A Friendly Nudge
...because we all could use a little encouragement!
I believe in the power of momentum and I think momentum can be our best friend when we’re trying to build a new habit; especially if it’s something that you have to psych yourself up for, like exercising more or eating better.
It’s easy to think back on all of your previous efforts that you started with the best intentions, but something derailed you and then that internal chorus of self doubt kicks in and another ambitious self improvement effort bites the dust.
I think sometimes we need to sneak up on good intentions. It’s like we tell our inner skeptic, “go back to sleep, we’re just doing a few pushups over here, nothing to get excited about.” The next day, it’s the same thing. “I’m just doing a handful of air squats, you can relax, I’ll let you know if I need you for something exciting.”
Realize that 2 minutes of exercise is better than no exercise. Eating two of your favorite cookies is better than eating 12 of them. The goal is to start building an inventory of small successes. Their impact begins to accumulate - It’s the power of compounding.
You’ll be amazed how quickly you start feeling stronger and more resilient and that’s the powerful part. Our goal is to help you get addicted to that feeling, because feeling good makes building sustainable habits a whole lot easier.
Now let’s cook something delicious!
Chicken Piccata
I love sheet tray meals because they take some of the hassle out of cooking and the equipment needed is pretty minimal.
Garlic, sun dried tomatoes, olives, capers - this one is loaded with flavor!
Feel free to adjust the ingredients and the quantities - I wanted to make sure there were plenty of leftovers!
Ingredients:
4 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 lemon, sliced thin
8-10 small new potatoes, sliced thin
1 pound green beans
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, Sliced thin and separated into rings
¼ cup capers
Small handful of sun dried tomatoes, chopped
Handful of green olives, sliced
Kosher salt
Olive Oil - a good glug (¼ cup approx)
Red Wine Vinegar - a glug (¼ cup approx)
Gallon zip lock bag
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and then put a little salt and olive oil on the green beans and potatoes, spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet and put them in the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes.
Salt the chicken, and then put it and the rest of the ingredients (except the green beans & potatoes) into a large zip lock bag and add a good glug of olive oil and red wine vinegar to that bag. Seal it and mix the ingredients around.
When 10 minutes have passed, take the baking sheet out of the oven and distribute the chicken and the rest of the ingredients around the pan. (You don’t need to put the olive oil and vinegar on the sheet tray.)
Set a timer for 30 minutes. Your house will start smelling incredible.
For me, this dish is the perfect example of what I’m talking about when I say to play with your food. I didn’t grow up eating capers or sun dried tomatoes, so I appreciate meals that help me discover new combinations of flavors.