​"Getting into shape" is probably the number one resolution each year, judging by how crowded the gyms become each January 1. I'm not the kind of person who makes resolutions around the new year because I don't want to lean on January 1 as an excuse to wait to get started on things like "getting into shape." I actually started this resolution to lose 20 pounds just before Thanksgiving.

​You've probably heard of the Noom app, which is designed to help people lose weight. If you're like me, you might have seen the ads that promise to change your relationship with food with a plan that's personalized for you and thought, "Yeah, no." ​

I don't know if "yeah, no" is universal, but in the Midwest it simply means...no. In this case, not likely.

I had been working out nearly every day, and each week my weight fluctuated between 180 and 185 pounds. For months, this was my plateau. A frustrating cycle. I love fast food, but had limited it to maybe twice per week. I hate vegetables. I have always been a stress-eater. I never felt shame with my eating habits, but rather frustration. When stress hits me, I would think I needed a large pizza--all that cheese and grease and flavor of comfort food was my go-to. No longer being the young college kid who could call a large pizza and a six pack dinner and not gain an ounce...well, no wonder my weekend binge undid my weekday efforts.

I had decided to give something different a try. Enter Noom. Does it work?

Looking for something different to do to burn off some of those Thanksgiving calories?

Go out on a Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt! Go out in groups of two or more, armed with your cell phone cameras, and take selfies next to things found on the list at the end of this post. After spending a specified amount of time out on the walk, have everyone return home to share their selfies. Maybe give extra points for a team that turns in a digital collage!

But wait! Before you head on out, make this awesome drink to keep off the chill - Hot & Spicy Apple Barrel! The cinnamon and spices give it a comforting and seasonal flavor that's just right for a chilly outdoor adventure, keeping you warm and refreshed. Omit the rum for the young'ns. 

​This recipe was a happy accident after I sort of guessed what was in a dish I liked. It came out much different from what I was shooting for, but tastes like a bowl of awesomeness. Chicken, spinach, heavy cream, garlic, parmesan...what's not to love?

In honor of Black History Month, I shared the research and process of adapting true stories from America's past into a screenplay and novel I wrote, The Prairie Dance. (That research paper is free to download.)

And from that research I developed some quick 60-second bios posted to my YouTube channel. You can learn about early pioneers ("Aunt" Clara Brown), outlaws (Cherokee Bill), con-artists (Ben Hodges) and more! 

Just having a little fun here, folks.

​This is a Christmassy kind of drink that I like to make in batches and bottle up as gifts. I’m not a huge fan of cranberries, but cranberries and alcoholic beverages is a match in my book. The sweetness and tartness not only adds a bite to the drink, but also takes the edge off the alcohol.

One of the ingredients is Fernet, which can be a bit polarizing because it is an intensely bitter and spicy alcohol. It’s an Italian liqueur that is made from herbs and spices, and was originally a medicine. Like cilantro, folks seem to either LOVE it or they HATE it, with no in-between. The herbs and spices here are a great add to this drink.
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Seriously, I could eat this nonsense all day, every day and never get bored.
This recipe is for my meal prep strategy, where I get about 12 servings. Cut this recipe in half if needed.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Basmati Rice, thoroughly rinsed
• 2 Cans Black Beans, rinsed
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Large Yellow Onion, diced
• 1 Large Green Bell Pepper, diced
• 1 Large Red Bell Pepper, diced
• ​1 jalapeno, diced (optional)
  
• 5 - 6 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 Can Tomato Sauce
• 1 1/2 Tsp Cumin
• 2 Tsp Paprika
• 1/2 Tsp Cayenne
• 3 1/2 Tsp Salt (less, if desired)
• 1 Tsp Pepper
• 2 Cups Corn Kernels
• 2 Cups Chicken Stock (Or Vegetable Broth for a vegan dish)
• 6 Green Onions, sliced
• 1 bunch Cilantro, chopped (1 1/2 Cups)
• Juice of 1 Lemon

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I enjoy cooking. Rather, I appreciate all the work that I put into a meal when I’m chowing down and getting the payoff for the hard work.

But, I’m divorced, my oldest kids have grown up and moved out, and my youngest that still lives at home rarely wants to eat anything I cook. I’ll be damned if I’m going through the effort of cooking a good dinner every night. I had tried the meal prep services like Hello Fresh, but even with getting two meals out of each kit, the energy spent into making each dish felt hardly worth the reward.

Back when I was cooking for the fam, I would do theme weeks, where leftovers were re-worked into the next meal and then the next. So, there would be two days of heavy lifting in the kitchen, each followed by one or two days of light cooking with the leftovers. For example, Sunday night might be a homestyle chicken night—chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy and corn. Day 2 might be a fake out of the KFC bowls—all the leftovers dumped into a bowl and covered with cheese. Day 3 might be chicken quesadillas.

But doing even that for just myself felt like too much. I was really missing my eldest, a foodie who would eat just about anything I would conjure up in the kitchen. Cooking for one sucks.

I decided to try a meal prep strategy where I make 8 – 12 servings of a meal, and eat that for lunch and dinner all week. And, as you can imagine, by Wednesday, I’d be craving something new…no matter how good the dish was!

That gave me an idea. I only need 8 meals each week. Lunch and dinner, Monday through Thursday. Fridays and Saturdays are date nights where I eat out. Sunday is my day of leftovers from Friday and Saturday.

So, on Sunday afternoon, I make 10 – 12 servings of the same dish that can be frozen: Kung Pao Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Shrimp Tacos, Shepherd’s Pie, etc. For the first two weeks on this strategy, I’d eat 8 servings of the same dish and then freeze the rest. The payoff started to come in week 3.

On week 3 I made 8 servings of Shepherd’s Pie and froze half. I then pulled out 2 servings of Kung Pao Chicken and 2 servings of Mongolian Beef.  Now I have a rotating variety in my meal prep so I never get bored. Every Sunday, I bank half of what I make in the freezer and withdraw 4 meals.

I’ve been doing this strategy for a few months now and haven’t got bored yet.

This salad is perfect for parties this time of year. Cherry tomatoes will give each bite a "pop," but I prefer diced Roma. Eat it as a salad, or serve up like salsa with corn chips!

Ingredients:

• 3 ears of cooked sweet corn, cut from cobs
• 1 sweet red pepper, diced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 avocados
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved OR 3 Roma tomatoes diced
• 1 jalapeno, diced (Optional)