Day 3 is where we get serious about the Christmas Meal. Its time to plan the menu. And with so many choices, where to start? First, let’s just get everything on paper. Start a list of all the potential menu items. Include all the family favorites, all the desserts, and all the sides. Second, circle the best ones. That should narrow down your list. The whole point of this exercise is to create a menu that is exciting and varied, includes the main offerings that you want, and also uses the Spirited Food Method to balance it out. Also keeping in mind that we are aiming to find the balance between a really good spread and something that is easy for you to execute. Now, you can already see that just by following a menu format you can easily create a great menu with plenty of options; and there are not too many, meaning that this will be straightforward to execute. So, first part of our criteria : a varied menu that YOU can do is met. The second part of the criteria for menu creation is using the Spirited Food Method: I intentionally add vegetables in some form to this menu, and I try to add at least two. You can see that I already included the Brussels Sprouts and the green beans so that criteria is already met. You may want to substitute an item for a green vegetable, a fresh Fall salad, a marinated vegetable slaw, a vegetable casserole to meet this criteria. But keep it simple and make sure it is an item that you feel excited about. Tomorrow: Holiday indulgences and the best part of the menu…Dessert!

Did you just say “eat that dessert?” Yes I did. And I know I’m the healthy eating Chef who is all about balance. But let’s be real: alcohol and desserts are a part of the Holidays. You are probably going to drink and eat dessert and YOU SHOULD! Remember though that your health and wellbeing are important too, so how do we drink and have dessert and call it healthy? Here is my philosophy and this is what I tell my coaching clients: when it comes to dessert, you will have it sometimes. I don’t want the dessert to be some low-fat pseudo chocolate Splenda something because that is just not satisfying. I want it made with all the butter, all the sugar and all the flavor that it should have. You are going to eat it, but in a specific way. What I have found is that we as humans need to be able to appreciate and enjoy our food. Always restricting and saying no is just not sustainable for most people and is certainly not enjoyable. We need that emotionally. But there is a way to do it MINDFULLY and that goes for both alcohol and sweets. So here is what I teach: First, tell yourself that you’re going to eat this dessert and appreciate it and savor it. Give yourself permission. Second, eat it slow. By that I mean, take small bites of it and really savor the taste. Chew longer. Taste the flavors. Experience the textures. And when you are done, be done. That small piece is just as satisfying as eating three. And you won’t end up feeling terrible the next day. Now, since you are going to be feeling good, you will need that for tomorrow…

On day 2 of this challenge, lets focus on you. Why? Because you cannot pour from an empty cup and it sets the stage for everything that follows. It is very easy to give to everyone else during the Holidays because they are important and you want everyone to feel loved and appreciated. But you are important too and that is why this exercise is meaningful. Just take 17 minutes a day for yourself and see how it helps your mindset. It is easier to pour Christmas Punch from a full cup. So get out there! It could be as simple as walking to the park down the street, taking a stroll to the coffee shop, doing some chair yoga, Tai Chi, jumping jacks, etc. The point is to get the juices flowing and do it for yourself. And this is something to continue doing through the Holidays and into the new year! The cool part about this prep is that everything I encourage you to do yourself, you can do with someone else. This is how you become a chef, because a chef is a person that teaches a skill and leads, and the student can later teach that skill to others. Ask a friend to walk with you and if they are away, you can still have a walk talking to them over the phone. There are truly no limitations to how you can connect with the ones you care about. Tomorrow we get to work on the Christmas Meal so stay tuned for that.

Christmas Prep is coming! Get ready to jump into a fantastic Christmas Dinner Prep for 1 week while also looking after yourself (the Spirited Food Twist on it). It is going to be so fun!