BY: @SUSANHOLMESMCKAGAN
Photography by Brian B. Hayes , Hair -Johnny Stuntz , Make up – Elaine Offers Leggings and top — Adidas x Stella McCartney
My husband Duff and I just completed watching The Last Dance, the brilliant and uplifting ESPN documentary mini-series. In case, somehow you have not had the pleasure to be enlightened by this dynamic masterpiece — do yourself a favor and put it at the top of your wish list! Trust me when I say you will be inspired. In fact, I think you will be motivated to not seize the day, but your life! What an impactful chronicle, charting the rise of the 90’s Chicago Bulls dynasty. It will get your head out of this pandemic climate, almost as swift as a Scottie Pippen offensive pass to a Michael Jordan superman slam-dunk.
Director Jason Hehir and producer Michael Tollin lay up together to showcase how focus, desire and ambition conquer all.
Insert even in these at home Covid-19 moments, can be filled with knowledge, sweaty work outs and joyous forget about everything entertainment. Looking at the glass half full, I am counting my blessings with being healthy and seeing my hubby and two daughters every day. Duff my better half, and his band Guns N’ Roses were scheduled to go on a stadium tour in South America, Europe and the states right now. My now best-selling novel The Velvet Rose was scheduled to be releasing in paperback version now. But is now going to come out in the fall, with a nice event celebrating the book’s launch at the beautiful Marc Jacob’s BookMarc store in SOHO New York.
I love that part of the proceeds go to the MusiCares Foundation (helping those battling Covid-19 to addiction to Parkinson’s Disease). Our eldest daughter’s US and Canadian tour for her band The Pink Slips, has been postponed, and she is currently tackling University of Washington online classes …And our youngest daughter, Mae has just starting taking her Harvard Business School online class, now that her current at home based NY college, is at a stand-still until further on-campus notice. She is also working at Vogue and modeling as well.
I must say we’re lucky, we’re enjoying extra family time by playing Scategories to Scrabble, binge watching this golden age of television’s shows from (The Black Godfather, Black AF, Killing Eve, Patriot Act and Weird Wonders of The World). Some of our notable feature films we checked out were Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea to Alfred Hitchcock’s Marnie.
I have had fun times in the kitchen too, making several different versions of banana bread like everyone else, to homemade garden vegetable soup and orechiette pasta with spicy Italian sausage and broccolini.
Do not forget your body does need some carbohydrates in moderation, to fuel your endurance for those at homework outs… In the meantime, here’s the recipe:
Orechiette Pasta with Spicy Italian Sausage and Broccolini.
Servings: 4-6
Total Time: 30 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 1-pound orecchiette
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1-pound broccolini or broccoli florets
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
INSTRUCTIONS
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orecchiette and cook according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium high heat. Crumble the sausage into the skillet and cook, breaking apart with a spoon, until lightly browned, 5-6 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic; cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil, chicken broth, broccoli, salt and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan to release the flavorful brown bits, until the broccoli is tender-crisp, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the butter until melted and simmer for a few minutes to reduce and concentrate the sauce.
- Drain the pasta well and place back in the pasta pot. Add the sausage and broccoli mixture, along with half of the cheese, and toss to blend. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls and pass the remaining grated cheese at the table.
I am constantly trying to sharpen my physique with challenging work outs.
- I do everything from core power sculpt yoga video classes, to Peloton spinning biking, to hiking and swimming laps.
- The best are the You Tube fitness videos that really push and shock my muscles…
Here are a Few of My Go to Faves:
I always love learning new things — whether, it’s taking lessons in playing guitar, boat navigational/engine skills, golf, tennis, cooking (everything from making sushi to vegan legumes cuisines). I even got my motorcycle license a while back.
Currently I am studying online at Harvard University in their summer school program. It is intense, but I am loving the challenge, and extremely thankful and tremendously inspired by my brilliant Professor Deirdre Mask. My friends are always intrigued by how I constantly have that thirst for knowledge and growth.
As they say “always assume you are not the smartest person in the room.” And on that note, stretch, breathe, write down your dreams and plans. Go out and visualize how loving, giving, intelligent and mindful you can be. And go out with a mask on, of course… and make it happen!
Be sure and follow Susan on all her latest happenings:
- Twitter: @SuHolmesMcKagan
- Instagram: SusanHolmesMcKagan #TheVelvetRose
