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…

here is another good one. Please feel free to to post yours as well! More Dad jokes are always better than less. What did the Doctor tell the Gingerbread man with a hurt knee? You need to ice that.

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!

Hello, I am new to the community, I am 65 years old, retired enjoy cooking, quilting and traveling. I have 3 grandchildren and a big family. I have some weight issues that have affected my Knee so looking to work on the AIP Diet. Thank you for any support you can give me.

Check the live dinners section for Red Curry Slaw recipe. It is perfect for winter time; you can serve it warm!