Lifestyle | Live Happy

Top 5 Timesaving Tips for the Kitchen

I love to cook. Cookbooks and food magazines make up a large portion of my reading for pleasure. Heck, I have a culinary degree! But like anything that has to be done—sometimes multiple times a day, day after day—making time-consuming meals can be a burden. Sometimes, after a long day of work when the kids are hungry and cranky, it feels downright impossible. It’s important to me that we eat together as a family. And I know how important it is for our wellbeing that the food we eat is not only tasty, but also nutritious—and that often means home-cooked. Boil-in-bags, microwave cooking, ground-beef "helpers” are not going to work. So I am always on the lookout for ways to shave minutes off dinner prep without sacrificing quality or nutrition. Here are a few tricks that even a food snob can embrace. 1. Hit the freezer—but not for everything In an ideal world, we would all be eating seasonal, local vegetables grown by organic farmers and sold outdoors at adorable farmers markets. But this is reality. Some vegetables fare better in the freezer than others; in fact, I would argue that some vegetables are better frozen than fresh, or certainly are easier to deal with. Three key examples: - Spinach. Frozen whole-leaf spinach has already been picked over, washed, and blanched, so it's ready to be thawed and sautéed with garlic and oil, or worked into another recipe, no pre-boiling necessary. (This also removes the guesswork that so often accompanies spinach: Will the nine large bunches you bought feed all your guests or boil down to about two tablespoons?) - Peas. If it weren’t for frozen peas, we would all be relegated to using fresh peas for about three weeks when they are available in the spring, after painstakingly shelling them. Frozen peas can be thrown into stews at the end of cooking or tossed with pasta, cream and pancetta for a weeknight meal. - Pearl onions. Have you ever cooked fresh pearl onions? By the time you strip that last papery skin off that last onion, you are ready to give a black eye to whoever invented Beef Bourguignon. (Two black eyes, if you par-boil them first.) Well, hallelujah, pearl onions are available peeled and ready-to-go in the freezer section, and you'll never taste the difference. 2. Let pasta water do double-duty Take a page from the Italians and use that big pot of salted pasta water to cook other parts of the meal, saving time and an extra pot. For example, if you are making the classic dish, orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe, while the sausage browns in a skillet, start cooking the pasta in boiling water, and after a few minutes, add the chopped rabe into the pot with the pasta. Then strain the pasta and broccoli rabe together, and toss in with the sausage. Genius. 3. Choose foods that are naturally fast Stock your pantry, fridge, and freezer with those things that cook at warp speed. In the meat section, think ground beef, lamb, turkey, or chicken that can be used to make quick chilies, pasta sauces or meatballs. Also look at thin-cut chops or cutlets, all of which can cook on a grill or stovetop in a jiffy. For weeknight meals, avoid large cuts of meat as well as whole chicken and chicken legs, which need time to cook all the way through. Almost all seafood is your fast friend: shrimp, mussels, clams, scallops, and thin fillets cook in under 10 minutes (many in under 3 minutes). 4. Make simple sides Instant couscous cooks in five minutes. Most pastas don’t take long to boil, but if you are trying to shave off minutes, use the small, thin varieties instead of the big shapes. Potatoes can be cut into small pieces and roasted at a high temperature in about 20 minutes for a delicious side. And of course, opening a can of beans takes 10 seconds (though we recommend rinsing them and tossing with a little salt and olive oil before serving). Most vegetables cook quickly, but if you haven’t had time to shop and prep fresh vegetables, see the frozen section, above. If you have kids, microwave or boil frozen edamame or “medley” of peas, corn and carrots for a quick, healthy vegetable side that they will actually eat. 5. Let your dinner thrive on neglect That obsessive flipping of your food, on the grill or in the sauté pan is often counterproductive to good flavor, and costing you time to boot. For the best possible crust, turn your food only once, timing it halfway through cooking. (Hint: often, if you try to turn your food and you find it’s sticking, it isn’t done yet; it will release easily when the crust is just right. The same goes for many things that roast in the oven. Rather than turning those roasted potato wedges, squash slices, etc., just let them be until they're done. You'll avoid tearing them, which renders them greasy anyway, and you'll get a nice golden crust on the side touching the baking sheet. Lesley Porcelli has been writing and thinking about mostly food, for more than 15 years. She was a staff writer at Martha Stewart Living as well as an editor at Gourmet, and has a culinary degree from the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Central New York with her husband and three little kids, plus a staggering assortment of plastic sea creatures. When not authoring cookbooks, she occasionally blogs at Ugly But Good.

People

Grace and Gratitude

Olivia Newton-John is a flirt. On a recent Friday night, she begins her“Summer Nights” show at The Flamingo in Las Vegas by shimmying tothe edge of the stage as she sings theopening bars to her epic hit “Have YouNever Been Mellow.”Hopelessly devoted fansThe sold-outaudience of 750 rises to their feet. Then,as they settle back down, Olivia coos,“I’m going to do a couple of songs froma movie where I got to dance with…”Everyone jumps up again, eruptinginto gleeful whoops. They anticipate, ofcourse, that she will finish that sentencewith “John Travolta” and launch intotheir favorite tunes from Grease, her1978 U.S. film debut that made her asuperstar and remains the highest grossingAmerican movie musical ofall time.Olivia pauses, dropping her mic toher hip as she soaks in the adulation.After a few seconds, she smilesbrilliantly and continues. “A moviewhere I got to dance with…Gene Kelly.”If Olivia is toying with her fans as sheresumes her “musical journey” with thetitle song from Xanadu, they are morethan happy to be her playthings. Somehave paid up to $250 for a ringside seatand the chance to have their phototaken with her during a meet and greet.Timeless beauty and talent“She was my first crush,” says a middle-aged man from Seattle who hasbrought along the Xanadu LP for Oliviato sign. A Los Angeles film professorwho lived for several months inAustralia carries a glossy photo ofOlivia, vintage mid-’80s. He remembersgoing to see her perform when he washomesick. “She made me feel at home,”he says.For generations of admirers, OliviaNewton-John has provided thesoundtrack to their lives. They mighthave shared a first kiss to “If You LoveMe, Let Me Know,” become engaged to the strains of “I Honestly Love You”and hit the ballroom floor for their first dance as a married couple to thewedding band staple “Hopelessly Devoted to You.”Back in the early ’80s,some ventured nervously into their firstaerobics class, inspired by Olivia’sadmonition, “Let’s get physical,physical.” (“I’m proud of that song,” shetells the audience, conspiratorially. “Inmy whole career, it was the only songthat was ever banned.”)When facing aloss later in life, many found comfort insongs like “Let Go Let God” or “Learn to Love Yourself” from Olivia’s deeplyspiritual 2006 album Grace andGratitude, featuring instrumentals andvocals for meditation and healing.Still creative and vibrant at 65If there’s a timeless quality to hersongs, the same can be said of Olivia herself. Dressed in an elegant blacktuxedo with peg-legged pants andhigh-heeled ankle boots, her blondehair in a shoulder-length bob, it’s difficult to comprehend that it’s been36 years since her Sandy Olsson first fellin love with John Travolta’s DannyZuko. At 65, Olivia says she has neverfelt healthier, more vibrant or,especially, more creative.

Lifestyle

Color Me Happy

Remember mood rings, popular in the ’70s for magically changing color to indicate the wearer's emotions? They were more fashion accessory than emotional gauge—glass orbs filled with liquid crystals that reflected light differently in response to changes in body temperature. But even if a shade-shifting bauble isn’t a true indicator of mood, color can be a meaningful way to represent, and even elicit, strong emotions.The science is not black and whiteIn different cultures, ideas vary on what colors mean. Much of the science has not yet been conclusive, and a lot of information about color and mood is subjective and intuitive. In the West, orange is believed to make you happy, while red increases your appetite (that’s why fast-food restaurants are often decked out in bright oranges, reds, and yellows). Warm colors can make you feel, well, warm and cozy, while cool colors such as blue and lavender seem to have a calming effect.“It’s a burgeoning field of research,” says Arielle Eckstut, co-author of The Secret Language of Color. “In 10 years it’s likely we’ll have more information about how color affects us biologically, and it may turn out that orange really does affect mood-lifting power.”Meanwhile, here are a few things we do know about how color can affect wellbeing:1. Red, the lusty colorResearch shows that men tend to find a woman wearing red to be more sexually desirable than a woman wearing another color. It’s a trait that guys likely share with monkeys: Non-human male primates are attracted to the red hues that females exhibit on their chests and private parts when they’re ovulating and ready for romance.2. Red can also make us jealousWhile a man may find a woman in red sexy, another woman is likely to perceive her as a threat. A recent study found that women perceive other women as both sexually receptive and more likely to cheat if they’re wearing red. The same study found that women were more likely to keep a closer eye on their romantic partners while around a woman wearing red rather than green.3. It’s actually pretty easy being greenSpending time outside, in nature, has been found to be an effective way to relieve stress. A recent study suggests that looking at the color green may have something to do with that. Scientists had people work out on exercise bikes while watching a video that simulated a rural cycling course; the video was either unedited, so that the leaves, grass, and other aspects of the scenery were natural shades of greens and browns and so forth, tinted red, or achromatic (gray). The subjects who watched the green scene found the exercise easier and more pleasurable; those who watched the red video even had increased feelings of anger afterwards.“This makes sense,” says Arielle. Millions of years ago, when our brains were still developing, "our environment was primarily blue and green, so our brains had to learn to be comfortable surrounded by those colors.”4. Tangled up in blueConsidering that blue is one of the first colors humans needed to be comfortable with, it’s surprising that we use the word “blue” to describe feeling sad or depressed. It’s even more ironic given that, according to studies, when photoreceptors in the eye detect blue light, they send messages to parts of the brain that control alertness, hormones, sleep, and other functions. For this reason, blue light is used to treat all sorts of medical conditions, including depression, dementia and seasonal effective disorder.Color your life with your favorite hues“Intuitively we know that color affects us in profound ways. Everyone can tell you what their favorite color is, or that they love so many colors it’s hard for them to choose, or that they really can’t stand a certain hue. Few folks don’t care,” says Arielle. Color preferences arise from a number of sources, starting with cultural influences. For instance, yellow is one of the least popular colors in the Western world, while in China it’s profoundly meaningful.It makes sense for us to think about the hues that give us a good feeling and use them in our wardrobes, our homes and our workspaces. “Even if you love a very intense color that would overpower a room or an outfit, you can get a mood-lifting payoff by using it as an accent color that ‘pops,’ ” says Arielle, who loves bright red but wouldn’t necessarily dress herself in ruby from head to foot. “I have red glasses, a red purse and red clogs that I wear with neutral colors,” she says. “That’s enough for me to get the feel-good effect.”

Lifestyle

Hollywood Takes on the Pursuit of Happiness

Searching for a lost cell phone or set of keys makes sense. But when you’ve misplaced what the French call joie de vivre—a hearty joy of living—searching will only lead you astray. Happiness happens not through a hunt, says film director Peter Chelsom, but by happenstance.“True authentic happiness,” he says, “is a byproduct of full immersion in something else—communicating, teaching, learning, giving, dancing, singing.” Or as the happiness researcher in Peter’s new comedy-drama, Hector and the Search for Happiness, puts it, “We should concern ourselves not so much with the pursuit of happiness, but with the happiness of pursuit.”Trapped by routineBased on a best-selling French novel by François Lelord, the movie follows the around-the-world journey of Hector, played by British actor Simon Pegg(Shaun of the Dead), as he seeks the secret to happiness. A successful psychiatrist with a tricked-out London flat and a beautiful, smart and solicitous girlfriend, Hector is feeling trapped by the cautious routine of his life and infuriated by his patients, what with their depression and never-ending laments about their marital woes.Searching high and lowAfter he finds himself ranting at a hapless patient, Hector sets out on a quest, backpack and journal in tow. His travels take him to China, Africa, a monastery in Tibet and Los Angeles, where he reunites with an old girlfriend. Along the way, he comes close to getting killed more than once; falls for a woman who turns out to be a prostitute; and fills his journal with aphorisms like “Listening is loving,” “Happiness means being loved for who you are,” and “Avoiding unhappiness is not the road to happiness.”Peter admits, “These are the kinds of things you might find in fortune cookies,” but that he found power in the simple fable. “I felt transformed by making this movie,” he says. “It filled me with such a sense of gratitude”—and a new understanding of what comprises happiness.Your brain lights up like the aurora borealisHe says he talked to happiness researchers to make sure that a final scene of the movie, which has a neuroscientist mapping Hector’s brain waves, was accurate. “I was so gratified when researchers told me we got the details right,” says Peter, who co-wrote the script. “When you’re truly happy, your brain lights up like the aurora borealis. Happiness is not one color or one experience; it’s embracing the dark along with the light, the good with the bad.”So, where does Hector eventually find happiness? Let’s just say—spoiler alert—you don’t need a plane ticket to get there.

Lifestyle

Clear Your Desk, and Your Mind Will Follow

A neatly organized workspace telegraphs to others that you are serious about your work, whatever it may be. If your workspace is cluttered, it can be distracting and unsettling, decreasing your productivity. When we are less productive, we are less happy. If you can find papers and emails when you need them, you’ll get more done throughout the day.1. Go paperlessPaper constantly comes into our lives from all directions. Identify where these unwanted documents are coming from, and put a stop to it. Sign up for the do-not-mail list, cancel unwanted catalogs, and start paying bills online. (You are not only getting rid of clutter, you’re also helping save the planet.)2. Practice ShauchaShaucha is a yoga principle that can be applied to everyday life. The philosophy suggests that through a clear and clean environment, we can achieve a higher understanding of ourselves, and the world around us. When our space is clear, our mind is clear. When our mind is clear, we can focus and find time for the things we want to do. We all have goals to achieve, and if you’re constantly dealing with the mundane, you will never have the time to reach your higher aspirations. 3. Scan what you canScanning is a great way to store documents, without taking up much space. Find a scanner that’s easy to use, and make a time to scan least once a month. Keep a “to-scan” bin nearby so you have a single location to put items that need scanning.4. Be mindfulWe race through our days, and we very often don’t take the time to simply stop and think about what we are doing. Being mindful and present not only helps you feel less stressed, it can also help you improve your workspace organization. Stop and think before you toss something down on your desk. It takes virtually the same amount of time to file something properly as it does to just throw it on the desk.5. Set aside timeMake organizing your workspace part of your weekly schedule. That way, things won't pile up over months, making the prospect of clearing it even more daunting.6. Pay attention to the small thingsMake the right decisions about the little things over and over again, and it will pay dividends in the long run with a more productive and organized life.How do you like to keep your workspace—messy and loose, or neat and tightly organized? And does it increase your sense of wellbeing? Let us know in the comments, below.

Lifestyle

Note to Self

In Eric Hutchinson’s business, there are lots of ups and downs. One minute you are all the rage, and the next…no one is interested. His ability to stay grateful for everything he has achieved keeps the singer-songwriter balanced in the volatile world of being a musician. This refreshing perspective and his love affair with writing and performing music, inspires his creativity and allows him to push his art into new places. Pop that's catchy and sticks around “I don’t really subscribe to the idea that you have to be miserable to make great music. At least for me, it’s actually the opposite,” Eric says. “When I’m not happy, the last thing I want to do is pick up the guitar and start playing. I find that my music sounds best when it comes from a place, if not [of] being happy, then at least [of] being curious, trying to analyze why I felt a certain way.” His sound is often described as soulful pop that’s catchy and sticks around. On his first two albums, Sounds Like This and Moving Up Living Down, Eric says he was making music as therapy and using it to work through some issues in his life. But with his latest album, Pure Fiction, he took a different approach and decided to celebrate the good things. The cynical optimist A self-described “cynical optimist,” Eric works at focusing on the positive things going on around him. Over the last few years, he says, he has kept a running log of all the good days, and even a few good hours he has experienced, so he can remind himself of them whenever he is feeling down or lonely. He credits this exercise with helping him become aware of when that good moment is happening so he can maximize the feeling he gets and make it just a little better. However, it’s not always easy, and, he admits, there are days when it’s hard to find the right melody or to face shows without much of a crowd. As he has gotten older, though, he tries not to beat himself up too much over the disappointments. He compares the process to fishing, and by sticking to it, he manages to catch the right sound and everything falls into place. Music that makes you feel better “I spend a lot of time working to cultivate and appreciate the good stuff because it’s kind of my natural tendencyto skip over some of that,” he says. “That’s what my music is about…reminding me about all the things there are to be happy about. I think a lot of my listeners gravitate toward music that makes you feel better.” And if you are having a good time listening to his music, that just adds fuel to his desire to keep doing what he’s doing. His resilient attitude toward his passion keeps him penning head-bopping pop hits like “OK, It’s Alright with Me”; “Rock & Roll”; and his newest single, “Tell the World.” Celebrate the music “At my shows, I pick up on the fact that it’s something fun for the fans and it’s actually something fun you can share with someone else,” Eric says. “I make sure everyone is having a good time, singing, dancing and celebrating the music.” The payoff for Eric is singing in front of sold-out crowds and listening to everyone sing back his songs; soaking up that feel-good reverb and feeding off of the electricity. When he is in that moment, he’s sure to take a “mental snapshot” and save it for a time when he needs to shine.

Olivia Newton John on the cover of Live Happy

Lifestyle

Our First Anniversary Issue is Out!

The year has flown by—we can hardly believe that October is our First Anniversary issue. A year ago, we began this happy journey with our premiere issue, featuring Ron Howard and a distinctive blue cover. We are still the only magazine covering the art and science of happiness, and we are proud that we have become home-base for the global happiness movement. In this issue: An in-depth interview with international icon Olivia Newton-John, who is still glowing and gorgeous at 65. Olivia recounts a life of singing, acting and giving back, with her foundation to fight cancer in Melbourne. She finds that happiness comes from inside, as well as from her close family and happy marriage. (Not to mention her dog, Raven.) We bring you 24 pages that cover every aspect of Creativity, from its relationship to wellbeing, to how artists, chefs and entrepreneurs can harness its power. Winning isn't everything: How does it feel to be a fan of the Chicago Cubs? Turns out, it feels pretty darn good. We can learn a lot about happiness from fans who stick by their team in good times and bad—even if it's mostly the latter. In "Breaking the Myths of Happiness," positive psychology expert Sonja Lyubomirsky flips common assumptions abour what makes us happy on their head. "Profiles in Happiness" shows us examples of people who have created heir own happiness, instead of waiting for it to come to them. Musician and muse,ToriAmos talks dishes on her latest album, and what makes her feel inspired. And much more. FindLive Happy at selected Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Whole Foods, Stop & Shop, Food City, Shaw's, Hudson News, Target and other locations—or purchase a subscription and have it sent directly to your home.

Lifestyle

4 Ways to Use Your Superfoods

Now we know that healthy, nutrient-packed ingredients like seafood, nuts, eggs and leafy greens are great for our bodies and our minds. They have the power to improve our mood (even if we might assume the uplift is just the afterglow of eating a good meal). But what do we do with this knowledge? Instead of scarfing down handfuls of nuts or binging on hard-boiled eggs, try whipping up some of these delicious, soul-satisfying dishes as a way to add some happy to your meals. Nut–Crusted Sea Bass Serves 4 Olive oil 1/2 cup walnuts, pecans or pistachios, chopped medium-fine 1/3 cup panko or fresh bread crumbs 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 4 sea bass or cod fillets, 4–6 ounces each 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard or prepared horseradish Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease the foil with olive oil (spray is fine). Combine the nuts, bread crumbs, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, and a generous grinding of pepper in a shallow bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Spread the top of each fillet with the mustard or horseradish. Press the coated side of each fillet into the crumb mixture to generously coat the fish. Set the fillets, coating side up, on the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the fillets. Bake until the topping is crisp and browned and the fish is cooked through, 10–12 minutes, depending on thickness. Serve at once. Quick Tuscan Bean Stew with Poached Egg Serves 4 2 teaspoons olive oil 3 green onions, thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves, pressed 1 teaspoon fresh sage or oregano, minced, or 1/2 teaspoon dried Two 8-ounce cartons chicken broth Two 15-ounce cans cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained 2 lemons, 1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges for serving Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving 2 tablespoons white vinegar 4 eggs Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the green onions, garlic and sage; cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 3–4 inches of water in a pot wide enough to hold 4 eggs. Carefully crack the eggs into 4 small bowls, keeping the yolks whole. Stir the broth and beans into the Dutch oven; bring to a simmer and cook until heated through, about 4 minutes. Using a wooden spoon or potato masher, lightly mash some of the beans to thicken the soup. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon; season with salt and pepper. Spoon the stew into shallow bowls while the eggs are poaching, below. When the egg-poaching water is just under a boil, stir in the vinegar and pour each of the eggs into the water in quick succession, bringing the bowls close to the surface of the water and pouring quickly. Set a timer for 4 minutes, and lower the heat so the water does not boil while the eggs are cooking. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon, pressing the spoon against the pan to remove any raggedy edges and blotting the eggs with paper towels. Place each egg on top of a bowl of stew. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with Parmesan. Serve with lemon wedges. Kale Salad with Pecans & Dried Cherries Serves 4 1 lemon 4 cups thinly shredded dinosaur (lacinato) kale 2 cups thinly shredded mustard or collard greens 1/4 cup walnut or olive oil (divided) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan or pecorino cheese 1/4 cup dried cherries or fresh pomegranate seeds 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil or mint 1/2 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped 1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced (optional) First, zest and juice the lemon. Set aside. Combine the kale and mustard greens and toss with the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes, then massage the dressing into the kale with your fingertips. Add the Parmesan shavings, dried cherries, basil, pecans, and avocado, if using, plus the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the lemon zest. Toss and serve. Sweet Potato Frittata Serves 4 8 eggs 1/3 cup milk Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 red-skinned sweet potatoes, such as Garnet or Jewel 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced 2 handfuls baby spinach, roughly chopped 1/2 cup fresh goat cheese Note: This recipe requires a 12-inch nonstick skillet that can go in an oven. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Whisk together the eggs, milk and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Peel the sweet potatoes and dice to ¼-inch. In a 10–12-inch nonstick skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the potatoes and toss to coat, then sprinkle with the cumin and salt to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and browned, 10–15 minutes. Sprinkle the green onions and spinach over the potatoes, then cover the pan and cook until the spinach wilts, 1–2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, give the eggs one last stir, and pour them over the potatoes. With your fingers, crumble the goat cheese over the top of the frittata. Put the pan in the oven and bake until the middle barely jiggles when you shake the pan, 12–18 minutes. If you like, turn the broiler on for the last minute of cooking to brown the top. Let the frittata rest for a few minutes before turning it out of the pan and slicing. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

People

Miranda Lambert is Absolutely Loving Life

Inspired by role models Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire and Beyoncé (“I’ve seenher five times; I’m a little bit of a stalker”), Miranda Lambert is making aname for herself as more than a pretty face.The making of a country starAfter proving she has the chops to make it on Nashville Star, Miranda hasgone on to release five solo albums, including her latest,Platinum, in June. She has racked updozens of awards, including a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance,Female, for her heart-tugging hit “The House That Built Me”; a record fivestraight wins as Female Vocalist of the Year from the Academy of CountryMusic; and four consecutive wins in the same category from the CountryMusic Association.Busy, but happyShe shares that shelf with her husband of three years, Blake Shelton,who has accumulated a blacksmith’s trove of statuettes and a legionof fans himself.In addition to opening up Pink Pistol boutiques, Miranda has also launchedher own shoe line, Miranda by Miranda Lambert. “I’m really hard on bootsonstage,” she says. “I stomp around and they have to be comfortable andthe heel can’t be too high. I thought if I could just have my own boot line, I could make exactly what I want.” And her MuttNation Foundation, createdin 2009, has raised nearly a million dollars and supports no-kill rescueshelters in every state.Small-town successNot even Blake shares his wife’s industriousness. “The other day I told himhe should open a bait shop because we have a lot of fishing around butthere’s nowhere to buy bait,” Miranda says. “And he was like, ‘I don’t wantto be as tired and stressed-out as you.’ ”She laughs, and then concedes,“Yes, sometimes it is stressful because I have a lot going on, but it’s also sosatisfying when these things are successful, and I see people get a job in our tiny town or see the dogs have a happy place to live.“There’s always a reward that comes with hard work that keeps youdriving to the next level.”

People

Mom’s the Word

Hand Bethenny Frankel a lime, and she’ll make a margarita that morphs into a multimillion-dollar business in the form of her Skinnygirl line of low-calorie drinks. Hand the former Real Housewives of New York star a lemon, and she’ll make lemonade, which is exactly what she’s done since learning earlier this year that her talk show, bethenny, isn’t being renewed after just one season. Rather than despair, she wrote in a loving open letter to her fans: “What I really want now is to be with my daughter, to do yoga, to focus on Skinnygirl and my writing, and to give myself a break.”Taking time for her daughterToday, you can find Bethenny doting on four-year-old daughter Bryn in the streets of New York, time she views as invaluable for keeping her spirits up. “Parenthood gives you direction and defines you; it makes you a part of a community that’s going through the same rundown of emotions—guilt, exhaustion,” she says. “I want to be the kind of parent who looks about for the things my child does naturally in life, to embrace who she is and nurture that, whether it’s sports or music or dress-up, because if you do what you love, you’ll be happy.”From cookbooks to children's booksFor Bethenny, what she loves to do is write books. And for her latest story, Cookie Meets Peanut, she was inspired by Bryn, who she’s described as the love of her life. The children’s book is loosely based on her own experience bringing Bryn home to meet Cookie, her beloved, albeit “very particular and sassy,” Lhasa Apso.Told with equal parts wit and wisdom, the story chronicles the evolving love between a child and a dog, and how “when you bring home a new baby, your dog becomes…a dog,” she says. And, sprinkled in with the illustrations and antics to entertain tykes—think cooking with glitter—moms and dads will find words offering reassurance and advice, a task Bethenny says she’s always up for.Using her new-found wisdom“I’ve been through many difficult things,” she says, “but the difficult times are not for naught, because I can help other people.”

Top 5 Timesaving Tips for the Kitchen

Grace and Gratitude

Color Me Happy

Hollywood Takes on the Pursuit of Happiness

Clear Your Desk, and Your Mind Will Follow

Note to Self

Our First Anniversary Issue is Out!

4 Ways to Use Your Superfoods

Miranda Lambert is Absolutely Loving Life

Mom’s the Word

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