Middle in Holidays Season

When I close my eye and think of holiday season – I feel cozy, melancholy, romantic, brisk fresh cold air, love, friends and family. I see twinkle light, candle light, rich color of green; red; gold and gem, dark cloudy sky and blue sky. I smell firewood, rosemary, thyme, cinnamon, apple, orange, pine, burn candle, hot wine, and fresh baked goods. I hear children noises, people converse with laugh with news and update, Christmas music, Nat King Cole, Billy Holiday, silence, merry go round, bell. I taste holiday feast of rich food with wild games and varieties of side dishes, hot wine, homemade baked goods with cinnamon, orange, dry fruits and nuts, fresh Eggnog from David Galloway (the best I ever have), fresh oysters, champagne, foie grass, cheeses, good red wine and calvados.

This year we decided to stay at home. We had been on the road about 70% this year. I am working on a Holiday feast with the 5 senses. Calories and Holiday Season definitely do not go well together BUT we try to balance it and be conscious about it.  My favorites - Moron Glace, fresh Foie Grass and David’s Eggnog have about 1 week worth of fat and carbohydrate. We try to exercise more by walking to everywhere to the city, shops, bars and restaurants, walk up and down the stair way as much as we can. I spread the calories through the weeks and day. Using and eating more of fresh and dried fruits, nut, fresh vegetables, using Olive or Grape seed Oil as much as I can instead of butter and others. Substitute white sugar with brown sugar, honey or maple syrup depends upon the recipes. Thinly sliced fresh foie grass fry in its own fat serve with quince paste, fresh fruits, mixed green, fruit dressing without oil. Cheese plate serves without baguette instead mix green and drops of fine Extra Virgin Oil, spiced fruit jam such fig, fresh and dried fruit and nuts. Reduce carbohydrate in main courses substitute with steamed vegetable, salad of mix green, herbs, fruits and roasted nuts dress with extra vergin olive oil and lemon or vinegar dressing and steamed or bakedpotatoes. My favorite during the holiday is to lunch with the left over. Especially at our friend’s Laurent in Provence a day after our festive dinner and a long traditional walk on New Year Day. We open the fridge and take very thing that ready to eat and just need to heat up. It was always the best meals. This year we will follow our lunch tradition at home.

Adding more fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs to your meals are also good for cleaning you digestive system not to forget drinking plenty of water or herbs tea between the meals. During the Holiday Jårg and I eat two times a day one light and one normal meal. For the spiritual cleansing forgiving,  be positive and share them with your love one and the others. I am a Buddhist, when I am in Thailand I usually go to temple on New Year morning to pray, forgive and make wishes for peace, health, love and share my wishes to the world.

A song to give you a holiday spirit  by Nat King Cole “The Christmas Song”

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Water the morning ritual

In Asian culture we love to drink warm or hot drink. My Father used to say drinking warm water is good for you - it circulates and clean your digestive system. One day I started and try this for a week and I mediate notice the different. Now Jårg and I do this every morning - we add a slice of organic lemon for fresh citrus taste. Since then, we often don’t drink caffeine beverage like coffee or tea because we would be totally awake. Well ... I do enjoy a cup of Japanese green tea in the morning. I try to drink warm warm through the day when it is possible or at least 2 big glasses – 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening.

 

You can enjoy drinking water by adding flavor using organic - flowers, hearbs, sliced fruits and vegetables such cucumber, mint, lemon grass, citrus fruits like grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, rose petal, jasmin flower (this is very popular in Thailand) and whatever you desire. Just make sure they are free of any chemical and wash well.