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IS 2010 OFF TO THE START
I’m not a big late night show TV viewer. But following the drama surrounding Conan O’Brien and “The Tonight Show,” I, like many others, decided to catch “the end.” In his final moments, Conan made me wish I’d watched him all 7 months. He was exceptionally gracious and his sincerity has me still thinking about his words. He asked us not to be cynical, saying cynicism is his least favorite character trait. He called himself exceptionally lucky for being able to host the show for even 7 months and assured us that, “With a lot of hard work and kindness…dreams do come true.” And I agree with him. In fact, when he said that he could have fun anywhere, even hosting a show in a 7-Eleven parking lot, I wanted to say, “I’ll be a guest…even if all I was allowed to cook was food found in 7-Eleven!” So, inspired by Conan, I have one big question for you: “Is 2010 Off to the Start You’d Hoped?” Are you pushing to live your dreams, whether to find a new job that excites you out of bed every morning or to finally shed those excess pounds that are literally weighing you down? Just after the New Year, I tweeted that I was constructing the vision I want to be living by the time I wake up on December 31, 2010. I filled that vision with fun, yummy adjectives and covered all aspects of my life from my desire to find physical activity that would make me love working out to my hope that my closet holds an “inspired wardrobe” so that I will be able to effortlessly “present my prettiest self to the world.” I included my desire to be able to give all of my team-members raises and my interest in vastly increasing the number of Americans I assist in getting healthier. Many of you tweeted or posted responses on my Facebook wall saying that you were going to join me in doing this for your own lives. I’m hoping you have…but even if you haven’t, it’s NOT too late! As you likely know, I already believe that I have a blessed life where I realize dreams daily. Sure, there’s luck involved (!), but my parents ALWAYS emphasized that with hard work, I could achieve absolutely ANYTHING. And I’ve always believed it. That’s why I think that the 6 hours I spent on January 2nd writing my “prescription” for my year was well worth the time even though I’m insanely busy. I created both a long version that includes many details that I plan to re-read every couple of weeks and a brief overview to read every morning to make sure I’m constantly taking the steps necessary to support my waking up at the end of the year as elated and fulfilled as I’d imagined. One month later, it’s already helped me achieve some things because I am “present” enough with my dreams to be moving with them. I sincerely encourage all of you to make a date with yourself one evening to do this. Grab a cup of your favorite tea or low-fat hot cocoa, slip in to your comfiest clothing, maybe turn on your favorite tunes and think about stuff that makes you smile. And start writing!. If you think this sounds like a useful idea and feel stuck, don’t panic. Instead, check out my blog where I’ll be elaborating a bit more soon and providing encouragement. Just remember, there’s no right or wrong in writing this. It’s your life. Are you willing to out your dreams on paper and see them become reality? Happy Cooking, Eating…and Living Your Dreams! - Devin FOOD FOR THOUGHT Using Your Yolks
GIVING BACK:
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WIN ME…I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT FATTENING!
I’m giving away 3 personalized copies this month!! If you’re one of the thousands of people who’ve approached me around the country saying, “I don’t have time to cook” or “I don’t know how to cook”, I wrote THIS book for YOU. It’s about healthy, decadent….and CONVENIENT! And over 70% of the recipes can easily be made with all natural and/or organic ingredients. To enter: I want to know what YOU think! All you have to do is email me @ fans@devinalexander.com a topic or question you’d like to see addressed in an upcoming newsletter or on my blog. It can be about food, cooking, my weight loss, or even draw on my skills as a weight loss coach and/or motivational speaker. There’s no right or wrong answer here. We simply want to hear from you. We’ll pick THREE lucky winners (yes, I’m actually giving away 3 books!) at random. Tell your friends to contact us too! The more responses we get, the bigger the prizes we’ll be able to give away in upcoming months! Be sure to let me know who you want the book personalized to in your responses and where you’d like it mailed (we promise NOT to share your mailing address or use it for any other purpose). AND THE WINNER IS…
After reviewing everyone’s guesses, we’re SO glad we did this comparison. Nutrition calculation isn’t an exact science (brands vary), but our numbers were 477 calories for Devin’s Anti-Turbulent Breakfast, and a whopping 945 calories for the airline’s carb-filled nightmare! The airline breakfast appears innocent –no obvious health red flags (such as greasy bacon or a doughnut), but most people guessed it was much lower in calories than it really is—many guessers thought the airline breakfast was as low as 250 calories and mine was as low as 350. Others thought I was trying to trick you and MINE was MORE than the airline breakfast. (You can eat meatballs often if they’re made right!). Not only is the airline breakfast calorie dense, it packs a whopping 193g carbohydrates, which is exactly what you want to avoid in one sitting. A huge amount of carbs can cause a spike in energy followed by a crash (or in my case, crazy sweet cravings!), so you want to make sure to get a balanced meal in the morning to fuel you throughout the day (especially when you’re not headed to the gym). PRODUCT OF THE MONTH
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| Chocolate Kahlua Parfait This is the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert for those who want to make a little something special for their sweethearts without doing serious damage to their waistlines! The parfait is best served in champagne glasses – trust me, it’s adorable! Just remember when making these parfaits, don’t leave the marshmallow mixture cooling in the fridge for more than an hour or the remaining ingredients might not mix in properly. 10-1/2 ounce bag mini-marshmallows 8 champagne flutes In a large, microwave–safe mixing bowl (or large glass bowl), mix the marshmallows with the milk and the coffee powder. Cover the bowl with a microwave-safe plate or a sheet of waxed paper and microwave the mixture for 2 to 4 minutes on high or until there are no lumps remaining when it is stirred. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Transfer it to the refrigerator and allow the mixture to cool completely (up to an hour). Remove the marshmallow mixture from the refrigerator and beat in the liqueur using the whisk attachment of an electric mixer. Then add 1 cup of the whipped topping and whisk it in. Next, using a spatula, fold in another cup of the whipped topping. Spoon 1/2 tablespoon of the crumbs into each flute. Spoon a scant ¼ cup of the marshmallow mixture into each flute followed by 1-1/2 tablespoons of the remaining whipped topping. Top that in each with about 1 tablespoon of crumbs, reserving a total of 2 teaspoons of crumbs. Then divide the remaining filling among the flutes (about ¼ cup each). Top each with a dollop of the remaining whipped topping and lightly sprinkle the top with additional the crumbs. Cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate them until the filling sets, approximately 2 hours. Can be made up to 1 day in advance. Makes 8 (1 parfait) servings. Traditional Chocolate Kahlua Parfait have: 538 calories, 4 g protein, 33 g carbohydrates, 37 g fat, 22 g saturated fat, 310 mg cholesterol, trace fiber, 44 mg sodium You save: 267 calories, 36 g fat, 21 g saturated fat Recipe by Devin Alexander courtesy of Healthy Decadence |
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Want to impress your Valentine’s Day date with super shiny tresses (in addition to your shining personality!)? Save $ and time and don’t even leave your house. A couple of days before just take two beaten egg yolks and gently massage them into your hair. It’s easiest if you start at the roots and work your way down. Then, cover your hair with a shower cap (a plastic bag will work too), wrap your head in a warm towel and hang out for 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water, then shampoo as you would normally and voila! Instant shine! And breakfast: Use the whites for your morning omelet--how resourceful is that? BUT an important word of warning: Make sure you do this far enough in advance that you can wash your hair a few times before V-Day—hair that smells of eggs is definitely NOT sexy!
Do you still have a pile of holiday cards lying around? Got a drawer full of old birthday, congratulations, or thank yous? Are you expecting lots of Valentines? Instead of throwing them in the trash or even the recycling bin, consider sending them to Saint Jude’s Recycled Card Program. The children at Saint Jude’s, with the help of volunteers, remove the front of the card and attach a new back and then sell them, making new, recycled cards for next year’s festivities. To send in your old cards or buy some recycled cards: 
Congratulations to Jessica James, winner of a case of Weight Watchers® Smart Ones®. Southwestern Style Chicken Fiesta Grilled Flatbreads and to Ann Vukasovich who will soon receive her FREE case of Fajita Chicken Pizzas for their very accurate guesses in our Weight Watchers® Smart Ones® “Guess the Calories” Contest! 
It happens to the best of us – we eat healthy all day and then “Bam!” we’re hit with a crazy sweet craving. Lucky for you (and me!), Special K® just introduced Fruit Crisps® that satisfy the sweetest sweet tooth around! They come in strawberry and blueberry flavors and are kind of like a crisper, lighter, flatter version of a pop tart. One of the girls in my office declared that they are sweeter than dessert! One package (which includes two crisps!) has only 100 calories, 2 grams of fat and 7 grams of sugar. Happy (sweet) snacking!