Bring May flowers. Without the rain, we wouldn't have all the beauty and abundance of the seasons.
It’s that time of year again – to clean out the winter closets, clean out the kitchen cabinets, and clear up your mind. Let go of what you no longer need, or what no longer serves your life and who you are.
Where should you start?
Open your eyes and get curious. Imagine yourself in the clouds looking down on yourself. What do you want your space to look like from this perspective? What is in the picture? What has left? How do you feel thinking about this?
Start with yourself.
Who are you, what do you do, and what do you need to be the best version of you?
Take a good honest look inside. Take notice of where you are, and what you already have in your life.
Be kind to yourself, this is a ongoing process, no need to criticize yourself, and you can focus on your strengths for added motivation.
The kitchen clean-up is ready to begin.
The kitchen is often the center of the house, and for good reason. It’s where family can gather around the table and check in with each other, and where we cook and nourish our bodies.
Clean Out:
- Processed Food: If you can’t pronounce the ingredients, you shouldn’t put them in your body.
- Added Sugar: Corn Syrup, HFCS, or other foods with sugar listed as the first ingredient.
- Trans and Saturated Fats: These fats often go along with processed foods.
- Fake Foods: Try to discern what real food is or is not, and stick with real foods. Was it made in a plant, or is it a plant?
- Food Dyes and Colors.
Eat instead:
- Fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables.
- Lean meats such as chicken, turkey, beef or lamb, eggs and fish.
- Low fat or non-fat dairy products or substitutes (soy or almond milk, soy yogurts).
- Nuts and nut butters, seeds, beans, and soy products like tofu and miso.
- Whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash, oatmeal, and whole wheat bread.
And onto the closets.
Oh! There can be so much sentimental stuff hanging out on your hangers and sitting in drawers. But memories of the past are just that. You don’t need an old piece of clothing to remind you of someone or something special. Take a picture of it if you need to, but then let it go. Clutter in the closets lead to clutter in the brain. A clean house leads to a clear(er) mind; just like clean foods lead to a clean(er) body. A clean and clear mind and body can lead to more peace, harmony, focus and acceptance.
Carving out time now to get things in order will help you create more time later by:
- Being able to find things more easily...your keys, phone, wallet and, oh...that bill you forgot to pay!
- Wearing the things that you have. We all save that favorite shirt or the jeans that haven’t buttoned in 20 plus years, but why? You'll gain more time by not having to keep trying things on, seeing what matches, and then go shopping, once again, because you “have nothing in your closet”.
- Not having to keep re-stacking, re-reading, re-organizing, replacing, and just being mindful of things you don’t need to crowd your style.
You can now take better care of yourself and your loved ones. And doesn’t that feel refreshing like warm spring breeze!
Recipes
Turkey Meatloaf
- 2 pounds of ground turkey
- ½ c. panko bread crumbs
- ½ c. milk
- 2 T. ketchup (plus more for the top)
- ½ t. salt and pepper
- ¼ c. Italian seasoning
- 2 eggs
Directions: Mix the milk and panko in a bowl then add the mixture to the turkey and other ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Spread evenly in a bread loaf pan that has been lightly greased. Spread some ketchup on top. Bake at 350 F for 60-75 minutes, or until the center of the meat loaf is at an internal temperature of 160 F. Slice and serve with roasted vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions, peppers) and corn muffins.
Leftovers will be great for sandwiches the next day (on Ezekial bread with veggies) or in egg muffins. To make egg muffins, simply crumble up some of the meat loaf and add to a bowl of eggs, low-fat milk, shredded cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Pour into greased muffin tins and bake about 10- 15 minutes at 350 F until set. Enjoy on the go for a quick and easy breakfast.
Grilled Shrimp Tacos
- ½ c. Greek Yogurt
- 3 T. organic mayonnaise
- 3 T. milk
- ½ t ground cumin
- 1 ½ pounds raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 T. melted butter
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 4 limes cut into quarters
- Kosher salt
- 8 large washed and dried romaine lettuce leaves
- 2-3 c. finely shredded red cabbage
- Tomato salsa
Directions: Heat grill to medium-high. In a small bowl, whisk together the 1st four ingredients. Set aside this “sauce”. Skewer the shrimp (if using wood skewers, soak them in water for 10 minutes before you use them). In a small bowl, combine the butter and garlic. Brush the shrimp with this mixture. Place the shrimp on the grill with the limes for about 4 minutes a side (until the shrimp are opaque and the limes are browned). Remove from the grill and lightly salt the shrimp. Divide the shrimp evenly among the romaine lettuce leaves, top with cabbage, the “sauce”, salsa and the juice from the grilled limes. It may be messy – but will be delicious!
