Saturday, December 31, 2011

New Year, New Goals, New You!

5 Tips For Successful Resolutions




A Little New Year History:

The celebration of the New Year is the oldest of all holidays dating back to 153 B.C. when Janus, a mythical king of early Rome, was placed at the head of the calendar. The Romans named the first month of the year after Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances. He was depicted with two faces, one on the front of his head and one on the back. Therefore he could look backward and forward at the same time. At midnight on December 31, the Romans imagined Janus looking back at the old year and forward to the new. The Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year’s Eve by giving one another branches from sacred trees for good fortune. Later, nuts or coins became more common gifts. Although the date for New Year’s Day is not the same in every culture, it is always a time for celebration and for customs to ensure good luck in the coming year.

Other traditions of the season include the making of New Year’s resolutions. That tradition also dates back to the early Babylonians where their most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment! Our more popular and modern resolutions usually include promises like losing weight, saving money or quitting smoking.

OH BABY!


The tradition of using a baby to signify the New Year was begun in Greece around 600 BC. It was the tradition at that time to celebrate their god of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, representing the annual rebirth of that god as the spirit of fertility. Early Egyptians also used a baby as a symbol of rebirth. Babies are still depicted in current New Year’s festivities.

Today—

New Year’s Eve is always an exciting time of year full of hope and renewal. One can truly look away from the past year (and all that we’d like to forget!) and, like Janus, look forward to the year ahead full of new possibilities. Many of us have grand goals as our resolutions which can peter out after a few weeks. The most successful resolutions are the ones that are simple, realistic,and most certainly desired.

Here Are A Few Tips To Making Those New Year’s Resolutions A Reality:

Be Realistic – – – If you’re goal is to lose weight, for example, choose an attainable result. A healthy, realistic goal is 1-2 lbs a week. And have a smaller initial total goal to aim for, say 5 or 10 pounds. Once you lose that weight you can always keep going!
Talk About It – – – The more you talk to your friends and family the more support you’ll get! (And the more accountable you’ll feel.) Find a find a partner or buddy who shares the same resolutions as you. You can motivate and encourage each other, and working with a mate makes the journey more rewarding.
Create A Plan – – – Invest a little of your time researching the pros and cons of your resolution and outline a plan. If you’re going to start working out, plan ahead the days and amount of time you can realistically hit the gym, go for that power walk, bike, etc. Jumping out of the gate with the idea “I’m going to work out 2 hours a day, 7 days a week” is just not realistic and you’re setting yourself up for failure and big disappointment. Keep it specific and realistic!
Reward Yourself – – – Achieving your resolutions shouldn’t be about total deprivation! This doesn’t mean you go nuts and eat a box of chocolates if you’ve had a few good days. Instead, reward yourself with something that doesn’t contradict your goal. Get a manicure, get a massage, go to a movie with a friend, do something for you that is healthy, stimulating, and keeps you on track.
Don’t Give UP - – – After you’ve set your goals, created your realistic plan, gotten your partner and/or support system in place, this is probably the most important tip on the list! We all fall down, fall short, mess it up from time to time. But the only way to succeed is to keep at it. When things get a little off track, take a moment, a deep breath, reach out to a friend, regroup, and get back on track!



Everyday is a new day, and every new day is there for you to do your very best! The experts predict it takes about 3 weeks for a new activity (or removal of an activity) to become a habit and about 6 months for it to become part of your personality, your lifestyle. Don’t give up, keep
track of your progress, keep it simple, work with a buddy, talk about it, make a plan and keep it realistic.


Cheers To You!



Laura McDonald

Let me know what your resolutions are! Let’s talk about the New Year!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Vegetarian Chili




Vegetarian Chili

20-30 minutes prep
30-45 minutes cook

6-8 servings

This chili is very hearty, yet so fresh and healthy. I studied a few recipes before I came up with this version, which my whole family loves. 

Feel free to add/remove/substitute similar ingredients. Add seasonal, local organic vegetables to the main mix for extra flavor.

Serve a simple green salad on the side and corn-bread...yum!

For garnish

Sour cream (regular or dairy free) or strained plain yogurt
Shredded Cheese (regular or vegan)
Chopped cilantro

Ingredients:


  • 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 chopped onion
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1-2 serrano peppers or jalapeño, seeded and minced, use to taste
  • 1 1/2 cup chopped red/green bell pepper (or mixed)
  • 1-2 zucchini diced
  • 2 portobello mushrooms brushed and chopped into cubes
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 1/4 tablespoons cumin powder
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon oregano
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 2 cups fresh corn kernels or 2 cans whole kernel corn (drained) 
  • 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed (or you can make fresh beans)
  • 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes
  • 2-3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 large can tomato sauce
  • 1-2 cups vegetable broth (depending on how thick you like) 
  • Optional: 1 bag meatless ground crumbles (if desired) 
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (to taste)
Directions:

Heat oil on medium to high heat in large pot. Add onions, garlic, peppers and serrano/jalapeño peppers and cook, stirring about 3-5 minutes, until soft. Add the corn, mushrooms, zucchini and other fresh veggies you might want to add (not the tomatoes, yet.)
Cook, stirring mixture until veggies are soft (about 5-10 minutes.)
Add all of the DRIED herbs, stir in and cook for one minute. Add in fresh tomatoes and stir well. *Optional: Add the meatless crumbles now if desired.
Then add the canned chopped tomatoes and sauce, beans and stock.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Adjust seasoning if needed.

Serve over brown rice. Sprinkle on chopped cilantro and top with creams or cheese if desired.