With short winter days not giving us sunlight added on to the food focused stress of the holiday season, we head straight for a dip in our happiness (technically called our serotonin levels, or so I’ve heard) when this should be the best time of the year.  I’m preparing for that by committing to 15 minutes of sunshine on my face per day and a list of healthy food alternatives to combat the wintertime blues:

• Whole Grains (even in your tasty desserts http://blog.xagave.com/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-whole-grain-agave-cookies/)
• Cabbage (can produce some great side dishes http://blog.xagave.com/coleslaw/)
• Spinach (is a great base for winter salads http://blog.xagave.com/apple-cinnamon-almond-salad/)
• Broccoli
• Sweet Potatoes (a great breakfast treat http://blog.xagave.com/sweet-freakin-potato-muffins/)
• Squash
• Pumpkin (oooo, try this Pumpkin Protein Shake to cut back on heavy meat cravings http://blog.xagave.com/pumpkin-protein-shake/)
• Pomegranates
• Cranberries (in healthy whole wheat breads, it’s delicious http://blog.xagave.com/cranberry-nut-bread/)
• Grapes
• Water (ask yourself if you’re hungry or just thirsty – then down a glass of water to check before snacking)
• Green Tea (sweetened with agave is a healthy, tasty immunization boost in the winter months)

Here are three great Holiday recipes (http://blog.xagave.com/holiday-xagave-recipes-as-seen-on-tv/) that can give anyone a fix for their food cravings.  Seek out recipes that can give your immune system some help in combating the germs of the season as well as an increase in happiness levels.  Make sure to bake a few extras to have on hand in case of last minute stress eating.  This is me, trying to keep my stress healthy!   What’s your secret?

Since we live in a cold and snowy climate, I started thinking about another element of a healthy lifestyle – exercise (Yes, that dreaded word).  Now that we have finally made a turn around the bend on healthy eating, I’ve been encouraging our children to spread their wings and fly – almost literally!  Getting them off the couch and outdoors hasn’t been much of a feat this past summer (well, once I put the child lock on the cable box so they have to ask me to turn it on).  I’m curious as to how they’ll respond this winter when I tell them to put on the snow boots and have at it.  They definitely like their warmth. 

I have managed to scare up a sparse bucket list for this winter:

• Extend the Annual Family Turkey Bowl – many people have this football tradition, but I’ve decided to pick one Saturday a month and have a themed “bowl game” of some sort.  For the months of Dec, Jan, Feb, and Mar, I am calling them, respectively, the Dine-N-Dash (to be scheduled after a large holiday meal), the New Year’s Sprint (aka running in snowshoes), Catch Someone You Love (a crazy family game of tag), Rush for the Pot of Gold (a mini-triathlon in the front yard).
• Learn a new winter sport – Santa is delivering snow shoes.  I’ve found these awesome monster shoes  for the kids to add a bit of fun to the activity.
• Explore our favorite outdoor summer spots to discover what they offer for winter.  We like a certain canyon to go on picnics, and this winter we want to find out what other things there are to offer.  Maybe we can find a great hill for sledding or we might take our 2 mile hike and see the waterfall frozen! 
• Cut down our Christmas tree.  This requires hiking/walking, labor in hacking down the tree, and carrying the tree back to the car.  All in all, a great day of exercise for the whole family!
• Do the Shuffle.  We have bought a dancing video game.  This way we can get some indoor exercise too on days that the rain or snow is heavy.

I always try to keep the entire day healthy by giving them a great treat at the end of our adventure.  There’s nothing like tasty muffins and a great cup of hot chocolate to warm you up after being outside all day.

Our list might be short right now, but I’m on the lookout for other adventures we can have too.  There’s bound to be outdoor and indoor ice skating rinks or local sledding hills to explore.  I’ve heard there are organized hikes in our area, and other fun, filled exercise for everyone.  (My kids are trying to get a punch pass to the local bounce house place.)    

*This is not intended to be personal medical advice.  Please consult your own doctor for medical advice.  Each person and medical case should be evaluated individually.

Here’s what I like to call my Holiday Prep List.  DISCLAIMER:  This list consists mostly of what I’m trying NOT to do and my idea of alternative solutions. 

• NOT having Marshmellow Sweet Potatoes.  Yes, my southern roots are showing.  I’m not sure I can even eat sweet potatoes without the marshmellow topping, but I’ve scored this recipe for my holiday events. I’ve got my agave substitute in hand for sweetening, and I’m ready to try it out.  (Does it sound like I’m still doing the pep talk because I am!) 
• NOT having sugary sweet Pecan Pie that my grandma showed me how to make when I was 8.  Here’s my change-up  to this classic recipe, and if all goes well, I’ll teach it to my 8 year old this year (and maybe my mom and grandma too!)
• A new way to make Glazed Ham.  Another standard at our holiday table that I want to make a little bit more healthy this year.  It’s the small steps that will get me through this process, right?
• Introducing a new tradition: Pumpkin Ice Cream.  Bringing out the best in desserts, a bit of cold can bring a nice balance to your table, and this is what I’ve chosen this year.  My husband can’t get enough of pumpkin treats during the season.  I always appreciate combining ancestral and modern traditions to create our own personal holiday experience.

As always, I would love to hear other things you do so I can incorporate that into our new lifestyle!

1. Snag a bag.  Frozen veggies can help bring you back to healthy habits while still giving you the volume to keep your family full. 
2. Can to cram.  Pull out what you canned (or froze) from those great summertime farmer’s markets and fruit stands for delicious baked goods to keep you warm this winter.  If you didn’t get a chance to do this in 2011, make a plan for canning next summer.  If you aren’t sure what to do, register for local canning class and learn a new skill!  Here’s a great website with instructions and basics on canning if you need a review.
3. Soup it up.  Whole grains and beans make great soup bases and are great for our bodies.  Even though I said to snag a bag of frozen vegetables, don’t forget there are still plenty of things in season that are downright delicious in soups:
   • bell peppers, broccoli, broccolini, brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cauliflower, celery root, chard, collards, fennel, garlic, leeks, parsnip, potatoes, pumpkin, rutabaga, salsify, spinach, sweet potatoes (prepared like this is always a winner), sunchoke, turnips, wild mushrooms
   • Go Grow!  Grow an inside herb garden to add great flavors to your meals and keep that green thumb working.  Or, you can get really adventurous and plant an indoor garden complete with vegetables.

Don’t think that hearty winter meals are all meat based, especially as that drives up your grocery budget.  Find ways to supplement your fresh eating habits from the summer into the next season meals as well.  Oh, and definitely let’s not forget my favorite: Dessert!  We all know that’s always in season.

So tell me, what works for your budget in the winter?  Would love to hear from you.

We like to make these healthy smoothies for breakfast, but they’re great at any time of the day. Don’t forget about after-school snacks for the kids, a late night healthy nosh, or a mid-day power boost.

Agave Green Smoothie

2 cups of loosely packed spinach or kale

2 cups of peaches or mangos

1 banana

1/4 cup Xagave agave

1-2 cups of water

Blend all ingredients in your favorite blender.  (Start with 1 cup of water and add more to make the smoothie your preferred consistency, you can also add ice.) Taste and add more Xagave agave nectar if desired.

Other addition ideas:

Melons, frozen berries, oranges, almond milk.

Pear and Blue Cheese Pizza with Agave

Pizza dough

2 small, ripe pears (or one large)

1/3 cup blue cheese

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped broccoli

2 cups of mozzarella cheese

1 small yellow onion, caramelized

Cornmeal

Olive Oil

Xagave

Thinly slice your onion and over medium-low heat in skillet, caramelize the onion (stir it occasionally until it browns nicely.) Make or purchase your favorite pizza dough.

Sprinkle cornmeal onto your work surface and pat your dough into your preferred pizza shape (circle or rectangle.) Brush the top with olive oil. Place thinly sliced pears over the surface of the pizza, sprinkle with the blue cheese, add the garlic and broccoli, layer on the caramelized onions, and top with the mozzarella.

Slide your pizza onto a heated pizza stone in a 450 degree oven.  Cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Transfer pizza to a rack. Slice your pizza and drizzle with Xagave agave syrup for the perfect sweet and savory combination.

They didn’t stick to the ground, just flurried in the air, but soon enough snow will be piling up! This calls for a mug of hot cocoa sweetened with Xagave’s agave. It comes together in just a few minutes and you have a delicious treat with all the anti-oxidants of pure cocoa and the low glycemic properties of Xagave! Once you’ve tried homemade hot cocoa, you’ll never want to go back to the overly-sugary powders.

Agave Hot Cocoa:

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup agave

3 cups of milk

pinch of salt

Place cocoa in a large sauce pan. Add pinch of salt. Slowly whisk the milk into the cocoa to avoid lumps. Add the agave nectar. Heat the milk and cocoa over medium high heat, stirring often. Remove from heat as soon as it’s hot enough for you. Taste the cocoa to make sure it’s as sweet as you like, add more agave as needed. Serve in warm mugs.

I picked up some apples from a local orchard and have been planning on putting them up in glass jars for storage and great winter eating. Canning fresh fruit is a way to preserve inexpensive and delicious local produce at the height of freshness. Traditionally, people used processed white sugar to preserve and can fruits. Canning your own applesauce allows you to control the ingredients, especially the sugar level. I’m using Xagave agave nectar to replace the sugar in my applesauce.

To make applesauce

10 pounds of sweet-tart apples, like Jonagold, Granny Smiths, or any type of apples you prefer

1 cup water

Squeeze of lemon

Xagave agave nectar

Dash of salt

Cinnamon (opt)

Equipment

Canning Jars, lids, and rings

Boiling water canner

A wide-mouth funnel

Large stock pot

Tongs

Peel, core, and slice your apples. Place them in a large stock pot on your stove over medium high heat with a cup of water. When the apples begin to reduce and cook down, turn down the heat to medium low. Simmer your apples for about 30 minutes, checking to make sure they don’t burn and adding another 1/3 cup of water as needed.  Mash those apples, or use an immersion blender to puree them to the consistency you prefer. Take the pot off the heat. Add a squeeze of lemon, a dash of salt, and enough Xagave agave nectar until it’s sweetened to your taste.

Notice that we didn’t put down an amount of Xagave, that’s because you’re the one who will be eating your applesauce and you know how you like it! Start with ¼ cup of Xagave nectar and add more as needed. If you like cinnamon, add 1 tsp of the spice as well.

Now you’re ready to can!

Make sure you run your jars through the dishwasher on heated dry to ensure they’re squeaky clean. Simmer the clean rings and lids in water to sterilize. Use your wide mouth funnel to fill your jars with your Xagave agave sweetened applesauce—fill only to the bottom of the ring around the jar leaving about ½” of space. Don’t over fill! Use a clean knife to run around the applesauce inside the jar to release any air bubbles. Wipe around the rim of the jar to clean it. Put the lid on top and screw on your rings until it’s tight.

Set your agave applesauce jars in a warm water bath over medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil those cans for 25 minutes. Use tongs to remove the VERY hot jars and set them on a dish towel to cool. You should hear them popping to seal. Allow them to cool overnight, checking in the morning to make sure the lids are on firm and are slightly concave. Use any jars that didn’t seal properly right away.

If you’re an old pro at canning, we’d love to hear your comments and suggestions on replacing sugar in canning with agave nectar!

1. Evaporated Milk. I’ve stocked up. I will be using this as a substitution for cream in my soup bases and sauces.
2. Frozen Veggies. Another thing I’ve switched from canned to frozen veggies when they aren’t in season. If you do need to go with canned (for budget or other reasons), make sure to get things stored in water and not oils, syrups, or greases.
3. Hot Chocolate Updates. Yes, I do teas also, but nothing beats sipping hot chocolate with the little ones around the fire. Here’s a healthier version of this tasty treat, which will likely invade my kitchen this winter.

Other things move up the charts in my baking habits during the winter. I’m constantly using butter in my meat dishes. I make creamy mashed potatoes and other creamed versions of vegetables. I’m hoping to cut back on some of these habits as I’ve started making progress over the summer and into the fall.

Share some of your insightful baking and cooking tips for winter that will help us all take healthier steps in the coming months.

A “healthy” and delicious Cosmo?  Yes, please:

• 5 oz. Absolut Citron
• 1 oz. Xagave
• 2 oz. Cointreau Liquor
• 1 oz. sugar free cranberry juice

Mouth-Watering Mai Tai:

• 3 oz. light rum
• 1/2 oz. Xagave
• 1 oz. fresh pineapple juice
• 1 oz. fresh lime juice
• 1/2 oz. grenadine 

Mojito Magic:

• 4 oz. rum
• 12 oz. club soda
• 12 mint leaves
• 1/2 lime
• 1 tbsp. Xagave 

For more “After Hours” drinks, browse through more of our recipes on the blog. We’d love to hear your drink recipes too so share with us your favorite After Hours beverage.