Here we are about to land head first into the Holiday season. "Tis the season to be jolly" and by jolly, they mean fat. That's because from Halloween straight through to Valentine's Day all we seem to be obsessed with is eating. And for us empty nester sorts, that could lead to some bingeing and over indulgence in alcohol as well. The good news is we can prevent all the bad things from happening by just a little preplanning and preparation.
I have some really great recipes that will fulfill the comfort food needs and give you something to take to all those pot lucks that are healthy and still quite yummy. Plus I have recently learned some very effective smile-provoking tools to keep the blues away. So if you want to wallow in self pity and eat yourself silly, stop reading right now because from here on out there's nothing but awesomeness and wholesome eating tips. Sorry Grinch.
First things first. Let's make a plan. My background is project management so the first thing I always do is make a list. What kinds of things do you need to have in your frig to keep you satisfied without packing on the pounds? What do you want to put on the calendar to do that will keep you smiling and not let you fall into a funk? Are there some new outfits you need to buy for Holiday parties and get-to-gethers? Put it on the list. Do you have any goals that you'd like to achieve by say, December 25th? That goes on there too. When you are happy with your list post it some place where you will see it daily. I use the frig but if you have a little cork board in your office or bedroom that would work just fine as well. Keep a pen nearby and check off items as you've completed the task or add to the list as you think of new things. Here is a sample list:
1. Buy celery, carrots and fat free ranch dip to snack on
2. Pull out the cookie recipes and make sure you have all of the ingredients for Christmas cookie cooking
3. Sign up for Kick Boxing for December
4. Lose 10 pounds by Christmas
5. Buy a dress and some boots for Thanksgiving dinner (something a little snug so you won't be tempted to over eat)
6. Make a Christmas Day brunch plan with some friends
7. Get decorations out of the attic and make sure your lights work
8. Tree - real or fake? Make a decision
9. Make an appointment for Christmas photo with daughters (the camera adds 10 pounds so remember your diet)
10. Make a shopping list for presents and groceries (yes, I make lists to remind me to make lists...)
In order to make your grocery shopping list you need to come up with some meal plans. As promised, here are some recipes for a grand, but healthy holiday meal.
Cornbread Cranberry Stuffing
1 box of cornbread mix or make from scratch an 8 person serving
1 bag of fresh cranberries washed
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/2 pound of Gimmie Italian sausage
1 Roma apple cored, peeled and chopped
2 cups of vegetable broth
4 stalks of celery chopped
1 large white onion chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh sage chopped
1 clove of garlic chopped
1 tablespoon of canola oil
While your cornbread is baking, cook the cranberries in 1 cup of boiling water until they begin popping and are soft. Add sugar to the water while they are cooking. Remove from heat and set aside.
Saute the onions, celery, apple, sage, "sausage" and garlic in the oil over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the onions are soft and slightly brown. Set aside.
Remove cornbread from oven and pat top with butter.
In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix together. Add two cups of vegetable broth and salt and pepper to taste. This will make two pie pans of stuffing. Bake for 35 minutes on 350.
Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
5 or 6 small Russet potatoes peeled and cubed
1 bunch of cauliflower
1 cup of 2% milk
1/4 cup of butter
1 tablespoon of fat free cream cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Boil the cauliflower and potatoes in water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and add to a bowl. Add milk, butter and cream cheese and mix on high speed for about 3 minutes with a hand blender or mixer. Add salt and pepper and mix lightly. Serve warm. This has bout 1/2 the calories of regular mashed potatoes and is just as good.
Roasted Asparagus with Pine Nuts
1 bunch of fresh asparagus
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon of pine nuts
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut the hard ends off of the asparagus and place in a shallow roasting pan. Sprinkle oil over the asparagus and roast in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Sprinkle parm and pine nuts on top and cook an additional 5 minutes.
Tips to Keep You Fit - Mentally and Physically
Make time to exercise! As you get a bit older, what you eat is only part of the equation. You have to find time to exercise on a regular basis in order to keep your weight under control. So during the holiday season when you are likely to eat more, you should increase your exercise as well in order to avoid weight gain. Park further away when you go shopping so you have a longer walk to the store and back to your car. Take the stairs rather than the elevator at work. Walk around the block when you get home or before you go to work in the morning. If you do this plus your normal work out routine you should be just fine.
Last but not least, go through your wardrobe. If you still have cocktail dresses from the eighties that are 2 sizes too small, box them up and sell them, give them away or pack them away. When you look into your closet it should be a reflection of the items you look and feel best in. Not things that remind you of a failure, a weight gain or a bad prom. Keep bright colors in the for front so you can reach for them easily. If you're like me, you gravitate toward the grays, blacks and browns but if you add a touch of color it will make you feel brighter on the inside too. My mother says that you look slimmer if you were clothes that are a little too big. I guess the key is to feel good in what you are wearing. If you feel good you will convey more confidence.
Some tips for keeping away the blues, as promised. A friend of mine gave me a Sunbox when I was feeling a little down. It really seems to help boost my spirits, especially when the sun isn't out and I need to get up and going. 30 minutes of direct "sun" light and I feel brighter, more awake and ready to face the day. Another trick I've been trying that seems to help is buying some art supplies; sketch book, pastels and colored pens, crayons, etc. In the morning first thing while I am having my coffee I draw a large circle on the page then paint it in. This is a quick, free style exercise not meant to win any art awards. The blending of colors and shapes really helps get out whatever emotions you happen to wake up with. It's fun to keep them dated so you can go back and see how you may have been feeling throughout the week.
I have some really great recipes that will fulfill the comfort food needs and give you something to take to all those pot lucks that are healthy and still quite yummy. Plus I have recently learned some very effective smile-provoking tools to keep the blues away. So if you want to wallow in self pity and eat yourself silly, stop reading right now because from here on out there's nothing but awesomeness and wholesome eating tips. Sorry Grinch.
First things first. Let's make a plan. My background is project management so the first thing I always do is make a list. What kinds of things do you need to have in your frig to keep you satisfied without packing on the pounds? What do you want to put on the calendar to do that will keep you smiling and not let you fall into a funk? Are there some new outfits you need to buy for Holiday parties and get-to-gethers? Put it on the list. Do you have any goals that you'd like to achieve by say, December 25th? That goes on there too. When you are happy with your list post it some place where you will see it daily. I use the frig but if you have a little cork board in your office or bedroom that would work just fine as well. Keep a pen nearby and check off items as you've completed the task or add to the list as you think of new things. Here is a sample list:
1. Buy celery, carrots and fat free ranch dip to snack on
2. Pull out the cookie recipes and make sure you have all of the ingredients for Christmas cookie cooking
3. Sign up for Kick Boxing for December
4. Lose 10 pounds by Christmas
5. Buy a dress and some boots for Thanksgiving dinner (something a little snug so you won't be tempted to over eat)
6. Make a Christmas Day brunch plan with some friends
7. Get decorations out of the attic and make sure your lights work
8. Tree - real or fake? Make a decision
9. Make an appointment for Christmas photo with daughters (the camera adds 10 pounds so remember your diet)
10. Make a shopping list for presents and groceries (yes, I make lists to remind me to make lists...)
In order to make your grocery shopping list you need to come up with some meal plans. As promised, here are some recipes for a grand, but healthy holiday meal.
Cornbread Cranberry Stuffing
1 box of cornbread mix or make from scratch an 8 person serving
1 bag of fresh cranberries washed
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/2 pound of Gimmie Italian sausage
1 Roma apple cored, peeled and chopped
2 cups of vegetable broth
4 stalks of celery chopped
1 large white onion chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh sage chopped
1 clove of garlic chopped
1 tablespoon of canola oil
While your cornbread is baking, cook the cranberries in 1 cup of boiling water until they begin popping and are soft. Add sugar to the water while they are cooking. Remove from heat and set aside.
Saute the onions, celery, apple, sage, "sausage" and garlic in the oil over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the onions are soft and slightly brown. Set aside.
Remove cornbread from oven and pat top with butter.
In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix together. Add two cups of vegetable broth and salt and pepper to taste. This will make two pie pans of stuffing. Bake for 35 minutes on 350.
Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
5 or 6 small Russet potatoes peeled and cubed
1 bunch of cauliflower
1 cup of 2% milk
1/4 cup of butter
1 tablespoon of fat free cream cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Boil the cauliflower and potatoes in water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and add to a bowl. Add milk, butter and cream cheese and mix on high speed for about 3 minutes with a hand blender or mixer. Add salt and pepper and mix lightly. Serve warm. This has bout 1/2 the calories of regular mashed potatoes and is just as good.
Roasted Asparagus with Pine Nuts
1 bunch of fresh asparagus
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon of pine nuts
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut the hard ends off of the asparagus and place in a shallow roasting pan. Sprinkle oil over the asparagus and roast in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Sprinkle parm and pine nuts on top and cook an additional 5 minutes.
Make time to exercise! As you get a bit older, what you eat is only part of the equation. You have to find time to exercise on a regular basis in order to keep your weight under control. So during the holiday season when you are likely to eat more, you should increase your exercise as well in order to avoid weight gain. Park further away when you go shopping so you have a longer walk to the store and back to your car. Take the stairs rather than the elevator at work. Walk around the block when you get home or before you go to work in the morning. If you do this plus your normal work out routine you should be just fine.
Last but not least, go through your wardrobe. If you still have cocktail dresses from the eighties that are 2 sizes too small, box them up and sell them, give them away or pack them away. When you look into your closet it should be a reflection of the items you look and feel best in. Not things that remind you of a failure, a weight gain or a bad prom. Keep bright colors in the for front so you can reach for them easily. If you're like me, you gravitate toward the grays, blacks and browns but if you add a touch of color it will make you feel brighter on the inside too. My mother says that you look slimmer if you were clothes that are a little too big. I guess the key is to feel good in what you are wearing. If you feel good you will convey more confidence.
Some tips for keeping away the blues, as promised. A friend of mine gave me a Sunbox when I was feeling a little down. It really seems to help boost my spirits, especially when the sun isn't out and I need to get up and going. 30 minutes of direct "sun" light and I feel brighter, more awake and ready to face the day. Another trick I've been trying that seems to help is buying some art supplies; sketch book, pastels and colored pens, crayons, etc. In the morning first thing while I am having my coffee I draw a large circle on the page then paint it in. This is a quick, free style exercise not meant to win any art awards. The blending of colors and shapes really helps get out whatever emotions you happen to wake up with. It's fun to keep them dated so you can go back and see how you may have been feeling throughout the week.
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