Happy New Year 2020!

Happy New Year! It's that time of year when resolutions are being made. I have heard all kinds of things from friends already...lose weight, less social media, travel more, spend less time worrying, less drinking, more exercise...the list goes on and on. I do love fresh starts and new beginnings. While I can be a creature of habit, I love change. I start to get stir-crazy if things stay the same for too long. Having moved nine times since I graduated from college could have something to do with it. We have now been in our house for almost 7 years, and I am itching for a change. Anyone who knows my house knows that the kitchen is the change that absolutely needs to be made this year!

But I digress. I know myself well enough to know that if I make a crazy resolution like lose the 12 pounds to get me back to pre-last baby weight by Spring Break or never drink wine again, I am setting myself up for failure. So, I've been thinking about a solid, realistic goal for the year, and this is what I came up with: Make Healthy Choices. This covers pretty much all areas of my life...make healthy eating choices is obvious...make healthy choices concerning exercise and choose to "move my body" (thanks LMC!) when I feel like staying in my pjs and drinking coffee...make healthy choices for my family...this not only means healthy meals and strict bedtimes, but it means making choices for the sake of keeping my relationships healthy...date nights, family game nights, mini-vacations, etc...make healthy choices for my mental health...exercise and healthy eating will help with this, but also giving myself permission to do things for just myself and saying no to things that are not a "hell yes!" (thanks HWM!).

I think I did OK with making healthy choices last year. I exercise a good bit, but I also love to eat whatever is in sight. As my metabolism tries to sabotage me every four years, this is just not working any more. I never understood why my friends over 40 would order a salad at lunch while I was chowing down on a Reuben with extra fries when we had just done the same workout. Um, now I get it. This is the WORST!

Anyone who has followed this blog for a while knows that I LOVE pasta and any sort of taco-ish food. While I will never give up on a good plate of nachos, I hope you'll find that I post some healthy alternatives over the next year. We could all use a little help, right?

I posted an image yesterday on Instagram of Every Last Bite's Butternut Squash Pasta with Alfredo Sauce. My entire house smelled delicious, and it was so yummy and filling. Tonight I'm making Nana's Meatballs and serving it over zoodles for myself and regular noodles for my family. Here's the recipe:





Homemade Meatballs:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
2 eggs
3 oz Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup milk
2 T parsley flakes
salt & pepper to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper)
3/4 tsp garlic powder.
Mix all ingredients together with hands in large bowl until thoroughly combined. Form into balls (makes about 12). Brown meatballs in batches and then simmer in sauce.

I would love to hear what your New Year's Resolutions are and to know what some of your favorite recipes are or some recipes that you'd like to make healthier...maybe we can help each other! Happy New Year to everyone...I hope 2020 is your best year yet!

xoxo,
Amy

Happy Cooking!