Speaking of making dreams happen, I am over-the-top excited to announce my new program to all of you! For so many years I have had a vision of creating something like this and I am now ready for it to be a reality!

I will be holding weekly meetings in various areas of Sonoma County. Eventually I hope to expand into other areas and perhaps train others to lead this program. 

The meetings will be 1 hour and include:

 20 minutes of a coaching support session. In this part of the meeting I will be asking for participants to keep confidentiality, so that we can truly share what emotionally goes on for us that keeps us from getting to our healthy goals.  

20 minutes of education. My emphasis here is getting people off of addictive highly processed foods, to learn what are truly healthy food choices, and to also learn portion sizes. Each week will encompass a different topic, but some things we will be covering include:

~Nutritional labels: what is really in this food? 

~Artificial and natural sweeteners 

~Food addictions

~Food sensitivities, such as gluten or lactose intolerance

~Healthy food choices: What do I eat if I stop eating my usual foods?

~Eating out: giving up fast foods and chain restaurants 

~Healthy food products (including sampling and food manufacturers coming and discussing their product)

~Cooking demos! Learn to cook the healthy way

~Vegetarian and vegan diets: is this for you?

~Health myths and facts

~Food production and making more politically correct choices when shopping

The third 20 minute segment we will all get out of our chairs and MOVE!! Each week there will be a different type of movement. led by myself and different instructors who will demo their classes. One week you might be dancing, the next doing pilates, the next kickboxing! Some of you may need to remain seated, and that is fine. All workouts will accommodate seated participants.     

I want to clarify there will be no counting, no weighing-in, no numbers, no specific structured program. This can be done on its own or in conjunction with WW if desired. This is designed to support, educate and enlighten participants on how simple it is to get healthy and lose weight. 

My classes begin Tuesday, January 17th. I am still working on locations in Petaluma and Sebastopol, so stay tuned for those to begin at the end of the month. Right now here are the first 4 meetings, and these will continue weekly:

TUESDAY, JANUARY 17TH 9:30 AM

LOMITAS SCHOOLHOUSE   

2421 LOMITAS AVE   SANTA ROSA

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18TH  9:30 AM

TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH  

275 E SPAIN ST  SONOMA

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18TH 4:30 PM

LOMITAS SCHOOLHOUSE  

2421 LOMITAS AVE  SANTA ROSA

MONDAY, JANUARY 23RD 5:30 PM 

TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH

275 E SPAIN ST  SONOMA

$10/ per meeting. Hope to see you all there!   

RECIPES FOR THIS ISSUE

 I was searching the web for this issue (what would we do without the internet???) and couldn't resist a wonderful sounding Fettucine Alfredo and a French Onion Soup from the Food Network Makeover Meals...Luxury meals done so much lower than the usual versions. Yum!

For more delicious recipes    

CLICK HERE FOR MY WEBSITE RECIPE PAGE 

FETTUCINE ALFREDO      

Ingredients:  

• 1 Tbl unsalted butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup low-fat (2%) milk
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons Neufchtel or low-fat cream cheese
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, save some for topping
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 12 ounces fresh fettuccine
• Freshly ground pepper

FRENCH 3 ONION SOUP

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds yellow onions, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced, (about 6 cups sliced)
• 6 shallots, thinly sliced, (1 3/4 cups)
• 1 leek, white and light green part thinly sliced, washed well, and dark green top reserved
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 to 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 8 (1/8-inch thick) slices whole-wheat baguette (2 ounces), toasted
• 1/2 cup finely grated Gruyere (about 1 3/4 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1. Heat the butter and oil together in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, shallots and leek, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir to combine and cover. Cook, without stirring until the onions are soft and beginning to brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Uncover, and continue to cook, stirring often, until the onions are a rich brown color and well caramelized, about 25 to 30 minutes. (If the onions begin to stick to the bottom of the pan or burn add about a 1 tablespoon water at a time.) Meanwhile, tie the reserved leek top with the thyme and rosemary using a piece of kitchen twine.

3. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and cook, stirring, to cook out the raw flour taste, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the broth and 2 cups water, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan; add the herb bundle. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire and remove from the heat. Discard the herb bundle, stir in the sherry and season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

4. Preheat the broiler. Divide the soup between 4 (16-ounce) oven proof bowls or ramekins and arrange them on a baking sheet. Top each bowl evenly with 2 baguette slices and top with the cheese. Put under the broiler until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with the chives and serve.

4 SERVINGS 

JOHN CLEESE EXPLAINS THE BRAIN    

"We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched.  

Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential."  

~Ellen Goodman