Marilu Henner's Blog, page 185

Relax, relax before you party to the max

New Year's Eve weekend is coming.

Heat up as you chill out by taking a nice long baking soda bath. Play soft music, light candles, and really let yourself relax. Don't skip the music and candles! Go for the full, deluxe treatment.

It's a great way to unwind after all the shopping, cooking, and running around. Plus you need it to prepare for the partying you're going to do this weekend!

 

Featured recipe from Marilu's table * Daikon soup

There's a little between-holiday break this week – we have a few days to clean out our bodies from any overeating and overindulging we may have done over the past weekend, before it (possibly) happens again next weekend.

This soup is good for clean eating. Plus it's soup (if you're living in a cold or wet climate right now) – warm and comforting.

Daikon is a big, long, white radish. Look for it in the produce section of your health food store or natural foods section of the grocery store. Peel it with a vegetable peeler, trim the ends and you can dice it as directed in the recipe.

If you have an immersion blender (sometimes called a stick blender), use that instead of transferring the soup to a standard blender or food processor.

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Daikon Soup

Purple * Serves 6-8

3 Tablespoons soy margarine

2 cups finely chopped onion

1/2 cup minced shallots

4 cups vegetable stock

2 long, large daikon radishes, diced

salt and pepper to taste

Melt soy margarine in heavy pot. Add onions and shallots and cook, covered, over low heat until tender.

Add vegetable stock and diced daikon radishes, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until daikon is tender, about 20-30 minutes.

Pour soup through a strainer. Reserve the liquid and transfer the solids to a blender or food processor. Puree, adding the reserved broth (note – do not fill past halfway; use caution when blending hot liquids).

Return soup to pot and add more broth or water until you have reached the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

Look back and learn

Take some time this week to look back on the year. You might want to write the answers to these questions (and more) in a journal. Really think about what was important to you, and what you want to carry forward – or leave behind.

What were your Top 10 highlights?

Who do you want to keep in your life? Who have you outgrown?

Whom do you need to forgive?

Where did you find beauty?

How did you contribute to your community? The world?

What are you proud of at work? At home?

What goals did you set for yourself in 2010? Did you meet them?

What obstacles did you face? How did you handle them?

 

Shopping day

It's not the biggest shopping day of the year, but it's the best day to get bargains on holiday items.

Gift wrap and ribbon
Table linens
Holiday dishes, glassware, serving pieces
Candles
Home decor
Christmas trees and ornaments
Cookie tins
Holiday music, movies, and books

If you're planning to do returns, wait an extra day or two, when everyone will be a little less frazzled.

 

Spirit Sunday * Boxing day

The day after Christmas is traditionally known as Boxing Day. You might think that gift-giving is over, but this is the day we give gifts (boxes!) to those in need and to those in service professions.

If you've had exceptional service from someone this year – perhaps your hair stylist, letter carrier, or the staff where your parents or grandparents live – then consider giving them some special recognition. A letter thanking them for some specific act is always appreciated – especially if you send a copy to the supervisor, too.

If you're behind on helping those in need this year, do something today – anything at all. Write one check to the organization of your choice. Buy a bag of groceries for the local food shelf. Pick up some warm blankets or socks while you're getting holiday bargains, and drop them off at a shelter.

 

Merry Christmas!

Have a wonderful day with friends and family.

//www.marilu.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/01 - I Wish You A Merry Christmas 1999 Digital Remaster.mp3

 

Love,

 

 

 

Fitness Friday * Holiday fitness

What activity have you been looking forward to trying? Do it now.

Over the holidays, try an activity you don't normally have time for. Maybe something for the whole family, maybe something that takes a bit of a time commitment. New activities may require time for lessons – and they're worth it. Try downhill skiing, ice skating, rock climbing, martial arts, kayaking, or paintball. What else can you think of?

 

Featured recipe from Marilu's table * Banana bread pudding

Bread pudding is the perfect comfort food – it's soft and sweet and warm. It smells like home. This particular recipe has the addition of bananas for sweetness and flavor. We love it for a special breakfast food – perhaps for Christmas morning? (Really, how different is bread pudding from French toast? Not all that different when you break it down. So go ahead – enjoy it for the holiday.)

This recipe can be prepared for vegans. Be sure to get vegan bread.

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Banana Bread Pudding

Adapted from Totally Dairy Free Cooking, by Louis Lanza

1 liter vanilla soy milk

3/4 cup Sucanat®

3 eggs or equivalent egg replacer, beaten well

4 ripe bananas, mashed really well

1/2 cup raisins

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

a 1-1/2 pound loaf of whole-wheat or spelt cinnamon-raisin bread

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease a 9×13 pan. Cube the bread in 1″ cubes and place in a mixing bowl.

In a saucepan, heat the soymilk over medium heat, but do not boil. Add the Sucanat® and beaten eggs, and stir. Add the bananas, raisins and cinnamon, and stir. Remove from heat.

Pour the soymilk mixture over the bread, and toss gently to combine. Turn the mixture into the 9×13 pan. Bake for 50 minutes. Serve warm.

Tip – If you can't find cinnamon-raisin bread, increase the raisins to 1 cup and the cinnamon to 1-1/2 teaspoons. A half recipe is easily baked in a small casserole dish or a loaf pan.

 

Class news * Make 2011 your most memorable year!

What would make next year memorable for you?

Would it be finally feeling good about your body and your life?

Would it be doing something really exciting and different?

Would it be creating the life you've always wanted?

Marilu is offering an exciting, all-new online class starting Monday, January 3rd right here at Marilu.com. This class will give you the foundation for an excellent and memorable year! You'll learn to eat right for your health (and you'll even lose weight with our 30-day menu plan). You'll get new ideas and support for your exercise program. You'll find ways to get your inner beauty to shine on the outside. You'll get your priorities in order for the year – so you're guaranteed to have the most memorable year ever.

7 in '11… Make 2011 your most memorable year!

Marilu has selected seven key topics to help you structure each day and create an amazing and memorable year. These topics will stretch you and challenge you to become your very best. You won't be alone – your coach will guide you through each day, and help you with questions and concerns. This is a great way to start your new year (and address all those resolutions you may or may not make).

Members are automatically enrolled in each class. Just check your inbox on Monday, January 3.

Not a member? It's easy to join. Just sign up here, and for less than 50cents/day you get personal support and coaching from Marilu and her hand-picked team. Get access to recipes and menus, too.

 

Last minute gifts

Sure, everybody wants cash. But it seems like such a cop-out. At the very least, it's musical bank accounts for a lot of dollars.

Why not give yourself?

Share a special talent. If you're a baker, offer a certificate for a free dessert in January. If you're a photographer, offer to take candid photos of the giftee and family. If you're a scrapbooker, offer to help make a book at your house, with your stuff and expertise (giftee's photos). If you're a hairdresser, offer one free cut, or a consultation. If you're a human resources director, offer to help with a resume and cover letter.

Write a letter. Tell someone why they're special to you.

Offer your time. Volunteer for an organization that the giftee supports or loves. If you know an animal lover, volunteer to walk dogs at the local shelter. If you know someone who supports disaster relief, volunteer at the Red Cross or the Salvation Army. If your giftee has a soft spot for taking care of people, volunteer at a soup kitchen or food pantry. Remember to have someone take a picture of you volunteering, and send it to the giftee as a follow-up.

Make some coupons. Yeah, we all did this in elementary school, but why did we stop? Sometimes the best gift is the simplest. Make coupons for housework or car maintenance or a home-cooked meal. Offer tech help coupons – loading that digital frame with new pictures or teaching the giftee how to use Facebook or cleaning up their hard drive. Offer a coupon to put away all the holiday decorations.