Start The New Year Off Right - By Eating Well!

Most people make a New Year's resolution this time of year. Most will also break that resolution before the year gets too far underway. In fact, most people who are going to break their resolutions do so within the first week at some point or another! There is hope however if you are planning to eat healthier throughout the New Year. The trick is to immediately begin rather than putting it off until tomorrow or until you have emptied the Christmas goodies from your pantry.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you are among the many people around the world who resolves that this next year is going to be the year that you take positive steps to reducing your weight and improving your overall health the way to begin isn't by loading up on carbohydrates and champagne. So out go the cake and bubbly and in comes the cabbage and corned beef (in small portions of course).

Begin the year by understanding portion size, the value of fresh vegetables, the idea that the meat isn't supposed to take up most of your plate, and the notion that dessert is a rare treat - not the anticipated ending of an ordinary meal.

These are outstanding beginnings. Not only do you need to rethink the way you eat for your New Year's Day festivities but also the way you prepare the foods you love. Unhealthy fat preparation methods using transfats and vegetable oils are out. In is the idea of using seasonings that contain no or very few calories and add savory flavor to your meals. Herbs and seasonings are a healthy cooks best friend because they help eliminate visions of blandness until your fitness goals are met and you've reached a state of maintenance in which a few more calorific luxuries are allowed.

Tasty Food Abundance in Healthy Europe (Photo credit: epSos.de)

Stop frying. The frying process adds simple carbohydrates and (usually) unhealthy kinds of fat to your cooking - and it can even change the very nature of the foods being fried, adding cancer-causing agents and other chemicals that cause accelerated aging. These are two things you want to try to eliminate from your diet all together. While I am not personally an advocate of removing all carbohydrates from any diet I do believe it is a good idea to switch, whenever possible and tolerable to more complex carbohydrates that are healthier to consume (see earlier blog posts for many tasty low-carb recipes). Fats should always be used in moderation, and stick with healthy minimally processed natural fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, and butter - like the Europeans use. If you're trying to cut back on fats, it is best to save their use for those times when it is a real treat rather than wasting them on well, dinner. Reserve the fats for fun food and rewards rather than squandering them on your regular meals.

Another thing you need to learn when cooking for the New Year's holiday and trying to keep things on a more healthy note is that bigger isn't necessarily better. This means that by sticking to the proper portion size you may avoid over eating and filling up. You do not want to leave the table full - you want to leave the table wanting a little bit more (not hungry but definitely not full). Most likely you'll find that you actually feel fuller a few minutes after eating, so if you really have to have more, wait 20 minutes first, and see if you're still feeling hungry enough to eat a bit more. Eating the proper portions reduces the risk of overeating and feeling bloated or stuffed later on. It also helps you understand what your limits are better and where you need to make cuts in your dietary habits, and can help you learn to recognize your body's signs that you are satisfied (they are definitely there, but most of us have tuned them out over the years).

Prepare for smaller meals rather than cooking one huge meal for New Year's Day and carry that eating ethic through the rest of the year with you in order to achieve optimal results. Food is the fuel your body needs to carry out its duties properly. The bad news is that far too many of us really enjoy food to the extent that we overindulge, which also prevents the body from working properly. You will need to work to discover what the optimal amount of food and calories is for your dietary needs but it starts by eating healthy one day and following up the next. New Year's Day is a great day to begin a new way of eating. Are you ready?

Keep an eye on this blog later this week and throughout the year ahead for tasty and healthy recipes and cooking ideas! And be sure to visit our website for some more helpful cooking from scratch resources.

Christmas Recipe: Apple Citrus Spirited Wassail

Remember the song, here we go a-wassailing? If you haven't had wassail before, you're in for a treat. Wassail is a tradition that goes back over a hundred years, putting the "spirits" in the Christmas spirit! While younger generations may not be as familiar with this Christmas tradition, your grandmother surely knows what wassail is. And it's actually quite easy to make - warm up your holiday cheer this Christmas Eve with an old Christmas tradition - which just may become a new one once you try it! The recipe below will serve a good-sized party, but feel free to cut down or increase the recipe as needed. (As an added bonus, your house will smell amazing while this is simmering! Please drink responsibly.)

Also, on a related note, we will not be posting next week, as we will be traveling and spending time with our families for the holidays. But be sure to check back on the 31st for some tasty New Year's Eve treats! In the meantime, have a wonderful, safe, fun, and of course YUMMY holiday!  :-)

Apple Citrus Spirited Wassail
(Makes about 2 gallons of wassail or about twenty 12-oz servings.)

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

1 gallon good apple cider
6 cinnamon sticks
1 lemon, washed and cut into wedges
1 orange, washed and cut into wedges
1 Tbsp whole cloves
1 Tbsp allspice
1 gallon white wine, room temperature
2 cups rum, room temperature

For garnish:
1 lemon, washed and sliced into thin circles, seeds removed
1 orange, washed and sliced into thin circles, seeds removed
cinnamon sticks

Directions:

1. Put apple cider, cinnamon sticks, lemon wedges, orange wedges, whole cloves, and allspice into a large (non reactive) pot.
2. Place over low heat, stir, and simmer slowly over very low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
3. Pour the liquid through a fine mesh sieve to strain, then pour back into pot.
4. Add the wine, rum, and the slices of lemon and orange, stir and serve.
5. If the wassail cooled down too much when you added the spirits and fruit, you can warm it up on low just until heated again, but don't let boil.
6. Serve warm or hot in large mugs, making sure to get a slice or two of citrus in each serving. Add a cinnamon stick to each mug if desired for a 'swizzle stick.'

Christmas Recipe: Eggnog Pancakes

Whether it's a festive "breakfast for dinner" Christmas Eve tradition, or a fun Christmas morning with the kids, these holiday-inspired pancakes are oh-so-special! Use up some of that leftover eggnog to make these delicious breakfast treats. The warm flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg will put you in a holiday mood all day! For added healthiness, use part whole-wheat flour, or even almond meal. 

'Tis The Season Eggnog Pancakes

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1 cup white, one cup whole wheat)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups good eggnog
2 large eggs, beaten

Directions:

1. Put a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl; put all the dry ingredients in the sieve and shake to sift into the bowl (or use a flour sifter).
2. Add the eggnog and eggs to the dry ingredients and stir together until just combined - don't over mix, you should see some lumps just like any pancake batter.
3. Lightly oil your griddle or skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Drop batter by ladle or measuring cup out onto hot griddle, wait until bubbles form on the surface of the pancake, then flip and brown the other side.
5. Serve warm with maple syrup or fresh fruit topping.

Traditional Christmas Cooking Tips & Ideas

Christmas is a time of year when families all around the world will get together and observe unique traditions specific to their own families. In America however, there are some foods that many people consider traditional holiday cooking, although many of these traditions are regional rather than nationally accepted.

Traditional Christmas Eve supper in Poland. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For example: turkey or ham? For some families the answer is both while others answer quite quickly that it is neither. One of the best all-American Christmas cooking ideas for my family is lasagna. It's just special enough for the holiday, and honors my Italian roots! There are no right or wrong traditions - only those traditions that work well for you and your family.

Other great traditional favorites for many Americans as far as Christmas cooking goes are things such as sweet potato casseroles, deviled eggs, dressing or stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, apple pie, mince meat pie, and pecan pie. Of course there are regional favorites that are often highly dependent upon where you live such as key lime pie, lemon icebox pie, oyster dressing, deep fried turkey. If one of these is a Christmas tradition for you, no matter where you are in the world you will think of home or Christmas whenever you come across them. And if you are separated from loved ones this year, a shared Christmas food tradition can help you feel closer even across the miles.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

That, of course, is the great thing about Christmas traditions. We pass them along to our children who one day will find that they are a little less alone because someone in an airport is eating a slice of key lime pie or having a dish or macaroni and cheese. If you don't have Christmas traditions it is time to develop a few just so that you can share something special and almost sacred with your friends and family. Be sure to check back later this week for some delicious holiday recipes that just may become a tradition in your household!

Recipe: Holiday Sprinkled Snickerdoodles

We don't do a lot of desserts here, but once in a while it's okay to indulge, and our philosophy is, it's better to indulge in something home-made, when you know what's in it. Snickerdoodles are always a favorite at holiday parties, and with this simple recipe you can be sure to please even the pickiest co-worker palate at your office Christmas party.

Holiday Sprinkled Snickerdoodles
(Makes about 2 dozen.)

Snickerdoodles ready to bake. (Photo credit: wEnDaLicious)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp red sugar sprinkles
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon, divided
2 Tbsp green sugar sprinkles
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup all-natural shortening
1/2 cup organic butter, softened (homemade butter is really easy to make, and much cheaper than buying it, especially organic - we'll feature instructions in a future post soon!)
2 eggs from pastured chickens
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prepare the sprinkles:  Get out 2 shallow bowls. In one put the red sugar sprinkles and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, in the other put the green sugar sprinkles and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Mix the sprinkles and cinnamon together; set aside. 
3. Prepare the dough:  In large bowl, put the sugar, shortening, butter, and eggs and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
5. With electric mixer running on low, slowly add the flour mixture until incorporated and a dough forms.
6. Using a melon baller or teaspoon, shape balls out of the dough, about 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter.
7. Roll the balls of dough through the sugar sprinkle mixtures, some in each, combinations of colors, or as you like.
8. Place the dough balls on an ungreased cookie sheet, keeping about 2 inches between each one.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
10. Remove and let cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute, then remove to a cooling rack.
11. Let cool completely before storing in an air-tight container.

Make Your Holidays Tasty:
   

Recipe: Company-Ready Deviled Eggs

Nothing disappears faster at a potluck than the good old classic - the deviled egg. Perfect for office parties, or holiday gatherings, deviled eggs are fairly cheap and easy to prepare, and you know there won't be many leftovers! This recipe puts a gourmet twist on the old standby, with avocados and capers accented with cumin and lime juice, and is sure to get lots of compliments from your co-workers.

Company-Ready Deviled Eggs
(Makes 24.)

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

12 large eggs, hard cooked
1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced
1 lime, zested and juiced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cayenne
1 Tbsp capers, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
finely chopped flat leaf parsley and paprika for garnish

Directions:

1. Peel the eggs, then cut in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks to a bowl and set the whites on a nice platter or plate.
2. Add diced avocado, lime zest, and lime juice to the yolks and smash together with a fork or a pastry cutter.
3. When mixture is smooth (you really don't want this to be chunky) add the mayo, mustard, cumin, cayenne, and capers, and mix together until smooth again. Spoon this mixture into the egg white halves on the platter. 
4. Sprinkle the chopped parsley and paprika over each one for garnish and color.

Keeping the Office Holiday Party Fun & Frugal

'Tis the season...for the office holiday party - a time of fun and food with your co-workers, as well as gift-exchanges, and potluck lunches. Anyone who has a limited budget knows how difficult work parties can be on the wallet. Work parties can include many expenditures; a dish to pass, a gift, a collection for the boss, and maybe a charity.  Now, these things each by itself is not going to destroy your budget, but when they start piling on, it can get steep.  And what if you have more than one party to attend?  You want to be positive and share in the holiday spirit, but you also want to pay the bills and feed the family.  How can you enjoy your holiday office parties and not come off being the company Scrooge?  Here are a few tips.

Sign-up Fast

Pot luck lunch (Photo credit: Bruce A Stockwell)

This is definitely a time when you want to be first in line. Signing up fast for the potluck meal is an advantage when you're on a budget.  Why?  Because you can choose your food item to bring from a wider range of goodies.  You can shop early for the ingredients and maybe snag a few sale prices.  If you wait until the last minute to sign up, you are bound to find yourself in the deli the day of the party paying premium prices for a prepared dish that you could have easily made at home for half the price.

If that happens, your dish not only cost way more than you budgeted, but the presentation looks cheap. It looks like you don't care enough about your fellow workers to give your dish any thought at all. There sits your plastic deli containers right next to those beautifully decorated homemade sugar cookies.  And, the fact is, those sugar cookies cost a fraction of what you brought, but look and taste so much better.  So, get your name on that sign-up sheet the moment it comes out to save yourself the embarrassment and the expense.

Stick with Traditional Food

Holiday potluck parties at work are not the time to try out a new recipe.  Nor is it time to bring your most complicated dish. Stick with traditions that are tried-and-true.  If your coworkers see a 'mystery dish' on the table, something they're not familiar with, they will pass it by.  No one's going to embarrass themselves or others by asking; “What's that?”  If you're serving something with a bunch of complicated sauces, it just gets clumsy figuring out what to put with what. Keep your dish simple, easy to serve, and delicious and everyone will appreciate the effort you made. (Check this blog later this week for some great recipes for holiday potlucks.)

Office holiday party white elephant gift exchange. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Keep the Gift Exchange Simple

As far as a gift exchange goes, keep it simple and inexpensive.  Having complicated gift exchanges where everything is topsy turvy and no one understands the rules is a recipe for disappointment.  Do simple 'take away' games for small gifts that are suitable for everyone.  Put small wrapped gifts together and draw names for each gift.  Don't make the exchange too unusual.  Play games that are familiar to everyone so the party keeps moving smoothly and no one feels left out.  Plan your gift exchange early so you can agree on a dollar limit and everyone will have time to shop.  And remember, it's about the fun, not the gift.  So, keep the dollar limit very low so everyone can enjoy the festivities without worrying about the expense.

Out On the Town

Some work parties are planned out of the office.  These parties can be more entertaining than a simple potluck office party, but they can also be very expensive.  If you are on a limited budget, you may find it difficult to justify splurging on such a party.  This is where being a part of the planning committee will come in handy. 

You will need a strong voice in your workplace, an advocate for you and your fellow coworkers who want to keep the expense down.  If the decision is made to have the party at a restaurant, then be sure to do your research.  These establishments are going to want your party, so they will be willing to deal with you.  Review menu and drink choices, then begin the negotiating.  When it comes to a party outside the office, it's all about getting the right prices.  Stay away from ordering off the menu and having an open bar.  Choose two or three dinner options, negotiate a price with the restaurant, then have a cash bar.  Each person can then enjoy the party within their own budget.

The workplace is no place to throw caution to the wind when it comes to your holiday budget.  You need to watch your wallet just like you do while planning your family holiday celebrations.  When the holidays roll around, jump right in and be a part of the planning so you can ensure your frugal voice is heard.

Recipe: Tangy Hot Bacon Spinach Salad

Mmmm....just reading this one will make your mouth water! Tangy vinegar meets the spice of onion and pepper, contrasts with the richness of bacon, and melts into the smoothness of hard boiled eggs, under which the tender bite of fresh spinach provides the perfect foil!  For a truly healthy meal, be sure the eggs and bacon are free-range raised on pasture, and that the spinach is organic - if it's from your own garden, even better!

Tangy Hot Bacon Spinach Salad
(Serves 4.)

(Photo credit: jeffreyw)

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, diced
1/2 cup diced onion
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
salt and black pepper to taste
4 cups fresh baby spinach, washed and dried well
4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
hot pepper flakes or smoked paprika for garnish

Directions: 

• In a skillet, cook bacon pieces until crisp; remove to paper towel to drain.
• In same skillet with bacon drippings, add the onion, cooking until just starting to get translucent, then add the apple cider vinegar, stirring to combine and get brown bacon bits from bottom of skillet.
• Turn heat to simmer, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
• To serve, divide washed spinach between 4 salad plates, immediately drizzle hot dressing from skillet over each serving, tossing slightly.
• Sprinkle bacon pieces over each serving evenly, and finally arrange the egg slices evenly over the top. If desired, sprinkle a few hot pepper flakes over each salad or a sprinkle of smoked paprika.

Recipe: Ginger Mustard Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Here is a hearty and delicious recipe fancy enough for a holiday feast, yet simple enough to make for a Sunday family dinner. Ginger and soy sauce gives this classic cut of meat an Asian twist of big flavor which will tantalize the most advanced palate, and they'll never need to know it only has 6 ingredients!

Easy enough for beginner to intermediate cooks, but those who eat it may just mistake you for a gourmet chef!

Ginger Mustard Marinated Pork Tenderloin
(Serves 4 as a main dish.)

Ingredients:

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1.5 lb pork tenderloin (naturally raised or organic)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger root, grated
2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
* serve with sauteed shredded red or green cabbage, optional (see suggestion below)

Directions:

• If pork tenderloin is in two parts, tie together with butchers string.
• Put the soy sauce, mustard, garlic, and ginger in a large ziploc plastic bag and shake to mix.
• Set the pork in the plastic bag and shake around to coat pork well.
• Place the pork in the refrigerator for 4 to 8 hours (overnight is fine), turning plastic bag over several times to make sure pork is marinated evenly.

To cook:

• Remove the pork from bag, letting marinade drip off; set pork in dish and evenly sprinkle with black pepper.
• Preheat grill or oven and cook until internal temperature of pork reaches 150 degrees.
• Remove and let rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing into thin slices to serve.

Serving Suggestion: For a side dish, saute shredded cabbage (cole slaw) in hot skillet until just tender.  Sprinkle a touch of soy sauce in skillet and stir into cabbage to season.

Why I'm Not A Vegan - Part 3

After a short break for the (meat-filled) Thanksgiving holiday, I'm back with the final part and reason for my meat-eating lifestyle. If you missed Parts 1 and 2, you may want to check them out and catch up before reading this post.

So let's just dive right in, and you can yell at me later, but regardless of your position on eating meat, this reason is the one that is the most irrefutable....

Reason #3: It's Unnatural

As I dive into this one I may get a little bit religious to start with, but bear with me.... I happen to be a Christian (not born and raised, but born again, so to speak), and the more I learn about health, nutrition, and God, the more I realize that there is a simple and basic truth that would solve so many of the health problems we face today as a nation - and it's a truth that any Christian would find to be self-evident when given a bit of thought.

Ancient travelers with their meat "on the hoof." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

That truth is: God made everything we need to be healthy. It is when we stray from the God-given foods that problems occur - which makes sense, as He made our bodies, so obviously He would know what they are supposed to eat!  When we try to play God and create foods for ourselves, there's just no way we are going to match what He made for us. There are so many conflicting opinions out there when it comes to good nutrition, many people are very confused. But for me it is very simple. I have two main statutes that guide what I eat and what I suggest to others when they ask me for food advice.

1. Eat what God made. I hear the arguments already: "God made everything, so how does this help?" Not so fast, my logical friend.... God DID make everything, in that He made all of the elements that all things are made of. However, God did NOT make some of these crazy concoctions that we put together for ourselves and add to our food. God did not make artificial food dyes, artificial flavorings (which try to copy what God actually DID make, and usually fail entirely), sweeteners, etc. These things are not natural substances, and our bodies were not designed to process them - and THAT is a scientific fact. Yes, God may have made most of the ingredients in a Cheeto, but that doesn't mean it's good for you - which brings me to rule #2....

2. Eat it the way God made it. Again, He knew what He was doing when He made us, and the foods we are to eat. Now, if you've read the book of Genesis, you may pose the argument - what about when it says that God "made the plants and seeds of the earth" for our food?  As to this, I will not dive any further into theology, but I will just say that in terms of spiritual connection and peace, it would make sense not to eat our fellow animals, but then again indeed we live in a fallen world, and people did eat meat throughout the rest of the Old Testament. Either way, there is no denying the fact that the majority of things that we eat besides meat in our modern world are much less natural for our bodies to ingest. You simply cannot tell me that your "tofurky" patty made of soybeans, hydrogenated oils, and 20 other ingredients that have been processed 10 ways to Sunday to make it palatable and somewhat resembling meat (see Reason #2) is anywhere near as natural and easy for our bodies to process as a simple steak. It's just not. And maybe,when you really think about it, any "food" that has to be processed that much just to be edible isn't even something we should be eating anyway....  Right?!? (Take that you proponents of tofu!) :-)

Okay, moving on from religion now (I hear the sigh of relief).... There are more reasons besides the theological/health one, why I don't think a diet completely devoid of animal products is natural - not just for humans, but for the planet as a whole. (Wow, from Christianity to environmentalism? I know - this one's a doozy, right?  I'm still expecting to get yelled at from some quarter any minute now....) :-) 

But if you look at the planet as a whole - and again, going back to God for just one second here - it was created as a symbiotic ecosystem - everything works together for the good of the whole. When it comes to growing crops, we currently are stripping our soils and polluting our waters to produce more food on a limited amount of land. To do this, we have resorted to chemical fertilizers based on fossil fuels (again - a limited resource). We are only starting to see the impact of this on our health and the health of the planet as a whole, but so far the results of this experiment are not looking good....

Jacob sheep on pasture. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Removing animals from the equation entirely can only make the problem worse. Animal outputs (manure, etc.) are one of the best natural forms of fertilizer that exists. And incorporating these natural materials into growing our plant foods is essential if we want to maintain a healthy planet for future generations. Just for a second envision if the entire human race were to go to an entirely plant-derived diet.... This would mean clearing massive amounts of land to grow more and more grains and plant foods, but what about the animals??  Where would animals (and their natural fertilizer outputs) fit into a world where no one ate meat, milk, eggs, etc.?  This is such an unbalanced and unnatural system - there is just no way it is sustainable long term.  Plants feed animals, which in turn feed plants, which in turn feed us, but if you take away the animals (or severely limit their presence in the natural ecosystem), the whole thing falls apart.*

Besides our health, and the health of our planet, I do have one more final note as to why veganism isn't natural - and it goes back to history. In the history of our species as we know it, never has there been discovered a single vegan culture that we know of. They just don't exist. There are some modern cultures that limit the eating of meat (as far as I know, they do still consume some in the instance of fish and poultry), but even these are newer traditions, and regardless, they do still eat some animal products, even when avoiding flesh. And we've yet to see how these people fare long-term on these types of diets - so far it's a short-term experiment.

So there you have it - why I'm not a vegan. My reasons are based on science, theology, and history - and most of all, health. Real health is based on moderation and balance. Eliminating one food group entirely is is the opposite of these things. Cutting out some of the best and most available sources of protein, fats, and fat-soluble vitamins, in favor of scrambling to create artificial and largely inadequate substitutes, simply makes no sense in a holistically balanced life.*

* Caveat: I am entirely on board with the fact that conventionally farmed meats are raised in largely unhealthy and unnatural environments. I do my best not to eat these meats, and I don't suggest that you do either. Finding sources of clean, fresh, naturally and humanely raised animal products is essential if you are going to consume these products on a regular basis - essential for both your health, and the health of the planet as a whole.  I do have some helpful tips and resources for this on my website: http://www.newholisticliving.com/csa.html.

I hope you've enjoyed this short series, and that you've found it enlightening and perhaps helpful in restoring your peace of mind and enjoyment of what you eat - even if you eat meat and animal products. As stated in Part 1, if you choose to follow a vegan diet, that is up to you, and I encourage you to do what feels best for your body and health. But please do listen to your body, and if it needs things a plant-derived diet simply can't provide, don't beat yourself up over eating the natural whole foods you need, even if they happen to contain meat.

And if you wish to research further for yourself, I've found the books below to be quite helpful.

Happy eating!