Lay a simple foundation and enjoy a happy & successful 2012 in 4 weeks

What makes you happy? Is it people, places, events, self? Yes it’s that time of reflection again. It is the time when we think about our lives, our paths to our futures, and ourselves.

Did you join a gym? Start a diet? Get a new job? Volunteer your time to a charity? Visit family elders? Don’t fold under pressure. Take this slower approach and be successful. Don’t speed ahead; take it with a grain of salt. Ah yes, grains of salt. Aaah salt, yes another consideration for a healthy new year. There are so many pressures we put on ourselves with every New Year that comes. Try this easy approach. Use the first 4 weeks to easily lay the foundation and your work will be done.

Week one-celebrate fabulous foods from your past. Recreate you favorite heartwarming classic dish or meal. Cook that special dish that reminds of you the scent from your mother’s kitchen that make you float to the dinner table. Enjoy it guilt free. Relive all the beautiful memories that go along with that special dish, sharing the joy with people you care about. Your neighbor(s), best friend, spouse, family member…whom ever you choose is the prefect person. That can be you alone too! You can be the perfect person as well.

Week two- Celebrate the New Year with a loved one. You don’t have to be in a relationship for this task and it doesn’t have to be New Year’s Eve. It can be a family member or a friend that is also your family. Enjoy what brings you together. I have a dear sweet client that I can’t wait to get together with and celebrate. She is my family and time goes far too quickly for me not to take the time to celebrate her beautiful life.

Week Three- Plan ahead and the road will be easy. Break the 12 month period of the New Year into seasonal groupings. Set an easily attainable goal for every season. Whether it is the desire to loose a few pounds, read more books, save some money, take a well earned vacation… keep it simple. The saying goes, “don’t set yourself up for failure”. As the first season’s goal is achieved and you move onto the next, you will feel your spirit uplift and relish the joy and satisfaction of your achievement. If you desire to accomplish something grand, like a new job, make the goal be to think of a 2 or 3 different fun and fulfilling jobs that you would like to do for a while and send out some resumes. Let it unfold for you.
Another grand goal is to loose weight. Don’t set the bar at 50 pounds. Set the bar at, “I want to feel healthy”. If you approach your goal in this way, the rest will happen all on its own.

Week Four- Celebrate! You’ve done it! Enjoy the fact that you just made your life easier. You have decided to format a plan for success and you are allowing the space and time for it to happen. Create a celebration board or vibration box full of the glorious pictures of everything you want and know that you will have. Your year is going to be beautiful and perfect. Everything that you want, you will have.

Share your joyous life’s experiences with us. Remember, no one deserves happiness more than you!

Congratulations and Happy 2012! Stay tuned as I’ll be sharing mine with you!

Chef Diane

Organic shopping at the Glenwood Sunday Market

Sunday morning at the Glenwood Farmers Market is delightful. I was a bit sleepy even after my 2 giant mugs of coffee as I walked down the cobblestones of Glenwood Ave from my vehicle. I LOVE that they offer bicycle valet service but this was not going to be the day. As I approached the market desk I got excited about the giant press pot of coffee sitting in front of Sheree the market director. Now fueled, I was ready to hit the stands.

Earth First orchard was sampling and selling their juice as they gear up for cider season. Their cider is amazing! I can drink a gallon easily. They are all organic too! I gotten to know the staff from markets that we’ve done together. Nice people!

Jim Vitalo is known as the Vinegar Man (Herbally Yours Vinegar) is there too! He and his wife are the best vinegar & hot sauce makers, ever! Their approach to no salt, no msg, and no sugars in their product lead them to represent Slow Foods USA in Italy at the world conference. I always have his vinegar & hot sauce on my shelf. Jim is always friendly, knowledgeable and happy to share recipes and ideas with you. Good people!

I definitely needed some veggies. Beautiful heirloom tomatoes, tiny crisp cucumbers and delightful fungi jumped into my market bag. I am very excited to make a simple vinaigrette to toss with these sweet tomatoes and cucumbers and my mushrooms will be grilled tonight!

It was a lovely surprise to meet Jenny from Phoenix Bean in person. Her tofu rocks! I order her product and my friend Vera from Videnovich Farms drops it off for me but I never get to meet Jenny. She is a delight. Not only is her product fresh and local, she has a custom grow order. So she knows exactly where and when! I love her extra firm tofu pan sautéed with a citrus-almond crust. Definitely stop by and taste her sauces. They are fresh and full of flavor layers, so much so that their sauces sell out fast.

Sweet finish…Katherine Anne confections. Need I say more? I can’t decide if the Apricot Basil or the Citrus Truffles are my favorite. Come to think of it, it is the Blackberry Fennel. Or was it? Hmmm I’ll decide when I have the last two flavors tonight.

What a lovely surprise! It is home!

Bring on the Spring!

The early part of a new year is a great time for changes and the perfect time to freshen up your world. Try this process with your foods as well. New combinations, new flavors... back off the same old vegetables and fruits. Reduce the sugars in your world just by reading your labels.
It is a great time for planning too. Plan now who you will use as your vendor for agri-supplies. Plan out your garden. For you city dwellers, remember the ground is toxic. Plan your raised garden beds now while you have the time. It makes the coming of spring even more exciting!
Embrace your changes and celebrate them. Each and every little happiness acknowledged can help make the last dregs of winter dissipate faster. Lost a few pounds? Great! Celebrate it by having a facial or buying a new pair of jeans or dancing...it's all good.
Remember to let the sunshine in! Open up those blinds and take it all in. We now have an increase in daylight time every single day. Sunshine increases your melatonin and serotonin levels thus increases your good moods. Now who feels like dancing?

Happy Holidays 2010

I hope you are having a fabulous holiday season! See you in the spring.

Until then...
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