A New Year, A New Winter
Well, here we are in January, after all the excitement of the holidays and it is not all it’s cracked up to be. I have heard it said that January is like the Monday of the month, and I would have to agree. It feels like the start of winter and without anything to look forward to. The first few months of the year in Nebraska are just cold, dark, snowy, and quiet. We hunker down in our houses and try to stay out of the elements. It becomes like a Monday, something we do not look forward to and can’t wait to get out of. We want to zip ahead to Friday without enjoying the Monday.
I have mixed emotions about this month and time of the year. I am an introvert, so I love staying home, reading a book, or watching a movie. I love to bake and sit quietly under a blanket watching it snow but on the other hand my anxiety starts to go through the roof. There is too much time to think and let my mind wonder. When this happens, I take a moment, get myself cozy and look for all of Gods beauty. As I sit her writing this, we are getting snow that is blowing and it is dangerously cold, but I also see time I get to spend with my kids, a beautiful snow globe outside, the earth getting much needed nourishment, my dog frolicking through the snow, and my tired husband working away to keep people safe. As some of you know my husband does snow removal so for every beautiful snow day, I worry about him out there. I know what you are all thinking, you can’t control it, so give it to God. I have gotten better at this over the years but as hard as I try, I simply struggle.
I know that a lot of people set their New Year’s Resolutions and get ready to put the work in to change something in their lives. I commend you all who do this and really stick to it! This is a battle I fight with myself every year, to get healthy. As an almost 40 year old, this is not an easy task, especially with children, 2 jobs, animals, and a husband that works 45 minutes away. My schedule must stay fluid for whatever may come my way and I know I am not the only one. We have some nights when we are shoving food down so we can get to another activity. I know that I am so lucky because my kids are not overly involved in a lot of activities but it’s still not easy. We caregivers want to feed our family good, warm, nutritious meals but that is easier said than done.
This is my dilemma, find time to go to the store buy healthy foods which cost so much more than the terrible yummy tasting food, prep it, cook it, exercise, and keep everything moving seamlessly. This is why I have stopped giving myself this unobtainable resolution. I give myself grace, just as God gives us grace. I go to the store and always make sure to buy a few fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and better snacks but I also buy Oreos and ice cream. Prepping meals is for some reason not something I do well, except for planning our meals for the week. This has been something here recently that has helped take some of the stress out and highly recommend do it. I highly recommend asking family members what they would like. That way they can’t say “I don’t like that.” This doesn’t always work but at least you tried.
Cooking a hot meal every night, except Friday and Saturday—those are my nights off. I tend to plan my meals around how long I must cook them. Busy nights tend to be crockpot/Instant pot meals. Now for the one I dread the most, exercise. I feel great after doing it, but I have a hard time making myself do it. I think it is because I don’t see results as fast as I would like. I am not an overly patient person and I hate leaving things undone or unfinished. I need satisfaction from the finished product. This reminds me of an episode of the Big Bang Theory where Sheldon’s girlfriend Amy starts activities and then ends them before he can finish, like ending a song before its over, getting to the end of a game of tic tac toe and just erasing it, and setting up dominos to knock over and then telling him to just pick them back up. This is so me, just ask my husband. I have learned that I can only do so many things and I can say no to the things that do not bring me joy. Exercising in a gym or at home does not bring me joy so instead of beating myself up I take the dog for a walk, which brings me joy. Eating chicken and vegetables everyday does not bring me joy so I eat a steak every so often. Grace, letting go of our expectations and let God take care of the rest.
This would not be a Food Ministry blog without a few recipes. I will even give you a few of my favorite healthier ones that are not used as much as I would like.
Roasted Broccoli
Broccoli
Olive Oil
Paprika
Salt and Pepper
Combine these ingredients and bake at 400 till soft or a little charred.
Sausage & Veggie Skillet
Chicken Andouille Sausage
Peppers (green, red, yellow)
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Brown rice or preferred grain
Lemon juice
Minced garlic
Olive Oil
I put a little olive oil in a skillet and sauté all the veggies, sausage, lemon juice, and garlic until soft. I then make brown rice and place the sautéed food on top and enjoy. I’m sorry I don’t have specific measurements as this is something I just threw together.
Apple Nachos
An apple of your choice
Peanut butter
Honey
Mini chocolate chip
Slice your apple and place on plate. Warm the peanut butter and honey until you can drizzle over top apples. Then sprinkle with mini chocolate chips.
