Tag: nye

Resolve to “Start”. Thoughts on Resolutions

Welcome to 2024! It is going to be an amazing Year.

As we move into the New Year, it is that time when people make Resolutions to get in shape, lose weight, eat better, get organized, travel more, drink less – Dry January anyone?
Many set these Resolutions with a desire to follow through, to actual improve. We pressure ourselves to set them, to make them happen.

According to Forbes.com the top 2024 Resolutions are:
Improve Fitness 48%
Improve Finances 38%
Improve Mental Health 36%
Lose Weight 34%
Improve Diet 32%
GREAT!! Sounds like a good list and something most of us could get on board for.
https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/new-years-resolutions-statistics/

In the same Forbes article, they also say about 62% of people feel pressure to make a resolution. They go on to site a lot of other statistics as well.
NOT SO GREAT that you feel peer pressure to set resolutions. Why?

In 2023, Fisher College of Business did a study on Resolutions, they found only 9% of Americans complete their resolution. 23% quit in the first week, and 43% by the end of January.

I stopped doing “Resolutions” as a New Years thing years ago, do not get me wrong I have my list of things I want to improve, 2023 was all about that. BUT I did not feel an outside pressure to do it. I also did not hammer myself if something did not go as planned. I was HONEST with myself on what I wanted, and HONEST with myself in the successes and failures, looked at the task/resolution/thing, re-tooled it and STARTED again on it.

What I really want to talk about is STARTING.
Make your Resolution to START, and to keep STARTING until you are doing it.
The list of things you want to improve is great, but you have to START, and when you fall off, you have to START again.

They say it takes 28 Days to make a Habit… Maybe 28 Starts to actually do it? Make Starting your Habit, your Resolution.
We all fall off, fail, do not complete, whatever term you want for it, we all fail at some point, Losing is part of the game. Get up, brush off, and START again.

Resolve to Start this year!
You will feel better about it, you will likely be more honest and open with yourself about it, you will take a small loses and turn them into Big Wins by Starting, again and again if needed.

Make 2024 YOUR YEAR. Find your things, and START!

Resolve to Start!

Chicken and Orzo for NYE

This was such a fun dish to make. I saw a chicken and orzo rec online a few weeks ago, it used a whole chicken for it, which in general I am not a fan of “whole chicken” recipes.
I quickly read it, filed in my memory banks, then a day or two before New Years, thought of it and decided I needed to make it. I chose to use bone in thighs for it. We were going to a friends house for NYE, so I decided to cook this up.

  • Chicken and Orzo Steps
    Chicken and Orzo Steps

I browned the thighs with a garlic salt and pepper mixture. I think quickly sauteed the leeks, anise, garlic and carrots (added some fresh thyme, salt and pepper to it as well) in the fat left over from browning the chicken. I then deglazed the pan with about two cups of dry white wine and threeish cups of chicken stock, and added the juice of one lemon and some zest.

I arranged the chicken in a large baking pan. Put the saute around the pieces of chicken, then bakes it for about 30 minutes at 350.

I added the wine and stock mixture, baked for another 10 or so minutes, then added the orzo, and allowed to cook for another 15 minutes (or until liquid is gone and orzo is finished).

Italian Parsley to garnish and serve.

Couple things I would do different next time:
More lemon for sure. Likely a second one. Maybe even a third. This was 10 thighs, so maybe a lemon per every 4ish?
Finish with Parmesan Cheese maybe?
More garlic. 1 clove per piece of chicken I think.

Recipe:
8-10 Bone in Chicken Thighs (could use breasts, or boneless thighs also)
Garlic Salt, Pepper to taste to Season Chicken with
2 carrots cut into small circles
1 Leek, white part only. Sliced thin
1 Anise Bulb. Sliced thin
1 Lemon. Juiced and Zest from it (In Future: 1 lemon per 4 pieces of chicken)
5 Cloves of Garlic. Crushed (In Future: 1 clove per piece of chicken)
1 1/2 to 2 cups Orzo
2tsp Thyme
2tsp Salt
2tsp Pepper
2 cups Dry White Wine
3-4 cups Chicken Stock
Italian Parsley and Parmesan Cheese to serve