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Belgian Chocolate Greek Yogurt
Serves 6
⅓c cocoa powder
⅔c heavy cream
6oz 60% semi-sweet belgian chocolate chips
32oz plain greek yogurt
1. In saucepan, mix cream & cocoa; heat to a simmer
2. In a heatproof bowl, pour hot cream over chocolate chips, whisk until melted & smooth; cool 10 mins
3. Stir in yogurt in very small amts, blend well
4. Garnish with fresh mint
Bringing Awareness to Daily Eating: Benefits of Mindful Eating
I had the opportunity recently to attend a mindful eating retreat “After the First Bite” and was amazed at how much better I felt after three days of being aware and paying attention. When we are on “auto pilot”, we tend to act (eat) first and then become aware of what we have done (eaten) afterwards. Mindfulness of when, why and what we eat, how it tastes, where it comes from, and how we feel after we consumed it can help bring a natural and healthy change to this everyday process.
Here are just a few of the benefits:
- Helps Us Slow Down
One of the biggest issues in general is eating SO quickly. You can be out to dinner with someone and by the time you blink a few times the food on their plate is completely gone. Eating quickly is both bad for digestion and it’s also bad when it comes to controlling the quantity of food you’re eating. Practicing mindful eating can help you tune in and pay attention to the food you’re eating, which in turn can help slow you down. - Promotes Eating Less
Paying attention to the food you’re eating can not only help you enjoy it more, but because you’ve slowed down to tune into your food, it gives your brain and stomach more time to communicate and sense fullness, a process that takes about 15-20 minutes. - Can Boost Satisfaction
So after slowing down and eating less, what you’ll realize is that you actually have time to listen to what’s going on inside of you, and there is a greater chance that you’ll feel more satisfied. The entire process of tuning into what you’re eating in addition to how it looks and what it feels like, can help promote feeling satisfied, and for many, this is after eating much less food than they once did. - Helps to Better Nourish Your Body
Proper nourishment for our daily life is the main function of eating. Paying better attention to what you’re eating and planning ahead can be beneficial when it comes to providing more nutrients to your body, and usually when people start paying attention to what they’re eating, they also usually start to pay attention to providing better nutrition which is a major plus for the body.
Want to Learn More…
Poached Salmon Salad
Serves 6
1lb fresh salmon
½c ea white wine & water
few slices of onion & sprigs of parsley
1T butter
1c white wine vinegar
1T fresh lemon juice
½t lemon zest, grated
½t sea salt
½t white pepper
½c mayo
1T dill
4c mixed greens
1c cucumbers, seeded, half moon slices
½c tomatoes, diced
To Poach Salmon
1. Lightly salt salmon fillets
2. Combine water, wine, onion & parsley in shallow pan. Bring to simmer over medium high heat
3. Slide salmon pieces into poaching liquid and dot with butter
4. Bring to slow boil, reduce heat to medium, poach 10 to 15 mins
5. Chill & flake into large pieces
For Salad
1. Combine vinegar, lemon juice, zest, s&p; whisk in mayo & dill
2. Lay greens, cucumber, tomatoes & salmon; drizzle with dressing
Poached Salmon Salad
Serves 6
1lb fresh salmon
½c ea white wine & water
few slices of onion & sprigs of parsley
1T butter
1c white wine vinegar
1T fresh lemon juice
½t lemon zest, grated
½t sea salt
½t white pepper
½c mayo
1T dill
4c mixed greens
1c cucumbers, seeded, half moon slices
½c tomatoes, diced
To Poach Salmon
1. Lightly salt salmon fillets
2. Combine water, wine, onion & parsley in shallow pan. Bring to simmer over medium high heat
3. Slide salmon pieces into poaching liquid and dot with butter
4. Bring to slow boil, reduce heat to medium, poach 10 to 15 mins
5. Chill & flake into large pieces
For Salad
1. Combine vinegar, lemon juice, zest, s&p; whisk in mayo & dill
2. Lay greens, cucumber, tomatoes & salmon; drizzle with dressing
P Words
We have lots of them at MG: people, presentation, partner, process, policies, production…
But, today’s P-word…POSITIVE (let’s shout it out!)…comes from core value #5: Be kind, be positive, be gracious. (Tip for remembering it’s core value #5? Five and positive both have i-v-e in them)
One way that leaders (and all people!) can help themselves to see beyond the moment is to engage in positive thinking. This means that you believe that the best is going to happen in every situation, rather than the worst.
Positive thinking is not naivete; nor does it suggest that you keep your head in the sand and ignore life’s less pleasant situations. It simply expresses the belief that you will find a way forward in every situation in a manner that is most healthy and productive.
From Think Positive and Achieve.
The biggest threat to positive thinking is…fear. Get to know what you are afraid of and you can confront it. Confront it and you can overcome it…and find a way forward. A child is not afraid of the dark, they are afraid of what’s in it…
Summer Veggie & Couscous Salad
Serves 4
lemon vinaigrette
3T fresh lemon juice
¼c white balsamic vinegar
¾c olive oil
¼t salt
⅛t black pepper
salad
8oz Isareli couscous
¼c red onion, thinly sliced
1 med zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
1 small Japanese eggplant, cut in half lengthwise
½ea red & yellow pepper
¼c fresh mint chopped
¼c fresh basil chopped
1c feta cheese crumbled
1. Combine lemon juice, vinegar, s&p
2. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking to blend
3. Cook couscous, drain, cool, drizzle with oil
4. Soak onion in cold water 1 min, drain
5. Brush zucchini, eggplant & peppers with oil; grill/broil 3-5 min per side
6. Cool veggies, cut ½” dice
7. Mix grilled veggies, onion, couscous & vinaigrette
8. Before serving add herbs & feta cheese; toss
Believe You Can
It’s easy to think that FBI Agents, soldiers, law enforcement, all need tremendous confidence to do their jobs every day. But, it’s important in any career. It’s a mindset and it can make all the difference. And, it’s a skill that can be developed.
5 confidence strategies from a former FBI agent:
1. Take risks
If you think you never make mistakes, you are a narcissist…But if you are humble and self-aware, you recognize that taking risks, making mistakes, and failing will help you understand that there is always something you can do to be better.
2. Ask for feedback
…of those who fail, 26% do so because they are unwilling to accept feedback as they are afraid it might be negative.
3. Practice, practice, practice
The best way to build confidence in a given area is to invest energy in it and work hard at it.
4. Link up
When your talent or skill set is reinforced by someone you respect, it resonates at a deeper level. When you believe you can do it, you work harder. When others believe in you, they push you harder.
5. GRIT up
Great athletes are not always young and fresh; instead, they are the ones who have prepared for the game and have the desire, grit, and will to succeed.
Roasted Carrots with Spicy Yogurt Sauce
Serves 6
1lb small carrots (colored heirloom best)
1T extra virgin olive oil
s&p
⅓c plain greek yogurt
2t lime juice
1t curry powder
1 pinch cayenne
zest of 1 lime
1. Preheat oven to 400°F
2. Toss carrots with olive oil, s&p
3. Roast 30-35 min, turning halfway through
4. Combine yogurt with lime, curry & cayenne
5. Serve yogurt on side of roasted carrots
6. Garnish with lime zest
Spicy Coconut Soup (Tom Kha)
Serves 4-6
¼c lemongrass, white only (about 6″)
2t garlic
2T grated fresh ginger
1-2t crushed red pepper
1t ground coriander
1t cumin
1c onion, thinly sliced
4c water or chicken stock
10oz can coconut milk
2t olive oil
1c shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, thinly sliced
2c green cabbage (or bok choy), thinly sliced
¼c chopped cilantro
1. Smash stem of lemongrass to release flavor
2. In large pot, combine lemongrass, garlic, ginger, spices, onion, stock & coconut milk. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer 15 minutes. Remove Lemongrass
3. Heat oil in sauté pan. Sauté shiitakes, 4 mins
4. Add cabbage to shiitakes, cook 5 mins more
5. Add shiitakes and cabbage to soup
6. Garnish with chopped cilantro
Feeling It
Winnie the Pooh: “Piglet: how do you spell love?”
Piglet: “Pooh: you don’t spell it, you feel it.”
We are in the people business. And the food business, but the food doesn’t walk itself from the farm to the truck to the kitchen to the cutting board to the platter and out to the customer. And it doesn’t clean up after itself. People still do!
Each day, we influence how people feel through our attitudes and our actions. “Hospitality” is achieved when someone “feels” taken care of…and when the food we are serving “feels” taken care of.
So, are you feeling it?
