i have a slight obsession with nutcrackers.

If you are reading this you may or may not be under the stress of holiday dinners, guests arriving and leaving, tree hauling and decorating and are maybe even finishing exams slash fall semester!

Every few days I will be posting a tip that will help you emerge from Christmas 2010 more or less raw. There will be some holiday recipes as well.

Today's tip: Yes, it's only December 15th, but this is a perfect day to pull out an old notebook, and write down your goals for the new year. If you start now, you will have had a a good 2 week head start than others and if not a physical head start, definitely a mental head start. To make these goals, you need to be specific with what you want. There has to be a destination, so that you take the journey.

Vague: "I want to spend more time with my family and friends this year"

Better: "I want to spend one hour a week with a different friend or family member"

To make your goal go from Better to Best, you need to think about how you're going to measure that goal. Can you measure the vague goal? No, not as easily as the Better goal.

Best: "I want to schedule in weekly times for family members and friends" There's a reference in this goal, and proof, that yes! you are accomplishing that goal.

The Recipe

Understanding that most of us are under stress, MOST of the time, either from schoolwork, work in general, and or life, reaching this relaxing time of the year may be the moment your body decides to get sick. It's been putting it off for approximately 365 days, so when you're snuggled in front of the fire with some tea, and you feel a tickle in your throat...don't freak out! Drink this instead. [I woke up feeling congested, and wheezy after wearing a peacoat on the coldest day of winter so far<---foolish: symptoms were gone in two hours after drinking this]

1 large grapefruit

3-4 leaves of romaine

1 large handful of cilantro

1 large handful of parsley

grated ginger, amount to your liking

BLEND. DRINK. REFUEL.

*a woman on the subway asked me what I was drinking, I had to explain...everyone was watching. Maybe opaque jars would work better for drinking this in public..

only a mere third of my nutcracker collection.