It's Freezing Outside, A Good Day to Sit On the Couch...WRONG!!

I don’t know where you live, but here in New Jersey, the temperature is below freezing and when I tell you it’s ungodly cold out, I’m speaking from experience. This morning I woke up to over a foot of beautiful white snow and all of it seemed to be piled up in my driveway. Since I never got around to hiring someone to come and snow plow for me (after all does it really snow that much in NJ? Ha Ha), I bundled up and started working on the driveway myself. I needed to get to my Pilates class and I had less then an hour. After about fifteen minutes of shoveling this fluffy white stuff, my hands became so frozen I had to come indoors. The pain I felt in my hands as they started to defrost brought tears to my eyes and still as a type this blog, my right thumb has a strange sensation. So when I tell you, it’s cold, I speak from experience.

Turns out I was shoveling for nothing because my Pilates class never happened. So what better time to sit on the couch and do nothing but stay warm and nourish myself with good hearty fare! WRONG. Just because it’s freezing out doesn’t mean I need to be inactive and eat bad food (as fun as that may sound). I know if I do nothing all day I will feel physically and emotionally miserable tomorrow. So what am I going to do today to make sure I stay active and well nourished?

Hmmm… now that’s a good question. I have been procrastinating cleaning my closets for such a long time. My dear friend, Sue usually does this for me (yeah I know strange, but she loves to organize). Cleaning out the closet? What kind of exercise is that? For me it’s threefold. It’s a good exercise for my mind because I get to clean out the clutter. It’s a good physical exercise because I have to keep running up and down the stairs with the bags of clothes I plan to donate. Who knew I had so many clothes that I didn’t wear? Spiritually it’s the best kind of exercise because I get to give back to others who have less than I do. It makes me realize how truly blessed I am and what an amazing life I have.

Then after I’m done cleaning out my closet mentally, physically and spiritually, it will be time to cook something that warms me inside and out and is still healthy for me to eat. I’m going to make my favorite roast chicken recipe. Now for those of you who are gourmets cooks, maybe you don’t need to read the rest (but I urge you to continue). For the rest of you who are always willing to try a new recipe give this one a go. It’s not only relatively healthy, but maybe the easiest and tastiest thing I have made in a long time. I need to warn you that this recipe is from a Gynetth Paltrow cookbook and while I really never want to endorse any movie star, this chick puts out a good cookbook.

So today instead of sitting on the couch and watching some bad TV and plowing through a bag of chips (although that does sound fun), try doing something that connects you mentally, physically and spiritually. You will love yourself even more tomorrow. Follow this up with a good wholesome roast chicken and all will seem good in your world.

Simple Crispy Roast Chicken
Author: It’s All Good by Gwenyth Paltrow

Ingredients
• 3-4 lb. whole chicken, insides removed
• sea salt
• black pepper
• 2 T. olive oil
• ½ lemon
• ½ small onion, peeled

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Wash and pat dry the chicken.
3. Place in a roasting pan and sprinkle generously inside the bird with salt and pepper. Stuff the chicken with the lemon and onion.
4. Coat the skin with the olive oil all over.
5. Place BREAST SIDE UP into the roasting pan and roast for 1½ hours.
6. Every 30 minutes, baste the chicken with juices in the pan.
7. Let sit 10 minutes before carving.
8. Eat, and I dare you to not eat all the skin first. It’s AH-Mazing.