80--- Roasted Grapes for New Year's Eve

Ready for the easiest appetizer of all times that looks very classy and has a great story?  Behold:

The Spanish eat 12 grapes at midnight on New Year's to bring luck.  The goal is to consume all grapes before the last stroke of the clock.  Each grape represents one month, and if a grape is sour, that means there is a chance of that month being a bit rough.

Let's make sure we have no sour months.  Roasting grapes will bring out the sugar!  Cut them into sprigs of 12 for your guests and serve right before midnight with a slice of brie and some crackers.  The flavor actually morphs into an apple-like sweetness.

Good luck!

Roasted Grapes
Serves 8

Red grapes, thoroughly washed and cut into 8 sprigs of 12, dried on paper towels
Olive oil spray
Salt


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Place dry grape sprigs onto parchment paper, then lightly mist with olive oil.  Sprinkle lightly with salt.

Place baking sheets into oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until skins are slightly crisp but insides are still juicy.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly prior to serving.

Place each sprig onto a small plate with cheese and crackers (if desired).  Serve a few minutes prior to midnight (with instructions for consumption).

Nutrition Info per 1 serving grapes: 24 calories, 0.5 g fat, 0.2 g protein, 4.7 g carbohydrates, 0.3 g fiber

80--- Tuna Tartare

Are you ready for a fancy-pancy appetizer that takes less than 10 minutes to make?  Tuna Tartare.  You must find a fake accent of some kind and stick your nose in the air when you say it.  Tuna tartare may sound really 5-star, but it is so simple and if you use the freshest ingredients, will please even the most un-distinguished palate.

Raw fish? Yes. But sushi-grade raw fish does not even taste the slightest bit fishy.  Or I would not eat it and THAT my friends is a guarantee.  I highly recommend purchasing from a reputable buyer (thank you Montana Fish Company) and using the tuna the same day.

I used a whole-grain mustard in this recipe that my friend, Heather, bought for me in London at Harrod's.  It is Christmas Mustard.  This is amazing.  Very mild, yet very good.

Tuna Tartare
Serves 6-8

4 oz sushi-grade ahi tuna steak, trimmed and sliced into 1/4" cubes
2 green onions, finely sliced
1/4 cup English cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
2 1/2 tsp whole grain mustard
1/4 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp mustard seeds OR sesame seeds (optional)
Sesame Rice Crackers

In a mixing bowl combine ahi cubes, green onion, and cucumber.  In a smaller bowl, whisk together mustard, soy sauce, lemon juice, pepper, and mustard or sesame seeds (if desired).  Gently fold mustard mixture into ahi mixture.  Refrigerate for one hour prior to serving (try to avoid making TOO far in advance for freshness sake).  Serve on rice crackers.

Nutrition Info per 2 Tbsp tartare and 2 rice crackers: 67 calories, 1 g fat, 5 g protein, 9 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 119 mg sodium

Here's an App for That!

Are you hosting for New Year's Eve? Or are you expected to bring something to maybe your husband's ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend's house (just speculating)?  How about something fab?!

Here is a little collection of some Eighty Twenty apps from 2011.  A few new ones are on the way. But until then....................

Steamed Artichoke with Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Vegetable Spring Rolls with Ginger Lemongrass Dipping Sauce

Beautiful Beet Dip

Sassy Seafood Cocktail

Edamame Dip with Cracked Pepper and Sea Salt Wonton Chips

Oktoberfest Pretzel Nuggets with Sriracha Honey Mustard

80--- Napoleon Baked Eggs

Make your family these eggs on Christmas morning and they will forgive you for filling their stockings with underwear and socks.

It is speculated that pizza was invented in Naples, Italy.  The first pizza may have very well been a Margherita Pizza, named for Queen Margherita, and had components of tomato, basil, and mozzarella to resemble the colors of the Italian flag (hence: Napoleon Baked Eggs).

These are baked eggs with a margherita base layer.  It may very well be my new ultimate favorite meal (better than stuffing? yes).  When you bake the eggs the yolk stays soft, so when you dip toast points into them you get a creamy mixture of tomatoes, garlic, and basil along with your egg.  I once had an omelet at The Mill in Murrieta, California that had these components.... obviously a fond enough memory of mine to create my own dish!

Napoleon Baked Eggs
Serves 4

4 large eggs
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
2 roma tomatoes, pureed in a food processor
10 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
4 cloves garlic, pressed and finely minced
2 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Combine tomatoes, tomato puree, basil, garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a bowl (can be made up to one day ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use).  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spray individual ramekins with olive oil spray.  Spoon mixture evenly into the bottom of ramekins.  Crack one egg on top of margherita mixture.  Repeat with each ramekin.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese onto each egg, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place ramekins into a 9x13" baking dish filled halfway with water.  Place dish into oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until whites are set completely, leaving yolks runny.  Remove from oven and garnish with additional basil chiffonade.

Serve immediately with quarters of toasted English muffins for dipping.

Nutrition Info per 1 ramekin: 137 calories, 8 g fat, 9 g protein, 5 g carbohydrates, 1.5 g fiber

12 Tips of Christmas: #12 Write It Down



More about acupuncture for weight loss in the future.  In the meantime, this is FUNNY!

 Studies have shown that when you are trying to make improvements to your lifestyle and diet, writing down your intake and exercise can help you to stay on track.  Maybe it's the accountability, maybe it's the awareness, either way, there is something powerful about seeing in writing what is going on in your diet and physical activity.

It's hard to know where to start, if you truly do not know where you are to begin with.  I suggest if you are looking for some healthy changes in the New Year, start with where you are RIGHT NOW.  Maybe you will notice a pattern that needs some tweeking, or maybe you need to start from scratch.

You can keep track of your intake and exercise in a small notepad that fits in your purse or pocket, OR you can try one of these uber-helpful websites that have been Eighty Twenty approved:

Livestrong

(yes, there's also an app for that)

My Fitness Pal

(and yes, there's also an app for that)

Spark People

(Apple app, not Blackberry that I can find)

There are many many many others.  These are just a few that I have pre-screened for you.  They are FREE (websites, not apps- except for My Fitness Pal- both are free).  I have found that the biggest difference is the amount of "stuff" that you want to record, etc.  Spark People has the most, My Fitness Pal is the most basic, and Livestrong is somewhere in the middle.

Whether you want to make a minor or MAJOR change, keeping track will help you to stay focused on your goal! 

None of these websites have paid me to mention them.  Use at your own discretion.

20--- Mulled Red Wine for Two

Also known as: Warm Spiced Wine or Glögg if you are Norwegian.  It's kind of like warm cider....but with a lovely adult twist.  This beverage is all kinds of holiday and happiness brewed together to warm your insides.

Just in case your holiday plans include cuddling up on the couch with your sugar plum like mine do...... this recipe is perfect for two (but can be doubled or quadrupled if you wish)!


Mulled Red Wine for Two
Serves 2.....duh

1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1 clementine or small tangerine, sliced into circles
3 cloves
2 star anise pods
2 cinnamon sticks
1 piece fresh ginger, peeled (one 1/4" slice)
2 oz Chambord
16 oz red wine of your choice

On the stovetop, heat pomegranate juice, clementine slices, cloves, star anise, cinnamon sticks and ginger over medium-high heat until boiling.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add Chambord and red wine, then reduce heat to very low.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Strain mixture and funnel into two serving glasses.  Garnish with a clementine slice and cinnamon stick, if desired.

Additional mixture can be refrigerated (strain before refrigerating), then rewarmed for serving.

12 Tips of Christmas: #11 The Weekly Goal

Are you one of those people who get up on Sunday morning and say "I'm going to exercise for 60 minutes five days this week"?  I used to be one of you.  And then I would over-sleep, over-schedule, over-whatever myself by Tuesday, miss my workout, and then feel like a failure.  And THEN I would shrug and say "Oh well, I will try again next week", and SKIP the remainder of my workouts for the week because I was going to get a fresh start next week. 



Anyone with me here?  Self-sabotage?  Yes.  We were quite good friends.



Then I read up on some research that was compiled on exercise goals.  All of the articles discussed minutes per week as a goal.  Huh? But don't you have to exercise MOST days of the week for AT LEAST 30 minutes?  Well...... that would be the best plan.  However, if you cannot make that happen it appears that you will STILL have great health improvements by meeting a minutes per week goal.

So now....... I set a weekly goal (for myself and some of my clients).  Let's say your goal is 150 minutes per week.  You get in a 30 minute walk on Monday, then a 30 minute cycle class on Wednesday, then your week BLOWS UP and you do not get any additional exercise in.  And then it's Sunday.  YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE!  You still have 1 day (if your week begins on Monday like mine) to get in 90 minutes of exercise!  Do-able?  Yes! Ideal? Maybe not, but get it done anyhow.

I usually take Sundays off.  But if I haven't met my weekly goal by then, my hubby knows that he'd better get out his running shoes!

Recommended goals for moderate intensity physical activity:
150 minutes per week for health improvements
150-250 minutes to prevent weight gain or for modest weight loss with diet restriction
300 minutes or more per week for more significant weight loss or more significant training adaptations (depending on your goals)

Set a goal!

No excuses. No "outs".  Just do it (thank you Nike).  Whatever it is that you do.  With approval from your health care provider if exercise is new to you.