Let's Start a Resolution!

Okay, I am not a fan of New Years resolutions. I usually set an unrealistic goal and get angry at myself for not accomplishing it, feel like I'm too busy to do something like read a book a month or finish a sewing project a week, realize that planning on doing something like making my own cheese isn't super practical, or just forget what I set out to do. Instead, I always want to be moving forward and setting reasonable and attainable goals for myself all year long.

The biggest issue I seem to face in my pursuit of becoming a size 4 artisan bread making, master seamstress, book worm, runner, cheese-maker is not just lack of time (or realism), but not having the resources I need.

Here are the sites I go to for healthy recipes, nutrition advice, fitness tips, etc:

http://www.eatingwell.com/ Eating Well has fabulous and tasty recipes. I'm kind of a foodie, and I don't want to sacrifice flavor for health. They don't make me do that. Sometimes I can find that I can make their recipes a little healthier, and make the necessary substitutions.

http://www.terawarner.com/ Tera is the "Green Smoothie Girl". Her site is an excellent resource for anyone interested in cleanses and raw food. She makes health fun!

http://jointhereboot.com/expert-blog/ If you haven't seen the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead...DO IT (it's on Netflix, and I think you can watch it for free on Hulu). It was such an inspiration. Joe Cross and his nutrition experts post recipes, articles, and such on this blog.

http://www.biggestloser.com/ I am OBSESSED with this show. I'm actually watching an episode right now. This site has wonderful recipes, tips and tricks.

http://www.runnersworld.com/channel/0,,s6-242-0-0-0,00.html As a wannabe runner, the word on this site is law to me. They have training and nutrition tips tailored for people who run or are trying to run, but mostly do the "fat girl shuffle" (yo!).

http://livingcultureonline.com/ My cousin Nate does an incredible job on this site and his show to highlight the amazing food that comes out of Oregon's Willamette Valley. You can find information on where to buy quality local food. I prefer knowing where my food comes from, and nothing beats being able to go to the farmer's market or fruit stand and meet the person who tended my food.

Here's to hard work and attainable goals!

My New Favorite Lasagna

Vegetarian, Lightened up

I LOVE a good lasagna. Lots of cheese, a zesty meaty sauce...wonderful stuff. Unfortunately they're also calorie bombs. My grandma found this recipe in Woman's Day Magazine and wanted me to make it for her (I work as a caregiver for my grandparents, and a big part of that job is making sure they eat well). I became hooked on it. Not only does it have a reasonable amount of part-skim (not 2 lbs, sorry dear husband), but it has squash and my new friend spinach.

The recipe calls for frozen squash. I used roasted local butternut squash that I drizzled with a little olive oil. When pureeing the squash I added a couple dashes of cayenne pepper and three pinches of dried sage. Flavor is HUGE for me. That has been key for me to get in the habit of regularly eating vegetables. I always play with recipes to get them to where I will enjoy them most, that usually involves extra garlic or herbs.

http://www.womansday.com/recipefinder/winter-squash-lasagna-recipe-125153

Try this lasagna with a nice salad, and eat the salad first. Eating fresh fruits or veg, and drinking water, before a meal helps you fill up faster.


Enjoy!