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"Lessens" Learned It's October 2 as I write this, and if your life is anything like mine, you've probably said, "I Can't Believe It's….already October!" at least 5 or 6 times recently! It doesn't seem possible that three-quarters of the year is gone. But it is! This realization gives me a tiny twinge of panic as I reflect on my year-end vision statement and dreams I wrote about at the start of this year, but it also motivates me. I still have three whole months to work on "me." I know I talk about goals a LOT…truth is, I just really want to know that you're happy. I want you to be as excited about your life as the Biggest Loser Contestants are the morning they wake up after the finale. Are you? I am. I truly am. And I say that because I wasn't always and I had to "fight" to get happy. Yeah, some things happen to us—there's absolutely no denying that. But we also make so many choices that create fortune or despair in our lives every single day with our thoughts. I wish I had learned this or been able to hear it earlier in my life. My teen years were brutal. My 20's were tough as I struggled to find my place, dreaming that cooking healthy, decadent recipes could help ensure that no teen girl ever felt the way I did at that age. Throughout my 20's, every year on my birthday, I would wonder, "If I disappeared, would everyone even care?" Curiously, I've learned this isn't so unusual for women, especially when they are young. I've heard so many powerful, successful, wonderful women confess that they felt the same way I did. Heck, my friend, Amanda Pressner, wrote an entire book about it. So if you're a woman (or man) currently on the "other side of happy," know you are not alone. See the rest of this year as three whole months to focus on getting happy by focusing on your dreams and identifying obstacles just long enough to find the solutions, which will inevitably improve the way you feel about you! For me, that would have meant that I needed to spend 3 months finding what I was most passionate about. For you, it might be as simple as skipping the Halloween candy or paying a bit more than you would have thought for that gym membership… and going! Or maybe make time to take that (photography, jewelry making, weaving, etc) class that you've dreamt of taking to inspire you. Or skip plunking money in to quick fixes like diet pills and indulge in a therapist or life coach who works like my sister, Leslie Simone. This is not an ad, but a personal example that ties into the newsletter. Leslie is an Executive Coach and provides this month's Mmmm…Motivation. She and the (foodie, yay!) CEO of her company in a few short months, have kept me from imploding at all (and even positive) even when my experiences in the moment were mostly negative. Seriously, I had lost a small fortune over a major spokesperson gig due to the company's bankruptcy, faced testing and tasting 700 desserts in a few months, struggled through my hip injury, and then lost my amazing assistant! Yet through it all, I managed to acknowledge the problems and stay positive about the big picture. They even helped me crave truly healthier food and transform a number of my relationships in the process. All because I thought positively any time I could. Look, it doesn't matter what you choose to make yourself happy or who…as long as you choose happy! Will you take a step to get there if you aren't already? Happy Cooking (& Eating!) Devin Mmm…Motivation:
To those with a goal they haven't quite reached, Leslie says, "Turn your goal into a game with a friend. People are competitive. Any time you "out yourself" the stakes totally change, and people do what they otherwise would have cheated on because we're not inherently disciplined on our own." Since she's my sister, I'm skipping her bio. But it's one click away. If you'd like to learn more about her coaching or gift her to a friend for the holidays (she coaches business leaders as well as people with personal obstacles in person or over the phone), her email is: leslie@handelgroup.com. PRODUCT OF THE MONTH:
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| Pan-"Fried" Spicy Orange Chicken Craving Chinese Take-out? Not only will this dish deliver that perfect combo of sweet and spicy found in classic Orange Chicken, it has only a fraction of the fat, calories and sodium! And you can throw the whole thing together in about the same time it'll take to dig out the take-out menu and dial the phone. Make it a complete meal, by serving the chicken in a bowl atop short-grain brown rice and some steamed broccoli. You can easily find ready-made, all-natural short-grain brown rice these days (look for fully-cooked microwavable brown rice bowls in the rice aisle or frozen brown rice in the freezer section). Mix up a little extra orange sauce and pour that with a few dashes of low-sodium soy sauce over the rice, and you'll have a delicious Chinese Stay-In meal on the table in 15 minutes! 1/4 cup 100% fruit orange marmalade Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place a medium, ovenproof, nonstick skillet over high heat. When it's hot, lightly mist the skillet with spray and immediately add the chicken side by side to the pan. Cook the chicken just until it's lightly browned on the outsides, about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove the pan from the heat and top the chicken breasts evenly with the marmalade mixture (about 1 tablespoon on each). Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the chicken until it's no longer pink inside, about 5-9 minutes. Sprinkle the green onion evenly over the chicken breasts (about ½ tablespoon on each). Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings. Each (1 topped breast) serving has: 167 calories, 26 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 1 g fat, trace saturated fat, 66 mg cholesterol, trace fiber, 130 mg sodium |
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I've been inadvertently holding out on you a bit. Every month, I bring you a motivational tip from someone I truly admire but I never revealed the one person I've ALWAYS turned to first for motivation and wisdom no matter what my struggles have been: My sister, Leslie Simone. She's held "office hours" for me from her lacy canopy bed most of our lives (thank god, all she ever required in return was that I cook for her!). I'm not quite sure how she has always figured things out long before I have but she definitely did and still does. I may be years older, but she's definitely wiser! So, it didn't surprise me at all that she found her calling as an Executive Coach. 
Ok, I know you probably read way too many of my tweets about dessert recipes in recent months – now I'm ready to read yours! The new Biggest Loser Dessert Cookbook hits shelves next month, and I'm so excited for you to get your hands on it that I'm giving away 10 copies! 5 books are up for grabs here, plus another 5 via my 
Didn't win? Don't worry! Sentimental Silver is offering an exclusive discount for all of my awesome fans. Simply use the discount code "DEVIN" to get 20% off ANY purchase at 
A recent study published in The Journal of Nutrition reports that including blueberries in one's diet can help people with a high risk for Type 2 diabetes reduce that risk! Yea! The study showed that daily consumption of blueberries increased the participants' insulin sensitivity, a key factor in preventing Type 2 diabetes. And wild blueberries (which you can find in your freezer isle if you don't see them fresh), are even more antioxidant rich, and can help reduce the risk of diabetes more than other blueberries. But whatever variety of blueberries you consume, they will possess these amazing benefits! Want some new ideas on how to incorporate these nutritious berries into your diet? Enter to win The Biggest Loser Dessert Cookbook. There are scrumptious blueberry desserts in there like "Blueberry Cream Cheese 'Strudel," "Mixed Berry Dessert Nachos," "Berry Skewers n' Dip," "Go Blue-berry Cobbler Mini Loaves," and even a Biggest Loser approved, "Blueberry Margarita!"
