Getting rubbed ...the right way

Not only is the LA Girls DO Cook team always working and researching and staying busy, we are always looking for new experiences and adventures to get into. But of course, we understand the importance of slowing down, reflecting, and planning our next move. We are only human! With that realization, is the notion behind taking care of ourselves. In efforts to do so, we have found Dr. Julie Thong!

She is an amazing aromatherapy specialist that works miracles with oils!
From her rain drop technique, to her wand treatments, Dr. Thong is a must have on a day where your feet need attention from a guru!

So, for the day that you wear the cute but snug stillettos you bought on sale because they were the last pair, have Dr. Julie's number ready.

She is located at 23823 Hawthorne Blvd Torrence CA 90505

Veggin out

The LA Girls DO Cook team LOVES TO EAT!!! In lieu of this bit of info about ourselves, we have developed a system against junk foods. Now don't get us wrong, we are by no means skinny, nor have we mastered the art of calorie counting on our days of leisure, but we know that our bodies deserve the best, so we found a couple of ways to indulge smartly!


The TV is usually the place where most Americans stop thinking, hence it is also the place we eat mindlessly! Set yourself up for successful snaking. Keep some kale chips, wheat crisps, or bolder canyon chips nearby. A personal favorite of the team happens to be popcorn! Not the butter saturated, salt filled, artery clogging gunk they serve at the movie theaters.

We are nuts, about nuts! Almonds, Macadamia, Walnuts, Peanuts! These are the perfect little handfuls for when you are on the go. They come in packets so that you are able stuff them in your purse or pocket quickly.

Cereal: Everybody has a box of cereal in their cabinet! It makes for a great crunchy snack. We recommend less sugary cereals. Honey bunches of oats is a great one....

The best part about all of the aforementioned snacks, is that you can train your brain to get full off of these small finger foods. If you have a limited supply of nuts, cereal, or popcorn then eat one morsel at a time... TRY IT! Instead of grabbing a fistful of popcorn and shoving it down your throat, pick up one piece at a time. Your brain will get tired of the up and down motion your hand makes to bring the food to your mouth. This tricks you into thinking you've eaten more than you really have!

Veggies are great to ... well... veg out with. Celery sticks or mini carrots are ideal tasty snacks!

Fruit cocktails! Fruit cocktails are deliciously tricky. They can be drenched in sugary syrups, and preservatives. We prefer to make our own quick and healthy alternative to the traditionally store bought product fruit cocktails. For the recipe... email us at info@LAGIRLSDOCOOK.COM

What to do when dinner is being made for you!!!!

Cooking is a special gesture! Think about how intimate, time consuming, and memorable it is for someone to share this talent (or developing talent) with you. More than likely, if someone is willing to cook for you, they are willing to share their space with you; in other words they are comfortable enough with your presence to invite you into their home.

If you know someone is preparing a dinner for you, it is in good taste to bring something with you, such as a bottle of wine, perhaps some flowers, or dessert. This shows that you are considerate.

It is also a good idea to let the in-house chef know what your allergies or medical dispositions are. It would be terrible shame for them to create a 5 course meal and you are not able to eat any of it because they used peanut oil in all of the dishes.

If they prepare something that doesn't necessarily agree with your palate, be courteous and at least try a bite or two of whatever it is that they have created. Remember, it is the sentiment behind the gesture that counts. Highlight all the positives and if possible avoid talking about what you disliked, unless confronted. In this case, it is ok to communicate that you are unaccustomed to whatever it is that they have cooked and opt to eat other items they have prepared. Be sure to be sensitive to the other person's feelings in letting them how much you enjoyed the meal.

Have a couple topics to bring up over dinner in the back of your mind to keep lines of communication open. Avoid, politics and religion unless you are in the mood for low grade confrontation, or you are aware that your positions are the same for both topics. Being ready with conversation topics is a good idea to avoid long spots of awkward silence... unless the food is so good that the silence is called for.

Lastly, ask if the meal is themed. Are you supposed to dress up? Is it a casual dinner? Is it a stilleto or flip flop kind of party? You don't want to show up in your best shoes and a form fitting dress when he answers the door in jeans and a t-shirt.

Armed with the above, you should be more than ready to attend a special invite dinner. Most important of all, bring your smile and personality. It's the best thing you can bring to the table! Enjoy!

Striving for Summertime Sexy

It all started when we got our first summertime pool party invite, and had to turn it down because we weren't in bikini body basking mode (aka not in shape).

Summertime is almost here and the LA Girls DO Cook Team is focusing on losing our winter "snuggle weight" and strapping up for our "get it right, get it tight" mode. In order to keep us on task, we are using this blog to hold us accountable to our goals! The next couple of weeks we will be reporting on the consistency of our routine, what is working, what is not working, and in the end, the only cottage cheese you'll see around us is the kind you put on top of your strawberries!

Step 1 meet with a trainer- In our case, we met with Mark Jenkins celebrity trainer to P Diddy for the marathon, Mary J Blige, Beyonce, Busta Rhymes, the list goes on! We talked about our goals and the feasibility of time constraints! We recommend that you consult a doctor before any physical activity or supplement taking. He took our measurements and did some calculations and recommended specialized plans geared towards our individual body types!

You know all the things you are supposed to do: eat a healthy breakfast, cardio till your chest burns, drink enough water to drown a fish etc. You don't do them and neither do we. But we have resolved to stick to our guns on this one for a life changing experience.


Now you know that the LA Girls team loves to cook... meaning we also LOVE to eat... so half the battle is curbing the appetite or retraining our palates to lust for foods that are delicious and nutritious! This will be a a fun project along with all of our other adventures, we can't wait for the results!

DC Dining from an LA Girls Perspective

So the LA Girls Do Cook Team is back where it belongs... IN LA! However, we can't help but think back to the wonderful places we've encountered and recommend visiting if any of our readers ever travel to DC! We've found a little something for everybody.
Looking for simple, quick n filling... JUMBO SLICE in Adam's Morgan is the perfect bang for your buck! 5$ for a pizza slice bigger than your head!
Searching for something refined and foreign?

La Tasca is a Spanish Tapas bar with a fiesty flair in DC's Chinatown. The Decor is comfortable, the service is inviting, the food is delicious, the prices are easy on the pockets. Try the Gambas al Ajillo to kick start the metabolism and burn those calories!

If you are looking for something a little closer to home with a DC Twist go with Chicken, fries, and mumbo sauce. We admit that we were a bit skeptical of the location as to where you can find it (any quick stop express, usually Asian. When we feasted, it was like absolutely nothing we have tasted on the west coast!

Lastly,but definitely not least... we went to Philips. Phillips is a seafood cornucopia! Giant crab legs, lobster tails, oysters, clams, fresh fish.... just an overload of food for a Whale of a deal! Huge potent drinks, all you can eat, and the food is definitely fresh and the servers have smiles at all times!

What a great way to finish up our trip to the Nations Capital!

LA Girls in a DC state of mind

Part of the LA Girls DO Cook team is bringing the West coast to the East! We headed to the nations capital to see how the DC ladies are bringing it. Especially with Michelle Obama's push for healthier living amongst the youth we just had to come check it out for ourselves! Not only are we turning heads with our LA Style, we're picking up little tidbits of flair from the lovely ladies of Washington!

DC sexy involves: bright colors! We were surrounded by DC natives who sported the vibrant colors in not only their wardrobe but right down to the nail colors!!!

LA Sexy: Racy colors. Deep wine reds, and french tips! You know we LA ladies keep it classy and always red carpet ready!

On the layover from LA to DC, we picked up the book " SKINNY BITCH" by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin! Beyond the cussing and potty mouth approach that the authors chose, this is an excellent book! It really made this half of the team take a second look at what we eat!... this is not your run -of- the- mill diet book and it is because of the book that we have decided to spend our time in DC as vegans/ vegetarians!

So far, we have discovered DC's Chop't! A delightful menu that caters to the vegan and vegetarian diet. Yummy and filling! We recommend the vegetarian powerhouse option...


So far, we can definitely say that DC is its own culture with its own the slang, music, and food. The ladies don't go off of what media fashion dictates, centepede twists, gogo music and chicken mumbo sauce... where else in the world can you find that?

A welcome fit for a King

On May 1st 2010, the LA Girls DO Cook team was more than ecstatic to help bring New Orleans down to Rodeo Drive's Luxe hotel while welcoming Sean and Aonika Patrick Thomas's new blessing to be! We were invited to supply the authentic New Orleans styled Jambalaya and the Shrimp Scampi for the occasion as well as mix, mingle, and celebrate the pending arrival of their new prince Luc!

The Thomas family sure knows how to throw a celebration. They considered every detail from the Louise napkin dance down to the cake decorations (Courtesy of Rosebud Bakery. Everybody at the baby shower really seemed to come together during the baby bingo and baby lottery shower games. Even renowned spoken word artist John Brown dedicated a couple creative and touching pieces to baby Luc and his family.

We must say that Aonika was looking divalishiously gorgeous! Not only was she glowing with joy and delight from the day's festivities, she was doing it all in a sleek and sexy, silver, calf length dress with the 5" peep-toed stilletos to match! Now THAT is the definition of an LA Girl!!!

The day could not have been more perfect, and for that we must credit Chimene Holmes! She planned, hosted, and MC'd the event with such style and grace that the LA Girls DO Cook Team had to raise our glasses to her!

We end this blog with the recipe to a savory and authentic Creole Shrimp Scampi:

Ingredients
1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons of capers
2-4 tablespoons of butter
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
1/4 cup of red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

Preparation
In a bowl, mix the shrimp with the garlic, cayenne, Creole seasoning and bell pepper. Juice one lemon and set juice to the side.
In a skillet, sauté the shrimp in the oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium high heat, until just white throughout. Add the wine, lemon juice, capers and parsley and sauté for 1 more minute. Turn off heat and add remaining butter. Serve over angel hair pasta and enjoy!