Lighten Up
"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials."
~ Lin Yutang
Welcome to 2012! You could call this first week of the year the "post" holiday season. After the recent few weeks of frenzied buying, eating and celebrating, and after getting a whole bunch of new stuff, now is the perfect time to clean out your closets, cupboards, bodies and minds and lighten up for the new year ahead.
Open up those drawers and closets. Pull out anything you haven't worn in the last year. Let go of all those clothes, shoes and accessories that you've been meaning to wear "someday" and give them to a local charitable organization. There are lots of folks who would love to have them right now. Say goodbye to that favorite old shirt that has seen one too many weekends and put it to good use dusting off your shelves to make room for something new.
Go through your books and donate the ones you'll never read again to your local school or library.
Do the same with your CDs and DVDs. Have any old vinyl records? A local DJ would love to look through them. Donate them to a local second-hand store like Goodwill or The Salvation Army.
Clean out your pantry cupboard. Give those non-perishable food items that you've been meaning to try but never will to a local food bank.
If you're short on time, keep it simple: Each day in January, throw out ten things you don't need. You will be surprised how easy it is to find ten things each day, just lying around your house, that you don't really need. This could mean papers, cosmetics, a lonely sock who never found its mate, an unfinished jar of something in the refrigerator or that mystery nut, bolt, firewire or power cord that you once found and put away "just in case it's something important".
No matter how you decide to clean house, remember that we are also smack in the middle of winter, the quiet season. If your weekend comes and all you want to do is relax, read a book, take a walk, or daydream about the summer, just make sure that the first item you throw out is your to-do list.
"No person who can read is ever successful at cleaning out an attic."
~ Ann Landers
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If all of that rich holiday food has left you feeling a little bloated, make up a big pot of this simple Cleansing Kale Soup. Full of detoxifying Kale and Butternut Squash, it's simple to prepare and simply delicious!
Cleansing Kale Soup
This soup is easy to make when you use convenience health foods like pre-cut butternut squash and pre-washed and cut kale. I used a package of Harvest Sensations Organic Kale Salad to make this soup (it includes a small amount of shredded carrot and red cabbage). You can find Harvest Sensations at Whole Foods Markets. Trader Joe's has a pre-packaged Kale also. You could also buy a bunch of Kale and wash and cut it yourself. You can use fresh or frozen butternut squash here.
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
10 oz package (about 1 & 1/2 cups) organic butternut squash cubes
2 cups of water, divided
8 oz package of pre-washed, chopped organic kale (12 cups)
32 oz (4 cups) organic vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Pinch of cayenne
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly (do not burn garlic), about 1 minute. Add squash cubes and stir to combine. Sauté 3 or 4 minutes, add 1 cup of the water and stir again. Add kale and cook, stirring until kale is wilted. Add broth, thyme, cayenne, lemon juice and remaining cup of water. Stir to combine, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
4 to 6 servings
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