seem impossible. Yes, you may feel that you can’t do it. Yes, you may have no idea where to start. Yes, you may be afraid of failing, making mistakes or what other people will think. However, whenever I have moments of self-doubt, and yes, those moments do arise from time to time, I think about people who inspire me. When I watched this video, I decided that the young lady in this video is one of those people I will add to my roster of those who inspire me with a feeling of ‘I can do anything’. This story is also about miracles. I absolutely believe in miracles or things that just seem meant to be. Wait to till you see what happens. Maybe what you are dreaming of doing or making happen in your life is also meant to be? You have no idea where starting your own journey will take you. 

I invite you to take just a few minutes out of your hectic day to watch this powerful story. Please do share your comments and let me know what you think. 

And don’t forget that one of the many professional services I offer is coaching people to live a healthy and happy life. If this video inspires you and you have a goal or dream that you wish to pursue but need some guidance, support and encouragement, please don’t hesitate to call me to see how I can help you. You can schedule a call at https://www.timetrade.com/book/FVXKS

Wishing you continued health, success and happiness.

Roslyn Franken

http://www.roslynfranken.comhttp://www.roslynfranken.com

How texting nearly destroyed this marriage

I heard about a married couple struggling to keep their marriage alive after 30 some years. The wife complained that her husband was working too much and that they didn’t have enough ‘together’ time.  She’d tried over the years to get him to slow down and create some more balance in his life, but he never made it happen. He was a workaholic and didn’t know how to change his ways. It’s not like anyone was holding a gun to his head forcing him to work those long hours. At the end of the day, this was a matter of choice – HIS choice.

It wasn’t just that he was working so much, but when he was with his wife, he was constantly texting and on his computer for one reason or another. She'd asked him to just 'be' with her when he was with her, but again he refused to change his habits. She missed the face to face connection and conversation they used to enjoy sharing as part of their relationship.

As they were getting older and seeing more and more friends divorcing and having heart attacks, cancer and other health problems, she was worrying more and more about her marriage as well as her husband’s health and well-being which in turn was affecting her health and well-being. The bottom line was that she afraid of losing him and the relationship they’d invested in for so many years and their health on top of it.

Not giving up, one day the wife spoke up once again to her husband. Having just heard about the breakup of another friends’ long-time marriage, the husband listened and finally took his wife’s feelings to heart.  It finally made sense for him. For all the other times she’d voiced her complaints and he’d been unable to truly hear them and make some changes, now the timing was right and he was ready and willing to make the commitment to change.

First, he made a commitment to take more vacations with her. This meant NO texting, NO emails, NO cel phone. Whatever came up could wait. This was now sacred time for him and his wife to be there for one another without intrusion of technology.

For the first while, the husband was in complete withdrawal desperately wanting to check his smart phone for messages, texts, etc…  but he quickly noticed the incredible peace that came over him with not feeling this pressure to constantly be on his phone. He was able to truly enjoy hours on end just relaxing or going on outings without being weighed down by his phone and any sense of obligation to respond to others while on his personal time with his beloved wife.

What he and his wife also came to realize was that they had also established texting habits that were not supporting their quest for a healthier marriage. When he was away working, he and his wife often texted each other with quick updates on what they were up to and how their days were going, often expressed in short, small sound bites. By the time they got home, they already knew all about each other’s days which gave them less to talk face to face.

Years ago, before smart phones and texting, they would both look forward to getting home from their busy days and sharing with each other face to face, eye to eye, energy to energy, in great detail how their days went over a glass of wine or cup of tea. It’s called 'real' conversation with full sentences and everything. They hadn’t done that for years and they realized that was something they were both missing. Solution? They agreed not to text anymore throughout the day. They preferred to go back to how things used to be which for them worked better for their relationship.

I’m not suggesting that these solutions are for everyone, but I can absolutely see the value in a couple taking more time together for vacations without the intrusion of technology. Vacations don’t have to be Carribean get-aways. You can even do a stay-cation, where you spend a weekend away at a retreat or hotel in your own city. It’s just about getting away from it all, breaking the routine, and spending quality time together doing pleasurable activities.

Whether you choose to change your texting habits with your significant other is also a choice you may want to make.  Given this couple’s story, I can absolutely see the value in cutting back or even cutting out completely all the texting throughout the day as long as you then have some meaningful conversation instead where LOL actually means you 'laugh out loud' together in each other’s presence and not alone behind a little screen. It’s just not the same. I encourage you to try it sometime.

What are your thoughts on all this? Are there any changes that you and your partner need to improve your connection and relationship? Need help deciding what changes to make and how to make them? I help individuals and couples create meaningful and positive changes for a healthier, happier life. If you’re curious as to how I can help you, contact me for a no-fee, no-obligation, no-pressure consultation. Call 813-803-0155 or schedule a phone call using my confidential and secure online scheduler at https://www.timetrade.com/book/FVXKS.

Would this inspire you to go after your dreams?

 

I was recently in South Dakota and had the opportunity to visit the amazing Mount Rushmore National Memorial.  I stood there at the base of the mountain in absolute awe looking up at the four faces of past American presidents carved into the side of a mountain.

A flurry of questions came to me, ‘Who created this masterpiece? Who woke up one day and decided to carve these four faces into the side of a mountain? Who does that?’  I kept thinking about the vision, ambition, planning, precision, determination,  teamwork of 400 men and women over a 14 year span (1927 - 1941), and the incredible sense of achievement and accomplishment for such a colossal undertaking, especially for Doane Robinson who conceived the idea and Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor.

The experience left me totally inspired to continue going after all of my dreams with the same sense of vision and ambition.  If someone can decide to carve faces into the side of a mountain and then do it with such masterful results, surely I can follow my dreams too. I discovered a renewed sense of determination and confidence. What about you? What or who inspires you to go after your dreams? Who or what can you look to for inspiration? Can the Mount Rushmore carvings be a source of inspiration for you, too?  

I believe that having positive role models in our lives is so important. I have many to draw from and feel incredibly blessed. Robinson, Borglum and his team are just new ones to add to my roster. There are amazing people all around you to aspire to and be inspired by. They may not have carved faces into mountains like Borglum. They may be people in your community doing great things to help others. They may be your parents or next door neighbours. I encourage you to consider the achievements of others as inspiration for you to follow your dreams.

May all your dreams come true.

Roslyn is a motivational speaker, proud cancer survivor, personal coach and best-selling author of The A List: 9 Guiding Principles for Healthy Eating and Positive Living. She is best known for her ability to inspire, energize and empower people to lighten up for good and  live a happier life than they ever dreamed possible. Visit, http://www.roslynfranken.com

To Be Who You Are & Say What You Feel

I am sharing this quote in an upcoming motivational presentation on my favourite topic of how to ‘lighten up for good’. It supports one of the self-sabotaging attitudes I discovered through my battle with cancer and my successful weight loss journey; an attitude that can weigh us down from living a truly healthy, happy and resilient life. That attitude is one I refer to as the ‘Plague of the People Pleasers’.

If you’re a People Pleaser, for example, chances are you have one heckuva hard time setting personal boundaries and saying NO to people. Sound familiar? You hate to disappoint others, you want everyone to love you and you’re afraid of how the person will respond if you say NO so it’s just easier to say YES to them.

The problem is that if you do this on a constant basis, what is this saying about your own self-worth? What you’re implying is that saying YES to others is more important than saying YES to yourself. You’re so busy trying to make sure that everyone else’s needs and wants are being met that you’re doing this at the expense of getting your own needs and wants met. Aren’t your needs and wants equally important? Aren’t you tired of feeling less worthy, resentful or powerless with certain people in your life, in particular? Are there certain people in your life who are harder to say NO to?

That is the conclusion I finally came to; that my needs and wants are just as important as other people’s. I learned to give myself permission to say YES to myself without feeling guilty or selfish. I realized that when I was constantly doing things and agreeing to do things for others out of fear of disappointing them or losing them, I was in fact only disappointing myself for not honouring who I am and what I feel. I’ve learned that being who I am and saying what I feel lends to much greater health, well-being and sense of self-worth. So when you’re in yet another situation saying YES to someone and wishing you could say NO, I encourage you to refer back to this quote and my two cents for today.

If you want to stop being a People Pleaser and need help, discover how my Lighten Up for Good personalized coaching program can help you. If you're looking for a dynamic speaker for your next corporate or group event, visit http://www.roslynfranken.com.

Beating Stage Fright

When I watched this video of Joe Kowan talk about how he beat stage fright, I could TOTALLY relate. Although I am a professional motivational speaker and love speaking in front of a group, when it comes to singing my original songs in public that I have written, well, let’s just say that's a whole different story.  You’d think there wouldn’t be a difference, right? After all, if I can speak freely in public, then why would I be nervous to sing in public?

Well, I’m proud to say that in the last year I’ve been coming out of my shell when it comes to my singing voice and sharing my songs. What this means is that I have had to face my own fears. Let’s face it, we all have fears. I truly believe that even the most successful people out there all have moments of fear and insecurities, just like anybody else. The difference is they do not allow their fears to stop them from persevering to go after what they want.

Now, I’m not saying that overcoming fear is easy by any means. It has not been easy for me to conquer my fears about singing in front of an audience.  I just made the decision to do it and then just did it. It was something I've always wanted to do and I just got tired of letting myself be my own worst enemy as we so often are. I’ve gone so far as to sing my songs a cappella as part of my motivational speaking. I remember that first time...My voice was shaking, my throat got so dry and it was far from perfect, but I didn't care as my goal was to simply get through it.

I was on absolute cloud nine when I was done and my heart felt so incredibly fulfilled when people came up to me and told me how my song touched their heart and inspired them. In fact, my intent is to get my songs professionally arranged so that I can really perform them full out when I speak. So if you’re planning to come hear me speak or invite me to speak for your group, be forewarned that you may just get a little extra bonus in the way of an original song to help uplift, inspire and support my key Lighten Up for Good messages. 

Watch Joe Kowan as he shares about beating his stage fright

If you’ve ever dreamed of beating your own stage fright, then I encourage you to watch this truly delightful and inspiring video of Joe Kowan, graphic designer by day and quirky folk-singer by night. You can't help but feel for the guy. You may find that you too can relate to his story and experience. Enjoy and get ready to be inspired.

Roslyn is a motivational speaker, proud cancer survivor, personal coach and best-selling author of The A List: 9 Guiding Principles for Healthy Eating and Positive Living. She is best known for her ability to inspire, energize and empower people to lighten up for good and  live a happier life than they ever dreamed possible. Visit, http://www.roslynfranken.com

WHY dieting doesn't usually work long-term

Did you overindulge over the holidays and are now trying to shed those unwanted pounds? Is weight loss one of your top New Year's resolutions AGAIN?? As you may know I struggled with my weight for years and have managed to get the weight off and keep it off for 9 years now. I even wrote a book about how I did it called The A List: 9 Guiding Principles for Healthy Eating and Positive Living.

The key to my long-term success has been a combination of eating, lifestyle and attitude change which required a lot of self-understanding, self-awareness and self-acceptance.  I continue to apply these keys today in order to keep the weight off. Was it fast and easy? NO. Was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY YES. It also wasn't as slow and difficult as you might think. After all the years of dieting the 'fast and easy' way only to lose the weight and gain it all back and more, it was actually much slower and longer than once I made the one biggest change that actually WORKED. 

The biggest change was to stop dieting. Believe me, I know how tempting it is to start a new restrictive and often unbalanced and unhealthy diet or try some new fad, pill, bar or shake. I understand the longing to see some results fast thinking it is what you need to motivate you further. But before you give in to these tempting solutions that usually yield short-term results at best, I invite you to watch this TED Talks Video that clearly explains the brain science behind WHY dieting doesn't usually work for long term results.  

Watch VIDEO 

Roslyn is a motivational speaker, proud cancer survivor, personal coach and best-selling author of The A List: 9 Guiding Principles for Healthy Eating and Positive Living who will energize, educate and empower you to live a happy, healthy and resilient life. For more information and to connect with Roslyn, visit http://www.roslynfranken.com.

CONNECT WITH ROSLYN: Mailing List |  Facebook |  YouTube   LinkedIn | Radio Show

WHY women have such a ridiculous standard of beauty

As we start off the New Year, are you one of millions of women setting out to lose weight, get in shape or improve your appearance in some other way? Why? When I saw this short little video on a wonderful website called upworthy.com, it reminded me of how absolutely ridiculous some of our standards of beauty are and how often we set out to achieve beauty related goals that are not only unrealistic and unhealthy, but also unnecessary. This video is only 37 seconds, so go ahead and watch it. You will not believe your eyes.

View Video

As we age, it is so easy to get caught up in the endless world of vanity and trying to measure up or should I say measure ‘down’ to some ideal body and appearance that keeps us trapped in a place of low self-worth and self-esteem  that we forget about what’s really important like our health, wellness and overall sense of self-worth, peace and happiness. I invite you to watch this short little video and send me your comments.

Think about how the magazine covers and other commercial images that surround us influence not just our self-esteem, but the young girls out there who feel this pressure to be beautiful in such unrealistic ways. How do our own obsessions as mothers influence them? 

In my opinion, there’s way too much emphasis on perfection and beauty out there and it is robbing us of our self-worth, self-esteem and ultimately our ability to enjoy greater happiness. Is it worth it? Are you willing to STOP IT? It is ultimately a form of self-abuse, don't you think?

If you want to get started on the right foot for 2014, I encourage you to let go of the constant pressure, just focus on feeding your body, mind and soul what is healthy and will make you happy in the long run. Let go of the need for perfection. Focus on being kind to yourself instead. Let 2014 be your year to let go, ease up and lighten up for good for a happy, healthy and resilient life in body, mind and soul.

Roslyn is a motivational speaker, proud cancer survivor, personal coach and best-selling author who will energize, educate and empower you to live a happy, healthy and resilient life. For more information and to connect with Roslyn, visit http://www.roslynfranken.com.

CONNECT WITH ROSLYN:
 Mailing List |  Facebook |  YouTube   LinkedIn | Radio Show