Happy New Year!

As we say goodbye to 2008 and welcome in a new year, I invite you to ask yourself what you are ready to let go of in 2009. What do you not want to bring with you into the new year? What would you like to live your beautiful, precious life without?

For me, I am ready to let go of the ongoing self-talk about what I "should be doing".

I have noticed this year that there are times I feel wonderful, alive, healthy, connected and other times that I feel stressed, in pain and at odds in my relationship with food.

The common thread I am noticing is that the wonderful moments are the ones I am fully present in. The uncomfortable ones are the ones where, if I pay close attention, I realize I have an ongoing stream of thoughts running of all the things I "should be doing" instead of being present for what I am actually doing.

I don't think that letting go of this habit is going to happen overnight but I am willing to make changing it a priority. My intention for 2009 is to be more fully present in each moment. I hope that many of you will be there to share some of those moments with me!

I would love to hear from you about what you are ready to let go of. Please share your comments.

I wish you tremendous blessings and peaceful good health for the coming year.

Organic Wine

So what is the scoop with organic wines? This article tells a bit about it and also recommends some wines. The main thing I think worth noting (other than the obvious point of not using chemical pesticides when growing the grapes) is that the true organic makers can't add chemicals to adjust taste and acidity and can't add sulfites to preserve the wine (although there is some naturally occurring sulfites in wine from the fermentation process).

What does this mean for us? Well, some people think that the sulfites are what cause some of the problems people may experience when drinking wine (headache, hangover etc...). So it is possible that you may feel better if you drink an organic wine.

But watch out because"Organic" and "made from Organic ingredients" don't mean the same thing! As I discovered when I decided a taste test was in order, it is fairly easy to find wines that are "made with organic grapes" but a little more challenging to find true organic wines that are not only made from organically grown grapes but also created in a truly organic manner. You need to look for the ones that say "no sulfites added" or "no detectable sulfites".

We tested one at my birthday party a few weeks ago. It was a 2005 Pinot Noir from Amity Vineyards in California. Here were the responses from my limited tasting survey:

"Very Grape-y."

"Goes down way too easy." (I think that was a compliment.)

"Very silly for $26." (That was from my husband.)

If you are looking to try others, I also recently sampled a Bonterra Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon ($15) that was pretty good and made with organic grapes (not fully organic). I also learned that Benziger Family Winery has just received an organic certification and they have a 2005 Cabernet that is also about $15 per bottle.

Bottom line? I still haven't found an organic that I prefer to some of my other favorities but I am willing to keep trying in the name of good health!

Here is a link to another article that explains the benefits of organic wine.

Broccoli Rabe with Toasted Pecans and Currants

Is the cold weather beginning to make your cravings for salad disapear? This recipe is a simple, quick and delicious way to keep getting greens in your diet when salads aren't so appealing.

It is from one of my favorite books, Greens, Glorious Greens.





Broccoli Rabe with Toasted Pecans and Currants

1/3 cup lightly toasted pecans, coarsely chopped (you can just put them in a small pan on the stove over medium heat for a few minutes, they are toasted when you can smell the nutty aroma wafting up from the pan, be careful, they can burn quickly)

1 pound of Broccoli Rabe (about 6 cups chopped)

2 cups water

1 tbsp olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup currants or raisins

Sea salt to taste

• Chop off about 1 inch of the base of the stalks of the broccoli rabe and discard. Slice the stalks into ½ inch pieces and coarsely chop the leaves and florets. Wash well by swishing in a large bowl of cold water. Drain.
• Place 2 cups of water in a large skillet with a tight fitting lid. Bring the water to a boil then add the broccoli rabe.
• Cover and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally until tender, 3-4 minutes. Remove to a colander and drain.
• Rinse and dry the skillet. Heat olive oil over medium heat in the dry skillet, lifting and turning the pan to coat.
• Add the garlic and currants (or raisins) and sauté for 30-60 seconds, stirring constantly to prevent garlic from burning. Currants/raisins should be glossy and slightly puffed.
• Add the precooked rabe and stir to combine. Season with salt and cover for a minute until the greens are heated through. Serve hot, garnished with the pecans.