Temperatures are rising! Take your entertaining outside with this fresh and delicious starter inspired by the famous crudites from Club 55 in glamorous Saint-Tropez.
RECIPE: Jacquie’s Club 55 Crudites
Dressing
1/4 cup sherry or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon or thyme
Pinch of salt
Freshly ground pepper
Mix all of the above, and slowly add 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, whisking all the time. (You can also shake it all in a large jar.)
Assortment of Vegetables
1 large head of broccoli
1 large head of cauliflower
3 peppers (orange, red, yellow)
1 bunch of radishes (greens attached)
1 large package of cherry tomatoes
8 – 10 carrots (greens attached)
Arrange vegetables on platter. Serve with French dressing and a chilled bottle of rosé!
It’s time for me to come out of the closet…and tell the world… (come on Jacqueline, you can do this)…that…that…I am starring in a new Reality TV show! It’s called “Golden Gays”, is set in Palm Springs, California, and airs in Canada at 7pm PST on Slice, beginning Friday, March 22nd.
While I am not gay and not yet in my ‘golden’ years, opportunity knocked and I said yes! The truth is that the show felt more like a crazy and eccentric romp than an over-blown bitch fest. I am the token ‘straight’ character in the main cast – a bit of an extravagant glamor girl who gets hit on by lesbians, hit up for money and apparently hypnotized by hot and sexy young men! (It’s true that I did actually marry one such young man but that was only after filming wrapped…!)
Most of Season 1 was complete by the time I was “found” so I only appear in the last 4 episodes beginning Friday, April 26. I hope that you will mix yourself a large margarita and tune in!
The experience was not only interesting but also a lot of fun for me. I enjoyed the company of the cast and crew and am very grateful to Cream Productions, executive producer Sam Dock, casting agent Sergio Alvarado, and especially to my great friend and tireless supporter, Leslie Roberts, of Global news in Toronto who got this whole ball rolling for me in the first place!
Say YES when unforeseen opportunities cross your path, even if you feel unprepared, unqualified, doubtful or even scared shitless – you never know where they may lead – and you just may have a whole lot of fun along the way!
Meet the cast by watching the spoof promo video below, and check out the “Golden Gays” opening (also below). Be sure to “like” the “Golden Gays” Facebook page for more updates!
Sending love and strength,
JS
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give” ~ Sir Winston Churchill
We were thrilled to be invited to attend a phenomenal charity event in Beverly Hills recently. The evening was organized by Cinema for Peace and was in honor of Ben Affleck and his “Eastern Congo Initiative”. The man is not only sweeping the award shows for his movie “Argo” but he has figured out that his blessed life would have no meaning without giving.
I encourage you to click here to read more about it. There is a short animated video on the page that you will find not only informative about this organization in particular but also inspiring about giving in general.
The truth is that our lives get better when we improve the lives of others and waiting until we have more for ourselves before we do that is missing the point entirely. It really is that in giving, we receive. Want to receive abundance? Give of your time, your love, your possessions, your smile, or your joy, to other living beings right now and your life will begin to change profoundly – for the better!
While my husband and I were in Hawaii over the holidays, we met an extraordinary couple from Toronto, Jay and Lorena Mandarino. Jay is a successful businessman who donates his time and expertise as a fundraising auctioneer to so many wonderful organizations (70 per year!) across North America and has become the go-to guy for many charities championed by celebrities. Jay’s motto is “Lend a hand by raising yours!” I love it! Check out his website at www.jbmauctionservices.com.
Jay was the auctioneer at the Cinema for Peace fundraiser and he and Lorena were kind enough to invite us as their guests. We not only enjoyed the event but in the two of them, we have found new, inspiring, and delightful friends.
Enjoy the photos in the gallery above. The second photo is of Jay and the beautiful Lorena with Ben Affleck and in the third photo, you will see me on stage with Mrs. Cindy McCain (who is on the board of ECI) and Ms. Thandie Newton – the fabulous actress who also donated to the cause.
Can you help another living being today?
I send you much love and inspiration,
JS
I read 50 Shades of Grey eventually to see what all the fuss was about and I have to say that it left me feeling somewhat pious. I always thought that my sexual fantasies were relatively perverted but apparently not. And it is not the book itself that I found a little shocking; it’s the fact that millions of women are turned on by this Christian Grey cat. I mean if I went home with some dude and he opened a door to reveal a medieval torture chamber, I’d run for the frigging hills and certainly if he beat me on the arse so hard that I couldn’t sit down, I’d probably be the one to end up in jail. I wouldn’t put up with that shit.
But here’s the thing, I still like to push the limits of my comfort zone when it comes to sex with my lover – the man that I am married to – because that’s exciting and exciting sex is great sex.
We went to a strip club together recently. I was curiously fascinated but felt awkward getting out of my big shiny white BMW in the parking lot outside the ugly building in the less than stellar neighborhood, tugging at my Gucci dress and teetering on my Prada heels. I strolled in, holding my lovers hand and trying to appear nonchalant – so not believable. My husband on the other hand knew the bouncer, the manager and a couple of the strippers. We were clearly in his world and I loved to see him take control.
“Who do you like Baby?” he asked while we watched the girls selling themselves up on the stage. “What on earth for?” I asked. “For a lap dance of course,” he said. What the hell? I don’t do girls. But OK, since I had to pick, “I’ll take the older one with the sexy boobs,” I said. Turns out I’m a boob girl – interesting – it was news to me. And who knew that I would get off on sexy girls grinding up and down my body, whispering in my ear and caressing me, while I am peering around them at my husband indulging in the same? “Just relax baby, I love to watch you,” he said. “Touch her.” Oh god, no.
Three different girls rubbed up and down me over the course of the evening. The young, little blonde with the soft and perfect body did nothing for me – too young and too pouty. Her attitude put me off. I kept coming back to the older one with the sexy boobs – she is experienced, mature and intuitive. She has no chip on her shoulder. She knows that she has choices and she chooses this. She knows that while she dreams of other things during the daylight hours, at night she gets off on being desired, on being seductive, and on being chosen.
I watched my favorite girl grind up and down my husband. I watched him stare at her beautiful tits and I watched his sexy hands move up and down her back. “Fascinating” I thought. “I’m not jealous or concerned – I’m turned on.” See, here’s the thing: intuitively I trust him completely – if I didn’t, I would not have married him. In the strip club his self-assured, experienced cockiness made me want him even more.
We couldn’t get home fast enough and the sex was extraordinary – wild, raw, enhanced with toys, passionate, and with just a hint of madness. Exactly how I like it.
The next morning I felt closer to him than ever. Strip clubs remain on our agenda and it’s not that I have discovered some hidden attraction to women – I remain straight – it is just that spending time with the man that I love and want in a sexy and salacious environment is great for our sex life and anything that is great for our sex life, is really, really good for our relationship.
So for Valentine’s Day this year, try something different. Forget flowers, chocolates and pretentious restaurants. Spice up your sex life with a strip club (only if you trust him but if you don’t, what are you doing with him anyway?), a visit to a sex shop, or watch a porn movie, and if that’s too much, just make sure that you push the limits of your own comfort zone just a bit – cook dinner in sexy lingerie or naked under a trench coat – oh, and write him a sexy note in red lipstick on the bathroom mirror. You will be glad you did!
I wish you all a sexy Valentine’s Day!
JS
“The starting point of all achievement is desire.” ~ Napoleon Hill
Happy New Year! I wish you all a spectacular year of dreams, goals, action and accomplishments and to that end I thought it appropriate to do a posting on the art of manifesting the life of our dreams!
In early 1999 I hit a wall. I was in a dying relationship and living paycheck to paycheck in a small rental apartment and in a dead-end job. Whose life was this exactly? It sure as hell wasn’t the adventurous one that I had dreamed about as a child with wild imaginings of glamour, success and excitement. I was so certain back then that my dreams would all come true so what the hell was going on?
I had to find answers. How do successful people succeed? What did I have to do to turn my life around? Thank God for Oprah Winfrey. At that time on her show, she featured so many experts in the art of living a purposeful, joyful and abundant life and every Tuesday belonged to Dr. Phil (this was long before he got his own crazy show). His advice really resonated with me and when he put out his first book, Life Strategies, I devoured it. It changed my life. Many books followed – I was going to figure this out. Finally, I had answers. Now I knew that I was in control of my destiny but I had to work at it and there were some basic fundamentals that I quite simply had to buy into and follow.
I diligently did all the exercises in the Life Strategies book and when it came to writing down what I wanted for my life, this is what my list looked like (verbatim):
1. To own my own business
2. To be in a loving relationship
3. To spend half the year in a warm climate (or the whole year!)
4. To own a rural property with horses and a dog!
5. To be wealthy enough to help my family in times of financial crisis
6. To satisfy my love of fashion by buying new designer clothes each season
7. To financially support animal charities
8. To travel wherever and whenever I desire
Those of you who are regular readers of my blog know that every item on this list has been achieved, and most of them many, many years ago.
And now, my list is loftier and more detailed. Now, I expect so much more of myself. I am pushing myself to new limits and the dreaded doubts have crept in — I have had to remind myself that based on past experience, I am really, really good at this! I am after all a millionaire with a wardrobe full of designer clothes, an animal welfare philanthropist with beautiful horses and an adorable dog and a business owner with a home in the desert. I have freedom, a loving relationship and the means to help others. Yes, I can do this and so can you.
Here is my blueprint for manifestation:
· Write down the life of your dreams. Make it spectacular. Dwell on it daily.
· You must have a burning desire for this life.
· You have to believe in your worthiness and ability, and if you don’t, then start lying to yourself. Tell yourself ten times every day in the mirror how frigging great, unique and worthy you are. Keep doing it until you believe it. There is tremendous power in affirmations and mantras. Use them. You will never manifest anything that you do not believe you deserve.
· Get off your arse. Take charge of everything that is within your control from your health and fitness to the organization of your home, closet and desk. Get the ball rolling so that the Universe can conspire with you.
· Have blind faith. There is a powerful spiritual force that exists within all of us – you’d better believe it.
· Forget about “how”. Focus on the end result, your desire — your dream. Create a vision board with pictures representing your desires. Feel the emotion associated with your dream life. Feel it. Work hard at all that is obvious and within your control and the bigger answers will start to come to you.
· Life will offer you opportunities. Some will seem crazy. Take them.
I can of course go into much more detail on each of these points — there is so much to be said but it will take a book — it’s coming! In the meantime, if you would like some help with your specific situation, then please email me at info@jacquiesomerville.com with your question.
I wish you all the year of your dreams!
JS
The Grinch speaks…
December can be a bitch. I hate the rush to spend tons of money on crap of no value just to fulfill an obligation, the over-indulgence and gluttony, the clutter that creeps in to my home, and as for the pressure to be happy and joyful – yuck. It’s a month where I feel overwhelmed, unhealthy, anxious, tired, stressed and disconnected. My carefully constructed routines get thrown to hell and I find myself feeling out of control. Do any of you relate to this?
Ah, such telling insights into my character flaws and here’s some big ones: I hate normal and I loathe obligation – therein lies the answer to my beef with December. Society’s traditions require a certain amount of obligation and towing of the line and I am SO not good at that.
I’d much rather give, volunteer, surprise, and donate at random times throughout the year according to need or desire and not according to an obligatory date on a calendar. I like to throw dinner parties on a Tuesday in June or on a school night in September for no reason what-so-ever, other than I just feel like it.
Yes, I am the Grinch that stole Christmas. So where the hell is “Little Miss Positive” who posts motivational quotes on Facebook and who likes to inspire and motivate people to live phenomenal lives? I’m being challenged. It’s times like this that put my belief system to the test: Attitude is everything? We create our own destiny?
So here’s the thing (I hate to admit it while I am indulging in such a great bitch fest, but): I do realize that I have to be tested in order to be strengthened. So while I feel the darkness, I’m not letting it swallow me. I am wallowing in it, acknowledging its necessary evil and taking comfort in the fact that without darkness there will be no light.
Without feeling crappy in December, and being forced to abandon my routines, I will not be on fire in January. And being on fire in January is what I love most of all. Being on fire in January sets me up for a whole year of productivity, opportunity and transition (that is until December rolls around again!).
And despite my grumpiness, I really do wish you all peace, joy and prosperity and please accept my heartfelt gratitude for your loyalty and support throughout the year – I am humbled and honored.
JS
Some very exciting news: I want to give YOU a copy of My Fat Little Rule Book, for FREE! The eBook version has been downloaded by so many people around the world, and I want to celebrate!
Plus, I’ve just completed a new cooking and training video series, and I want to give you access to the three videos for FREE, too!
I want to send you:
1. a FREE digital copy of My Fat Little Rule Book, a PDF file, emailed to you, instantly
2. access to three FREE cooking and training videos
3. an exclusive, never-before-published recipe
How do I give you all this free stuff?? Check this out: www.myfatlittlerulebook.com.
In My Fat Little Rule Book, I irreverently journal the 15 Rules that empowered me to lose the weight. These rules got me out of my soul-destroying, 7-year-rut, and I KNOW they will work for you, too.
But My Fat Little Rule Book is more than just a weight loss book — it’s a book about the power of setting goals, and how to achieve them.
In the first two videos in this free series, I’ll show you exactly how to create two incredible, healthy dishes. And in the third video, I’ll share with you the #1 Rule that changed my life — I know it will change yours, too.
I really hope you’ll like the the free eBook and the videos. Feel free to post a comment below the videos and let me know what you think.
And please share this link www.myfatlittlerulebook.com with your friends, family, and co-workers — I’d be delighted to give them a free eBook, and the free videos, too!
I sincerely hope this book and these free videos serve you, and help you make positive changes in your life. Help me celebrate!
Sending love and strength,
Jacquie
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