Whether you make a resolution each New Year or not, I can only imagine that most (as I am) are tired after many nights of holiday parties filled with delicious food and wine and are ready to settle down this month.  December is a month of family, office and friend gatherings accompanied by rich and plentiful food. January is the time to get back into your routine but hopefully do something a little better.  However, it’s not long before you start to miss the get-togethers, holiday wine and food. A good goal is to establish some sort of balance as the new year begins, but never forgetting that you don’t have to wait until next year to come around to enjoy something similar. I thought of a few things I’d like to try to keep a little of that holiday spirit but make it fit into my routine:

Here are my 5 tips for the perfect evening of indulgence light for this New Year:

1. Think small. Don’t have a party; have a get-together of two or three people. That way you can tailor your evening to your friends and spend less time preparing and more time enjoying. 

2. Cook simple, seasonal and healthy appetizers. A personal favorite of mine is to make freshly baked root vegetable “chips”* (beet, carrot and sweet potatoes make a nice mix).  Make a healthy Greek yogurt dip with fresh chopped shallots, chives and lemon juice to serve with it and it’s perfect to serve with a bottle of wine.

3. Instead of buying quantity, buy quality. If you buy two bottles of wine instead of three on the same budget, take it up a notch and try something new and special.

4. If where you live permits it, walk to the supermarket, work or the gym before ºinstead of driving or taking public transportation. Easing back into the work week routine can be stressful and a nice, long walk is an excellent way to get easy exercise and prepare for a busy day or night.

5. Try something new. If you’ve never cooked with parsnips, why not try this easy parsnips, parsley and leek soup? If you typically drink red wines, why not spend a month or two trying out some aromatic whites like Riesling and Gewürztraminer? If you don’t like what you try, at least you can say you gave it a chance but maybe you’ll find your taste has changed and you’ve been missing out.

*Recipe Recommendation:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Baked-Veggie-Chips
 

Matt – UK

Stephen – USA

Sarah – USA
 

Sebastian – Chile

Sandra Silfven / The Detroit News / US

Sandra Silfven / The Detroit News / USA