A Little Reflection

It's the week between Christmas and New Years.  This is always a week for catching up at work at a relaxing pace and taking a little time for me and Suzy.  Christmas shopping is behind us.  There is no pressure to plan dinners or attend social events.  Now it's more about kicking back for a few days and enjoying each other's company.  Well, maybe a few Bowl games this weekend and may be cat nap here and there.  Mostly though, this time is about relaxation and reflection.

The year 2017 has been a pretty great year.  All of the family members are now healthy.  We even had a new arrival this month and another to come shortly after the new year.  

Russel doesn't look happy!!!

We "Boomers" are approaching that age where we start thinking about retirement.  Chris has already taken the plunge and now the firefighter in the family has decided it is time to start his new adventure shortly after the new year.  Congratulations Dan!

I have been thinking about retirement for the past 30 years.  I'm quite sure I will still be thinking about it after the next 30!!!

We are still a house divided when it comes to our in-state sports rivalries.  As you can see it permeates all facets of our lives.  The Elf on the Shelf invited friends from both camps.  It was a tough year for the Wolverines this year.  We had a pretty good season going into the big game then got taken to the cleaners by the Spartans.  Oh the pain of it all.  I would say, "there's always next year" but that hasn't been a sure thing lately.  I know a few people that have been pretty please about that fact.

My golf game started out pretty rocky this year but showed signs of improvement as the summer drew on.  I got a chance to play with Jack and Max (a friend of Jack's) at Arcadia Bluffs this fall and what a treat that was.  I placed third both days and spent most holes playing catch up after our tee shots. However, I got my licks in every now and again.  I am really hoping we can repeat the event in 2018 and make it a foursome with Mike coming with us.  Unfortunate timing kept that from happening this year.  Maybe if Mike attends, I can share the spotlight of finishing behind Jack and Max.

Suzy and I did our annual trek up to Cedar Rest and fully enjoyed about a little over a week in Cabin 1 (our home away from home).  Bob and Pam were once again the perfect hosts and continue to provide an atmosphere conducive to just about anything you want to include in your summer getaway.  I did some fishing and was reminded again why they don't call it "catching".  I got some reading in; some star gazing; some bonfire action and even made a few smores!  Oh and of course, we golfed.  All in all a great week up north.

The New Year is upon us and my prayer for all is that we stay healthy, wealthy and wise.  Well, if I can accomplish the first two, I'll be happy.  May God hold you in the palm of his hand and keep all of you safe and secure.May you also realize God's plan for you and that in doing so you live a purposeful life filled with joy.

New Years Eve Paleo Dinner

On New Years Eve, Sue and I stayed in and eased into the new year.  I cooked dinner and was able to keep it healthy to set the stage for a healthy 2015.

I first marinated a tender loin for about an hour in rosemary, thyme, garlic, turmeric, salt, pepper and  coconut aminos.

While that was marinating, I chopped some vegetables:

• Carrots
• Parsnips
• Turnips
• Leeks
• Sweet Potatoes
• Red Beets

When the meat was ready, I heated a little coconut oil in my dutch oven and browned the tender loin on all sides.  I then set the tender loin aside.  At this point I added some beef bone broth, red wine and a little arrow root to the dutch oven and let it thicken a bit.  I then added half of the vegetables to the Dutch oven and stirred them just to get all of the vegetables covered with the liquid.


I then added the tender loin to the Dutch oven and placed the whole thing in the oven at 400 degrees.  After 1/2 hour, I put the remaining vegetables in a roasting pan and put them in the oven to roast.


When the meat reached 160 degrees, I removed the Dutch oven and the roasting pan.  I let the meat rest while I made a salad using:

• Spinach
• Kale
• Arugula
• Beet greens
• Raspberries
• Blackberries
• Walnuts
• Homemade Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette.

When it was all ready, I sliced the meat and served it all with a raspberry balsamic reduction and a little Cabernet Sauvignon.

Suzy and I enjoyed it and then relaxed until Ryan Seacrest and Jenny McCarthy brought in the new year!

I hope your New Year was safe and enjoyable.

Paleo

Over the past 18 months, I have transformed my eating and as a result, have vastly improved my health and reduced my weight significantly.  When people ask, I simply tell them one word, Paleo.  Invariably I will either get a puzzled look or maybe even that exclamation, "You mean that cave man diet?" Truthfully, it is referred to as the Caveman diet but really in name only.  It would be impossible to factually recreate the diet of Paleolithic beings.

So what exactly then is Paleo eating?  Well, I am going to refer you to a webpage from one of my favorite Paleo bloggers, Michelle Tam.  Her and her husband have become my heroes in this quest to eat healthful foods without sacrificing taste and creativity in the kitchen.  Michelle does a great job of explaining Paleo in her Paleo 101 post.

Non Nom Paleo - Paleo 101

I especially love the little cartoon that depicts the many times they have been asked the question of what Paleo entails.

So now you know what it's all about.  Curious as to how I have made the transition?  It's simple.  First I started buying fresh fruits and vegetables.  That was easy as I my office is a couple of blocks from the phenomenal Flint Farmer's Market. Then I started researching for markets where I could purchase pasture raised beef, pork and poultry.  It turns out this is not as tough as I thought.  Not only are many of the major grocery store chains starting to carry grass-fed products but so do most health food stores.  And now, the butcher at my favorite Farmer's Market is also carrying these products and will custom cut for me as well.

Getting the food was only half the battle.  One then has to learn what to do with the food.  That was really the hard part.  I am not a trained chef or nutritionist so compiling my own recipes was quite a bit like trial and error.  Sometimes more on the error side.  Thanks to Suzy for being a guinea pig with me and giving me honest feedback on some of my efforts.  This is especially true of the baked goods.  I still have a lot to learn about replacing wheat flour in baked goods.

Most of the rest came over time.  Meats, poultry, vegetables and soups have become relatively easy. If I really want to get creative I can always turn to one of the many Paleo web/blog sites for ideas.  Michelle's Nom Nom Paleo is one of my favorites but there are many good ones from which to choose. (Oh and did I mention that I am also taking cookie classes?)  I am still trying to learn the relationship between different foods, herbs and spices.

If you have questions about Paleo eating, give me a shout.  If I can't answer your question, I can certainly point you to a few people that are better suited to field the questions.

Have a great and healthful day.

Twas the night before Christmas...

...and time to wish all my friends a very Merry Christmas!!!  I hope you get everything you want from Santa and that the holidays are good to you.  May you get ample time to spend with loved ones and if you are traveling, I hope you do so safely! I treasure all of you and want you back for more in the New Year!!!

Driving home today, the sun was out and with all of the ice on the trees, I was reminded why Michigan is the "Winter Wonderland"!!  I know the ice has been a bit of a pain lately but it certainly was beautiful.

Merry Christmas to everyone and may the peace of the Lord's coming be with you all year long and bless you with dreams realized!!!!

Christmas Time Is Here!!!!

Call me a sap but I love Christmas.  I love everything about it.  First there's the movies; the classics, the comedies, the tear jerkers and even the cartoon versions.  They are all good and all help to reinforce the Christmas spirit in me.

Then there are the songs of Christmas.  I have a playlist on my MacBook Air that goes on for hours.  At this time of year I come home from work, turn on iTunes and the house is magically filled with Christmas carols for the rest of the evening.  I have found over the years that Christmas carols go best with a nice California Cabernet!

Santa with his laptop

Movies, Christmas carols and Christmas decorations!  My goodness there are so many options when it comes to decorating a house for Christmas.  I have mentioned in a previous blog that I even have a collection of Christmas Geese that decorate our living room.  Unlike the geese out back by the lake, the Christmas Geese are actually pleasant to be around and Maggie doesn't chase them.

Have I mentioned the smells of Christmas?  Baking around this time of year takes on a whole new meaning.  I don't care where you go, people are baking stuff, all kinds of goodies for the holidays.  I am sure that from Thanksgiving through the New Year, I could easily gain 20 pounds.  The food, the drink and the slowing of my metabolism from inactivity all contribute to additional holiday tonnage.  I even threatened to start baking myself this weekend in spite of the fact the I don't eat sugar or most of the other ingredients of holiday baking.  I just love the smell that permeates the house.  It is the next best thing after the smell of bacon for breakfast on a Sunday morning!!!!  I wonder if there is a cookie recipe that includes BACON!!!

Spending time with friends is also a great pastime of the holiday season.  Holiday parties, maybe a quick holiday drink after work or an evening session with friends just reminiscing and pouring down hot toddies, these are part of the holiday festivities.

Of course no Christmas season would be complete without looking back at past holidays spent with family and friends who are no longer with us.  There was my Aunt Clara who thought she was paralyzed because she couldn't get out the car one Christmas holiday until I reached over and unbuckled her seat belt for her!!!  Then there was my Grandmother who had the strangest diet.  She wouldn't eat processed foods and was really into fresh fruits and vegetables.  Nothing for her that was going to poison her body.  Uh oh, that is beginning to sound like me and my food mentor!!!  OMG!!! I have become my Grandmother.  Just shoot me!!!

Well, I think this is just scratching the surface of what Christmas is for me.  It is truly a magical time of the year.  It is a time of renewal and hope and looking forward to the future given that we are celebrating the birth of our Savior!

I hope you enjoy this holiday season and are able to spend it with people who make your life magical.  I know I will.  To them I say thank you and Merry Christmas!!!!!

The Christmas Transformation

Every year on the weekend following Thanksgiving, our home goes through a complete transformation.  Christmas comes to the Fosters.  I can get pretty into the Christmas spirit and I do love a good holiday movie along with the songs of the season.  However, Sue is the one that truly takes everything to the next level.

We spread out in the staging area!!!

There aren't too many spaces in the house the don't have a Christmas ornament, figurine or character filling them.  Our tree, which is artificial for the first time in 24 years, is full of lights and ornaments that we have collected over the past 30 years.  I find it amazing that the tree doesn't crumble under the weight of all the ornaments.  And we still collect more when we travel to new locations.

Christmas Geese

I have a special penchant for Christmas Geese so we have several varieties adorning the living room, tree and patio.  Sue, as many of you know, collects cat/kitten ornaments.  So we do have a few of those hanging on the tree.  Actually we have so many that they also take up most of the curio cabinet as well.

Thomas Kincaid Church

We have a whole neighborhood of Thomas Kincaid buildings, most of which were gifts from a dear friend.  For years she sent us a floral arrangement at Christmas that centered around one of the Thomas Kincaid collectables.  We are debating this year whether or not to continue the collection.  We will have to put an addition on our mantle if we choose to do so.

Along with the many changes that take place during this transformation, one of critical importance is the addition of an ornament hospital in one section of the kitchen.  Every now and then, an ornament takes the plunge from the tree or the counter onto the floor and ooooops.  It may be an ear, or a leg or a head but whatever it is, the ornament takes a trip to the hospital where it is repaired and sent back to active duty.  As I have been typing this, 2 have been admitted.

So the condo is now a mini North Pole.  From now until the end of the year the house will be full or lights, Christmas music and 24 hour Christmas movies.  Well except for the MSU/OSU Big Ten Championship Game.  We do have our priorities you know!!!!

Many years back I bought Sue one of Santa's sleigh bells from the movie Polar Express.  If you're wondering, to this day, we can both still hear it ring!!!!!

Christmas Boxes

Items waiting to be placed

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

On this Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful for my Loverly, my family, all my friends and the Convergent Team; these are the people who make life magical for me. Thank you!!!! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!