It's the New Year, now what...

So you've rung in the New Year, managed NOT to have a hang over but DID have loads of fun. You watched the Ravens KICK BUTT on New Years day! YAY! You saw the English Premier League have upset after upset in the results. YAY! You woke up January 2nd and it was snowing (at least where I am) so you say NOW WHAT?
Well, for those of you who make resolutions, my advice is to make REALISTIC resolutions. Don't promise to lose a specific amount of weight, instead, do a little bit of excerise every day. Put on some tunes and dance around your living room. Or use a step stool and a cloth and clean your walls. Up the step stool wipe from ceiling to floor, on the next bit over, use the other arm, then keep switching it up as you go around the room. Do one room a day. When that's done, do your windows, insides only since it's so brrrrr outside. This will give you some excerise AND clean the house.
After all that cleaning, you will be hungry, so feel free to choose a recipe from the ones I have blogged on Yahoo Shine () or you can choose one from here.
Eating healthy is much easier than you think. It's also fast as well. The lie Americans have been fed for years is that you need a microwave and frozen foods to make quick and easy meals for you and your family. The problem with this is that you have to think about what you are going to eat for dinner that morning, so you can defrost it. Of course, you can use the microwave to defrost but that adds time as well.
Eating fresh and healthy allows you to have a craving on the way home from work (if you work a 9 to 5) and with a quick stop off at the grocers or with staples you keep in your fridge/pantry you can whip up a GREAT meal in minutes.
FOR EXAMPLE:
THAI INSPIRED PASTA
(Depending on the number of people you are cooking for adjust your ingredients. I am making this for 2)
Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
Can of Coconut Milk (if you don't have this, you can use milk in your fridge)
3 medium vine ripened tomatoes diced
(You can use a can of tomatoes if you like but fresh is best.)
2 teaspoons Thai Chili paste
Olive Oil
Any kind of pepper (orange, red, yellow or even green)
1 medium onion diced
3 cloves of garlic diced or crushed (good size cloves)
frozen peas (about a cup)
frozen corn (about half a cup)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
salt & pepper
Kidney beans (if canned, rinsed thoroughly - if dry, soak overnight and boil til soft.)

Get the water boiling and add the pasta.
In a large skillet, sautee the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add the coconut milk and 2 teaspoons of the Thai Chili paste. Stir until the paste is disolved. Add the peas, corn and peppers to pan and bring to a boil. Add kidney beans. Boil until the frozen veg are warmed through and the peppers are softened. Reduce heat to low. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and rice wine vinegar. Stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Add the tomatoes. Drain cooked pasta and return to pot, adding the pan ingredients to the pot. (I find it easier to mix everything in the pot than in the pan.)
Stir together and serve.
You will be eating a lovely, healthy and easy meal in no time at all.
You have controlled the salt content and the fat content. Skipping meat and dairy helps keep your cholesterol in check.
Keep checking here for more recipes and ways to make your life easier and healthier.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!