Resolutions 2017 – How to lose weight

Losing weight is a goal that many people struggle with, and not just as part of their new year’s resolution. In order to be successful in this resolution, it’s important to keep yourself motivated and on task, and set goals for yourself that are realistic and achievable. You want to push yourself, as long as it is reasonable and something that you can easily maintain.

To stay motivated, consider finding a friend or a relative who is also looking to lose weight, and use each other to help stay motivated. When you’re working with another person to achieve a goal, you can both work to keep each other on track and positive. If you don’t know anyone else, consider joining a fitness or weight loss group in Calgary, where you can meet other people in the city who are working towards the same goal.

It’s also a good idea to set a schedule for each week on when you’re going to exercise, and what meals you’re going to eat. When doing this, it’s also important to keep in mind your own lifestyle and schedule, or those of the people you may live with. For example, it may be more realistic to only schedule in so many days for a work out each week, and one day on the weekends to go out for drinks with friends. This will help you determine what you want your weight loss goal for the year to be, and give you time throughout the year to achieve it.

It’s also a good idea to keep this resolution fun and interesting throughout the year. For example, you can change the type of physical activity you do each month, or try a different healthy food each week. You can set up healthy and positive rewards for yourself when you complete certain weight milestones, like treating yourself to a relaxation day.

Throughout the year, it’s important to remember that losing weight isn’t going to happen all at once, and that it is different for everyone. This is especially important if you’re completing this resolution with others. Everyone loses weight differently through different activities, and to stay motivated a be successful, you need to set and goal and follow it in a way that is most achievable for you.

photo credit https://traineracademy.org

Resolutions 2017 – How to get organized

Creating a resolution to get organized can be an insurmountable task. Becoming more organized involves a whole change in lifestyle and action, and isn’t something that will necessarily come easily for most people. The key to successfully completing a resolution involves creating a plan and goals that are realistic and achievable. It’s also important to stay motivated, even when it may seem like organizing your home is more than you thought you could handle. Staying on track is also a big part of your success, and using a calendar, list, or tracking tool can help you with this.

When it comes to specifically getting organized, the first step is to figure out how or what you want to organize and break it down from there. For example, if you’re focusing on your home, start with one room at a time, and go from there. Just saying that you’re going to organize your whole home throughout the year, and just work on whatever room whenever you feel like it won’t work very well. You’ll need to make a concise and manageable plan.

For example, you can focus on one area of your home for each month, and give yourself smaller daily or weekly tasks to complete during the month for each room. If you decide to start with your kitchen, for example, you can dedicate on week to organizing your pantry (and break it down further to focusing on one shelf a day), then your fridge, then your cupboards, then your dishes, and more.

To keep on track of what your organizing and when, set up a large calendar in an easily accessible location in your home, make a list on a white board, which includes the location and times you need to organize that room, or even use a calendar or time management app on your phone. While you’re planning your resolution, it really is important to make your goals and plans realistic for your lifestyle. If you plan on travelling at certain times throughout the year, or know that certain times throughout the year that are more stressful than others, be conscious of this in your planning. If you do, your resolution becomes harder to keep up and will ultimately fail.

To be successful in your new year’s organization resolution, create a schedule of what you want to organize and by when.  Make your change to a more organized lifestyle on that is realistic, achievable, and easy to incorporate into your lifestyle. If you do have problems, don’t give up, but instead look at how you can change or accommodate your goal to be more successful.

Holiday food (and drink) recipes

Whether you're just having dinner with friends and relatives, or hosting a large holiday party, it can be tough to try and find the right dishes to serve and the right drinks to mix for your guests. To help you out during this busy time, we've found a recipe for a drink, side dish, and dessert that will work for whoever you're entertaining this year. Happy holidays!

Christmas Sangria (with white wine) from Food Fanatic:

Ingredients

• 2 750 ml bottles your favorite white wine, like riesling
• 1 pomegranate
• 2 oranges, sliced thin
• 6 ounces cranberries, about 1 1/2 cups
• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 2 cups ginger ale, or club soda for a less sweet version

Directions

1. In a large pitcher, combine the white wine, pomegranate arils, orange slices, cranberries and pomegranate juice.
2. Chill for at least one hour.
3. Stir in the ginger ale and serve.

Sabrina's suggestion: Freeze the cranberries and any other fruit you add to the sangria to help keep the sangria cool. This way, you won't have to use ice and water down the sangria!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Cinnamon Butternut Squash, Pecans, and Cranberries from Julia's Album:

Roasted Brussels Sprouts:

• 3 cups Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, yellow leaves removed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt, to taste

Roasted Butternut Squash:

• 1 and ½ pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed into 1-inch cubes (Yields about 4 cups of uncooked cubed butternut squash)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Other Ingredients:

• 2 cups pecan halves
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 2-4 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)

Instructions

Roasted Brussel Sprouts:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease the foil-lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
2. Make sure Brussels sprouts have trimmed ends and yellow leaves are removed. Then, slice all Brussels sprouts in half. In a medium bowl, combine halved Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt (to taste), and toss to combine. Place onto a foil-lined baking sheet, cut side down, and roast in the oven at 400 F for about 20-25 minutes. During the last 5-10 minutes of roasting, turn them over for even browning, the cut sides should be nicely and partially charred but not blackened (see my photos).

Roasted Butternut Squash:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease the foil-lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
2. In a medium bowl, combine cubed butternut squash (peeled and seeded),1 tablespoon of olive oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon, and toss to mix.
3. Place butternut squash in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once half-way through baking, until softened.
4. Note: You can roast both Brussels sprouts and butternut squash on 2 separate baking sheets at the same time, on the same rack in the oven – that’s what I did.

Assembly:

1. In a large bowl, combine roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, pecans, and cranberries, and mix to combine. (OPTIONAL): For more sweetness, add 2 or 4 tablespoons of maple syrup, if desired – do not add all maple syrup at once, start with 2 tablespoons, then add more, if desired, and toss with the salad ingredients to combine.

Sugar Cookies from Taste of Home: 

 Ingredients

• I cup butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

Frosting: 

• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 to 4 tablespoons 2% milk
• Food coloring of your choice, optional
• Colored sugar, edible glitter, nonpareils or frosting of your choice, optional

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine flour and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Chill for 1-2 hours.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with 2-1/2-in. flour-dipped cookie cutters. Place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove wire racks to cool. 
• For frosting, in a small bowl, combine the butter, sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve a spreading consistency. Tint with food coloring if desired. Frost cookies; decorate as desired. Yield 6-7 dozen.

Sabrina's suggestion: For extra flavour, consider adding peppermint or lemon extract to the frosting or even the sugar cookie batter itself.

Mom’s Old-Fashioned Gingerbread from Valerie's Kitchen:

Servings: 9

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup unsulphured molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Powdered sugar and whipped cream, for topping

Instructions

1.     Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 8" or 9" square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

2.     Use an electric mixer to cream together the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl. Add molasses and egg and beat until well combined.

3.     In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Use a spoon to blend the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Add hot water and stir until well incorporated and batter is smooth. Pour into the prepared pan.

4.     Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.

5.     It is delicious served slightly warm, topped with powdered sugar and whipped cream!

Notes 

For a large sheet cake, recipe can be doubled and baked in a large rimmed baking sheet (approximately 16" x 12"). Follow exactly as directed but reduce baking time to approximately 28 to 30 minutes.

Karen’s suggestion: Serve this gingerbread cake with ice cream, pear or apple slices sautéed in butter, rum, and caramel sauce. The benefits of this dessert is that you can make it ahead of time and freeze the cake – no need to ice or frost it!