January Recap

Happy first day of February to you all!

Although I am kind of sad to see January come to an end I am super excited we are one month closer to spring and warm weather. As you might remember at the beginning of January Dutch and I made a list of our goals for 2011. Mine can be found here and D’s are here. I figured today would be a good time to look back and see how I have done over the past month.

Kate?s Goals for 2011:

1. To become more organized: This is the goal I am most excited about, I actually started it a few weeks ago and so far my productivity level has skyrocketed. I want to start making attainable daily to do lists and completing every task on my list each day.

So far so good, every few days I list everything I need to do and have been doing a pretty good job of crossing off my tasks efficiently. I would like to get better at creating smaller more manageable to do lists on a daily basis that I am able to complete.

2. Expand my business- after starting Simply Nutritious by Kate in October 2010 I found out how truly passionate I am about making food for others. I want to continue to expand in 2011 hoping to make this my full time career at some point. Business goals for this year will include; obtaining certifications, create a logo, order labels and packaging, gain clients, and set up cooking classes. I cannot wait to see where the future takes my business.

Considering it has only been one month since I made this goal things have been going really well. I have a client I am cooking for 3x per week and have a cooking class set up for the middle of the month. I created a logo, ordered aprons, got new business cards and  plan to order labels soon. I can’t wait to see what February has in store for my business!

3. Volunteer and give back in Lexington- I want to meet new people around the community and find some volunteer organizations I can become active in.

This is one of my goals I have not yet fulfilled, although I do have several organizations in mind and  it is something I plan to accomplish soon.

4. Get up early- I want to be up before 8 am every weekday and start each morning productively.

I’m quite impressed with myself on this one, I used to be a night owl and stay up until 2am every night, this year though I have made it a priority to get in bed around 12 every night and waking up by 830 most mornings!

5. Blog daily! I love blogging but my busy days occasionally cause me to push my blog to the back burner. This year I want to commit to a daily post from either me or Dutch and use my blog as a creative outlet where I can express myself and reflect on my day.

Since I set this goal I only missed three days of blogging in January, I am hoping to do even better this month.

6. Experiment with new ingredients, try new things, incorporate raw into my diet. I want to continue to expand my culinary creativity and spend 2011 expanding my horizons in the kitchen.

As you can see by my expanding recipes page I have done a pretty good job so far this year of trying new dishes and enhancing my creativity in the kitchen.

7. Sell my bars @ the farmers market in the spring as well as get them in stores. Once I get my packaging and labels complete as well as my health dept certifications I hope to expand my line of bars to reach stores as well as start selling them at the farmers market!

I have not gotten too much done regarding advancement with my bars, I do potentially have a commercial kitchen where I can start producing them which is a huge step in the right direction.

8. Get into a work out routine- This winter my workouts have been hit or miss so in 2011 I want to start back into my workout routine and attempt to get some form of activity every day.

This goal is going pretty well although the unusual amount of snow we have gotten this winter has caused several of my classes at the gym to be cancelled. I have made it to the gym on average 4 times each week and am hoping to start going 5 days a week plus two days of yoga.

9. Five green smoothies per week- I love green smoothies and I love the way they make me feel. I want to start making and drinking one at least five days a week for better health.

Thanks to our new vita-mix I have been drinking green smoothies every day, im addicted and healthier than I have ever been!

10. Visit Charleston Sc- I went to Charleston a few years ago with my family and fell in love. I cant wait to go back!

Still working on this one I am hoping to make a trip this summer, fingers crossed!

11. Stop procrastinating- this one is pretty self explanatory. I want to get a task and do it right then not put it off for a week. This is something I have been attempting to fix about myself for years, but i?m determined in 2011 to work on it.

Ahh this one is so difficult for me! My daily to do lists really help me to accomplish what I need to do but it still is difficult for me to just suck it up and do what needs done instead of putting it off… This is probably the thing on the list that still needs the most work, but will be the most rewarding when I finally make the change.

Reading through these goals and seeing how far I have come over the past month really motivates me and gets me excited for what is to come in the months ahead!

Although I have been on a green smoothie kick the past month I have also done some experimenting with green juices after reading through the book Crazy Sexy Diet. Organic green juice is such an incredible way to get lots of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and oxygen straight to your blood resulting in a balanced pH.  Juicing has also been shown to slow aging, reduce inflammation, cleanse body, and regulate bowels. Lets get juicing!

Green Juice

from Crazy Sexy Diet

Ingredients:

2 large cucumbers

4 stalks kale

4 stalks celery

2 broccoli stems

2 pears

1 small piece gingerroot

Directions: Peel cucumbers and run the fruit and veggies through a juicer. Store extra in a mason jar. Serves 2

Lay out your fruit and veggies ready to juice

run the ingredients through the juicer.

Once you have juiced all of the fruit and veggies, fill up a large glass and consume immediately

Store remaining juice in a mason jar for up to one day!

The verdict: of all the vegetable juices I have experimented with so far this one is definitely my favorite. The pear and broccoli lend a subtle sweetness and the ginger gives you a burst of flavor. Although I am still a fan of the green smoothie this juice is definitely something I could include in my diet a few times per week. Honestly the biggest negative of juicing for me is the fact that cleaning the juicer is a pain if it were easier I would do it every day!

Today’s Questions:

Did you make a list of goals for the new year? If so how are you doing?

Super bowl is coming up what is your favorite game day dish!

Have a wonderful evening!

Kate