As we go into the new year I always like to do a New Year’s Promise to me. This is what I call my New Year’s Resolution. I have made a made so many promises through the years and I don’t think I have kept a single one.
One of my promises has always been to lose weight and get my health back. For the first time in my life, I have done that. I am so proud of what my husband and I have done this past year. We have lost the weight and I no longer require insulin for Type 2 Diabetes. We have learned that food is about fueling your body not feeding your body. It is not until you understand that you will get to where you need to be.
So why does it seem so hard to keep a promise to ourselves? Perhaps we say we are going to do something, however we tell ourselves, “It doesn’t really matter [not to complete it] because it is not hurting anyone.” Well, we’re not hurting anyone but ourselves.
I think if we all look back we can see that we have let ourselves down more than we can count. We should be upset about this.
If there is anyone we should be able to count on it is ourselves. Keeping a promise to ourselves should matter more than keeping a promise to someone else — which you should also do
I am going into this new year, not with promises, but goals.
As I have been praying and looking back over the past year, there have been a lot of things I wanted to do but just brushed under the rug.
It is time for me to think about me, take care of me and do for me. Yes it is about me. I feel It is time to take care of me, physically, spiritually and mentally so I can be ready for what God has for me to do.
I am still on this earth for a reason. God is not ready for me to come home yet. He still has things He wants me to do.
So, it is time to spend a little more effort in prayer — just sitting and listening to what God wants me to do. Life gets so busy that most of the time that I don’t take a timeout.
It is time for you all to go all in 100 percent with me. Be a little selfish this year and put yourself in “timeout.”
It is a time to reflect on things you have done or haven’t done. You owe it to yourself.
This year, some of my goals are to spend a little more time one-on-one with God, spend a little more time with the ones I love, and work on my dreams this year.
I am dreaming big. Why not? I am not going to fear failure. Failing is not failure. It is a life lesson from which you can learn.
I will have a list for the new year ready to go. I’ll call it , “My Bucket List for 2019.” I am hoping to have it all checked off by the end of this year. Good luck on yours.
One of my favorite recipes
One Pot Cajun Chicken and Sausage Alfredo Pasta
Ingredients
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 pound of chicken cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
14 oz smoked sausage sliced on the diagonal
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 quart of low-sodium chicken broth
2 1/2 cups of heavy cream
1 pound of dried penne pasta
1 1/2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning plus more for topping
4 oz of freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup of Italian flat leaf parsley minced
Instructions
Start with a large covered cooking pot.
Season chicken with salt and pepper and brown in olive oil over medium high heat.
Add sausage and continue to cook until lightly browned.
Stir in garlic and cook for for about two minutes.
Add chicken broth, heavy cream, dried pasta and cajun seasoning to pot.
Stir together and bring to a simmer over medium high heat.
Reduce heat to low and let cook covered for 15-20 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
Remove pot from heat and stir in parmesan cheese.
Stir in chopped parsley and sprinkle with additional cajun seasoning to taste.
Tina Specht is co-publisher of the Minden Press-Herald. She shares her thoughts and recipes each Thursday.