"The New York Times" Feature

As I head into the Lorena Ochoa Invitational this week in Mexico City I want to thank the New York Times and writer Lisa Mickey for the wonderful article about my dream and journey to return to Rio and compete in the 2016 Olympic Games! Check it out here!

I still have a ways to go, but I have been improving! I am so grateful for the support coming from all corners of my life!

Avocado Obsession Continues: Avocado Basil Pasta

Avocado Obsession Continues: Avocado Basil Pasta

Yes, here I go with my avocado obsession again! I wanted to share another go-to recipe that is healthy and super easy to make and this one just kept coming back to my mind.  Stella loves pasta and so does Adam.  I was looking for a summer pasta recipe when I came across this one at my friend Barbara’s barbecue. It is easy to make and so incredibly delicious!

Photo courtesy of Dairy Made Easy

You will need:

8 ounces bow-tie pasta or quinoa penne pasta

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 medium avocados, diced  2 tbsp olive oil

2/3 cup loosely packed basil leaves, chopped      
2 garlic cloves, crushed                            
¼ Tbsp kosher salt & pinch coarse black pepper

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil and cook pasta as directed on the package

2. In a large bowl, combine avocado, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic s&p.

3. Add hot pasta to bowl, stir to combine;

4. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve right away or at room temperature

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!!!!

Happy Father's Day

On Sunday is Father’s day and I am so bummed to be away from my family. I am lucky to have some amazing men in my life. My father, Lutz, my brother, Alex, and my father-in-law, Ned, are all amazing dads and I would like to wish them all a happy father’s day.  However, I want to take this opportunity to focus in and thank my husband, Adam.  Adam is by far my better half.  He is incredibly kind, smart and very funny.  He is my number one supporter and has been amazing throughout this crazy journey.

Going back to playing professional golf has created a lot of stress in our lives.  Having to move to Florida in the winter (well, maybe not such a bad thing considering the Boston winters), travelling two weeks out of every month for tournaments and my practice schedule has taken a toll and changed our family dynamic. Oh, and throw moving to a new house in Massachusetts on top of that!!!! It is INSANE.  I used to be the main caregiver for the kids, but Adam has had to fill in in my absence.  He has an incredibly busy schedule with the Red Sox, but not once has he told me that I could not do something.  He is my number one supporter and changes his schedule around all the time in order to make sure I do what I need to do in order to improve my golf game.

Adam is the kindest and most sympathetic person I have ever met.  He always puts his family’s, friends’ and co-workers’ needs and feelings above his own. He is kind to others without expecting anything in return and always 'wants to make others happy.  I admire him so much for that.  He never leaves a conversation without asking the person if they need anything or if there is anything he can do for them.

He is an incredible father to our two girls and always manages to make us laugh.  Seeing him with our daughters melts my heart every day.  I am definitely the crazy, loud, and disciplinarian one between the two of us. A lot of times he comes back from work just to read a book to Stella or tuck Luiza into bed and then goes right back to the office.

Marriage is hard work.  Like many couples we have our differences and our marriage is not perfect. However I am lucky to be able to say that the most stressful times always bring us closer together.  I love him with all my heart and I learn from him every day.  One of my best friends’ mothers once told me that we should marry the person, whom we would like our kids to resemble.  I can only hope that our girls are just like their dad…that would be an incredible gift.

Avocado Toast, My New Obsession

Photo courtesy of seedsnsmiles.com

Avocado has become my best friend in the last few months.  Adam and I started incorporating it into a variety of dishes, especially at breakfast.  It has many health benefits including healthy, natural fats and antioxidants and I have fallen in love with it.  One of our favorite recipes is avocado toast in the morning!!!

I love having a piece of toast in the morning.  I used to put a little butter on it or add olive oil, but when Stella and Luiza were born I had to give up dairy because they both had trouble digesting the protein in dairy products.  So when I saw this recipe for avocado toast I decided to give it a try and I totally fell in love with it!!!

Here is how I make my avocado toast:

1/2 an avocado

1 piece of toast

Pinch of salt

1/8 of a lemon juiced

Olive oil

Pinch of red pepper flakes

I toast my bread and drizzle olive oil on top of it. Then, I take half the avocado and mash it in a small bowl.  I squeeze the lemon into the avocado and mash it a little more, adding the salt.  Then, spread the mashed avocado onto your toast and sprinkle with some red pepper flakes. If you don’t like spicy food you can leave the red pepper flakes out.

It is so delicious and this has become one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast with my eggs or if I am hungry mid afternoon.  There are also a lot of other ways you can make avocado toast.  Would love to hear how you make yours!!!

Trial & Error: Feeling Overwhelmed

Sorry I have been on hiatus for the last two weeks.  A lot has happened and I felt like I needed to take a few weeks off in order to gather my thoughts and just take control of my life a little bit!  This journey has been a lot more overwhelming than expected. Trying to be a good mom, dedicating myself to golf again, and figuring out what tournament schedule works for me and for our family has not been easy.  

When I started playing and traveling again I had to give up a lot of the control I had over my kids’ everyday lives.  I remember when I had Stella; I was there for every single milestone. I left her for the first time when she was around a year old.  When I was not working, I loved knowing exactly what happened in my daughters’ days even if I was not around 100% of the time.

I was away all last week and came back to my youngest, Luiza, looking so much bigger and my oldest, Stella, telling me things she had done during the week that I had no idea about.  It made me sad because I felt like I was missing out on so much. I have not taken her to school in over a week. Before I started playing I NEVER missed one day.  I don’t have time to make them a freshly cooked meal every night and I always loved to cook for them.  Nowadays there are weeks that I don’t even see a single poopy diaper from Luiza!

In addition to that, I have also had to transition into becoming a different golfer. When I played on tour before I dedicated 90% of my time into becoming the best golfer I could be. Now there are days when I only have a couple hours to practice. I am not complaining - I have just had to adapt.  I have reached out to many former players and asked them how they became more efficient in their practice routines (I will divulge some of their tips in future posts!) I feel like their advice has helped me a lot and I cannot thank them enough. 

It is all a transition. I have had to evolve as a golf player and parent and become a better working mom.  I know it will all settle down once I find my ideal routine and travel schedule.  Until then we will go through a lot of trial and error.  OH BY THE WAY DID I MENTION WE ARE MOVING???!….to be continued….